Bible Commentaries
Luke 18

Verse 1

‘And he spoke a parable to them to the end that they ought always to pray, and not to faint,’

This parable is so important that an explanation of its meaning and significance is given at its commencement. It is given as an encouragement and incentive to pray, and to go on praying without wilting. And as with the Lord’s prayer, the prayer is to be concerning the going forward of God’s purposes. It is to be always with an eye on the coming of the Son of Man. The prayer is to be that God will act on behalf of His people, will watch over them, will vindicate them (‘hallowed be Your name’), and will bring them through safely believing until the end (‘lead us not into testing’). Jesus’ final question in 8b is not really an expression of doubt, but an encouragement to faith.

‘Always to pray.’ Compare Paul’s ‘pray without ceasing’ (1 Thessalonians 5:17). This is a reminder that our lives should be firmly based on having fellowship with Him in prayer, and on an attitude of constant prayerful trust as we live our lives day by day, emphasising especially the need for God’s people to come together regularly to pray. From it we recognise the importance that Jesus placed on constant communion with God, and on praying regularly concerning the things of God.

Sadly a lot of Christians see prayer as coming with a shopping list to God and then saying, ‘Gimme, gimme, gimme (give to me)’, or as a noble attempt to keep all their relatives well. But neither of these are seen to be what should be the Christian’s prime concern. For as we saw in Luke 11:1-4 Jesus said that our main emphasis in prayer should be on the carrying forward of His will, and the establishment of His Kingly Rule. It should only be children who spend all their time talking about themselves.

In context the emphasis is on praying continuingly until the second coming of Jesus Christ in view of the constraints that will be on His people. His people should be concerned in one long chain of prayer that never ceases, in which all of us should continuingly partake, and should be centred on the fulfilment of His purposes, for this will play an important part in His purposes coming about.

The conflict between this attitude and that of the Jews is striking. They prayed formally three times a day, and limited it to that lest God get sick of them, but this goes far beyond that. This was looking for prayer to become the very breath of life. It was an indication that God looks for our companionship continually.

Verses 1-8

The Parable of the Unrighteous Judge (18:1-8).

As Luke 18:8 b makes clear, this parable looks directly back to Jesus’ prophecy which describes Himself as coming as the Son of Man in Luke 17:24. It is a call to His disciples, and to all Christians, to continue in praying that God will maintain the cause of His people until that Day. However, the question in 8b makes clear that the way is not necessarily going to be easy. It demonstrates that His people will have to face up to many faith-challenging experiences.

In the chiasmatic analysis of the Section (see introduction to the Section) this parable parallels the healing of the ten skin-diseased men. That healing was proof of what God was going to accomplish in His people, and the skin-diseased man who returned full of gratitude and faith was like these described here who must pray through to the end with the same gratitude and faith, constantly returning to give thanks and praise to the One Who has made them whole. They will be the few among the many whose faith shines through.

In considering this parable we might well ask, why did Jesus not use the illustration of a righteous judge? And the answer is that Jesus wanted to build into the parable the notions of delay and the need for persistence. Neither should occur with a righteous judge. They might occur if he was overwhelmed with work but Jesus would hardly want us to see God as overwhelmed with work. This then brings out what is the stress in the parable, delay and the need for persistence. But the reason for the delay in God’s case is that He has a large purpose to carry out that necessitates delay, your salvation and mine, for instance, so that He could not bring about the consummation immediately. The overall point, apart from the need for us to be persistent in prayer, is therefore that God will give His people justice, and will answer their cry at the most suitable time. This may sometimes be locally, but whatever happens there, in the end it will be true at the final consummation. So their future is guaranteed, but as regularly in Scripture, it is to go hand in hand with their persistence in prayer and their faithfulness in life. We pray knowing that we will receive what we ask for, because our praying is a part of how He brings it about.

Analysis.

a He spoke a parable to them to the end that they ought always to pray, and not to faint (Luke 18:1).

b Saying, “There was in a city a judge, who feared not God, and regarded not man,” (Luke 18:2).

c “And there was a widow in that city, and she came to him often, saying, ‘Avenge me of my adversary’ ” (Luke 18:3).

d “And he would not for a while, but afterwards he said within himself” (Luke 18:4-5).

e “ ‘Though I fear not God, nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me, I will avenge her, lest she wear me out by her continual coming’ ” (Luke 18:5).

d ‘And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says” (Luke 18:6).

c “And shall not God avenge His elect, who cry to Him day and night, and even though He wait a long time over them?” (Luke 18:7).

b “I say to you, that He will avenge them speedily” (Luke 18:8 a).

a “Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8 b).

Note that in ‘a’ His people are to believe on, praying in all circumstances, and in the parallel the question is as to whether they will believe on. In ‘b’ we have the resolute judge and in the parable the resolute God. In ‘c’ we have the request for justice, and in the parallel the promise of justice for His people. In ‘d’ the judge speaks to himself, and in the parallel we are to hear what he says. Centrally in ‘e’ is the assurance of a guaranteed answer to the plea.

Verses 1-43

Men Must Live In The Light Of The Coming Of The Son of Man In His Glory (15:1-19:28).

Having established in Section 1 that Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the city of David where He was proclaimed ‘Saviour’ and ‘Lord Messiah’; and in Section 2 that as ‘the Son of God’ Jesus had faced His temptations as to what His Messiahship would involve and defeated the Tempter; and that in Section 3 He had proclaimed in parables the secrets of ‘the Kingly Rule of God’; and had in Section 4 taught His Disciples the Lord’s Prayer for the establishment of that Kingly Rule and for their deliverance from the trial to come; and having in Section 5 seen in the healing of the crooked woman on the Sabbath a picture of the deliverance of God’s people from Satan’s power; this section now centres on His coming revelation in glory as the glorious Son of Man (compare Daniel 7:13-14).

(For the evidence that these points are central to the narrative see Introduction).

Section 6 follows the chiastic pattern that we have already seen abounds in Luke. It may be analysed in detail as follows:

a Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear Him (Luke 15:1).

b The parables concerning the seeking Shepherd who goes out into the wilderness, the woman with the coins, and the three, the father and the two young men, who each make their choice as to what they will do, and Heaven’s rejoicing when tax collectors and sinners repent (Luke 15:2-32).

c The steward who used his lord’s wealth wisely, and thoughts on using money wisely in preparation for the eternal future in the everlasting dwellings (Luke 16:1-13).

d The Pharisees are blind to the truth about Jesus and cavil at His teaching, but all who see the truth press into the Kingly Rule of God (Luke 16:14-18).

e The story of the rich man, and the beggar Lazarus, is a pointer to the wrong use of wealth in the light of the eternal future and to the unwillingness of many even solid Jews to truly listen to the Law of God, which will result in their being lost for ever (Luke 16:19-31).

f The danger of putting stumblingblocks in the way of others, especially of children, in the light of the eternal future (Luke 17:1-5).

g The servant who only does his duty in the expansion of the Kingly Rule of God does not expect a reward, for that is his duty (Luke 17:6-10).

h Ten lepers come seeking deliverance and are healed - but there is only one, a Samaritan, who afterwards seeks out Jesus with gratitude so as to give thanks. Among the many the one stands out. He alone finally seeks Jesus in faith and is abundantly vindicated. Jesus asks, ‘where there not ten cleansed, where are the nine?’ and stresses his faith (Luke 17:11-19).

i The Kingly Rule of God does not come with signs (Luke 17:20-21)

j After first being rejected the Son of Man, when He comes, will come in His glory (Luke 17:22-24), men must therefore beware of false Messiahs. After this we have a cluster of Son of Man sayings (Luke 17:26; Luke 17:30; Luke 18:8; Luke 18:31; Luke 19:10).

i The coming of the Son of Man will be unexpected (and thus without signs) (Luke 17:25-37).

h In parable there is an unrighteous judge, (who represents God), and he is faced by one who comes to him seeking for vindication, a picture of God’s elect seeking vindication. God’s elect must persevere in prayer and seek Him with faith that they too might find vindication. Among the many, the few stand out. Jesus asks, ‘when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?’ (Luke 18:1-8).

g The Pharisee who thinks he does his duty and expects thanks for it, is contrasted with the one who comes humbly and is justified (Luke 18:9-14).

f The Kingly Rule of God must be received as a little child (Luke 18:15-17).

e The approach of the rich young ruler and the difficulty of entering under the Kingly Rule of God, stressing the wise use of wealth for the sake of the Kingly Rule of God (Luke 18:18-30).

d While the Apostles remain partially blind to the truth about Jesus, (the fact that what is written about the Son of Man must be accomplished), the blind man at Jericho recognises Him as the Son of David and insists on being brought to Jesus and his eyes are opened, He insistently presses into the Kingly Rule of God (Luke 18:31-43).

c The chief tax collector Zacchaeus uses his wealth wisely and yields it to the Lord, demonstrating that the Son of Man has successfully come to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:1-10).

b The king goes to a far country to receive Kingly Rule, he gives coins to his servants to trade with, and his three servants have each to make their choice (Luke 19:11-27).

a ‘And when He had said thus He went on before, going up to Jerusalem’ (Luke 19:28).

