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Luke 17:1. Jesus also said to his disciples: it is impossible not to come to temptations, but woe to him through whom they come; Since the covetous Pharisees grumbled at the Lord for speaking about non-covetousness, He first told the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, showing them through it what punishment would befall them for being attached to wealth; and then he turns his speech to the disciples about the Pharisees themselves, that they create temptation and keep others from the Divine path, and that for this their destiny is “woe.” Let's see what He says. “It is impossible not to come to temptations, but woe to him through whom they come,” that is, it is impossible not to come to temptations or obstacles in a good and God-loving life. For with the many wickedness of people there must be many obstacles to preaching and the truth. But woe only to “the one through whom they come,” that is, to the author of them, like the Pharisees, who seduce and hinder preaching. Many people ask in bewilderment: if temptations must come and it is impossible to preach without encountering obstacles, then why, Lord, do you condemn and call the perpetrators of temptations unfortunate? They became like this out of necessity, and everything that is done out of necessity is worthy of forgiveness. Know that this very necessity has its beginning in free will. I will say more clearly: the Lord, seeing the malice of the people of that time, seeing how they embraced evil and did not choose anything good, said that, judging by the consequences of what is now before our eyes, temptations must come. So, the malice in which people delighted was a matter of arbitrariness, and the creation of temptations necessarily followed from malice; That is why the perpetrators of temptations deserve punishment. This can be illustrated with an example. A doctor, seeing that such and such is leading a bad lifestyle and indulging in excess, can say that he will inevitably fall ill. Is this disease really necessary? Yes, as a consequence of a bad lifestyle, it is necessary. Therefore, woe to those who hinder the preaching because they have reached such wickedness that it became necessary for temptations to come. Luke 17:2. It would have been better for him if a millstone had been hung around his neck and thrown into the sea, than for him to cause one of these little ones to stumble. Luke 17:3. Watch yourself. And truly, for a person who creates temptations and obstacles, it is better for “him... to have a millstone... a millstone... hung up... and thrown into the sea” than to seduce and seduce “one of the little ones,” that is, the faithful. Therefore, the Lord warns the disciples: “Watch yourself.” “Here,” he says, “I tell you first that evil will come, do not be responsible.” For evil must come, but there is no need for you to perish if you are careful and armed. It is necessary for the wolf to come, but if the shepherd is awake, there is no need for the sheep to perish, and the wolf must leave with an empty mouth. The Lord said this about seducers and those who harm the sermon, that is, they hinder. Because there is a big difference between them, for some are incurable like the Pharisees, while others are curable as the brothers of the Lord in relation to the Lord Himself, for they also did not believe in Him (John 7:5). If your brother sins against you, reprimand him; and if he repents, forgive him; So, since there is a great difference between those who hinder the preaching, for there could be some of the same faith among them, then the Lord says: “if... your brother... sins against you,” you “rebuke him” in private, and “if he listens to you, you... have gained” him, “if he does not listen, take one or two more with you,” and so on, which the Evangelist Matthew (Matthew 18:15-17) depicted more extensively, and the Evangelist Luke passed in silence, as was already said by the Evangelist Matthew. Whoever listens to the reprimand is worthy of forgiveness; and whoever does not listen, “let him be... to you as a pagan and a tax collector,” that is, he is vile and unworthy to be called a brother. Luke 17:4. and if he sins against you seven times a day and turns back seven times a day and says, “I repent,” forgive him. Then, as if someone said: so be it, Lord! You discerned this well; but what to do with someone who has received forgiveness many times and again harms? The Lord says: if he repents again, forgive him. And again: “if... he turns back seven times a day,... forgive him.” And the word “seven times a day” is placed here instead of the word “many times,” similar to the expression: “even a barren woman gives birth seven times” (1 Samuel 2:5). So, no matter how many times he repents, so many times should he be forgiven. And do not think that the Lord sets a number for how many times to forgive, but, as I said before, understand “seven times a day” instead of “many times” and countlessly. We say in ordinary conversation: in such and such a city there are darkness (ten thousand) inhabitants, but we say not because it actually has ten thousand inhabitants, for there may be more of them in it, but instead of calling the city very populous, we say that it has ten thousand inhabitants. And that “seven times a day” is used in this meaning is clear