ELL Bible Study: Luke 17:1-10 — Faith, Forgiveness, and Our Duty

This Bible study lesson is for people who are learning English (ELL or ESL students). It is made for advanced beginner and intermediate English learners. Children who speak English or adults who prefer easy English may also enjoy it and learn from it.

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Luke 17:1-10 Printable Discussion Questions

Lesson Icebreaker Question

Has anyone ever said sorry to you many times in one day? How did you feel?

Lesson Highlight

In this lesson, we will learn what Jesus teaches about forgiving others, having faith, and doing our duty to God. We will talk about how small faith can do big things and how we are called to forgive again and again.

Vocabulary List (GNT)

After — Coming later in time.
Apostles — The 12 special followers of Jesus whom he chose to spread his message.
Apron — A cloth you wear over your clothes to keep them clean while working or cooking.
Around — In a circle on every side of something.
Better — More good or helpful than something else.
Brother — A man or boy who has the same parents as you, or a close friend in God’s family.
Cause — To make something happen.
Comes In — Enters a place or room.
Deserve — To have earned something because of what you did.
Disciples — People who follow and learn from a teacher, especially Jesus.
Done — Finished something.
Duty — A job or responsibility you must do.
Eat — To take food into the mouth, chew, and swallow it.
Faith — Believing and trusting in God.
Fall — To go down to the ground without control.
Field — An open piece of land, often with grass or crops.
Forgive — To stop being angry at someone who did wrong.
Greater — Bigger or more important.
Hurry Along — To move quickly.
Large — Big in size.
Little Ones — Small children or people who are weak and need care.
Looking After — Taking care of someone or something.
Meal — The food you eat at one time, like breakfast or dinner.
Millstone — A big, heavy stone used to crush grain into flour.
Must — Something you have to do.
Mustard Seed — A very tiny seed that grows into a large plant, used in the Bible to show how small faith can do big things.
Neck — The part of the body between the head and the shoulders.
Obey — To do what you are told.
Of Course Not — A way to say no in a strong or clear way.
Only — No more than; just.
Orders — Directions or commands someone gives you to follow.
Ordinary — Normal or common, not special.
Plant — To put a seed or plant into the ground to grow.
Plowing — Turning over soil to get it ready for planting.
Pull Up — To take something out of the ground.
Put On — To dress in clothing or to place something on your body.
Repent — To be sorry for sin and decide to turn away from it.
Rebuke — To tell someone they have done wrong.
Roots — The parts of a plant that grow underground and take in water.
Same — Not different; exactly alike.
Say — To speak words.
Sea — A large body of salt water.
Servant — A person who works for another person.
Sheep — Farm animals with thick wool coats.
Sins — Wrong actions or bad choices against God.
Suppose — To imagine or think about a situation.
Supper — Another word for dinner, the evening meal.
Tell — To speak and give information to someone.
Terrible — Very bad or awful.
Thrown — To be pushed or sent through the air.
Tied — Fastened with a rope or string.
Wait On — To serve someone by bringing them food or drinks.
Watch What You Do — Be careful about your actions.

Summary of the Passage

This passage shares three important lessons Jesus gave to his followers. He wanted them to know how to live with faith, forgiveness, and the right attitude before God.

First, Jesus warned his friends about sin. He said it is very bad to make someone else sin. We should be careful about how we act. If a person does something wrong, we should tell them kindly. If they say sorry, we must forgive them. Even if they do it many times in one day, we should keep forgiving. This is how God wants people to treat one another.

Next, the apostles asked Jesus to help them have more faith. Jesus told them that even a very small faith, like a tiny mustard seed, can do great things. It is not the size of our faith that matters, but trusting in God’s great power.

Last, Jesus spoke about a servant’s duty. A servant works hard and does not expect a special thank you just for doing his job. Jesus reminded his followers that we are like servants. We should obey God and do what is right because it is our duty, not to get a reward.

This passage teaches us to be careful not to lead others into sin, to forgive often, to trust God, and to serve him humbly.

Read The Passage

Most English learners should use the Easy-to-Read Version (ERV), the New International Reader’s Version (NIRV), or the Good News Translation (GNT). If you want to try something harder, you can read one of the other Bible versions.

Text from the ERV Bible Translation

Sin and Forgiveness
17 Jesus said to his followers,
“Things will surely happen that will make people sin.
But it will be very bad for anyone who makes this happen.
2 It will be very bad for anyone who makes one of these little children sin.
It would be better for them to have a millstone tied around their neck and be drowned in the sea.
3 So be careful!
“If your brother or sister in God’s family does something wrong, warn them.
If they are sorry for what they did, forgive them.
4 Even if they do something wrong to you seven times in one day, but they say they are sorry each time, you should forgive them.”
How Big Is Your Faith?
5 The apostles said to the Lord,
“Give us more faith!”
6 The Lord said,
“If your faith is as big as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree,
‘Dig yourself up and plant yourself in the ocean!’
And the tree will obey you.
Be Good Servants
7 “Suppose one of you has a servant who has been working in the field, plowing or caring for the sheep.
When he comes in from work, what would you say to him?
Would you say, ‘Come in, sit down and eat’?
8 Of course not!
You would say to your servant,
‘Prepare something for me to eat.
Then get ready and serve me.
When I finish eating and drinking, then you can eat.’
9 The servant should not get any special thanks for doing his job.
He is only doing what his master told him to do.
10 It is the same with you.
When you finish doing all that you are told to do, you should say,
‘We are not worthy of any special thanks.
We have only done the work we should do.’”
Luke 17:1-10 (ERV)

Text from the GNT Bible Translation

Sin
1 Jesus said to his disciples, “Things that make people fall into sin are bound to happen, but how terrible for the one who makes them happen!
2 It would be better for him if a large millstone were tied around his neck and he were thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.
3 So watch what you do!
“If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.
4 If he sins against you seven times in one day, and each time he comes to you saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
Faith
5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Make our faith greater.”
6 The Lord answered, “If you had faith as big as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Pull yourself up by the roots and plant yourself in the sea!’ and it would obey you.
A Servant’s Duty
7 “Suppose one of you has a servant who is plowing or looking after the sheep. When he comes in from the field, do you tell him to hurry along and eat his meal?
8 Of course not! Instead, you say to him, ‘Get my supper ready, then put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may have your meal.’
9 The servant does not deserve thanks for obeying orders, does he?
10 It is the same with you; when you have done all you have been told to do, say, ‘We are ordinary servants; we have only done our duty.’”
Luke 17:1-10 (GNT)