Luke 18

Luke 18:1

G. The Parable of the Persistent Widow (18:1-8) 18:1 The parable of the praying widow teaches that men always ought to pray and not lose heart. This is true in a general sense of all men, and of all kinds of prayer. But the special sense in which it is used here is prayer for God’s deliverance in times of testing. It is praying without losing heart during the long, weary interval between Christ’s First and Second Comings. 18:2, 3 The parable pictures an unrighteous judge who was ordinarily quite unmoved by fear of God or regard for his fellow man. There was also a widow who was being oppressed by some unnamed adversary. This widow came to the judge persistently, asking him for justice, so that she might be delivered from his inhumane treatment. 18:4, 5 The judge was unmoved by the validity of her case; the fact that she was being treated unjustly did not move him to action in her behalf. However, the regularity with which she came before him prompted him to act. Her importunity and persistence brought a decision in her favor. 18:6, 7 Then the Lord explained to the disciples that if an unjust judge would act in behalf of a poor widow because of her importunity, how much more will the just God intervene in behalf of His own elect. The elect here might refer in a special sense to the Jewish remnant during the Tribulation Period, but it is also true of all oppressed believers in every age. The reason God has not intervened long ago is because He is longsuffering with men, not willing that any should perish. 18:8 But the day is coming when His spirit will no longer strive with men, and then He will punish those who persecute His followers. The Lord Jesus closed the parable with the question, Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth? This probably means the kind of faith that the poor widow had. But it may also indicate that when the Lord returns, there will only be a remnant who are true to Him. In the meantime, each of us should be stimulated to the kind of faith that cries to God night and day.

Luke 18:9

H. Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (18:9-14) 18:9-12 The next parable is addressed to people who pride themselves on being righteous, and who despise all others as inferior. By labeling the first man as a Pharisee, the Savior did not leave any doubt as to the particular class of people He was addressing. Although the Pharisee went through the motions of prayer, he was really not speaking to God. He was rather boasting of his own moral and religious attainments. Instead of comparing himself with God’s perfect standard and seeing how sinful he really was, he compared himself with others in the community and prided himself on being better. His frequent repetition of the personal pronoun I reveals the true state of his heart as conceited and self-sufficient. 18:13 The tax collector was a striking contrast. Standing before God, he sensed his own utter unworthiness. He was humbled to the dust. He would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast and cried to God for mercy: God be merciful to me a (literally the) sinner! He did not think of himself as one sinner among many, but as the sinner who was unworthy of anything from God. 18:14 The Lord Jesus reminded His hearers that it is this spirit of self-humiliation and repentance that is acceptable to God. Contrary to what human appearances might indicate, it was the tax collector who went down to his house justified. God exalts the humble, but He humbles those who exalt themselves.

Luke 18:15

I. Jesus and the Little Children (18:15-17) This incident reinforces what we have just had before us, namely, that the humility of a little child is necessary for entrance into the kingdom of God. Mothers crowded around the Lord Jesus with their infants in order that they might receive blessing from Him. His disciples were annoyed by this intrusion into the Savior’s time. But Jesus rebuked them, and tenderly called … the little children to Himself, saying, Of such is the kingdom of God. Verse 16 answers the question, What happens to little children when they die? The answer is that they go to heaven.

The Lord clearly said of such is the kingdom of God.Children can be saved at a very tender age. That age probably varies in the case of individual children, but the fact remains that any child, no matter how young, who wishes to come to Jesus should be permitted to do so, and encouraged in his faith. Little children do not need to become adults in order to be saved, but adults do need the simple faith and humility of a little child in order to enter God’s kingdom.

Luke 18:18

J. The Rich Young Ruler (18:18-30) 18:18, 19 This section illustrates the case of a man who would not receive the kingdom of God as a little child. One day a certain ruler came to the Lord Jesus, addressing Him as Good Teacher, and asking what he must do in order to inherit eternal life. The Savior first of all questioned him on the use of the title good Teacher. Jesus reminded him that only God is good. Our Lord was not denying that He was God, but He was trying to lead the ruler to confess that fact. If He was good, then He must be God, since only God is essentially good. 18:20 Then Jesus dealt with the question, what must I do to inherit eternal life? We know that eternal life is not inherited, and is not gained by doing good works. Eternal life is the gift of God through Jesus Christ. In taking the ruler back to the ten commandments, the Lord Jesus was not implying that he could ever be saved by keeping the law. Rather He was using the law in an effort to convict the man of sin. The Lord Jesus recited the five commandments which have to do with our duty to our fellow-man, the second table of the law. 18:21-23 It is apparent that the law did not have its convicting effect in the life of the man, because he arrogantly claimed to have kept these commandments from his youth. Jesus told him that he lacked one thinglove for his neighbor. If he had really kept these commandments, then he would have sold all his possessions and distributed them to the poor. But the fact of the matter was that he did not love his neighbor as himself. He was living a selfish life, with no real love for others. This is proved by the fact that when he heard these things, he became very sorrowful, because he was very rich.18:24 As the Lord Jesus looked upon him, He commented on the difficulty of those who have riches entering the kingdom of God. The difficulty is in having riches without loving and trusting them. This whole section raises disturbing questions for Christians as well as unbelievers. How can we be said truly to love our neighbors when we live in wealth and comfort when others are perishing for want of the gospel of Christ? 18:25 Jesus said that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. Many explanations have been given of this statement. Some have suggested that the needle’s eye is a small inner gate in the wall of a city, and that a camel could enter only by kneeling down. However, Dr. Luke uses a word that specifically means a surgeon’s needle and the meaning of the Lord’s statement seems to lie on the surface. In other words, just as it is impossible for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, so it is impossible for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.

