Luke 19

1 Jesus was going through the city of Jericho.

2 A man was there named Zacchaeus, who was a very important tax collector, and he was wealthy.

3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but he was not able because he was too short to see above the crowd.

4 He ran ahead to a place where Jesus would come, and he climbed a sycamore tree so he could see him.

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

6 Zacchaeus came down quickly and welcomed him gladly.

7 All the people saw this and began to complain, "Jesus is staying with a sinner!"

8 But Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "I will give half of my possessions to the poor. And if I have cheated anyone, I will pay back four times more."

9 Jesus said to him, "Salvation has come to this house today, because this man also belongs to the family of Abraham.

10 The Son of Man came to find lost people and save them."

11 As the people were listening to this, Jesus told them a story because he was near Jerusalem and they thought God's kingdom would appear immediately.

12 He said: "A very important man went to a country far away to be made a king and then to return home.

13 So he called ten of his servants and gave a coinn to each servant. He said, 'Do business with this money until I get back.'

14 But the people in the kingdom hated the man. So they sent a group to follow him and say, 'We don't want this man to be our king.'

15 "But the man became king. When he returned home, he said, 'Call those servants who have my money so I can know how much they earned with it.'

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

17 The king said to the servant, 'Excellent! You are a good servant. Since I can trust you with small things, I will let you rule over ten of my cities.'

18 "The second servant said, 'Sir, I earned five coins with your one.'

19 The king said to this servant, 'You can rule over five cities.'

20 "Then another servant came in and said to the king, 'Sir, here is your coin which I wrapped in a piece of cloth and hid.

21 I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You even take money that you didn't earn and gather food that you didn't plant.'

22 Then the king said to the servant, 'I will condemn you by your own words, you evil servant. You knew that I am a hard man, taking money that I didn't earn and gathering food that I didn't plant.

23 Why then didn't you put my money in the bank? Then when I came back, my money would have earned some interest.'

24 "The king said to the men who were standing by, 'Take the coin away from this servant and give it to the servant who earned ten coins.'

25 They said, 'But sir, that servant already has ten coins.'

26 The king said, 'Those who have will be given more, but those who do not have anything will have everything taken away from them.

27 Now where are my enemies who didn't want me to be king? Bring them here and kill them before me.'"

28 After Jesus said this, he went on toward Jerusalem.

29 As Jesus came near Bethphage and Bethany, towns near the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent out two of his followers.

30 He said, "Go to the town you can see there. When you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here to me.

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

32 The two followers went into town and found the colt just as Jesus had told them.

33 As they were untying it, its owners came out and asked the followers, "Why are you untying our colt?"

34 The followers answered, "The Master needs it."

35 So they brought it to Jesus, threw their coats on the colt's back, and put Jesus on it.

36 As Jesus rode toward Jerusalem, others spread their coats on the road before him.

37 As he was coming close to Jerusalem, on the way down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of followers began joyfully shouting praise to God for all the miracles they had seen.

38 They said, "God bless the king who comes in the name of the Lord!

39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, tell your followers not to say these things."

40 But Jesus answered, "I tell you, if my followers didn't say these things, then the stones would cry out."

41 As Jesus came near Jerusalem, he saw the city and cried for it,

42 saying, "I wish you knew today what would bring you peace. But now it is hidden from you.

43 The time is coming when your enemies will build a wall around you and will hold you in on all sides.

44 They will destroy you and all your people, and not one stone will be left on another. All this will happen because you did not recognize the time when God came to save you."

45 Jesus went into the Temple and began to throw out the people who were selling things there.

46 He said, "It is written in the Scriptures, 'My Temple will be a house for prayer.' But you have changed it into a 'hideout for robbers'!"

47 Jesus taught in the Temple every day. The leading priests, the experts on the law, and some of the leaders of the people wanted to kill Jesus.

48 But they did not know how they could do it, because all the people were listening closely to 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.