Luke 17: The Coming of the Kingdom

(1) Sermon Script

Context

The Jesus we meet is on the road. He is traveling. He has been traveling since Luke chapter 9. In chapter 9, he said he was going to be killed, and he told his disciples to take up their cross daily and follow him (EJ, 33.7). And from chapters 9 to 19, Jesus has been journeying to Jerusalem. Along the way, he has called people to follow him. But they are following him to Jerusalem, which means that they are following him to his death. Jesus keeps saying this again and again. Jerusalem is the place of his 'exodus', the place of primary ignition, blast off, then lift off. He journeys to Jerusalem so that he can return to his Father.

But as he goes on his way, Jesus teaches about the nature of the kingdom. For Jesus does not lose any opportunity to teach all who will hear about the nature of reality, and the nature of the coming kingdom he will bring in by his death and resurrection.

Causing Others To Sin (vv. 1-4)

He said to His disciples, "Offences will certainly come, but woe to the one they come through! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to stumble. Be on your guard. If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and comes back to you seven times, saying, 'I repent,' you must forgive him." (Luke 17:1-4 HCSB)

Causing sin is very serious. Think of those who create pornography, or those who corrupt others. We have a responsibility to each other. We must help each other say 'no' to sin. It doesn’t mean we live in a moral police state. But it does mean that we need to help one another. Sure, we’ve got to take the log out of our own eye first. Sure, those who are spiritual should restore the ones caught in sin, gently, and watching themselves lest they fall into temptation. But Jesus treats his little ones, that is, his disciples, so seriously, that it is better to be drowned than to cause them to sin.

If a brother sins, raise it with him. Don’t let it go, but mention it. If he repents, you’ve won him over. And you must keep forgiving him. Times without limit, the penitent will be received by God. So times without limit, the one who repents needs to be forgiven. It is no wonder that the disciples say what they do next.

Increase Our Faith (vv. 5-6)

The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith." "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed," the Lord said, "you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you. (vv. 5-6 HCSB)

The fact is, our salvation is not about the size of our faith, but who it’s in. If faith is in God through his Son Jesus Christ, it is adequate and more than enough. Now, we have never had one record of anybody saying to a mulberry tree, be uprooted and planted in the sea. Of course God can do such a thing, but why would he? It is like making fish walk or plants talk. It may be that there might be a good reason, like when God made a donkey talk. But as far as I know, nobody claims to have actually done this by faith. This is hyperbole. The impossible thing that God does by faith is save sinful people. Who then can be saved? With man it is impossible, but not with God.

With God all things are possible. And the thing people receive by faith is salvation, is rescue. In fact, time and again when people are healed (the word used is the same word often translated 'saved' or 'rescued', Jesus and Luke are making the point that they are saved by faith. And so friends, faith in Jesus saves. And if you cry out to him, he will save you. For no-one who puts their trust in him will ever be put to shame.

For the thing about faith is not the size but the object. And if you have put your faith in God through the Lord Jesus Christ, your faith will save you, no matter how much of it there is.

At Best, Good for Nothing Slaves (vv. 7-10)

"Which one of you having a slave plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he comes in from the field, 'Come at once and sit down to eat'? Instead, will he not tell him, 'Prepare something for me to eat, get ready, and serve me while I eat and drink; later you can eat and drink'? Does he thank that slave because he did what was commanded? In the same way, when you have done all that you were commanded, you should say, 'We are good-for-nothing slaves; we've only done our duty.'" (vv. 7-10)

Sometimes we think highly of ourselves for doing our duty. But this parable reminds us that once we have done all God’s commands, we are called to be humble. Jesus wants us to regard ourselves as good for nothing slaves who have just done all of our duty. So there is no sense when we have completely fulfilled the things God has commanded us. The Roman Catholic church has works called works of supererogation. These are works that are not strictly necessary, they are above and beyond what God has commanded. And the merit of the works of supererogation, in Roman Catholicism, are put in the heavenly bank called the Treasury of Merit. And the pope is the banker and he applies these extra works to people in purgatory to get them out quicker.

But we do not believe there are any such thing as extra work, the 110% that Hermoine Grainger scores. When can we ever say that we have finished ‘loving our neighbour as ourselves’? When have you finished ‘loving God with all your heart soul mind and strength’? I’m sorry, but the answer to that question is 'never'. There is no ‘extra work’ like this that earns extra 'merit' before God. So in our Green Prayer Book, page 630, article 14, we read:

Of Works of Supererogation Voluntary Works besides, over, and above, God’s Commandments, which they [the Roman Catholics] call Works of Supererogation, cannot be taught without arrogancy and impiety: for by them men do declare, that they do not only render unto God as much as they are bound to do, but that they do more for his sake, than of bounden duty is required: whereas Christ saith plainly, When ye have done all that are commanded to you, say, We are unprofitable servants.

Change the Lepers Spots (10 times) and Melt the Heart of Stone (once) (vv. 11-19)

While traveling to Jerusalem, He passed between Samaria and Galilee. As He entered a village, 10 men with serious skin diseases met Him. They stood at a distance and raised their voices, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" When He saw them, He told them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And while they were going, they were healed. But one of them, seeing that he was healed, returned and, with a loud voice, gave glory to God. He fell facedown at His feet, thanking Him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus said, "Were not 10 cleansed? Where are the nine? Didn't any return to give glory to God except this foreigner?" And He told him, "Get up and go on your way. Your faith has made you well." (vv. 11-19 HCSB)

Here again we see Luke’s concern with the foreigner and the outsider. Remember, only Luke told us the story of the Centurion who has faith greater than anyone in Israel. Only Luke tells us the parable of the prodigal son, the Pharisee and the tax collector, Barabbas, and the penitent thief. All of them are outsiders, all of them sinners, all of them without hope and without God in the world. And all of them are recipients of God’s grace and mercy in their particular situations. It was only Luke who told us the parable of the Good Samaritan, where the hero is the hated and despised half-caste syncretist. Neither Luke nor Jesus papers over the real divisions between the Samaritans and the Jews, for there are real divisions--salvation is really from the Jews (John 4). The Samaritans did not welcome Jesus when they heard he was on his way to Jerusalem. But Luke is about showing how grace and mercy is to be found in the most surprising places, while in the places where we would expect it, grace and mercy, and a true understanding of God, is missing in action.

Here again there were people in need. This time they were lepers, with serious skin conditions, that rendered them unclean. They call to Jesus as Master for mercy. And they receive it. Jesus tells them to do the thing that the Law of Moses required. "Go to the Priests." And they do so. But along the way, they are healed. And while 9 may still have headed for the Priests and Temple, the foreigner, the Samaritan, is the one who glorifies and thanks God at the new Priest and Temple, Jesus Christ. And Jesus commends this. This Samaritan has returned to Jesus Christ to glorify God. And therefore he receives more than just the healing which the other 9 also received. He is saved. It is his faith that has saved him. By coming to Jesus Christ to glorify God, his faith in Jesus saves him, just as it did for the sinful woman who anointed Jesus in chapter 7.