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Luke chapter 17

English Standard Version

1And he said to his disciples, "Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! 2It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. 3Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, 4and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him."
5The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" 6And the Lord said, "If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
7"Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? 8Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? 9Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? 10So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’"
11On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. 12And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance 13and lifted up their voices, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." 14When he saw them he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went they were cleansed. 15Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 16and he fell on his face at Jesus ' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. 17Then Jesus answered, "Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" 19And he said to him, "Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well."
20Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, "The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, 21nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you."
22And he said to the disciples, "The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go out or follow them. 24For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. 25But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 26Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot — they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, 29but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all — 30so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. 31On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. 32Remember Lot 's wife. 33Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. 34I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. 35There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left." 36 37And they said to him, "Where, Lord?" He said to them, "Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather."
New International Version

1Jesus said to his disciples: "Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. 2It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble.
3So watch yourselves. "If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. 4Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them."
5The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!"
6He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.
7"Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? 8Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? 9Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? 10So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’ "
11Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance 13and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"
14When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed.
15One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.
17Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?" 19Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well."
20Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, 21nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst."
22Then he said to his disciples, "The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. 23People will tell you, ‘There he is!’ or ‘Here he is!’ Do not go running off after them. 24For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other. 25But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.
26"Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.
28"It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. 29But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.
30"It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. 31On that day no one who is on the housetop, with possessions inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. 32Remember Lot’s wife! 33Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it. 34I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. 35Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left." 36
37"Where, Lord?" they asked. He replied, "Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather."
New American Standard Bible

1Now He said to His disciples, 'It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to one through whom they come! 2It is better for him if a millstone is hung around his neck and he is thrown into the sea, than that he may cause one of these little ones to sin. 3Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.'
5The apostles said to the Lord, 'Increase our faith!' 6But the Lord said, 'If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea’; and it would obey you.
7Now which of you, having a slave plowing or tending sheep, will say to him after he comes in from the field, ‘Come immediately and recline at the table to eat’? 8On the contrary, will he not say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat, and properly clothe yourself and serve me while I eat and drink; and afterward you may eat and drink’? 9He does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he? 10So you too, when you do all the things which were commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.’?'
11While He was on the way to Jerusalem, He was passing between Samaria and Galilee. 12And as He entered a village, ten men with leprosy who stood at a distance met Him; 13and they raised their voices, saying, 'Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!' 14When He saw them, He said to them, 'Go and show yourselves to the priests.' And as they were going, they were cleansed. 15Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, 16and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan. 17But Jesus responded and said, 'Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine—where are they? 18Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?' 19And He said to him, 'Stand up and go; your faith has made you well.'
20Now He was questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, and He answered them and said, 'The kingdom of God is not coming with signs that can be observed; 21nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.'
22And He said to the disciples, 'The days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23And they will say to you, ‘Look there,’ or, ‘Look here!’ Do not leave, and do not run after them. 24For just like the lightning, when it flashes out of one part of the sky, shines to the other part of the sky, so will the Son of Man be in His day. 25But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 26And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so will it also be in the days of the Son of Man: 27people were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, and they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28It was the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, and they were building; 29but on the day that Lot left Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. 30It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. 31On that day, the one who will be on the housetop, with his goods in the house, must not go down to take them out; and likewise the one in the field must not turn back. 32Remember Lot’s wife. 33Whoever strives to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will keep it. 34I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left. 35There will be two women grinding at the same place; one will be taken and the other will be left. 36[ Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other will be left.'] 37And responding, they *said to Him, 'Where, Lord?' And He said to them, 'Where the body is, there also the vultures will be gathered.'
Christian Standard Bible

