CRITICAL NOTES
Luke 17:1. Then said he.—Rather, “And he said” (R.V.). The previous discourse had been addressed to the Pharisees; we have now detached sayings addressed, probably on various occasions, to the disciples. This section is more fully given in Matthew 18:6-35. It is impossible, etc.—“So long as the world lasts, sins and occasions of sin will exist; but this fact does not destroy the personal responsibility of each individual for his own sin (Speaker’s Commentary). Offences.—Rather, “occasions of stumbling” (R.V.). The recent behaviour of the Pharisees (Luke 16:14), to whom so many looked up with respect, was an instance of stumbling-blocks being cast in the way of those weak in the faith (“little ones,” Luke 17:2).
Luke 17:2. It were better.—Or “It were well” (R.V.). Lit. “It were gain for him.” Offend.—As before, “cause to stumble” (R.V.). Little ones.—Not necessarily children, though it applies to them; perhaps here the reference is specially to the publicans and sinners.
Luke 17:3. Take heed.—“This is to warn them not to be too readily dismayed at ‘offences,’ nor to meet them in a brother with an unforgiving spirit” (Alford). Against thee.—Omit these words (omitted in R.V.); probably taken from Matthew 18:15, or from the following verse. Rebuke.—Perhaps one of the reasons why “offences” abound is the neglect of this duty—that of rebuking them in a proper spirit.
Luke 17:4. Seven times.—A general expression, not to be taken literally. Some of the Rabbis fixed three times as the limit of forgiveness.
Luke 17:5. Increase our faith.—Rather, “Give us more faith.” This request was doubtless prompted by a sense of weakness in overcoming “offences” and in exercising so large a measure of forgiveness.
Luke 17:6. If ye had.—Rather, “If ye have” (R.V.). A grain of mustard seed.—A proverbial expression for a very small amount. The phrase implies that the apostles had some, but not sufficient, faith. Sycamine tree.—The words were evidently spoken in the open air. The sycamine is the mulberry tree; it is different from the sycamore or Egyptian fig-tree of Luke 19:4. Planted in the sea.—There to grow; a stronger expression than in the parallel passage in St. Matthew. “The whole passage may be thus paraphrased: You think the duties I enjoin too hard for your faith, but this shows you have as yet no faith of the high order you ought to have, for the smallest measure of such faith would enable you to do what seems altogether impossible in the natural world; and so much the more in spiritual things, since real faith is pre-eminently spiritual power” (Popular Commentary).
MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.— Luke 17:1-6
Counsels to Disciples.—Various attempts have been made, but without success, to connect together the utterances of Christ on this occasion, and to trace the line of thought which links the one to the other. It seems probable that St. Luke here groups together fragments of teaching, without any attempt at arranging them in order, and without giving any note of the circumstances that gave rise to them. Perhaps he found them just as he here gives them, in some record of the life of Christ such as he alludes to in the opening verses of his gospel. Three distinct topics are treated of in these verses.
I. Concerning offences (Luke 17:1-2).—He speaks to His disciples, and especially to those who were strong in the faith, and warns them against setting stumbling-blocks in the way of the weak. Many were drawing near to Him and attaching themselves to Him whom the disciples were in danger of despising and affronting, unless they took especial care to avoid doing so; such were publicans and outcast classes of the population, Samaritans and strangers from the heathen world, and also persons who had faith in Christ and did good work in His name without formally connecting themselves with the company of believers. It was only too easy for prejudices of race, class, and office, to prompt a harsh treatment of such “little ones.” Then, too, it was no doubt the case that among the first generation of disciples, as in later times, there were some who were loud in their professions of faith, but lax in their moral conduct, and who could not fail to bring discredit upon the Master’s cause, and to hinder some from embracing it. Scandals of this kind are far graver and more pernicious than those which arise from mere prejudice and want of consideration for the feelings of others. Hence probably it was this class of scandals which our Saviour had here in view, and which excited His indignation so strongly. His words reveal both His tender sympathy for the “little ones” whose hearts are troubled and whose salvation is imperilled by the misconduct of others, and His righteous anger that those who do such deadly mischief should bear His name and be ranked among His followers. Scarcely stronger terms could be chosen to express the terrible punishment which such conduct deserves, and will receive. The infinite value of the human soul, the especial pity which He has for the weak and timid, and His indignation against wilful offenders, are most clearly brought to light in this saying of His.
