Luke Chapter 17
1 He said to the disciples, "It is impossible that no occasions of stumbling should come, but woe to him through whom they come!
2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, rather than that he should cause one of these little ones to stumble.
3 Be careful. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him. If he repents, forgive him.
4 If he sins against you seven times in the day, and seven times returns, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him."
5 The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."
6 The Lord said, "If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you would tell this sycamore tree, 'Be uprooted, and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.
7 But who is there amongst you, having a servant ploughing or keeping sheep, that will say when he comes in from the field, 'Come immediately and sit down at the table,'
8 and will not rather tell him, 'Prepare my supper, clothe yourself properly, and serve me, while I eat and drink. Afterward you shall eat and drink'?
9 Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded? I think not.
10 Even so you also, when you have done all the things that are commanded you, say, 'We are unworthy servants. We have done our duty.' "
11 As he was on his way to Jerusalem, he was passing along the borders of Samaria and Galilee.
12 As he entered into a certain village, ten men who were lepers met him, who stood at a distance.
13 They lifted up their voices, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"
14 When he saw them, he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." As they went, they were cleansed.
15 One of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice.
16 He fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks; and he was a Samaritan.
17 Jesus answered, "Weren't the ten cleansed? But where are the nine?
18 Were there none found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?"
19 Then he said to him, "Get up, and go your way. Your faith has healed you."
20 Being asked by the Pharisees when God's Kingdom would come, he answered them, "God's Kingdom doesn't come with observation;
21 neither will they say, 'Look, here!' or, 'Look, there!' for behold, God's Kingdom is within you."
22 He said to the disciples, "The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.
23 They will tell you, 'Look, here!' or 'Look, there!' Don't go away or follow after them,
24 for as the lightning, when it flashes out of one part under the sky, shines to another part under the sky; so will the Son of Man be in his day.
25 But first, he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.
26 As it was in the days of Noah, even so will it be also in the days of the Son of Man.
27 They ate, they drank, they married, and they were given in marriage until the day that Noah entered into the ship, and the flood came and destroyed them all.
28 Likewise, even as it was in the days of Lot: they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built;
29 but in the day that Lot went out from Sodom, it rained fire and sulphur from the sky and destroyed them all.
30 It will be the same way in the day that the Son of Man is revealed.
31 In that day, he who will be on the housetop and his goods in the house, let him not go down to take them away. Let him who is in the field likewise not turn back.
32 Remember Lot's wife!
33 Whoever seeks to save his life loses it, but whoever loses his life preserves it.
34 I tell you, in that night there will be two people in one bed. One will be taken and the other will be left.
35 There will be two grinding grain together. One will be taken and the other will be left."
36
37 They, answering, asked him, "Where, Lord?" He said to them, "Where the body is, there the vultures will also be gathered together."
Footnotes
- Verse 36
- Some Greek manuscripts add: "Two will be in the field: the one taken, and the other left."
Version: World English Bible
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Luke Chapter 17 Guide
The thinking of the Master for His disciples is always that they should live in love. He knew, however, that offenses must come. In that connection He uttered the solemn word of warning, "Woe unto him through whom - they come." He then gave instructions on our attitude toward the offender.
There follows the story of the lepers. Ten men with a common need lifted a cry of agony in petition to the Son of God. Ten men were directed by Him to do what appeared absurd. The law required to show themselves to the priest when they were cleansed. These men were still lepers. Nevertheless, ten men trusted Him, and started on the journey. Ten men were miraculously healed through obedience, and then one man turned back to glorify God. Because of this, the question of Jesus, "Where are the nine?" becomes arresting and revealing, showing, as it does, that He waits for the worship of healed sods, and often is robbed of it.
The Pharisees asked Him when the Kingdom of God would appear, while it was right in their midst because the King Himself was there. This the Lord declared: "The Kingdom of God is in the midst of you." Turning to His disciples, He spoke of the day that lay far ahead in which He would no longer be unrecognized, but revealed in His glory to a faithless and unbelieving age.
From "An Exposition of the Whole Bible" by G. Campbell Morgan.
Luke Chapter 17 Commentary
Chapter Outline
- To avoid offences, To pray for increase of faith, Humility taught. -- (11-19)
- Ten lepers cleansed. -- (1-10)
- Christ's kingdom. -- (20-37)
Verses 1-10
It is no abatement of their guilt by whom an offence comes, nor will it lessen their punishment that offences will come. Faith in God's pardoning mercy, will enable us to get over the greatest difficulties in the way of forgiving our brethren. As with God nothing is impossible, so all things are possible to him that can believe. Our Lord showed his disciples their need of deep humility. The Lord has such a property in every creature, as no man can have in another; he cannot be in debt to them for their services, nor do they deserve any return from him.
Verses 11-19
A sense of our spiritual leprosy should make us very humble whenever we draw near to Christ. It is enough to refer ourselves to the compassions of Christ, for they fail not. We may look for God to meet us with mercy, when we are found in the way of obedience. Only one of those who were healed returned to give thanks. It becomes us, like him, to be very humble in thanksgivings, as well as in prayers. Christ noticed the one who thus distinguished himself, he was a Samaritan. The others only got the outward cure, he alone got the spiritual blessing.
Verses 20-37
The kingdom of God was among the Jews, or rather within some of them. It was a spiritual kingdom, set up in the heart by the power of Divine grace. Observe how it had been with sinners formerly, and in what state the judgments of God, which they had been warned of, found them. Here is shown what a dreadful surprise this destruction will be to the secure and sensual. Thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. When Christ came to destroy the Jewish nation by the Roman armies, that nation was found in such a state of false security as is here spoken of. In like manner, when Jesus Christ shall come to judge the world, sinners will be found altogether regardless; for in like manner the sinners of every age go on securely in their evil ways, and remember not their latter end. But wherever the wicked are, who are marked for eternal ruin, they shall be found by the judgments of God.
From the "Concise Commentary on the Bible" by Matthew Henry.