Luke 17 (KJV)

Luke 17:1–10

Stumbling, forgiveness, faith and duty

Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! 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.

Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. 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. And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. 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. 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? 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? Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. 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.

Jesus warns his disciples that it would be better to be thrown into the sea with a millstone round one's neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. They must rebuke a brother who sins and forgive him whenever he repents, even seven times in a day. When the apostles ask for more faith, he says faith like a mustard seed could uproot a tree, and that servants who have only done their duty deserve no special thanks.

What does this mean?

"Offences" (KJV) or "occasions of stumbling" are things that cause someone to sin or lose faith. The "sycamine" is the black mulberry, a tree with deep roots. "Unprofitable servants" (KJV) means servants who have done only what was required and earned no special credit.

Historical context

A millstone was a heavy stone used for grinding grain. Slaves were expected to serve their masters after a day's labour, without thanks.

Why does it matter?

"Little ones" probably means vulnerable or new believers. The saying about faith concerns its kind rather than its quantity: even a tiny, genuine faith is powerful. The closing parable warns against treating reward from God as a debt owed.

Editorial notes, not scripture.

Luke 17:11–19

Ten lepers are healed; one returns

And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. 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. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

On his way to Jerusalem, between Samaria and Galilee, Jesus is met by ten men with leprosy who call to him from a distance for mercy. He tells them to go and show themselves to the priests, and on the way they are cleansed. One of them, a Samaritan, comes back praising God and thanks Jesus, who asks where the other nine are and tells him that his faith has made him well.

What does this mean?

"Made thee whole" (KJV) translates a word that can also mean "saved you." "Stranger" (KJV) or "foreigner" (WEB) marks the Samaritan as an outsider. The KJV has Jesus passing "through the midst of" Samaria and Galilee; the WEB has "along the borders."

Historical context

People with such skin diseases had to keep their distance and call out a warning (Leviticus 13:45–46). Showing oneself to a priest was the required step for being declared clean (Leviticus 14). Samaritans had their own priesthood, so it is unclear where this man would have gone.

Why does it matter?

As in the parable of the good Samaritan (10:30–37), the grateful outsider is a Samaritan. All ten are healed, but only the one who returns hears that his faith has saved him, a distinction many interpreters draw between healing and a fuller salvation. Only Luke records this story.

Editorial notes, not scripture.

Luke 17:20–37

The coming kingdom and the day of the Son of Man

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 with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. 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. And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them. 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. But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation. And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 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. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. 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. Remember Lot’s wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. 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. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 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.

Asked by Pharisees when God's kingdom will come, Jesus says it does not come with signs to be watched for, because it is already "within" or "among" them. He then tells his disciples that the day of the Son of Man will come suddenly, like lightning, after he has first suffered and been rejected. People will be going about ordinary life, as in the days of Noah and of Lot, and one will be taken and another left.

What does this mean?

The Greek in verse 21 can mean "within you" (KJV, WEB) or "among you" or "in your midst"; many modern scholars prefer the second, since Jesus is speaking to opponents, but interpreters differ. "Eagles" (KJV) or "vultures" (WEB) gathering at a body is a proverb for something unmistakable and inevitable.

Historical context

Verse 36 ("Two men shall be in the field...") appears in the KJV but is missing from the oldest manuscripts; the WEB gives it only in a footnote. Noah's flood and the destruction of Sodom (Genesis 6–7; 19) were classic examples of sudden judgment, and Lot's wife was turned to salt when she looked back (Genesis 19:26).

Why does it matter?

Christians interpret "taken" differently: some as taken to safety, others as taken away in judgment, as in the flood. The passage holds together a kingdom already present in Jesus and a future day still to come.

Editorial notes, not scripture.