This coming Sunday is the 27th Sunday in Year C with the Gospel taken from Luke 17:5-10. Throughout the previous chapter (Luke 16), Jesus has addressed the Pharisees and scribes (scholars of the law) with beginning and ending parables: the dishonest steward and the rich man and Lazarus – each begins with a statement, “There was a rich man.” The clear target were the lovers of money, i.e., those whose love of riches prevented them from truly being lovers of God. Although the parables are aimed at the Pharisees the lesson continues a theme from 12:1 “Beware of the leaven–that is, the hypocrisy–of the Pharisees.”  The disciples are reminded of the characteristics of true discipleship as well as the pitfalls along the way.

In addition, looking ahead to Luke 17:11: “As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem…” it is clear that Luke will return to a travel motif to continue telling the narrative. It is as though v.11 marks a new subsection within the longer travel narrative (9:51-19:48).  Joel Green holds that 17:1-10 marks the end of a lengthy question that began in 13:10, namely, “who will participate in the kingdom of God?” (Green, Luke, 611). If this is true, then clearly the two characteristics emphasized are faith and service.

In Luke 17 the audience for the lesson is the disciples (v.1). Luke draws together four sayings:

• a warning against causing others to stumble (vv.1-2),
• a challenge to be forgiving (vv.4-5),
• a call to the exercise of faith (vv.5-10) , and 
• a reminder of the duties of discipleship (vv.11-19; next Sunday’s gospel)

They seem to be disparate sayings, almost as thought thrown together, lacking a thematic coherence.  But in the broader question of “who will participate in the kingdom of God?” the coherence may be as simple as “don’t be like the Pharisees” especially in their lack of regard for the “little ones” (v.2).

Image credit: The Exhortation to the Apostles | James Tissot | ca. 1890 | Brooklyn Museum NYC | PD-US