Luke 19

1 And he entered and passed through Jericho.

2 And behold, [there was] a man by name called Zacchaeus, and he was chief tax-gatherer, and he was rich.

3 And he sought to see Jesus who he was: and he could not for the crowd, because he was little in stature.

4 And running on before, he got up into a sycamore that he might see him, for he was going to pass that [way].

5 And when he came up to the place, Jesus looked up and saw him, and said to him, Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for to-day I must remain in thy house.

6 And he made haste and came down, and received him with joy.

7 And all murmured when they saw [it], saying, He has turned in to lodge with a sinful man.

8 But Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor, and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I return [him] fourfold.

9 And Jesus said to him, To-day salvation is come to this house, inasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham;

10 for the Son of man has come to seek and to save that which is lost.

11 But as they were listening to these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem and they thought that the kingdom of God was about to be immediately manifested.

12 He said therefore, A certain high-born man went to a distant country to receive for himself a kingdom and return.

13 And having called his own ten bondmen, he gave to them ten minas, and said to them, Trade while I am coming.

14 But his citizens hated him, and sent an embassy after him, saying, We will not that this [man] should reign over us.

15 And it came to pass on his arrival back again, having received the kingdom, that he desired these bondmen to whom he gave the money to be called to him, in order that he might know what every one had gained by trading.

16 And the first came up, saying, [My] Lord, thy mina has produced ten minas.

17 And he said to him, Well [done], thou good bondman; because thou hast been faithful in that which is least, be thou in authority over ten cities.

18 And the second came, saying, [My] Lord, thy mina has made five minas.

19 And he said also to this one, And *thou*, be over five cities.

20 And another came, saying, [My] Lord, lo, [there is] thy mina, which I have kept laid up in a towel.

21 For I feared thee because thou art a harsh man: thou takest up what thou hast not laid down, and thou reapest what thou hast not sowed.

22 He says to him, Out of thy mouth will I judge thee, wicked bondman: thou knewest that *I* am a harsh man, taking up what I have not laid down and reaping what I have not sowed.

23 And why didst thou not give my money to [the] bank; and *I* should have received it, at my coming, with interest?

24 And he said to those that stood by, Take from him the mina and give [it] to him who has the ten minas.

25 And they said to him, Lord, he has ten minas.

26 For I say unto you, that to every one that has shall be given; but from him that has not, that even which he has shall be taken from him.

27 Moreover those mine enemies, who would not [have] me to reign over them, bring them here and slay [them] before me.

28 And having said these things, he went on before, going up to Jerusalem.

29 And it came to pass as he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany at the mountain called [the mount] of Olives, he sent two of his disciples,

30 saying, Go into the village over against [you], in which ye will find, on entering it, a colt tied up, on which no [child] of man ever sat at any time: loose it and lead it [here].

31 And if any one ask you, Why do ye loose [it]? thus shall ye say to him, Because the Lord has need of it.

32 And they that were sent, having gone their way, found as he had said to them.

33 And as they were loosing the colt, its masters said to them, Why loose ye the colt?

34 And they said, Because the Lord has need of it.

35 And they led it to Jesus; and having cast their own garments on the colt, they put Jesus on [it].

36 And as he went, they strewed their clothes in the way.

37 And as he drew near, already at the descent of the mount of Olives, all the multitude of the disciples began, rejoicing, to praise God with a loud voice for all the works of power which they had seen,

38 saying, Blessed the King that comes in the name of [the] Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.

39 And some of the Pharisees from the crowd said to him, Teacher, rebuke thy disciples.

40 And he answering said to them, I say unto you, If these shall be silent, the stones will cry out.

41 And as he drew near, seeing the city, he wept over it,

42 saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, even at least in this thy day, the things that are for thy peace: but now they are hid from thine eyes;

43 for days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall make a palisaded mound about thee, and shall close thee around, and keep thee in on every side,

44 and shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children in thee; and shall not leave in thee a stone upon a stone: because thou knewest not the season of thy visitation.

45 And entering into the temple, he began to cast out those that sold and bought in it,

46 saying to them, It is written, My house is a house of prayer, but *ye* have made it a den of robbers.

47 And he was teaching day by day in the temple: and the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him,

48 and did not find what they could do, for all the people hung on him to hear.

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.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or 'the man:' lit. 'this.'
• [b]. Lit. 'who he is.'
• [c]. Or 'ten bondmen of his.'
• [d]. Mina: see Note, Ezek. 45.12.
• [e]. The same sense as 'till I come;' he was to go and return (ver. 12); while he was away and not yet come they were to trade.
• [f]. In ver. 14 the expression is the same, but with a change of tense.
• [g]. Pros: see Note, Matt. 21.1.
• [h]. Lit. 'no one of men.'
• [i]. 'Jehovah:' see Ps. 118.26.
• [j]. Not only weeping, as Mark 9.24, but audible expression of grief, as ch. 22.62; Rom. 12.15; Phil. 3.18; Rev. 5.4, &c.
• [k]. Isa. 56.7 and Jer. 7.11.