from the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 18:21–22). For there, when Peter said: Lord, must I forgive him (my brother) seven times? The Lord said; not “up to seven, but up to seventy times seven,” meaning through this countless times. Luke 17:5. And the Apostles said to the Lord: increase our faith. The apostles believed in the Lord, however, having come to the consciousness of their weakness, realizing that the Lord had spoken about something great, and having heard about the danger from temptations, they asked that the power of faith be increased in them, so that through it they could fulfill what He said, that is, regarding non-covetousness. For nothing strengthens non-covetousness so much as faith in God and firm trust in Him, just as nothing encourages the accumulation of treasures more than disbelief that God is a great treasure keeper (treasurer), and His goodness is an inexhaustible treasury; Moreover, with faith they can resist temptations. Therefore, the apostles come to the Lord and say: “increase our faith,” that is, show us to be the most perfect and firmest in the faith. Luke 17:6. The Lord said: if you had faith the size of a mustard seed and said to this fig tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea,” then it would listen to you. The Lord, showing them that their request is good and that they need to firmly hold the thought that faith has great power, says: if you had faith, you would have replanted this fig tree. There are two great things here, namely: what took root in the earth would, firstly, move from its place, and secondly, would be transplanted into the sea. What can be planted in water? Obviously, with these words the Lord shows the power of faith. Perhaps someone, in a figurative sense, will understand the “fig tree” as the devil, since he invented an eternal worm for us and feeds it with the thoughts he implants; for worms feed on fig leaves, from which silk threads are made. Likewise, faith can uproot this fig tree from the human heart and throw it into the sea, that is, cast it into the abyss. Luke 17:7. Which of you, having a slave plowing or shepherding, upon his return from the field, will say to him: go quickly, sit down at the table? Luke 17:8. On the contrary, will he not say to him: prepare my supper and, having girded yourself, serve me while I eat and drink, and then eat and drink yourself? Luke 17:9. Will he thank this servant for carrying out the order? Don't think. Luke 17:10. So you too, when you have fulfilled everything commanded you, say: we are worthless slaves, because we did what we had to do. Having said this about faith, the Lord adds another very necessary teaching. Which one? The teaching that one should not be proud of perfections. Since faith accomplishes many things and makes the one who contains it a fulfiller of the commandments, decorating him with miracles, and from this a person can easily fall into arrogance; Therefore, the Lord warns the apostles not to be proud of their perfections, presenting a wonderful example. “Who,” he says, “of you has a slave,” and so on. This parable declares that one should not boast of any perfection, not even of fulfilling all the commandments. For the slave has the necessary duty to carry out the master’s orders, but their fulfillment should not be imputed to him as perfection. For if a slave does not do, he is worthy of wounds; and when he did, let him be content with the fact that he avoided wounds, and should not necessarily demand payment for it. For paying him, especially giving him something, depends on the generosity of the master. Likewise, one who works for God should not be proud if he fulfills the commandments, for he has not done anything great. On the contrary, if he had not fulfilled this, he would have suffered grief, as the apostle said: “Woe is me if I do not preach the good news!” (1 Cor. 9:16). Likewise, if he received gifts, he should not boast about them, for the gifts were given to him by the grace of God, and not because the Master owed him. For the special duty of a slave, in relation to his master, is to carry out all his orders. If we should not think anything great about ourselves even when we keep all the commandments, then what are we like when we do not fulfill even a small part of God’s commandments, and are even proud? Pay attention also to the expression of the parable that “the one who plows” is put first, and then “the one who shepherds” is added. For, whoever it is, first needs to cultivate the land, and then take over the pastoral position. He who has cultivated his flesh well, like some land, is worthy to be a shepherd for others. For whoever does not know how to manage his own house as it should, how will he care about the Church (1 Tim. 3:5)? So, first cultivate yourself, and then feed others, just as the prophet Jeremiah said: “Plow up new fields for yourselves” (Jer. 4:3), and then enlighten yourself with the light of reason, which indicates the most important part of the pastoral office. Luke 17:11. Going to Jerusalem, He passed between Samaria and Galilee. Luke 17:12. And as He entered a certain village, ten men who were lepers met Him and stood at a distance Luke 17:13. and with a loud voice they said: Jesus the Mentor! have mercy on us. And from here everyone can know that nothing prevents anyone