Luke 19

Jesus and Zacchaeus

1 And he entered [and] traveled through Jericho.

2 And {there was} a man {named} Zacchaeus, and he was a chief tax collector, and he [was] rich.

3 And he was seeking to see Jesus--who he was--and he was not able to as a result of the crowd, because he was short in stature.

4 And he ran on ahead [and] climbed up into a sycamore tree so that he could see him, because he was going to go through [that way].

5 And when he came to the place, Jesus looked up [and] said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down quickly, because it is necessary [for] me to stay at your house today!"

6 And he came down quickly and welcomed him joyfully.

7 And [when they] saw [it], they all began to complain, saying, "He has gone in to find lodging with a man who is a sinner!"

8 And Zacchaeus stopped [and] said to the Lord, "Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I am giving to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone, I am paying [it] back four times [as much]!"

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

10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save those who are lost."

The Parable of the Ten Minas

11 Now [while] they were listening to these [things], he went on [and] told a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and they thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately.

12 Therefore he said, "A certain nobleman traveled to a distant country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.

13 And summoning ten of his own slaves, he gave them ten minas and said to them, 'Do business {until I come back}.'

14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We do not want this man to be king over us!'

15 And it happened that when he returned [after] receiving the kingdom, he ordered these slaves to whom he had given the money to be summoned to him, so that he could know what they had gained by trading.

16 So the first arrived, saying, 'Sir, your mina has made ten minas more!'

17 And he said to him, 'Well done, good slave! Because you have been faithful in a very small thing, {have authority} over ten cities.'

18 And the second came, saying, 'Sir, your mina has made five minas.'

19 So he said to this one also, 'And you be over five cities.'

20 And another came, saying, 'Sir, behold your mina, which I had put away for safekeeping in a piece of cloth.

21 For I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man--you withdraw what you did not deposit, and you reap what you did not sow!'

22 He said to him, '{By your own words} I will judge you, wicked slave! You knew that I am a severe man, withdrawing what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow.

23 And why did you not give my money to the bank, and I, [when I] returned, would have collected it with interest?'

24 And to the bystanders he said, 'Take away from him the mina and give [it] to the one who has the ten minas!'

25 And they said to him, 'Sir, he has ten minas.'

26 'I tell you that to everyone who has, [more] will be given. But from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.

27 But these enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them--bring [them] here and slaughter them [in] my presence!'"

The Triumphal Entry

28 And [after he] had said these [things], he traveled on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.

29 And it happened that when he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, to the hill called [the Mount] of Olives, he sent two of the disciples,

30 saying, 'Go into the village in front of [you], in which [as you] enter you will find a colt tied, on which {no person has ever} sat, and untie it [and] bring [it].

31 And if anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying [it]?' you will say this: 'The Lord has need of it.'"

32 So those who were sent went [and] found [it] just as he had told them.

33 And [as] they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, 'Why are you untying the colt?'

34 So they said, 'The Lord has need of it.'

35 And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they put Jesus [on it].

36 And [as] he was going along, they were spreading out their cloaks on the road.

37 Now [as] he was drawing near by this time to the descent from the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began rejoicing to praise God with a loud voice for all the miracles that they had seen,

38 saying, "Blessed [is] the king, the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"

39 And some of the Pharisees from the crowd said to him, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!"

40 And he answered [and] said, "I tell you that if these keep silent, the stones will cry out!"

Jesus Weeps over Jerusalem

41 And when he approached [and] saw the city, he wept over it,

42 saying, "If you had known on this day--even you--the things [that make] for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.

43 For days will come upon you and your enemies will put up an embankment against you, and will surround you and press you hard from all directions.

44 And they will raze you to the ground, [you] and your children within you, and will not leave a stone upon a stone within you, {because} you did not recognize the time of your visitation."

The Cleansing of the Temple

45 And he entered into the temple [courts] [and] began to drive out those who were selling,

46 saying to them, "It is written, 'And my house will be a house of prayer,' but you have made it a cave of robbers!"

47 And he was teaching every day in the temple [courts], and the chief priests and the scribes and the most prominent men of the people were seeking to destroy him.

48 And they did not find anything they could do, because all the people were paying close attention to [what] they were hearing from 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. *Here "[and]" is supplied because the previous participle ("entered") has been translated as a finite verb
• [b]. Literally "behold"
• [c]. Literally "called by name"
• [d]. *Here "[and]" is supplied because the previous participle ("ran on") has been translated as a finite verb
• [e]. *Here "[and]" is supplied because the previous participle ("looked up") has been translated as a finite verb
• [f]. *Here "[when]" is supplied as a component of the participle ("saw") which is understood as temporal
• [g]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
• [h]. *The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here ("began to complain")
• [i]. *Here "[and]" is supplied because the previous participle ("stopped") has been translated as a finite verb
• [j]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
• [k]. *Here "[while]" is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle ("were listening to")
• [l]. *Here "[and]" is supplied because the previous participle ("went on") has been translated as a finite verb
• [m]. A Greek monetary unit equal to 100 drachmas
• [n]. Literally "in which [time] I am coming back"
• [o]. *Here "[after]" is supplied as a component of the participle ("receiving") which is understood as temporal
• [p]. Literally "be having authority"
• [q]. Literally "from your [own] mouth"
• [r]. *Here "[when]" is supplied as a component of the participle ("returned") which is understood as temporal
• [s]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
• [t]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
• [u]. *Here "[after]" is supplied as a component of the participle ("had said") which is understood as temporal
• [v]. Or "mountain"
• [w]. *Here "[as]" is supplied as a component of the participle ("enter") which is understood as temporal
• [x]. Literally "no one of men ever"
• [y]. *Here "[and]" is supplied because the previous participle ("untie") has been translated as a finite verb
• [z]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
• [aa]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
• [ab]. *Here "[and]" is supplied because the previous participle ("went") has been translated as a finite verb
• [ac]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
• [ad]. *Here "[as]" is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle ("were untying")
• [ae]. *Here "[as]" is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle ("was going along")
• [af]. *Here "[as]" is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle ("was drawing near")
• [ag]. *Here "[and]" is supplied because the previous participle ("answered") has been translated as a finite verb
• [ah]. Some manuscripts omit "that"
• [ai]. *Here "[and]" is supplied because the previous participle ("approached") has been translated as a finite verb
• [aj]. Or "a palisade" (the term can refer to either a wooden or an earthen barricade)
• [ak]. Literally "in return for which"
• [al]. *Here "[courts]" is supplied to distinguish this area from the interior of the temple building itself
• [am]. *Here "[and]" is supplied because the previous participle ("entered") has been translated as a finite verb
• [an]. A quotation from Isa 56:7
• [ao]. *Here "[courts]" is supplied to distinguish this area from the interior of the temple building itself