Luke 17

1  AND [Jesus] said to His disciples, Temptations (snares, traps set to entice to sin) are sure to come, but woe to him by or through whom they come!2  It would be more profitable for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were hurled into the sea than that he should cause to sin or be a snare to one of these little ones [lowly in rank or influence].3  Pay attention and always be on your guard [looking out for one another]. If your brother sins (misses the mark), solemnly tell him so and reprove him, and if he repents (feels sorry for having sinned), forgive him.4  And even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and turns to you seven times and says, I repent [I am sorry], you must forgive him (give up resentment and consider the offense as recalled and annulled).5  The apostles said to the Lord, Increase our faith (that trust and confidence that spring from our belief in God).6  And the Lord answered, If you had faith (trust and confidence in God) even [so small] like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, Be pulled up by the roots, and be planted in the sea, and it would obey you.7  Will any man of you who has a servant plowing or tending sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, Come at once and take your place at the table?8  Will he not instead tell him, Get my supper ready and gird yourself and serve me while I eat and drink; then afterward you yourself shall eat and drink?9  Is he grateful and does he praise the servant because he did what he was ordered to do?10  Even so on your part, when you have done everything that was assigned and commanded you, say, We are unworthy servants [possessing no merit, for we have not gone beyond our obligation]; we have [merely] done what was our duty to do.11  As He went on His way to Jerusalem, it occurred that [Jesus] was passing [along the border] between Samaria and Galilee.12  And as He was going into one village, He was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance.13  And they raised up their voices and called, Jesus, Master, take pity and have mercy on us!14  And when He saw them, He said to them, Go [at once] and show yourselves to the priests. And as they went, they were cured and made clean. 15  Then one of them, upon seeing that he was cured, turned back, recognizing and thanking and praising God with a loud voice;16  And he fell prostrate at Jesus’ feet, thanking Him [over and over]. And he was a Samaritan.17  Then Jesus asked, Were not [all] ten cleansed? Where are the nine?18  Was there no one found to return and to recognize and give thanks and praise to God except this alien?19  And He said to him, Get up and go on your way. Your faith (your trust and confidence that spring from your belief in God) has restored you to health.20  Asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He replied to them by saying, The kingdom of God does not come with signs to be observed or with visible display,21  Nor will people say, Look! Here [it is]! or, See, [it is] there! For behold, the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you].22  And He said to the disciples, The time is coming when you will long to see [even] one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see [it].23  And they will say to you, Look! [He is] there! or, Look! [He is] here! But do not go out or follow [them].24  For like the lightning, that flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other, so will the Son of Man be in His [own] day.25  But first He must suffer many things and be disapproved and repudiated and rejected by this age and generation.26  And [just] as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the time of the Son of Man.27  [People] ate, they drank, they married, they were given in marriage, right up to the day when Noah went into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28  So also [it was the same] as it was in the days of Lot. [People] ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built;29  But on the [very] day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed [them] all.30  That is the way it will be on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. 31  On that day let him who is on the housetop, with his belongings in the house, not come down [and go inside] to carry them away; and likewise let him who is in the field not turn back.32  Remember Lot’s wife! 33  Whoever tries to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve and quicken it.34  I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left.35  There will be two women grinding together; 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. 37  Then they asked Him, Where, Lord? He said to them, Wherever the dead body is, there will the vultures or eagles be gathered together.

Luke 17

A Kernel of Faith

1-2 He said to his disciples, "Hard trials and temptations are bound to come, but too bad for whoever brings them on! Better to wear a millstone necklace and take a swim in the deep blue sea than give even one of these dear little ones a hard time!

3-4 "Be alert. If you see your friend going wrong, correct him. If he responds, forgive him. Even if it's personal against you and repeated seven times through the day, and seven times he says, 'I'm sorry, I won't do it again,' forgive him."

5 The apostles came up and said to the Master, "Give us more faith."

6 But the Master said, "You don't need more faith. There is no 'more' or 'less' in faith. If you have a bare kernel of faith, say the size of a poppy seed, you could say to this sycamore tree, 'Go jump in the lake,' and it would do it.

7-10 "Suppose one of you has a servant who comes in from plowing the field or tending the sheep. Would you take his coat, set the table, and say, 'Sit down and eat'? Wouldn't you be more likely to say, 'Prepare dinner; change your clothes and wait table for me until I've finished my coffee; then go to the kitchen and have your supper'? Does the servant get special thanks for doing what's expected of him? It's the same with you. When you've done everything expected of you, be matter-of-fact and say, 'The work is done. What we were told to do, we did.'"

11-13 It happened that as he made his way toward Jerusalem, he crossed over the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten men, all lepers, met him. They kept their distance but raised their voices, calling out, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"

14-16 Taking a good look at them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests."
They went, and while still on their way, became clean. One of them, when he realized that he was healed, turned around and came back, shouting his gratitude, glorifying God. He kneeled at Jesus' feet, so grateful. He couldn't thank him enough—and he was a Samaritan.

17-19 Jesus said, "Were not ten healed? Where are the nine? Can none be found to come back and give glory to God except this outsider?" Then he said to him, "Get up. On your way. Your faith has healed and saved you."

When the Son of Man Arrives

20-21 Jesus, grilled by the Pharisees on when the kingdom of God would come, answered, "The kingdom of God doesn't come by counting the days on the calendar. Nor when someone says, 'Look here!' or, 'There it is!' And why? Because God's kingdom is already among you."

22-24 He went on to say to his disciples, "The days are coming when you are going to be desperately homesick for just a glimpse of one of the days of the Son of Man, and you won't see a thing. And they'll say to you, 'Look over there!' or, 'Look here!' Don't fall for any of that nonsense. The arrival of the Son of Man is not something you go out to see. He simply comes.

25 "You know how the whole sky lights up from a single flash of lightning? That's how it will be on the Day of the Son of Man. But first it's necessary that he suffer many things and be turned down by the people of today.

26-27 "The time of the Son of Man will be just like the time of Noah— everyone carrying on as usual, having a good time right up to the day Noah boarded the ship. They suspected nothing until the flood hit and swept everything away.

28-30 "It was the same in the time of Lot—the people carrying on, having a good time, business as usual right up to the day Lot walked out of Sodom and a firestorm swept down and burned everything to a crisp. That's how it will be—sudden, total—when the Son of Man is revealed.

31-33 "When the Day arrives and you're out working in the yard, don't run into the house to get anything. And if you're out in the field, don't go back and get your coat. Remember what happened to Lot's wife! If you grasp and cling to life on your terms, you'll lose it, but if you let that life go, you'll get life on God's terms.

34-35 "On that Day, two men will be in the same boat fishing—one taken, the other left. Two women will be working in the same kitchen—one taken, the other left."

37 Trying to take all this in, the disciples said, "Master, where?"
He told them, "Watch for the circling of the vultures. They'll spot the corpse first. The action will begin around my dead body."