Note how in ‘a’ the section opens with the tax collectors and sinners drawing near ‘to hear Him’, and ends with Him ‘concluding His words’ before moving on towards His death in Jerusalem. In ‘b’ the shepherd goes into the wilderness, the woman looks after her coins, and a father and his two sons make their choices, while in the parallel a king goes into a far country, he dispenses coins to be looked after, and three servants make their choices. In ‘c’ the steward uses money wisely and in the parallel Zacchaeus uses his money wisely. In ‘d’ The Pharisees are ‘blind’ to the truth about Jesus and cavil at His teaching, while those who see the truth press into the Kingly Rule of God, and in the parallel the disciples are ‘blind’ to Jesus’ teaching, while the blind man presses insistently into seeing Jesus. In ‘e’ we have the rich man who used his wealth wrongly and in the parallel the rich young ruler who refused to use his wealth rightly. In ‘f’ we are told of the danger of putting stumblingblocks in the way of others, especially of children, while in the parallel the Kingly Rule of God must be received as a little child. In ‘g’ the servant who only does his duty does not expect a reward, while in the parallel the Pharisee is confident that he has done his duty and boasts about it, but is seen as lacking. In ‘h’ ten men cry out for deliverance, but one man stands out as seeking Jesus and is commended and his faith alone is emphasised, in the parallel one woman seeks to a judge (God) and His elect are to seek out God for deliverance and are commended but lack of faith on earth is feared. In ‘i’ the Kingly Rule of God does not come with signs, and in the parallel His coming will be unexpected (and thus without signs). In ‘j’, and centrally, the rejected Son of Man is to come in His glory and false Messiahs are to be avoided (Luke 17:22-24).

Verse 2

‘Saying, “There was in a city a judge, who feared not God, and regarded not man,” ’

The parable opens with the description of a city judge who is absolutely resolute. He fears neither God nor man. He is seemingly unaffected by anything. He does precisely what he pleases. In this he is like God Who is over all and acts completely on His own without any restriction. The only distinction is that in the case of God, He does only what is right. That is a principle of Scripture from the very beginning (Genesis 18:25). He is not restricted by any outside law. He is restricted by what He Himself is.

The fact that the judge ‘feared not God nor regarded man’ may suggest that this was a non-Jewish judge, and that the widow had gone outside the religious system in order to obtain justice from the highest source, in her case from the civil power. Such judges were famed for their partiality and dishonesty, and usually the only way to gain their ear was by heavy bribes. However the phrase occurs elsewhere in Josephus and others and may therefore simply indicate one who is totally independent and makes up his own mind, one who is strong-minded and does not allow himself to be influenced by outside influences (such as, in normal circumstances, by a widow).

Verse 3

“And there was a widow in that city, and she came to him often, saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ ”

In contrast with the judge was a widow. She was at the opposite extreme, powerless, helpless, with no one to act on her behalf and with few weapons in her armoury. All she had was her persistence. We too are in the same position with God, except that we have One in Whose name we can come, which makes a huge difference.

In the Scriptures widows are always mentioned (along with orphans) as among the neediest, the weakest and the most dependent of people (see Exodus 22:22-24; Psalms 68:5; Isaiah 10:2; Jeremiah 49:11; Lamentations 5:3; James 1:27). They often have no one directly to look to but God. It is significant that Luke mentions widows nine time compared with Matthew’s one mention and Mark’s three. This confirms his greater emphasis on and concern about women. But Jesus’ use of the idea of a widow possibly has in mind Lamentations 1:1. There Israel in her need is likened to a lonely widow who weeps bitterly in the night, thus here it is a suitable picture of the people of God, especially when they are in periods of distress.

This woman, in her need, came to the judge pleading for justice, and using the only weapon that she had, persistence. The verb is sometimes translated ‘avenge me’, but it does not necessarily signify a desire for revenge. It is more concerned with obtaining justice. It is on this case a demand for her legal rights. She is probably wanting what is due to her, or to be protected from interference. We could possibly better translate as ‘give me justice against my adversary’ (compare Acts 7:24; Romans 12:19; 2 Corinthians 10:6). But she knew that she had only one weapon, persistence. With her lack of influence that was the only way that she could hope to get a hearing.

If in fact he was a Jewish judge she should have been first in his list, for the Old Testament makes quite clear that judges judge in the place of God (Deuteronomy 16:18-20; Psalms 82:2-4) and that special care that should be taken of widows and orphans (see Exodus 22:22-24; Deuteronomy 10:18; Psalms 68:5; Isaiah 1:17; Jeremiah 22:3). But whether he was or not he does not take her widowhood into account. He is more concerned for an easy life.

Verses 4-5

“And he would not for a while, but afterwards he said within himself,”

For a while the judge ignored her pleas, putting off her case and hoping that she would go away. But when she kept coming to him continually he gave in. He recognised that she was not just going to go away and that the best thing to do in order to obtain a quiet life was to deal with her request. Her persistence had won through.

Verse 5

“ ‘Though I fear not God, nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me, I will avenge her, lest she wear me out by her continual coming.’ ”

In the parable the judge’s motives were not good ones. It was not his concern for justice that brought him to his decision, but his concern that he might simply be worn out by her constant pleas. The verbs used are strong ones. So he decided that in spite of the fact that he was usually unmoved by anything outside himself he would give her justice. One thing that he could not hold out against was an unwearying persistence. We can compare the principle described here with that in mind in the parable of the importunate neighbour where the same principles applied (Luke 11:5-8). We are, however, told in both cases that we are not to see God as like this. That is why the judge is differentiated from God by being called unjust. God does delay, but His delays are caused by other factors which He has to keep in mind, such as the making up of the number of the elect, and His compassion for those of lost mankind still awaiting salvation. We are thus to see it as saying, if men will act like this from a bad motive, how much more will God act like it from a good motive.

‘Lest she wear me out.’ The verb originally mean ‘to blacken the eye’ so that it is fairly strong. But there is evidence for the lesser meaning of ‘wearing out’ as having become attached to it. He is not afraid of being assaulted. He is much more concerned about having his life continually disturbed.

Verse 6

‘And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says,”

Jesus then said to His disciples, ‘listen well to what this unrighteous judge says’. We can compare here the use of ‘unrighteous’ with regard to the estate manager in Luke 16:8. In both cases it indicates that they were unscrupulous and did their own thing. They looked at things from a worldly viewpoint. They were not God-like. So in order to get over a powerful point Jesus was not averse to using such people as illustrations, for it often made the point that He was seeking to get over clear cut, while at the same time the reference to ‘unrighteous’ is a warning against applying it too literally to God.

The point being made here is that the widow’s constant pleas can be compared in some ways with genuine intercessory prayers to God, because they were effective in obtaining from the object of those pleas a ready and complete answer. The underlying lesson is that of persistence. But because he was ‘unrighteous’ we are to recognise that his reasons for giving way were totally unlike those of God. God does not respond to our prayers because He is weary of them. Nor will we get our own way by wearing Him down. In fact elsewhere He has stressed that He does not answer people’s prayers just because of their ‘much speaking’ (Matthew 6:7). What He does guarantee to hear are genuine prayers concerning matters which are His concern, which because they matter a great deal to the suppliant, are persistent. And what Jesus is urging here is that we continue constantly with such prayers. This is not speaking of prayers just for ourselves. It has in mind prayers for what is right, prayers concerning the wellbeing, and spiritual growth and protection of His people.

Verse 7

“And shall not God give justice to (avenge, deal justly with the case of) his elect, who cry to him day and night, and he is longsuffering over them (or ‘even though he wait a long time over them?’) ”

Thus, says Jesus, ‘if even an unrighteous judge gives way before continual pleading, how much more we can be certain that God, the supremely righteous Judge, will listen to the voice, not of one who is just an unknown woman, but of those whom He has chosen Who are personally known to Him, when they cry to Him day and night.’ He may seem to delay, like the judge did. He may indeed wait for what seems to us a long time (another hint that the end will not come as soon as many expected). But of one thing we can be sure, justice will come. God’s way, which is what should be the great desire of His people, will triumph, and His people will prosper and be blessed.

