Luke 18–19

The Story of the Widow Who Would Not Give Up

18Jesus told his disciples a story. He wanted to show them that they should always pray and not give up. ²He said, “In a certain town there was a judge. He didn’t have any respect for God or care about people. ³A widow lived in that town. She came to the judge again and again. She kept begging him, ‘Make things right for me. Someone is doing me wrong.’

⁴“For some time the judge refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t have any respect for God. I don’t care about people. ⁵But this widow keeps bothering me. So I will see that things are made right for her. If I don’t, she will wear me out by coming again and again!’ ”

⁶The Lord said, “Listen to what the unfair judge says.

⁷“God’s chosen people cry out to him day and night. Won’t he make things right for them? Will he keep putting them off? ⁸I tell you, God will see that things are made right for them. He will make sure it happens quickly.

“But when the Son of Man comes, will he find people on earth who have faith?”

The Story of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

⁹Jesus told a story to some people who were sure they were right with God. They looked down on everybody else. ¹⁰He said to them, “Two men went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee. The other was a tax collector.

¹¹“The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself. ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people,’ he said. ‘I am not like robbers or those who do other evil things. I am not like those who commit adultery. I am not even like this tax collector. ¹²I fast twice a week. And I give a tenth of all I get.’

¹³“But the tax collector stood not very far away. He would not even look up to heaven. He beat his chest and said, ‘God, have mercy on me. I am a sinner.’

¹⁴“I tell you, the tax collector went home accepted by God. But not the Pharisee. Everyone who lifts himself up will be brought down. And anyone who is brought down will be lifted up.”

Little Children Are Brought to Jesus

¹⁵People were also bringing babies to Jesus. They wanted him to touch them. When the disciples saw this, they told the people to stop.

¹⁶But Jesus asked the children to come to him. “Let the little children come to me,” he said. “Don’t keep them away. God’s kingdom belongs to people like them. ¹⁷What I’m about to tell you is true. Anyone who will not receive God’s kingdom like a little child will never enter it.”

Jesus and the Rich Ruler

¹⁸A certain ruler asked Jesus a question. “Good teacher,” he said, “what must I do to receive eternal life?”

¹⁹“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good except God. ²⁰You know what the commandments say. ‘Do not commit adultery. Do not commit murder. Do not steal. Do not give false witness. Honor your father and mother.’ ”

²¹“I have obeyed all those commandments since I was a boy,” the ruler said.

²²When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You are still missing one thing. Sell everything you have. Give the money to those who are poor. You will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me.”

²³When the ruler heard this, he became very sad. He was very rich.

²⁴Jesus looked at him. Then he said, “How hard it is for rich people to enter God’s kingdom! ²⁵Is it hard for a camel to go through the eye of a needle? It is even harder for the rich to enter God’s kingdom!”

²⁶Those who heard this asked, “Then who can be saved?”

²⁷Jesus replied, “Things that are impossible with people are possible with God.”

²⁸Peter said to him, “We have left everything we had in order to follow you!”

²⁹“What I’m about to tell you is true,” Jesus said to them. “Has anyone left home or family for God’s kingdom? ³⁰They will receive many times as much in this world. In the world to come they will live forever.”

Jesus Again Tells About His Coming Death

³¹Jesus took the Twelve to one side. He told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem. Everything that the prophets wrote about the Son of Man will come true. ³²He will be handed over to people who are not Jews. They will make fun of him. They will laugh at him and spit on him. They will whip him and kill him. ³³On the third day, he will rise from the dead!”

³⁴The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them. So they didn’t know what Jesus was talking about.

A Blind Beggar Receives His Sight

³⁵Jesus was approaching Jericho. A blind man was sitting by the side of the road begging. ³⁶The blind man heard the crowd going by. He asked what was happening. ³⁷They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”

³⁸So the blind man called out, “Jesus! Son of David! Have mercy on me!”

³⁹Those who led the way commanded him to stop. They told him to be quiet. But he shouted even louder, “Son of David! Have mercy on me!”

⁴⁰Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When the man came near, Jesus spoke to him. ⁴¹“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked.

