Luke 18

1 Then Jesus used this story to teach his followers that they should always pray and never lose hope.

2 "In a certain town there was a judge who did not respect God or care about people.

3 In that same town there was a widow who kept coming to this judge, saying, 'Give me my rights against my enemy.'

4 For a while the judge refused to help her. But afterwards, he thought to himself, 'Even though I don't respect God or care about people,

5 I will see that she gets her rights. Otherwise she will continue to bother me until I am worn out.'"

6 The Lord said, "Listen to what the unfair judge said.

7 God will always give what is right to his people who cry to him night and day, and he will not be slow to answer them.

8 I tell you, God will help his people quickly. But when the Son of Man comes again, will he find those on earth who believe in him?"

9 Jesus told this story to some people who thought they were very good and looked down on everyone else:

10 "A Pharisee and a tax collector both went to the Temple to pray.

11 The Pharisee stood alone and prayed, 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people who steal, cheat, or take part in adultery, or even like this tax collector.

12 I give up eatingn twice a week, and I give one-tenth of everything I get!'

13 "The tax collector, standing at a distance, would not even look up to heaven. But he beat on his chest because he was so sad. He said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'

14 I tell you, when this man went home, he was right with God, but the Pharisee was not. All who make themselves great will be made humble, but all who make themselves humble will be made great."

15 Some people brought even their babies to Jesus so he could touch them. When the followers saw this, they told them to stop.

16 But Jesus called for the children, saying, "Let the little children come to me. Don't stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to people who are like these children.

17 I tell you the truth, you must accept the kingdom of God as if you were a child, or you will never enter it."

18 A certain leader asked Jesus, "Good Teacher, what must I do to have life forever?"

19 Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? Only God is good.

20 You know the commands: 'You must not be guilty of adultery. You must not murder anyone. You must not steal. You must not tell lies about your neighbor. Honor your father and mother.'"

21 But the leader said, "I have obeyed all these commands since I was a boy."

22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "There is still one more thing you need to do. Sell everything you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me."

23 But when the man heard this, he became very sad, because he was very rich.

24 Jesus looked at him and said, "It is very hard for rich people to enter the kingdom of God.

25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God."

26 When the people heard this, they asked, "Then who can be saved?"

27 Jesus answered, "God can do things that are not possible for people to do."

28 Peter said, "Look, we have left everything and followed you."

29 Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, all those who have left houses, wives, brothers, parents, or children for the kingdom of God

30 will get much more in this life. And in the age that is coming, they will have life forever."

31 Then Jesus took the twelve apostles aside and said to them, "We are going to Jerusalem. Everything the prophets wrote about the Son of Man will happen.

32 He will be turned over to those who are not Jews. They will laugh at him, insult him, spit on him,

33 beat him with whips, and kill him. But on the third day, he will rise to life again."

34 The apostles did not understand this; the meaning was hidden from them, and they did not realize what was said.

35 As Jesus came near the city of Jericho, a blind man was sitting beside the road, begging.

36 When he heard the people coming down the road, he asked, "What is happening?"

37 They told him, "Jesus, from Nazareth, is going by."

38 The blind man cried out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

39 The people leading the group warned the blind man to be quiet. But the blind man shouted even more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"

40 Jesus stopped and ordered the blind man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him,

41 "What do you want me to do for you?" He said, "Lord, I want to see."

42 Jesus said to him, "Then see. You are healed because you believed."

43 At once the man was able to see, and he followed Jesus, thanking God. All the people who saw this praised God.

Luke 18 Commentary

Chapter 18

The parable of the importunate widow. (1-8) The Pharisee and the publican. (9-14) Children brought to Christ. (15-17) The ruler hindered by his riches. (18-30) Christ foreshows his death. (31-34) A blind man restored to sight. (35-43)

Verses 1-8 All God's people are praying people. Here earnest steadiness in prayer for spiritual mercies is taught. The widow's earnestness prevailed even with the unjust judge: she might fear lest it should set him more against her; but our earnest prayer is pleasing to our God. Even to the end there will still be ground for the same complaint of weakness of faith.

Verses 9-14 This parable was to convince some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others. God sees with what disposition and design we come to him in holy ordinances. What the Pharisee said, shows that he trusted to himself that he was righteous. We may suppose he was free from gross and scandalous sins. All this was very well and commendable. Miserable is the condition of those who come short of the righteousness of this Pharisee, yet he was not accepted; and why not? He went up to the temple to pray, but was full of himself and his own goodness; the favour and grace of God he did not think worth asking. Let us beware of presenting proud devotions to the Lord, and of despising others. The publican's address to God was full of humility, and of repentance for sin, and desire toward God. His prayer was short, but to the purpose; God be merciful to me a sinner. Blessed be God, that we have this short prayer upon record, as an answered prayer; and that we are sure that he who prayed it, went to his house justified; for so shall we be, if we pray it, as he did, through Jesus Christ. He owned himself a sinner by nature, by practice, guilty before God. He had no dependence but upon the mercy of God; upon that alone he relied. And God's glory is to resist the proud, and give grace to the humble. Justification is of God in Christ; therefore the self-condemned, and not the self-righteous, are justified before God.

Verses 15-17 None are too little, too young, to be brought to Christ, who knows how to show kindness to those not capable of doing service to him. It is the mind of Christ, that little children should be brought to him. The promise is to us, and to our seed; therefore He will bid them welcome to him with us. And we must receive his kingdom as children, not by purchase, and must call it our Father's gift.

Verses 18-30 Many have a great deal in them very commendable, yet perish for lack of some one thing; so this ruler could not bear Christ's terms, which would part between him and his estate. Many who are loth to leave Christ, yet do leave him. After a long struggle between their convictions and their corruptions, their corruptions carry the day. They are very sorry that they cannot serve both; but if one must be quitted, it shall be their God, not their wordly gain. Their boasted obedience will be found mere outside show; the love of the world in some form or other lies at the root. Men are apt to speak too much of what they have left and lost, of what they have done and suffered for Christ, as Peter did. But we should rather be ashamed that there has been any regret or difficulty in doing it.

Verses 31-34 The Spirit of Christ, in the Old Testament prophets, testified beforehand his sufferings, and the glory that should ( 1 Peter. 1:11 ) that they would not understand these things literally. They were so intent upon the prophecies which spake of Christ's glory, that they overlooked those which spake of his sufferings. People run into mistakes, because they read their Bibles by halves, and are only for the smooth things. We are as backward to learn the proper lessons from the sufferings, crucifixion, and resurrection of Christ, as the disciples were to what he told them as to those events; and for the same reason; self-love, and a desire of worldly objects, close our understandings.

Verses 35-43 This poor blind man sat by the wayside, begging. He was not only blind, but poor, the fitter emblem of the world of mankind which Christ came to heal and save. The prayer of faith, guided by Christ's encouraging promises, and grounded on them, shall not be in vain. The grace of Christ ought to be thankfully acknowledged, to the glory of God. It is for the glory of God if we follow Jesus, as those will do whose eyes are opened. We must praise God for his mercies to others, as well as for mercies to ourselves. Would we rightly understand these things, we must come to Christ, like the blind man, earnestly beseeching him to open our eyes, and to show us clearly the excellence of his precepts, and the value of his salvation.