Note that Jesus’ description of God’s people as His elect comes regularly in relation to the second coming (Mark 13:20; Mark 13:22; Mark 13:27; Matthew 22:14; Matthew 24:31). The direction of our prayers as ‘the elect’ are therefore to be seen as having that in mind.

‘Day and night.’ Compare Luke 2:37. It is a picture of persistent prayer.

‘And He is longsuffering over them’, or ‘even though He wait a long time over them.’ Either is a possible translation. The verb can mean ‘to wait patiently’ (James 5:7), ‘to be dilatory or slow’, or ‘to be forbearing/longsuffering’ (Matthew 18:26; Matthew 18:29; 1Co 13:4 ; 1 Thessalonians 5:14; 2 Peter 3:9). We may see in it here a combination of the first and the third senses. It includes the thought of delaying in order to give people time to repent because He is longsuffering, and delaying in order finally to complete what He has purposed, because nothing short of whay He has purposed will do. He will not be satisfied until every one of His own is gathered in. The Shepherd is still busy. Other suggested translations are, ‘Is He slow to help them?’ (signifying, of course, that He is not), or, ‘Is He not patient with them?’ (signifying that He never gets tired of hearing the prayers of His children).

Verse 8

“Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

And then comes the challenge, the open question, that in one way or another regularly comes at the end of what Jesus has to say. And that question is as to whether when the end comes, and Jesus comes in His glory, He will find persevering faith on earth. Whether He will find persistent and continuing prayer. It is a challenge to His listeners. It is not said, however, in order to instil doubt, but in order to encourage persistence in prayer in the face of whatever comes on them. Elsewhere it is made perfectly plain that in the last days there will be faith on earth (e.g. 1 Thessalonians 4:17-18; Revelation 11:1-13). There will be many who, like the skin-diseased Samaritan who was healed, will persistently return to give glory and thanksgiving to God. And this will be so in spite of any tribulation that they might face. This is especially exemplified in the Book of Revelation where the most dreadful events are intermingled with the thought of the endurance of God’s true people.

Alternately ‘ten pistin’ (thus with the article) could signify ‘those who are trusting’, so placing more emphasis on the believing people rather than their faith, or it could signify ‘the faith’, indicating what had been taught and is believed.

Verse 9

‘And he spoke also this parable to certain who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and set all others at nought,’

The people described here are in direct contrast with those who will have faith on earth, or who will be the believing ones, when He comes (Luke 18:8). They were confident in their own righteousness, and considered all others as less righteous than they. They based that belief on their fulfilment of the requirements of the Law in accordance with their own traditions, which placed an emphasis on the outward aspects of it. They overlooked what was central to the Law, the love of God and neighbour. But worse still they set at nought and treated with contempt those who did not follow their ways. And so that none might be in any doubt who were mainly in mind He told a parable in order to illustrate His comment.

Verses 9-14

The Parable Of The One Who Trusted In Himself That He Was Supremely Acceptable to God, And Was Not, And The One Who Was Doubtful About His Acceptability With God Who Was Made Fully Acceptable (18:9-14).

The parable that we have just considered demonstrated how God’s people were to await the coming of the Son of Man in glory in continual prayer. In the parable that follows we will learn how to distinguish between those who will in that Day be taken, and those who will be left, those who are accounted righteous, and those who are not.

Indeed this theme will continue on for some time. For the failure of the Pharisee to come to God because he was so taken up with himself, and the humble and contrite approach of the public servant (Luke 18:9-14), will be followed by the open-hearted response of little believing children who willingly and open-heartedly come (Luke 18:15-17), which will again be followed by the story of one whose riches prevented him from coming (Luke 18:18-30). All are given the opportunity of coming, but not all will take it.

In this parable now we have a twofold picture drawn of one who trusted in himself that he was supremely acceptable to God, and was not, and the one who was doubtful about his acceptability with God, and who nevertheless was made fully acceptable because he repented and called for mercy. It is often called ‘the Parable of the Pharisee and the Public Servant’.

In the Section chiasmus it is paralleled very aptly with Jesus’ words about the fact that whatever we do for God can never be brought up as evidence that we are deserving before Him, as justification for our position before Him. Even if we are perfect in all that we do we are simply achieving what it is our duty that we should do. Should we therefore come short in any one thing we will have failed in the fulfilment of our duty and can no longer claim merit (compare James 2:10).

This was what the Pharisee failed to recognise. He thought that he could start with a clean sheet and build up righteousness before God. He thought that he could earn God’s favour and build up merit. What he failed to see were all the ways in which he had come short, which more than cancelled out what he had achieved (which was what he should have done anyway). In contrast the public servant came recognising his shortcomings, and claiming no merit of his own. And because of that he was received with forgiveness, and was put in the right with God. He would be ready when the Son of Man came. He was the evidence of faith on earth.

In a day when public servants were held in such hatred, and Pharisees in such high regard, Jesus’ words here would have a salutary and important effect in changing people’s views, and making them think again, both about the prominence of Pharisaic teaching, and about the open door that the arrival of the Kingly Rule of God opened for sinners of all kinds. All would know that if a public servant could be saved, anyone could!

a He spoke also this parable to certain who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and set all others at nought’ (Luke 18:9).

b “Two men went up into the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee, and the other a public servant” (Luke 18:10).

c “The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank you, that I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this public servant’ ” (Luke 18:11).

d “I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I get” (Luke 18:12).

c “But the public servant, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes to heaven, but smote his breast, saying, ‘God, be you merciful to me a sinner’ ” (Luke 18:13).

b “I say to you, This man went down to his house accounted as righteous rather than the other” (Luke 18:14 a).

a “For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 18:14 b).

Note that ‘a’ speaks of one who sees himself as righteous and sets others at nought, while in the parallel the one who so exalts himself will be abased, while the humble, who had been set at nought, will be exalted. In ‘b’ we have the contrast of two men who went to the Temple to pray and in the parallel we learn the contrasting results. In ‘c’ we have the Pharisees prayer, and in the parallel the public servant’s prayer. In ‘d’ centrally we have the basis for the Pharisee’s self-righteousness (possibly the last part of ‘c’ should also come in here). This expands on the fact that he trusted in himself that he was righteous.

Verse 10

“Two men went up into the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee, and the other a public servant.”

The contrast is between a Pharisee and a public servant. Now let us be quite clear about this, outwardly the Pharisee lived the better and more religious life. He would be highly respected, and probably a little feared. And in comparison with the public servant (before he had come to the attitude that resulted in his prayer), the Pharisee would have been seen by all as so superior to him in God’s eyes that any comparison in the goodness stakes would have been no contest. It is not, however, that that we are called on to look at. For what Jesus wants us to see is that both were equally sinful in the sight of God. Both had ‘come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). What Jesus looked at was the attitude of heart.

This must not, of course be seen as Jesus’ view of all Pharisees and public servants. There were humble and godly Pharisees, and there were all too many evil and hard hearted public servants. What Jesus was concerned to bring out was that while man looks at the outward appearance, God looks at the heart. And here were two concerning whom a superficial verdict would bring one conclusion, while a close examination would bring another. Jesus refused to write off public servants as being unable to repent and come to God.

‘Went up.’ Going to the Temple was always described as going up, for it was on the Temple mount. Going there to pray at the time of the morning and evening sacrifices was a regular feature of life for pious Jews, but it was always open for prayer at all times. It was partly because the noise caused by the trading in the Temple hindered prayer in the court of the Gentiles that Jesus would later evict the traders from the Temple (Luke 19:45-46).

Verse 11

“The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank you, that I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this public servant.’ ”

‘Stood and prayed thus with himself.’ It was normal to pray standing, thus it would not need to be mentioned. The mention of it is probably therefore in order to bring out his pompous attitude. He wanted to be seen and admired. He would probably pray aloud, which was normal, but he did it quietly (‘with himself’). This too was normal practise. Rabbis who prayed loudly were criticised.

The Pharisee was full of pride at the wonder of his own life and achievements. Surely God must see that he stood out from all others. He had never tried to cheat people out of their possessions, or extort money from them, he had never behaved unjustly towards anyone, he had never committed adultery, and he had certainly not betrayed his people like ‘this public servant’ had. And it was probably all true. But what he did not realise was that the thing that stood out as separating him from the rest of men was above all his arrogant pride. What was not there in his life was any sign of repentance or awareness of need for forgiveness. He was self-satisfied and His heart was hardened against his own sin.

