Reflections on Luke 17

Luke 17 (Contemporary English Version)

1. Jesus said to his disciples: There will always be something that causes people to sin. But anyone who causes them to sin is in for trouble. A person who causes even one of my little followers to sin
   
2. would be better off thrown into the ocean with a heavy stone tied around their neck.
   
3. So be careful what you do. Correct any followers of mine who sin, and forgive the ones who say they are sorry.
   
4. Even if one of them mistreats you seven times in one day and says, "I am sorry," you should still forgive that person.
   
5. The apostles said to the Lord, "Make our faith stronger!"
   
6. Jesus replied: If you had faith no bigger than a tiny mustard seed, you could tell this mulberry tree to pull itself up, roots and all, and to plant itself in the ocean. And it would!
   
7. If your servant comes in from plowing or from taking care of the sheep, would you say, "Welcome! Come on in and have something to eat"?
   
8. No, you wouldn't say that. You would say, "Fix me something to eat. Get ready to serve me, so I can have my meal. Then later on you can eat and drink."
   
9. Servants don't deserve special thanks for doing what they are supposed to do.
   
10. And that's how it should be with you. When you've done all you should, then say, "We are merely servants, and we have simply done our duty."
    
11. On his way to Jerusalem, Jesus went along the border between Samaria and Galilee.
    
12. As he was going into a village, ten men with leprosy came toward him. They stood at a distance
    
13. and shouted, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"
    
14. Jesus looked at them and said, "Go show yourselves to the priests." On their way they were healed.
    
15. When one of them discovered that he was healed, he came back, shouting praises to God.
    
16. He bowed down at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. The man was from the country of Samaria.
    
17. Jesus asked, "Weren't ten men healed? Where are the other nine?
    
18. Why was this foreigner the only one who came back to thank God?"
    
19. Then Jesus told the man, "You may get up and go. Your faith has made you well."
    
20. Some Pharisees asked Jesus when God's kingdom would come. He answered, "God's kingdom isn't something you can see.
    
21. There is no use saying, 'Look! Here it is' or 'Look! There it is.' God's kingdom is here with you."
    
22. Jesus said to his disciples: The time will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not.
    
23. When people say to you, "Look there," or "Look here," don't go looking for him.
    
24. The day of the Son of Man will be like lightning flashing across the sky.
    
25. But first he must suffer terribly and be rejected by the people of today.
    
26. When the Son of Man comes, things will be just as they were when Noah lived.
    
27. People were eating, drinking, and getting married right up to the day when Noah went into the big boat. Then the flood came and drowned everyone on earth.
    
28. When Lot lived, people were also eating and drinking. They were buying, selling, planting, and building.
    
29. But on the very day Lot left Sodom, fiery flames poured down from the sky and killed everyone.
    
30. The same will happen on the day when the Son of Man appears.
    
31. At that time no one on a rooftop should go down into the house to get anything. No one in a field should go back to the house for anything.
    
32. Remember what happened to Lot's wife.
    
33. People who try to save their lives will lose them, and those who lose their lives will save them.
    
34. On that night two people will be sleeping in the same bed, but only one will be taken. The other will be left.
    
35. Two women will be together grinding wheat, but only one will be taken. The other will be left.
    
36. (SEE 17:35)
    
37. Then Jesus' disciples spoke up, "But where will this happen, Lord?" Jesus said, "Where there is a corpse, there will always be buzzards."
    

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    There does not appear to be a single line of thought flowing through chapter 17 but rather several scattered thoughts that seem to fall into three topics:
    
    Offenses: The first topic has to do with being the source of offenses to others that cause them to stumble. Jesus told His apostles, "Offenses will certainly come, but woe to the one they come through!" This may refer to the unbelief of the Pharisees and of their hindrance to others in following Jesus. This is a serious offense. Next Jesus cautioned the Apostles to be on guard that they counteract sin with their brother. This can be done by rebuking him for his sin and by forgiving him when he sins against them and repents. Through their forgiveness the brother can experience the power of forgiveness and the need to receive it from God.
    
    Faith: These instructions from Jesus to His disciples seems to prompt a request from them to "Increase our faith," but the connection between the request and Jesus' instructions is unclear. Jesus responsed by telling them the issue is not quantity of faith but rather quality of faith. If one has even the faith of a tiny mustard seed they can do mighty things. But they must use the faith they have.
    
    As an example of faith, Luke tells of an event that followed Jesus' teaching time with His apostles. He was traveling to Jerusalem and as he entered a village He saw 10 lepers standing at a distance. At their request, Jesus healed them, sending them to show themselves to the priests to be declared clean. But only one of the 10 returned to Jesus to give glory to God for his healing and it was a Samaritan. None of the Jews among the 10 recognized Jesus for who He was - only the Samaritan. Jesus told him, "Your faith has made you well." It may have been more than physical wellness to which Jesus referred.
    
    Preparedness:  In verses 20-37 the subject moves to the coming of the kingdom of God. The main topic in this section, however, is preparedness to enter the kingdom. It opens with a question from the Pharisees about when the kingdom will come. Jesus answered by telling them it will not be something observable with the eye and it will come when we least expect it. It is something for which we will want to be in readiness so that we do not hesitate to respond in the proper manner when it comes. Those who try "to make his life secure will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it." (17:33) Security at that time will not be in material things. To turn to these for security will lead to destruction as was the case with Lot's wife who turned back when fleeing the destruction of Sodom.