Sin, Forgiveness, and Faith
Study note
Jesus warns that causing others to sin brings severe judgment and teaches that His followers must forgive repeatedly -- even seven times in a day if the offender repents. When the apostles ask for increased faith, Jesus says faith as small as a mustard seed can accomplish what seems impossible. He then tells a parable about servants who, after doing everything commanded, should say they are unworthy servants who have simply done their duty. This teaches that obedience to God is an obligation, not a basis for boasting.
1 Jesus said to his followers, "Things that trip people up and cause them to sin are sure to come. But how terrible it will be for the person who causes them!" Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!
2 "That person would be better off with a great stone tied to their neck and being thrown into the sea. That would be better than causing even one of these little ones to fall into sin." It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.
3 "Keep an eye on yourselves. If someone who follows God wrongs you, talk to them about it. If they are sorry and want to change, forgive them." Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.
4 "Even if they wrong you seven times in one day and come back each time saying, 'I am sorry,' you must still forgive them." And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.
5 The apostles said to the Lord, "Give us stronger faith." And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.
6 The Lord said, "Your faith might be as tiny as a mustard seed. You could still tell this mulberry tree, 'Pull up and plant yourself in the sea.' It would obey you." And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.
7 "Suppose one of you had a servant who was out plowing or watching sheep all day. Would you say to him when he walked in, 'Come sit down for dinner right now'?" But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat?
8 "Of course not. You would say, 'Get my dinner ready, put on your serving clothes, and take care of me while I eat. You can eat after I am done.'" And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?
9 "Do you give the servant special thanks just for following instructions? Not truly." Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not.
10 "It works the same way with you. After you have done everything God asked you to do, say, 'We are ordinary servants who simply did our job.'" So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.
Ten Lepers Healed, One Returns
Study note
As Jesus travels toward Jerusalem along the border of Samaria and Galilee, ten lepers cry out for mercy. He sends them to show themselves to the priests, and they are cleansed as they go. Only one -- a Samaritan -- returns to give glory to God and thank Jesus. Jesus asks pointedly where the other nine are and tells the grateful Samaritan that his faith has made him well. The story highlights both the ingratitude of those who take God's blessings for granted and the faith of an outsider.
11 Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. He passed through the area between Samaria and Galilee. And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.
12 As he was about to enter a village, ten men with leprosy came toward him but kept their distance. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:
13 They shouted, "Jesus, Master, please have mercy on us!" And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.
14 Jesus looked at them and said, "Go show yourselves to the priests." As they were walking there, their skin became completely clean. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.
15 One of them, when he realized he had been healed, turned around and came back, shouting praises to God as loud as he could. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,
16 He threw himself flat on the ground at Jesus's feet, thanking him over and over. And this man was a Samaritan. And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.
17 Jesus said, "All ten of them were healed, right? So where are the other nine?" And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?
18 "Is this foreigner truly the only one who came back to thank God?" There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.
19 Then he told the man, "Stand up and go. Your faith has made you completely well." And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.
The Coming of the Kingdom
Study note
When the Pharisees ask when God's kingdom will come, Jesus says it does not come with observable signs because it is already among them. To His disciples, He describes the future coming of the Son of Man as sudden and unmistakable, like lightning across the sky. He warns them using the examples of Noah's flood and the destruction of Sodom -- life continued normally until judgment struck without warning. He counsels them not to look back (remembering Lot's wife) and teaches the paradox that whoever tries to preserve their life will lose it.
20 Some Pharisees asked Jesus when God's kingdom would arrive. He told them, "God's kingdom does not show up in a way you can spot with your eyes." And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
21 "Nobody is going to point and say, 'Look, it is right here!' or 'Over there!' Because God's kingdom is already present among you." Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
22 Then he told his disciples, "A time is coming when you will want to see the Son of Man. But you will not be able to." And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it.
23 "People will tell you, 'Look over there!' or 'Look right here!' Do not chase after them." And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them.
24 "When the Son of Man finally comes, it will be like lightning. It will flash across the whole sky from one side to the other. No one will miss it." For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day.
25 "But first, he must go through terrible suffering. The people of this time will turn their backs on him." But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.
26 "The days of the Son of Man will be just like it was during Noah's time." And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
27 "People were going about their everyday lives -- eating, drinking, getting married, having weddings -- right up until the very day Noah walked into the ark. Then the flood came and wiped them all out." They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.
28 "It was the exact same situation during Lot's time. People were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting crops, and constructing buildings." Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
29 "But on the very day Lot left Sodom, fire and burning sulfur rained down from the sky and destroyed everything." But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
30 "That is exactly what it will be like on the day the Son of Man appears." Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.
31 "On that day, if you are on your roof, do not waste time going inside to grab your things. If you are out in a field, do not turn around and go home." In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.
32 "Do not forget what happened to Lot's wife." Remember Lot's wife.
33 "Anyone who holds on tightly to their life will lose it. But anyone who lets go of their life will save it." Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.
34 "On that night, two people will be sleeping in the same bed. One will be taken and the other left behind." I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.
35 "Two women will be at work grinding grain. One will be taken and the other left behind." Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
36 "Two men will be working together in a field. One will be taken and the other left behind." Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
37 The disciples asked, "Where will this happen, Lord?" He answered, "Wherever there is a dead body, that is where the vultures will circle." And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.