A further glance at his prayer will bring out its main emphasis, ‘Look God -- I -- I -- I -- I -- I.’ He was like a bullfrog puffing out its chest to attract attention to itself. It was all about himself. He had no wider vision.

We must not assume that all Pharisees were like this. We may think of Nicodemus in John 3:1-8, and of Gamaliel, to name but two. But a good many certainly were, and all too regularly they echoed the popular prayer, ‘I thank you that you have not made me a Gentile --- I thank you that you have not made me a woman’. And they not only prayed it, they thought it. Some went even further. One Pharisee once said, ‘If there are only two righteous men in the world, I and my son are those two. If there is only one, I am he.’ The Pharisee praying in the Temple would not have stood a chance against him.

Verse 12

“I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I get.”

It was customary among the Pharisees to tithe even the smallest thing that they received ‘from God’, even when it was not required by the Law (Luke 11:42; Matthew 23:23). Furthermore they fasted every Monday and Thursday, as well as on special days. The purpose of this latter was in order to make them humble, but always the danger was, as in this example, that it could make them inordinately proud (compare Matthew 6:1; Matthew 6:16-18). Not all prayer is holy.

So all in all God obtained from his prayers a good picture of his pride, his self-conceit and his total self-righteousness. He had justified himself to his own satisfaction, but had revealed all too much to God. For God, who looked at his heart and could only condemn him for the sin that He found within it, would mark him off as another failure.

Verse 13

“But the public servant, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes to heaven, but smote his breast, saying, ‘God, be you merciful to me (literally ‘be propitiated towards me’) a sinner.’ ”

The public servant was another matter. He really was a sinner, and he knew it and regretted it. He did not approach as close as he could to the Sanctuary, where all would see him. He stood afar off. Possibly he had seen the Pharisee and thought himself not worthy to be near him. The last thing that he wanted was for God to be contrasting him with the noble Pharisee! And he did not look upwards and raise his hands in prayer, he bowed his head and beat his breast, and cried out, ‘God, be you merciful to me a sinner’.

Anyone standing nearby would have had no doubt in whom God was well pleased, because they could not hear their prayers, or see their hearts. Their vote would have gone to the Pharisee, a splendid figure as he stood there before God bearing all the signs of his ‘piety’. But God’s view was different from theirs. In the case of the public servant He accepted his change of heart and his cry for forgiveness, and he was forgiven and accounted as righteous in God’s sight. But the Pharisee was left in the same condition as he was when he came in, self-satisfied and content, and unforgiven, for he really had in essence prayed to himself.

Verse 14

“For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Jesus then summed up the conclusion to be drawn from the parable. Those who exalt themselves will be humbled. Those who humble themselves will be exalted. For God scatters the proud in the imagination of their hearts (Luke 1:51) and exalts those of low degree (Luke 1:52). He draws near to those with a humble and contrite heart, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite (Isaiah 57:15).

A further example of this will now be given in the person of young children who are brought to Jesus. It is at this point that Luke again takes up and uses the Marcan narrative, which he had ceased using at Luke 9:50.

Verse 15

‘And they were bringing to him also their infants, that he should touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.’

The scene is a very simple one. The believing mothers, who would have told the young children all about Jesus, now brought them, eager faced and willing, to be received and touched by Him. The use of the term ‘infants’ by Luke, which he alters from paidion in Mark, is not in order to indicate babes in arms, but in order to bring out the contrast with adults which, by means of words of Jesus, he will use as an object lesson. For it is this aspect of things which makes him bring in the story in the context of similar stories which describe how God can be approached.

A practise had in fact grown up of bringing children to be blessed by the Elders and Scribes on the evening of the Day of Atonement. Thus to bring them to the great Prophet for the same purpose, while He was passing through their territory, would seem to the mothers a right and pious thing to do.

But the disciples, probably concerned at how tired Jesus was, sternly tried to keep them away. Their view was that Jesus had much more important things on His mind than children. Children were generally viewed in those days as needing to keep their place.

Verses 15-17

Young Children Are Welcomed By Jesus (18:15-17).

A special example of the humble who will be exalted, and of those who will be ready for the coming of the Son of Man, is now given in the little children who because of their humility and innocence as children are welcomed into the presence of the King, at which He points out that all who would enter under the Kingly Rule of God must come in the same way as little children, in humble and accepting trust.

These children are described as ‘infants’, and then as ‘little children’. The description ‘from infancy’ was used elsewhere as showing the point from which Timothy learned the Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:15), and thus ‘infancy’ included the first years of understanding. And as here the little children are used as an example of how to receive the Kingly Rule of God they were clearly not babes in arms. They were infants such as go to infant school.

In those days children were very much to be seen and not heard. Few teachers would have welcomed such children. But Jesus saw their readiness to receive truth and welcomed them. He did not feel they were a waste of His time. Rather He saw them as ripe for receiving the truth about God, and that the opportunity should be taken while it was there. And besides He loved them and knew that they loved Him.

The analysis is simple:

a They were bringing to him also their infants, that he should touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them (Luke 18:15).

b Jesus called them to him, saying, “Allow the little children to come to me, and forbid them not, for to such belongs the Kingly Rule of God” (Luke 18:16).

a “Truly I say to you, Whoever shall not receive the Kingly Rule of God in the same way as a little child, he shall in no way enter into it” (Luke 18:17).

Note that in ‘a’ the infants are brought to Him for Him to touch, thus being brought under His sway, and in the parallel this is how all must enter the Kingly Rule of God, by coming simply and humbly to the King. Central is the principle that the way into the Kingly Rule of God is to respond openly and honestly like a small child does.

Verse 16

‘But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Allow the little children to come to me, and forbid them not, for to such belongs the Kingly Rule of God.” ’

Jesus, however, saw things differently. He told His disciples to let the children come to Him. Indeed, He says, none have more right to the Kingly Rule of God than they, for they are so open to it. It belongs to them more than anyone else. They have no barriers built up within their hearts which prevent their open-hearted response to God.

Verse 17

“Truly I say to you, Whoever shall not receive the Kingly Rule of God in the same way as a little child, he shall in no wise enter into it.”

And then He adds a solemn saying, as evidenced by its opening words, the solemn ‘truly I say to you’ which occur only seven times in Luke. And the point of His saying is that anyone who receives the Kingly Rule of God must do so in the ready and willing way in which a little child does. For there is no other way to receive it. These children would have no hang ups about obeying God, they would see it as the right thing to do (even though they might sometimes forget it on the spur of the moment). It is only adults (over elevens) whose hearts, like that of the rich young ruler in the next story and the Pharisee in the previous story, become hardened against obedience to Him.

Arguments about whether receiving the Kingly Rule of God refers to the present Kingly Rule, present in Jesus, or the future heavenly Kingly Rule are unnecessary. It is the whole concept of the responsiveness of hearts towards God that is in mind, and that includes both this world and the next.

Verse 18

‘And a certain ruler asked him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

Luke tells us that the man was a ruler, either a ruler of the synagogue or someone in authority locally. He may even have been a member of the Sanhedrin (compare John 3:1). But he neither tells us that he was rich nor that he was young. The stress is all on his being a man of status faced up with the possibility of greater status, and missing out because he was rich.

‘Good teacher’ was an unusual way of addressing a Rabbi. The adjective ‘good’ was usually retained for speaking about God, although there are a number of examples in the Old Testament of men being called ‘good’. Never, however, as having been addressed as such. So either this man was very discerning, or he was using flattery. Or perhaps he was simply impressed by Jesus’ pure goodness which shone out from Him in a way that made Him different from all others, and thus could not help what he said.

‘What shall I do to inherit eternal life?’ This was the burning question of the day among pious Jews, how to ensure that they partook of the life of the age to come by being reckoned as good Israelites. He wanted to know what the standard was by which he could judge his and their acceptance.

Verses 18-30

The Wealthy Young Ruler And The Use of Possessions (18:18-30).

Following on the delightful response of these children we have a classic example of one who was not ready to receive the Kingly Rule of God as a little child. For he had become tangled up in his riches. This was in complete contrast with little children, and with the blind beggar in the story that follows. Most would have envied him his riches, but here we are to learn that they were his downfall.

In the chiastic analysis of this whole section this passage parallels that of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31). There too wealth was the rich man’s downfall, while Lazarus, like the Apostles, benefited by the fact that riches, of which he had none, were not around to prevent him from coming to God.

