Luke 17:1-10
PART of the discourse began in chap. Luke 15:4, and addressed to the disciples (Luke 17:1). Some of the thoughts are found in Matthew 18, but the latter part of the section is peculiar to Luke.... [ Continue Reading ]
PART of the discourse began in chap. Luke 15:4, and addressed to the disciples (Luke 17:1). Some of the thoughts are found in Matthew 18, but the latter part of the section is peculiar to Luke.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 17:1. TO HIS DISCIPLES. All the followers of our Lord who were present; since Luke 17:5 mentions ‘the Apostles.' IT IS IMPOSSIBLE, etc. See on Matthew 18:6-7. The connection is plain: the Pharisees had already derided Him (Luke 16:14), and, having taken greater offence at the last parable, ha... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS division of the Gospel of Luke, embracing nearly one third of the whole, contains for the most part matter peculiar to this Evangelist. A number of the incidents probably belong to an earlier period of the history. A few of these are mentioned by Matthew and Mark, though the greater number even... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 17:2. GAIN. Peculiar to Luke. The reference to the effect of the behavior of the Pharisees is sustained by the mention of LITTLE ONES.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 17:3. TAKE HEED TO YOURSELVES. Precisely this class needed this caution. For as they had been so lately sinners they would be most likely to give occasion of stumbling; and as new converts of this class are enthusiastic, they would readily stumble themselves. See on Matthew 18:15; Matthew 18:21... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 17:4. TURN AGAIN TO THEE. Confession is plainly demanded here, as rebuke had been in Luke 17:3. Christian confession may be as rare as proper Christian rebuke.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 17:5. AND THE APOSTLES SAID. This is the only instance in the Gospels, where the Apostles as such make a request in common. INCREASE OUR FAITH, LIT, ‘add to us faith,' _i.e.,_ give us more faith. They felt themselves unequal to the duty of forgiving love enjoined upon them (Luke 17:3-4). They... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 17:6. IF YE HAVE FAITH, etc. See on Matthew 17:20; Matthew 21:21. The original implies that they had _not_ so great faith, though it does not assert that they had none. THIS SYCAMINE TREE. The discourse was probably uttered in the open air, and the tree near by, as the mountains were on the ot... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 17:7. BUT WHO IS THERE OF YOU. The connection is : beware of thinking that you have any merit in the great results accomplished by faith. The thought of their enduring in faith so long as the day of their labor lasted, is also included. By such views of their unprofitableness and of the need of... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 17:8. WILL NOT RATHER? This assumes an affirmative answer. MAKE READY, etc. As a matter of _right_ this was all that could be expected. But compare chap. Luke 12:37, where the very reverse is promised. There the _privileges of a state of grace_ are spoken of;. here our Lord is telling of what... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 17:9. DOTH HE THANK, etc. Then it was not the custom to do so; and that it is so now is owing solely to the influence of the religion of Christ. On the former fact the illustration is based, from the latter we infer that our Lord is not saying what ought to be done by an earthly master. God is... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 17:10. EVEN SO YE ALSO. The application, here plainly made, is that nothing can be claimed in God's service on the ground of merit. Even ‘the Apostles' (Luke 17:5) could make no such claim. The verse should guard the interpretation of the parable of the unjust steward from the idea that earthly... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 17:11. AS THEY WERE ON THEIR WAY TO JERUSALEM. The correct reading leaves the time quite indefinite; comp. chap. Luke 9:51. BETWEEN SAMARIA AND GALILEE. This seems to be the sense of the correct reading. There is no such journey recorded by any of the Evangelists except that from Galilee about... [ Continue Reading ]
CHRONOLOGY. The date of this incident has been much discussed. It evidently belongs to the general journey to Jerusalem spoken of in chap. Luke 9:51. Robinson and many other harmonists place it at the beginning of the journey, just after the rejection by the Samaritan village chap. Luke 9:52-56). Th... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 17:12. AS HE ENTERED. The incident probably occurred outside the village. TEN LEPERS. Misery had united them, although they were of different races; comp. a similar company, 2 Kings 9:3. WHO STOOD AFAR OFF. Because of their un-cleanness. See on Matthew 8:2; and comp. the Levitical requireme... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 17:13. AND THEY, ‘they' is emphatic; the first step was taken on their part. JESUS, MASTER, etc. These people in an obscure village, isolated too by their disease, knew our Lord and called upon Him by name.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 17:14. AND WHEN HE SAW THEM. Attracted by their cry. This miracle brings out the human side of the work of salvation, most fully. GO AND SHEW YOURSELVES, etc. This command followed the healing in the first miracle of this kind recorded in the Gospels (Matthew 8:4); here it precedes it. Our Lo... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 17:15. ONE OF THEM, etc. The description is graphic, the healing took place immediately. TURNED BACK. They were still on their way to the priests. WITH A LOUD VOICE. There may be an allusion to the clearness of voice resulting from the cure of his leprosy, since that disease would make the... