7
November
Catholic Men’s Daily Devotional and Bible Study – 32nd Week in Ordinary time – Monday – Luke 17:1-6
After teaching that disciples must be full of charity and humility and revealing the agony of the fires of Hell, Christ now warns the disciples of the destruction that comes to men who cause others to sin. Mincing no words, Christ reveals it is better to be strangled and drowned with a huge millstone around one’s neck then the fate of those who purposefully cause one in their care to sin, especially the sin of rejecting the faith. Christ’s severe warning refers to disciples who by scandal or false teaching lead others to sin and also to adults who deceive or prey on the young.
Christ turns to the need for disciples to offer unlimited forgiveness for the repentant sinner. Christ makes it clear that sin is condemned, warning (take heed!) disciples to see other men as their brothers and to rebuke them when they sin. Disciples must forgive those who repent from sin, even if a soul repeatedly sins and repents.
The stunning demands of Christ to not lead others into sin and to offer unlimited forgiveness lead the Apostles to to a crisis: they cry “Increase our faith!” The Apostles, especially chosen and blessed by Christ, have the self-awareness and soberness of mind to realize that Christ’s demands exceed their faith; even Christ’s chosen have a holy fear of His demands and wrath (to be thrown into the sea with a millstone around the neck). In response, Christ exhorts the Apostles to seek faith, for even small faith (as small as a mustard seed) can achieve impossible supernatural things (to uproot and move a giant tree with a word to grow in the sea!). Christ makes no demands of His men that He will not ensure they can meet if they will only have complete faith in Him. Find out more by visiting website.
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