As to what follows, see on Matthew 24:28. REFLECTIONS.—1st, The discourse given us, Luke 17:1-10 is particularly addressed to the disciples, and contains. See on Matthew 24:28; (note). .," p137.]. and When? Similarly the presence of a dead body outdoors indicated that a vulture would be along soon to eat the carrion (cf. The lepers did not, would not, go of themselves, but are sent by Christ (Luke 17:14. This also has been applied to our Lord; and Calmet says it is the greatest proof we have of the divinity of Christ, that he did not permit the malice of the Jews, nor the rage of the devil, to prevail against him. However that is not because His servants have placed Him in their debt but because He graciously gives them more than what is just. 1. to place together, to set in the same place, to bring or band together; in the 2 aorist, perfect and pluperfect intransitively, to stand with (or near): συνεστώς τίνι, Luke 9:32. Whither should we fly, but to our Jesus? Even here and now, wherever the corpse is, wherever Jesus is evidently set forth crucified, there, mysteriously raised above earthly things, made lofty and royal in their graces, Christ’s eagles “gather round” Him who is the spiritual food and the life eternal of all such eagles. I. Jesus" teaching about His return17:20-18:8. He informs them that the Messiah must suffer many things, and be rejected of that generation: but when, by death, he has completed the great work of atonement, then all his enemies and theirs must fall before him. ; that by the "eagle" is meant, Christ; and by "the body", or "carcass", the church in the times of antichrist; and by "gathering" to it, the coming of Christ: for though Christ may be said to bear and carry his people, as the eagle bears and carries its young upon its wings, which he observes from Exodus 19:4 yet not a single eagle, but "eagles", in the plural number, are here mentioned; which shows, that not a single person, as Christ, but many are here intended, even legions of Roman soldiers: nor can the church of Christ be compared to a dead and filthy carcass, in the worst of times, even in the times of antichrist; for however forlorn, distressed, and afflicted her condition is, she is kept alive, and in some measure pure from antichristian pollutions; and is represented by a woman, to whom two wings of a great eagle are given (wherefore she should rather be designed by the eagles) to fly with into the wilderness, where she is preserved and nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, Revelation 12:14. 21. Christ sent them to the priests for inspection, whom the law had made the judges of leprosy. A short lesson for the Pharisees17:20-21. The Lord of nature, in the Book of Job, says of the eagle, His creature--“she abideth upon the rock from thence she seeketh the prey; her eyes behold afar off … where the slain are, there is she.” The Lord of grace adds His application--as the eaglets gather round the corpse, so the souls of men, and especially of the elect, gather round Jesus. The very word “Communion” teaches us that we are encompassed by a great cloud of witnesses. where will such calamities come? Matthew 18:6). His faith had not only obtained his cure in common with the rest, but had brought salvation into his soul. When references are found in other StudyLight.org reference tools, a hyperlink will appear in the right-hand column, allowing you to move to that resource and expand your Bible study. The disciples know not the universality of this which our Lord is announcing to them, and which His dark and awful saying proclaims, see note on it, Matthew 24:28. TO KNOW: The night was over and the morning light of the new creation was beginning to dawn. The incident teaches that people whom Jesus delivers and who believe on Him have a moral obligation to express their gratitude to Him for what He has done for them. 2. p. 338). This teaching is quite similar to portions of the Olivet Discourse (cf. However, He told the disciples that the sign of the coming of the Son of Man would precede it ( Matthew 24:3; Matthew 24:27). Luke 9:22; Luke 9:41; Luke 11:29; Luke 11:31-32; Luke 11:50-51; Luke 24:26; Luke 24:46; Matthew 16:21; Acts 17:3). 6. "Vultures hovering over dead bodies graphically depict the death and judgment that comes with Jesus" return as the judging Son of Man ( Luke 17:37)." . . Observe, there is not a word, except so far as the greater coming includes the lesser, in all this, of the destruction of Jerusalem. He began this discourse by reminding His disciples of His speedy death, resurrection, ascension, and utter removal from the earth, and their subsequent anxiety “to see one of the days of the Son of man.” Hence you observe the emphasis laid on His personal coming throughout, and at the same time the warning He gives them in reference to the signs which would precede the destruction of Jerusalem, posting them lest they be led astray with reference to His coming, and at the same time assuring them that His personal return to the earth will be so distinctly marked that no one can possibly be mistaken, as “every eye shall see Him.” Now, we know that this prophecy has not yet been fulfilled, neither the rapture of the saints nor the gathering of the eagles, except in a preliminary sense at the termination of preceding dispensations. A new subject begins at the end of this pericope. . Nevertheless there is nothing in the context that connects with the idea of observing Jewish rites. Luke 17:37. Jesus" return would be unmistakable (cf. Likewise people living when Jesus returns will need to seek physical refuge rather than clinging to earthly treasures (cf. (H. J.Wilmot Buxton, M. ", To