Luke 18
Summary for Luke 18:1-8: 18:1-8 a The parable of the persistent widow follows naturally from Jesus’ teaching about coming troubles (17:20-37 b). Believers can face trials and persevere through persistent prayer.18:2 c a judge ... who neither feared God nor cared about people: The two most important attributes for a good judge are regard for justice (fear of God), and compassion for people (see 2 Chr 19:6-7 d). This judge had neither.
18:3 e A widow: God is concerned for widows, orphans, and foreigners—the most vulnerable members of ancient society—and has promised judgment against those who oppress them (Exod 22:22 f; Deut 10:18 g; 24:17 h; 27:19 i; Ps 68:5 j; Isa 1:23 k; 10:2 l; Jer 22:3 m; Ezek 22:7 n; Amos 5:10-13 o; Zech 7:10 p; Mal 3:5 q).
• Give me justice: The woman was in the right in this dispute—she was not asking for special favors.
18:5 r driving me crazy: This colorful Greek expression literally means “striking the eye” or “giving me a black eye,” as in boxing. The sense is of wearing someone down through persistence.
18:7 s God will surely give justice: If persistence resulted in justice from this unjust judge, how much more will God, who loves both people and justice, answer our prayers.
18:8 t when the Son of Man returns: This is an allusion to Dan 7:13-14 u.
• how many will he find on the earth who have faith? The question is whether believers will remain faithful through the trials that will precede the coming of the Son of Man (see Matt 24:10-12 v; 2 Thes 2:3 w; 1 Tim 4:1 x).
Summary for Luke 18:9-14: 18:9-14 y The topic of prayer (18:1-8 z) leads into this parable about the right attitude for approaching God.
18:10 aa a despised tax collector: See study note on 3:12.
18:12 ab I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income: Fasting and tithing were signs of piety in Judaism. The law required fasting only once a year (Lev 16:29-31 ac), but pious Jews in Jesus’ day fasted twice a week (see also Luke 5:33 ad; 11:41-42 ae).
18:13 af he beat his chest in sorrow: This action indicated deep mourning and repentance.
18:14 ag Jesus’ conclusion that only the tax collector went home justified before God would have shocked Jesus’ audience, who regarded Pharisees as righteous and tax collectors as wicked.
• those who exalt themselves will be humbled: See 1:52-53 ah; 6:21 ai, 25 aj; 10:15 ak; 14:11 al; 16:19-31 am.
Summary for Luke 18:15-17: 18:15-17 an This incident illustrates 18:14 ao.
• they scolded the parents: In this cultural context, children had no social status (see study note on 9:48), so the disciples viewed them as an interruption to Jesus’ important ministry.
18:17 ap receive the Kingdom of God like a child: Entrance into the Kingdom of God requires childlike faith and dependence on God.
Summary for Luke 18:18-30: 18:18-30 aq The story of the rich religious leader warns against trusting in riches rather than pledging complete allegiance to God. 18:18 ar The man was probably a religious leader (traditionally ruler), not a political ruler.
• what should I do to inherit eternal life? This question was commonly discussed by the rabbis of Jesus’ day (see 10:27 as).
18:19 at Why do you call me good? The man was calling Jesus “good” as a general compliment, but only God is truly good. Jesus was challenging the man’s understanding of goodness—true goodness requires moral perfection.
18:20 au you know the commandments: Jesus cites the fifth through ninth of the Ten Commandments (Exod 20:12-16 av; Deut 5:16-20 aw), which pertain to relationships between human beings.
18:21 ax I’ve obeyed all these commandments: The man’s claim to have kept all the commandments shows that he misunderstood the nature of true goodness.
18:22 ay The man’s love of his riches revealed that he had not perfectly obeyed God; he did not love God or others in the way that God requires (10:25-28 az). Love of riches is a form of idolatry (Eph 5:5 ba; Col 3:5 bb).
Summary for Luke 18:24-25: 18:24-25 bc How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God! Though Scripture sometimes speaks of riches as a blessing from God (2 Chr 1:11-12 bd; Pss 112:3 be; 128:2 bf; Prov 8:18 bg; Isa 61:6 bh), many passages warn against the danger of trusting riches instead of God (Ps 62:10 bi; Prov 11:28 bj; Jer 9:23-24 bk; 49:4-5 bl).
• the eye of a needle: See study note on Mark 10:25. This is not merely difficult, but impossible. No one can be saved while trusting in riches. Salvation comes only by dependence on God (Luke 18:27 bm).
18:27 bn The point of the whole episode is that salvation is impossible by human effort, but possible by the grace of God.
Summary for Luke 18:28-30: 18:28-30 bo We’ve left our homes to follow you: In contrast to the rich ruler, Peter and the other disciples had given up everything to follow Jesus. Jesus affirmed that they would receive back far more than they had given up.
18:30 bp repaid many times over in this life: Their reward would not necessarily be physical, but they would enjoy the blessings that come from spiritual wholeness and a right relationship with God.
Summary for Luke 18:31-34: 18:31-34 bq This was Jesus’ last prediction of his suffering and death before entering Jerusalem for his final week of ministry (see also 9:22 br, 44-45 bs; 17:25 bt). 18:31 bu Jesus’ death was in fulfillment of all the predictions of the prophets; it was God’s plan (24:25-26 bv, 46 bw; Acts 2:23 bx; 3:18 by; 4:28 bz). The primary prophecy about the suffering Messiah is Isa 52:13–53:12 ca. Luke also refers to Ps 2 cb (Acts 4:25-26 cc), Ps 16 cd (Acts 2:25-28 ce), Ps 118:22 cf (Luke 20:17 cg), and Isa 50:4-9 ch (Luke 18:32-33 ci).
Summary for Luke 18:32-33: 18:32-33 cj mocked... . They will flog him: See Isa 50:6 ck.
18:34 cl The significance of his words was hidden from them: Not until after the resurrection did the disciples grasp the saving significance of Jesus’ death (see 9:45 cm; 24:13-34 cn).
Summary for Luke 18:35-43: 18:35-43 co This account again demonstrates Jesus’ care for the poor and marginalized in Israel. It reminds the reader that Jesus is the Son of David, the Messiah (18:38 cp), shortly before he enters Jerusalem as king (19:28-44 cq). 18:35 cr Jericho was located in an oasis in the Judean wilderness, eighteen miles (thirty kilometers) northeast of Jerusalem. At 820 feet (250 meters) below sea level, Jericho is the world’s lowest city and one of the oldest.
18:38 cs Son of David is a title for the Messiah, a descendant of David who would reign on David’s throne forever (see 1:32-33 ct; 2 Sam 7:11-16 cu; Isa 9:6-7 cv; 11:1-5 cw; Jer 23:5-6 cx; 33:15-16 cy; Ezek 37:24-25 cz).
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