Background

Luke chapter 17 verses 1 to 19 - He said to his disciples, "It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to him through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he would 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 a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, 'I repent,' forgive him." The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" And the Lord said, "If you had faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and be planted in the sea'; and it would obey you. Which of you, having a slave plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come immediately and sit down to eat'? But will he not say to him, 'Prepare something for me to eat, and properly clothe yourself and serve me while I eat and drink; and afterward you may eat and drink '? He does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he? So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, 'We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.' "

While he was on the way to Jerusalem, he was passing between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten leprous men who stood at a distance met him; and they raised their voices, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" When he saw them, he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they were going, they were cleansed. Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at his feet, giving thanks to him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered and said, "Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine -where are they? Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?" And he said to him, "Stand up and go; your faith has made you well."

There are times when stumbling blocks have a positive context and others when they are negative. Where someone is knowingly obstinate and refusing to consider his message, Jesus is called a stumbling block. In particular, his death on the cross is seen as a stumbling block for those who deny its significance (1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 23).

The location of this passage is significant, around passages where Jesus is emphasising that how we live now impacts on the future life after death (see Luke chapter 16; 17 verses 20 to 37). Within this theme Jesus instructs his disciples on the importance of forgiveness (verses 1 to 4).

The teaching here focuses on children and those who are childlike, maybe with a weakness or are easily led astray (verse 2). These are people who need to be encouraged and supported by being a good example of how to live, not by tripping them up (1 Corinthians chapter 8 verse 9). A stumbling block is not to be placed in front of a blind person (Leviticus chapter 19 verse 14).

It a good exercise to consider whether we are putting obstacles in the way of people or removing them on the way between them and the kingdom of God (Isaiah chapter 57 verse 14).

This is why Jesus emphasises forgiveness. Instead of looking for and trying to tackle sins, the emphasis should be on repentance and forgiveness. Even repeat offenders should still be forgiven (verses 3 to 4).

Forgiveness is linked with increasing faith (verses 5,6). Discipleship is about service, without reward. It is about caring for others (verses 7 to 10).

Luke then includes a practical example where ten lepers were healed but only one returned to thank Jesus and acknowledge God’s intervention into his life (verses 11 to 19).