Entrapments, Forgiveness and Faith
By Jonathan Mitchell
Some Thoughts on Luke 17:1-19
1. So (or: Now) He said to His disciples, "It continues being inadmissible, incredible, and unable to be received (or: unallowable; or: unavoidable; inevitable; or: impossible; what cannot be) that the entrapments and causes for stumbling are NOT suddenly to come, and then, to go. Nevertheless, tragic is the fate of the person through whom it continues coming (or: It is inwardly unacceptable [that] snares [will] not be [set in place], but all the more, [it will be] a grievous experience for the person who keeps on [setting them])!
We should notice that this passage, of vss. 1-10, is being directed to His disciples, not to the crowds at large. Verse 5 records a request from these "commissioned emissaries," and vss. 6-10 give Jesus' response to them.
He begins by speaking, in general terms, about circumstances in this life. Although His words may have alluded to His own life, as well as to those of His disciples, in the approaching days of His ministry, we see in them a description of situations which, in one way or another, continued on unto our present day.
Notice the semantic range of the adjective (inadmissible, incredible, and unable to be received; or: unallowable; or: unavoidable; inevitable; or: impossible; what cannot be; inwardly unacceptable) that describes, by a negative statement, the things that "are suddenly to come, and then, to go." He seems to be making a strong statement that "entrapments and causes for stumbling (or: snares)," are inevitable and unavoidable, and it is inadmissible, unable to be received, and cannot be, for such negative occurrence NOT to suddenly come and go (I have conflated both meanings of the verb - since this is the character of occurrences in this life). These adversarial encounters just have to exist, in this life of the natural realm.
Yet, "all the more," it will be tragic, and a grievous experience, for the person who keeps on setting the traps. As we follow the narrative story of Jesus and His sent-forth folks, in the first century, we observe that the experience of the cross (for Jesus) and the persecutions/rejections (for His followers), and then the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans (AD 70) proved the reality of Jesus strong affirmation, in this verse.
In the previous chapter, there, in 16:29 of the Gospel, in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, we have Abraham responding to the rich man (a figure of the Judean leadership, in the first century):
"But Abraham proceeds to say, 'They continue having Moses and the Prophets - let them at once listen to, hear from, [and thus obey] them.'"
In addition to Abraham's next response in 16:31 (q.v.), consider what Mat. 23 quotes Jesus, saying,
29. "It will be a tragic fate for you, theologians (scholars of the Law) and Pharisees [who are also] overly judging and critical [see 6:2, above]. Because, [you see], you are repeatedly building the tombs (sepulchers) of the prophets, and are constantly adorning and decorating the memorial grave monuments of just and rightwised folks,
30. "and you are habitually saying, 'If we had been existing in the days of our fathers (= ancestors), we would not have been participants (partners; ones who shared in common and took part) in [spilling] the blood of the prophets.'
31. "As a result, you are continually giving evidence in yourselves (testifying to and for yourselves) that you exist being sons of those that were murdering the prophets,
32. "And so, you, yourselves... Fill full the measure of your fathers!
33. "[You] snakes! [You] offspring (brood) of vipers (poisonous serpents)! How can you flee and escape from the judging which has the qualities, character and significance of the valley of Hinnom (= the sentence to the city dump [Greek: Gehenna; = the Valley of Hinnom]; the deciding which pertains to the waste depository of the city)? [cf Jer. 19:1-15]
34. "Because of this - look and consider! - I, Myself, am continuing in commissioning and sending off to you people prophets, wise people and scholars (scribes; theologians of the Law). Of them, [some] you folks will proceed to be killing, and [some] you will proceed to crucify (hang and put to death on stakes). Further, of them [some] you people will continue severely whipping (scourge; lash) within your synagogues, and then you, yourselves, will continue pursuing and persecuting [them] from city to city (or: town to town),
35. "with the result that upon you, yourselves, can (or: would; should) come all [the] just (equitable; rightwised) blood being continuously poured out (or: spilled) upon the (or: this) Land - from the blood of rightwised (just; fair; in-right-relationship; upright) Abel, until the blood of Zechariah, the son of Barachiah (or: Baruch; [Gospel of the Nazoreans reads: Jehoiada - 2 Chron. 24:20]), whom you people murdered between the Temple and the altar.
36. "Assuredly (Amen; Count on it), I am now saying to you people, it will progressively move toward this point, and then arrive - all these things! - upon THIS generation!"
So when considering Jesus' words, here in vs. 1, about the woes awaiting those who set traps for others, it seems likely that, as with His thoughts expressed in the above text of Mat. 23, He might have had in mind the Judean leadership of His day, when He spoke of "entrapments for stumbling."
