Luke 18

1 And he spoke also a parable to them to the purport that they should always pray and not faint,

2 saying, There was a judge in a city, not fearing God and not respecting man:

3 and there was a widow in that city, and she came to him, saying, Avenge me of mine adverse party.

4 And he would not for a time; but afterwards he said within himself, If even I fear not God and respect not man,

5 at any rate because this widow annoys me I will avenge her, that she may not by perpetually coming completely harass me.

6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge says.

7 And shall not God at all avenge his elect, who cry to him day and night, and he bears long as to them?

8 I say unto you that he will avenge them speedily. But when the Son of man comes, shall he indeed find faith on the earth?

9 And he spoke also to some, who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and made nothing of all the rest [of men], this parable:

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

11 The Pharisee, standing, prayed thus to himself: God, I thank thee that I am not as the rest of men, rapacious, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax-gatherer.

12 I fast twice in the week, I tithe everything I gain.

13 And the tax-gatherer, standing afar off, would not lift up even his eyes to heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, O God, have compassion on me, the sinner.

14 I say unto you, This [man] went down to his house justified rather than that [other]. For every one who exalts himself shall be humbled, and he that humbles himself shall be exalted.

15 And they brought to him also infants that he might touch them, but the disciples when they saw [it] rebuked them.

16 But Jesus calling them to [him] said, Suffer little children to come to me, and do not forbid them, for of such is the kingdom of God.

17 Verily I say to you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.

18 And a certain ruler asked him saying, Good teacher, having done what, shall I inherit eternal life?

19 But Jesus said to him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, God.

20 Thou knowest the commandments: Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.

21 And he said, All these things have I kept from my youth.

22 And when Jesus had heard this, he said to him, One thing is lacking to thee yet: Sell all that thou hast and distribute to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in the heavens, and come, follow me.

23 But when he heard this he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.

24 But when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, he said, How difficultly shall those who have riches enter into the kingdom of God;

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

26 And those who heard it said, And who can be saved?

27 But he said, The things that are impossible with men are possible with God.

28 And Peter said, Behold, *we* have left all things and have followed thee.

29 And he said to them, Verily I say to you, There is no one who has left home, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake,

30 who shall not receive manifold more at this time, and in the coming age life eternal.

31 And he took the twelve to [him] and said to them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written of the Son of man by the prophets shall be accomplished;

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

33 And when they have scourged [him] they will kill him; and on the third day he will rise again.

34 And they understood nothing of these things. And this word was hidden from them, and they did not know what was said.

35 And it came to pass when he came into the neighbourhood of Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the wayside begging.

36 And when he heard the crowd passing, he inquired what this might be.

37 And they told him that Jesus the Nazaraean was passing by.

38 And he called out saying, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.

39 And those [who were] going before rebuked him that he might be silent; but *he* cried out so much the more, Son of David, have mercy on me.

40 And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be led to him. And when he drew nigh he asked him [saying],

41 What wilt thou that I shall do to thee? And he said, Lord, that I may see.

42 And Jesus said to him, See: thy faith has healed thee.

43 And immediately he saw, and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people when they saw [it] gave 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit. 'a certain judge in a certain city.'
• [b]. As 'patience,' Jas. 5.7,8.
• [c]. Hieron: as Matt. 4.5.
• [d]. See Notes at Luke 21.19 and 1Thess. 4.4.
• [e]. As 'babe,' ch. 2.12,16.
• [f]. Some read, 'left what was our own.'
• [g]. Or 'house.'
• [h]. Same as 'saved' in Greek.