report dead links, typos, or html errors or suggestions about making these resources more useful use the convenient, Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament, Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. By claiming to be unworthy they were not saying that they were totally worthless people. seek not for Christ's kingdom, in the mere outward things of observation; but seek it in the power of grace within, in the Lord's empire in the heart. Daniel 9:24-27), and His return. wheresoever the body is; the carcass of the Jewish nation, as at Jerusalem chiefly, and in whatsoever place: thither will the eagles be gathered together; the Roman army, whose ensign was the eagle; these will come, seize upon them, and take them and devour them, as they did: the Persic version renders it, "vultures"; See Gill on Matthew 24:28. The lepers stood at a distance from others because they were unclean and possibly because their disease was contagious. Physical destruction is in view ( Luke 17:31). ., p654-55; Manson, p304. Jesus again followed instruction with illustration. Luke 11:53-54; Luke 13:34-35). The apostles themselves were conscious of the weakness of their faith; they knew that his grace alone could supply their wants; therefore in prayer to him they make their application. It also repeats the hope that some will escape divine condemnation when the Son of Man returns, namely, the righteous living on earth then. And He said to them, "Where the body is, there also the vultures will be gathered. It would be an exceedingly superficial view of these prophecies that would restrict them to their merely preliminary fulfillment in the destruction of Jerusalem; whereas you see plainly that the great moment is our Lord’s second coming, which did not take place at that time. Rather than giving them a geographical site, Jesus told them what to look for. ., p642. It also illustrates the fact that the Jews were happy to receive the benefits of Jesus" ministry without thanking Him or connecting His goodness with God. Test drive it and tell us about your experience. The disciples hearing our Saviour speak of such tremendous calamities, enquire, where these judments should fall. In answer to his disciples, who inquired, Where, Lord? Had this duty been neglected, what clamours had perhaps been raised by his envious adversaries! "As surely as a carcass draws birds of prey, so sin would draw judgment, and there would the Messiah be found. Oh! Julian, the apostate emperor, took for his crest an eagle pierced through the heart by an arrow feathered from his own wing, and as a motto the words, “Our death flies to us with our own feather.” So every sinner who dies impenitent knows that the arrow of remorse which pierces him is of his own making, that the dark spectres, which are gathered like eagles around him, are of his own inviting. We note some similarities & some contrasts. Luke 21), some have attributed (Schleiermacher, p. 215 ff., 265 ff., Neander, Olshausen, Bleek), others have denied (de Wette), originality to Luke. And His people are as His eaglets--nay, themselves eagles of God. One of the poor lepers no sooner received his cure, than he immediately returned, with a loud voice glorifying God, adoring the power and grace which he had so richly experienced; and fell at the feet of Jesus, with warmest gratitude expressing his acknowledgments of the mercy which he had received. Now, the awful doom o£ Judaism is hastening and her destruction ripening. The kingdom was already among Jesus" hearers in the person of the King ( Luke 11:20), but because the nation had rejected Jesus His hearers would not see the kingdom. . It is well, however, to accustom ourselves to look at them in the proper light, namely, as beneficent, not only that we may not miss or misread a great deal which is written for our learning in the pages of history, but that in the changing fashions of our theology we may be always mindful of one thing, to recognize God as not a God of the dead but of the living. Steam and electricity are new ideas, new forces by which man has extended his command over material resources indispensable for his existence. . Comp. What virtue there is in misery, that can unite even the most estranged hearts! Why should not we, O God, keep a book of our receipts from thee, which, agreeing with thine, may at once declare thee bounteous and us grateful! It will be an unmistakable event in history and will involve physical danger for earth-dwellers because divine judgment will follow immediately. So with Jerusalem falling to pieces in its last decomposition and self-dissolution. The idea of sudden destruction resulting in judgment runs through the entire passage. A host of things in which there was life because there was use become refuse and old lumber--hand-looms, wooden ships, mail coaches--and with regard to them the question is how they are to be got rid of. 17 Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Nine out of the ten went on; but this man, though a Samaritan, a stranger to the commonwealth of Israel, evinced deeper gratitude and more unfeigned religion than those who professed themselves of the peculiar people of God. Luke now records the closing events of that astonishing Sabbath afternoon in Perea. The twofold inquiry that always greets the prophet is Where? The general teaching of the parable is that Jesus" appearing and the beginning of the kingdom will be sudden and unexpected by most people who are alive then. Where, Lord? . There is scarce one in ten that is careful to give God his own: this neglect is not more general than displeasing; and Christ had never missed their