II. Concerning forgiveness (Luke 17:3-4).—Our Saviour has in view here the sins of which a man may be guilty in ordinary intercourse with his brethren. They may excite feelings of anger or irritation, but are not serious or heinous enough to be brought before a judicial tribunal. And for dealing with them Christ advises a mild, brotherly admonition, in order to bring the offender to a sense of the wrong he has done, and prescribes forgiveness to be extended to him on his repenting and confessing his error. However often offence may be given, forgiveness is to be exercised whenever asked for by the offending party. Both indignation against sin and compassion towards a sinner find a place in the course of procedure here laid down. In ordinary society, men are accustomed to pass over many such offences good-naturedly, and to omit the friendly admonition; so that neither is the offender brought to a sense of his wrong-doing, nor is the love that prompts to forgiveness brought into play. The forgiveness which Christ prescribes for His disciples is to be inexhaustible, like that which He Himself exercises towards penitent sinners. He chooses a symbolical number to describe the extent to which it is to be carried, and therefore the rule He here lays down is practically equivalent to that which He gave on another occasion, when, instead of seven times He spoke of seventy times seven.
III. Of faith (Luke 17:5-6).—The request which the apostles offered to Christ was probably suggested by seeing some extraordinary manifestation of the Saviour’s power, which they desired to imitate—such, for example, as the withering of the barren fig-tree (Matthew 21:20); or by experiencing some failure in work which they had attempted to do—as when, for example, they attempted to heal the epileptic boy (chap. Luke 9:40). The reply of Christ taught them that it was not a matter of little and more. Let them have real faith in any degree and they would be able to accomplish the greatest marvels. Faith establishes a connection between the human and the Divine, and all the power and resources of omnipotence are brought to supplement and aid our weakness. Yet, just as Christ Himself did not use His supernatural power for purposes of display or for His own personal benefit, so the fulfilment of this promise is only to be seen in the history of what His disciples have done for the extension of His kingdom. The triumphs of the gospel, in overthrowing deeply rooted systems of idolatry and in defeating the malice of its enemies, are as wonderful as the miracles in the physical sphere which Christ here and elsewhere gives as examples of the power of faith.
SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS ON Luke 17:1-6
Luke 17:1-10. The Spirit of Extra Service.—Even in the highest place, and doing the highest and heartiest service—
I. There is need of a lowly spirit.—Our Lord gives very express teaching on this point. Our highest service may sometimes be in the spirit with which we regard a brother who has offended us, in pushing past us, perhaps, or trying to take our place. Roots of bitterness, however strong, may easily be uprooted, even by a weak faith, and acts of love planted, as it seems, in the very sea.
II. Such service may be very suddenly required of us.—It may not seem part of our proper work, far less direct service to our Lord. Our ploughing or pasturing may seem so to fill up our time and to wear out our strength that we may feel excused from such calls to extra service or sacrifice as the ambition or the rudeness of a brother may render needful. So our Lord gives the parable of a servant thus ordinarily occupied during the day. But is he to hold himself discharged from personal service in the house if his Master should require it? Would he not willingly postpone any gratification, as of rest and refreshment for himself, if called to wait while his Master was refreshed, and to minister to His pleasure? And this is the way in which our Lord represents some of those extra services, hard and trying in one sense, but full of joy when rightly viewed.—McColl.
I. Obstacles cast maliciously in the way of the weak.—Which demand severe punishment.
II. The sins of brethren.—Which call for gentle reproof and continued forgiveness.
I. We should beware of occasioning offences.
II. We should beware of being overthrown by such offences.
Luke 17:1. “Impossible.”—I.e., morally impossible in a world so largely under the influence of sin. Yet the responsibility of those who cause “offences” is not thereby removed or diminished.
“Offences.”—I.e., things which the sincere disciple may with reason stumble at, because they are dishonouring to his Lord and hurtful to the Church.
These may be
(1) acts of persecution;
(2) sophistry or false reasoning;
(3) heretical and extravagant opinions; or
(4) immoral and inconsistent conduct on the part of those who make a religious profession.
We must distinguish between offences taken and offences given: it is against the latter that this woe is directed. Offence may be taken on very frivolous grounds.
