Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Luke 17
Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary
Luke 17
Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary
Luke 17
"And he said unto his disciples, It is impossible but that occasions of stumbling should come; but woe unto him, through whom they come! It were well for him if a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, rather than that he should cause one of these little ones to stumble. Take heed to yourselves: if thy brother sin, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he sin against thee seven times in the day, and seven times turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him." — Luke 17:1-4 (ASV)
(1–3a) Jesus has been addressing the Pharisees since 16:14. Now he resumes his conversation with the disciples, warning them about “things that cause people to sin.” “Woe” recalls 6:24–26. A “millstone” was a stone of sufficient weight to crush grain as it was being rotated in a mill. The “little ones” would seem to be either young or new believers (cf. Matthew 18:1–6) or people whom the world takes little notice of. Since there is no antecedent for “these,” it seems best to take it as referring to people who were actually standing there with Jesus.
(3b-4) Both units of v.3b must be given equal weight. Rebuke of the sinner and forgiveness of the penitent are equally Christian duties. Verse 4 does not, of course, establish a specific number of times for forgiveness but rather shows the principle of being generous in forgiving others (cf. Matthew 6:12). This is the only right response for those who have themselves been forgiven (cf. Matthew 18:21–35).
"And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith." — Luke 17:5 (ASV)
The apostles may have felt that this kind of forgiveness would demand more faith than they had. The black mulberry tree grew quite large, to a height of some thirty-five feet, and would be difficult to uproot. The mustard seed is proverbially small, a suitable metaphor for the amount of faith needed to do the seemingly impossible (Mark 11:23). Jesus’ answer to the request for additional faith seems to be that they should use the faith they had to petition God.
"And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye would say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou rooted up, and be thou planted in the sea; and it would obey you." — Luke 17:6 (ASV)
The apostles may have felt that this kind of forgiveness would demand more faith than they had. The black mulberry tree grew quite large, to a height of some thirty-five feet, and would be difficult to uproot. The mustard seed is proverbially small, a suitable metaphor for the amount of faith needed to do the seemingly impossible (Mark 11:23). Jesus’ answer to the request for additional faith seems to be that they should use the faith they had to petition God.
"But who is there of you, having a servant plowing or keeping sheep, that will say unto him, when he is come in from the field, Come straightway and sit down to meat;" — Luke 17:7 (ASV)
Luke here presents Jesus’ teaching about the ideal of servanthood. The world’s idea of success is to lord it over others; Jesus’ way is the reverse— namely, servanthood—which is actually the way to true greatness. The circumstances that Jesus describes here were normal in that society and the point is obvious (cf. 12:35–37, where Jesus highlights God’s grace by a reversal of this normal procedure). Through this parable Jesus emphasizes the proper servant attitude. He does not intend to demean servants but to make their duty clear.
This narrative stresses several characteristically Lukan themes. Jerusalem is the goal of Jesus’ journey (cf. 9:51; 13:33); Jesus has mercy on social outcasts; he conforms to Jewish norms by requiring that the lepers go for the required priestly declaration of health (cf. Leviticus 14); faith and healing should bring praise to God (cf. 18:43; Acts 3:8–9); and the grace of God extends beyond Judaism, with Samaritans receiving special attention (cf. 10:25–37).
"and will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?" — Luke 17:8 (ASV)
Luke here presents Jesus’ teaching about the ideal of servanthood. The world’s idea of success is to lord it over others; Jesus’ way is the reverse— namely, servanthood—which is actually the way to true greatness. The circumstances that Jesus describes here were normal in that society and the point is obvious (cf. 12:35–37, where Jesus highlights God’s grace by a reversal of this normal procedure). Through this parable Jesus emphasizes the proper servant attitude. He does not intend to demean servants but to make their duty clear.
This narrative stresses several characteristically Lukan themes. Jerusalem is the goal of Jesus’ journey (cf. 9:51; 13:33); Jesus has mercy on social outcasts; he conforms to Jewish norms by requiring that the lepers go for the required priestly declaration of health (cf. Leviticus 14); faith and healing should bring praise to God (cf. 18:43; Acts 3:8–9); and the grace of God extends beyond Judaism, with Samaritans receiving special attention (cf. 10:25–37).
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