Breaking the Word

"Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, 'Come here immediately and take your place at table'?   Would he not rather say to him, 'Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You may eat and drink when I am finished'? Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded? So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.'" (17:7-10)

 

 

Servants are always servants in front of their masters. They may be different among their own friends and in their own household or when they are on leave. They are servants in their work place and they have their duties to complete and the master counts only completion of works. The master does not watch on anything else except him as a worker and the work completed.

 

This is in no way implies that a servant is a slave who does not have his own free time to do as he wishes. Servant has his own time of freedom in which he could eat and drink. Everyone has his own time to act as he wishes and the time of work in which to act as the master desires.

 

This parable only goes to tell the disciples that they should feel like the servant in this story. They are given works to do and they should only feel that they are servants and they are obliged to do their work only. In short the disciples should not feel that they are masters. There is only one master and all the rest are servants. The disciples are obliged as servants.

He said to his disciples, "Things that cause sin will inevitably occur, but woe to the person through whom they occur. It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he wrongs you seven times in one day and returns to you seven times saying, 'I am sorry,' you should forgive him." And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith." The Lord replied, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to (this) mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you. (Lk 17:1-6)

 

 

Everyone sins in this world. There is no one on this earth who can say that he has not sinned (except Jesus Christ). There are sins which are caused by the others or external agents. These causes are also inevitable. There are persons, events, things which cause another to sin. However, one should be careful not to sin and much more, not to be a cause of sin. Sinner is forgiven (even is he sins seven times a day) but not the one who is the cause of sin.

 

Anyone who is the cause of sin for the other should be into the sea. He should be thrown with a millstone around his neck. This is so because not even his dead body should be seen (floating). Cause(r) of sin should not be seen. Jesus makes such a strong statement against the one who causes. Could this be because the little ones fall into sin because they are prompted to do so and not by themselves?

 

Sinner should be forgiven whenever he recognizes his sinfulness and repents. Jesus suggests that he be forgiven seven times (completely). Sinner will realize that he has sinned whereas the causer does not realize that he has caused the sin and hence he does not realize and hence the responsibility falls on the one who commits.