Luke 17 Luke 17:1–2 Christ teacheth to avoid giving occasions of offence, Luke 17:3–4 and to forgive one another. Luke 17:5–10 The power of faith, and defect of merit toward God in our best services.

See Poole on “Matt. 18:6–7”. See Poole on “Mark 9:42”. This term σκανδαλα is used in the New Testament very variously; in general it signifies any thing which may be an occasion of mischief to another.

Matthew hath something of the same tendency in Matt. 18:21–22, mentioning it as an answer to a question which Peter propounded to our Lord; but the circumstances of both relations are so different that I cannot think them the same, but do believe these words spoken at another time.

Though we be not to seek a connection of all those speeches of our Lord which are recorded by the evangelists, they sometimes heaping together many of his golden sayings, without so much as regard to the order of time when he spake them, or their dependence on each other; yet he that wisely…

Matthew hath in effect the same, Matt. 17:20, though he saith, ye shall say unto this mountain; See Poole on “Matt. 17:20”. I cannot be of their mind who think that our Saviour in this, and the parallel place, speaks only of a faith that works miraculous operations; the object of which must be a…

Luke 17:7–9 are plainly a parable, a part of a discourse wherein our Lord, under an earthly similitude, instructs us in a spiritual duty. This duty is easily learned from the epiparabole, Luke 17:10, and it lieth in two things: 1.

Christ’s nearest way from Galilee to Jerusalem was through Samaria. In a certain town ten lepers met him, for though the law forbade them any other society, yet it did not restrain them from the society of each other; probably they were got together that they might at once come to this great…

It was according to the Divine law, Lev. 14:2, that the leper in the day of his cleansing should be brought unto the priest, who was to judge whether he was healed, yea or no, and to offer the offering there prescribed.

It is most probable that this leper first showed himself to the priest, according to the commandment and the direction of our Saviour, and then returned to give our Saviour thanks. Some think that this glorifying God here mentioned, and his giving thanks to Christ, signify the same thing.

These ten lepers were a representation of all mankind; not more than one of ten that receive signal mercies from the bountiful hand of Divine Providence cometh to give God any suitable homage. Thus he maketh his sun to shine and his rain to fall upon the just and upon the unjust.

It is a wonderful thing to observe what small rudiments and embryos of faith Christ encourages and rewards. His faith appeareth to be no more than a persuasion that Christ did not do what things he did of this nature by any magical art, (as the Pharisee blasphemed), but by the power of God, and…

Whether the Pharisees spake this deriding him, who in his discourses had been often mentioning a kingdom of God to come, or in simple seriousness, for they generally expected the coming of a Messiah, and a secular kingdom, which he should exercise in the earth, particularly over the Jews, (having…

The latter words of this verse seem fairly to admit of a double interpretation, as you here may signify the disciples of Christ, who had received Christ as their Lord, over whom he exercised a spiritual dominion and jurisdiction, or as it may respect the whole Jewish nation, amongst whom the…

Our Lord spendeth his further discourse in this chapter in a forewarning of his disciples of those great troubles which should follow His departure from them.

See Poole on “Matt. 24:23”, See Poole on “Matt. 24:27”. You will (saith our Saviour) have a great many false Christs and false prophets arise, and foolish credulous people will be deceived by them, and come and tell you, Lo, yonder is the Messiah, or, Lo, he is in another place; but believe them…

Before my kingdom shall appear in that glory, I must suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation. You may be seduced to think that I am going to put on a crown as a secular prince to deliver you from your enemies. Alas! I am going to a cross.

See Poole on “Matt. 24:37”, and following verse to Matt. 24:39. Our blessed Lord in these verses doth both declare the surprisal of the Jews with that judgment which was coming upon them, and of the world with his coming in the day of judgment, (of which the destruction of Jerusalem was a type),…

These words seem to relate singly to the destruction of Jerusalem. See Poole on “Matt. 24:17–18”, where we had the same. They only signify the certain ruin and destruction of the place, and are our Saviour’s counsel to his disciples, not to linger, or promise themselves any longer security there,…

We have the story Gen. 19:26. She looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. Lot and his family leaving Sodom, she either looked back as not believing what the angel had said, or as moved with the miserable condition of the place, or as loath to leave her estate and goods;…

That is, whosoever, in disobedience to my command, shall use arts to preserve his life, shall lose it; and whosoever, at my command, shall be ready to lose it, shall preserve it, or if he loseth his breath, he shall preserve his soul. See Poole on “Matt. 10:39”, See Poole on “Matt.

See Poole on “Matt. 24:40–41”. These verses seem to respect the day of judgment, and that dreadful separation which shall be in that day between the sheep and the goats. It is true also of Christ’s day in the preaching of the gospel; but that seemeth not to be the sense of this text.

Concerning the sense of this proverbial expression, and the various application of it by interpreters, See Poole on “Matt. 24:28”. In our evangelist (where it is σωμα, not πτωμα, as in Matthew, the word there properly signifying a dead body, the word here a living body) it seems to be applied to…