Luke 17:24 Komentář

In this chapter we have, I. Some particular discourses which Christ had with his disciples, in which he teaches them to take heed of giving offence, and to forgive the injuries done them (Luk 17:1-4), encourages them to pray for the increase of their faith (Luk 17:5, Luk 17:6), and then teaches them humility, whatever service they had done for God (Luk 17:7-10). II. His cleansing ten lepers, and the thanks he had from one of them only, and he a Samaritan (Luk 17:11-19). III. His discourse with his disciples, upon occasion of an enquiry of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should appear (v. 20-37).

Then said he unto his disciples,.... In the Alexandrian copy, and in "three" of Beza's exemplars it is read, "his disciples"; and so read the Vulgate Latin, and all the Oriental versions; that is, Jesus said to his disciples what follows, as the Syriac and Persic versions express, and the latter reads, he said "again". About the time that he delivered the above parable concerning the rich man and Lazarus, he repeated to his disciples what he had before said to them on another occasion, Mat 18:7 it is impossible but that offences will come; considering the decree of God, the malice of Satan, the wickedness of men, the corruption both of their principles and practices. The Ethiopic version renders it, "temptation will come"; that which will be trying to the faith of the saints, and a stumblingblock to weak minds, as reproach and persecution, errors, and heresies, and the evil lives of professors: but woe unto him through whom they come; See Gill on Mat 18:7

But first must he suffer many things,.... By cruel mockings, spitting, buffeting, scourging, and, at last, death itself; all which must be, and were before his day came, or he entered into his glory, or came in it: and be rejected of this generation; as the Messiah, and be treated with the utmost scorn and contempt, and in the most base and ignominious manner: being put to the death of the cross, and hanged upon the accursed tree: all which were necessary, "must" be; on account of the purposes and decrees of God; the covenant engagements of Christ; the predictions of the prophets of the Old Testament, and his own; and the salvation of his people.

For this is the clear sign of the second coming of our Saviour, that suddenly the lustre of His coming shall fill the whole world; and so it follows, For as the lightning that lighteneth, &c. For He will not appear walking upon the earth, as any common man, but will illuminate our whole universe, manifesting to all men the radiance of His divinity.

He who knows the signs of the coming judgment also knows the end. Why would he not know? He is like flashing lightning, since as the Light, the Son of God illumines the inner part of the heavenly mystery. “In that hour,” it says. He also knows the hour, but he knows it for himself, he does not know it for me. He then suitably asserts that the cause of the flood, fire and of the judgment proceeded from our sins, because God did not create evil, but our actions devised it for themselves.

At the end time of the world, he will not descend from heaven obscurely or secretly, but with godlike glory and as dwelling in the light which no one can approach. He declared that his coming will be like the lightning. He was born indeed in the flesh of a woman, to fulfill the dispensation for our sakes. For this reason, he emptied himself, made himself poor, and no longer showed himself in the glory of the Godhead. The season and the necessity of the dispensation summoned him to this humiliation. After his resurrection from the dead, ascension into heaven, and enthronement with God the Father, he will descend again. He will not descend with his glory withdrawn or in the lowliness of human nature. In the majesty of the Father with the companies of the angels guarding him, he will stand before him as God and Lord of all. He will come as the lightning, and not secretly.

For as a lightning flash that lights up from under heaven shines unto everything under heaven, so will the Son of Man be in His day. This is what the psalm says: God will come manifest, our God, and will not keep silent (Psalm XLIX), because clearly the second coming of the Savior will be not in humility as before, but in glory and majesty. And it is beautifully said: Flashing from under heaven, because judgment will happen under heaven, that is, in the midst of the air, as the Apostle testifies, who says: We will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air (I Thess. IV). But if the Lord will appear in judgment like lightning, then no one will be allowed to hide in his mind, because he is penetrated by the very brightness of the judge. Therefore, neither the time nor place of His coming can be observed by mortals, as He will obviously come blazing and sudden like lightning to all. However, this response of the Lord can also not incongruously be taken regarding that coming of His, by which He comes daily in the Church. For the Kingdom of God is within us, because He who will come as the judge of all in time now even presently reigns in the hearts of the faithful. Indeed, the heretics often so disturbed the Church, each saying in his own doctrine that the faith of Christ remains, that the faithful of those times desired the Lord to return to earth, even for one day if it were possible, and by Himself to declare the truth of faith as it stands. And he said: And you will not see, because it is not necessary to return the Lord in this bodily vision, which once the brightness of His Gospel was spread throughout the entire world He has spiritually exhibited, and against all the assaults of apocryphal writings He has established with the undivided light of His love.

And he well says, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, because the judgment will be given under the heaven, that is, in the midst of the air, as the Apostle says, We shall be caught up together with them in the clouds. (1 Thess. 4:17.) But if the Lord shall appear at the Judgment like lightning, then shall no one remain hidden in the deep of his heart, for the very brightness of the Judge pierces through him; we may also take this answer of our Lord to refer to His coming, whereby He comes daily into His Church. For ofttimes have heretics so vexed the Church, by saying that the faith of Christ stands in their own dogma, that the faithful in those times longed that the Lord would if it were possible even for one day return to the earth, and Himself make known what was the true faith. And you shall not see it, because it need not that the Lord should again testify by a bodily presence that which has been spiritually declared by the light of the Gospel, once scattered and diffused throughout the whole world.

For My second coming, most radiant and most glorious, will not be confined to any one place, but just as lightning is not hidden but appears from one end of the earth to the other, so bright and manifest will My second coming be, and it will be hidden from no one. Therefore, do not yield to the temptations of false christs. Previously I appeared in a manger and for thirty years was in humiliation, but then it will not be so: I will come in all glory, accompanied by angelic hosts, and in a single instant.

Christ teaches the necessity of avoiding offenses, Luk 17:1, Luk 17:2. How to treat an offending brother, Luk 17:3, Luk 17:4. The efficacy of faith, Luk 17:5, Luk 17:6. No man by his services or obedience can profit his Maker, Luk 17:7-10. He cleanses ten lepers, Luk 17:11-19. The Pharisees inquire when the kingdom of God shall commence; Christ answers them, and corrects their improper views of the subject, vv. 20-37.

As the lightning, that lighteneth - See this particularly explained, Mat 24:27, Mat 24:28 (note).

OFFENSES--FAITH--HUMILITY. (Luk 17:1-10) (See Mat 18:6-7).

as lightning . . . so . . . the Son of man--that is it will be as manifest. The Lord speaks here of His coming and manifestation in a prophetically indefinite manner, and in these preparatory words blends into one the distinctive epochs [STIER]. When the whole polity of the Jews, civil and ecclesiastical alike, was broken up at once, and its continuance rendered impossible by the destruction of Jerusalem, it became as manifest to all as the lightning of heaven that the kingdom of God had ceased to exist in its old, and had entered on a new and perfectly different form. So it may be again, ere its final and greatest change at the personal coming of Christ, and of which the words in their highest sense are alone true.