Luke 17
Jesus teaches his disciples that scandals will inevitably occur, but those who cause them will face severe consequences. He instructs them to correct and forgive their brothers who sin against them, even if it happens multiple times a day. The apostles ask Jesus to increase their faith, and he responds by saying that even a small amount of faith can accomplish great things. Jesus also teaches that servants should not expect praise for doing their duties, and that those who have been given much should not think themselves superior.
Jesus heals ten lepers, but only one, a Samaritan, returns to thank him, prompting Jesus to comment on the ingratitude of the others. The Pharisees ask Jesus when the kingdom of God will arrive, and he responds that it is already present, but will be revealed in its fullness when the Son of Man returns. Jesus warns his disciples not to be deceived by false claims of the Son of Man's return, but to be prepared for his coming, which will be sudden and unexpected.
Jesus uses the examples of Noah's flood and the destruction of Sodom to illustrate the suddenness and unexpectedness of his return. He warns his disciples to be prepared to leave their possessions behind and to not look back, using the example of Lot's wife. Jesus also teaches that those who try to save their lives will lose them, but those who lose their lives will gain them. He concludes by saying that his return will be like the gathering of eagles around a carcass.
1And he said to his disciples: "It is impossible for scandals not to occur. But woe to him through whom they come2It would be better for him if a millstone were placed around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than to lead astray one of these little ones3Be attentive to yourselves. If your brother has sinned against you, correct him. And if he has repented, forgive him4And if he has sinned against you seven times a day, and seven times a day has turned back to you, saying, ‘I am sorry,’ then forgive him.5And the Apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith.6But the Lord said: "If you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you may say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted, and be transplanted into the sea.’ And it would obey you7But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, would say to him, as he was returning from the field, ‘Come in immediately; sit down to eat,8and would not say to him: ‘Prepare my dinner; gird yourself and minister to me, while I eat and drink; and after these things, you shall eat and drink?9Would he be grateful to that servant, for doing what he commanded him to do10I think not. So too, when you have done all these things that have been taught to you, you should say: ‘We are useless servants. We have done what we should have done.’ 11And it happened that, while he was traveling to Jerusalem, he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee12And as he was entering a certain town, ten leprous men met him, and they stood at a distance13And they lifted up their voice, saying, "Jesus, Teacher, take pity on us.14And when he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And it happened that, as they were going, they were cleansed15And one of them, when he saw that he was cleansed, returned, magnifying God with a loud voice16And he fell face down before his feet, giving thanks. And this one was a Samaritan17And in response, Jesus said: "Were not ten made clean? And so where are the nine18Was no one found who would return and give glory to God, except this foreigner?19And he said to him: "Rise up, go forth. For your faith has saved you.20Then he was questioned by the Pharisees: "When does the kingdom of God arrive?" And in response, he said to them: "The kingdom of God arrives unobserved21And so, they will not say, ‘Behold, it is here,’ or ‘Behold, it is there.’ For behold, the kingdom of God is within you.22And he said to his disciples: "The time will come when you will desire to see one day of the Son of man, and you will not see it23And they will say to you, ‘Behold, he is here,’ and ‘Behold, he is there.’ Do not choose to go out, and do not follow them24For just as lightning flashes from under heaven and shines to whatever is under heaven, so also will the Son of man be in his day25But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation26And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of man27They were eating and drinking; they were taking wives and being given in marriage, even until the day that Noah entered the ark. And the flood came and destroyed them all28It shall be similar to what happened in the days of Lot. They were eating and drinking; they were buying and selling; they were planting and building29Then, on the day that Lot departed from Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and it destroyed them all30According to these things, so shall it be in the day when the Son of man will be revealed31In that hour, whoever will be on the rooftop, with his goods in the house, let him not descend to take them. And whoever will be in the field, similarly, let him not turn back32Remember Lot’s wife33Whoever has sought to save his life, will lose it; and whoever has lost it, will bring it back to life34I say to you, in that night, there will be two in one bed. One will be taken up, and the other will be left behind35Two will be at the grindstone together. One will be taken up, and the other will be left behind. Two will be in the field. One will be taken up, and the other will be left behind.36Responding, they said to him, "Where, Lord?37And he said to them, "Wherever the body will be, in that place also, the eagles shall be gathered together.
Share this chapter