from pleasing God, even if he is from a cursed family, as long as he has a good will. So “ten lepers” met Jesus when He was about to enter a certain city. They met Him outside the city, for they, since they were considered unclean, were not allowed to live inside the city (Lev. 13:46). They stopped “at a distance,” as if ashamed of their imaginary uncleanness and not daring to approach in the thought that Jesus also abhors them, as others did, raising their voices and asking for mercy. According to their location, they stood far away, but through prayer they stood close. For the Lord is close to all who call on Him in truth (Ps. 144:18). They ask for mercy not as from a simple person, but as from one who is higher than man. For they call Jesus Mentor, that is, Master, Trustee, Overseer, which is very close to calling him God. Luke 17:14. When He saw them, He said to them: Go, show yourself to the priests. And as they walked, they purified themselves. He (Jesus) commands them (the lepers) to show themselves to the priests. For the priests examined such, and from them they made a decision whether they were clean from leprosy or not (Lev. 13). The priests had signs by which they noted incurable leprosy. And even then, when someone fell ill with leprosy and then recovered, the priests examined it, and they were given a gift, which was commanded in the Law. Here, when the lepers were indisputably such, what need was there for them to appear to the priests if they did not have to be completely cleansed? The command for them to go to the priests indicated nothing more than that they would be made clean. That is why it is said that as they walked along the road they purified themselves. Luke 17:15. One of them, seeing that he was healed, returned, glorifying God with a loud voice, Luke 17:16. and fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him; and it was a Samaritan. But look, as we said at first, out of ten people, nine, although they were Israelis, remained ungrateful. And the Samaritan, although he was of an alien race, returned and expressed his gratitude (and the Samaritans were Assyrians), so that none of the pagans would despair, and none of those descended from holy ancestors would boast about this. Luke 17:17. Then Jesus said, “Were not ten cleansed?” where is nine? Luke 17:18. how did they not return to give glory to God, except this foreigner? Luke 17:19. And he said to him: get up, go; your faith has saved you. This miracle also hints at the general salvation that existed for the entire human race. The ten lepers represent the entire human nature, leprous with malice, bearing the ugliness of sin, living for its uncleanness outside the city of heaven and far from God. This very distance from God interceded for mercy. For for someone who loves mankind and wants to save everyone and bless God, the strongest motivation for mercy is to see that no one participates in goodness. For this very reason, He bowed down to heal those in such a situation. And although He healed all leprous nature, becoming incarnate and tasting death for every person, the Jews, despite the fact that on the part of the Lord they were cleansed from all the impurities of leprous sin, turned out to be ungrateful and did not turn from their vain path in order to give glory to the Savior God, that is, to believe Him that He, the true God, was pleased to endure the most severe suffering. For the Flesh and the Cross are the glory of God. So, they did not recognize the Incarnate and Crucified as the Lord of glory. And the pagans, a strange people, recognized the One who purified them and glorified Him by faith that God is so loving and powerful that for our sake He took upon Himself extreme dishonor, which is a matter of love for mankind, and, having accepted it, did not suffer any harm in His nature, which is a matter of power. Luke 17:20. Having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, The Lord often mentioned the Kingdom of God in His teaching. But the Pharisees, hearing about it, laughed at the Lord and therefore began to ask when it would come, in the form of ridicule of Him as an eccentric preaching about an extraordinary and strange subject. For none of the former teachers and prophets mentioned it (the Kingdom of God). Or, perhaps, having in mind their intention to kill Him in a short time, they approach Him with a question in order to prick Him and ridicule Him, as if to say: You are talking about the Kingdom, when will this Kingdom of Yours come? For in the morning You will be betrayed by us to death, You will be lifted up on a cross, and You will receive many other dishonors. What about Christ? He answered them: The Kingdom of God will not come in a noticeable way, Luke 17:21. and they will not say: behold, it is here, or, behold, there. For behold, the Kingdom of God is within you. He does not answer the fools because of their reckless thoughts and madness (Prov. 26:4), but leaves them to wander about the similarity of the Kingdom, and does not reveal to them what kind of Kingdom He is talking about (for they would not accept it), nor that this Kingdom is not like a worldly kingdom, but is a premium Kingdom (John 18:36). Having kept silent about this, since they, due to their arbitrary deafness, were unworthy to hear about this, the Lord says about the time of the coming