What does Luke 17:5 mean?

Of the four Gospel writers, Luke most frequently refers to the disciples as "the apostles." Perhaps that's how he knew them when he first arrived in Jerusalem (Acts 21:15). He's also known for referring to Jesus as "Lord" when the situation refers to His sovereignty and authority. This section is largely about the responsibilities of the church leaders regarding sin and service (Luke 17:1–10). These leaders turn to their Lord for the faith they need to follow Him and lead others. Jesus' response is surprising: they don't need a large quantity of faith. Their power is not in their faith, but in the object of their faith (Luke 17:6).

In the previous passage, Jesus talked about the responsibilities of His disciples regarding others' sin. A believer's teaching should not cause others to stumble. If another sins, the victim must rebuke the sinner; if the sinner truly repents, the victim must forgive the sinner (Luke 17:1–4).

Now, Jesus responds to the disciples' request for more faith. This abrupt topic change suggests that Luke accumulated the main points of several of Jesus' lessons and put them together. That's highly likely, but it doesn't mean the Holy Spirit didn't have a plan. Jesus has just said that His followers must always forgive those who repent. That would certainly take a lot of faith!