Luke Chapter 17
Duty, Thankfulness, and the Kingdom
A. Forgiveness, faith, and duty.
1. (Luke 17:1-2) The danger of stumbling another.
Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.”
a. Then He said to the disciples: Jesus, having just illustrated the eternal reality of heaven and hell through the account of Lazarus and the rich man, presses the point that how we live in this life matters eternally. Eternity is real, and there are no second chances beyond the grave, therefore our conduct toward others on this side of eternity is of utmost seriousness.
b. It is impossible: Offenses will come because of the fallen world we live in, but Jesus issues a solemn warning to the one who brings those offenses. The term “offense” translates the Greek word skandalon, which originally referred to the trigger-stick in a trap that springs the bait. It came to describe anything that entices, trips, or ensnares someone into sin.
Sometimes skandalon is used in a good sense, such as Christ Himself being a stumbling stone to those offended by the gospel: “As it is written: ‘Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, and whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame’” (Romans 9:33). Similarly, Paul wrote, “But we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness” (1 Corinthians 1:23), and “And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross has ceased” (Galatians 5:11).
Yet among brethren in Christ, a skandalon is always destructive. It can come through false counsel, as when Jesus told Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men” (Matthew 16:23). It can also come through careless use of liberty that leads another into sin, “Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way” (Romans 14:13). Paul also warned, “Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them” (Romans 16:17)
c. Woe to him through whom they do come: Jesus gives a sobering image—death by drowning with a millstone tied around one’s neck is preferable to the eternal consequences of causing one of God’s “little ones” to stumble.
The Lord’s warning is not limited to children only, but to all humble believers who are precious in His sight. To ensnare them into sin, weaken their faith, or turn them away from the truth is to invite God’s severe judgment.
Historically, the church learned this lesson painfully when some attempted to act as agents of God’s curse rather than His love. Whenever men take it upon themselves to execute God’s wrath rather than entrusting it to Him, the consequences are devastating. God calls His people to be instruments of grace, not stumbling blocks.
d. The safeguard against becoming a stumbling block: The Apostle John wrote, “He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him” (1 John 2:10). Love is the preventative cure. If we walk in love toward our brethren, we will not lead them into sin or harm their faith, but instead we will strengthen them in the light of Christ.
Duty, Thankfulness, and the Kingdom
A. Forgiveness, faith, and duty.
2. (Luke 17:3-4) If someone stumbles you, deal with it and forgive them.
“Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”
a. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him: Jesus does not command His disciples to ignore sin or pretend it did not occur. To overlook serious wrongs under the guise of “peace” is not love. Rather, love compels us to confront sin honestly and graciously. Paul writes, “But, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ” (Ephesians 4:15).
Love is the rule here. Believers must not become overly sensitive or keep records of trivial slights. The fruit of the Spirit includes longsuffering (Galatians 5:22), and Paul exhorts, “with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love” (Ephesians 4:2). Many minor offenses should be borne patiently.
However, when sin is serious enough to harm the offender, the relationship, or the body of Christ, love requires confrontation. This confrontation is not gossip, nor is it bottling up resentment. It is direct, humble, and restorative.
b. If he repents, forgive him: Jesus gives no alternative. When repentance is expressed, forgiveness must be extended. Forgiveness is not optional; it is commanded.
Even when repentance is absent, we can release bitterness by forgiving in our hearts, entrusting the matter to God. Relationship may not be fully restored until true repentance occurs, but the believer must remain ready to forgive, reflecting God’s posture toward sinners.
Jesus’ teaching here does not narrow forgiveness; it expands it. He is not providing an excuse to withhold forgiveness, but a model of limitless grace.
c. And if he sins against you seven times in a day…you shall forgive him: This radical statement removes the right to question the sincerity of another’s repentance. From a human perspective, repeated failure may look like hypocrisy, but Jesus commands His disciples to forgive regardless. The number “seven” symbolizes completeness, and Matthew’s Gospel records Jesus saying, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:22).
This shows that the Christian life must be marked by an unlimited readiness to forgive, imitating God’s abundant mercy toward us. To withhold forgiveness is to deny the very grace by which we ourselves stand.
