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Teachings about Forgiveness and Faith

17 One day Jesus said to his disciples, “There will always be temptations to sin, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting! It 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. So watch yourselves!

“If another believer[a] sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive. Even if that person wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, you must forgive.”

The apostles said to the Lord, “Show us how to increase our faith.”

The 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!

“When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, does his master say, ‘Come in and eat with me’? No, he says, ‘Prepare my meal, put on your apron, and serve me while I eat. Then you can eat later.’ And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was told to do? Of course not. 10 In the same way, when you obey me you should say, ‘We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.’”

Ten Healed of Leprosy

11 As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. 12 As he entered a village there, ten men with leprosy stood at a distance, 13 crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

14 He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.”[b] And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy.

15 One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” 16 He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan.

17 Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.[c]

The Coming of the Kingdom

20 One 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.[d] 21 You won’t be able to say, ‘Here it is!’ or ‘It’s over there!’ For the Kingdom of God is already among you.[e]

22 Then he said to his disciples, “The time is coming when you will long to see the day when the Son of Man returns,[f] but you won’t see it. 23 People will tell you, ‘Look, there is the Son of Man,’ or ‘Here he is,’ but don’t go out and follow them. 24 For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other, so it will be on the day[g] when the Son of Man comes. 25 But first the Son of Man must suffer terribly[h] and be rejected by this generation.

26 “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. 27 In 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.

28 “And 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— 29 until the morning Lot left Sodom. Then fire and burning sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 Yes, it will be ‘business as usual’ right up to the day when the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On 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. 32 Remember what happened to Lot’s wife! 33 If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it. 34 That night two people will be asleep in one bed; one will be taken, the other left. 35 Two women will be grinding flour together at the mill; one will be taken, the other left.[i]

37 “Where will this happen, Lord?”[j] 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.”[k]

Footnotes

  1. 17:3 Greek If your brother.
  2. 17:14 See Lev 14:2-32.
  3. 17:19 Or Your faith has saved you.
  4. 17:20 Or by your speculations.
  5. 17:21 Or is within you, or is in your grasp.
  6. 17:22 Or long for even one day with the Son of Man. “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself.
  7. 17:24 Some manuscripts do not include on the day.
  8. 17:25 Or suffer many things.
  9. 17:35 Some manuscripts add verse 36, Two men will be working in the field; one will be taken, the other left. Compare Matt 24:40.
  10. 17:37a Greek “Where, Lord?”
  11. 17:37b Greek “Wherever the carcass is, the vultures gather.”

Instructions

17 Now He said to His disciples, (A)It is inevitable that [a]stumbling blocks come, but woe to one through whom they come! (B)It is better for him if a millstone is hung around his neck and he [b]is thrown into the sea, than that he may cause one of these little ones to [c]sin. [d]Be on your guard! (C)If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you (D)seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”

(E)The apostles said to (F)the Lord, “Increase our faith!” But (G)the Lord said, “If you [e]had faith [f]the size of (H)a mustard seed, you could say to this (I)mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea’; and it would [g]obey you.

“Now 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’? On the contrary, will he not say to him, ‘(J)Prepare something for me to eat, and properly [h]clothe yourself and serve me while I eat and drink; and [i]afterward you [j]may eat and drink’? He does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he? 10 So you too, when you do all the things which were commanded you, say, ‘We are [k]unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.’”

Ten Men with Leprosy Healed

11 While He was (K)on the way to Jerusalem, (L)He was passing [l]between Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as He entered a village, ten men with leprosy who (M)stood at a distance met Him; 13 and they raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, (N)Master, have mercy on us!” 14 When He saw them, He said to them, (O)Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they were going, they were cleansed. 15 Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, (P)glorifying God with a loud voice, 16 and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a (Q)Samaritan. 17 But Jesus responded and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine—where are they? 18 [m]Was no one found who returned to (R)give glory to God, except this foreigner?” 19 And He said to him, “Stand up and go; (S)your faith has [n]made you well.”

Second Coming Foretold

20 Now He was questioned by the Pharisees (T)as to when the kingdom of God was coming, and He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God is not coming with [o](U)signs that can be observed; 21 nor will (V)they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is [p]in your midst.”

22 And He said to the disciples, (W)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. 23 (X)And they will say to you, ‘Look there,’ or, ‘Look here!’ Do not leave, and do not run after them. 24 (Y)For just like the lightning, when it flashes out of one part [q]of the sky, shines to the other part [r]of the sky, so will the Son of Man be in His day. 25 (Z)But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 26 (AA)And just as it happened (AB)in the days of Noah, so will it also be in the days of the Son of Man: 27 people 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. 28 [s]It was the same as happened in (AC)the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, and they were building; 29 but on the day that Lot left Sodom, it rained fire and [t]brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 It will be [u]just the same on the day that the Son of Man (AD)is revealed. 31 On that day, the one who will be (AE)on the [v]housetop, [w]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. 32 (AF)Remember Lot’s wife. 33 (AG)Whoever strives to [x]save his [y]life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will keep it. 34 I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left. 35 (AH)There will be two women grinding at the same place; one will be taken and the other will be left. 36 [[z](AI)Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other will be left.”] 37 And responding, they *said to Him, “Where, Lord?” And He said to them, (AJ)Where the body is, there also the [aa]vultures will be gathered.”

Footnotes

  1. Luke 17:1 Or temptations to sin
  2. Luke 17:2 Lit has been thrown (intensive)
  3. Luke 17:2 Or stumble
  4. Luke 17:3 Lit Take heed for yourselves
  5. Luke 17:6 Lit have
  6. Luke 17:6 Lit like
  7. Luke 17:6 Lit have obeyed
  8. Luke 17:8 Lit belt up
  9. Luke 17:8 Lit after these things
  10. Luke 17:8 Lit will
  11. Luke 17:10 I.e., possibly unworthy of praise
  12. Luke 17:11 Lit through the middle of
  13. Luke 17:18 Lit Were they not found who
  14. Luke 17:19 Or saved you
  15. Luke 17:20 Lit observation
  16. Luke 17:21 Or among you
  17. Luke 17:24 Lit under heaven; i.e., the lowest heaven, the sky
  18. Luke 17:24 Lit under heaven; i.e., the lowest heaven, the sky
  19. Luke 17:28 Lit In the same way as
  20. Luke 17:29 I.e., burning sulfur
  21. Luke 17:30 Lit according to the same things
  22. Luke 17:31 Housetops were flat living areas
  23. Luke 17:31 Lit and his
  24. Luke 17:33 Or secure
  25. Luke 17:33 Or soul
  26. Luke 17:36 Early mss do not contain this v
  27. Luke 17:37 Or eagles