presence, had not their absence been hateful and injurious. In all probability, this refers to the body of mankind, at last completely dead in sin, demanding by their sins and rebellion against God that the final judgment be executed upon them; just as a dead body would draw vultures, so humanity that is morally dead will inevitably draw the judgment of God upon them. And answering they *said to Him, "Where, Lord?" The latter view depends upon the assertion of a want of connection, and partial inappropriateness of the expressions in Luke, which assumption, however, is not justified by the exposition. The Pharisees believed that their righteous deeds put God in their debt, as did many of the Jews. To no other place in the world can it be referred but to Matthew 24:28. Where the dead carcass is, there will be the birds of prey - where the sin is, there will the punishment be. They decided to obey and immediately experienced healing (cf. Where there is ripeness for them there is no escape from them; but they only fall where there is that ripeness. Whoever has stood at a good man’s death-bed must feel that the dying man is not alone, nor allowed in that last hour for any pains of death to fall from God. These two questions are prompted by curiosity and self-interest. "This word of Jesus does not invite Christians to become conjurers and magicians, but heroes like those whose exploits are celebrated in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews." ): that offence is ours, which we did not prevent when we might. It must needs be, considering the natural corruption of our nature, the craft of Satan, and the temptations of the world, that offences come; but woe to persecutors, who discourage and oppose the work of God; woe to seducers, who corrupt the truth, and deceive the souls of men with pernicious heretics; woe to faithless professors, whose carnal lives stumble the weak and harden the wicked: better were it for them to die with the vilest of malefactors, than live to increase their everlasting misery. Matthew 24:17-18; Mark 13:15-16; Luke 21:21). (Luke 24:40). Happy birthday to me! When we would obtain universal favours, we must not content ourselves with solitary devotions, but join our spiritual forces together, and supplicate the Almighty in full assembly. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes, One of over 110 Bible commentaries freely available, this commentary, by E.W. So, said he, these armies will flock to the place where there is the most wickedness; and by this their thoughts were directed at once to Jerusalem, the place of eminent wickedness, and the place, therefore, where these calamities might be expected to begin. Matthew 25:31-46). Note; (1.) They meant that they were unworthy of any reward because all the service they had rendered was simply their duty to their Master. The chiastic structure of Jesus" three questions ( Luke 17:17-18) is another indication that the focus of attention is on the ingratitude of the nine healed lepers. Wm. [Note: Liefeld, " Luke," p994.] Difficulty or ease in the execution of the command, are equally vain pretences for disobedience. Wheresoever the body is; wherever the unbelieving Jews are, there will their destroyers be upon them, as eagles upon their prey. Wheresoever, &c. Figure of speech Parcemia. The disciple"s responsibility in such cases is twofold: admonition of the sinner, and generous forgiveness of the penitent (cf. Wheresoever the body is.—See Note on Matthew 24:28, the only variation being the use of “body” instead of “carcase.” The repetition of the half-proverbial saying at a later period indicates its importance as a law of God’s government. ): the disease is cured ere it can be complained of; for their shewing to the priest, presupposes them to be whole. [Note: Liefeld, " Luke," p997.] Luke 23:52; Acts 9:40. Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to … Alexander. The inordinate pursuit of this world's gratifications is apt to lull the soul into a fatal security. "Eating and drinking" and "marrying and being given in marriage" are phrases that describe people living life normally. Phillips sets the context - The Lord had read their hearts aright. Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible. A warning against giving offence. Not only are we in that Sacrament made one with Christ, and with all true members of His Church, but we join in the work of saints and angels, and they take part with us. And they answered and said unto him, where, Lord, thither will the eagles be gathered together, And they answering say unto him, Where, Lord, And he said unto them, Where the body [is], thither will the eagles also be gathered together. Here his point was that God is under no obligation to reward us. See Job 39:30. a kingdom can hardly be "here" or "there", and so the reference must be to the ruler himself." Very ancient authorities exhibit this versicle in Luke also, as well as in Matt. God will indeed reward faithful service ( Luke 12:35-37; Luke 12:42-48). Jesus" teaching about the arrival of the kingdom arose out of a question from the Pharisees. Συκόμορος or συκομορέα is the fig-mulberry, Th. With regard to the discourses which are set forth here, Luke 17:22-37, but in Matthew 24 at another time and in another connection, viz. It had begun with an invitation to dinner that was really a plot to snare Him. Matthew 17:20; Matthew 21:21; Mark 11:23). 