Luke 18

1 And he said to them also a parable, that it behooveth to pray evermore, and not [to] fail; [Forsooth he said also a parable to them, for it behooveth to pray ever, and not to fail;]

2 and said, There was a judge in a city, that dreaded not God, neither shamed of men. [+saying, There was some judge in a city, which dreaded not God, neither shamed of men.]

3 And a widow was in that city, and she came to him, and said [saying], Venge me of mine adversary;

4 and he would not long time [and he would not by much time]. But after these things he said within himself, Though I dread not God, and shame not of man,

5 nevertheless for this widow is heavy to me, I shall venge her; lest at the last she coming condemn me [lest at the last she coming strangle me].

6 And the Lord said, Hear ye, what the doomsman of wickedness saith;

7 and whether God shall not do [the] vengeance of his chosen, crying to him day and night, and shall have patience in them?

8 Soothly I say to you, for soon he shall do [the] vengeance of them. Nevertheless guessest thou, that man's Son coming shall find faith in earth?

9 And he said also to some men, that trusted in themselves, as they were rightful, and despised others, this parable, saying,

10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.

11 And the Pharisee stood, and prayed by himself these things, and said [Forsooth the Pharisee standing, prayed with himself these things, saying], God, I do thankings to thee, for I am not as other men, raveners, unjust, adulterers, as also this publican;

12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all things that I have in possession.

13 And the publican stood afar, and would not raise his eyes to heaven, but smote his breast, and said [And the publican standing afar would not neither lift up the eyes to heaven, but smote his breast, saying], God be merciful to me, sinner.

14 Truly I say to you, this went down into his house, and was justified from the other. For each that enhanceth himself, shall be made low, and he that meeketh himself, shall be enhanced.

15 And they brought to him young children, that he should touch them; and when the disciples saw this thing, they blamed them.

16 But Jesus called together them, and said, Suffer ye children to come to me, and do not ye forbid them, for of such is the kingdom of heavens.

17 Truly I say to you, whoever shall not take the kingdom of God as a child, he shall not enter into it.

18 And a prince asked him, and said, Good master, in what thing doing shall I wield everlasting life? [And some prince asked him, saying, Good master, what thing doing shall I wield everlasting life?]

19 And Jesus said to him, What sayest thou me good? No man is good, but God alone.

20 Thou knowest the commandments, Thou shalt not slay, Thou shalt not do lechery, Thou shalt not do theft, Thou shalt not say false witnessing, Honour thy father and thy mother [Worship thy father and thy mother].

21 Which said, I have kept all these things from my youth.

22 And when this thing was heard, Jesus said to him, Yet one thing faileth to thee; sell thou all things that thou hast, and give to poor men, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come, and follow thou me [and come, and follow me].

23 And when these things were heard, he was sorrowful, for he was full rich.

24 And Jesus seeing him made sorry, said, How hard they that have money shall enter into the kingdom of God; [Soothly Jesus seeing him made sorrowful said, How hard they that have riches shall enter into the realm of God;]

25 for it is lighter a camel to pass through a needle's eye, than a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. [forsooth it is easier a camel to pass through a needle's eye, than a rich man for to enter into the kingdom of God.]

26 And they that heard these things said, [And] Who may be made safe?

27 And he said to them, Those things that be impossible with men, be possible with God.

28 But Peter said, Lo! we have left all things, and have followed thee [and follow thee].

29 And he said to him, Truly I say to you, there is no man that shall forsake house, or father and mother, or brethren, or wife, or children, or fields, for the realm of God,

30 and shall not receive many more things in this time, and in the world to coming everlasting life [and in the world to come everlasting life].

31 And Jesus took his twelve disciples, and said to them, Lo! we go up to Jerusalem, and all things shall be ended, that be written by the prophets of man's Son.

32 For he shall be betrayed to heathen men, and he shall be scorned, and scourged, and bespat;

33 and after that they have scourged him, they shall slay him, and the third day he shall rise again.

34 And they understood nothing of these; and this word was hid from them, and they understood not those things that were said.

35 But it was done, when Jesus came nigh to Jericho, a blind man sat beside the way, and begged [some blind man sat beside the way begging].

36 And when he heard the people passing [And when he heard the company of people passing], he asked, what this was.

37 And they said to him, that Jesus of Nazareth passed.

38 And he cried, and said [saying], Jesus, the son of David, have mercy on me.

39 And they that went before blamed him, that he should be still; but he cried much the more [soothly he cried much more], Thou son of David, have mercy on me.

