Luke17

Jesus teaches about the inevitability of offences, the importance of forgiving repeatedly, and the power of even small faith. He then heals ten lepers, but only one, a Samaritan, returns to give thanks, highlighting gratitude. Finally, Jesus speaks of the Kingdom of God not coming with observation, but being 'within you.' He describes the sudden, unexpected return of the Son of Man, likening it to the days of Noah and Lot, urging readiness.

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Warnings on Stumbling and Forgiveness

And he said unto his disciples, It is impossible but that occasions of stumbling should come; but woe unto him, through whom they come!

It were well for him if a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, rather than that he should cause one of these little ones to stumble.

Take heed to yourselves: if thy brother sin, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.

And if he sin against thee seven times in the day, and seven times turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.

And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.

And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye would say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou rooted up, and be thou planted in the sea; and it would obey you.

Duty of the Servant

But who is there of you, having a servant plowing or keeping sheep, that will say unto him, when he is come in from the field, Come straightway and sit down to meat;

and will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?

Doth he thank the servant because he did the things that were commanded?

Even so ye also, when ye shall have done all the things that are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants; we have done that which it was our duty to do.

The Ten Lepers and the Grateful Samaritan

And it came to pass, as they were on the way to Jerusalem, that he was passing along the borders of Samaria and Galilee.

And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, who stood afar off:

and they lifted up their voices, saying, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go and show yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, as they went, they were cleansed.

And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, with a loud voice glorifying God;

and he fell upon his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

And Jesus answering said, Were not the ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

Were there none found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger?

And he said unto him, Arise, and go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

The Coming of the Kingdom of God

And being asked by the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God cometh, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:

neither shall they say, Lo, here! or, There! for lo, the kingdom of God is within you.

Signs of the Son of Man's Return

And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it.

And they shall say to you, Lo, there! Lo, here! go not away, nor follow after them:

for as the lightning, when it lighteneth out of the one part under the heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall the Son of man be in his day.

But first must he suffer many things and be rejected of this generation.

And as it came to pass in the days of Noah, even so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.

They ate, they drank, they married, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.

Likewise even as it came to pass in the days of Lot; they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;

but in the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all:

after the same manner shall it be in the day that the Son of man is revealed.

In that day, he that shall be on the housetop, and his goods in the house, let him not go down to take them away: and let him that is in the field likewise not return back.

Remember Lot’s wife.

Whosoever shall seek to gain his life shall lose it: but whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.

I say unto you, In that night there shall be two men on one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.

There shall be two women grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.

Not present in the manuscripts this translation follows.

And they answering say unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Where the body is, thither will the eagles also be gathered together.

Study Notes for Luke 17

Verse 1

The term “offences” (Gk. *skandala*) refers to traps or causes of moral stumbling. Jesus emphasizes that while sin is inevitable, those who cause others to sin face severe judgment.

Verse 2

A millstone (*mulos onikos*) was typically turned by a donkey, indicating a very large, heavy stone, emphasizing the extreme nature of the punishment for harming a vulnerable believer ('little ones').

Verse 3

This instruction balances the serious warning against causing sin (Vv. 1-2) with the responsibility of personal accountability and reconciliation within the community.

Verse 4

The instruction to forgive 'seven times' goes beyond the rabbinic standard (often three times) and signifies complete, limitless forgiveness, reflecting God’s own boundless mercy.

Verse 5

The apostles' request shows they recognized the difficulty of the standard Jesus set regarding limitless forgiveness and sought divine enablement.

Verse 6

The sycamine (mulberry) tree has deep roots, making it difficult to uproot. Jesus uses hyperbole to illustrate that true faith, even if small ('mustard seed'), can accomplish the seemingly impossible.

Verse 7

This parable shifts the focus from the power of faith to the proper attitude toward obedience, emphasizing humility.

Verse 10

The phrase 'unprofitable servants' (or 'worthless servants') does not mean useless, but rather that they have not earned merit or special reward; they have simply fulfilled their basic obligation (*opheilomenon*).

Verse 11

Luke often notes Jesus passing through the borderlands (Samaria and Galilee), highlighting his ministry crossing ethnic and religious boundaries on the way to Jerusalem.

Verse 14

Jesus tests their obedience before the healing occurs. Showing themselves to the priests was required by Mosaic Law (Lev. 14) to confirm cleansing and allow re-entry into society.

Verse 16

The fact that the one who returned was a Samaritan is highly significant in Luke, emphasizing that God’s grace extends beyond the Jewish community and often finds a more appreciative response among those considered outsiders.

Verse 19

The distinction is often made: the nine were 'cleansed' (V. 14, physical healing), but the Samaritan was 'made whole' (*sesōken*), implying spiritual salvation or complete restoration.

Verse 20

The Pharisees expected the Kingdom to arrive as a visible, political event. Jesus refutes this, introducing the idea of the Kingdom's spiritual presence.

Verse 21

The Greek phrase *entos hymōn* can mean 'among you' (referring to Jesus' presence) or 'within you' (referring to the spiritual reality in the hearts of believers). Both interpretations emphasize that the Kingdom is not dependent on external signs.

Verse 22

Jesus shifts from discussing the present reality of the Kingdom to its future, visible manifestation (eschatology), warning the disciples against false messianic claims after his departure.

Verse 24

The Second Coming will not be secret or localized but sudden, undeniable, and universally visible, like a flash of lightning across the sky.

Verse 25

This verse serves as a crucial theological anchor, stressing that the glory of the Son of Man (V. 24) is preceded necessarily by his suffering and rejection.

Verse 26

The comparison to the days of Noah and Lot emphasizes that the judgment will fall upon a world engrossed in normal, everyday activities, unprepared for the suddenness of God's intervention.

Verse 31

This graphic image emphasizes the necessity of immediate, decisive action when the final judgment arrives, prioritizing preservation over material possessions.

Verse 32

Remember Lot's wife (Gen. 19:26) is a warning against looking back or prioritizing attachment to the world being judged over immediate obedience to divine command.

Verse 33

This paradox is a central teaching of Jesus, emphasizing that true life (spiritual and eternal) is found only through self-denial and willingness to surrender earthly security.

Verse 34

This illustrates the selective and decisive nature of the final judgment, separating individuals even when they are in closest physical proximity.

Verse 37

Jesus responds to the disciples' question about the location ('Where?') with a proverb. The judgment will take place universally, wherever spiritual decay and rebellion (the 'body') are found.

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Luke17

Warnings on Stumbling and Forgiveness

Duty of the Servant

The Ten Lepers and the Grateful Samaritan

The Coming of the Kingdom of God

Signs of the Son of Man's Return

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