Luke 17
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CHAPTER 17
Sin, Faith, Duty (17:1-10)
(Matthew 17:20; 18:6-7,15,21-22; Mark 9:42)
1-2 See Mark 9:42 and comment.
3-4 See Matthew 18:15,21-22 and comment.
5-6 See Matthew 17:20; Mark 9:24-29 and comment.
7-8 Here Jesus teaches about the relationship between master and servant. A worldly master sends his servant out to plow or look after the animals. When the servant returns at the end of the day, he must prepare the master’s meal. The master does not serve the servant. Even though the servant has worked all day and is tired, he must still keep on serving his master.
9 The master does not have to say “Thankyou” to the servant. The master doesn’t owe the servant anything, because the servant is only doing his duty. The servant is obligated to serve his master constantly, and therefore, he doesn’t deserve any special thanks or gratitude. A master never thanks a servant for obeying an order.
10 In the same way, we are Christ’s servants. We are God’s possession, God’s slaves (see Romans 1:1 and comment). In Jesus’ time, a slave had no rights. His master bought him. The slave had to do whatever his master ordered. So, too, we have been bought by Christ. He bought us with His own blood (see 1 Corinthians 6:20; 1 Peter 1:18-19 and comments).
Therefore, all day long throughout our whole lives we must do whatever Christ says. And when we have done everything we have been told to do, then we must say: “We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.”
What a deep teaching! Even if we obey Christ in everything, we ourselves are still unworthy. There is nothing we ourselves can do to make us “worthy” in God’s sight. We can never be worthy of God’s thanks. We can never be worthy to receive God’s grace, God’s salvation—even if we have done everything God has told us to do. If God gives us any blessing, it is never because we are worthy of it; it is only because of His mercy and grace.
One more question remains: Is there anyone among us who has done everything that God has told us to do? No, not one. Therefore, even if after doing everything one is still called unworthy, we who have not done everything must be less than unworthy. God, have mercy upon us!
Ten Healed of Leprosy (17:11-19)
11 On the way to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51; 13:22), Jesus traveled between Galilee and Samaria. He had not been welcome in Samaria (Luke 9:52), so He was now journeying around Samaria.37
12-13 On the way Jesus met ten men who had leprosy. According to Jewish law, they stood at a distance. A person with leprosy couldn’t come near people; he was required to shout “Unclean! Unclean!” whenever anyone came too near38 (Leviticus 13:4546). These ten men had heard of Jesus, and so they cried out for mercy.
14 Jesus healed them from a distance. He only said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests” (see Mark 1:44 and comment). And as they went to the priests, they were healed. They had great faith, for they obeyed Christ’s command even before they saw that they were healed. They did their part—to obey; and Jesus did His part.
15-18 Nine of the ten men with leprosy were Jews, and they did not return to thank Jesus. Only the foreigner, the Samaritan, gave praise and thanks to Christ.
19 Jesus said to the Samaritan, “… your faith has made you well” (see Mark 5:34 and comment). Jesus not only meant that his body had been made well, but that his spirit had been made well also. He had received salvation.
The other nine men with leprosy received bodily healing only. If we do not come to God and thank Him for the blessings we have received in this life, we shall receive no blessings in the life to come.
The Coming of the Kingdom of God (17:20-37)
(Matthew 16:25; 24:17-18,26-28,37-41; Mark 8:35; 13:15-16,21,23)
20-21 The Jewish leaders were always seeking to know when the kingdom of God would come. They expected that the Messiah would come like a powerful earthly king, overthrow the Romans, and establish the nation of Israel once more. Then, of course, they supposed that they themselves would be the main officials in this new Jewish kingdom.
Therefore, thinking that Jesus was some kind of prophet, they asked Him when the kingdom of God would come.
He answered, “The kingdom of God does not come visibly.” People want to be able to say, “Ah, there it is over there.” But the kingdom of God is something spiritual; it is not a kingdom of this world. The kingdom of God is really the rule of God in men’s hearts (see Matthew 12:19 and comment).
Not only that, the kingdom of God has already come. Jesus brought the kingdom with Him. When men accept Christ, they enter the kingdom of God and the kingdom of God enters them. “The kingdom of God is within you,”39 said Jesus.
The Pharisees wanted to know when the kingdom of God would come. But if their spiritual eyes had been open, they would have known that it had already come.
22 In verses 20-21, Jesus talked to the Pharisees about the coming of the kingdom of God—that is, about His first coming. Now in verse 22, Jesus begins to talk to His disciples about His second coming, the days of the Son of Man,40 which will occur at the end of the world.
Jesus said, “The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man.” Jesus’ meaning was as follows. After Jesus’ death and ascension to heaven, the disciples would experience severe persecution. Indeed, most of the disciples would be killed. In those dark days, they would long to see Jesus come again in power and glory (Mark 13:26). “But,” said Jesus, “you will not see it. I will not return before you die.”
23-24 See Matthew 24:26-27; Mark 13:21 and comment.
25 Here Jesus again tells His disciples that He Himselfmust suffer and die before He can come again in glory (see Mark 8:31 and comment).
26-27 Here Jesus describes how He, the Son of Man, will come. He will come unexpectedly. He will come as a judge. And just as men were destroyed by the flood in the days of Noah, so also at Christ’s second coming evil men will be condemned and destroyed (see Matthew 24:37-39 and comment).
28-29 The coming of the Son of Man will also be like the fire and sulfur that came suddenly down from heaven and destroyed the wicked city of Sodom in the days of Lot, Abraham’s nephew. The people were not expecting God’s judgment. They were eating and drinking and making merry. They believed they were secure. But as soon as God had rescued Lot and his daughters, He destroyed the city and all the people in it (see Genesis 19:1-29; Matthew 11:23-24).
30-31 See Mark 13:15-16 and comment.
32 Remember Lot’s wife! Lot’s wife at first escaped from Sodom before it was destroyed. But she looked back. She did not want to leave the wicked city. She did not want to give it up. Her heart was in the city and not with God. So she was turned into a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:16-17,26).
Remember Lot’s wife! Let us who have escaped from “Sodom” take heed, and not turn back to our old life. For if we do, we too, like Lot’s wife, will be turned spiritually into “pillars of salt.”
33 See Mark 8:35 and comment.
34-36 See Matthew 24:40-41 and comment.41
37 See Matthew 24:28; Mark 13:23 and comment.