Also, in that previous parable, the rich man ends in flames (16:24), which calls to mind the AD 70 end of Jerusalem (cf Rev. 18:9b, 18, 20). And then, with regard to the passage from Mat. 23, above, consider Rev. 18:24,
"And within her was (or: is) found blood of prophets and of set apart folks - even of all those having been slaughtered upon the Land (or: earth)." [cf, also, Rev. 19:2]
Jesus said that the rich man was "clothed in purple" (16:19), and we find "the woman" also "arrayed in purple" in Rev. 17:4.
Take note of the hyperbole that Jesus uses, in the next verse, to describe the sorry end (in this life) for the person who causes stumbling or entrapments.
2. "It continues being an advantage to, and a profit for, him (or: It progressively looses him to the goal) if a stone from a [hand] mill continues lying around (= tied to and hanged from) his neck and then he had been tossed (or: pitched; hurled) into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to stumble, falter, or be ensnared.
Here, He shows that this judgment does not apply just to Himself or His followers, but even to "these little ones" (meaning, we suggest, the immature folks who were listening to Him - those such as Paul described as still needing to be fed milk, instead of solid food - 1 Cor. 3:1-3).
Taking this verse as an apocalyptic pronouncement, this may be seen as the destruction of Jerusalem and then the dispersion of that generation, who escaped death during the Roman-Judean war, into the "sea" of humanity. In vs. 6, below, Jesus uses a similar metaphor, employing the picture of uprooting a mulberry tree and transplanting it into the sea.
3. "Be habitually holding your attention and your selves toward each other, and thus be considerate of, and devoted to, one another. If your brother (or: fellow believer; group or family member) should make a mistake or fail (may miss the goal or fall short; or: happens to sin or go into error and deviate), respectfully give him honorable advice and let him know of his value. Then, if he should change his mind and his thinking [while turning to Yahweh and neighborliness], make the [issue] flow away from him (or: forgive and release him).
4. "Even if he should (or: may) be a failure unto you (or: sin into you) seven times a day, and then seven times should turn around to you, time after time saying, 'I continue in the process of changing my thinking [and am turning to neighborliness],' you will proceed making it flow off, and away, from him (or: be repeatedly forgiving and habitually releasing him)."
Now Jesus turns His instruction to how His followers should respond to the offences, entrapments and snares which they will certainly encounter among the brotherhood - those who will develop into being the called-out, covenant communities, following His resurrection. He anticipates the admonitions of Paul, which we read in his letters to the called-out folks who are growing into maturity, as the body of Christ.
Once again Jesus points to the habitual failures of those who are still dominated by the first Adam existence. Such situations are to be overcome by the work of Christ, who now inhabits His followers. As Jesus did for humanity (Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing - Lu. 23:34) we are to "proceed making their sin and failure, their deviations from hitting the target, to flow off and away from them." We are admonished to "habitually holding your attention and your selves toward each other, and thus be considerate of, and devoted to, one another" in order to keep our compass pointed to True North - the Life of the Anointing.
The hyperbole of "seven times a day" (vs. 4), could be seen as the symbolic number of a complete sin that Israel would soon commit against their Messiah. As to the Judean's later response, at least some who heard Peter's message (Acts 2), said,
"Men... brothers (folks from the same womb), what can or should we do?" (Acts 2:37)And then Peter gave them the answer.
5. And later, the commissioned ones (the emissaries; the sent-ones) said to the Lord, "Apply faith for us (= Be our faith; or: Apply trust in us; = Trust us; or: Put faith toward us; = Give us faith; or: Add faith to us; Increase trust in us; or: Deliver loyalty, allegiance and faithfulness to us; or: Attribute reliability to us; Set us toward confident faithfulness)."
6. So the Lord said, "Since you folks continue having trust (or: If, as is the case, you by habit hold faith and progressively possess confident faithfulness and loyalty) as (or: like) a grain of mustard, you could likely have been saying to this black mulberry tree, 'Be at once rooted out, and then be suddenly planted within the midst of the sea (or: lake),' and it would submissively listen to, and obey, you.
In Mat. 17:20, Jesus used the metaphor of a mountain, instead of a mulberry tree, to express the same idea. We see this symbolism revived, in Rev. 18:21. In OT symbolism, mountains represented kingdoms. In Mat. 21:43, He said that the kingdom of God (its realm and sovereign activities) would be taken (by God) away from the Judean leadership, and would then be given to a swarm of people (or: an ethnic group or nation) "consistently producing its fruit." Jesus used fig trees to be a figure of Israel, and Paul used the olive tree to represent people groups (Rom. 11:17). We suggest that this is an eschatological allusion to the coming destruction of Jerusalem and Judea, which he cloaked in apocalyptic symbolism. The little flock of Jesus' disciples and emissaries had been given the faith and trust to be God's instruments for bringing in the new arrangement of the new creation - which would operate in a new reality (typified by a mulberry tree growing in the sea).
