Luke 19

Jesus and Zacchaeus

1 Then Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. ¹

2 And there was a man named Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, who was very wealthy.

3 He was trying to see who Jesus was, but could not see over the crowd because he was small in stature.

4 So he ran on ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see Him, since Jesus was about to pass that way.

5 When Jesus came to that place, He looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, hurry down, for I must stay at your house today.”

6 So Zacchaeus hurried down and welcomed Him joyfully.

7 And all who saw this began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinful man!”

8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, half of my possessions I give to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone, I will repay it fourfold.”

9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham.

10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

The Parable of the Ten Minas

11 While the people were listening to this, Jesus proceeded to tell them a parable, because He was near Jerusalem and they thought the kingdom of God would appear imminently. ²

12 So He said, “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to lay claim to his kingship and then return.

13 Beforehand, he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ^[a] ‘Conduct business with this until I return,’ he said.

14 But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We do not want this man to rule over us.’

15 When he returned from procuring his kingship, he summoned the servants to whom he had given the money, to find out what each one had earned.

16 The first servant came forward and said, ‘Master, your mina has produced ten more minas.’

17 His master replied, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very small matter, you shall have authority over ten cities.’

18 The second servant came and said, ‘Master, your mina has made five minas.’

19 And to this one he said, ‘You shall have authority over five cities.’

20 Then another servant came and said, ‘Master, here is your mina, which I have laid away in a piece of cloth. ^[b]

21 For I was afraid of you, because you are a harsh man. You withdraw what you did not deposit and reap what you did not sow.’

22 His master replied, ‘You wicked servant, I will judge you by your own words. So you knew that I am a harsh man, withdrawing what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow?

23 Why then did you not deposit my money in the bank, and upon my return I could have collected it with interest?’

24 Then he told those standing by, ‘Take the mina from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.’

25 ‘Master,’ they said, ‘he already has ten!’

26 He replied, ‘I tell you that everyone who has will be given more; but the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.

27 And these enemies of mine who were unwilling for me to rule over them, bring them here and slay them in front of me.’”

The Triumphal Entry

28 After Jesus had said this, He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. ³

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

30 saying, “Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here.

31 If anyone asks, ‘Why are you untying it?’ tell him, ‘The Lord needs it.’”

32 So those who were sent went out and found it just as Jesus had told them.

33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked, “Why are you untying the colt?”

34 “The Lord needs it,” they answered.

35 Then they led the colt to Jesus, threw their cloaks over it, and put Jesus on it.

36 As He rode along, the people spread their cloaks on the road.

37 And as He approached the descent from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of disciples began to praise God joyfully in a loud voice for all the miracles they had seen:

38 “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!” ^[c]

39 But some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples!”

40 “I tell you,” He answered, “if they remain silent, the very stones will cry out.”

Jesus Weeps over Jerusalem

41 As Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it ⁴

42 and said, “If only you had known on this day what would bring you peace! But now it is hidden from your eyes.

43 For the days will come upon you when your enemies will barricade you and surround you and hem you in on every side.

44 They will level you to the ground—you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God. ^[d]”

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

45 Then Jesus entered the temple courts ^[e] and began to drive out those who were selling there. ⁵

46 He declared to them, “It is written: ‘My house will be a house of prayer.’ ^[f] But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’ ^[g]”

47 Jesus was teaching at the temple every day, but the chief priests, scribes, and leaders of the people were intent on killing Him.

48 Yet they could not find a way to do so, because all the people hung on His words.

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.

Cross References

• 1. (Numbers 5:5–10)
• 2. (Matthew 25:14–30)
• 3. (Zechariah 9:9–13; Matthew 21:1–11; Mark 11:1–11; John 12:12–19)
• 4. (Isaiah 29:1–16)
• 5. (Matthew 21:12–17; Mark 11:15–19; John 2:12–25)

Footnotes

• [a]. That is, he gave each servant one mina. A mina was most likely a silver coin worth a hundred drachmas, that is, about a hundred days’ wages.
• [b]. Greek soudariō
• [c]. Psalms 118:26
• [d]. Literally your visitation
• [e]. Literally the temple
• [f]. Isaiah 56:7
• [g]. Jeremiah 7:11