As your Luke commentary notes, “Not only are Jesus’ followers not to cause others to sin; they are also to counteract sin by forgiving others
Duty, Thankfulness, and the Kingdom
A. Forgiveness, faith, and duty.
3. (Luke 17:5-6) Great faith is needed to get along with people like this.
And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.”
a. Increase our faith: The apostles immediately grasped the weight of Christ’s command to forgive continually. They realized that only a supernatural dependence on God could sustain such a forgiving spirit. This was not a matter of willpower but of faith. As Clarke observed, “This work of pardoning every offence of every man, and that continually, seemed so difficult, even to the disciples themselves, that they saw, without an extraordinary degree of faith, they should never be able to keep this command.” Their request was perceptive: the ability to forgive without limit requires divine empowerment
b. If you have faith as a mustard seed: Jesus answers by teaching that the smallest genuine faith, when rooted in God, is sufficient to accomplish the impossible. The focus is not the quantity of faith but its quality and the object of that faith. Even a mustard seed of faith, if true, can uproot the strongest obstacles.
The mulberry tree, known for its vast and enduring root system, was thought to remain rooted for hundreds of years. This image underscores how deeply entrenched unforgiveness, resentment, and bitterness can be in the human heart. Yet, by faith, even such long-standing roots of sin can be torn out and cast away.
Poole remarked, “No duty required of men and women more grates upon flesh and blood than this of forgiving injuries, nothing that the most of people find harder to put in practice; so as indeed where there is not a root of faith, this fruit will not be found.”
c. As a mustard seed: Faith is not about size but about substance. A little faith in a great God is more powerful than great faith in anything else. Spurgeon illustrates this by saying faith is like the eye—it does not look at itself but at its object. The strength of faith lies in Christ, not in our faith itself.
A useful analogy is that of ice: small faith on thick ice is infinitely safer than great faith on thin ice. Even the smallest trust placed in the sure foundation of Christ can accomplish great things.
d. The principle: Jesus’ teaching shifts the emphasis away from self-reliance to God-dependence. Forgiving as Christ commands is humanly impossible, but by even the smallest measure of true faith in Him, the impossible becomes possible. This is not primarily about performing external miracles but about the greater miracle of healed and restored relationships through the power of Christ.
Duty, Thankfulness, and the Kingdom
A. Forgiveness, faith, and duty.
4. (Luke 17:7-10) We can’t put God into debt to us; anything we do for Him is small repayment for His work in our life.
“And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’? But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink’? Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’”
a. Having a servant plowing or tending sheep: After teaching about faith that can accomplish great things, Jesus provides this parable to guard against spiritual pride. Service to God, no matter how diligent, does not put God in our debt. Plowing was exhausting labor, and tending sheep required patience and compassion—both images reflect the demanding nature of ministry. Importantly, this teaching was directed to disciples, not unbelievers (Luke 17:1). As Spurgeon noted, “Mark you, he was not laying down the way of salvation, but pointing out a path of service for those who were already saved.”
b. Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me: In the parable, the servant, after a long day of labor, is still expected to serve his master supper before caring for his own needs. This illustrates that our service for Christ does not cease when one task is done; there is always another way to serve. As Spurgeon said, “If you cannot go out ploughing, you shall go down into the kitchen, and do some cooking… This is a change of work for you; but you are to keep on as long as you live.” Our service is ongoing and always prioritizes the Master’s will over our comfort
c. Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? In that cultural setting, it was unthinkable for a master to thank his servant for doing only what was required. Likewise, we should not expect God to praise us for fulfilling basic obedience. Everything we accomplish is only by His enabling grace.
It would seem strange for Christ to thank us, considering all He has done for us, how much we have left undone, and that even our obedience is His gift. Yet Scripture tells us He will graciously reward His servants, saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21, 23).
d. We are unprofitable servants: This is not self-deprecation or false humility, but a recognition of reality. Compared to what Christ has done, our best efforts are like a grain of dust against the brilliance of the sun. As Spurgeon wrote, “What have we done for him compared with what he has done for us? Our service put beside Christ’s is like one single grain of dust put in comparison with the mighty orb of the sun.”
e. We have done what was our duty to do: The servant’s confession emphasizes that obedience is not meritorious but simply expected. All our service flows out of gratitude for the immeasurable work Christ has already accomplished. As the Luke notes remind, this parable is a call to diligence and a reminder not to seek special recognition
True spiritual maturity lives with joy in the privilege of service, not demanding honor for it. “Growing saints think themselves nothing; full-grown saints think themselves less than nothing” (Spurgeon). This aligns with an old rabbinic saying: “If you learned much in the Torah, claim not merit for yourself; for this purpose were you created” (m. Abot 2:8).
