Luke 18 - Printer Friendly

What does Luke 18 mean?

Chapter Commentary:

Luke is almost finished with the section sometimes called "Jesus' travelogue to Jerusalem" (Luke 9:51—19:27). Luke 1:1—4:13 recounts Jesus' pre-public life. Luke 4:14—9:50 describes Jesus' ministry primarily in Galilee. In the travelogue, Luke has carefully chosen stories where Jesus teaches His disciples about the kingdom of God and prepares them to build and lead the church after His ascension. Luke 19:28—21:38 recounts the presentation of Jesus, when He enters Jerusalem and the Jewish religious leaders have one last time to accept Him as their Messiah. Luke 22:1—23:56 tells the story of the Last Supper and Jesus' arrest, crucifixion, and burial. Finally, Luke 24 presents Jesus' resurrection and ascension, providing a segue into Acts 1.

Luke 18 is a study in contrasts.

Luke 18:1–8 is the parable of the persistent widow. This continues Jesus' discussion of His second coming with the promise that God will give His people justice (Luke 17:22). He teaches this lesson by contrasting God with a corrupt judge. A widow demands justice. The city judge is vain, self-important, and unwilling to act on behalf of a powerless victim. The widow refuses to relent, however, and eventually the judge gives her justice so she will stop bothering him. Since God is no corrupt judge, He will certainly give justice to His own when Jesus returns.

Luke 18:9–14 gives another aspect about how God's people should pray. Where the previous parable talked about persistent and faithful prayer, the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector encourages humility over arrogance. Two men come to the temple to pray. The Pharisee brags to God that he is not like "other men"; he avoids sin and faithfully fasts and tithes. Far off, the tax collector repents of his sins and begs forgiveness. Jesus explains that those who humble themselves will be exalted by God, but those who exalt themselves will be humbled. Matthew 6:5–6 contains similar instructions.

Luke 18:15–17 is the first section of a two-part comparison. People are bringing babies and children to Jesus so He will bless them. The disciples try to keep the parents away. Jesus rebukes them, saying, "Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it."

Luke 18:18–30 gives the second half of the analogy. A devout, young, rich ruler wants to know how to inherit eternal life. Jesus confirms that the man faithfully follows the Law, then tells him to give away his worldly possessions. The man leaves, saddened. God is almost his most important priority, but not quite. The children who come to Jesus have nothing so they have nothing to lose and everything to gain. We need a heart that is willing to give up our lives to follow Jesus.

Luke 18:31–34 presents the first half of the final comparison. Jesus, once again, warns the disciples that He will be killed in Jerusalem. The disciples have spent three years learning from Him, but they still cannot understand what He's talking about.

Luke 18:35–43 introduces a blind man who can see the truth. He calls out for "Jesus, Son of David" to heal him. Jesus does. Unlike the disciples, he understands and accepts what he has heard and acts in faith.

This miracle begins the last section of the so-called "travelogue" (Luke 18:35—19:27). In Luke 19, Jesus will meet Zacchaeus and give the parable of the ten minas, warning the disciples to faithfully use what God has entrusted them with. Then comes the triumphal entry and Jesus' experiences leading up to the crucifixion.

Luke 18:1–8 contains the parable of the persistent widow. Jesus contrasts God with a corrupt judge who will only give a widow justice when she becomes a nuisance. The Lord, however, is eager to give His followers justice—partially now and fully when Jesus returns. Like the widow, we must ask diligently and with faith. Jesus goes on to show that proper faith is humble, not self-congratulating (Luke 18:9–14), childlike (Luke 18:15–17), and makes us hold lightly things of the earth as compared to how we cling to God (Luke 18:18–30). Only Luke records this parable.

Luke 18:9–14 records the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. This is Jesus' second prayer-based contrast. The unrighteous judge of the prior lesson only granted justice because doing otherwise disturbed his comfort. Yet God promises justice to all His praying followers (Luke 18:1–8). Here, the prayers of a self-righteous Pharisee compare poorly to the humility of a tax collector. Only the tax collector leaves forgiven. The next two stories contrast the guileless trust of children against the hesitation of a wealthy man (Luke 18:15–30). Jesus gives a similar moral in Matthew 6:5–6.

Luke 18:15–17 begins another comparison and sets up yet one more. Here, Luke compares Jesus, who welcomes children gladly, to the disciples, who want to "protect" Him from wasting His time. When paired with the next story about the rich ruler, we see how children with no worldly treasures are freer to enter God's kingdom than a powerful adult who values riches (Luke 18:18–25). Jesus also interacts with children in Matthew 19:13–15 and Mark 10:13–16.

Luke 18:18–27 introduces the counter example to the powerless, trusting children of Luke 18:15–17. This instance also contrasts with the sacrificial disciples of Luke 18:28–30. The children have nothing to cling to and readily receive God's kingdom. The rich man in this section cannot muster such dependent faith. He wants eternal life but doesn't know if it's worth sacrificing worldly comforts. Conversely, the disciples have given up their place in the world in hopes of something better. This story is also found in Matthew 19:16–22 and Mark 10:17–22.

Luke 18:28–30 is a moment of commendation for the disciples. A rich man walks away from Jesus because he overvalues his wealth and can't submit to Jesus. The disciples point out they have left everything, and Jesus promises them rewards in eternity. However, they can't understand what Jesus will face despite having been told several times (Luke 18:31–34). Meanwhile, a blind beggar sees who Jesus is (Luke 18:35–43). This account is also in Mark 10:28–30 and Matthew 19:27–29; Matthew adds that the disciples will sit on twelve thrones and judge Israel.

Luke 18:31–34 begins the end of the so-called "Travelogue to Jerusalem" (Luke 9:51—19:27) as well as the final comparison of the chapter. For the third time, Jesus clearly warns the disciples that He will be killed (Luke 9:21–22, 44–45). They still can't understand. Conversely, a blind man who could not have traveled with Jesus and heard His teaching recognizes that Jesus is the Son of David: the fulfillment of the Davidic covenant and the King of Israel (Luke 18:35–43). Jesus' prophecy is also recorded in Matthew 20:17–19 and Mark 10:32–34.

Luke 18:35–43 records Jesus healing a blind beggar in Jericho. The trusting man believes the plain meaning of what he's heard about Jesus, in contrast to the disciples (Luke 18:31–34). This story is the beginning of the last of four sets of stories that begin with a miracle and go on to explain truths about God's kingdom. After meeting Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1–10) and telling a parable about faithfulness in the kingdom (Luke 19:11–27), the "Travelogue to Jerusalem" will end and Jesus will triumphally enter the city. Mark 10:46–52 identifies the blind man as Bartimaeus. Matthew 20:29–34 says Jesus heals two blind men.

Chapter Summary:

Luke continues to arrange Jesus' teachings by their topic. Here, he includes two parables: the persistent widow and the Pharisee and the tax collector. Jesus encourages children to approach Him. He interacts with a moral, wealthy man who can't bear to follow Jesus if it means giving up wealth. After another prediction of His death, Jesus encounters and heals a blind man on His way to Jerusalem.

Chapter Context:

Luke 18 approaches the end of Jesus' "travelogue" to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51—19:27). Luke has selected miracles, teachings, and events to show how Jesus trained His disciples. His emphasis was explaining the kingdom of God in preparation for their work to build the church. Luke 18 includes several contrasts between those who understand God's kingdom and those who don't. Luke 19 includes the story of Zacchaeus and another parable before Jesus' triumphal entry and the Passion Week. These stories are also found primarily in Matthew 19—20 and Mark 10.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.

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