17:1-3Jesus warned about God's wrath for those who offend, abuse, or lead astray the little ones. Jesus warns off any predators who would hurt children in any way. How appropriate such a warning is in this day when corruption enters our homes every day in many television programs or on the internet. While Christians must guard against physical abuse, they also must be aware of and work against the mental and spiritual corruption that unfiltered television and unsupervised internet surfing can bring. Jesus’ warning envisions an additional group, however. The “fittle ones” can be new disciples. Indifference to the training and treatment of new Christians can leave them theologicaily vulnerable. Make the follow-through care of recent converts and new members a high priority in your church.
Life Application Study BibleLukeChapter 17
Luke 17
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 1722, 1723, 1724
A few verse numbers on this page were hard to read in the scan and are marked with a dotted underline — compare with the original page image if in doubt.
1One day Jesus said to his disciples, “There will always be temptations to sin, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting! 2it would be better to be thrown into the sea with a millstone hung around your neck than to cause one of these little ones to fall into sin. 3So watch yourselves! “If another believer* sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive. 4Even if that person wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, you must forgive.” 5The apostles said to the LORD, “Show us how to increase our faith.” 6The LORD answered, “If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘May you be uprooted and thrown into the sea,’ and it would obey you! 7“When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, does his master say, ‘Come in and eat with me’? 8No, he says, ‘Prepare my meal, put on your apron, and serve me while I eat. Then you can eat later.’ 9And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was told to do? Of course not. 10Jn the same way, when you obey me you should say, ‘We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.’” Jesus Heals Ten Men with Leprosy (169) 11As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. 12As he entered a village there, ten lepers stood at a distance,!3crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14He looked at them and said,“Go show yourselves to the priests.”* And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy. One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” 16He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan. 17Jesus asked, “Didn't I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? 18Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.*” Jesus Teaches about the Coming of the Kingdom of God (170) 20One day the Pharisees asked Jesus, “When will the Kingdom of God come?” Jesus replied, “The Kingdom of God can't be detected by visible signs.* 2"'You won't be able to say, ‘Here it is!’ or ‘It’s over there!’ For the Kingdom of God is already among you.*” 22Then he said to his disciples, “The time is coming when you will long to see the day when the Son of Man returns,* but you won't see it. 23People will tell you, ‘Look, there is the Son of Man,’ or ‘Here he is,’ but don’t go out and follow them. 24For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other, so it will be on the day when the Son of Man comes. 25But first the Son of Man must suffer terribly* and be rejected by this generation. 26“ When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. 27In those days, the people enjoyed banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat and the flood came and destroyed them ail. 28“And the world will be as it was in the days of Lot. People went about their daily business—eating and drinking, buying and selling, farming and building—9unti! the morning Lot left Sodom. Then fire and burning sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. 30Yes, it will be ‘business as usual’ right up to the day when the Son of Man is revealed. 31On that day a person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. A person out in the field must not return home. 32Remember what happened to Lot's wife! 33]f you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it. 34That night two people will be asleep in one bed; one will be taken, the other left. 3>Two women will be grinding flour together at the mill; one will be taken, the other left.*” 37“ Where will this happen, LORD?’”* the disciples asked. Jesus replied, “Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near.”* Jesus Tells the Parable of the Persistent Widow (171)
Textual footnotes
- 17:3 Greek /f your brother.
- 17:19 Or Your faith has saved you.
- 17:20 Or by your speculations.
- 17:21 Or is within you, or is in your grasp.
- 17:22 Or long for even one day with
- 17:25 Or suffer many things.
- 17:35 Some manu-
- 17:37a Greek “Where, LORD?” 17:37b Greek “Wherever the carcass is, the vultures gather.”
Life Application Notes 13 notes
17:3,4To rebuke does not mean to point out every sin we see; it means to bring sin to a person’s attention with the purpose of restoring him or her to God and to fellow humans. When you feel you must rebuke another Christian for a sin, check your attitudes before you speak. Do you love that person? Are you willing to forgive? Unless rebuke is tied to forgiveness, it will not help the sinning person.
17:5,6The disciples’ request was genuine; they wanted the faith necessary for such radical forgiveness. But Jesus didn’t directly answer their question because the amount of faith is not as important as its genuineness. What is faith? It is complete trust and loyalty to God that results in a willingness to do his will. Faith is not something we use to put on a show for others. It is complete arid humble obedience to God’s will, readiness to do whatever he calls us to do. The amount of faith isn’t as important as the right kind of faith—faith in our all-powerful God.
