Jesus said to his disciples, “Stumbling blocks are sure to come, but alas
for those through whom they come!
It would be better for such people for a
millstone to be hung around their neck and be thrown into the sea, rather than
to cause one of these little ones to stumble.Be on your guard! If your brother
sins, reprimand him; and if he repents,
forgive him. 4 Even if he sins
against you seven times a day, and seven times comes back to you and says ‘I
repent,’ then forgive him.” 5 The Apostles said to the lord, “Help us to have more faith!” 6 The lord
said, “Even if your faith was as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this
mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey
you. 7 “If you have a servant plowing or looking after sheep, would you say to
him when he comes in from the field, ‘Please come immediately and sit down
for a meal’? 8 No, you tell him, ‘Prepare a meal for me and get yourself ready
to serve me while I eat and drink, and then after that you can eat and drink.’ 9 And you do not thank the servant because he did what he was commanded,
do you? 10 So you too, when you have done everything you are commanded, say, ‘We
are servants undeserving of special praise. We have just done what we ought to have
done.’”
[440] 11 As he was on the way to Jerusalem, he passed between Samaria and
Galilee. 12 As he entered a village, ten men with leprosy met him. 13 They stood
at a distance and called out, “Jesus, master, please have mercy on us!” 14 When he saw them, Jesus said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the
priests.” As they went to do so they were healed. 15 One of them, when he saw
that he had been healed, turned back, praising God loudly.
16 He fell down at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. 17 “Were there not ten
men healed?” Jesus asked. “So where are the other nine? 18 Did no one come
back to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Get
up and go on your way. Your faith has healed you.” 20 The Pharisees came and asked Jesus when the Kingdom of God would
come. He answered, “The Kingdom of God does not come with your careful
observing. 21 Nor will people say, ‘Look, here it is’ or ‘There it is,’ because
the Kingdom of God will be all over, in the midst of you.”
[441] 22 Then Jesus said to the disciples, “The time is coming when you will long
to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it.
23 People will
say to you, ‘Look, there he is’ or ‘Look, here he is,’ but do not go running
off or follow them. 24 For just as the lightning flashes from one side of the sky
to the other, so will be the Son of Man in his day.
[442] 25 But first he must suffer
many things and be rejected by this evil society.
[443] 26 Just as it was in the
days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage, until the day Noah went into the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 It was just
the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and
selling, planting and building. 29 But on the day when Lot left Sodom, it rained
fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 It will be just the
same on the day when the Son of Man will be revealed. 31 On that day, the one
who is on the roof of the house must not go down to get his belongings; and
the one out in the fields must not go back to the house. 32 Remember Lot’s
wife! 33 Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life
will save it. 34 I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken[444] and the other will be left. 35 Two women will be grinding grain
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.]
[445] 37 They asked him,
“Where, lord?” He said to them, “Vultures gather where the carcass is.”
[446]
Commentary
Luke
[439]
There are conditions for repentance and forgiveness. Even those who murdered Jesus have to
repent, as we all have to. It is a myth to say that love is unconditional. If so God would automatically
forgive everyone without any need for repentance. This would destroy the NT Gospel (Mk. 1:14-15).
[440]
This leaves no room for boasting! After all what talent do you have that God did not give you? It is our duty and a requirement for entering the Kingdom, being saved, that we develop our talents in the service of Jesus and his Gospel about the Kingdom.
[441]
This verse has been badly abused to teach a Kingdom only in the heart. Some suggest that
Jesus is referring to himself as the king of the Kingdom among (not “within”) them. It is much more
likely that he is saying that the arrival of the Kingdom in v. 24 will be visible and universally seen, not
hidden. Some will mislead by saying “the Kingdom is here or there.” He explains this to the disciples in
the verses which follow describing the future day of the Son of Man, the Messiah, at his future arrival.
A secret so-called pre-tribulation rapture/resurrection is nowhere taught in the Bible and offers a
completely false hope.
[442]
That is, when he comes to establish his Kingdom on earth. For the timing of the Kingdom of
God see our “The Kingdom of God: Present or Future?” at restorationfellowship.org
[443]
Generation, i.e., “evil society.” This is true of all present societies of the present evil age (Gal.
1:4). They will become the Kingdom of God only at the future Second Coming of Jesus at the last
trumpet (Rev. 11:15-18).
[444]
That is, taken to meet the descending lord Jesus in the air and escort him to the earth where he
will inaugurate his worldwide Kingdom (Dan. 2:44; 7:14, 18, 22, 27; Rev. 5:9-10, etc).
[445]
Early manuscripts do not contain verse 36.
[446]
Possibly a reference to the bird feast which will occur at the destruction of the Antichrist (2
Thess. 2:8; Isa. 11:4).
Luke