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 17:16. FELL DOWN, etc. This implies _love_ and willingness to submit himself entirely to the Saviour. AND HE WAS A SAMARITAN. The others were Jews, it is properly inferred.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 17:17. WERE NOT THE TEN CLEANSED? The perceptible tone of sadness is readily accounted for by the circumstances. Our Lord had, as we supposed, first taken final leave of Galilee, where His popularity had been greatest, but which gradually closed against Him. The nine were Galileans, and represe... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 17:18. SAVE THIS STRANGER, or ‘alien,' not of Jewish extraction. The nine were Jews, and yet put the ceremonial requirement above gratitude to their own countryman who had healed them; the stranger came, though the Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans (John 4:9).... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 17:19. THY FAITH HATH MADE THEE WHOLE, or ‘saved thee.' Salvation in the highest sense is meant. The faith which the man had manifested was more than the faith of the other nine; it was a hand opened to receive higher spiritual blessings. The man's obedience, praise to God, gratitude, love, wer... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 17:20. ASKED BY THE PHARISEES. To entangle Him, for they were seeking occasion to kill Him. Even in Perea, their enmity had been lately increased (see the last discourse, chaps. 15, 16). Possibly there was also mockery in the question, but the Pharisees would in that case have scrupulously avoi... [ Continue Reading ]
CHRONOLOGY. We connect this discourse with that ending in Luke 17:10, placing the whole in Perea, just before the final departure for Jericho and Jerusalem. Chap, Luke 18:15-34, contains incidents to which Matthew and Mark distinctly assign this time and place, and there is no indication of any long... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 17:21. LO HERE! OR, THERE! Men have no right to point to anything as a proof of the speedy coming of this kingdom. They can never know the definite time, though they should ever pray: ‘Thy kingdom come.' THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS WITHIN YOU, or, ‘in the midst of you.' A future coming of the kingdo... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 17:22. UNTO THE DISCIPLES. The Pharisees had probably withdrawn. In what follows there is no reference whatever to the destruction of Jerusalem, as in the later discourse. The one subject is the Lord's future coming, the sudden personal appearance of the Son of man. Some, to escape this view, m... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 17:23. AND THEY SHALL SAY TO YOU. In this state of longing they would be in danger of being deceived by false tokens; comp. Matthew 24:23-27. The same danger has always existed. LO THERE! LO HERE. This is the correct reading. The reference is to the place of our Lord's Second Advent, about wh... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 17:24. FOR. Neither time nor place can be determined, for the coming will be sudden and universally perceived. See on Matthew 24:27.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 17:25. BUT FIRST MUST HE SUFFER, etc. Peculiar to Luke, and a proof that the discourse is put in its proper place. This prediction, however, gives no clew to the time and place of His coming, but cautions them against expecting a temporal kingdom and triumph now, since the sufferings of the Kin... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 17:26-27. See on Matthew 24:37-39. The continued unbelief and carelessness of the world in regard to the coming of the Son of man is thus illustrated.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 17:28-30. IN THE DAYS OF LOT. Comp. Genesis 19, the literal truthfulness of which passage is endorsed by our Lord, in the vivid sketch He gives of the destruction of Sodom. This illustration is peculiar to Luke, and a further proof of his accuracy.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 17:31. IN THAT DAY. This has no reference to the destruction of Jerusalem, as Matthew 24:16-18, but to the future coming of the Messiah. ‘In that day,' the same haste and abandonment of earthly possessions will be called for, which was required of Lot and his family (Genesis 19:17). The catastr... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 17:32. REMEMBER LOT'S WIFE. See Genesis 19:20. Her crime was still paying attention to what had been left behind in Sodom, her punishment was destruction while apparently on the way to safety. She has become ‘the type of earthly-mindedness and self-seeking.' This caution was appropriate to ‘dis... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 17:33. SHALL SEEK TO GAIN, etc. There are two views of this verse: (1.) The seeking to gain, takes place throughout the preceding life, and the loss at the final catastrophe. (2.) The seeking to gain, takes place at the catastrophe, and the loss at the decisive moment of the coming Christ Matth... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 17:34. I SAY UNTO YOU. Solemn introduction. IN THAT NIGHT. Night is the time of surprise and terror, and the return of the Lord had already been set forth figuratively as occurring at night (chap. Luke 12:35-39); but Luke 17:35-36, refer to the day-time. TWO MEN ON ONE BED. Peculiar to Luke... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 17:35. TWO WOMEN, etc. See on Matthew 24:41. Luke 17:36 is omitted by the best authorities, and was probably inserted from Matthew 24:40.... [ Continue Reading ]
Luke 17:37. WHERE, LORD? The Pharisees had inquired in regard to the _time;_ the disciples ask about the _place,_ with special reference to the separation just spoken of. They did not understand its universality. The answer of our Lord: WHERE THE BODY IS, etc., proclaims this universality. In Matthe... [ Continue Reading ]