Luke 17

1 Then sayde he to ye disciples it can not be avoyded but that offences will come. Neverthelesse wo be to him thorow whom they come.

2 It were better for him that a mylstone were hanged aboute his necke and that he were cast into ye see then that he shuld offende one of this lytleons.

3 Take hede to youre selves. If thy brother trespas agaynst the rebuke him:

4 and yf he repent forgeve him. And though he sinne agest ye .vii. tymes in a daye and seve tymes in a daye tourne agayne to ye sayinge: it repenteth me forgeve him

5 And the apostles sayde vnto the Lorde: increase oure faith.

6 And the Lorde sayde: yf ye had faith lyke a grayne of mustard sede and shuld saye vnto this sycamine tree plucke thy selfe vp by the rootes and plant thy selfe in the see: he should obey you.

7 Who is it of you yf he had a servaute plowinge or fedinge catell that wolde saye vnto him when he were come from the felde Goo quickly and syt doune to meate:

8 and wolde not rather saye to him dresse wherwith I maye sup and gyrde vp thy selfe and serve me tyll I have eaten and dronken: and afterwarde eate thou and drinke thou?

9 Doeth he thanke that servaunt because he dyd that which was commaunded vnto him? I trowe not.

10 Soo lyke wyse ye when ye have done all thoose thinges which are commaunded you: saye we are vnprofitable servautes. We have done: ye which was oure duetye to do.

11 And it chaunsed as he went to Ierusalem that he passed thorow Samaria and Galile.

12 And as he entred into a certayne toune ther met him ten men yt were lepers. Which stode a farre of

13 and put forth their voyces and sayde: Iesu master have mercy on vs.

14 When he sawe the he sayde vnto them: Goo and shewe youre selves to the prestes. And it chaunsed as they went they were clensed.

15 And one of them when he sawe that he was clensed turned backe agayne and with a loude voyce praysed God

16 and fell doune on his face at his fete and gave him thankes. And the same was a Samaritane.

17 And Iesus answered and sayde: are ther not ten clensed? But where are those nyne?

18 Ther are not founde that returned agane to geve God prayse save only this straunger.

19 And he sayde vnto him: aryse and goo thy waye thy faith hath made the whoale.

20 When he was demaunded of ye pharises when the kyngdome of God shuld come: he answered them and sayde: The kyngdome of God cometh not with waytinge for.

21 Nether shall men saye: Loo here loo there. For beholde the kyngdome of God is with in you.

22 And he sayde vnto the disciples: The dayes will come when ye shall desyre to se one daye of the sonne of man and ye shall not se it.

23 And they shall saye to you: Se here Se there. Goo not after them nor folowe them

24 for as the lyghtenynge that apereth out of the one parte of the heven and shyneth vnto the other parte of heven: Soo shall the sonne of man be in his dayes.

25 But fyrst must he suffre many thinges and be refused of this nacion.

26 As it happened in ye tyme of Noe: So shall it be in the tyme of the sonne of man.

27 They ate they dranke they maryed wyves and were maryed even vnto yt same daye yt Noe went into ye arke: and ye floud cam and destroyed the all.

28 Lykewyse also as it chaunsed in the dayes of Lot. They ate they dranke they bought they solde they planted they bilte.

29 And even the same daye that Lot went out of Zodom it rayned fyre and brymstone from heven and destroyed them all.

30 After these ensamples shall it be in the daye when the sonne of man shall appere.

31 At that daye he that is on the housse toppe and his stuffe in the housse: let him not come doune to take it out. And lykewyse let not him that is in the feldes turne backe agayne to that he lefte behynde.

32 Remember Lottes wyfe.

33 Whosoever will goo about to save his lyfe shall loose it: And whosoever shall loose his lyfe shall save it.

34 I tell you: In that nyght ther shalbe two in one beed the one shalbe receaved and the other shalbe forsaken.

35 Two shalbe also a grindynge to gedder: the one shalbe receaved and the other forsaken.

36 And they answered and sayde to him: wheare Lorde? And he sayd vnto the: whersoever ye body shalbe thyther will the egles resoorte.

Luke 17 Commentary

Chapter 17

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.