Luke 18

1 And he spake also a simile to them, that it behoveth [us] always to pray, and not to faint,

2 saying, `A certain judge was in a certain city -- God he is not fearing, and man he is not regarding --

3 and a widow was in that city, and she was coming unto him, saying, Do me justice on my opponent,

4 and he would not for a time, but after these things he said in himself, Even if God I do not fear, and man do not regard,

5 yet because this widow doth give me trouble, I will do her justice, lest, perpetually coming, she may plague me.'

6 And the Lord said, `Hear ye what the unrighteous judge saith:

7 and shall not God execute the justice to His choice ones, who are crying unto Him day and night -- bearing long in regard to them?

8 I say to you, that He will execute the justice to them quickly; but the Son of Man having come, shall he find the faith upon the earth?'

9 And he spake also unto certain who have been trusting in themselves that they were righteous, and have been despising the rest, this simile:

10 `Two men went up to the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee, and the other a tax-gatherer;

11 the Pharisee having stood by himself, thus prayed: God, I thank Thee that I am not as the rest of men, rapacious, unrighteous, adulterers, or even as this tax-gatherer;

12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all things -- as many as I possess.

13 `And the tax-gatherer, having stood afar off, would not even the eyes lift up to the heaven, but was smiting on his breast, saying, God be propitious to me -- the sinner!

14 I say to you, this one went down declared righteous, to his house, rather than that one: for every one who is exalting himself shall be humbled, and he who is humbling himself shall be exalted.'

15 And they were bringing near also the babes, that he may touch them, and the disciples having seen did rebuke them,

16 and Jesus having called them near, said, `Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the reign of God;

17 verily I say to you, Whoever may not receive the reign of God as a little child, may not enter into it.'

18 And a certain ruler questioned him, saying, `Good teacher, what having done -- shall I inherit life age-during?'

19 And Jesus said to him, `Why me dost thou call good? no one [is] good, except One -- God;

20 the commands thou hast known: Thou mayest not commit adultery, Thou mayest do no murder, Thou mayest not steal, Thou mayest not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.'

21 And he said, `All these I did keep from my youth;'

22 and having heard these things, Jesus said to him, `Yet one thing to thee is lacking; all things -- as many as thou hast -- sell, and distribute to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and come, be following me;'

23 and he, having heard these things, became very sorrowful, for he was exceeding rich.

24 And Jesus having seen him become very sorrowful, said, `How hardly shall those having riches enter into the reign of God!

25 for it is easier for a camel through the eye of a needle to enter, than for a rich man into the reign of God to enter.'

26 And those who heard, said, `And who is able to be saved?'

27 and he said, `The things impossible with men are possible with God.'

28 And Peter said, `Lo, we left all, and did follow thee;'

29 and he said to them, `Verily I say to you, that there is not one who left house, or parents, or brothers, or wife, or children, for the sake of the reign of God,

30 who may not receive back manifold more in this time, and in the coming age, life age-during.'

31 And having taken the twelve aside, he said unto them, `Lo, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things shall be completed -- that have been written through the prophets -- to the Son of Man,

32 for he shall be delivered up to the nations, and shall be mocked, and insulted, and spit upon,

33 and having scourged they shall put him to death, and on the third day he shall rise again.'

34 And they none of these things understood, and this saying was hid from them, and they were not knowing the things said.

35 And it came to pass, in his coming nigh to Jericho, a certain blind man was sitting beside the way begging,

36 and having heard a multitude going by, he was inquiring what this may be,

37 and they brought him word that Jesus the Nazarene doth pass by,

38 and he cried out, saying, `Jesus, Son of David, deal kindly with me;'

39 and those going before were rebuking him, that he might be silent, but he was much more crying out, `Son of David, deal kindly with me.'

40 And Jesus having stood, commanded him to be brought unto him, and he having come nigh, he questioned him,

41 saying, `What wilt thou I shall do to thee?' and he said, `Sir, that I may receive sight.'

42 And Jesus said to him, `Receive thy sight; thy faith hath saved thee;'

43 and presently he did receive sight, and was following him, glorifying God; and all the people, having seen, did give praise to 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.