Study Desk

Sin, Faith, Duty

Jesus said to his disciples: "Things that cause people to stumble^(a) are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come.^(b)

It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones^(c) to stumble.^(d)

So watch yourselves. "If your brother or sister^[a] sins against you, rebuke them;^(e) and if they repent, forgive them.^(f)

Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,' you must forgive them."^(g)

The apostles^(h) said to the Lord,⁽ⁱ⁾ "Increase our faith!"

He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed,^(j) you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you.^(k)

"Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat'?

Won't he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me^(l) while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink'?

Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do?

So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'"^(m)

Now on his way to Jerusalem,⁽ⁿ⁾ Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee.^(o)

As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy^[b](p) met him. They stood at a distance^(q)

and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master,^(r) have pity on us!"

When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests."^(s) And as they went, they were cleansed.

One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God^(t) in a loud voice.

He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.^(u)

Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?

Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?"

Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well."^(v)