Luke 17:3-10

I love it when I read certain passages in the Bible that I've read or heard many times before and I still learn something new! I was just reading in Luke and something struck me.

"If your brother sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him." And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith." So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you. And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field,'Come at once and sit down to eat'? But will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink'? Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.'"

John MacArthur comments, " 'Increase our faith.' Lit. Give us more faith. They felt inadequate in the face of the high standard He set for them."
"The point of this parable was that a servant should expect no special reward for doing what was his duty in the first place. The demanding standards Christ set may have seemed too high to the disciples, but they represented only the minimal duties for a servant of Christ. Those who obey are not to think their obedience is meritorious."

I know sometimes I am so proud of myself if I was longsuffering or patient... It just occurred to me that maybe I should not be so proud that I accomplished what is my duty. I hope that makes since!