And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the middle of Samaria and Galilee.
Luke 9:51,52 And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, …
John 4:4 And he must needs go through Samaria.
He was passing between Samaria and Galilee
This geographical detail highlights the route Jesus took, which is significant given the historical tensions between Jews and Samaritans. Samaria was a region that Jews typically avoided due to longstanding animosities, rooted in differences in worship practices and historical conflicts dating back to the Assyrian conquest and the subsequent intermarriage of Israelites with foreign settlers. Galilee, on the other hand, was a predominantly Jewish region where Jesus spent much of His ministry. By passing between these regions, Jesus demonstrates His ministry's inclusivity, reaching out to both Jews and Samaritans, as seen in His interactions with the Samaritan woman in John 4. This journey underscores the breaking down of barriers and the extension of God's grace to all people, foreshadowing the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20.
- “While Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem…” fixes our eyes on the goal that has shaped Luke’s narrative since 9:51. Each step is deliberate: He is heading toward the Passover where He will lay down His life (Luke 13:33; 18:31-33; Mark 10:32-34).
- Jerusalem is not simply a city; it is the appointed stage for the fulfillment of prophecies such as Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22, and for the ratification of the new covenant foretold in Jeremiah 31:31-34.
- Luke’s wording highlights resolve. Jesus “set His face” toward the cross (Luke 9:51), and nothing—crowds, opposition, or looming suffering—can deflect Him (John 10:17-18; Acts 2:23).
- Even so, He keeps ministering en route, proving that divine compassion and divine purpose never conflict (Matthew 20:29-34; Luke 18:35-43).
- “…He was passing between Samaria and Galilee.” places Him on a contested border where Jews and Samaritans lived in mutual suspicion (John 4:9; Luke 9:52-53).
- By choosing this route, Jesus foreshadows the gospel’s reach beyond ethnic lines, a pattern later commanded in Acts 1:8 and illustrated when Samaritans receive the Spirit in Acts 8:4-17.
- The location prepares readers for the healing of ten lepers (Luke 17:12-19); the lone Samaritan who returns to thank Him will exemplify faith that transcends heritage (Luke 10:33).
- Mentioning Galilee recalls Isaiah 9:1-2 and Matthew 4:12-16, where “Galilee of the nations” becomes a place of dawning light. Jesus once again shines that light where people least expect it.
- In short, the border setting underscores that grace flows freely from the Savior on His march to Jerusalem, touching both covenant insiders and long-rejected outsiders (Ephesians 2:14-18).
Luke 17:11 is more than a travel note. It reveals the Savior’s unwavering march toward the cross and His intentional presence at a border where division reigns. In one verse we see resolve and reach: Christ moves unflinchingly toward His sacrifice in Jerusalem while extending mercy to all, previewing the worldwide scope of His redeeming work.
(11) And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem.--This is the first distinct note of time in St. Luke's narrative since Luke 9:51. It appears to coincide with the journey of which we read in Matthew 19:1, Mark 10:1, and is the commencement of the last progress through the regions in which our Lord had already carried on His ministry. The fact, peculiar to St. Luke, that it led Him through Samaria, apparently through that part of it which lay on the borders of Galilee, is obviously reported in connection with the miracle that follows, the other Gospels dwelling on the departure from Galilee, and the continuance of the journey to Jerusalem by the route on the east of the Jordan valley.Verse 11. - And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem. Just a note of time and place inserted by St. Luke to remind the reader that all these incidents took place, this important teaching and the momentous revelations concerning man's present and future were spoken, during those last few months preceding the Crucifixion, and generally in that long, slow progress from the north of Palestine through Galilee and Samaria to the holy city.