Luke 19

1 And Jesus, having entered, was passing through Jericho;

2 and, behold, a man named Zacchaeus, who was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.

3 And he sought to see who Jesus was and could not for the crowd because he was small of stature.

4 And running ahead, he climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was to pass that way.

5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and saw him and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste and come down; for today I must abide at thy house.

6 And he made haste and came down and received him joyfully.

7 And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.

8 Then Zacchaeus stood and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.

9 And Jesus said unto him, This day saving health is come to this house, inasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham.

10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

11 And as they heard these things, he added and spoke a parable because he was near to Jerusalem and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately be manifested.

12 He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.

13 And having called ten of his slaves, he delivered them ten minas and said unto them, Trade until I come.

14 But his citizens hated him and sent an embassy after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.

15 And it came to pass that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these slaves to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much each one had gained by trading.

16 Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy mina has gained ten minas.

17 And he said unto him, Well done, thou good slave; because thou hast been faithful in a very little, thou shalt have authority over ten cities.

18 And the second came, saying, Lord, thy mina has made five minas.

19 And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.

20 And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy mina, which I have kept laid up in a napkin,

21 for I feared thee because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that which thou didst not lay down and dost reap that which thou didst not sow.

22 Then he said unto him, Out of thine own mouth I will judge thee, thou wicked slave. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that which I did not lay down, and reaping that which I did not sow;

23 why then didst thou not give my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required my own with interest?

24 And he said unto those that stood by, Take from him the mina and give it to him that has the ten minas.

25 (And they said unto him, Lord, he has ten minas.)

26 For I say unto you, That unto every one who has shall be given; and from him that has not, even that which he has shall be taken away from him.

27 Moreover, those enemies of mine, who were unwilling that I should reign over them, bring them here and slay them before me.

28 And when he had thus spoken, he went before, ascending up to Jerusalem.

29 And it came to pass, when he was come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount called the mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples,

30 saying, Go ye into the village over against you, in which at your entering ye shall find a colt tied, upon whom no one has ever sat; loose him, and bring him here.

31 And if anyone asks you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord has need of him.

32 And those that were sent went and found even as he had said unto them.

33 And as they were loosing the colt, its owners said unto them, Why loose ye the colt?

34 And they said, The Lord has need of him.

35 And they brought him to Jesus, and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus upon it.

36 And as he went, they spread their garments in the way.

37 And when he was come near, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen,

38 saying, Blessed be the King that comes in the name of the Lord; peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.

39 And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples.

40 And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that if these should be silent, the stones would immediately cry out.

41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city and wept over it,

42 saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.

43 For the days shall come upon thee that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee and compass thee round and constrain thee on every side

44 and shall cast thee down to the ground and thy children within thee, and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.

45 And he went into the temple and began to cast out those selling and buying therein,

46 saying unto them, It is written, My house is a house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves.

47 And he taught daily in the temple. But the princes of the priests and the scribes and the principals of the people sought to kill him

48 and could not find what they might do, for all the people were very attentive 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.