Luke 17
DODDLuke 17:1-11
Christ repeats his exhortations to an inoffensive conduct and a forgiving temper; and warns his disciples not to arrogate any merit to themselves. Luke XVII. 1—11.
LUKE XVII. 1. SECT. OUR Lord also about this time repeated to cxxvi. the numerous attendants who were then Luke around him several things which he had formerly xvii.1 said in a more private way to the disciple; and particularly addressed them in terms like these: Considering the general corruption of humannature, the snares of the world, and the temptations LUKE XVII. 1. THEN said he unto the disci-
ld be ready to orgive a repenting rot er.
of Satan, it is impossible but one way or other offences should come; many professing my religion will, no doubt, act unworthy of themselves, and disgrace the holy name they bear: nevertheless, wo [be to him] by whom they come; and let me warn you therefore, as you love your own souls, to guard against the guilt and danger of being a stumblingblock to others. For I assure you it were better for such a one, even for him that by an immoral life proves a reproach and scandal to my cause, that he should die by the hand of violence, and suffer the most shocking execution, yea, that a huge millstone should be hanged about his neck, and he should be thrown into the sea, than that he should offend and insnare one of these little ones that believe in me, so as to draw the meanest of them into sin and ruin. (See Mat. xviii. 6, 7, and the notes there, sect. xciii.)
Take heed to yourselves, therefore,ᵃ that you may govern all your passions aright, and particularly your resentments, by which otherwise much sin may be occasioned both to yourselves and others. And if thy brother trespass against thee, do not lay up a secret grudge against him for it, but plainly and faithfully rebuke him, endeavouring to convince him of the evil he has committed; and if he appear to repent of his fault, forgive him immediately, without insisting on any rigorous satisfaction. And if he trespass against thee again and again, even though he should repeat his fault seven times in a day (compare Psal. cxix. 164), and seven times in a day return to thee, seriously saying, I repent of my folly, and am heartily sorry for the injury I have done thee, thou shalt forgive him even these repeated offences. (Compare Mat. xviii. 21, 22, sect. xcv.)
Then the apostles said unto the Lord, Lord, we are sensible that in this instance, as well as in several others, we have need to pray thou wouldst
ᵃ Take heed to yourselves.] This contains ruptions of those with whom they contend, a strong and important intimation how but leads others to think meanly of a promuch sin and scandal is occasioned by a fession which has so little efficacy to soften severe quarrelsome temper in the disciples and sweeten the tempers of those who of Christ; as it not only stirs up the cor- maintain it.
VOL. 2.
No merit must be arrogated to ourse v
increase our faith :b oh quicken our apprehension of the reality and importance of the motives by which all thy commands are enforced, and of the authority by which they are dictated; that we may not scruple to submit even to such precepts as these, how hard soever they may bear upon flesh and blood.
And the Lord said, If you had ever so little faith, though it were but as a grain of mustard-seed, yet (as I formerly told you) it would conquer the greatest difficulties; so that you might, as it were, be able to say to this sycamoretree, Be thou rooted up, and planted in the sea, and it should presently obey you.c
Endeavour therefore to live in the exercise of this noble grace, and in a series of such services as are the proper fruits of it: but in the midst of all be careful to maintain the deepest humility, as in the presence of God your heavenly Master, on whom, as you are his servants, you can have no claim of merit: for who is there of you, that if he has a servant ploughing his ground, or feeding his flock, will say unto him, as soon as he comes in from the field, Come ind and sit down at the table with me? Or will he not rather say to him, if it was a part of that servant’s business to do it, Make ready somewhat for my supper, and, when it is prepared, gird up thy garments close about thee,e and wait upon me while I am eating and drinking; and afterwards thou shalt sit down to eat and drink thyself? And suppose he should observe his orders with the greatest diligence, does he think himself obliged to thank that servant because he hath done what was commanded him? I apprehend he does not, because he has an authority over the servant, and may
ease our faith.] Woltzogenius him- finally bear a man abnowledges that their applying to enable him to conquer to strengthen their faith shews that word oragebon has believed he had a divine influence Compare Luke xii. 3 spirits of men. See Whitby in loc. See Raphel. Annot. e s u might say to this sycamoretree, especially Annot. ex X do not apprehend this text to be Gird up thy garmen y parallel to Mat. xvii. 20, p. 12. Compare Luke xii. 37. connection the expression seems vants used to be gird ial, and to be as if he had said, As their masters is well t degree of miraculous faith will (as Observ. Vol. I. p. 258, efore) produce the greatest effects, Luke xii. 35, p. 116. t degree of true sincere piety will
ns on an inoffensive and orgiving spirit.
justly claim his obedience as matter of debt. Now to apply this to your own services; so likewise ye, when you have faithfully done all that was commanded you in the exactest manner, yet should still say, Surely we are worthless and unprofitable servants, who cannot pretend to have merited any thing from the hand of our Master; for we have done no more than what we were, by virtue of our relation to God, and dependence upon him, indispensably obliged to do, as much as any purchased slave is obliged to serve his master. And assure yourselves, that no services will be so pleasing to God as those performed with such an humble spirit.