Analysis.

a A certain ruler asked Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”, and Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? none is good, save one, even God” (Luke 18:18-19).

b “You know the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour your father and mother.” And he said, “All these things have I observed from my youth up” When Jesus heard it, he said to him, “One thing you yet lack, sell all that you have, and distribute it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, and come, follow me” (Luke 18:20-22).

c But when he heard these things, he became exceedingly sorrowful, for he was very rich’ (Luke 18:23).

d And Jesus seeing him said, “How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter into the Kingly Rule of God!” (Luke 18:24).

e “For it is easier for a camel to enter in through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingly Rule of God” (Luke 18:25).

d And those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” But He said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God” (Luke 18:26-27).

c And Peter said, “Lo, we have left our own, and followed you” (Luke 18:28).

b ‘And He said to them, “Truly I say to you, There is no man who has left house, or wife, or brethren, or parents, or children, for the Kingly Rule of God’s sake” (Luke 18:29).

a “Who will not receive a great deal more in this time, and in the world to come eternal life” (Luke 18:30).

Note that in ‘a’ the question was concerning how to receive eternal life, and the parallel describes who will receive eternal life. In ‘b’ we have the posing of the commandments and the one thing lacking, and in the parallel the contrast with those who did forsake all. In ‘c’ the ruler is sorrowful at the thought of losing his riches, while in the parallel Peter rejoices in it. In ‘d’ Jesus confirms how hard it is for a rich man to enter under the Kingly Rule of God, and in the parallel He explains that it is possible with God. In ‘e’ is the central point stressing the difficulty for the rich in entering under the Kingly Rule of God. Here was direct evidence of the truth at which the Pharisees had laughed (Luke 16:14). Of course, they would never have dreamed of selling all and giving it to the poor. But the failure to be willing to do this was keeping this ruler back from his dream. And the whole point of what Jesus had said was that their obedience to God, and especially their compassion, was similarly lacking.

Verse 19

‘And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? None is good, save one, even God.” ’

Jesus challenges his use of ‘good’ in this way, asking him to consider what he means by it. He does not deny that it is true, but points out that its usual usage at that time was as something reserved to God. The question therefore is as to whether the man has used it carelessly, or whether he intends by it some deeper meaning. However else we interpret it, Jesus was clearly intending to make the young man think, not repudiating the idea out of hand. He in no way denies its application to Himself. Had He not acknowledged its justice He would have rejected it out of hand, openly and clearly, reacting in horror. But the question that He was asking was, does the man himself realise what he is saying? He will certainly need to recognise something special about Jesus in view of the challenge about to be brought to him. But Jesus will not make the claim for Himself. He is the very opposite of the Pharisee that we left behind earlier. He leaves others to make that decision. He will not boast about Himself. (Although elsewhere He can say, ‘which of you convicts Me of sin?’ (John 8:46). Again as here He brings out the fact by a question, not by a claim. Pure goodness makes itself known in action and life not by claims).

Note on ‘Why Do You Call Me Good?’

Various alternatives have been suggested for what Jesus meant by this question. They are of varying quality.

1) Jesus meant, “You must not call me good unless you recognise me as God. If you can see my goodness, learn your lesson from it as to Who and What I am.’

2) Jesus is indicating that His goodness is dependent on the Father’s goodness, (see John 5:19) so that the title of absolute goodness belongs only to the Father.

3) Jesus was not prepared to accept the title of good until His probation was past. Until His life was complete He would not have earned the honour.

4) Jesus is taking the attitude of a man towards God, as He always did. He was here as a man among men pointing them to God. They were not to look to honour Him, however good He was, but to honour His Father.

5) He is stating a recognised truth and rebuking the man for his casual attitude towards goodness, revealed by his using the term ‘good’ without thinking it through.

6) He recognises that the man sees Him as uniquely good and is seeking to imitate Him in order to receive eternal life (compare in Matthew, ‘what good thing must I do’). He realises that the man is therefore aiming to be like Him, and really thinks that he can be. But He does not want him to try to imitate Him in this way. He wants him to look to God as his standard. So He is seeking to turn his thoughts away from Himself as the standard of goodness to God.

Certain conclusions must be drawn. Firstly that only God Himself can be seen as truly ‘good’. Secondly that Jesus does not vociferously deny the appellation, which He would have done had He seen it as totally unfitting, but wants the man to think through what he has said. When a Rabbi asked questions of his hearers it was in order to expand on the idea under discussion. Thirdly that He is unhappy about the way that the man is using the idea of goodness, and wants him to be more careful in his use of the term.

A further thing that must ever be borne in mind is that Jesus, while constantly drawing attention to the sin of others, never Himself shows any consciousness of sin. In someone of His moral sensitivity that is a clear indication that He saw Himself as without sin. Thus the solution we come to must take that into account.

End of note.

Verse 20

“You know the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour your father and mother.”

Jesus then takes up the question with what was probably a stock reply, so that he can search out the man’s thinking. He cites the main part of the covenant of Sinai that applies to attitude towards others (Exodus 20:1-17), omitting those which refer to God. Perhaps He acknowledges thereby that no man can determine whether he is treating God rightly. He can only test it by considering his behaviour towards men and women. Or perhaps He could see what this man’s god was, and was waiting to apply that later. But He certainly does intend the man to see His words in the context of the whole Law, and in the light of His own teaching on the matter (se Matthew 5:0).

Outwardly the commandments mentioned would not be difficult for a man in the ruler’s position to keep if they were just taken as they were stated. What would be more difficult would be keeping the underlying implications as later expounded by Moses, and as expanded by Himself in Matthew 5:0, implications relating to thoughts and desires. But He must also have been aware that the ruler would not be contented with this reply. It was a deliberately standard reply that anyone could have given him This was not why he had sought out a prophet. It really did not solve his dilemma. The point was that he knew that his life was not satisfactory.

Perhaps Jesus’ aim was also to make the ruler ask himself, ‘Why has He not told me that I must worship only God’, ‘why has He not said that I must not covet? (The commandments that He has omitted) For Jesus already knew what the young man really worshipped, and that he coveted, and He would shortly be coming on to it.

Note On The Order In Which Luke Cites The Commandments.

The order of the commandments as given by Luke differs from that in Exodus 20:0 in the Hebrew text, but it may well have been a recognised order in use in 1st century AD (compare Romans 13:9; James 2:11), and is found in some LXX texts of Deuteronomy 5:0. Or it may simply be the order in which Luke’s source remembered them, or even Luke’s preferred order, with the one he wanted to stress put first. Perhaps he felt that adultery was the sin that the ruler (or his readers) might be most likely to have committed of the two primary commandments. Matthew and Mark both have it slightly differently, following the normal order. But the basic ideas are the same. All of them put ‘Honour your father and your mother’ after the primary list, probably because they saw the other commandments as all going together.

But whereas Luke only selects out what are actual commandments in the texts he knows, Mark adds ‘You shall not defraud’, and Matthew adds, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ We may see it as probable that Jesus gave a longer list than any of them record, but that Luke omitted what he did not see as actual commandments (he chose to do so, for he had Mark in front of him). We do know that ‘you shall love your neighbour as yourself’ is cited by Jesus (and Luke 10:27) at another time, and that Luke often seeks to prevent repetition. But the basic idea is clear in all, that he should keep the commandments and obey the Law.

End of note.

Verse 21

‘And he said, “All these things have I observed from my youth up.”

The ruler recognises that Jesus’ reply is not really answering his question, but confirms that from his youth he has kept them all. It is really a polite reply saying, ‘well I know that, but it is not enough’. He is saying by this that he is looking for something more. And by it he is confirming that he really has sought to please God and follow His commandments, but that he is still aware of something missing. He would certainly have felt that up to now he had learned nothing worthwhile from Jesus, but he was also probably expecting the prophet to go deeper. After all, that was why you went to a prophet.

Verse 22

‘And when Jesus heard it, he said to him, “One thing you yet lack, sell all that you have, and distribute it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, and come, follow me.” ’

To Jesus the ruler’s reply was revealing. It indicated that his thoughts on the matter were rather superficial. He revealed no sense of sin, nor had he broached anything beyond a rather trite orthodoxy. Indeed his attitude had told Him what He wanted to know. That here was a man who wanted a comparatively easy ride to eternal life, while at the same time genuinely desiring it. So He quietly pointed out to him how he could achieve the one thing lacking, by selling all his possessions and giving them to the poor, and then following Him. If he had really meant anything by his use of ‘good’, and if he really wanted to please God, this was what he should do. It would immediately free him from what was holding him back, and would bring him violently into the Kingly Rule of God as he followed the King in His life of wandering, having nowhere to lay his head. And it would free him from his idol. He would really begin to love God. And he would be freed from coveting.