“Lord, I want to be able to see,” the blind man replied.

⁴²Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight. Your faith has healed you.”

⁴³Right away he could see. He followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.

Zacchaeus the Tax Collector

19Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. ²A man named Zacchaeus lived there. He was a chief tax collector and was very rich.

³Zacchaeus wanted to see who Jesus was. But he was a short man. He could not see Jesus because of the crowd. ⁴So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree. He wanted to see Jesus, who was coming that way.

⁵Jesus reached the spot where Zacchaeus was. He looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, come down at once. I must stay at your house today.” ⁶So Zacchaeus came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

⁷All the people saw this. They began to whisper among themselves. They said, “Jesus has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner.’ ”

⁸But Zacchaeus stood up. He said, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of what I own to those who are poor. And if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay it back. I will pay back four times the amount I took.”

⁹Jesus said to Zacchaeus, “Today salvation has come to your house. You are a member of Abraham’s family line. ¹⁰The Son of Man came to look for the lost and save them.”

The Story of Three Servants

¹¹While the people were listening to these things, Jesus told them a story. He was near Jerusalem. The people thought that God’s kingdom was going to appear right away.

¹²Jesus said, “A man from an important family went to a country far away. He went there to be made king and then return home. ¹³So he sent for ten of his servants. He gave them each about three months’ pay. ‘Put this money to work until I come back,’ he said.

¹⁴“But those he ruled over hated him. They sent some messengers after him. They were sent to say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’

¹⁵“But he was made king and returned home. Then he sent for the servants he had given the money to. He wanted to find out what they had earned with it.

¹⁶“The first one came to him. He said, ‘Sir, your money has earned ten times as much.’

¹⁷“ ‘You have done well, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘You have been faithful in a very small matter. So I will put you in charge of ten towns.’

¹⁸“The second servant came to his master. He said, ‘Sir, your money has earned five times as much.’

¹⁹“His master answered, ‘I will put you in charge of five towns.’

²⁰“Then another servant came. He said, ‘Sir, here is your money. I have kept it hidden in a piece of cloth. ²¹I was afraid of you. You are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in. You harvest what you did not plant.’

²²“His master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you evil servant! So you knew that I am a hard man? You knew that I take out what I did not put in? You knew that I harvest what I did not plant? ²³Then why didn’t you put my money in the bank? When I came back, I could have collected it with interest.’

²⁴“Then he said to those standing by, ‘Take his money away from him. Give it to the one who has ten times as much.’

²⁵“ ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘he already has ten times as much!’

²⁶“He replied, ‘I tell you that everyone who has will be given more. But here is what will happen to anyone who has nothing. Even what he has will be taken away from him. ²⁷And what about my enemies who did not want me to be king over them? Bring them here! Kill them in front of me!’ ”

Jesus Enters Jerusalem

²⁸After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead. He was going up to Jerusalem.

²⁹He approached Bethphage and Bethany. The hill there was called the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent out two of his disciples. He said to them, ³⁰“Go to the village ahead of you. As soon as you get there, you will find a donkey’s colt tied up. No one has ever ridden it. Untie it and bring it here. ³¹Someone may ask you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ If so, say, ‘The Lord needs it.’ ”

³²Those who were sent ahead went and found the young donkey. It was there just as Jesus had told them. ³³They were untying the colt when its owners came. The owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?”

³⁴They replied, “The Lord needs it.”

³⁵Then the disciples brought the colt to Jesus. They threw their coats on the young donkey and put Jesus on it. ³⁶As he went along, people spread their coats on the road.

³⁷Jesus came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives. There the whole crowd of disciples began to praise God with joy. In loud voices they praised him for all the miracles they had seen. They shouted,

³⁸“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“May there be peace and glory in the highest heaven!”

³⁹Some of the Pharisees in the crowd spoke to Jesus. “Teacher,” they said, “tell your disciples to stop!”

⁴⁰“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

⁴¹He approached Jerusalem. When he saw the city, he began to sob. ⁴²He said, “I wish you had known today what would bring you peace! But now it is hidden from your eyes.

⁴³“The days will come when your enemies will arrive. They will build a…