Luke 18
18
The Parable of the Persistent Widow
1He then told them a parable on the need for them to pray # Lk 11:5-13; 21:36; 1Th 5:17 always and not become discouraged: # 2Co 4:1 2“There was a judge in a certain town who didn’t fear God # Ps 147:11; Pr 1:7; Ac 10:2; Rv 14:7 or respect man. 3And a widow # Lk 2:37; 4:26; 7:12; 21:2 in that town kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’
4“For a while he was unwilling, but later he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or respect man, 5yet because this widow keeps # Lk 11:8 pestering me, # Lit widow causes me trouble I will give her justice, so she doesn’t wear me out # Or doesn’t give me a black eye, or doesn’t ruin my reputation by her persistent coming.’ ”
6Then the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7Will not God grant justice # Is 63:4; Rv 6:10 to His elect # Mt 24:22; Rm 8:33; 2Tm 2:10; Ti 1:1 who cry out to Him day and night? # Ps 88:1 Will He delay # 2Pt 3:9 to help them? # Or Will He put up with them? 8I tell you that He will swiftly grant them justice. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, # Dn 7:13; Lk 9:26; 12:40 will He find that faith # Or faith, or that kind of faith, or any faith, or the faith, or faithfulness ; the faith that persists in prayer for God’s vindication on earth? ”
The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
9He # Mt 18:4; 23:12; Lk 14:11 also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves # Mt 5:20; 2Co 1:9 that they were righteous # Lk 16:15 and looked down # Lk 23:11; Ac 4:11; Rm 14:3,10 on everyone else: 10“Two men went up to the temple complex to pray, # 1Kg 10:5; 2Kg 20:5,8; Ac 3:1 one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee took his stand # Or Pharisee stood by himself # Mt 6:5; Mk 11:25 and was praying like this: ‘God, I thank You that I’m not like other people # Or like the rest of men — greedy, # Mt 7:15; 1Co 5:10-11; 6:10 unrighteous, # Lk 16:10 adulterers, # Ex 20:14; 1Co 6:9; Heb 13:4 or even like this tax collector. 12I fast # Lk 5:33-35; Ac 13:2-3 twice a week; I give a tenth # Or give tithes # Lk 11:42 of everything I get.’
13“But the tax collector, standing far off, # Lk 17:12 would not even raise his eyes to heaven # Ezr 9:6 but kept striking his chest # = mourning # Lk 23:48 and saying, ‘God, turn Your wrath from me # Lit God, be propitious to me ; = May Your wrath be turned aside by the sacrifice # Heb 2:17 — a sinner! ’ # 1Tm 1:15 14I tell you, this one went down to his house justified # Lk 16:15; Php 3:8 rather than the other; because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” # Is 2:11; Lk 1:52; 3:5; 14:11
Blessing the Children
15Some # Mt 18:3; 19:13-15; Mk 10:13-16 people were even bringing infants to Him so He might touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16Jesus, however, invited them: “Let the little children come to Me, # Lk 14:26 and don’t stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17I assure you: # Ps 72:19; Rv 22:21 Whoever does not welcome # Lk 8:13 the kingdom of God like a little child # 1Co 14:20; 1Pt 2:2 will never enter it.”
The Rich Young Ruler
18A # Mt 19:16-30; Mk 10:17-31; Lk 22:28-30 ruler # Lk 8:41; 12:58 asked Him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? ” # Lk 10:25; Jn 3:15
19“Why do you call Me good? ” Jesus asked him. “No one is good but One — God. 20You know the commandments:
Do not commit adultery;
do not murder;
do not steal;
do not bear false witness;
honor your father and mother.” # Ex 20:12-16; Dt 5:16-20 # Ex 20:12-16; Dt 5:16-20
21“I have kept all these from my youth,” he said.
22When Jesus heard this, He told him, “You still lack one thing: Sell all that you have and distribute it to the poor, # Lk 12:33; 19:8; Ac 2:45; 4:34 and you will have treasure in heaven. # Mt 6:19-20; Lk 5:11; 12:33 Then come, follow Me.” # Lk 5:27
23After he heard this, he became extremely sad, # Mt 26:38; Mk 6:26; 14:34 because he was very rich.
Possessions and the Kingdom
24Seeing that he became sad, # Other mss omit he became sad Jesus said, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! 25For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
26Those who heard this asked, “Then who can be saved? ” # Lk 18:42; Eph 2:8
27He replied, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.” # Gn 18:14; Jb 42:2; Jr 32:17; Zch 8:6; Lk 1:37; Rm 4:21; 11:22
28Then Peter said, “Look, we have left what we had and followed # Lk 5:11; Jn 8:12 You.”
29So He said to them, “I assure you: There is no one who has left a house, wife or brothers, parents or children because of the kingdom of God, 30who will not receive many times more at this time, # Jb 42:10; Mt 6:33; Lk 21:8 and eternal life in the age to come.”
The Third Prediction of His Death
31Then # Mt 20:17-19; Mk 10:32-34 He took the Twelve aside and told them, “Listen! We are going up to Jerusalem. # Lk 9:51 Everything that is written # Ps 22; Is 52:13–53:12; Mt 1:22; 26:24 through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished. # Lk 22:37; Jn 19:28 32For He will be handed over to the Gentiles, # Mt 27:2; Jn 18:30-31; Ac 3:13 and He will be mocked, # Mt 27:26-31 insulted, spit # Mt 26:67; Mk 14:65; 15:19 on; 33and after they flog Him, they will kill Him, and He will rise on the third day.” # Mt 16:21; Lk 9:22
34They understood none of these things. # Mk 9:32; Lk 2:50; 9:45 This saying # The meaning of the saying # Lk 1:29 was hidden # Lk 24:16 from them, and they did not grasp what was said.
A Blind Man Receives His Sight
35As # Mt 20:29-34; Mk 10:46-52 He drew near Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging. 36Hearing a crowd passing by, he inquired what this meant. 37“Jesus the Nazarene # Mt 2:23; Jn 18:5; 19:19; Ac 2:22 is passing by,” they told him.
38So he called out, # Lk 18:7 “Jesus, Son of David, # Mt 1:1; 9:27; Lk 1:32; Rm 1:3 have mercy # Lk 16:24 on me! ” 39Then those in front told him to keep quiet, # Or those in front rebuked him but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me! ”
40Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to Him. When he drew near, He asked him, 41“What do you want Me to do for you? ”
“Lord,” he said, “I want to see! ”
42“Receive your sight! ” # Lk 7:22; Jn 9:11; Ac 9:12 Jesus told him. “Your faith has healed you.” # Or has saved you # Mt 9:22; Lk 5:20; 7:50; 8:48; 17:19; 18:26 43Instantly he could see, and he began to follow Him, glorifying God. # Lk 7:16; 13:13 All the people, # Lk 2:10 when they saw it, gave praise to God.
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