of the Kingdom that it is unknown and cannot be observed; since the Kingdom of God does not have a specific time, but is present to those who wish it at any time. For the Kingdom of God, without a doubt, constitutes living and building itself in the image of the Angels. Then, they say, God truly reigns when there is nothing worldly in our souls, but when we behave above the world in everything. And we have this way of life within ourselves, that is, whenever we want. For faith does not require either long time or travel, but faith, and following faith, a life pleasing to God, is close to us. About this very thing the apostle said: “The word is close to you, in your mouth and in your heart, that is, the word of faith, which we preach” (Rom. 10:8). For that we may believe, and having believed, walk worthy of the calling, this is within us. So, the Pharisees mocked the Lord because He was preaching a Kingdom that no one had preached about. But the Lord declares that they do not understand such an object, which is within them and which is very convenient for those who wish to achieve it. Now that I am among you, you can undoubtedly receive the Kingdom of God if you believe in Me and decide to live according to My commandments. Luke 17:22. He also said to the disciples: the days will come when you will wish to see even one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see; That is, the Kingdom of God is inherent in you as long as I am with you. It is inherent in you not only because you believed in Me and followed Me, but also because you now live with complete carelessness, since I care and think about you. But when I am not with you, days will come that you will be given over to dangers, and you will be led before rulers and kings. Then you, as the Kingdom of God, will wish for the current safe life that you lead with Me, and you will repeatedly wish to receive at least one of My days, that is, the days of My stay with you, as the safest days. Although they (the disciples of the Lord), even while they were with Him, did not lead a life without labor and danger, but suffered flight with the fleeing and insult with the insulted, but if their previous adventures are compared with future dangers, it turns out that they were then very safe. Therefore, even with this way of life, that is, with little danger and labor, the Kingdom of God was within the apostles; whereas after the Resurrection they were, as it were, captives and exiles. With these words, the Lord prepares the hearts of the apostles for labor and patience and first tells them not to be tempted (John 16:1). Luke 17:23. and they will say to you: here, here, or: here, there - do not go and do not chase, Don’t listen, he says, to anyone’s beliefs that I came here or there. Luke 17:24. For as lightning that flashes from one end of the sky shines to the other end of the sky, so will the Son of Man be on His day. For My second coming, most brilliant and most glorious, will not be limited to any place, but just as lightning is not hidden, but appears from one end of the earth to the other, so My second coming will be bright and obvious and will not be hidden from anyone. So, do not give in to the temptations of false Christs. Previously, I appeared in a manger and was in humiliation for thirty years, but then it will not be so: I will come in all glory, accompanied by angelic armies, and in an instant. Luke 17:25. But first He must suffer much and be rejected by this generation. Then, since he predicted terrible disasters for them, consoling them and convincing them to endure them courageously, he sets himself up for them as an example. Do not be surprised,” he says, “if such difficulties happen to you that they will make you wish for the return of My present stay with you. For I Myself, who am about to appear like lightning, must first suffer much and be rejected, and then come in this glory. Let this be for you a conviction to virtue and encouragement to patience, that is, look to Me and trust that you too will receive glory for enduring dangers and for rejection, just like Me. Luke 17:26. And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man: Luke 17:27. They ate, they drank, they married, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Luke 17:28. Just as it was in the days of Lot: they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; Luke 17:29. but on the day that Lot came out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from the sky and destroyed everyone; Luke 17:30. so it will be on the day when the Son of Man appears. And here the Lord points out the suddenness and unexpectedness of His coming. For just as under Noah the flood suddenly came and destroyed everyone, so will His coming be. These examples, that is, the example of the pre-flood people and the Sodomites (before the fire), also hint that at the coming of the Antichrist all indecent pleasures will increase among people, that people will be dissolute and given over to criminal pleasures, just as the apostle said that “in the last days... people will... be more lovers of pleasure than lovers of God” (2 Tim. 3:1-2,4). And it is not surprising that under the reign of the seducer, evil will flourish. For it is the abode of the malice of all sin. What else will he try to instill in the pitiful generation of people of that time, if