Luke 17:1-10

7. Various Sayings: Luke 17:1-10. This piece contains four brief lessons, placed here without introduction, and between which it is impossible to establish a connection. Olshausen and Meyer have attempted to connect them with one another and with what precedes. The offence, Luke 17:1-2, according to them, is either that which the rich man gave to his brethren, or that which the Pharisees gave to weak believers, by preventing them from declaring themselves for Christ. But how is the expression, one of these little ones (Luke 17:2), applicable to the rich man's brethren? And in the second sense, should not the warning be addressed to the adversaries rather than unto the disciples (Luke 17:1)?

The teaching regarding pardon (Luke 17:3-4) is taken to refer to the arrogant harshness of the Pharisees, who did not allow the publicans to appropriate the pardon of sins (the offence, Luke 17:1-2); or rancour is regarded as one of those offences of which we must beware; or, finally, a climax is supposed: it is not enough not to do evil to others (Luke 17:1-2); we should also pardon the evil which they do to us (Luke 17:3-4). These connections, more or less ingenious, are artificial; they are like those by which one succeeds in tagging together given rhymes.

The petition of the apostles (Luke 17:5-6) is held to find its occasion in the feeling of their powerlessness to pardon. But in this sense, Jesus should have spoken in His reply, not of the faith which works external miracles, but of that which works by love. Lastly, the doctrine taught of the non-meritoriousness of works (Luke 17:7-10) is alleged to be introduced by this idea, that the greatest miracles wrought by faith confer no merit on man. But how could miracles of faith be described as διαταχθέντα, things commanded?

De Wette is therefore right in declining to find a connection between those different sayings. Let us add that several of them are placed by Matthew and Mark in historical circumstances, where they have their entire appropriateness. We shall be able to state the critical result when we come to sum up.