What it Means to Live in the Kingdom of God; Forgiveness, Gratitude, Coming Kingdom – Luke 17
Icebreaker: How has your view of God and others changed since you first became a Christian?
The Responsibility of Those Living in the Kingdom is to Forgive. Luke 17:1-4
Jesus is speaking with his disciples telling them about the reality of sin and the responsibilities of the disciples. The reality of sin is that sin happens, but woe to those who cause others to sin.
Note: The term “Woe” ouai in Greek is an expression of grief or denunciation. (Strong’s Concordance). Woe, (grief and denunciation) to those people who cause others to sin.
The responsibility of the disciples is to work at not causing others to sin and to forgive each other as we repent. No matter how many times we sin and repent, we are to forgive each other. The disciples, realizing how difficult it is to forgive an unlimited number of times, ask Jesus to increase their faith, so that they will be able to forgive as we are supposed to do.
- Luke 17:1-3a What are the ways we cause each other to sin? (Heb 12:15) What can we do to keep from causing each other to sin? (Col 3:13)
- Luke 17:3b-4 Do you feel that forgiving others is easy or hard?
- Why is it so hard to forgive people when they repeatedly cause the same pain in our lives?
- Are there people in our lives that we harbor resentment towards? What should we do about it?
The Duties of the Citizens of the Kingdom Luke 17: 5-10
Jesus gives the disciples a hypothetical question. Jesus says, what if you had a servant, who did his work and then came in to serve his master. Would you commend the servant as having done something exemplary? He has only done his duty.
5. Do you view forgiving others as a duty to God or as a favor to God, or none of God’s business?
6. What can you do about people with whom you have strained relations?
The Ten Lepers Healed; Only One Shows Gratitude. Luke 17:11-19
Jesus is walking to Jerusalem, on a road between Samaria and Galilee. As He comes to a village, ten men who all had leprosy, call out to Him from a distance away. They ask for His pity, and healing. Jesus tells the lepers to go and show themselves to the priests. The lepers were cleansed as they obeyed, going to show themselves to the priests, in faith. One of the lepers, a Samaritan, came back to Jesus, after he saw that he had been cleansed, praising God, in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked Him. Notice that nine Jewish lepers were healed, who did not come back to thank Jesus. The one who comes back in gratitude was the Samaritan leper.
7. What is more important, showing himself to the priest (obedience) or showing gratitude to Jesus? How does this relate to us?
8. What is the relationship between faith and gratitude? (Luke 17:19, Colossians 2:6-7)
9. What are the blessings in your life for which you have not yet given God thanks?
The Pharisees ask Jesus about the Kingdom of God. Luke 17:20-21
The Pharisees ask Jesus when the Kingdom of God would come. It is apparent that their expectation of the Kingdom of God was a more physical kingdom, observable by physical signs and observable wonders. Jesus was performing miracles, but not presenting the Kingdom of God that they were wanting. Jesus says that the coming of the Kingdom of God is not something that can be observed. In fact, it is in your midst, but no one can see it.
10. What does “the Kingdom of God in your midst” mean?
11. How is the Kingdom of God in our midst today?
12. What aspects of the Christian life are not what you first expected?
13. How do we respond when God does not do as we expect?
Jesus tells the Disciples about the Coming of the Kingdom. Luke 17:22-37
After speaking with the Pharisees, Jesus begins speaking to the disciples (vs 22-23) about the Kingdom, saying you will long for the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. Jesus then begins speaking about the Day of the Lord, the day of God’s judgment. Jesus says like lightning, (v 24) it can’t be missed. But first, He must suffer and be rejected by this generation. Jesus makes the point that the lost will not notice what is happening until judgment comes upon them. Jesus gives the examples of Noah (vs 26 & 27) and Lot (vs 28 & 29). All will be destroyed. Jesus then cautions against growing too attached to earthly lives (Remember Lot’s wife). Our lives are hidden with Christ in God, not in our earthly possessions.
14. If possible, what earthly thing would you like to possess in heaven?
15. What would your husband/wife say is your prized possession?
16. How can we loosen our grip on earthly possessions and cling to our life in Christ?