not his own properties? For what can be made clean from something unclean? So, people will then wallow in every sensual pleasure, like in the time of Noah, and will not expect any trouble, they will not even believe if someone speaks to them about the occurrence of any trouble, like the people who lived in the days of Noah and in the days of Lot. Luke 17:31. On that day, whoever is on the housetop and his belongings are in the house, do not go down to take them; On that day of the coming of the Antichrist, “whoever is on the roof,” that is, at the height of virtue, do not go down with it, do not go down for any everyday object. For all everyday objects are called vessels for man, serving one for virtue, and another for evil. So, standing at the height of virtue, do not go for anything worldly and do not fall from your height, but resist malice and do not weaken. and whoever is on the field, also do not turn back. Likewise, “whoever is on the field,” let him not turn back. For one who is in the field, that is, cultivating virtue in this world, should not turn back, but should stretch forward, as it is said elsewhere: “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). Luke 17:32. Remember Lot's wife. The Lord presents Lot's wife as an example. She, turning back, became a pillar of salt (Gen. 19:26), that is, without moving away from anger, she remained with its saltiness, becoming completely evil, and, mired and remaining in evil, constitutes a monument to the defeat that she suffered. Luke 17:33. Whoever saves his soul will destroy it; and whoever destroys her will bring her to life. Then the Lord adds something also related to the above: “Whoever will save his life will destroy it.” “No one,” he says, “during the persecution of the Antichrist, do not try to save your soul, for such a one will destroy it.” And whoever gives himself up to death and to disasters in general will be saved without bowing to the tormentor out of love for life. Above, the Lord said that he who stands at the height of virtue should not go with it for everyday objects, should not be carried away by acquisitions or property and because of them weaken in the struggle. Likewise now, extending further, he says: and why do I say, do not go for the vessels? No, do not abandon virtue because of external benefits, or even for the very preservation of your soul, do not dare to bow before the seducer and persecutor. Evangelist Matthew (Matthew 24) says that the Lord said all this about the captivity of Jerusalem, hinting at the siege from enemies and the fact that during the invasion of the Romans one must flee from them without looking back: those on the roof do not need to go into the house to take something from this life, but must immediately flee, for here is not a time of peace to collect vessels; Likewise, those who are in the field do not need to return home, and even those who are at home need to flee. However, there is nothing surprising if this came true during the capture of Jerusalem and will come true again at the coming of the Antichrist, especially if just before the time of death (the world) there will be unbearably severe grief. Luke 17:34. I tell you: on that night there will be two in one bed: one will be taken, and the other will be left; And from here we learn that the coming of the Lord will follow unexpectedly and suddenly. For the saying that “two... will be... on one bed” shows the carelessness of people. Likewise, the grinding signifies the surprise of the coming. We also learn that the coming will follow at night. So, the Lord says that even of the rich who rest on their beds, some will be saved and others will not. The Lord once said that the rich are saved with difficulty (Matthew 19:23–24). Now He shows that not all the rich perish, not all the poor are saved, but even of the rich, one will be taken up and caught up “to meet the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:17), as light in spirit and heavenly, and the other will be left below, as condemned. Luke 17:35. two will grind together: one will be taken, and the other will be left; Luke 17:36. two will be on the field: one will be taken, and the other will be left. In the same way, of the poor, who are designated as grinders, one will be saved and the other will not. For not all the poor are righteous: some of them are thieves and cut wallets. The grinding indicates the difficult life of the poor. Luke 17:37. To this they said to Him: Where, Lord? He said to them, “Where the corpse is, there the eagles will also gather.” When the disciples asked the Lord where these would be taken, He answered: “Where the corpse is, there... are the eagles”; that is, where the Son of Man is, there are all the saints, light and high-flying, while sinners are heavy and therefore remain below. Just as when a dead body lies, all the carnivorous birds flock to it, so when the Son of Man appears from heaven, who died for us and was counted among the corpse, all the saints and even the angels themselves will gather. For He will come with them in the glory of the Father and in unspeakable splendor. Although He called this time night, He called it so because it was unexpected and that darkness would then embrace sinners. But the light will shine on the righteous, and they themselves will be illuminated like the sun (Matthew 13:43).