And what was more he would lay up treasure in Heaven, and the result would be that his heart would be there as well, and this would ensure that he inherited eternal life.

Verse 23

‘But when he heard these things, he became exceedingly sorrowful, for he was very rich.’

When the man heard this he was struck with great sorrow, for he was very rich. Jesus had taken him at his word, and had revealed to him the one thing that was preventing his life from being pleasing to God, and that would prevent him from having eternal life through faith in Jesus. And that was his great love for riches, a love that threatened constantly to overwhelm his love for God and prevent it from coming to genuine expression, and the more so as he grew older. Once that was dealt with, Jesus tells him, and he was following Him, he would experience eternal life in himself (John 5:24; John 10:10), and be sure of its enjoyment into the distant future.

It was a crucial moment. Some stirring within had caused this ruler to seek out Jesus, and now here he was at the crossroads. He could set his heart to follow Christ, or he could sink back into luxury and apathy. Jesus, who could see into the depths of his heart, knew that he could not do both. And Jesus no doubt only had to take one look at the man’s face to know what his decision was going to be.

Note how Luke, who from the beginning has avoided some of the sentimentality of Mark now moves immediately on to the crunch point. He does not want us to be taken up with the ruler’s dilemma. He wants us rather to immediately face our own dilemma. What is there in our lives that prevents our full obedience and dedication to God?

Verse 24

‘And Jesus seeing him said, “How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter into the Kingly Rule of God!”

So Jesus pointed out to him how hard it was for someone who had riches to come under the Kingly Rule of God. For to be under the Kingly Rule of God means that God holds the reins, that God determines each moment what we should do, and that we acknowledge that all that we have belongs to Him. To come under His control thus means a man putting his riches under God’s control, for Him to use as He wills. And to maintain such a position in a world where the rich man was king would be very difficult. Furthermore in the case of this man Jesus did not think that he could cope with it. He feared that unless his riches were gone completely it would not be long before Mammon again got the upper hand. His only real hope was therefore to rid himself of the weight that so easily beset him while he was thinking about it. Then he would be truly free. There are moments in every man and woman’s life where they cannot afford to make the wrong choice. This man would theoretically be continually free to make the choice that was put before him. But both Jesus and he knew that the crunch moment was now. If he walked away now he might never be brought to this position again. His very riches might prevent it. How many of us there are that look back and think, ‘if only I had made the right choice then’. But if we do we need not fear for this was not necessarily the ruler’s last chance. If he repented God could ‘make him again’ (Jeremiah 18:4).

Some men can cope with wealth, for it means little to them and they use it for the good of others without it affecting their spiritual lives. To them God is all and their wealth merely a convenience made available to God and usable for Him. But for most it is a continual temptation to sink back into apathy and sin. And Jesus could tell enough about the man to realise that the only way that this rich ruler could succeed in breaking the spell of his riches was by getting rid of them all. (It may be noted that a little child would have had no difficulty in dealing with the question, which was why its coming under the Kingly Rule of God would be so much easier. To a child riches would not have seemed important. But for a man who had begun to know and feel something of his way in the world it was a different matter. He knew the value of riches. He knew that they brought him esteem. After all what was it that had made him a ruler? And now he knew too the stranglehold that they could have on the human heart).

Verse 25

“For it is easier for a camel to enter in through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingly Rule of God.”

Then Jesus spoke the immortal words known to Christians world over. ‘It is easier for a camel to enter in through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingly Rule of God.’ There is no reason for us to take these words as having any other than their natural meaning. All could imagine the eye of a needle. All could visualise a camel coming to a rather abrupt halt as it faced it, and baying, ‘Don’t be ridiculous’. It was simply stating the extremeness of the impossibility. And there is no real evidence of any such thing as a ‘needle gate’ in Jerusalem at that time, nor a need to turn to an obscure word which might mean hawser. Jesus really was thinking of a camel and a rather large needle.

Why then did Jesus use this illustration of a camel? Apart from displaying a sense of humour and giving a picture really worth remembering, the whole point was that the camel viewed the eye of the needle like a rich man viewed the challenge of life without riches, as not worth taking trouble over because it was impossible. It took one look at the eye of the needle and then turned languidly away, just as the rich man, when he was inspired by better thoughts, would take one look at the problems that might arise, and then give up. He was safely settled down in his own comforts. He did not need to alter anything. But the result was that unless he removed all dependence on them his urges towards goodness would always end up with his lying back and relaxing again, putting it off until another day. Like the camel he would turn away from the open door because going through it demanded too much from him. It would all be far too difficult and far too demanding. And then like the rich man in the parable he would die with his position unresolved.

So if we have not learned the lesson about riches from the unrighteous estate manager, and from the rich man and Lazarus, let us now learn it from the real life example of this rich ruler. Let us learn that our wealth and our security of life and whatever else it is that we consider important to us can be a curse to us and not a blessing. For they can prevent our being thrown upon God. What we too must do is thrust aside whatever it is that is holding us back, and then we too will be able to ‘inherit eternal life’.

Verse 26

‘And those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?”

Those who were listening were stood there in amazement. They had grown up to believe that men prospered materially because they were good. Many probably looked on this rich ruler as a model. And if this man with all his privileges and status was actually going to find it difficult to be saved, what chance had others who did not have his advantages? After all his wealth enabled him to be good without having to worry about the financial effect of it, and he would be courted by the religious leaders, and could give generous alms, and gain a good reputation, and in general be good without too much effort. He had every opportunity. But what they failed to see was that man’s heart is so sinful that that is precisely why the rich man would not be good. Because of his wealth, consideration concerning his heart’s condition would never be thrust on him by his problems and needs. He would never be called on to depend on God. That is why God tells us that it is when His judgments are in the earth that men learn righteousness. We need something to shake us out of our apathy.

Verse 27

But he said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”

Then Jesus explains that what is impossible with men is possible with God. He can enable wealthy men to walk humbly before Him as Abraham did, just as He can enable a poor man like Lazarus to do so. He is able to save to the uttermost all those who come to Him through Jesus. For He is the God of the impossible. It is a reminder that but for God’s all prevailing goodness not one of us would be saved. We owe any hope that we have to God.

But nevertheless it is still necessary for us to thrust aside anything that hinders us from following God fully. For He could have added that in the case of this young man the problem was that he was too bound to his possessions. He knew that unless they were removed they would ever be a burden around his neck. His heart would never really be set on God. Thus he had to choose between God and Mammon, and he had to choose decisively. That at least is spared to those who have few riches (although even those can get a grip on us).

Verse 28

‘And Peter said, “Lo, we have left our own, and followed you.” ’

Impetuous Peter, ever the one to break in, was now stirred in his heart by the thought of the impossibility of salvation without God’s working in the heart and cried, ‘Look, we have left all and followed you, like you are asking this ruler to do. What about us?’ He was probably seeking to gain assurance for himself and his fellow disciples that they did have the certainty of eternal life rather than thinking only of reward. He wanted to be sure that God was doing the impossible in his heart. For the disciples were still very much learners (as will shortly become apparent in Luke 18:31-34). That is why Jesus could answer as He did.

Note the words ‘we have left our own’. This gave a wide coverage, their own homes, their own land, their own fishing businesses, their own families, their own environment, their own possessions, and so on. All that they had treasured they had left for Him.

Verses 29-30

‘And he said unto them, “Truly I say to you, There is no man who has left house, or wife, or brethren, or parents, or children, for the Kingly Rule of God’s sake, who will not receive a great deal more in this time, and in the world to come eternal life.”

Then Jesus assured them all that no one who had genuinely, for the sake of the Kingly Rule of God as revealed in Him, left behind what was their own, would lose out by it. They would receive much more than they had lost, both in this world and the next. And this included house, wife, family, children, or anything else. Thus the ruler, having gone away, had had the worst of the bargain. Luke is the only one who includes ‘wife’ in his list. As ever he is mindful to give due importance to women.

Some react at the thought of leaving wife. But he is not talking about an ‘official separation’. He is pointing out that no relationship must prevent men from doing the will of God. Many men leave their wives for long periods for the purpose of building up wealth, with the wife’s full approval. Others take them with them. The same was to apply under the Kingly Rule of God. They were certainly not to desert wife or children, but would trust them into the hands of God and their relations. For was His promise not that He would ensure that they would be fully provided for?