These discourses, and those above mentioned, happened in our Lord’s journey to the feast of the dedication; and as he went to Jerusalem to attend it, he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee, taking those parts of Samaria in his way which lay next to Galilee.
IMPROVEMENT.
LET us renew our guard against every thing in our conduct verse which might give offence to the meanest and weakest; and against 1, 2 every thing which might by a bad example mislead others, or furnish the enemies of religion with matter of reproach and accusation against it. Let us imbibe the forgiving spirit of the gospel, and, bearing in mind the numberless instances in which God has forgiven us, though we have sinned against him not only seven times, but seventy times seven; let us arm ourselves, in some degree, with the same mind, and endeavour to forbear and forgive one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has freely forgiven us. (Eph. iv. 32, and Col. iii. 13.)
⁶ Unprofitable servants.] The word ægust sometimes signifies wicked (Rom. iii. 12, Mat. xxv. 30); but in this connection it cannot have that sense. I entirely agree with Heinsius, that here, and 2 Sam. vi. 22, Septuag. it signifies mean or inconsiderable, as the best of men certainly are.
⁷ In our Lord’s journey to the feast of the dedication.] See noteᵃ on Luke xiii. 23, sect. cxviii. and noteᵃ on Luke xiv. 1, sect. cxix.
ᵇ As he went to Jerusalem.] As Luke phrase.
has related the two little histories contained in the next section at some distance from each other, it is very difficult (as the attentive reader will observe) to place them together without some tautology. I have therefore inserted the introduction to one of them at the end of this section; leaving out the word eyris, it came to pass, which is a mere expletive; or at most does only imply that what is mentioned in the context happened in this journey, or may refer to the discourses Christ had before delivered, as we have observed in the par
Reflections on the unprofitableness of our service.
In a sense of the weakness of our faith, let us pray to Christ to increase it; and then those duties will be discharged with ease and delight which appeared most difficult in a distant prospect. Yet when faith and patience have had their most perfect work, when our Master’s will has been borne with the most entire submission, and done with the most zealous dispatch, let us not pretend to place any merit in our own actions or sufferings; but let us think of ourselves as the servants of God, yea, as unprofitable servants, whose goodness extendeth not to our great Master: and to the riches of his grace let us ascribe it, that our feeble powers are strengthened to the performance of our duty; and that our worthless services are accepted, and the numberless deficiencies of them mercifully excused.
Luke 17:20
is the Jews against expecting a pompous kingdom 1, and warns them of the approaching national which would be the consequence of rejecting him. 0, to the end.
LUKE XVII. 20.
THUS our Lord went on in his journey, and at length came to Jerusalem. And it was about this time that, being asked by some of the Pharisees a when the kingdom of God, which he had so often mentioned as approaching, should actually come; he answered them, and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with that external pomp and observation of men which you expect. Neither shall they point to this or that remarkable place, and say, Behold [it is] here, or, behold [it is] there. For behold, and observe it attentively, the kingdom of God is already among you: b though, because it is an inward and spiritual kingdom, erected in the hearts of men, and not attended with outward grandeur, you overlook it as unworthy your regards.
And he afterwards said to the disciples apart, Though you do indeed undergo some present difficulties, in consequence of your adherence to me, yet you have so much greater extremities before you, that the time will come when you shall wish to see one of these days of the Son of man, and shall not see it; and the whole Jewish nation having rejected Me, the true Messiah, shall yet long for the appearance of him whom they expect under that character, and eagerly listen to every one that pretends to it.
a Being asked by some of the Pharisees.] Greek language, Beza and Raphelius (Annot. ex Xen. p. 109, 110), for a more particular vindication of it. It is certain our Lord could not properly say the kingdom of God was in the Pharisees to whom he spoke, whose temper was entirely alienated from the nature and design of it.