It is not enough to explain this as meaning that a rich man cannot, by his own efforts, enter the kingdom; that is true of rich and poor alike. The meaning is that it is impossible for a man to enter the kingdom of God as a rich man; as long as he makes a god of his wealth, lets it stand between himself and his soul’s salvation, he cannot be converted. The simple fact of the matter is that not many rich people are saved, and those who are must first be broken before God. 18:26, 27 As the disciples thought about all of this, they began to wonder who then could be saved. To them, riches had always been a sign of God’s blessing (Deu_28:1-8). If rich Jews aren’t saved, then who can be? The Lord answered that God could do what man cannot do. In other words, God can take a greedy, grasping, ruthless materialist, remove his love for gold, and substitute for it a true love for the Lord. It is a miracle of divine grace. Again, this whole section raises disturbing questions for the child of God. The servant is not above his Master; the Lord Jesus abandoned His heavenly riches in order to save our guilty souls. It is not fitting for us to be rich in a world where He was poor. The value of souls, the imminence of Christ’s return, the constraining love of Christ should lead us to invest every possible material asset in the work of the Lord. 18:28-30 When Peter reminded the Lord that the disciples had left their homes and families to follow Him, the Lord replied that such a life of sacrifice is rewarded liberally in this life, and will be further rewarded in the eternal state. The latter part of verse 30 (and in the age to come eternal life) does not mean that eternal life is gained by forsaking all; rather it refers to increased capacity for enjoying the glories of heaven, plus increased rewards in the heavenly kingdom. It means the full realization of the life that had been received at the time of conversion, i.e., life in its fulness.

Luke 18:31

K. Jesus Again Predicts His Death and Resurrection (18:31-34) 18:31-33 For the third time the Lord took the twelve and warned them in detail what awaited Him (see Luk_9:22, Luk_9:44). He predicted His passion as being in fulfillment of what the prophets of the OT had written. With divine foresight, He calmly prophesied that He would be delivered to the Gentiles. It was more probable that He would be privately slain, or stoned to death in a tumult. But the prophets had foretold His betrayal, His being mocked and insulted and spit upon, and so it must be. He would be scourged and killed, but the third day He would rise again. The remaining chapters unfold the drama which He so wonderfully foreknew and foretold: We are going up to Jerusalem (18:35-19:45). The Son of Man will be delivered to the Gentiles (19:47-23:1). He will be mocked and insulted (Luk_23:1-32). They will kill Him (Luk_23:33-56). The third day He will rise again (Luk_24:1-12). 18:34 Amazingly enough, the disciples understood none of these things. The meaning of His words was hidden from them. It seems hard for us to understand why they were so dull in this matter, but the reason is probably this: Their minds were so filled with thoughts of a temporal deliverer who would rescue them from the yoke of Rome, and set up the kingdom immediately, that they refused to entertain any other program. We often believe what we want to believe, and resist the truth if it does not fit into our preconceived notions.

Luke 18:35

L. The Healing of a Blind Beggar (18:35-43) 18:35-37 The Lord Jesus had now left Perea by crossing the Jordan. Luke says the incident that follows happened as He was coming near Jericho. Matthew and Mark say that it is when He was leaving Jericho (Mat_20:29; Mar_10:46). Also Matthew says that there were two blind men; Mark and Luke both say there was one. It is possible that Luke is speaking of the new city whereas Matthew and Mark are referring to the old city. It is also possible that there was more than one miracle of the blind receiving their sight at this place. Whatever the true explanation might be, we are confident that if our knowledge were greater, the seeming contradictions would disappear. 18:38 The blind beggar somehow recognized Jesus as the Messiah, because he addressed Him as the Son of David. He asked the Lord to have mercy on him, that is, to restore his sight. 18:39 In spite of the attempts of some to silence the beggar, he insistently cried out to the Lord Jesus. The people were not interested in a beggar. Jesus was. 18:40, 41 So Jesus stood still. Dar by comments insightfully, Joshua once bade the sun stand still in the heavens, but here the Lord of the sun, and the moon, and the heavens, stands still at the bidding of a blind beggar. At Jesus’ command the beggar was brought to Him. Jesus asked him what he wanted. Without hesitation or generalization, the beggar replied that he wanted his sight. His prayer was short, specific, and full of faith. 18:42, 43 Jesus then granted the request and immediately the man received his sight. Not only so, he followed the Lord, glorifying God. We may learn from this incident that we should dare to believe God for the impossible. Great faith greatly honors Him. As the poet has written: Thou art coming to a King, Large petitions with thee bring; For His grace and power are such, None can ever ask too much. John Newton