Luke 19

1 So He entered Jericho and was passing through the town.

2 There was a man there called Zacchaeus, who was the local surveyor of taxes, and was wealthy.

3 He was anxious to see what sort of man Jesus was; but he could not because of the crowd, for he was short in stature.

4 So he ran on in front and climbed up a mulberry tree to see Him; for He was about to pass that way.

5 As soon as Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for I must stay at your house to-day."

6 So he came down in haste, and welcomed Him joyfully.

7 When they all saw this, they began to complain with indignation. "He has gone in to be the guest of a notorious sinner!" they said.

8 Zacchaeus however stood up, and addressing the Lord said, "Here and now, Master, I give half my property to the poor, and if I have unjustly exacted money from any man, I pledge myself to repay to him four times the amount."

9 Turning towards him, Jesus replied, "To-day salvation has come to this house, seeing that he too is a son of Abraham.

10 For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

11 As they were listening to His words, He went on to teach them by a parable, because He was near to Jerusalem and they supposed that the Kingdom of God was going to appear immediately.

12 So He said to them, "A man of noble family travelled to a distant country to obtain the rank of king, and to return.

13 And he called ten of his servants and gave each of them a pound, instructing them to trade with the money during his absence.

14 "Now his countrymen hated him, and sent a deputation after him to say, `We are not willing that he should become our king.'

15 And upon his return, after he had obtained the sovereignty, he ordered those servants to whom he had given the money to be summoned before him, that he might learn their success in trading.

16 "So the first came and said, "`Sir, your pound has produced ten pounds more.'

17 "`Well done, good servant,' he replied; `because you have been faithful in a very small matter, be in authority over ten towns.'

18 "The second came, and said, "`Your pound, Sir, has produced five pounds.'

19 "So he said to this one also, "`And you, be the governor of five towns.'

20 "The next came. "`Sir,' he said, `here is your pound, which I have kept wrapt up in a cloth.

21 For I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man: you take up what you did not lay down, and you reap what you did not sow.'

22 "`By your own words,' he replied, `I will judge you, you bad servant. You knew me to be a severe man, taking up what I did not lay down, and reaping what I did not sow:

23 why then did you not put my money into a bank, that when I came I might have received it back with interest?

24 "And he said to those who stood by, "`Take the pound from him and give it to him who has the ten pounds.'

25 ("They said to him, "`Sir, he already has ten pounds.')

26 "`I tell you that to every one who has anything, more shall be given; and from him who has not anything, even what he has shall be taken away.

27 But as for those enemies of mine who were unwilling that I should become their king, bring them here, and cut them to pieces in my presence.'"

28 After thus speaking, He journeyed onward, proceeding up to Jerusalem.

29 And when he was come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount called the Oliveyard, He sent two of the disciples on in front,

30 saying to them, "Go into the village facing you. On entering it you will find an ass's foal tied up which no one has ever yet ridden: untie it, and bring it here.

31 And if any one asks you, `Why are you untying the colt?' simply say, `The Master needs it.'"

32 So those who were sent went and found things as He had told them.

33 And while they were untying the colt the owners called out, "Why are you untying the colt?"

34 and they replied, "The Master needs it."

35 Then they brought it to Jesus, and after throwing their outer garments on the colt they placed Jesus on it.

36 So He rode on, while they carpeted the road with their garments.

37 And when He was now getting near Jerusalem, and descending the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began in their joy to praise God in loud voices for all the mighty deeds they had witnessed.

38 "Blessed is the King," they cried, "who comes in the name of the Lord: in Heaven peace, and glory in the highest realms."

39 Thereupon some of the Pharisees in the crowd appealed to Him, saying, "Rabbi, reprove your disciples."

40 "I tell you," He replied, "that if *they* became silent, the very stones would cry out."

41 When He came into full view of the city, He wept aloud over it, and exclaimed,

42 "O that at this time thou hadst known--yes even thou--what makes peace possible! But now it is hid from thine eyes.

43 For the time is coming upon thee when thy foes will throw up around thee earthworks and a wall, investing thee and hemming thee in on every side.

44 And they will dash thee to the ground and thy children within thee, and will not leave one stone upon another within thee; because thou hast not recognized the time of thy visitation."

45 Then Jesus entered the Temple and proceeded to drive out the dealers.

46 "It is written," He said, "`And My house shall be the House of Prayer,' but you have made it a robbers' cave."

47 And day after day He taught in the Temple, while the High Priests and the Scribes were devising some means of destroying Him, as were also the leading men of the people.

48 But they could not find any way of doing it, for the people all hung upon His lips.

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.