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Various Episodes and Instructions

Chapter 17

Warning against Giving Scandal.[a] Jesus said to his disciples, “Scandals are bound to occur, but woe to the man through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were fastened around his neck and he were thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. Be on your guard!

The Need To Forgive.[b] “If your brother should sin, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. Even if he wrongs you seven times a day, and comes back to you seven times to say, ‘I am sorry,’ you must forgive him.”

Faith Knows How To Make Miracles.[c] The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” The Lord replied, “If you had faith as tiny as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

Unprofitable Servants.[d] “Which of you, when your servant returns from plowing or tending sheep in the fields, would say to him, ‘Come right away and sit down to eat’? Would you not rather say, ‘Prepare my dinner, put on your apron, and wait on me while I eat and drink, and then afterward you yourself may eat and drink’? Would you be grateful to that servant for doing what he was commanded? 10 So should it be with you. When you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have only done our duty.’ ”

11 Jesus Heals Ten Men with Leprosy.[e] As he continued on his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12 When he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Standing some distance away, 13 they called out to him, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us.” 14 When he saw them, he said, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.

15 One of them, when he realized that he had been cured, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He prostrated himself at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. This man was a Samaritan.

17 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten made clean? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one except this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” 19 Then he said to him, “Stand up and go on your way. Your faith has made you well.”

20 The Coming of the Kingdom of God.[f] Once, the Pharisees asked him when the kingdom of God was coming. He answered, “The coming of the kingdom of God will not occur with signs that can be observed. 21 Nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is.’ For the kingdom of God is in your midst.”

22 The Day of the Son of Man.[g] Then he said to his disciples, “The time will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 People will say to you, ‘Look, there he is,’ or ‘Look, here he is.’ Do not go running after them. 24 For just as lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. 25 But first he must endure great suffering and be rejected by this generation.

26 “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it also be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 People were eating and drinking, marrying and being given in marriage, up to the day that Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed all of them. 28 “The same thing happened in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. 29 But on the day that Lot left Sodom, fire and brimstone rained down from heaven and destroyed all of them.

30 “It will be like that on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day, the one who is standing on the roof, with his possessions inside, must not come down to collect them, and someone who is in the field must not turn back. 32 Remember Lot’s wife. 33 Whoever tries to preserve his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will save it.

34 “I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed. One will be taken and the other will be left. 35 And there will be two women grinding grain together. One will be taken and the other will be left. [ 36 Two men will be out in the field. One will be taken and the other will be left.]”[h]

37 They asked him, “Where, Lord?” He said in reply, “Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.”

Footnotes

  1. Luke 17:1 Scandal is the snare that one extends to others in order to lead them into evil. It is especially grave when it is placed along the way of the “little ones.”
  2. Luke 17:3 Fraternal pardon is one of the best signs of the presence of the Gospel. Faults among brothers and sisters are continual; hence, openness to reconciliation must be constant.
  3. Luke 17:5 See note on Mt 21:18-22.
  4. Luke 17:7 The Pharisees and many religious people are more concerned about their reward than about what they can do for God. The disciple is subservient to his master in a work that is far greater than himself. That is his happiness and his recompense even here below.
  5. Luke 17:11 The episode of the ten people afflicted with leprosy illustrates first of all the ingratitude of Israel—which believes that the gifts of God are owed to it—and the faith of the Gentiles. For a Jewish author, it is odious to give an example containing a Samaritan, a heretic regarded as more disgraceful than a pagan. However, a stranger more open to the Lord’s call than the average believer would provide an example capable of inculcating admiration forever.
  6. Luke 17:20 As for when the kingdom will come, it is useless to wait for mysterious signs. The kingdom is already at work in the personal action of Jesus.
  7. Luke 17:22 This description of events must be read in light of the particular literary genre being used, but this does not lessen its urgency. The other two Synoptic Gospels place these exhortations in the “eschatological discourse.”
  8. Luke 17:36 Some manuscripts add this verse, probably taken from Mt 24:40.

Temptations to Sin

17 And he said to his disciples, (A)“Temptations to sin[a] are (B)sure to come, but (C)woe to the one through whom they come! (D)It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.[b] Pay attention to yourselves! (E)If your brother sins, (F)rebuke him, and if he repents, (G)forgive him, and if he sins against you (H)seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”

Increase Our Faith

(I)The apostles said to the Lord, (J)“Increase our faith!” And the Lord said, (K)“If you had faith like (L)a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this (M)mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

Unworthy Servants

“Will any one of you who has a servant[c] plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and (N)dress properly,[d] and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? 10 So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are (O)unworthy servants;[e] we have only done what was our duty.’”

Jesus Cleanses Ten Lepers

11 (P)On the way to Jerusalem (Q)he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers,[f] (R)who stood at a distance 13 and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” 14 When he saw them he said to them, “Go and (S)show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, (T)praising God with a loud voice; 16 and (U)he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was (V)a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered, “Were not (W)ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was no one found to return and (X)give praise to God except this (Y)foreigner?” 19 And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; (Z)your faith has (AA)made you well.”[g]

The Coming of the Kingdom

20 Being asked by the Pharisees (AB)when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God (AC)is not coming in ways that can be observed, 21 nor (AD)will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”[h]

22 And he said to the disciples, (AE)“The days are coming when you will desire (AF)to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 (AG)And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go out or follow them. 24 (AH)For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be (AI)in his day.[i] 25 But first (AJ)he must suffer many things and (AK)be rejected by this generation. 26 (AL)Just as it was in the days of (AM)Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 (AN)They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise, just as it was in the days of (AO)Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, 29 (AP)but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all— 30 so will it be (AQ)on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day, (AR)let the one who is on (AS)the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. 32 (AT)Remember Lot's wife. 33 (AU)Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will (AV)keep it. 34 I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. 35 (AW)There will be two women (AX)grinding together. One will be taken and the other left.”[j] 37 And they said to him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, (AY)“Where the corpse[k] is, there the vultures[l] will gather.”

Footnotes

  1. Luke 17:1 Greek Stumbling blocks
  2. Luke 17:2 Greek stumble
  3. Luke 17:7 Or bondservant; also verse 9
  4. Luke 17:8 Greek gird yourself
  5. Luke 17:10 Or bondservants
  6. Luke 17:12 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13
  7. Luke 17:19 Or has saved you
  8. Luke 17:21 Or within you, or within your grasp
  9. Luke 17:24 Some manuscripts omit in his day
  10. Luke 17:35 Some manuscripts add verse 36: Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left
  11. Luke 17:37 Greek body
  12. Luke 17:37 Or eagles