40 And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought forth to him. And when he came nigh, he asked him, and said [saying],

41 What wilt thou that I shall do to thee? And he said, Lord, that I see.

42 And Jesus said to him, Behold; thy faith hath made thee safe.

43 And at once he saw, and followed him, and magnified God [And anon he saw, and followed him, magnifying God]. And all the people, as it saw [that it saw], gave praising to God.

Luke 18 Commentary

Chapter 18

The parable of the importunate widow. (1-8) The Pharisee and the publican. (9-14) Children brought to Christ. (15-17) The ruler hindered by his riches. (18-30) Christ foreshows his death. (31-34) A blind man restored to sight. (35-43)

Verses 1-8 All God's people are praying people. Here earnest steadiness in prayer for spiritual mercies is taught. The widow's earnestness prevailed even with the unjust judge: she might fear lest it should set him more against her; but our earnest prayer is pleasing to our God. Even to the end there will still be ground for the same complaint of weakness of faith.

Verses 9-14 This parable was to convince some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others. God sees with what disposition and design we come to him in holy ordinances. What the Pharisee said, shows that he trusted to himself that he was righteous. We may suppose he was free from gross and scandalous sins. All this was very well and commendable. Miserable is the condition of those who come short of the righteousness of this Pharisee, yet he was not accepted; and why not? He went up to the temple to pray, but was full of himself and his own goodness; the favour and grace of God he did not think worth asking. Let us beware of presenting proud devotions to the Lord, and of despising others. The publican's address to God was full of humility, and of repentance for sin, and desire toward God. His prayer was short, but to the purpose; God be merciful to me a sinner. Blessed be God, that we have this short prayer upon record, as an answered prayer; and that we are sure that he who prayed it, went to his house justified; for so shall we be, if we pray it, as he did, through Jesus Christ. He owned himself a sinner by nature, by practice, guilty before God. He had no dependence but upon the mercy of God; upon that alone he relied. And God's glory is to resist the proud, and give grace to the humble. Justification is of God in Christ; therefore the self-condemned, and not the self-righteous, are justified before God.

Verses 15-17 None are too little, too young, to be brought to Christ, who knows how to show kindness to those not capable of doing service to him. It is the mind of Christ, that little children should be brought to him. The promise is to us, and to our seed; therefore He will bid them welcome to him with us. And we must receive his kingdom as children, not by purchase, and must call it our Father's gift.

Verses 18-30 Many have a great deal in them very commendable, yet perish for lack of some one thing; so this ruler could not bear Christ's terms, which would part between him and his estate. Many who are loth to leave Christ, yet do leave him. After a long struggle between their convictions and their corruptions, their corruptions carry the day. They are very sorry that they cannot serve both; but if one must be quitted, it shall be their God, not their wordly gain. Their boasted obedience will be found mere outside show; the love of the world in some form or other lies at the root. Men are apt to speak too much of what they have left and lost, of what they have done and suffered for Christ, as Peter did. But we should rather be ashamed that there has been any regret or difficulty in doing it.

Verses 31-34 The Spirit of Christ, in the Old Testament prophets, testified beforehand his sufferings, and the glory that should ( 1 Peter. 1:11 ) that they would not understand these things literally. They were so intent upon the prophecies which spake of Christ's glory, that they overlooked those which spake of his sufferings. People run into mistakes, because they read their Bibles by halves, and are only for the smooth things. We are as backward to learn the proper lessons from the sufferings, crucifixion, and resurrection of Christ, as the disciples were to what he told them as to those events; and for the same reason; self-love, and a desire of worldly objects, close our understandings.

Verses 35-43 This poor blind man sat by the wayside, begging. He was not only blind, but poor, the fitter emblem of the world of mankind which Christ came to heal and save. The prayer of faith, guided by Christ's encouraging promises, and grounded on them, shall not be in vain. The grace of Christ ought to be thankfully acknowledged, to the glory of God. It is for the glory of God if we follow Jesus, as those will do whose eyes are opened. We must praise God for his mercies to others, as well as for mercies to ourselves. Would we rightly understand these things, we must come to Christ, like the blind man, earnestly beseeching him to open our eyes, and to show us clearly the excellence of his precepts, and the value of his salvation.