4. In every department of human life the same process is at work, that which lives and grows necessitating the dissolution and removal of that which is useless and corrupt. They just needed to use the faith they had. Matthew 24:28; Revelation 19:21). It was common for a mother and daughter or two female friends to grind grain together in Jesus" day (cf. Even inspired prophecy has been treated in the spirit of this desire. When Jesus said the days of the Son of Man would be similar to the days of Noah He meant the days just before the Son of Man"s reign. Matthew 24:23-28; Matthew 24:37-39), though the differences suggest separate teaching situations. The Jews had more knowledge about Messiah and His coming than foreigners. There would be no dramatic change in Jesus" day to announce that the kingdom had arrived either. ); Christ, who was above the law, would not transgress it: he knew that this was his charge by Moses. It may be a product of civilization and of national struggles and aspirations. Mildly endeavour to convince an offending brother; and the moment he expresses his repentance, let the arms of forgiveness and reconciliation be open to him. (2.) And he said unto them, Where the body is, thither will the eagles also be gathered together. So truly then as there is ripeness for judgment, and wherever there is that ripeness, there shall come the judgment of the day of the Lord. The lepers" response would have taught the disciples and everyone else present the importance of trusting and obeying Jesus" word. Some will be ready for His return and others will not. There would be many false alarms about His return, but disciples should not allow others to mislead them (cf. OR, AT AFTERNOON OR EVENING MASS, LUKE 24:13-35) (Acts 10:34a, 37-43; Psalm 118; Colossians 3:1-4 or 1 Corinthians 5:6b-8) KEY VERSE: "He saw and believed" (v.8). The original command in this case runs, "either to Aaron or to one of his Sons." Our Lord would reiterate his reply, Where the carcase, there the eagles. We should often remember Lot's wife, and tremble at the thought of drawing back. But the main idea is their close association. Wheresoever, etc. ], "It is not so much great faith in God that is required as faith in a great God." One only was thankful (Luke 17:15.). The place is known and branded with the infamy of paganism: outward disadvantage of place or parentage cannot block up the way of God's grace towards the penitent sinner, whatever be his country; as, on the other hand, the privileges of birth and nature avail us nothing without repentance. This is why destruction which goes along with creation is so often a painful and terrible experience. When I have touched thee on the eyes, life’s latest ache will cease; God bade me come as I am seen amid the heavenly host,--, No enemy of awful mould, but he who loveth most.’”, So looks the Christian on death, as being a fair and gracious messenger from God, bringing to the captive liberty, and to the weary rest. Jesus sees the Roman armies coming to obliterate the nation and annihilate the Jewish polity. Evidently the disciples ( Luke 17:22) wanted to know where this judgment would occur. [Note: Marshall, The Gospel . Many of the Jews in Jesus" day apparently believed that Messiah would come at a Passover celebration. So, wherever there is a body of moral and spiritual death--something rotten in Church or State--the vultures of judgment, the punishers and avengers that belong to it in the very nature of things, come mysteriously from their places, and with boding voices, deepening upon the breezes, gather round the spoil. It is the same underlying thought with that noble utterance in the twelfth chapter of St. John. The principle is general. WHERE ARE WE TO LOOK FOR SIGNS OF OUR LORD’S COMING? Christ expresses his approbation of his conduct, and encourages his faith. Jesus and the apostles taught elsewhere that the prospect of reward should motivate disciples to serve the Lord ( Matthew 6:19-21; 1 Corinthians 3:10-15; 1 Corinthians 9:24-27; 2 Corinthians 5:9-10; 1 John 2:28; 1 Peter 4:13; 1 Peter 5:1-4). The meaning, then, on the whole, according to this interpretation, is as follows: The “carcass”--the corpse of Jesus Christ as crucified--that is the meeting-point of human souls, the centre of attraction in the world of spirits. In this chapter we have, I. This is the root whence all other graces flow; as this strengthens, they increase and manifest themselves. 5. The disciples would desire to see the kingdom come because they would experience persecution before Jesus returned. Evidently the apostles concluded that such a magnanimous approach to forgiving would require more faith in God than they possessed. [Note: Plummer, p407.] Everyone will know when it begins. These ten are met together, and they meet Christ; not casually, but upon due deliberation: no wonder if they thought no attendance too long to be delivered from so loathsome, so miserable a disease. Where, Lord? where the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together: etc., are a fragment detached from some connected discourse. See "Armageddon" Revelation 16:14; Revelation 19:17. epistata, a word found only in Luke in the New Testament) indicated a measure of faith in Him. ed. Our attitude should be that God does not need us to serve Him and that serving Him is only our duty for which He is under no obligation to reward us. App-6. Habakkuk 1:8 - 'Their horses are swifter than leopards And keener than wolves in the evening. [Note: Manson, p304.]. Is it not written--“Ye have seen how I bare you on eagles’ wings”? This is clear from the comparison with the beginning of the Flood. Luke 10:25-37)." . ], "This word of Jesus does not invite Christians to become conjurers and magicians, but heroes like those whose exploits are celebrated in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews.
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