Luke 19

1 Jesus was passing through Jericho.

2 A man named Zacchaeus was there. He was the director of tax collectors, and he was rich.

3 He tried to see who Jesus was. But Zacchaeus was a small man, and he couldn't see Jesus because of the crowd.

4 So Zacchaeus ran ahead and climbed a fig tree to see Jesus, who was coming that way.

5 When Jesus came to the tree, he looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, come down! I must stay at your house today."

6 Zacchaeus came down and was glad to welcome Jesus into his home.

7 But the people who saw this began to express disapproval. They said, "He went to be the guest of a sinner."

8 [Later, at dinner,] Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Lord, I'll give half of my property to the poor. I'll pay four times as much as I owe to those I have cheated in any way."

9 Then Jesus said to Zacchaeus, "You and your family have been saved today. You've shown that you, too, are one of Abraham's descendants.

10 Indeed, the Son of Man has come to seek and to save people who are lost."

11 Jesus was getting closer to Jerusalem, and the people thought that the kingdom of God would appear suddenly. While Jesus had the people's attention, he used this illustration.

12 He said, "A prince went to a distant country to be appointed king, and then he returned.

13 [Before he left,] he called ten of his servants and gave them ten coins. He said to his servants, 'Invest this money until I come back.'

14 "The citizens of his own country hated him. They sent representatives to follow him and say [to the person who was going to appoint him], 'We don't want this man to be our king.'

15 "After he was appointed king, he came back. Then he said, 'Call those servants to whom I gave money. I want to know how much each one has made by investing.'

16 "The first servant said, 'Sir, the coin you gave me has earned ten times as much.'

17 "The king said to him, 'Good job! You're a good servant. You proved that you could be trusted with a little money. Take charge of ten cities.'

18 "The second servant said, 'The coin you gave me, sir, has made five times as much.'

19 "The king said to this servant, 'You take charge of five cities.'

20 "Then the other servant said, 'Sir, look! Here's your coin. I've kept it in a cloth for safekeeping because

21 I was afraid of you. You're a tough person to get along with. You take what isn't yours and harvest grain you haven't planted.'

22 "The king said to him, 'I'll judge you by what you've said, you evil servant! You knew that I was a tough person to get along with. You knew that I take what isn't mine and harvest grain I haven't planted.

23 Then why didn't you put my money in the bank? When I came back, I could have collected it with interest.'

24 The king told his men, 'Take his coin away, and give it to the man who has ten.'

25 "They replied, 'Sir, he already has ten coins.'

26 "'I can guarantee that everyone who has something will be given more. But everything will be taken away from those who don't have much.

27 Bring my enemies, who didn't want me to be their king. Kill them in front of me.'"

28 After Jesus had given this illustration, he continued on his way to Jerusalem.

29 When he came near Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives (as it was called), Jesus sent two of his disciples ahead of him.

30 He said to them, "Go into the village ahead of you. As you enter, you will find a young donkey tied there. No one has ever sat on it. Untie it, and bring it.

31 If anyone asks you why you are untying it, say that the Lord needs it."

32 The men Jesus sent found it as he had told them.

33 While they were untying the young donkey, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the donkey?"

34 The disciples answered, "The Lord needs it."

35 They brought the donkey to Jesus, put their coats on it, and helped Jesus onto it.

36 As he was riding along, people spread their coats on the road.

37 By this time he was coming near the place where the road went down the Mount of Olives. Then the whole crowd of disciples began to praise God for all the miracles they had seen.

38 They shouted joyfully, "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven."

39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, tell your disciples to be quiet."

40 Jesus replied, "I can guarantee that if they are quiet, the stones will cry out."

41 When he came closer and saw the city, he began to cry.

42 He said, "If you had only known today what would bring you peace! But now it is hidden, so you cannot see it.

43 The time will come when enemy armies will build a wall to surround you and close you in on every side.

44 They will level you to the ground and kill your people. One stone will not be left on top of another, because you didn't recognize the time when God came to help you."

45 Jesus went into the temple courtyard and began to throw out those who were selling things there.

46 He said to them, "Scripture says, 'My house will be a house of prayer,' but you have turned it into a gathering place for thieves."

47 Jesus taught in the temple courtyard every day. The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people looked for a way to kill him.

48 But they could not find a way to do it, because all the people were eager to hear him.

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.