17:1 Then said he unto the disciples, 1 It is impossible but
that offences will come: but woe [unto him], through whom
they come!
(1) The Church is of necessity subject to offences, but the
Lord will not suffer them unpunished, if any of the least
be offended.
17:32 Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass
against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.
(2) Our reprehensions must be just and proceed from love and
charity.
17:53 And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our
faith.
(3) God will never be utterly lacking to the godly
(although he may not be as thorough with them as they
wish) even in those difficulties which cannot be
overcome by man's reason.
17:6 And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a 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.
(a) If you had no more faith, but the quantity of the grain
of mustard seed.
17:74 But 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?
(4) Seeing that God may rightfully claim for himself both us
and all that is ours, he cannot be indebted to us for
anything, although we labour mightily until we die.
17:105 So 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.
(5) No matter how perfectly we may keep the law, it deserves no
reward.
17:116 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he
passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.
(6) Christ does good even to those who will be unthankful,
but the benefits of God to salvation only profit those who
are thankful.
17:207 And 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 b observation:
(7) The kingdom of God is not discerned by many although it is
most present before their eyes, because they foolishly
persuade themselves that it is to come with outward pomp.
(b) With any outward pomp and show of majesty to be known
by: for there were still many plain and evident tokens
by which men might have understood that Christ was the
Messiah, whose kingdom had been so long looked for: but
he speaks in this place of those signs which the
Pharisees dreamed of, who looked for an earthly
Messianic kingdom.
17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for,
behold, the kingdom of God is c within you.
(c) You look around for the Messiah as though he were
absent, but he is amongst you in the midst of you.
17:228 And he said unto the disciples, The days will come,
when ye shall desire to see d one of the days of the Son
of man, and ye shall not see [it].
(8) We often neglect those things when they are present which
we afterward desire when they are gone, but in vain.
(d) The time will come when you will seek for the Son of
Man with great sorrow of heart, and will not find him.
17:239 And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go
not after [them], nor follow [them].
(9) Christ forewarns us that false Christs will come, and that
his glory will suddenly be spread far and wide through the
world after the shame of the cross is put out and
extinguished.
17:2610 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also
in the days of the Son of man.
(10) The world will be taken by surprise with the sudden
judgment of God, and therefore the faithful ought to
continually watch.
17:3111 In 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.
(11) We must pay careful attention that neither distrust nor
the enticements of this world, nor any consideration of
friendship hinder us in the least way.
17:33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and
whosoever shall lose his life shall e preserve it.
(e) That is, will save it, as Matthew expounds it: for the
life that is spoken of here is everlasting salvation.
17:3712 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And
he said unto them, Wheresoever the body [is], thither will
the eagles be gathered together.
(12) The only way to continue is to cleave to Christ.
