Luk 17:1-10 | Clarke | e4.org | CHAPTER XVII. Christ teaches the necessity of avoiding offences , 1, 2. How to treat an offending brother , 3, 4. The efficacy of faith , 5, 6. No man by his services or obedience can profit his Maker , 7-10. He cleanses ten lepers , 11-19. The Pharisees inquire when the kingdom of God shall commence; Christ answers them, and corrects their improper views of the subject , 20-37. NOTES ON CHAP. XVII. Verse 1. It is impossible but that offences will come ] Such is the corrupt state of the human heart that, notwithstanding all the influences of grace, and the promises of glory, men will continue to sin against God; and his justice must continue to punish. .

‏ Luke 17:1-10

CHAPTER XVII.

Christ teaches the necessity of avoiding offences, 1, 2.

How to treat an offending brother, 3, 4.

The efficacy of faith, 5, 6.

No man by his services or obedience can profit his Maker, 7-10.

He cleanses ten lepers, 11-19.

The Pharisees inquire when the kingdom of God shall commence; Christ answers them, and corrects their improper views of the subject, 20-37.

NOTES ON CHAP. XVII.

Verse 1. It is impossible but that offences will come] Such is the corrupt state of the human heart that, notwithstanding all the influences of grace, and the promises of glory, men will continue to sin against God; and his justice must continue to punish. See Clarke on Mt 18:6.

Verse 2. A mill-stone] That drowning a person with a stone tied about the neck was an ancient mode of punishment, see proved in the note on Mt 18:6, 7, to which let the following be added. To have a mill-stone hanged about the neck, was a common proverb. "Samuel saith, A man may marry, and after that addict himself to the study of the law. Rab. Jochanan saith, No: shall he addict himself to the study of the law with a mill-stone about his neck?"

The place in Aristophanes, to which the reader is referred in the note on Mt 18:6, is the following:-

αρανμετεωρονειςτοβαραθρονεμβαλω

εκτουλαρυγγοςεκκρεμασαςυπερβολον

"Lifting him up into the air, I will plunge him into the deep: a great stone being hung about his neck." Aristoph. in Equit. ver. 1359.

Verse 3. - 4. If thy brother trespass] See the notes on Mt 18:21, 22.

Verse 5. Increase our faith.] This work of pardoning every offence of every man, and that continually, seemed so difficult, even to the disciples themselves, that they saw, without an extraordinary degree of faith, they should never be able to keep this command. But some think that this and what follows relate to what Matthew has mentioned. Mt 17:19, 20.

Verse 6. As a grain of mustard seed] A faith that increases and thrives as that is described to do, Mt 13:32, where see the note. See also Mt 17:20.

This sycamine] The words seem to intimate that they were standing by such a tree. The sycamine is probably the same as the sycamore. Sycamore with us, says Mr. Evelyn, is falsely so called, being our acer majus, greater maple. The true sycamore is the ficus Pharaonis or AEgyptia, Pharaoh's, or Egyptian fig-tree; called also, from its similitude in leaves and fruit, morosyous, or mulberry fig-tree. The Arabians call it guimez: it grows in Cyprus, Caria, Rhodes, and in Judea and Galilee, where our Lord at this time was: see Lu 17:11. St. Jerome, who was well acquainted with these countries, translates the word mulberry-tree.

Be thou plucked up by the root] See Clarke on Mt 21:21, where it is shown that this mode of speech refers to the accomplishment of things very difficult, but not impossible.

Verse 7. - 9. Which of you, having a servant] It is never supposed that the master waits on the servant- -the servant is bound to wait on his master, and to do every thing for him to the uttermost of his power: nor does the former expect thanks for it, for he is bound by his agreement to act thus, because of the stipulated reward, which is considered as being equal in value to all the service that he can perform.

Verse 10. We are unprofitable servants] This text has often been produced to prove that no man can live without committing sin against God. But let it be observed, the text says unprofitable servants, not sinful servants. If this text could be fairly construed to countenance sinful imperfection, it would be easy to demonstrate that there is not one of the spirits of just men made perfect, in paradise, nor a ministering angel at the throne of God, but is sinfully imperfect: for none of these can work righteousness, in the smallest degree, beyond those powers which God has given them; and justice and equity require that they should exert those powers to the uttermost in the service of their Maker; and, after having acted thus, it may be justly said, They have done only what it was their duty to do. The nature of God is illimitable, and all the attributes of that nature are infinitely glorious: they cannot be lessened by the transgressions of his creatures, nor can they be increased by the uninterrupted, eternal obedience, and unceasing hallelujahs, of all the intelligent creatures that people the whole vortex of nature. When ages, beyond the power of arithmetic to sum up, have elapsed, it may be said of the most pure and perfect creatures, "Ye are unprofitable servants." Ye have derived your being from the infinite fountain of life: ye are upheld by the continued energy of the Almighty: his glories are infinite and eternal, and your obedience and services, however excellent in themselves, and profitable to you, have added nothing, and can add nothing, to the absolute excellencies and glories of your God.