Luke 19

A rich tax collector

1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through town.

2 A man there named Zacchaeus, a ruler among tax collectors, was rich.

3 He was trying to see who Jesus was, but, being a short man, he couldn't because of the crowd.

4 So he ran ahead and climbed up a sycamore tree so he could see Jesus, who was about to pass that way.

5 When Jesus came to that spot, he looked up and said, " Zacchaeus, come down at once. I must stay in your home today."

6 So Zacchaeus came down at once, happy to welcome Jesus.

7 Everyone who saw this grumbled, saying, "He has gone to be the guest of a sinner."

8 Zacchaeus stopped and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my possessions to the poor. And if I have cheated anyone, I repay them four times as much."

9 Jesus said to him, " Today, salvation has come to this household because he too is a son of Abraham.

10 The Human One came to seek and save the lost."

Faithful service

11 As they listened to this, Jesus told them another parable because he was near Jerusalem and they thought God's kingdom would appear right away.

12 He said, “A certain man who was born into royalty went to a distant land to receive his kingdom and then return.

13 He called together ten servants and gave each of them money worth four months' wages. He said, ‘Do business with this until I return.'

14 His citizens hated him, so they sent a representative after him who said, ‘We don't want this man to be our king.'

15 After receiving his kingdom, he returned and called the servants to whom he had given the money to find out how much they had earned.

16 The first servant came forward and said, ‘Your money has earned a return of one thousand percent.'

17 The king replied, ‘Excellent! You are a good servant. Because you have been faithful in a small matter, you will have authority over ten cities.'

18 “The second servant came and said, ‘Master, your money has made a return of five hundred percent.'

19 To this one, the king said, ‘You will have authority over five cities.'

20 “Another servant came and said, ‘Master, here is your money. I wrapped it up in a scarf for safekeeping.

21 I was afraid of you because you are a stern man. You withdraw what you haven't deposited and you harvest what you haven't planted.'

22 The king replied, ‘I will judge you by the words of your own mouth, you worthless servant! You knew, did you, that I'm a stern man, withdrawing what I didn't deposit, and harvesting what I didn't plant?

23 Why then didn't you put my money in the bank? Then when I arrived, at least I could have gotten it back with interest.'

24 " He said to his attendants, ‘Take his money and give it to the one who has ten times as much.'

25 ‘But Master,' they said, ‘he already has ten times as much!'

26 He replied, ‘I say to you that everyone who has will be given more, but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.

27 As for my enemies who don't want me as their king, bring them here and slaughter them before me.'"

28 After Jesus said this, he continued on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.

Procession into Jerusalem

29 As Jesus came to Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives, he gave two disciples a task.

30 He said, " Go into the village over there. When you enter it, you will find tied up there a colt that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here.

31 If someone asks, ‘Why are you untying it?' just say, ‘Its master needs it.'"

32 Those who had been sent found it exactly as he had said.

33 As they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, "Why are you untying the colt?"

34 They replied, "Its master needs it."

35 They brought it to Jesus, threw their clothes on the colt, and lifted Jesus onto it.

36 As Jesus rode along, they spread their clothes on the road.

37 As Jesus approached the road leading down from the Mount of Olives, the whole throng of his disciples began rejoicing. They praised God with a loud voice because of all the mighty things they had seen.

38 They said, "Blessings on the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest heavens."

39 Some of the Pharisees from the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, scold your disciples! Tell them to stop!"

40 He answered, " I tell you, if they were silent, the stones would shout."

Jesus predicts Jerusalem’s destruction

41 As Jesus came to the city and observed it, he wept over it.

42 He said, " If only you knew on this of all days the things that lead to peace. But now they are hidden from your eyes.

43 The time will come when your enemies will build fortifications around you, encircle you, and attack you from all sides.

44 They will crush you completely, you and the people within you. They won't leave one stone on top of another within you, because you didn't recognize the time of your gracious visit from God."

Jesus clears the temple

45 When Jesus entered the temple, he threw out those who were selling things there.

46 He said to them, " It's written, My house will be a house of prayer, but you have made it a hideout for crooks."

47 Jesus was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests, the legal experts, and the foremost leaders among the people were seeking to kill him.

48 However, they couldn't find a way to do it because all the people were enthralled with what they heard.

PREVIOUS Luke 18 NEXT Luke 20

Images for Luke 19

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.