Luke 18
18
The Parable of the Persistent Widow
1Now he told them a parable on the need for them to pray#Lk 11:5–13; 21:36; 1Th 5:17 always and not give up.#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 people. 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 people, 5yet because this widow keeps#Lk 11:8 pestering me,#18:5 Lit widow causes me trouble I will give her justice, so that she doesn’t wear me out#18:5 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 helping them?#18:7 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 faith 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 to pray,#1Kg 10:5; 2Kg 20:5,8; Ac 3:1 one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee was standing#Mt 6:5; Mk 11:25 and praying like this about himself: #18:11 Or by himself ‘God, I thank you that I’m not like other people — 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#18:12 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#Lk 23:48 and saying, ‘God, have mercy on me,#18:13 Or God, turn your wrath from me#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
15People#Mt 18:3; 19:13–15; Mk 10:13–16 were bringing infants to him so that 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. 17Truly I tell you,#Ps 72:19; Rv 22:21 whoever does not receive#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 except God alone. 20You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery; do not murder; do not steal; do not bear false witness; honor your father and mother.”#18:20Ex 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 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,#18:24 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 man 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, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left a house, wife or brothers or sisters, 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, “See, 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 The meaning of the saying#18:34 Lit This 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 approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging. 36Hearing a crowd passing by, he inquired what was happening. 37“Jesus of Nazareth#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,#18:39 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 came closer, 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 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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Luke 18: CSB
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