B. The Cleansing of Ten Lepers
1. (Luke 17:11-14) The healing of the lepers.
“Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’ So when He saw them, He said to them, ‘Go, show yourselves to the priests.’ And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.”
a. As He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers: Lepers were social outcasts, living together in isolation since they could not live among the healthy population. They kept their distance in obedience to the Law: “He shall dwell alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp” (Leviticus 13:46). Numbers 5:2 required the removal of lepers from the camp, and 2 Kings 15:5 records King Uzziah’s isolation as a leper.
Hansen’s disease (leprosy) was a deadly and incurable condition in that time, shrouded in mystery regarding transmission. Lepers had to cry “unclean!” and maintain about 150 feet distance when downwind from others
b. Passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee: The Greek phrase dia meson means “through the middle” or “between,” indicating Jesus was traveling along the border region. This geographical note sets the stage for a mixed group of Jewish and Samaritan lepers, whose shared suffering erased cultural divisions. As Barclay notes, “A common misfortune had broken down the racial and national barriers. In the common tragedy of their leprosy they had forgotten they were Jews and Samaritans and remembered only they were men in need.”
c. And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” Their plea was both united and desperate. They did not ask for alms but for mercy. Their faith was evident in recognizing Jesus as “Master,” and they cried to Him as their only hope. Significantly, there is not a single record in Scripture where Jesus was called upon for help and did not respond
d. Go, show yourselves to the priests: This instruction drew directly from the Law of Moses, where a cleansed leper had to be examined and declared clean by a priest (Leviticus 14:2). Jesus commanded them to act as if healing were already theirs. This required obedience before evidence, faith before sight.
As Morrison observed, “The one condition of healing was obedience. Ordered, they must obey. If He was master as they had cried He was, then let them prove their faith by their obedience.”
Clarke adds that God highly honors this kind of faith, faith that obeys simply because He commands, even when no evidence is visible.
e. And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed: The miracle occurred in motion. Healing came not while they stood waiting but as they obeyed Christ’s command. This shows how God often works—His blessings are experienced in the pathway of obedience. Morrison notes, “It is as we go on the commanded road that we experience the commanded blessing.”
B. The Cleansing of Ten Lepers
2. (Luke 17:15-19) Only one out of ten of the lepers return to give thanks.
“And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. So Jesus answered and said, ‘Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?’ And He said to him, ‘Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.’”
a. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God: Out of ten healed, only one returned in gratitude. The remarkable part is that he was the unlikely one—a Samaritan. His thanksgiving was not silent or casual; he glorified God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face in worship.
All ten were willing to carry out the ritual act of going to the priests, but only one’s heart overflowed with true praise. Spurgeon remarked, “External religious exercises are easy enough, and common enough; but the internal matter, the drawing out of the heart in thankful love, how scarce a thing it is! Nine obey ritual where only one praises the Lord.”
b. Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Jesus noticed the absence of the others. The Lord takes careful note of our gratitude—or our lack of it. Morgan observed, “The question was asked, and it at once proves the value He sets upon the service of praise… One wonders whether it is not so that our Lord has been asking this question very constantly.”
Trapp adds, “Christ keeps count how many favours men receive from him, and will call them to a particular account thereof.”
Matthew Henry once wrote in his diary after being robbed that he was thankful: first, that he had never been robbed before; second, that although they took his wallet, they did not take his life; third, that though they took all, it was not very much; and lastly, that he was the one robbed and not the one doing the robbing. This reflects the same spirit of gratitude that was missing in the nine.
