Luke 17 | Daily Bible Reading & Reflection

Luke 17 Devotional: Explore Jesus’ teachings on forgiveness, the power of mustard-seed faith, and the cleansing of the ten lepers. Gain insight into the coming of the Kingdom of God and the necessity of being prepared for the Son of Man.

Dear brothers and sisters, peace in Christ. Welcome to Luke Chapter 17. Today, Jesus addresses the practical realities of living in community. He speaks to us about the weight of our influence on others, the necessity of a forgiving heart, and the posture of a humble servant. Let us listen closely, for these are the marks of a life transformed by the Gospel.

Luke Chapter 17 Introduction:

The Posture of Faith and the Coming Kingdom

Luke 17 begins with a sobering warning about causing others to stumble and a challenging command to forgive a brother seven times in a day. When the disciples ask for "more faith" to meet these standards, Jesus redirects them: it is not the size of their faith that matters, but the Object of their faith. He then illustrates the heart of a servant, reminding us that our obedience is simply our duty to a sovereign Lord. This is followed by the healing of the ten lepers—where only one returns to give thanks—and a prophetic teaching on the "Day of the Son of Man."

What can we learn from this today? In this chapter, we see the sovereignty of God and the nature of Grace (Article 6). The ten lepers were all healed physically, but only the one who returned in faith was told his faith had "made him well" in a deeper, spiritual sense. We learn that salvation is a gift received through faith, which naturally overflows into gratitude. Furthermore, Jesus warns us that His return will be sudden and world-altering, much like the days of Noah and Lot. As your Statement of Faith affirms, Christ will come again in glory to judge. Therefore, we are called not to be consumed by the "cares of this world," but to live with our eyes fixed on the eternal Kingdom that is already "among us" through the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Bible Verse - Luke 17

Sin, Faith, Duty

17 Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. 2 It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3 So watch yourselves.

“If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. 4 Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”

5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”

6 He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.

7 “Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? 8 Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? 9 Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? 10 So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”

Jesus Heals Ten Men With Leprosy

11 Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance 13 and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”

14 When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.

15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.

17 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

The Coming of the Kingdom of God

20 Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, 21 nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”

22 Then he said to his 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 tell you, ‘There he is!’ or ‘Here he is!’ Do not go running off after them. 24 For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other. 25 But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.

26 “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.

28 “It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. 29 But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.

30 “It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day no one who is on the housetop, with possessions inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. 32 Remember Lot’s wife! 33 Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it. 34 I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. 35 Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.” [36]

37 “Where, Lord?” they asked.

He replied, “Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather.”

Prayer

The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" As we move into prayer, let us bring our own small faith to our great God, trusting Him to do the impossible in and through us.

Prayer Theme: "A Heart of Gratitude and Watchfulness"

Dear Heavenly Father, We acknowledge You today as our sovereign Lord and Creator. We believe that Your Word is the final authority for our lives, and we submit to the challenging truths found in Luke 17. Thank You for the gift of faith, however small it may feel, and for the grace that allows us to stand before You as Your children.

Lord, I ask that You would cultivate in me a heart that is quick to forgive and slow to cause offense. Help me to serve You with humility, recognizing that everything I have and everything I am is a gift from Your hand. Forgive me for the times I have been like the nine lepers—receiving Your blessings but forgetting to return to Your feet in worship. Holy Spirit, guide me and empower me to live a life marked by "loud-voice" gratitude. Keep my heart watchful and alert for the return of Jesus. Do not let me become so entangled in the routines of this life that I lose sight of the glorious reality that my King is coming back.

We pray for our local church, that we would be a community of radical forgiveness and humble service. We lift up those who are suffering from illness or isolation, asking for the same healing mercy You showed at the border of Samaria. We pray for a world that is "eating and drinking, buying and selling" without any thought of eternity; use us to proclaim the Gospel and warn others of the judgment to come, pointing them toward the salvation found in Christ alone. Amen.

Daily Application Question

Out of the ten lepers healed, only one returned to fall at Jesus' feet and give thanks. What are three specific "miracles" or blessings in your life today that you can stop and thank God for right now?

Frequently Asked Questions about Luke 17

What does "faith as small as a mustard seed" mean? It means that the power of faith does not come from the person believing, but from the God in whom they believe. Even a small amount of genuine trust in a sovereign God can accomplish His great purposes.
Why did Jesus tell the healed lepers to show themselves to the priests? According to the Law of Moses, a priest had to officially certify that a leper was clean before they could be reintegrated into society. Jesus was honoring the Law while demonstrating His power to fulfill it.
What does it mean that "the Kingdom of God is in your midst"? Jesus was telling the Pharisees that the Kingdom wasn't just a future political event to be observed; it was present right then and there because the King (Jesus) was standing among them.

Thank you for joining us for Luke 17. May you walk today with the humility of a servant and the joy of the leper who returned to worship. We look forward to seeing you tomorrow for the persistent prayers of Luke Chapter 18.

Navigate the Journey

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