In the gospel lesson this week (Luke 17:1-10) there are three distinct groupings. And in a surface reading they might seem to have nothing to do with each other. Random sayings of Jesus collected and roughly situated in the narrative when he might have spoken them, but otherwise not connected.  That type of arrangement isn’t unheard of, for that is roughly Proverbs or most wisdom literature. Random sayings collected around some age or event or theme.  But I think they might have a better flow than that first glace.

And I think that in the first block, our translations gets us off on a bad foot.  They record, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come (Luke 17:1).”  And they continue with the condemnation of the millstone around one’s neck. It is not that temptation is a wrong translation, but that it doesn’t really capture the effect of what is being said. The word used is the Greek world that we directly take as our English word scandal. And the meaning is not our contemporary celebrity petty “scandals” which are more a humorous public failing.  The better meaning is an action that causes someone to lose faith, or maybe an intentional disheartening of the faithful. Scandals are sure to happen.  It is a sinful and fallen world. But woe to the one who scandalizes, who intentionally disheartens these “little ones.” Now any such scandal probably involves a temptation. One thinks immediately of the Roman Church’s priestly sexual abuse scandal.  But honestly I think what the Pope said this week is also just such a scandal.  To have the highest bishop of the largest tradition actively dishearten the faithful in the very area the church is most prophetic is a scandal. And Jesus is talking to his disciples.  If you are a teacher or a leader in the church, it is a warning about “Paying attention (Luke 17:3).”  Millstones attach to these things!

But that harsh but good reminder is quickly followed up by something unimaginable.  Imagining a god of vengeance and wrath has never been hard.  Believing in a god who forgives “seven times in a day (Luke 17:4)” is harder. Yet that is the command of Jesus, “if your brother says…’I repent’ you must forgive him.” God is a god of mercy, and he expects his people to have mercy also. Mercy to the extent of that number of completion – “seven.”  Full forgiveness. Because in Christ we have been fully forgiven.  The disciples’ response makes sense – “increase our faith (Luke 17:5)!” The request feels nonsensical.  Scandalize me once, shame on me.  Scandalize me twice, shame on you!  It only makes sense in the world of faith. When one has faith that The Father is who Jesus says he is, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.  When one has faith that Jesus came for sinners. Then anything can happen.  Even a tree being planted on the sea (Luke 17:6).  The strangeness of the Kingdom.

The last section might be more for those disciples that have been at this a long time.  Maybe you are at the end of your forgiveness.  Maybe you are just tired of being taken advantage of.  Or maybe you labor under some idea that if I do this – live forgiveness in this world – this world will give some back to me.  I don’t think that is an uncommon feeling. “No good deed goes unpunished” as the fractured fairy tale has it.  Jesus’ gives the disciples a salutary reminder.  The rewards of discipleship are not this worldly. In this world we are servants (those translators again, more pungent slaves.)  Christ would have been perfectly fine issuing the commands and “we would have only done our duty (Luke 17:10).” But what Jesus precedes this with is telling.  No earthly master would tell his slave to “come at once and recline at table (Luke 17:7).”  The slave would do the preparation and might get something after.  But Christ has prepared a table.  And he has told his servants to come and eat.

The Kingdom of God operates differently. It intends to overcome scandals, not with duty, but with mercy and love. Mercy toward one another for the millstones we all might carry. Who among us has not been the cause of scandal? Love from the Father in the body and blood of His Son which covers us and make us whole.