Spurgeon reminds us not to be cast down when our labor in Christ yields fewer thankful responses than expected: “The Savior had to say, ‘Where are the nine?’ Ten lepers were healed, but only one praised him. We have many converts who do not join the church; we have numbers of persons converted who do not come forward to baptism, or to the Lord’s Supper. Numbers get a blessing, but do not feel love enough to own it.”
c. Your faith has made you well: Jesus gave this grateful Samaritan more than physical healing—He received spiritual healing. The Greek phrase can be translated, “Your faith has saved you.” The other nine had whole bodies but unchanged hearts, while this one man experienced the deeper healing of salvation.
d. The broader lesson: Luke presents this event as part of a theme—disciples of Jesus should be like the grateful ex-leper, persistent in praise and thanksgiving, not merely going through rituals. Gratitude is the mark of true faith
C. The Coming of the Kingdom
1. (Luke 17:20-21) If you want to know about Jesus’ kingdom, get to know the King.
“Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, ‘The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, “See here!” or “See there!” For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.’”
a. When He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come: The Pharisees questioned Jesus in a spirit of hostility rather than genuine seeking. They longed for the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah’s reign (Psalm 2:8; Isaiah 9:6-7), but their demand reflected skepticism. Spurgeon described their attitude: “Is this the coming of thy promised kingdom? Are these fishermen and peasants thy courtiers? Are these the days for which prophets and kings waited so long?”
In that era, much like today, many desired the blessings of the kingdom without submission to the King. They wanted the Messiah’s power without His cross, the glory without the cost of repentance.
b. The kingdom of God does not come with observation: Jesus corrected their assumption. The word translated observation (parateresis) refers to hostile watching or spying. It was used for surveillance with ill intent, as when the Pharisees sought to entrap Him (Luke 14:1; 20:20). Jesus warned that the kingdom could not be discerned through such unbelieving scrutiny
The Pharisees expected the kingdom to appear dramatically, overthrowing Roman rule. But Christ declared that His kingdom does not arrive through political spectacle or human expectation.
c. For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you: This phrase is better rendered “among you” or “in your midst.” The Greek word entos can mean “within,” but in plural contexts it refers to “among.” Jesus was not saying that the kingdom of God exists inside every person (which would make no sense, since He was addressing unbelieving Pharisees). Instead, He pointed to Himself: the King was present, and therefore the kingdom was already in their midst
This was no mystical teaching about latent divinity within man. It was a Christ-centered declaration: the kingdom was at hand because the King Himself was standing before them. Morgan captured it well: “The Pharisees asked Him when the Kingdom of God would appear, while it was right in their midst because the King Himself was there.”
d. The principle: You cannot seek the kingdom of God while rejecting the King. To long for the kingdom’s blessings but refuse the authority of Christ is spiritual hypocrisy. True entrance into the kingdom requires surrender to the King.
C. The Coming of the Kingdom
2. (Luke 17:22-24) Jesus’ kingdom won’t come immediately in the disciple’s day.
“Then He said to the disciples, ‘The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. And they will say to you, “Look here!” or “Look there!” Do not go after them or follow them. For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day.’”
a. The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it: Turning from the Pharisees to His disciples, Jesus shifts focus from unbelieving hostility to the struggles of those who follow Him. After His ascension, the disciples and later believers would long for the visible presence of Christ. This longing, however, would not be satisfied until the appointed time of His return.
b. And they will say to you, “Look here!” or “Look there!” Jesus warned that this longing for His return would make His disciples vulnerable to deception. False messiahs would arise, claiming to be Christ or to herald His coming. Satan exploits both longing and impatience to lead astray. History confirms this warning, as countless impostors—both inside and outside Judeo-Christian expectation—have claimed messianic authority.
c. Do not go after them or follow them: Jesus gives a direct prohibition. False Christs will continue to appear, some with large followings, but disciples are not to pursue them. As Dr. Charles Feinberg noted, more than sixty men throughout Jewish history since Christ have claimed to be the Messiah. In modern times, figures such as David Koresh, Jim Jones, Sun Myung Moon, and even revered rabbis like Menachem Mendel Schneerson have been hailed by some as messianic. Political leaders like Stalin and Mao have also been treated as “savior” figures, showing how pervasive this deception can be. Christ’s warning remains clear—do not follow them.
d. For as the lightning that flashes: In contrast to false and secret claims, the true return of Christ will be public, unmistakable, and glorious. Just as lightning illuminates the sky from one horizon to the other, so will the Son of Man’s return be visible to all. No one will need to point Him out, nor will His coming be confined to a secret location.
e. The principle: The kingdom will not come through hidden signs, pretenders, or premature expectations. Instead, it will come suddenly, universally, and undeniably. As your Luke file notes, the Son of Man will appear “as the lightning that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven”—a cosmic event no one can miss
C. The Coming of the Kingdom
3. (Luke 17:25) Jesus’ kingdom cannot come until He finishes His work on earth.