It should be noted that this is not a promise of the certainty of worldly prosperity. It is in the end the promise of ‘something better’, and is giving the certainty that no man who truly serves God will end up disappointed. If he lose his old family, he will have a new family. If he lose his wealth he will receive what is of more value. And so on. God is no man’s debtor. But above all he would have life.

The disciples, contented, might well now have felt that they could fall back into the old routine, following the Master, and enjoying their privileges as His servants. But Jesus, aware of what lay ahead, knew that they now had to be brought to the realisation that like the rich ruler they too would soon be called on to make a choice. For like him their world would soon be brought crashing down, even though the challenge would be a different one. And their response then would determine their future. It is this that Jesus now tries to deal with.

Verse 31

‘And he took to him the twelve, and said to them, “Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all the things that are written through the prophets will be accomplished to the Son of man.” ’

Jesus now recognised more clearly than ever that His time was approaching. For quite some time He had lived with His eyes ever fixed on His final end in Jerusalem. But now that end was rapidly approaching. And He took the twelve to one side and informed them of His expectations. This was a secret reserved for them. They were approaching Jerusalem, and as far as He was concerned it would be for the last time, for now the things clearly written about Him in the Scriptures must come to fulfilment. The Shepherd must be smitten and the sheep scattered (Zechariah 13:7). The Servant must be arraigned and condemned and suffer for the sins of others (Isaiah 50:3-8; Isaiah 52:13 to Isaiah 53:12). The Son of David must be pierced and made mock of (Psalms 22:12-18). The Son of Man must suffer under the beasts (where the suffering of the ‘son of man’ is depicted in terms of the suffering of the people of the Most High) (Daniel 7:0). And this had been even more reinforced by the fact that a prophet could not die outside Jerusalem (Luke 13:33).

Verses 31-34

Jesus’ Disciples Must Recognise That Shortly Their Lives Also Would be Shaken By What Was Soon To Happen To Him. They Too Would Be At A Crossroads (18:31-34).

So Luke now draws attention to the fact that the rich ruler was not the only one unwilling to face up to the truth. Indeed without the grace of God all the disciples would have become lost to Him. For their comprehension too was dim and they had still not been prepared to face up to the realities of the future. They too therefore had nothing to boast about. They would only survive their folly by the grace of God. For they were blind and would need their eyes opened, a fact which is then illustrated by the opening of the eyes of a blind man who presses his way to Jesus and refuses to be silenced until he has come face to face with Him. In the chiasmus of the Section these passages parallel where the Pharisees, who are blind to the truth about Jesus, cavil at His teaching, while all whose eyes are opened and who come to see the truth press into the Kingly Rule of God (Luke 16:14-18).

This is the fourth time in Luke that Jesus has warned them of His coming sufferings (Luke 9:22; Luke 9:44; Luke 13:33, but see also Luke 5:35; Luke 12:50; Luke 17:25), but there are none as blind as those who do not want to see. What was to happen was so outside their conception of what they thought ought to happen that they probably thought that by the words He used He was being mysteriously descriptive of the life of discipleship. He had constantly told them that they must take up their crosses and follow Him, and they were used to Him speaking parabolically. Perhaps what He meant was that He too must be seen as taking up His cross and following God. As in Hosea 6:0 He would suffer some humiliation and would then come through it triumphantly. But the thought that it would happen to Him literally seemed so impossible and unlikely that it was probably not even considered. They would see His words as simply a very vivid parable.

Analysis.

a He took to him the twelve, and said to them (Luke 18:31 a).

b “Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all the things that are written through the prophets will be accomplished to the Son of man” (Luke 18:31 b).

c “For he will be delivered up to the Gentiles, and will be mocked, and shamefully treated, and spat on, and they will scourge and kill him, and the third day he will rise again” (Luke 18:32-33).

b And they understood none of these things, and this saying was hid from them (Luke 18:34 a).

a And they perceived not the things that were said (Luke 18:34 b).

Note that in ‘a’ we have what He said, and in the parallel they understood nought of what He said. How often we do not listen to God. In ‘b’ they had the prophetic word through the Spirit, and in the parallel such words were hidden from them. Until the Spirit opened their hearts they were blind. And centrally in ‘c’ we have the description of what was hidden from them, God’s whole plan of redemption. They probably actually thought that they were getting on quite well. In truth as yet they could not even pass the initial test.

Verse 32

“For he will be delivered up to the Gentiles, and will be mocked, and shamefully treated, and spat on, and they will scourge and kill him, and the third day he will rise again.”

He then spelled it out in detail. He was to be handed over to the Gentiles. This was the indication of ultimate rejection, of ultimate shame (compare Deuteronomy 28:37; Judges 4:2; Jeremiah 29:18; Lamentations 2:9; Ezekiel 4:13; Hosea 8:8; Hosea 9:17). He would be treated as such an outcast that He was not fit to be sentenced in a Jewish court, as though He was cut off from Israel. He would be ‘cast out of the camp’ (Leviticus 24:23; Numbers 5:2, compare Hebrews 13:11-13). His prophetic status would be rejected, and He would be judged as a common criminal.

And then He would be mocked and shamefully treated and spat on. These words had in mind Isaiah 50:6; Isaiah 53:3; Psalms 22:6-8. He would be the rejected Servant, the rejected Son of David.

Then they would scourge Him and kill Him. In those days no man could come before a Roman court on a serious crime without being scourged (Isaiah 50:6; Isaiah 53:5). It was in order to bring home to him the seriousness of the situation. And on top of this Jesus also knew what the final consequence must be. He knew that He must die (Isaiah 53:7-9).

But above all He knew that He would rise again, for He would receive His portion (Isaiah 53:10-12; Hosea 6:1-2). Triumph must follow disaster because God was in it. He would not allow His Holy One to see corruption (Psalms 16:8-11; Acts 2:25-28; Acts 13:34-37). Rather He would be raised to a heavenly throne (Psalms 110:1; Acts 2:34-36).

Thus Jesus saw His whole future in terms of the Old Testament prophecies. It should be noted that as in Mark Jesus in Luke gives no hint of the fact that He will die on the cross. In view of His other sayings about His disciples taking up the cross this lack of mention of the cross would be quite remarkable unless these sayings were actually made before that event, and unchanged afterwards. We can imagine the great temptation to do so.

Verse 34

‘And they understood none of these things, and this saying was hid from them, and they perceived not the things that were said.’

We are again reminded that the horrific truth did not come home to the disciples until after it had happened. They could not conceive of such possibilities. They probably thought in parabolic terms, and that He was depicting vividly His own faithful walk as God’s Servant, a walk of service, sacrifice and hardship, as though it were the same as the call to them to take up the cross. He too would ‘take up His cross’. But they closed their minds to the impossible idea of it actually happening. They probably did not even think of it as a possibility. They were used to only half understanding what Jesus was talking about, and probably wrote this off as another example.

‘This saying was hid from them.’ Compare Luke 24:16. This was probably describing God’s merciful action lest they be unable to go forward to Jerusalem. But they would not be able to say that they had not been warned. And once it had happened they would recognise that Jesus had know about it all along. This would help to explain the triumphant way in which they so quickly went out to proclaim His death, resurrection and victory. They immediately recognised that it was all within the foreknowledge of God, and that God had brought it about, indeed had predestined Him to it from the beginning (Acts 2:23-24). What He had said would happen had come about! So God was in it after all.

What kept them firm throughout was their faith. They would be baffled, devastated, unsure. But their confidence in Him never wavered. Even in the darkest moments they stuck together and still did not doubt that it had been worth following Him. They did not understand what was happening but felt that somehow, in some way, they would rescue something from the future. For when the resurrection appearances began they were still there together. It was faith in the midst of thick darkness.

Verse 35

‘And it came about that, as he drew near to Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging,’

Having crossed the Jordan from Peraea Jesus now approached Jericho on the way to Jerusalem. A meeting with a number of blind men and other beggars there would not be unexpected. At Passover time large crowds of people would be making their way to Jerusalem across the Jordan, both from Peraea and Galilee, and many of them would take this route. It was thus a good begging point at a time when people would be feeling generous. Possibly we are also intended to see that a blind Jerusalem awaited Him.

