Luke 17:35 - Printer Friendly

ESV: There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left."

NIV: Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left."

NASB: There will be two women grinding at the same place; one will be taken and the other will be left.

CSB: Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left."

NLT: Two women will be grinding flour together at the mill; one will be taken, the other left. '

KJV: Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

NKJV: Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left.

Jesus continues explaining that even at the end of the tribulation, people may not be able to distinguish His followers from those who do not follow Him. He has said that of two members of the same household who share a bed, one may follow Him and the other may not. One will go to judgment and the other to live with Jesus (Luke 17:34). As a parallel, Jesus mentions two women who are processing grain into flour. That would involve using a grindstone.

As with the prior verse (Luke 17:34), this statement has suffered from perverse attempts to be re-interpreted in a sexual context. Once again, nothing in the text, culture, or Greek language even hints at such a thing. It's an obvious reference to a mundane daily task, further emphasizing the sudden nature of Jesus' return.

These women have lived life together through at least part of the tribulation. They prepare meals together. They may be mother and daughter as in Luke 12:53. And yet one follows Jesus and the other doesn't. As in the previous verse, we're not sure which is "taken" and which is "left." It could be that one is taken to judgment and the other is left to live in Jesus' thousand-year reign. Or one is taken to live with Jesus and the other is left to experience the final judgments on earth.

We don't often take Jesus' warning seriously. We don't often accept the weight of Jesus' words. Some people close to us may spend eternity in hell because they don't accept Jesus as their Savior. Paul says, "How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?" (Romans 10:14). Do our closest people know Jesus? If not, is it because we never told them?

Luke 17:22–37 may create confusion for two reasons. The first is where to place the events in relation to the end times. Are they before the rapture or at the end of the tribulation? The second complication is the placement of Jesus' teaching. Did He deliver this message while traveling through Galilee and Samaria, or outside of Jerusalem during the final week prior to His crucifixion? Ultimately, neither question is as important as the clear message: Jesus' return will be unmistakable, and those who are not ready will suffer greatly. This passage covers similar material to Matthew 24 and Mark 13.

In his gospel, Luke has often arranged events by theme rather than by strict time order. That seems likely here with a series of teachings about living as Christ followers and ambassadors of God. Christians ought to be careful not to poison the faith of others. Faith is powerful. God's servants should not demand extravagant treatment in return. After healing ten lepers—only one of whom offers thanks—Jesus discusses the state of the world at His future second coming.

Luke 17 continues Jesus' teaching about how to live as citizens and ambassadors of the kingdom of God. Luke 15 describes God's love for the lost. Chapter 16 teaches earthly blessings are far inferior to heavenly rewards. Here, He exhorts His followers to lead well, serve humbly, give thanks, and watch for His second coming. In Luke 18, Jesus gives a series of comparisons to show how we are to approach God—as He approaches Jerusalem and the cross.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.