Luke 18:1–23

The Parable of the Persistent Widow

18He then told them a parable on the need for them to pray ^salways and not become discouraged: ^t2“There was a judge in a certain town who didn’t fear God ^uor respect man. ³And a widow ^vin that town kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’

⁴“For a while he was unwilling, but later he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or respect man, ⁵yet because this widow keeps ^wpestering me, ^xI will give her justice, so she doesn’t wear me out ^yby her persistent coming.’ ”

⁶Then the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. ⁷Will not God grant justice ^zto His elect ^awho cry out to Him day and night? ^bWill He delay ^cto help them? ^d8I tell you that He will swiftly grant them justice. Nevertheless, when the ^•Son of Man comes, ^ewill He find that faith ^fon earth?”

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

⁹He ^galso told this parable to some who trusted in themselves ^hthat they were righteous ⁱand looked down ^jon everyone else: ¹⁰“Two men went up to the ^•temple complex to pray, ^kone a ^•Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹The Pharisee took his stand ^lmand was praying like this: ‘God, I thank You that I’m not like other people ⁿ—greedy, ^ounrighteous, ^padulterers, ^qor even like this tax collector. ¹²I fast ^rtwice a week; I give a tenth ^stof everything I get.’

¹³“But the tax collector, standing far off, ^uwould not even raise his eyes to heaven ^vbut kept striking his chest ^wxand saying, ‘God, turn Your wrath from me ^yz—a sinner!’ ^a14I tell you, this one went down to his house ^•justified ^brather than the other; because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” ^c

Blessing the Children

¹⁵Some ^dpeople were even bringing infants to Him so He might touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. ¹⁶Jesus, however, invited them: “Let the little children come to Me, ^eand don’t stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. ^17•I assure you: ^fWhoever does not welcome ^gthe kingdom of God like a little child ^hwill never enter it.”

The Rich Young Ruler

¹⁸A ⁱruler ^jasked Him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” ^k

¹⁹“Why do you call Me good?” Jesus asked him. “No one is good but One—God. ²⁰You know the commandments:

Do not commit adultery;

do not murder;

do not steal;

do not bear false witness;

honor your father and mother.” ^lm

²¹“I have kept all these from my youth,” he said.

²²When Jesus heard this, He told him, “You still lack one thing: Sell all that you have and distribute it to the poor, ⁿand you will have treasure in heaven. ^oThen come, follow Me.” ^p

²³After he heard this, he became extremely sad, ^qbecause he was very rich.