1He said to his disciples, "Offenses will certainly come, but woe to the one through whom they come! 2It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3Be on your guard. If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. 4And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and comes back to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him."
5The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."
6"If you have faith the size of a mustard seed," the Lord said, "you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.
7"Which one of you having a servant tending sheep or plowing will say to him when he comes in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’? 8Instead, will he not tell him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat, get ready, and serve me while I eat and drink; later you can eat and drink’? 9Does he thank that servant because he did what was commanded? 10In the same way, when you have done all that you were commanded, you should say, ‘We are worthless servants; we’ve only done our duty.’"
11While traveling to Jerusalem, he passed between Samaria and Galilee. 12As he entered a village, ten men with leprosy met him. They stood at a distance 13and raised their voices, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"
14When he saw them, he told them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And while they were going, they were cleansed.
15But one of them, seeing that he was healed, returned and, with a loud voice, gave glory to God. 16He fell facedown at his feet, thanking him. And he was a Samaritan.
17Then Jesus said, "Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18Didn’t any return to give glory to God except this foreigner?" 19And he told him, "Get up and go on your way. Your faith has saved you."
20Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, "The kingdom of God is not coming with something observable; 21no one will say, ‘See here!’ or ‘There!’ For you see, the kingdom of God is in your midst."
22Then he told the disciples: "The days are coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you won’t see it. 23They will say to you, ‘See there!’ or ‘See here!’ Don’t follow or run after them. 24For as the lightning flashes from horizon to horizon and lights up the sky, so the Son of Man will be in his day. 25But first it is necessary that he suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.
26"Just as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man: 27People went on eating, drinking, marrying and giving in marriage until the day Noah boarded the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28It will be the same as it was in the days of Lot: People went on eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building. 29But on the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all. 30It will be like that on the day the Son of Man is revealed. 31On that day, a man on the housetop, whose belongings are in the house, must not come down to get them. Likewise the man who is in the field must not turn back. 32Remember Lot’s wife! 33Whoever tries to make his life secure will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. 34I tell you, on that night two will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left. 35Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left." 36
37"Where, Lord?" they asked him. He said to them, "Where the corpse is, there also the vultures will be gathered."
New Living Translation

1One day Jesus said to his disciples, 'There will always be temptations to sin, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting! 2It would be better to be thrown into the sea with a millstone hung around your neck than to cause one of these little ones to fall into sin.
3So watch yourselves! 'If another believer sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive. 4Even if that person wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, you must forgive.'
5The apostles said to the Lord, 'Show us how to increase our faith.'
6The Lord answered, 'If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘May you be uprooted and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you!
7When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, does his master say, ‘Come in and eat with me’? 8No, he says, ‘Prepare my meal, put on your apron, and serve me while I eat. Then you can eat later.’ 9And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was told to do? Of course not. 10In the same way, when you obey me you should say, ‘We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.’'
11As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. 12As he entered a village there, ten men with leprosy stood at a distance, 13crying out, 'Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!'
14He looked at them and said, 'Go show yourselves to the priests.' And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy.
15One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, 'Praise God!' 16He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan.
17Jesus asked, 'Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? 18Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?' 19And Jesus said to the man, 'Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you. '
20One day the Pharisees asked Jesus, 'When will the Kingdom of God come?' Jesus replied, 'The Kingdom of God can’t be detected by visible signs. 21You won’t be able to say, ‘Here it is!’ or ‘It’s over there!’ For the Kingdom of God is already among you. '
22Then he said to his disciples, 'The time is coming when you will long to see the day when the Son of Man returns, but you won’t see it. 23People will tell you, ‘Look, there is the Son of Man,’ or ‘Here he is,’ but don’t go out and follow them. 24For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other, so it will be on the day when the Son of Man comes. 25But first the Son of Man must suffer terribly and be rejected by this generation.
26When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. 27In those days, the people enjoyed banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat and the flood came and destroyed them all.
28And the world will be as it was in the days of Lot. People went about their daily business — eating and drinking, buying and selling, farming and building — 29until the morning Lot left Sodom. Then fire and burning sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. 30Yes, it will be ‘business as usual’ right up to the day when the Son of Man is revealed. 31On that day a person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. A person out in the field must not return home. 32Remember what happened to Lot’s wife! 33If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it. 34That night two people will be asleep in one bed; one will be taken, the other left. 35Two women will be grinding flour together at the mill; one will be taken, the other left. ' 36
37Where will this happen, Lord?' the disciples asked. Jesus replied, 'Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near.'
King James Version

1Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! 2It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. 3Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. 4And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.
5And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. 6And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.
7But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? 8And 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? 9Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. 10So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.
11And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: 13And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. 14And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. 15And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. 17And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed but where are the nine 18There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. 19And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.
20And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: 21Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. 22And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it. 23And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them. 24For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day. 25But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation. 26And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 27They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. 28Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; 29But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. 30Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. 31In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. 32Remember Lot's wife. 33Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. 34I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. 35Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 36Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
37And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.
New King James Version

1Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! 2It 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. 3Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4And 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.”
5And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”
6So 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. 7And 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’? 8But 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’? 9Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. 10So 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.’ ”
11Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. 13And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
14So 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.
15And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.
17So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? 18Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.”
20Now 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; 21nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”
22Then 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. 23And they will say to you, ‘Look here!’ or ‘Look there!’ Do not go after them or follow them. 24For 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. 25But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 26And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: 27They 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. 28Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; 29but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. 30Even 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. 32Remember Lot’s wife. 33Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. 34I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left. 35Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left. 36Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left.”
37And they answered and said to Him, “Where, Lord?” So He said to them, “Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together.”

What does Luke chapter 17 mean?

In the section sometimes called "Jesus' Travelogue to Jerusalem" (Luke 9:51—19:27), Jesus prepares the disciples. They must be ready to witness His death and resurrection and then build the church. That building process requires teaching believers about the kingdom of God: the influence, power, and authority of God in creation. Jesus' first coming—His birth—inaugurated the kingdom, and His work will be completely fulfilled at His second coming. Until then, it will be the work of His disciples to live as citizens and ambassadors of that kingdom. They are to invite others in so they can live lives glorifying God and experiencing His love and presence in eternity. Luke 17 lists several responsibilities expected of those who live in God's kingdom: proper understanding of sin, faith, humble service, thanks, and watchfulness.

The travelogue is notoriously difficult to organize. However, Luke 16:1—17:10 seem to detail behaviors which do not reflect kingdom living. Luke 17:11—18:34 is the third of four groupings that start with a miracle and continue with more general teachings about the kingdom. These teachings are not necessarily presented in strict chronological order; if Luke found an event or a lesson that matched a passage's theme, he had no problem inserting it. The "orderly account" Luke promised Theophilus is often thematic, not always chronological (Luke 1:1–4).

In Luke 17:1–10, Jesus corrects thoughts and behaviors inconsistent with being citizens of God's kingdom. He is especially focused on leadership. First, He speaks about the disciples' responsibilities regarding others' sin. Their teaching must never tempt someone. They must confront others about their sin. They must forgive everyone who sincerely repents no matter how often (Luke 17:1–4). As if such responsibilities are too difficult, Jesus corrects the disciples' understanding of the power of their faith. Their ability to serve the kingdom is not dependent on the size of their faith but on the God in whom they have faith (Luke 17:5–6). Finally, Jesus again reminds the disciples that they are servants. Following Him does not mean using Him or their positions for their own gain (Luke 17:7–10).

Luke 17:11–19 begins a section which includes a series of comparisons. Ten lepers maintain a respectful distance while begging Jesus to heal them. He sends them off to the priests: a necessary step for someone to be declared healed. As they go, they realize they are all healed, but only one man, a Samaritan, returns to thank Jesus. Jesus praises his faith.

In Luke 17:20–37, Jesus makes several comparisons regarding reactions to the kingdom of God. Pharisees still look for God's kingdom while Jesus' followers know better. They realize His ministry is the in-breaking of the kingdom on earth. There will be a day when His disciples long for Him, and false prophets will come to proclaim false messiahs. But Jesus will return with flashes of lightning across the sky. First He will suffer and be rejected in His own time. When Jesus returns, many will be caught off guard, living normal lives like those in the days of Noah and Lot; Jesus' followers need to watch the signs and be ready.

In the next chapter, Luke continues the pattern of comparisons. A persistent widow receives justice from a corrupt judge. A tax collector shows more humble faith than a self-righteous Pharisee. Trusting children receive the kingdom of God while a devout ruler hesitates if it means losing his possessions. The section ends with Jesus, once again, warning the disciples of His coming death. The chapter ends with the healing of a blind beggar as Jesus travels through Jericho on His way to Jerusalem.
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