171 And he said unto the disciples, 'It is impossible for the stumbling blocks not to come, but wo 'to him' through whom they come; 2 it is more profitable to him if a weighty millstone is put round about his neck, and he hath been cast into the sea, than that he may cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3 'Take heed to yourselves, and, if thy brother may sin in regard to thee, rebuke him, and if he may reform, forgive him, 4 and if seven times in the day he may sin against thee, and seven times in the day may turn back to thee, saying, I reform; thou shalt forgive him.'
5 And the apostles said to the Lord, 'Add to us faith;' 6 and the Lord said, 'If ye had faith as a grain of mustard, ye would have said to this sycamine, Be uprooted, and be planted in the sea, and it would have obeyed you.
7 'But, who is he of you—having a servant ploughing or feeding—who, to him having come in out of the field, will say, Having come near, recline at meat? 8 but will not 'rather' say to him, Prepare what I may sup, and having girded thyself about, minister to me, till I eat and drink, and after these things thou shalt eat and drink? 9 Hath he favour to that servant because he did the things directed? I think not. 10 'So also ye, when ye may have done all the things directed you, say—We are unprofitable servants, because that which we owed to do—we have done.'
11 And it came to pass, in his going on to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee, 12 and he entering into a certain village, there met him ten leprous men, who stood afar off, 13 and they lifted up the voice, saying, 'Jesus, master, deal kindly with us;' 14 and having seen 'them', he said to them, 'Having gone on, shew yourselves to the priests;' and it came to pass, in their going, they were cleansed, 15 and one of them having seen that he was healed did turn back, with a loud voice glorifying God, 16 and he fell upon 'his' face at his feet, giving thanks to him, and he was a Samaritan. 17 And Jesus answering said, 'Were not the ten cleansed, and the nine—where? 18 There were not found who did turn back to give glory to God, except this alien;' 19 and he said to him, 'Having risen, be going on, thy faith hath saved thee.'
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Luke 17:1-19
Commentary on Luke 17:1-10
(Read Luke 17:1-10)
It is no abatement of their guilt by whom an offence comes, nor will it lessen their punishment that offences will come. Faith in God's pardoning mercy, will enable us to get over the greatest difficulties in the way of forgiving our brethren. As with God nothing is impossible, so all things are possible to him that can believe. Our Lord showed his disciples their need of deep humility. The Lord has such a property in every creature, as no man can have in another; he cannot be in debt to them for their services, nor do they deserve any return from him.
Commentary on Luke 17:11-19
(Read Luke 17:11-19)
A sense of our spiritual leprosy should make us very humble whenever we draw near to Christ. It is enough to refer ourselves to the compassions of Christ, for they fail not. We may look for God to meet us with mercy, when we are found in the way of obedience. Only one of those who were healed returned to give thanks. It becomes us, like him, to be very humble in thanksgivings, as well as in prayers. Christ noticed the one who thus distinguished himself, he was a Samaritan. The others only got the outward cure, he alone got the spiritual blessing.