Mention of mustard seed may be associated with the parable in Lu. 13:18-19. In this version the seed was "cast into the man's garden." Jn. 19:41 informs us the Jesus' body was "planted" in a garden. Now recall that in Jn. 12:12, Jesus proclaimed,
"Most assuredly (It is certainly true; Yes, indeed; Count on it; Amen, amen), I am saying to you folks [that] unless the grain of wheat (or: kernel of corn; = seed of an agricultural crop), upon falling into the earth (the ground; the field), should die, it by itself continues remaining alone. Yet if it should die, it proceeds to bear much fruit (= it produces a harvest of many grains, or, seeds)."
It is not really hard to connect the dots in Jesus' thinking, as reported by the various witnesses. The "tree" that grew from the mustard seed may be an allusion to the "tree of Life," in the Garden.
Furthermore, just like Jesus had authority over the winds and waves of the sea, His disciples would also have authority over creation (as did Moses at the Red Sea, and with the rock to give Israel water; as Joshua at the crossing of the Jordan River, and over the sun; as Elijah over the weather; etc.). But this assumes that they would exercise this authority only as they are led by the Spirit (Rom. 8:14), and as they see the Father doing such things (Jn. 5:19).
7. "Now which one [is there] from among you folks normally having a slave [who is] regularly plowing or tending [sheep, or, cattle], who - upon [his] entering from out of the field - will he proceed saying to him, 'Upon coming by [the dining area], immediately recline back [for dinner]'?
8. "To the contrary, will he not rather proceed saying to him, 'At once prepare and make ready what I will eat for the evening meal, and, after girding yourself about (e.g., putting on an apron; or: tightening your belt and tucking in your clothing), continue dispensing and giving me attending service to the extent that I would be eating and drinking. Then, after that, you yourself will proceed eating and drinking'?
9. "He does not continue having gratitude for (or: holding favor to) the slave because he did (or: does) the things being fully arranged (specifically assigned and prescribed), does he? I think (assume; presume; imagine) not!
So why does Jesus, via Luke, give this illustration in this context? What the parable describes can be related to our modern service industry, where once the service is rendered we usually give a tip to the one serving us. But Jesus was drawing upon their current, local culture. He is laying out the norm for the slaves of their day. They had jobs to do, and were expected to do them. The life in God's Realm was one of service, and of taking low social positions. Even though being gifted with Kingdom authority, and being seated with Him in our inner throne, this was not something that is meant to subvert the order of the natural realm. Faith and loyalty were not to be used for personal gain, but rather to spread the Word about the Realm of God being present, and accessible for everyone. Both John the immerser and Jesus proclaimed this fact. Trust was concerned with reliance upon the Lord, and with embodying the Promise of the Father (the Breath-effect; the Spirit) - Lu. 24:49.
Symbolic markers in this parable can be seen from:
1) the slaves plowing and herding animals for the Owner: Israel growing and nurturing God's kingdom (recall Jesus' words, "The harvest is great; the laborers are few," and that Ezk. 34 refers to Israel's leaders as "shepherds.");
2) the priority that had been set was for Israel to serve her Master (including bring "meals" to God, via their sacrifices).
But with the advent of the Messiah, Jesus made some reversals: Jesus was eager to eat the meal with his disciples (Lu. 22:15). But more than that, they were metaphorically to eat His flesh and drink His blood (Life) - perhaps alluded to in vs. 8b, above.
10. "Thus also, in a similar fashion, whenever you yourselves may do all the things being fully arranged (specifically assigned) to you folks, be habitually saying, 'We are useless, unnecessary (= good-for-nothing and unprofitable; or: = ordinary) slaves. We have done that which we were constantly obliged and indebted (or: ought) to do.'"
Again, notice the proscription:
"do all the things being fully arranged and specifically assigned."
If we call Him our Lord (Master; Owner), it is expected that we would do what He tells us to do (Lu. 6:46-69). As we live this kind of life, Faith and Trust are applied to, and in, us (vs.5, above). This kind of life, in which we are joined to, and abide in, the Vine (Jn. 15), does not set traps for folks, or cause them to stumble (vs. 1, above).
11. Later - it happened during the [occasion for] Him to be proceeding on the journey into Jerusalem, and He had been passing through the midst of (or: the border area between) Samaria and Galilee -
Why did Luke throw in the detail that this incident happened during His journey to Jerusalem? Well, partly because the book of Luke is primarily in the setting of this journey. But we also suspect that this healing is connect to the healing of the world, which took place in Jerusalem.
Furthermore, it happened in the border country, which connects the Galilee district to the Gentiles (in this case, the Samaritans - a people group which the Jews despised). In the narrative (vss. 16 and 18) it appears that nine of the ten were Judeans, or Jews. Only one is identified as a foreigner, a Samaritan. Although Jesus' earthly ministry was only focused on the house of Israel, the Gentiles were not excluded. In fact, most, if not all, of the Gentiles who encountered Jesus gladly accepted Him with joy, and responded to His help with thanksgiving, giving respectful honor to Him.
