Luke 17:1-10

1 He said to his disciples, "Hard trials and temptations are bound to come, but too bad for whoever brings them on!

2 Better to wear a millstone necklace and take a swim in the deep blue sea than give even one of these dear little ones a hard time!

3 "Be alert. If you see your friend going wrong, correct him. If he responds, forgive him.

4 Even if it's personal against you and repeated seven times through the day, and seven times he says, 'I'm sorry, I won't do it again,' forgive him."

5 The apostles came up and said to the Master, "Give us more faith."

6 But the Master said, "You don't need more faith. There is no 'more' or 'less' in faith. If you have a bare kernel of faith, say the size of a poppy seed, you could say to this sycamore tree, 'Go jump in the lake,' and it would do it.

7 "Suppose one of you has a servant who comes in from plowing the field or tending the sheep. Would you take his coat, set the table, and say, 'Sit down and eat'?

8 Wouldn't you be more likely to say, 'Prepare dinner; change your clothes and wait table for me until I've finished my coffee; then go to the kitchen and have your supper'?

9 Does the servant get special thanks for doing what's expected of him?

10 It's the same with you. When you've done everything expected of you, be matter-of-fact and say, 'The work is done. What we were told to do, we did.'"