b The kingdom of God is among you.] So I render the words νῦς ὑμῖν, referring the reader to those exact critics in the
vol. 2. 2
Christ represents the manner of his coming,
And accordingly they shall say to you, Behold, [he is] here, or, behold [he is] there; [but] do not you go out on hearing such reports to seek him, nor join to follow [them] in any of their vain
delusive schemes. For he will indeed come, but in a very different manner from what they expect; even to execute upon them a sudden and unavoidable destruction: for as the lightning which lightens from one [part] under heaven, shines in a moment with the greatest swiftness to the other [part] under heaven; so also in as swift and terrible a manner shall the coming of the Son of man be in his day, when he appears to plead the cause of that gospel which has been so generally despised. (Compare Mat.
xxiv. 23, 27, sect. clxi.) Nevertheless, he must first suffer many things, and be yet more opprobriously and solemnly rejected by this generation of men, who shall by this public and national act of impiety and rebellion fill up the measure of their iniquities. (Compare Luke xxiii. 18—21; John xix. 15; Acts iii. 13—15.)
Then shall impending vengeance fall upon them at once: and as it was in the days of Noah which preceded the flood, so also shall it be in the days of the Son of man, or in those days when he shall come in the manner I have now described for the destruction of his enemies.
For, notwithstanding the express predictions of Divine judgments approaching, they went on with their usual course as if there were no danger; they did eat, they drank, they married wives, [and] their daughters were given in marriage; and with a confident security they persisted in the business, entertainments, and luxuries of life, till the very day in which Noah entered into the ark; and then the deluge came with irresistible fury, so that it overbore and destroyed them all at once. (Gen. vi. 13. vii.
28 21.) Likewise also as it was at Sodom in the days of Lot, they did eat and drink, they bought and sold, they planted vineyards, and built magnificent houses, and never thought themselves more secure, or their pleasant country more
like to flourish; Thus did they carelessly go on, despising every admonition of their guilt and danger: but on the very day when Lot went out of Sodom, an horrible tempest of fire and brim-
And they shall say to you, See here, or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them.
For 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.
But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.
And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
They 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.
Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot, they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded:
But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brim-
lls the destruction of the unbelieving Jews.
tone was rained down by the Lord from heaven, and with a sudden overthrow destroyed them ll. (Gen. xix. 14, 24.) Even so shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed, when he will sensibly display his power in the destruction of this sinful people : the Jewish nation shall be as careless and confident as if there was not the least danger, indulging themselves in all kinds of luxury and extravagance,ᶜ till they shall see ruin surrounding them on every side, from which it will be as impossible for them to escape as it was for the sinners of the old world, or the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah. (Compare Mat. xxiv. 37—39, sect. clxiii.)
In that day, if any one shall be taking the air on the housetop, or be retired thither for any other purpose, and his best dress and furniture be in the house, let him not come down into the house to take it away;ᵈ but let him flee the readiest way by those steps which go down on the outside of the building : and he that is at work in the field, stripped of his upper garment, let him likewise not return back, though it be but a few steps, to take it. (Compare Mat. xxiv. 17, 18, sect. clxi.) But remember the awful example of Lot’s wife, with the dreadful issue of her delay and looking back (Gen. xix. 26) ; and take heed lest, like her, you perish in that sudden vengeance, which shall overtake your former abode, if you allow yourselves to linger in it, or turn back for the sake of any thing you have left there. For in that day, he that shall seek to preserve his life by retiring into fome fortified city, and especially into that where it might seem he should be safest, shall lose it ; but he that shall be thought to take the ready way to lose his life, shall preserve it ; for
ᶜ Indulging themselves in all kinds of luxury and extravagance ] It is not unseasonable for Great Britain to recollect, that when a pompous and luxurious way of living has come to its height in many of the most considerable ancient and modern nations, there has been a very sudden transition to the lowest state of servitude and ruin. All histories abound with instances of this kind ; and God grant that our own age may not add one to the number !
ᵈ Let him not come down into the house to take it away. ] This shews, beyond all controversy, that this discourse refers not to the final judgment, from which there can be no escape ; but to the destruction of Jerusalem, from which it is well known that many Christians were preserved by this caution. See Grotius in loc. The Jewish houses were built with a flat roof, and had stairs on the outside to go down from the top. Compare note ᶜ on Luke v. 19, Vol. I. p. 258.
Where the carcass is, the eagles will be gathered together.