12. at His entering into a certain village, ten adult men - lepers - encountered Him. They stood up at a distance,
Here is the first of two uses of the number ten, in the record of this incident. Symbolically, this would have meant that this whole area (see comments on the #10 in the second use of it, below) was diseased and unclean.
13. and they themselves raised a voice, together saying, "Jesus, Leader (or: Sir; One-who-stands-upon/over-us; Boss), mercy us (do at once that which will be merciful to us)!"
Obviously, these ten men knew about Jesus. Their distressful condition gave them the courage to cry out to Him for help. We understand that lepers were normally avoided, and were required in that culture to keep themselves separate from others (even more than six feet!!). But their faith overcame their fears. Their great need emboldened them.
14. And so, upon seeing [them], He said to them, "After going your way (journeying on [to your homes]), at once fully exhibit (show for examination) yourselves to the [local] priests!" And then it happened - during their proceeding to go under [His instructions] they were at once cleansed!
The reason for exhibiting themselves to the priests, in their respective villages, was so that they would be allowed to return to society, and once again live normal lives. Notice that their cleansing occurred during their acts of obedience to what He had told them to do. Obedience is an important action in the Realm of God. Disobedience has historically brought pain and death - as we saw with Adam (Gen. 3, and Rom. 5:12), and later, with Israel (exile, and destruction - as in AD 70).
Here, all ten men were healed, symbolizing that Jesus cleansed and healed the whole area - a prophetic act pointing to His doing the same for the whole world. Trust, given through the presence of Jesus in our area, both rescues us from our destroyed condition, and then preserves us as we "go our way."
15. Now one from among their group, upon seeing that he was healed, turned around under [this awareness] with a loud voice constantly ascribing the glory to God, enhancing His reputation (or: experiencing imagination and impressions - forming opinions about God),
Were the other nine aware of their healing? The text does not say. But this man "saw," and was thus aware. Perhaps the others became aware from hearing the one loudly giving glory to God. This man gave out a loud voice both before and after his healing.
16. then fell upon [his] face at His feet, repeatedly giving thanks to Him - not only that, this same man was a Samaritan. [cf 10:33, above; Luke emphasizes inclusion]
Apparently, this Samaritan had not walked far from Jesus, for it does not say that he ran back to Jesus, although he may have. He turned around, and then fell on his face at Jesus' feet.
17. Now giving a discerning response [to the crowd], Jesus said, "Were (or: Are) not the ten men cleansed? So where [are] the nine?
Only a little flock, and here only one tenth of the group (a tithe?), entered into a relationship with Jesus. But these small numbers were a "handful of seed upon the top of the mountains" (Ps. 72:16). They would bring a worldwide harvest - all in due time.
18. "Were none found returning to give glory to (or: credit, opinion and repute for) God, except this foreigner (person of another birth, race, or nation)?" [cf Jn. 4:4-42]
This incident puts added faith and trust into His representatives. In the following verse, He explains to the Samaritan that his trust and faith has made him healthy, and has left him whole (etc.). Being cleansed from leprosy was why Jesus used the perfect tense of the verb - the actions was completed in the immediate past, when the ten lepers proceeded obeying Jesus by going their way. The perfect tense also means that the past, completed action had an ongoing result. That act "left him whole, delivered, and rescued."
The number 10 has been considered to be ordinal perfection. Ten lepers were healed, which speaks of the healing of all of humanity via the Word of Christ. Though this is the case (all in one's own class, or order - 1 Cor. 15:23), most do not acknowledge this or give thanks to Christ. They simply go their ways, happy for the gift of healing and wholeness, so that they can return to ordinary lives.
19. And so He said to him, "After arising (or: standing up), continue going your way (journeying on). Your trust and faith has made you healthy and left you whole (or: has healed, delivered and saved you so that you are now rescued from your prior condition)."
All ten of these men had heard the Word about Jesus, and had sought His help for healing. Even the ungrateful were healed - were mercied. This calls to mind Rom. 11:32,
"For you see, God encircles, corrals, encloses, coops up, shuts up on all sides, and locks, ALL mankind (everyone; the entire lot of folks) together into disbelieving incompliance (unpersuaded disobedience; unconfident stubbornness; a lack of being convinced), to the end that He could (or: would; should) mercy ALL mankind (may make everyone - all those folks - recipients of mercy)!"
Both the Samaritan and the (presumably) Jews (cf Rom. 11:17ff) were healed during Jesus' journey to the cross. When folks call out to Jesus for mercy, the gift of Trust that caused us to cry out, "makes us healthy and leaves us whole."
Jonathan
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