17:6A mustard seed is small, but it is alive and growing. Almost invisible at first, the seed will begin to spread, first under the ground and then visibly. Like a tiny seed, a small amount of genuine faith in God will take root and grow. Although each change will be gradual and imperceptible, soon this faith will have produced major results that will uproot and destroy competing loyalties. We don’t need more faith; a tiny seed of faith is enough if it is alive and growing.
17:7-10|f we have obeyed God, we have only done our duty, and we should regard it as a privilege. Do you sometimes feel that you deserve extra credit for serving God? Remember, obedience is not something extra we do; it is our duty. Jesus is not suggesting that our service is meaningless or useless, nor is he advocating doing away with rewards. He is attacking unwarranted self-esteem and spiritual pride.
17:11-14Because leprosy was contagious, people who had leprosy were required to try to stay away from other people and to announce their presence if they had to come near. Sometimes leprosy would go into remission. If a leper thought his leprosy had gone away, he was supposed to present himself to a priest, who could declare him clean (Leviticus 14). Jesus sent the 10 lepers to the priest before they were healed— and they went! They responded in faith, and Jesus healed them on the way. Is your trust in God so strong that you act on what he says even before you see evidence that it will work?
17:16Jesus healed all 10 lepers, but only one returned to thank him. it is possible to receive God’s great gifts with an ungrateful spirit—9 of the 10 men did so. Only the thankful man, however, learned that his faith had played a role in his healing; and only grateful Christians grow in understanding
17:20,21The Pharisees asked when God’s Kingdom would come, not knowing that it had already arrived. The Kingdom of God is not like an earthly kingdom with geographical boundaries. Instead, it begins with the work of God’s Spirit in people's lives and in relationships. We must resist looking to institutions or programs for evidence of the progress of God’s Kingdom. Instead, we should look for what God is doing in people's hearts.
17:23,24Many will claim to be the Messiah, and many will claim that the Son of Man has returned—and people will believe them. Jesus warns us never to take such reports seriously, no matter how convincing they may sound. When Jesus returns, his power and presence will be evident to everyone. No one will need to spread the message because all will see for themselves.
17:23-36Life will be going on as usual on the day Christ returns. No warning will sound. Most people will be going about their everyday tasks, indifferent to the demands of God. They will be as surprised by Christ's return as the people in Noah's day were by the Flood (Genesis 6-8) or the people in Lot’s day by the destruction of Sodom (Genesis 19). We don't know the time of Christ’s return, but we do know that he is coming. He may come today, tomorrow, or centuries in the future. Whenever Christ comes, we must be morally and Spiritually ready. Live as if Jesus were returning today.
17:26-35Jesus warned against false security. We are to abandon the values and attachments of this world in order to be ready for Christ’s return. His return will happen suddenly, and when he comes, there will be no second chances. Some will be taken te be with him; the rest will be left behind.
17:33Those clinging to this life are those seeking to escape physical persecution. Those who live for themselves display these common attitudes: (1) Materialism—I want it and work hard to get it. All that I see is real. Unseen things are merely ideas and dreams. (2) /ndividualism—I work hard for me, and you work hard for you. I may make it; you may not. That's your problem, not mine. (3) Skepticism—Anything I’m not convinced about can’t be important. Everything important to know I can figure out. Those who have these attitudes may protect themselves, but they will lose the spiritual dimension to their fives. Keep your commitment to Christ at full strength. Then you'll be ready when he returns.
17:37To answer the disciples’ question, Jesus quoted a familiar proverb. One vulture circling overhead does not mean much, but a gathering of vultures means that a carcass is nearby. Likewise, one sign of the end may not be significant, but when many signs occur, the Second Coming is near.
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Study feature · page 1723
17:14 See Lev 14:2-32.
God's grace. God does not demand that we thank him, but he is pleased when we do so. And he uses our responsiveness to teach us more about himself. 17:16 Not only was this man a leper, he was also a Samaritan—a race despised by the Jews as idolatrous half-breeds {see the note on 10:33). Once again Luke is pointing out that God’s grace is for everybody. wPr.._Qe_—e_ = «CCL TCL ACT TDID
LAST TRIP FROM GALILEE Jesus left Galilee for the last time— he would not return before his death. He passed through Samaria, met and healed 10 men who had leprosy, and continued to Jerusalem. He spent some time east of the Jordan (Mark 10:1) before going to Jericho (Luke 19:1).
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