Luke 17
Sin, Forgiveness, Faith, and Service
17:1 Jesus1 said to his disciples, “Stumbling blocks are sure to come, but woe2 to the one through whom they come! 17:2 It would be better for him to have a millstone3 tied around his neck and be thrown into the sea4 than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.5 17:3 Watch6 yourselves! If7 your brother8 sins, rebuke him. If9 he repents, forgive him. 17:4 Even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns to you saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive10 him.”
17:5 The11 apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”12 17:6 So13 the Lord replied,14 “If15 you had faith the size of16 a mustard seed, you could say to this black mulberry17 tree, ‘Be pulled out by the roots and planted in the sea,’18 and it would obey19 you.
17:7 “Would any one of you say20 to your slave21 who comes in from the field after plowing or shepherding sheep, ‘Come at once and sit down for a meal’?22 17:8 Won’t23 the master24 instead say to him, ‘Get my dinner ready, and make yourself ready25 to serve me while26 I eat and drink. Then27 you may eat and drink’? 17:9 He won’t thank the slave because he did what he was told,28 will he?29 17:10 So you too, when you have done everything you were commanded to do, should say, ‘We are slaves undeserving of special praise;30 we have only done what was our duty.’”31
The Grateful Leper
17:11 Now on32 the way to Jerusalem,33 Jesus34 was passing along35 between Samaria and Galilee. 17:12 As36 he was entering37 a village, ten men with leprosy38 met him. They39 stood at a distance, 17:13 raised their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy40 on us.” 17:14 When41 he saw them he said, “Go42 and show yourselves to the priests.”43 And44 as they went along, they were cleansed. 17:15 Then one of them, when he saw he was healed, turned back, praising45 God with a loud voice. 17:16 He46 fell with his face to the ground47 at Jesus’ feet and thanked him.48 (Now49 he was a Samaritan.)50 17:17 Then51 Jesus said,52 “Were53 not ten cleansed? Where are the other54 nine? 17:18 Was no one found to turn back and give praise to God except this foreigner?”55 17:19 Then56 he said to the man,57 “Get up and go your way. Your faith has made you well.”58
The Coming of the Kingdom
17:20 Now at one point59 the Pharisees60 asked Jesus61 when the kingdom of God62 was coming, so he answered, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs63 to be observed, 17:21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is64 in your midst.”65
The Coming of the Son of Man
17:22 Then66 he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days67 of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 17:23 Then people68 will say to you, ‘Look, there he is!’69 or ‘Look, here he is!’ Do not go out or chase after them.70 17:24 For just like the lightning flashes71 and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day.72 17:25 But first he must73 suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 17:26 Just74 as it was75 in the days of Noah,76 so too it will be in the days of the Son of Man. 17:27 People77 were eating,78 they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage – right up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then79 the flood came and destroyed them all.80 17:28 Likewise, just as it was81 in the days of Lot, people82 were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building; 17:29 but on the day Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.83 17:30 It will be the same on the day the Son of Man is revealed. 17:31 On that day, anyone who is on the roof,84 with his goods in the house, must not come down85 to take them away, and likewise the person in the field must not turn back. 17:32 Remember Lot’s wife!86 17:33 Whoever tries to keep87 his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life88 will preserve it. 17:34 I tell you, in that night there will be two people in one bed; one will be taken and the other left.89 17:35 There will be two women grinding grain together;90 one will be taken and the other left.”91
17:37 Then92 the disciples93 said94 to him, “Where,95 Lord?” He replied to them, “Where the dead body96 is, there the vultures97 will gather.”98