10. . V . Inflexibility

17:1-10

Disciples

"you should forgive"

17:1-10 He said to his disciples. It is impossible that offences should not be committed. But woe to the one through whom they come. It would be better for a millstone to be put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. Take note yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him. If he repents, forgive him. And if in the one day he sins against you seven times, and then he turns to you saying "I repent," you should forgive him." The apostles said to the Lord. "Help us to increase our faith." The Lord said "If you have faith as small as a grain of mustard you would have been able to say to this

sycamine tree "Be uprooted and be planted in the sea." And it would have obeyed you. But who amongst you who has a slave ploughing or herding who when he comes out of the farm will say to him. "Come up immediately and rest." Rather you will say to him. "Get me something to eat. Then fix up your clothes and wait on me while I eat and drink. Then after these things you can eat and drink yourself." He does not have to thank the slave because he did what he was told. And so it is with yourselves. When you do everything that has been commanded you admit "We are (still) unprofitable slaves. We have only done what we should have done."

Forgive To Jerusalem (17:11)

As constantly elsewhere the mention of forgiveness is highlighted c/f at the end of the first half of the Section.

11. . V . Ingratitude

17:11-19

Ten lepers

"but where the nine?"

	17:11-19 It happened that as he continued to go up to Jerusalem he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. As he entered into a certain village he came upon ten leprous men who stood afar off. And they lifted up their voice saying "Jesus Master, pity us." And seeing them he said "Go and show yourselves to the priests." As it happened, as they went up to show themselves, they were cleansed.	One of them, seeing that he was cured, returned with a great voice praising God. He fell on his face at the feet of (Jesus). He was a Samaritan. Answering Jesus said to him. "Were not all ten cleansed? But where are the other nine? Only one has returned to give glory to God and he is a stranger." He said to him. "Get up and go. It is your faith that has healed you."
It has been maintained c/f Reality Search that Luke sub-divides the main Sections of his gospel with a comment about Jesus going up to Jerusalem. This fits in with the overall structure of the gospel, (c/f Reality Search) of the need for a society based upon place or order to have a sense of direction. Otherwise it will implode. In the eleventh paragraph here, there is a mention about going up to Jerusalem. Does this mean another Section begins? Maybe. On the other hand this eleventh paragraph begins the second half of twenty paragraphs. Elsewhere in the gospels the middle paragraph is also given some prominence, that is, by the mention of a key point. The mention here of going up to Jerusalem could be a kind of orientation check by Luke, like a half-way mark. He would expect something similar from the society which he is outlining.