вест. they who regard my admonitions, and retire, lose his life, shall cxxviii. however their conduct may be censured as im- preserve it. Luke prudent, shall survive the general ruin.
xvii. 33 I tell you, in that night, that gloomy calam- 34 I tell you, in 34 itous time, the Providence of God shall be that night there shall strangely seen, in delivering some of my dis- be two men in one ciples, when others in the very same places and bed; the one shall circumstances shall perish in the common ca- be taken, and the lamity: there shall, for instance, be two persons other shall be left. lying in the same bed; and the one shall be taken
by the enemy, and the other dismissed. Two 35 Two women 35 women shall be grinding together at the same shall be grinding mill; the one shall be taken, and the other dis- together; the one 36 missed. And two men shall be working shall be taken, and the other left. or walking together in the field; the one shall be in the field; the be taken, and the other dismissed. (Compare one shall be taken, Mat. xxiv. 40, 41, sect. clxiii.)
And they answered and said to him, Where, 37 And they an- Lord, and to whom shall this destruction hap- swered and said unto pen? And he said to them, That common prov- him, Where, Lord! And verb is applicable to the present occasion, And he said unto Wheresoever the carcass [is], there will the eagles them, Wheresoever be gathered together; wherever the impen- the body is, thither itent and unbelieving Jews are, the vengeance will the eagles be of God will pursue them, and the Roman gathered together. eagles shall (as it were) fly upon them as a helpless prey; and so, where their numbers are the largest, there the destruction will be greatest and most terrible. Compare Mat. xxiv. 28, sect. clxi.
IMPROVEMENT.
ver.20 MAY our minds be formed to a true taste and relish for the kingdom of God! and may we learn wherein it consists; not, like the kingdoms of this world, in external pomp and splendor,
• The one shall be taken by the enemy] That this is the sense of the word Jerusalem above, that I might leave room was an unborn of God! for it. That this is the sense of the word for it. that this is the sense of the word a Wheresoever the carcass is, &c.] Dr. matter clause should be rendered dismissed, Clarke has explained the general sense of or let go, I think Elsner has abundantly this proverb with great judgment. (See his seventeen Sermons, p. 381, & seq.) It proved; Observ. Vol. I. p. 262, 263. He is, as if it had been said, The like causes has likewise shewn there, how customary will produce the like effects. But it seems it was for women to grind at the mill. See to suggest so proper an allusion to the also Bos, Exerc. p. 30.
• Where, Lord, &c.] I have seen few Roman standards, and to the carnage they paraphrases which do not supersede this made of the Jews, that I could not forbear question: I have forbore mentioning introducing the mention of it.
Jerusalem above, that I might leave room for it.
• Where, Lord, &c.] I have seen few paraphrases which do not supersede this question: I have forbore mentioning introducing the mention of it.
Reflections on the coming of Christ.
but in righteousness, peace, joy in the Holy Ghost, and that inward subjection of soul to the Divine government which is the essence of religion, and the grand security and felicity of our natures! Many are, like the Pharisees, talking of it, and expecting it, while it is among them, and they know it not; and, perhaps, despise the humble Christians in whom it resides, and most eminently triumphs. May they who think most lightly of it never have cause to wish at last for the return of those days of the Son of man, which are now their burden, rather than their pleasure, while they hear vital and inward religion in vain recommended and enforced!
What our Lord says of his coming to the destruction of Jerusalem, may be applied, as it is elsewhere, to his appearance at the final judgment, of which the former was a figure. Thus shall the men of that generation be immersed in business and pleasure; and that tremendous day shall come upon them, even as a thief in the night; so that they shall find themselves overwhelmed with irrecoverable ruin, while they cry, Peace and safety. (1 Thes. v. 2, 3.) And thus doth the awful hour of death, which consigns men over to judgment, surprise the generality of mankind, while they are thoughtless of it and unprepared for its approach, amidst all the solemn warnings of it which they daily receive. May we be always in a prepared posture, and daily live as on the verge of eternity!
And if once we are engaged in a course of serious preparation, let us remember Lot’s wife, and take heed that we turn not back again. We flee as for our lives; let us not look behind us. Whatever is to be left, whatever is to be lost, it is enough if our life be given us as for a prey.
If we have any just hope that it will be so given us, we have a great deal of reason to own and adore the riches of Divine grace to us, of that distinguishing grace which has taken us when others are left; some, perhaps, employed in the same business, and dwelling in the same place; and, may not I add, some lying in the same bed too!
In a word, let all seriously bethink themselves, and flee from the wrath to come. God spared not Judea, that favourite country, when they rejected his gospel, and his Son: let us fear, lest he also spare not us. (Rom. xi. 20, 21.) In this respect also, wheresoever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together. The same causes will produce the same effects; and when we, in particular, of these happy, but sinful nations, consider our numerous and aggravated provocations, we shall see much greater reason to wonder that the judgments of God have been so long delayed, than that they should at last fall upon us with an insupportable weight.
ver. 21
26-30
34-36
Christ delivers the parable of the importunat