“But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.”
a. But first He must suffer: Jesus made clear that the cross precedes the crown. Many long to see the kingdom without considering the suffering that must come first. The kingdom of God could not be established until the King bore the penalty of sin. His rule is legitimate because He first fulfilled His Father’s will in suffering and death. As He taught, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all” (Mark 9:35), and again, “Whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant” (Matthew 20:26). Christ’s glory is anchored in His humility, and His reign is secured by His sacrifice.
We might say that Jesus can return in glory only because He first came in humility. The cross is not an accident or detour; it is the ordained path to the kingdom.
b. Must suffer many things and be rejected: The certainty of this statement is striking. It is not optional or avoidable. Three times Jesus intensifies the thought:
He must suffer.
He must be rejected.
He must suffer many things, not merely a few.
This echoes Isaiah’s prophecy of the Suffering Servant (Isaiah 53:3, “He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief”). The rejection of Christ by His own people was foreknown and foretold.
c. By this generation: The rejection would not be distant but immediate. The very generation that heard Him would be the one to deliver Him over. Though the full triumph of His kingdom would wait until His second coming, His suffering was imminent.
d. The Two Messiah expectation: Jewish tradition in that day anticipated two messianic figures—Meshiach ben Joseph, the suffering servant, and Meshiach ben David, the reigning king. Jesus unites both roles in Himself: first He must fulfill the suffering of the servant, then He will return as the reigning king
e. The principle: Before there is exaltation, there must be humiliation. Before the kingdom is established in glory, the King must endure rejection, suffering, and death. This sets the pattern for His disciples as well: the way of the cross comes before the crown.
C. The Coming of the Kingdom
4. (Luke 17:26-30) The coming of the King will be a great surprise.
“And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.”
a. And as it was in the days of Noah: Jesus described a society carrying on with normal life while ignoring the looming judgment. People continued in daily routines—eating, drinking, marrying—until the very day Noah entered the ark. Then the kataklysmos (flood) came suddenly and destroyed them all (Genesis 7:7, 10, 21; 1 Peter 3:20). This illustrates how easily people can treat wickedness as normal and miss the urgency of God’s warning
b. Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: The destruction of Sodom came suddenly in the morning (Genesis 19:15–25). The day before seemed like any other day in Sodom. Men pursued business as usual—buying, selling, planting, and building—until fire and brimstone fell from heaven and consumed the city.
c. Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed: Just as Noah entered the ark and Lot departed Sodom before judgment fell, Jesus indicated there would again be a separation: some removed from judgment, others left to face it. Luke notes emphasize, “All except those that were removed before” (Genesis 18; 19:22), foreshadowing God’s pattern of deliverance before wrath
d. The element of surprise: The normalcy of worldly life will lull many into complacency. Jesus did not claim the world would be peaceful or pure, but that wickedness would be accepted as routine. This is why His return will shock the unprepared.
e. Other Scriptures contrast the timing: Some passages describe the world in turmoil at Christ’s return: “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matthew 24:21). Revelation 6:15–16 describes men hiding from the wrath of the Lamb. Taken together, these differences support the understanding that Christ’s coming unfolds in phases: first the removal of the righteous (rapture), then judgment on the ungodly (tribulation).
f. The word revealed: The Greek term apokalyptetai means unveiling or disclosure, from which we derive the word “apocalypse.” It is not about secrecy but about public manifestation—the day when Christ will be revealed in power and glory.
C. The Coming of the Kingdom
5. (Luke 17:31-33) Prepare for the coming of the King by not being attached to this world.
“In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.”
a. In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away: When judgment comes, there will be no time to cling to earthly possessions. Just as people in Noah’s day may have tried to save their belongings while losing their lives, Jesus warns that the heart must be detached from worldly goods. The believer’s treasure must be in heaven, not in the house (Luke 12:33–34). This echoes the principle that we cannot serve both God and mammon.
b. Let him not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife: Lot’s wife stands as a tragic warning. Though she escaped Sodom, she looked back longingly at the condemned city and was turned into a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:17, 26). Jesus’ command to “remember” means to learn from her failure and take heed.
