Luke 19

1 Jesus went on into Jericho and was passing through.

2 There was a chief tax collector there named Zacchaeus, who was rich.

3 He was trying to see who Jesus was, but he was a little man and could not see Jesus because of the crowd.

4 So he ran ahead of the crowd and climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus, who was going to pass that way.

5 When Jesus came to that place, he looked up and said to Zacchaeus, "Hurry down, Zacchaeus, because I must stay in your house today."

6 Zacchaeus hurried down and welcomed him with great joy.

7 All the people who saw it started grumbling, "This man has gone as a guest to the home of a sinner!"

8 Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Listen, sir! I will give half my belongings to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone, I will pay back four times as much."

9 Jesus said to him, "Salvation has come to this house today, for this man, also, is a descendant of Abraham.

10 The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." ¹

11 While the people were listening to this, Jesus continued and told them a parable. He was now almost at Jerusalem, and they supposed that the Kingdom of God was just about to appear.

12 So he said, "There was once a man of high rank who was going to a country far away to be made king, after which he planned to come back home.

13 Before he left, he called his ten servants and gave them each a gold coin and told them, "See what you can earn with this while I am gone.'

14 Now, his own people hated him, and so they sent messengers after him to say, "We don't want this man to be our king.'

15 "The man was made king and came back. At once he ordered his servants to appear before him, in order to find out how much they had earned.

16 The first one came and said, "Sir, I have earned ten gold coins with the one you gave me.'

17 "Well done,' he said; "you are a good servant! Since you were faithful in small matters, I will put you in charge of ten cities.'

18 The second servant came and said, "Sir, I have earned five gold coins with the one you gave me.'

19 To this one he said, "You will be in charge of five cities.'

20 Another servant came and said, "Sir, here is your gold coin; I kept it hidden in a handkerchief.

21 I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take what is not yours and reap what you did not plant.'

22 He said to him, "You bad servant! I will use your own words to condemn you! You know that I am a hard man, taking what is not mine and reaping what I have not planted.

23 Well, then, why didn't you put my money in the bank? Then I would have received it back with interest when I returned.'

24 Then he said to those who were standing there, "Take the gold coin away from him and give it to the servant who has ten coins.'

25 But they said to him, "Sir, he already has ten coins!'

26 "I tell you,' he replied, "that to those who have something, even more will be given; but those who have nothing, even the little that they have will be taken away from them. ²

27 Now, as for those enemies of mine who did not want me to be their king, bring them here and kill them in my presence!' " ³

28 After Jesus said this, he went on in front of them toward Jerusalem.

29 As he came near Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, he sent two disciples ahead

30 with these instructions: "Go to the village there ahead of you; as you go in, you will find a colt tied up that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here.

31 If someone asks you why you are untying it, tell him that the Master needs it."

32 They went on their way and found everything just as Jesus had told them.

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

34 "The Master needs it," they answered,

35 and they took the colt to Jesus. Then they threw their cloaks over the animal and helped Jesus get on.

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

37 When he came near Jerusalem, at the place where the road went down the Mount of Olives, the large crowd of his disciples began to thank God and praise him in loud voices for all the great things that they had seen:

38 "God bless the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory to God!" ⁴

39 Then some of the Pharisees in the crowd spoke to Jesus. "Teacher," they said, "command your disciples to be quiet!"

40 Jesus answered, "I tell you that if they keep quiet, the stones themselves will start shouting."

41 He came closer to the city, and when he saw it, he wept over it,

42 saying, "If you only knew today what is needed for peace! But now you cannot see it!

43 The time will come when your enemies will surround you with barricades, blockade you, and close in on you from every side.

44 They will completely destroy you and the people within your walls; not a single stone will they leave in its place, because you did not recognize the time when God came to save you!"

45 Then Jesus went into the Temple and began to drive out the merchants,

46 saying to them, "It is written in the Scriptures that God said, "My Temple will be a house of prayer.' But you have turned it into a hideout for thieves!" ⁵

47 Every day Jesus taught in the Temple. The chief priests, the teachers of the Law, and the leaders of the people wanted to kill him, ⁶

48 but they could not find a way to do it, because all the people kept listening to him, not wanting to miss a single word.

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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.