Thankfulness & Be Ready
Luke 17:11-37– April 10, 2022
Luke 17:11-14. Jesus’ command, when nothing had yet happened to the men, was a test of faith. They were healed as they went in obedience to Jesus’ word.
Luke 17:15-19. All ten were willing to do a religious ceremony; that is go to the priest. Only one was filled with true praise and thanksgiving. “External religious exercises are easy enough, and common enough; but the internal matter, the drawing out of the heart in thankful love, how scarce a thing it is! Nine obey ritual where only one praises the Lord.” (Spurgeon)
Luke 17:20-21. The ancient Greek word translated observation is better-translated, hostile examination. Jesus told the Pharisees that their hostile, doubting eyes were unable to see or receive the kingdom of God.
Within you may also be translated “in your midst.” His presence inaugurated the kingdom of God
In the subsequent verses in this chapter, Jesus makes it clear that the kingdom has two phases—one now and one to come.
Luke 17:22-24. Now speaking to His disciples, Jesus told them that when He left this earth, the days would come when Jesus’ disciples – both near and far off – would long for the Messiah’s return.
Dr. Charles Feinberg, a noted Jewish-Christian scholar, said that in the course of Israel’s history since the time of Jesus, sixty-four different individuals have appeared claiming to be the Messiah.
His return will not be secret! It will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other
Luke 17:25.The absolute certainty, and intensity of this statement is dramatic and stunning. There is no question here, this must be first!
Luke 17:26-30. All things continued as normal, that is until Noah and his family entered the ark. The destruction that came upon Sodom and Gomorrah in the days of Lot came in the morning. The day before seemed much like any other day to the men of Sodom.
Jesus didn’t say that all would be good in the world, or that there would be no crisis. Conditions before the flood and before the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah were terrible, but the wickedness was accepted as normal and routine.
Luke 17:31-33. If you were to sum up these verses and those prior, it would be Prepare for the coming of the King by not being attached to this world. The heart must not be on what is in the house, but what is in heaven. Remember Lot’s wife: “The word Jesus used for ‘remember’ …means to pay heed to; to learn a lesson from.
Luke 17:33-36. This passage is often applied to the rapture, a term applied to Jesus’ coming for His people at a time when the world seems to run in the normal routines of life. The New Testament passage that most clearly describes this event and gives the name rapture from the Latin translation of the passage is 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18. Because this will happen during the normal course of life the emphasis is on readiness.
Luke 17:37. Jesus uses a popular proverb to teach that just as dead bodies attract vultures, so the spiritually dead invite judgment. And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together. The imagery is taken from Job 39:30, “Where the slain are, there is she” (the eagle); the bird intended being most probably the great vulture, well known in Syria. (PULPIT COMMENTARY)
As vultures gather over carrion, so judgment’s storm clouds pile up over the spiritually unprepared or spiritually dead. Since such people would be everywhere, He was likely answering, “Everywhere,” to the question of Where?
WHAT ABOUT US? Ezekiel 33:30. 30 “As for you, son of man, your people are talking together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, saying to each other, ‘Come and hear the message that has come from the Lord.’ 31 My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to hear your words, but they do not put them into practice. Their mouths speak of love, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. 32 Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice.
Will we heed Jesus’ warning and be ready, will we effectively put His words into practice or will we be as those listening to Ezekiel?