Her sin unfolded in stages: she lingered behind instead of fleeing quickly, she doubted God’s word, and then she disobeyed outright by looking back. Spurgeon noted, “She did look back, and thus proved that she had sufficient presumption in her heart to defy God’s command, and risk her all, to give a lingering love-glance at the condemned and guilty world. By that glance she perished.”
Trapp comments that she turned back “either out of curiosity or covetousness,” showing how hard it is for the human heart to let go of the world.
Spurgeon added the sobering reminder that Lot’s wife almost made it to safety: “Doom befell her at the gates of Zoar. Oh, if I must be damned, let it be with the mass of the ungodly… but to get up to the very gates of heaven, and to perish there, will be a most awful thing!”
c. Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it: Jesus here repeated a principle He taught elsewhere (Luke 9:24; Matthew 16:25). Those who cling to this world and try to preserve their life by compromise or cowardice will ultimately lose everything. Those who surrender their lives to God, even at the cost of earthly loss, will find eternal preservation.
d. The principle: The call of discipleship is detachment from this world in view of Christ’s return. When the Son of Man is revealed, only those whose hearts are fixed on Him will escape judgment. As your Luke notes emphasize, disciples must live with diligence, keeping their “loins girded” and their “lights burning,” focused not on possessions but on readiness for the Lord’s return
C. The Coming of the Kingdom
6. (Luke 17:34-36) When Jesus comes some will be taken suddenly, and others will be left behind.
“I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left. Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left. Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left.”
a. In that night there will be two men in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left: This description is often linked to the rapture, Christ’s coming to gather His people. Paul gave the most detailed teaching in 1 Thessalonians 4:16–18: “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” The language of being “taken” and “left” seems to echo this event, when believers are caught up to meet Christ in the air.
b. One will be taken and the other left: The sudden separation emphasizes readiness. Life will appear ordinary—people will be sleeping, working in fields, or grinding grain—when Jesus comes. Some will be taken into salvation, others left for judgment. This recalls Noah and Lot: both were taken to safety while others perished. As the Luke notes point out, it is a “removal before judgment” pattern, consistent with God’s dealings in the past
c. Two men in one bed… Two women will be grinding together: The examples show that Christ’s return will affect people in every part of the world simultaneously. While some are asleep at night, others will be working in daylight. This points to the universal scope of His return, not confined to one nation or timezone.
d. On verse 36: Some manuscripts omit verse 36 (“Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left”), likely because of textual overlap with Matthew 24:40. However, whether or not the verse is original in Luke, the message remains clear: the return of Christ will bring a sudden division between the prepared and the unprepared.
e. The principle: Christ’s coming will be sudden, global, and divisive. Believers must live in constant readiness, detached from the world and prepared to meet Him at any moment.
C. The Coming of the Kingdom
7. (Luke 17:37) All this will happen at the time when judgment is ripe.
“And they answered and said to Him, ‘Where, Lord?’ So He said to them, ‘Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together.’”
a. Where, Lord? The disciples wanted clarification about where these events of separation and judgment would unfold. As they journeyed closer to Jerusalem, they may have wondered if these prophecies were about to be fulfilled there. Their question reflects a desire to know the timing and location of the coming revelation of the Son of Man.
b. Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together: Jesus answered with a proverb-like statement. The imagery suggests inevitability—judgment will occur wherever conditions are ripe. Just as vultures (or eagles) gather where there is a carcass, so judgment comes where corruption and death prevail.
Barclay summarized: “That simply meant that a thing would happen when the necessary conditions were fulfilled.” Geldenhuys added: “Where that which is ripe for judgment is present, there also will the judgment take place.”
This indicates that judgment is certain, not random. When sin ripens, divine retribution will not delay.
c. Contemporary application: The Bible describes conditions that will characterize the world before Christ’s return—political unrest, economic instability, spiritual apostasy, social decay, and military tensions. Observing the present state of the world, one may rightly conclude that the stage is being set for the fulfillment of these words
d. The principle: The disciples asked “Where?” but Jesus essentially answered, “Wherever judgment is due, there it will fall.” Instead of pinpointing a location, He highlighted inevitability and readiness. The lesson is not to predict where, but to be prepared for when.
