Luke Chapter 19

From The Open Bible Project

19:1 He entered and was passing through Jericho.

• (1) Christ especially guides by his grace those who seem to be furthest from it.

19:2 There was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.

• (a) The overseer and head of the publicans who were there together: for the publicans were divided into companies, as we may gather from many places in the orations of Cicero.

19:3 He was trying to see who Jesus was, and couldn't because of the crowd, because he was short.

19:4 He ran on ahead, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was to pass that way.

19:5 When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house."

19:6 He hurried, came down, and received him joyfully.

19:7 When they saw it, they all murmured, saying, "He has gone in to lodge with a man who is a sinner."

• (2) The world forsakes the grace of God, and yet is unwilling that it should be bestowed upon others.

19:8 Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, half of my goods I give to the poor. If I have wrongfully exacted anything of anyone, I restore four times as much."

• (3) The example of true repentance is known by the effect.
• (b) By falsely accusing any man: and this agrees most fitly to the master of the tax gatherers: for commonly they have this practice among them when they rob and spoil the commonwealth, that they claim to be concerned for nothing else except the profit of the commonwealth, and under this pretence they are thieves, and to such an extent that if men reprove them and try to redress their robbery and thievery, they cry out that the commonwealth is hindered.

19:9 Jesus said to him, "Today, salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham.

• (c) Beloved of God, one that walks in the steps of Abraham’s faith: and we gather that salvation came to that house because they received the blessing as Abraham had. (Ed.)

19:10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost."

19:11 As they heard these things, he went on and told a parable, because he was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that the Kingdom of God would be revealed immediately.

• (4) We must patiently wait for the judgment of God which will be revealed in his time.

19:12 He said therefore, "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.

19:13 He called ten servants of his, and gave them [44] ten mina coins, [See Luke Footnotes 44] and told them, 'Conduct business until I come.'

• (5) There are three sorts of men in the Church: the one sort fall from Christ whom they do not see; the other, according to their God given position, bestow the gifts which they have received from God to his glory, with great pains and diligence; the third live idly and do no good. As for the first, the Lord when he comes will justly punish them in his time; the second he will bless according to the pains which they have taken; and as for the slothful and idle persons, he will punish them like the first.

19:14 But his citizens hated him, and sent an envoy after him, saying, 'We don't want this man to reign over us.'

19:15 "It happened when he had come back again, having received the kingdom, that he commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by conducting business.

19:16 The first came before him, saying, 'Lord, your mina has made ten more minas.'

• (d) This was a piece of money which the Greeks used, and was worth about one hundred pence, which is about ten crowns.

19:17 "He said to him, 'Well done, you good servant! Because you were found faithful with very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.'

19:18 "The second came, saying, 'Your mina, Lord, has made five minas.'

19:19 "So he said to him, 'And you are to be over five cities.'

19:20 Another came, saying, 'Lord, behold, your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief,

• (6) Against those who idly spend their life in deliberating and in contemplation.

19:21 for I feared you, because you are an exacting man. You take up that which you didn't lay down, and reap that which you didn't sow.'

19:22 "He said to him, 'Out of your own mouth will I judge you, you wicked servant! You knew that I am an exacting man, taking up that which I didn't lay down, and reaping that which I didn't sow.

19:23 Then why didn't you deposit my money in the bank, and at my coming, I might have earned interest on it?'

• (e) To the bankers and money changers. Usury or loaning money at interest is strictly forbidden by the Bible, (Exodus 22:25-27; Deuteronomy 23:19,20). Even a rate as low as one per cent interest was disallowed, (Nehemiah 5:11). This servant had already told two lies. First he said the master was an austere or harsh man. This is a lie for the Lord is merciful and gracious. Next he called his master a thief because he reaped where he did not sow. Finally the master said to him that why did you not add insult to injury and loan the money out at interest so you could call your master a "usurer" too! If the servant had done this, his master would have been responsible for his servant’s actions and guilty of usury. (Ed.)

19:24 He said to those who stood by, 'Take the mina away from him, and give it to him who has the ten minas.'

19:25 "They said to him, 'Lord, he has ten minas!'

19:26 'For I tell you that to everyone who has, will more be given; but from him who doesn't have, even that which he has will be taken away from him.

19:27 But bring those enemies of mine who didn't want me to reign over them here, and kill them before me.'"

19:28 Having said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.

• (f) The disciples were staggered and stopped by what Christ said, but Christ goes on boldly even though death was before his eyes.

19:29 It happened, when he drew near to [45] Bethsphage [See Luke Footnotes 45] and Bethany, at the mountain that is called Olivet, he sent two of his disciples,

• (7) Christ shows in his own person that his kingdom is not of this world.

19:30 saying, "Go your way into the village on the other side, in which, as you enter, you will find a colt tied, whereon no man ever yet sat. Untie it, and bring it.

19:31 If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' say to him: 'The Lord needs it.'"

19:32 Those who were sent went away, and found things just as he had told them.

19:33 As they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, "Why are you untying the colt?"

19:34 They said, "The Lord needs it."

19:35 They brought it to Jesus. They threw their cloaks on the colt, and set Jesus on them.

19:36 As he went, they spread their cloaks in the way.

19:37 As he was now getting near, at the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works which they had seen,

19:38 saying, "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord![46] Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest!"

19:39 Some of the Pharisees from the multitude said to him, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!"

• (8) When those linger who ought to preach and set forth the kingdom of God the most, he will extraordinarily raise up others in spite of them.

19:40 He answered them, "I tell you that if these were silent, the stones would cry out."

19:41 When he drew near, he saw the city and wept over it,

• (9) Christ is not delighted with destruction, no not even of the wicked.

19:42 saying, "If you, even you, had known today the things which belong to your peace! But now, they are hidden from your eyes.

• (g) Christ stops his speech, which partly shows how moved he was with compassion over the destruction of the city that was surely to come: and partly to reprove them for their treachery and stubbornness against him, such as has not been heard of before.
• (h) You at the very least, O Jerusalem, to whom the message was properly sent.
• (i) If after slaying so many prophets, and so often refusing me, the Lord of the prophets, if only now, especially in my last coming to you, you had any concern for yourself.
• (k) The good and prosperous time is called the day of this city.
• (l) That is, those things in which your happiness stands.

19:43 For the days will come on you, when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, surround you, hem you in on every side,

19:44 and will dash you and your children within you to the ground. They will not leave in you one stone on another, because you didn't know the time of your visitation."

• (m) That is, this very instant in which God visited you.

19:45 He entered into the temple, and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it,

• (10) Christ shows after his entry into Jerusalem by a visible sign that it is his duty, given and admonished unto him by his Father, to purge the temple.

19:46 saying to them, "It is written, 'My house is a house of prayer,'[47] but you have made it a 'den of robbers'!"[48]

19:47 He was teaching daily in the temple, but the chief priests and the scribes and the leading men among the people sought to destroy him.

19:48 They couldn't find what they might do, for all the people hung on to every word that he said.