Day 61 – Wednesday, March 26, 2025

One Year Journey Through the New Testament

Luke 17

Welcome to our journey through the New Testament!

Christ Teaches on Offenses

1 Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! ² 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. ³ Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. ⁴ 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.”

⁵ And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”

⁶ 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. ⁷ 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’? ⁸ 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’? ⁹ Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. ¹⁰ 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.’ ” (Luke 17:1–10, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• In the opening to this chapter, Luke records a teaching of Jesus to His disciples. He tells them that offenses will come, but that they should not be found responsible for offense.
• He also tells them to forgive those who are repentant, up to seven times a day for the same sin.
• The disciples then asked Jesus to increase their faith. He explained that even mustard seed (small) faith could cause a tree to be uprooted and cast in the sea.
• He then changes gears rather quickly, and instructs them on how servants should behave. They should obey their masters and do their duty, but still not be overly proud of their work. They are doing what is required. Christians should do what is required without the need of praise.

Christ Cleanses Ten Lepers

¹¹ Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. ¹² Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. ¹³ And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

¹⁴ 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.

¹⁵ And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, ¹⁶ and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.

¹⁷ So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? ¹⁸ Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” ¹⁹ And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.” (Luke 17:11–19, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• On Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem, He made His way through Samaria and Galilee. Along the way, ten lepers called to Jesus for mercy. He told them to go show themselves to the priest, and they were healed as they went. When Jesus says “go,” just go. He will provide as you go.
• One of the lepers was a Samaritan, and returned to thank Jesus for His healing. Jesus asked where the rest were, but none of them had come back to thank Jesus. He then commended the foreigner for His faith.
• Jesus healed anyone in need. He did not discriminate. Don’t forget to praise Him for His great works!

Christ Teaches on the Second Coming

²⁰ 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; ²¹ nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”

²² 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. ²³ And they will say to you, ‘Look here!’ or ‘Look there!’ Do not go after them or follow them. ²⁴ 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. ²⁵ But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. ²⁶ And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: ²⁷ 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. ²⁸ Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; ²⁹ but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. ³⁰ Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.

³¹ “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. ³² Remember Lot’s wife. ³³ Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. ³⁴ 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. ³⁵ Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left. ³⁶ Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left.”

³⁷ 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.” (Luke 17:20–37, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• All of this chapter seems to be unique to Luke.
• As this passage opens, Jesus is asked by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God would come to earth.
• He told them that the kingdom would not be announced with fanfare. He then told them that the kingdom is already in the midst of them, or within them.
• He told His disciples, then, that they would wish for Him to be with them soon. He said that people would claim to have seen Jesus, but that they should not follow them.
• He told them that He was going to be crucified and rejected, but that He would then appear like lightning.
• He warned that His coming would be like the flood in the days of Noah. It would be sudden and without warning. It would also be like the days of Lot, when judgment came swiftly and completely.
• He warns that when judgment comes, the people should not be slow in their response, but ready to go. Don’t look back like Lot’s wife, but go with the King when He comes. Some in the same family or on the same job will be left behind.
• The disciples asked where this would be. Jesus gave a cryptic answer about the vultures being gathered around the dead body.
• Basically, Jesus was telling His disciples to be ready when He comes. We need to be ready, for Jesus is coming!

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All Scriptures from New King James Version unless otherwise noted.

Join us this afternoon at 5:00 pm for a discussion of this chapter live online. Live@5 with Dr. Greg Sloop can be found on Facebook on the Dr. Greg Sloop page or on the Kannapolis Church of God Facebook page or Youtube page. Another blog will be posted each weekday at 6:00 a.m.