Read the Passage: Luke 17

Listen to the Redeemed Mind Podcast: Luke 17

Exhortation to Forgive (17:1–10)

In Luke 17:1–10 Jesus teaches about forgiveness and faith. Christ begins His teaching recognizing the inevitability of offenses in the fallen world, as He says, “It is impossible that no offenses should come” (Luke 17:1a). Indeed, we should not be surprised when fallen men sin in the fallen world. Yet, this does not excuse sin, and those who cause others to stumble will be judged. This is especially true, notes Jesus, of all those who “offend one of these little ones” (Luke 17:1b). However, the ones who are offended must forgive those who offend. This is true even if someone sins and repents “seven times in a day” (Luke 17:4). This is challenging for many people, including the apostles, who asked Christ, “Increase our faith” (Luke 17:5; cf. Mark 9:24). Of course, a good motivation for forgiving is the realization that God has forgiven us (cf. Matt. 6:12; Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:13).

In response to the disciples’ petition in Luke 17:5, Jesus briefly teaches about faith in Luke 17:6. In this verse, speaking with hyperbole, Christ indicates that even a small amount of faith would enable someone to speak and to cause a mulberry tree to uproot itself. Observe that Jesus spoke in a similar manner elsewhere, as He taught about having faith to move mountains (cf. Matt. 17:20; 21:21–22). Of course, in these passages Christ was not speaking literally, but talking figuratively about the power of God in the lives of those who have even the smallest amount of faith. Next, in Luke 17:7–10 Jesus appeals to the relationship between a servant and a master in order to teach about forgiveness. Here Christ explains that just as certain duties are natural and expected of a household servant, so certain acts (e.g., forgiveness) are natural and expected of a faithful servant of Christ.

Account of Cleansing (17:11–19)

Luke 17:11–19 records the second time in Luke’s Gospel that Jesus interacted with a leper (cf. Luke 5:12–13). Here Luke reports that as Christ was traveling to Jerusalem, He encountered ten men with leprosy. Note that lepers were ceremonially unclean (cf. Lev. 13:46; Num. 5:1–3), and as such, they were forced to live apart from other people. When these men saw Jesus, they begged for mercy. In response, Christ instructed the lepers to see a priest (cf. Lev. 14:2), and “as they went, they were cleansed” (Luke 17:14). One leper, however, returned to Jesus, glorified God, and thanked Him. In light of Christ’s command to see a priest, we might assume that all of the lepers were Jewish, but the text notes that the man who returned to Christ was a Samaritan. It seems, then, that the main point of this narrative is to show that God does not spurn foreigners, as did some of the Jews.

Teaching about Judgment (17:20–37)

In Luke 17:20–21 Jesus gives a short but important teaching about the kingdom of God. Here, after the Pharisees asked when the kingdom of God would come, Christ corrected their misconception, teaching, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation” (Luke 17:20). Next, Jesus explained further, “The kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21). This last phrase can also be translated, the kingdom of God is “already among you” (NLT), or “is in your midst” (NIV). Clearly, Christ was teaching that the kingdom of God is not merely an external phenomenon that is marked by external power. Rather, as Paul would later instruct the Roman church, “The kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 14:17). Indeed, the kingdom of God is spread through the preaching of the gospel (cf. Matt. 4:23; Mark 1:15; Luke 4:43; 12:32).

Since the religious leaders had been asking about the external rule of Christ, albeit with misconceptions about the nature of the kingdom of God, in Luke 17:22–37 Jesus taught the disciples about His return. Observe that these verses are very similar to the Olivet Discourse recorded in Matt. 24. While this passage is wide-ranging and challenging to interpret, several teachings are clear. First, Jesus teaches that a time is coming when many will desire His physical presence, yet He will be absent, having been rejected by man (cf. Luke 17:22, 25). Second, there will be many false claims about Christ’s return (cf. Luke 17:23). Third, Jesus’ return will be both unmistakable (cf. Luke 17:24, 37) and sudden (cf. Luke 17:26–30). Fourth, man must not value material things above his own life (cf. Luke 17:31–33). Fifth, at the final judgement Christ will separate believers from unbelievers (cf. Luke 17:34–36).

Application Questions:

1. Why is forgiveness challenging for many people? What does an unwillingness to forgive indicate?
2. How does God increase the faith of believers (cf. Rom. 10:17; 1 Thess. 2:13)? Does the forgiveness of sin always include forgetting about the offense?
3. Can a Christian refuse to forgive someone who has caused them offense (cf. Matt. 6:14-15)? Is repentance a necessary condition for forgiveness?
4. Why were the religious leaders solely focused on the external aspects of the kingdom of God?
5. What does Jesus mean with His exhortation, “Remember Lot’s wife” (Luke 17:32; cf. Gen. 19:26)?