Luke 17:2. “It were better for him.”—There is a profound difference between the sentiment expressed in this verse and that current in worldly society, concerning there being worse things than death. “Death rather than dishonour,” “rather than disgrace brought upon one’s family,” are supposed to be heroic expressions. But here it is “death rather than wrong-doing, rather than casting a stumbling-block in the way of the weak.” Pride animates the worldly sentiment, whereas the Christian is interpenetrated by a deep sense of the heinousness of sin.
Luke 17:3-5. Faith Getting in and Giving Out. Love’s labour consists of two parts, doing and bearing. These two are different but inseparable. They may be compared to the right and left hands of a living man. The Christian life is sometimes mainly a laborious activity, sometimes mainly a patient enduring, and sometimes both at the same time and in equal measure. I could not venture to decide which is the greater Christian, the man who bears injuries patiently, in a forgiving spirit, or the man who labours heroically in some department of active duty The “doers” are better known in the Church and the world than the “bearers.” The results of active love bulk more largely in history than those of passive love. But perhaps in the inherent merits of the case, and in the judgment of the Omniscient, faith has borne as much and as precious fruit in enduring evil as in doing good. The meek, Christ-like bearer of evil is as much needed, and as much used in the work of the kingdom, as the actual Christ-like doer of good. In the present case it was on the side of bearing injury that the heavy demand was made. Assuredly those early disciples of the Lord found the duty as difficult as any positive work in which they had ever engaged. In trying to fulfil it, they speedily reached the end of their own resources; and, finding that they possessed not the sufficient supply for meeting and satisfying this new demand, they said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”—Arnot.
Luke 17:3. “Take heed.”—These words are to be connected with Luke 17:1-2. “Take heed”:
1. Because it is so easy to cause others to stumble.
2. Because of the terrible penalty attaching to the sin of overthrowing another’s faith; the lost soul is like a weight fastened to him who has ruined it, and drags him, in his turn, down into the abyss.
Luke 17:3. “If thy brother,” etc.—The disciple is to be animated by
(1) holiness in reproving sin, and
(2) by love in forgiving it. Holiness becomes censoriousness when it is divorced from love; love degenerates and loses its Divine character when it is divorced from holiness.
“Forgive him.”—Forgiveness, to be adequate, should be
(1) instant,
(2) frank,
(3) complete.
Motives for Forgiveness.—
I. From a regard to our own peace of mind.
II. From a regard to the happiness of the world at large.
III. From a regard to the express injunctions of Scripture.
IV. From a regard to our own need of Divine forgiveness.
Luke 17:4. Forgiveness.—Repentance seems to be required here before forgiveness is granted by us; and consequently it would seem to be implied that we may refuse to pardon obstinate offenders. We need, however, to keep in mind that there are two kinds of forgiveness.
1. We may lay aside every idea of revenging an injury, and suppress feelings of hatred, and show kindness to the offender, without modifying the unfavourable opinion we have formed of his conduct; and
(2) we may be able to receive the offender again into favour, and to be fully persuaded that all hindrances to intimate fellowship with him are fully withdrawn.
Luke 17:5. “And the Apostles said.”—They who were so often divided among themselves, and animated by a spirit of petty rivalry, now unite in humble supplication for the supply of their spiritual necessity.
“Increase our faith.”—I. Some measure of true faith is needed for safety and holiness.
II. True faith is of a progressive nature.
“Certainly they did never have any grace who did not complain to have too little” (Hall).
“I have no grace till I would have more” (Donne).
Prayer and Faith.—“For faith they ask; and, by asking, show their faith. Thus prayer ever increases faith, and faith ever inclines to prayer.”—Williams.
The Disciples’ Prayer.—In this short prayer the disciples assumed—
I. That they already believed, asking for an addition to the faith they already possessed.
II. That it is more faith that will produce more obedience.
III. That the faith which worketh by love is not of themselves, but is the gift of God through His Son.—In these assumptions, having been secretly taught of the Spirit, the apostles were deeply intelligent and completely correct. And our Lord, in His reply, acknowledges that their inferences are correct.—Arnot.
Luke 17:6. “If ye had faith.”—Some faith they had, yet not such great faith as to give the command specified and be obeyed. The illustration of the power of faith here given is intelligible only on the principle that spiritual miracles are greater than those wrought, in the material world.
“As a grain of mustard seed.”—Small, yet living and capable of rapid increase.