Luke 19

Jesus Visits Zacchaeus

1 He entered Jericho and was passing through.

2 There was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.

3 He was trying to see who Jesus was, but he was not able because of the crowd, since he was a short man.

4 So running ahead, he climbed up a sycamore tree to see Jesus, since He was about to pass that way.

5 When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, because today I must stay at your house."

6 So he quickly came down and welcomed Him joyfully.

7 All who saw it began to complain, "He's gone to lodge with a sinful man!"

8 But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Look, I'll give^[a] half of my possessions to the poor, Lord! And if I have extorted anything from anyone, I'll pay^[b] back four times as much!"

9 "Today salvation has come to this house," Jesus told him, "because he too is a son of Abraham.

10 For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost." ^[c]

The Parable of the 10 Minas

11 As they were listening to this, He went on to tell a parable because He was near Jerusalem, and they thought the kingdom of God was going to appear right away.

12 Therefore He said: "A nobleman traveled to a far country to receive for himself authority to be king ^[d] and then return.

13 He called 10 of his slaves, gave them 10 minas, ^[e] and told them, 'Engage in business until I come back.'

14 "But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We don't want this man to rule over us!'

15 "At his return, having received the authority to be king, ^[f] he summoned those slaves he had given the money to so he could find out how much they had made in business.

16 The first came forward and said, 'Master, your mina has earned 10 more minas.'

17 " 'Well done, good ^[g] slave!' he told him. 'Because you have been faithful in a very small matter, have authority over 10 towns.'

18 "The second came and said, 'Master, your mina has made five minas.'

19 "So he said to him, 'You will be over five towns.'

20 "And another came and said, 'Master, here is your mina. I have kept it hidden away in a cloth

21 because I was afraid of you, for you're a tough man: you collect what you didn't deposit and reap what you didn't sow.'

22 "He told him, 'I will judge you by what you have said, ^[h] you evil slave! [If] you knew I was a tough man, collecting what I didn't deposit and reaping what I didn't sow,

23 why didn't you put my money in the bank? And when I returned, I would have collected it with interest!'

24 So he said to those standing there, 'Take the mina away from him and give it to the one who has 10 minas.'

25 "But they said to him, 'Master, he has 10 minas.'

26 " 'I tell you, that to everyone who has, more will be given; and from the one who does not have, even what he does have will be taken away.

27 But bring here these enemies of mine, who did not want me to rule over them, and slaughter ^[i] them in my presence.' "

The Triumphal Entry

28 When He had said these things, He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.

29 As He approached Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, He sent two of the disciples

30 and said, "Go into the village ahead of you. As you enter it, you will find a young donkey tied there, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here.

31 If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' say this: 'The Lord needs it.' "

32 So those who were sent left and found it just as He had told them.

33 As they were untying the young donkey, its owners said to them, "Why are you untying the donkey?"

34 "The Lord needs it," they said.

35 Then they brought it to Jesus, and after throwing their robes on the donkey, they helped Jesus get on it.

36 As He was going along, they were spreading their robes on the road.

37 Now He came near the path down the Mount of Olives, and the whole crowd of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles they had seen:

38 Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord. ^[j] ^[k] Peace in heaven and glory in the highest heaven!

39 Some of the Pharisees from the crowd told Him, "Teacher, rebuke Your disciples."

40 He answered, "I tell you, if they were to keep silent, the stones would cry out!"

Jesus' Love for Jerusalem

41 As He approached and saw the city, He wept over it,

42 saying, "If you knew this day what [would bring] peace-but now it is hidden from your eyes.

43 For the days will come on you when your enemies will build an embankment against you, surround you, and hem you in on every side.

44 They will crush you and your children within you to the ground, and they will not leave one stone on another in you, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation."

Cleansing the Temple Complex

45 He went into the temple complex and began to throw out those who were selling,^[l]

46 and He said, "It is written, My house will be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves !" ^[m]

47 Every day He was teaching in the temple complex. The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people were looking for a way to destroy Him,

48 but they could not find a way to do it, because all the people were captivated by what they heard.^[n]

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Luke 19 Commentary

Chapter 19

The conversion of Zaccheus. (1-10) The parable of the nobleman and his servants. (11-27) Christ enters Jerusalem. (28-40) Christ laments over Jerusalem. (41-48)

Verses 1-10 Those who sincerely desire a sight of Christ, like Zaccheus, will break through opposition, and take pains to see him. Christ invited himself to Zaccheus' house. Wherever Christ comes he opens the heart, and inclines it to receive him. He that has a mind to know Christ, shall be known of him. Those whom Christ calls, must humble themselves, and come down. We may well receive him joyfully, who brings all good with him. Zaccheus gave proofs publicly that he was become a true convert. He does not look to be justified by his works, as the Pharisee; but by his good works he will, through the grace of God, show the sincerity of his faith and repentance. Zaccheus is declared to be a happy man, now he is turned from sin to God. Now that he is saved from his sins, from the guilt of them, from the power of them, all the benefits of salvation are his. Christ is come to his house, and where Christ comes he brings salvation with him. He came into this lost world to seek and to save it. His design was to save, when there was no salvation in any other. He seeks those that sought him not, and asked not for him.

Verses 11-27 This parable is like that of the talents, ( Matthew 25 ) . Those that are called to Christ, he furnishes with gifts needful for their business; and from those to whom he gives power, he expects service. The manifestation of the Spirit is given to ( 1 Corinthians. 12:7 ) ( 1 Peter. 4:10 ) account required, resembles that in the parable of the talents; and the punishment of the avowed enemies of Christ, as well as of false professors, is shown. The principal difference is, that the pound given to each seems to point out the gift of the gospel, which is the same to all who hear it; but the talents, distributed more or less, seem to mean that God gives different capacities and advantages to men, by which this one gift of the gospel may be differently improved.

Verses 28-40 Christ has dominion over all creatures, and may use them as he pleases. He has all men's hearts both under his eye and in his hand. Christ's triumphs, and his disciples' joyful praises, vex proud Pharisees, who are enemies to him and to his kingdom. But Christ, as he despises the contempt of the proud, so he accepts the praises of the humble. Pharisees would silence the praises of Christ, but they cannot; for as God can out of stones raise up children unto Abraham, and turn the stony heart to himself, so he can bring praise out of the mouths of children. And what will be the feelings of men when the Lord returns in glory to judge the world!

Verses 41-48 Who can behold the holy Jesus, looking forward to the miseries that awaited his murderers, weeping over the city where his precious blood was about to be shed, without seeing that the likeness of God in the believer, consists much in good-will and compassion? Surely those cannot be right who take up any doctrines of truth, so as to be hardened towards their fellow-sinners. But let every one remember, that though Jesus wept over Jerusalem, he executed awful vengeance upon it. Though he delights not in the death of a sinner, yet he will surely bring to pass his awful threatenings on those who neglect his salvation. The Son of God did not weep vain and causeless tears, nor for a light matter, nor for himself. He knows the value of souls, the weight of guilt, and how low it will press and sink mankind. May he then come and cleanse our hearts by his Spirit, from all that defiles. May sinners, on every side, become attentive to the words of truth and salvation.