View Luke 17 in the note window.
1: It is impossible but offences will come - And they ever
did and do come chiefly by Pharisees, that is, men who trust in
themselves that they are righteous, and despise others.(Mt 18:6,Mr 9:42).
2: Little ones - Weak believers.
3: Take heed to yourselves - That ye neither offend others,
nor be offended by others.(Mt 18:15).
4: If he sin against thee seven times in a day, and seven times
in a day return, saying, I repent - That is, if he give sufficient
proof that he does really repent, after having sinned ever so
often, receive him just as if he had never sinned against thee.
But this forgiveness is due only to real penitents. In a lower
sense we are to forgive all, penitent or impenitent; (so as to
bear them the sincerest good will, and to do them all the good
we can;) and that not seven times only, but seventy times seven.
5: Lord, increase our faith - That we may thus forgive, and may
neither offend nor be offended.(Mt 17:20).
6: And he said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed - If ye
had the least measure of true faith, no instance of duty would
be too hard for you. Ye would say to this sycamine tree - This
seems to have been a kind of proverbial expression.
7: But which of you - But is it not meet that you should first
obey, and then triumph? Though still with a deep sense of your
utter unprofitableness.
9: Doth he thank that servant - Does he account himself obliged
to him?
10: When ye have done all, say, We are unprofitable servants - For
a man cannot profit God. Happy is he who judges himself an
unprofitable servant: miserable is he whom God pronounces such.
But though we are unprofitable to him, our serving him is not
unprofitable to us. For he is pleased to give by his grace a
value to our good works, which in consequence of his promise
entitles us to an eternal reward.
20: The kingdom of God cometh not with observation - With such
outward pomp as draws the observation of every one.
21: Neither shall they say, Lo here, or lo there - This shall not
be the language of those who are, or shall be sent by me, to
declare the coming of my kingdom. For behold the kingdom of God
is within or among you - Look not for it in distant times or remote
places: it is now in the midst of you: it is come: it is present
in the soul of every true believer: it is a spiritual kingdom, an
internal principle. Wherever it exists, it exists in the heart.
22: Ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man - One
day of mercy. or one day wherein you might converse with me, as
you do now.
23: They shall say, See, Christ is here, or there - Limiting his
presence to this or that place.(Mt 24:23).
24: So shall also the Son of man be - So swift, so wide, shall his
appearing be: In his day - The last day.
26: The days of the Son of man - Those which immediately follow
that which is eminently styled his day.(Mt 24:37).
31: In that day - (Which will be the grand type of the last day)
when ye shall see Jerusalem encompassed with armies.
32: Remember Lot's wife - And escape with all speed, without ever
looking behind you.(Lu 9:24,Joh 12:25).
33: The sense of this and the following verses is, Yet as great
as the danger will be, do not seek to save your life by violating
your conscience: if you do, you will surely lose it: whereas if
you should lose it for my sake, you shall be paid with life
everlasting. But the most probable way of preserving it now, is
to be always ready to give it up: a peculiar Providence shall
then watch over you, and put a difference between you and other men.
37: (Mt 24:28).