This was modern Jericho, not the site of ancient Jericho mentioned in Mark 10:46 (He would actually be between modern Jericho and ancient Jericho). Some have said that ancient Jericho was not known then still to have been recognised under that name, but while the fact may not be known to us it is unlikely to be true. The story of Jericho and what happened to its walls was so prominent that its site must have been recognised. Every generation who passed it would tell their children the story. Modern Jericho was only comparatively recently built. And Mark was probably proud of ancient Jericho. And he probably mentions old Jericho (for he does not usually mention place names) because he sees Jesus entry into the land almost as a repetition of Israel’s entry, followed by that of Elisha (compare 2 Kings 2:4-15). First the Jordan, and then Jericho. Thus it would be the ancient city that he was interested in.

Verses 35-43

The Blind Man’s Eyes Are Opened And He Presses Into The Kingly Rule of God (18:35-43).

It can be no accident that this incident follows the depicting of the disciples as ‘blind’ to the truth about Jesus. They are going forward blindly into Jerusalem, where eventually their eyes will be opened. Compare Mark 8:18 with 23 where a similar ‘blindness’ on the part of the disciples is followed by the healing of a blind man.

In this passage the blind man recognises Jesus as the Son of David, and refuses to be quiet until he is brought to Him. His determination to see Jesus parallels the idea of those who press into the Kingly Rule of God and refuse to take ‘no’ for an answer (Luke 16:16). Then, once his eyes have been opened, he follows Him.

Analysis.

a ‘And it came about that, as He drew near to Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging’ (Luke 18:35).

b Hearing a crowd going by, he enquired what this meant, and they told him, that “Jesus of Nazareth passes by” (Luke 18:36-37).

c ‘And he cried, saying, “Jesus, you son of David, have mercy on me” (Luke 18:38).

d Those who went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace, but he cried out the more a great deal, “You son of David, have mercy on me” (Luke 18:39).

e ‘And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought to him, and when he was come near, He asked him’ (Luke 18:40).

d “What do you wish that I should do to you?” And he said, “Lord, that I may receive my sight.” (Luke 18:41).

c ‘And Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight. Your faith has made you whole” (Luke 18:42).

b ‘And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God, and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God’ (Luke 18:43).

a ‘And He entered and was passing through Jericho’ (Luke 19:1).

Note that in ‘a’ He drew near to Jericho, and in the parallel He continued on through Jericho. In ‘b the crowd was going by and told him that Jesus of Nazareth was there, and in the parallel both he and they give glory to God because of what Jesus has done for him. In ‘c’ he cries out to Jesus for mercy (to be healed) and in the parallel Jesus responds to his cry and heals him. In ‘d’ he calls on Jesus for mercy, and in the parallel Jesus asks what he wants and is told what his cry for mercy was all about. Centrally in ‘e’ he is brought to Jesus face to face.

Verse 36

‘And hearing a crowd going by, he enquired what this meant.’

When the blind man became aware that larger crowds than usual were passing along the road he asked what it meant. Being blind he was sensitive to every movement.

Verse 37

‘And they told him, that “Jesus of Nazareth passes by”.

He was immediately informed by the helpful crowd in festal mood that “Jesus of Nazareth passes by”. That Jesus was well known to him comes out in that the blind man knew who He was and that He was a son of David. The news excited him for he had heard stories of what Jesus could do.

‘Jesus of Nazareth’ was a name by which Jesus, with slight variations, was identified (Jesus was a common name and would require an appellation). It was used by evil spirits (Luke 4:34; Mark 1:24), by the serving girl who challenged Peter (Mark 14:67; Matthew 26:71), by the resurrection angel (Mark 16:6) and by two of Jesus’ disciples when identifying Him to ‘a stranger’ (Luke 24:19).

Verse 38

‘And he cried, saying, “Jesus, you son of David, have mercy on me.” ’

Knowing something of Jesus by reputation the blind man saw his main chance. This was perhaps the first time that he had actually been in the same place as Jesus. And he called out to Him for help.

‘Jesus, you son of David.’ It is possible that, knowing of Jesus connection with the royal house, he simply meant this to be flattering, but it is far more probable that he meant more, and that he saw Jesus as Messianic, and used a local Messianic title. Yet as the crowd did not react to the name (their rebuke was because they thought he was making a disturbance and trying to beg from Jesus) and as Jesus made no comment, it is not likely that the crowd as a whole saw it as Messianic. But that need not mean that the man himself did not. He may well have been visiting Judea for the Passover from an area where such a title was used of the Messiah. Luke also probably sees it as significant. Here was prophetic recognition, whether conscious or subconscious, of Who Jesus really was, made on His approach to Jerusalem to die and rise again. And he probably saw it as significant that He was welcomed by a blind man in such terms when those who could see were oblivious of the fact.

‘Son of David.’ This was certainly a Messianic title in later Jewish literature, but the only known such reference in pre-Christian literature was in the Psalms of Solomon Luke 17:23. It may thus have been a marginal rather than a popular Messianic title in Jesus’ time. Perhaps then its popular use was localised in parts of Galilee, and the blind man was from that locality taking advantage of a key route to Jerusalem before the Passover. The coming of a son of David as deliverer was certainly a common idea in the Old Testament (Isaiah 9:6-7; Isaiah 11:1-10; Jeremiah 23:5-6; Ezekiel 34:23 and recognised in certain Psalms), and the crowds in Matthew 12:23 appear to have used it Messianically, as do two blind men in probably the same locality (Matthew 9:27), all of whom were in Galilee. This would support a Galilean locale. See also Luke 1:27; Luk 1:32 ; 2 Samuel 7:8-16.

Matthew 21:9; Matthew 21:15 may have been a more general use in typical Passover welcomes, or the result of visitors from the locality where it was used, the children in Luke 18:15 having picked it up from the crowd. The use of it by the Syrophoenician woman (Matthew 15:22) was probably a polite title to Him as a Jew, son of David meaning a Jew (compare ‘our father David’ in Mark 11:10; Acts 4:25). That the Messiah would be the son of David was certainly recognised by the scribes (Luke 12:35) although that does not guarantee the use of the title by them at this stage.

So we must probably see it as a fairly peripheral Messianic title and as a good possibility that the blind man was hailing Him as Messiah in Galilean terms without the crowd on the whole recognising his intention.

The crowd here would largely have consisted of local inhabitants crowding the route taken by Passover pilgrims, although those on the road would also have included pilgrims from Galilee and elsewhere. None, however, appear to have reacted to the title which, had it been understood generally as Messianic, would have been surprising in view of the excitement which would be generated by the approach of Passover. On the other hand the Passover crowds who later hailed Jesus on His entry into Jerusalem would be mixed and would probably contain a large Galilean element.

Verse 39

‘And those who went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace, but he cried out the more a great deal, “You son of David, have mercy on me.” ’

When those in the forefront of the crowds heard him crying out they told him to be quiet. They probably thought that he was begging for alms. But he would not be silenced, and he continued to ‘cry out the more a great deal’, “You son of David, have mercy on me.” Here was one who was persistently seeking to press into the Kingly Rule of God (Luke 16:16) where blind eyes were opened (Luke 4:18; Luke 7:21).

The word for ‘cried out’ here is much stronger than in the previous verse. He has now become desperate. He is fearful of missing this vital opportunity. He might never have the chance again. He will not take no for an answer.

Verse 40

‘And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought to him, and when he was come near, he asked him,’

Jesus could never turn from a plea for help and commanded that the man be brought to Him. And on his approach asked him what he wanted.

Verse 41

“What do you wish that I should do to you?” And he said, “Lord, that I may receive my sight.” ’

“What do you wish that I should do to you?” Jesus must, of course, have known. But the man must be made to express his faith in words. And the man now more awed and humbled addresses Him as ‘Lord.’ He asks that he might receive his sight.

Verse 42

‘And Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight. Your faith has made you whole.” ’

Whether this man was one of the two men similarly healed in Matthew, or whether they had in turn taken up on his lead resulting in a copycat healing, we do not know. But as there would be a number of blind men there and they would all want healing either is possible. It would be very surprising, indeed extremely improbable given the time and place, if Jesus had not healed a number of blind men that day, and the success of one would encourage all. It is a reminder that details are only mentioned when there is a point to be brought home. In the case of the two men in Matthew He healed them by a touch. Here we are only told of His word. His powerful word is a feature of Luke, continuing on to the end of Acts.

Note the emphasis on ‘faith’. As ever faith, however weak, is required, for it is faith that ‘saves’ (Luke 5:20; Luke 7:9; Luke 7:50; Luke 8:48; Luke 17:19).

Verse 43

‘And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God, and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.’

And the ultimate result was that he received his sight and he followed Jesus. His spiritual eyes were opened also. And he glorified God. And he was not alone, for the crowds, when they saw what had happened, also gave praise to God.