Luke 17:1-37
1 Then said he unto the disciples,It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!
2 It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.
3 Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.
4 And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.
5 And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.
6 And the Lord said,If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.
7 But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat?
8 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?
9 Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not.
10 So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.
11 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.
12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:
13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.
14 And when he saw them, he said unto them,Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.
15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,
16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.
17 And Jesus answering said,Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?
18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.
19 And he said unto him,Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.
20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said,The kingdom of God cometh not witha observation:
21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.b
22 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.
23 And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them.
24 For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day.
25 But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.
26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.
28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.
31 In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.
32 Remember Lot's wife.
33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.
34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.c
37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them,Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.
Luke 17:1. It is impossible but that offences will come. Such as the disciples had just seen, the contempt and derision evinced by the pharisees; but woe to the man, and woe to the nation which shall despise the gospel. At the same time be of a forgiving temper; pardon on apology, and do not think that by practising the higher graces of true religion, in overcoming evil with good, that you merit any thing as a debt of your heavenly Father. By rendering evil for evil you would multiply sins, and bring your own souls into condemnation. On the other hand, the world have a right to expect those graces in you, else how are they to know that a divine principle now operates in your heart. Man who owes all to his Maker, can never be a creditor to heaven; he is still an unprofitable servant. Even angels, whose services are perfect, never talk of merit, but veil their faces in presence of the Lord.
Luke 17:2. Better that a millstone, used in the handmills of families, were hanged about his neck, and he drowned as a culprit, that he may no more rob, slander and stumble, and drive one of these young converts out of the way. This was an ancient punishment among both the Greeks and the Romans for detestable offenders, as Suidas records. Matthew 18:7.
Luke 17:12. There met him ten men that were lepers. This was an incurable disease, and has generally been reckoned so by physicians of every age. See on Leviticus 13; Mark 1:41.
Luke 17:20. The kingdom of God cometh not with observation, or parade. The accession of a prince to a throne, and the conquest of a kingdom, fill the world with noise and eclat; but the conversion of a poor fisherman in Galilee, and of a young man in Damascus, were to the church much greater events; and yet they were not noticed by the world. By and bye however, the kingdom of God shall come with power, and all flesh shall see his salvation. By and bye, the zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish all the glorious things spoken of the city of God.
Luke 17:21. The kingdom of God is within you. The Messiah's kingdom, the cheering theme of the prophets, and the key-word of John's preaching, Matthew 3:2; which shall gain the judgment by truth, and win the heart by grace. As Satan and all moral evil entered the heart by the fall, so Christ shall bind the strong one, and cast him out, and spoil his goods, that is, destroy the works of the devil. Then grace shall reign through righteousness, and be the power of God to an endless life. The Father and the Son will make his promised abode in our heart, and fill us with righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. With men thus converted Christ will fill the church, and populate the earth.
Luke 17:34. There shall be two in one bed. See the note on Matthew 24:40.
REFLECTIONS.
In addition to what is said in Leviticus 13:14. and Matthew 8., on the case of leprosy, we may here add, that the virtue of Christ was infinite: it was not diminished by healing ten or ten thousand. This is a most encouraging consideration to induce poor sinners to come to Jesus, either alone or in crowds. He can assuredly purge the conscience of guilt, and cleanse the heart of leprosy by a word, or a touch.
But let sinners approach him with reverence and prayer. The lepers, like the publican, stood afar off and cried. Deep humility and abasement before the Lord are the qualifying dispositions for the reception of grace.
Faith is essential in order to pardon and purity. Go show yourselves to the priests. This, the lepers did not dare to do, till their flesh exhibited some marks of healing; for the penalty of violating their precincts of separation was forty stripes. Hence the ten lepers obeyed the Lord in faith; and behold, as they went, their skin assumed its fair and natural appearance. Their faith, imperfect as it was, produced a greater and a more speedy effect than they themselves had expected. So when mercy dissipates the frowns of vengeance, she smiles with comfort exceeding the hopes and conceptions of men.
Gratitude must follow conversion; it becomes the just to be thankful. One of the ten, a Samaritan, felt his heart glow with a gratitude which obstructed, his journey. Something whispered in his heart to make the first offering of his praise to him who had cleansed his body, and refreshed his soul. Gratitude is the sweetest incense a saint can offer to God, and its fragrance fills the whole church with a cloud of delight and joy. Oh my soul, offer thou the praise of all thy mercies at thy Saviour's feet, for he pointedly complains of those men touched by his grace, who do not return to give glory to God. Were there not ten cleansed; but where are the nine? Sinner, moved by the Lord's complaint, stop and count thy mercies, thy cures, thy comforts; and ask what returns are expected, yea what base and most ungrateful returns thou hast made. Alas, thou art numbered with the nine who returned not to give glory to God.