We are focusing more and more on the final journey into Jerusalem. Jesus will have joined the pilgrimage with those going up to the festival. This gave further opportunity for miracles, teazching and of course engagement with enquirers and opponents.
26.1 Read Luke 18:1-8
Jesus tells another parable. Helpfully, Luke signposts at the start its purpose. It’s about persistence in prayer (v1). The story is about an unjust judge who did not care about God or people. A widow keeps coming to plead with him to hear her case and vindicate her (v2-3). He has no interest in doing so, no doubt there was nothing for him to gain by helping a poor widow out who was unable either to bribe him or help him to grow in influence. However, not because he cares about God, people or justice but simply because he wants some peace and quiet, he eventually agrees to resolve her case (v4-5).
Jesus invites us to pay attention to the judge’s response. If this judge was willing to settle the case eventually, we can trust God to hear and answer our prayers and specifically our prayers for justice. This is not because God is like the judge and so we need to persist in nagging him. Rather, the rhetorical question “will he keep putting them off?” invites the answer “no.” God will want to answer our prayers quickly. (v6=8a)
Jesus finishes his teaching with the question “but when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth.” This suggests that he is pointing us towards vindication on the final day, on judgement day. We should not think that because we are still waiting Christ’s return that he is putting us off. Rather, we know that he will come at just the right time and this should encourage us in faithful prayer now (v8b).
26.2 Read Luke 18:9-14
The next parable is addressed to the self-righteous and proud, those who consider themselves better than others (v9). Two men go to pray at the temple. One is a pharisee, the other a tax collector (v10). The Pharisee stands up where he can be seen. He thanks God that he is not like other people, especially the tax collector, he does not sin but instead keeps the Law (v11-12).
The tax collector stays back at a distance, suggesting he doesn’t want to be seen and heard, indicating a reticence. He cannot even look up. He simply recognises his sin and asks God for mercy (v13)
Jesus says that it is the second man, the text collector who is justified, who goes away right with God. He adds an important Biblical theme that the proud who exalt themselves are humbled whilst God raises up and exalts the humble (v14).
27.3 Justification
One of the foundations of the Reformation was an emphasis on “Justification by faith.” This is the belief that we are made right with God, not through our own works but rather we receive Christ’s righteousness. Jesus was perfectly obedient in life and death and so, we talk about his obedience being imputed to us. In Romans 4:1-8, Paul uses the image of his righteousness being credited to our account.
In the 20th Century, an argument developed that we had completely misunderstood justification since the Reformation because we had misunderstood what the Jews of Jesus’ and Paul’s day believed. It’s sometimes referred to as “The New Perspective on Paul” but may be better described as “new perspectives on Palestinian Judaism.” Scholars observed that a number of Jewish texts emphasised that Jews already were in God’s kingdom and so right with God through the covenant. They were required to keep the law in order to stay in the covenant. This theme became known as covenant nomism. The argument was that the Jews did not believe in works righteousness but rather in a form of ethnic righteousness. They weren’t legalistic but they did put too much emphasis on their national identity in a way that excluded Gentiles.
Whilst it is fair to say that this idea of election and grace through the covenant was certainly present in Jewish thinking, Jesus’ parable here challenges the view that it was only about ethnic righteousness. The parable also counters another assertion that the Jesus of the Gospels and Paul were preaching essentially different messages, that it was Paul who developed the idea of justification by faith in order to accommodate Gentile converts.
Whilst the Pharisee’s pride cannot be disconnected from his ethnic identity, not just as a true Israelite but as a uniquely faith one who has not compromised, it is also clear that there is a legalistic pride. In fact, the point is that his righteousness is about self-righteousness which is wrapped up in who he is and what he does. By contrast, the tax-collector realises that he deserves nothing and so throws himself on God’s mercy alone. Notice too that faith is not measured in terms of confidence. It is not the quality of his faith that justifies him but the direction of his faith, that it is in God and not in himself.
27.4 Read Luke 18:15-17
Parents were bringing their children to Jesus to be blessed. The disciples objected presumably thinking that this was a distraction from the important business of healing, exorcism and preaching (v15). Jesus insists though that he wants to see the children and his disciples are not to prevent them from coming to him (v16). He then uses little children as an example of exactly those kinds of people who are welcomed into the kingdom. This is not about childhood innocence or perhaps even to do with trust but rather a reminder that the kingdom belongs to those who are considered least in this world (v17).
27.5 Read Luke 18:18-30
Jesus is approached by someone described as a ruler, probably indicating that he was one of the synagogue elder [1] who asks him “what must I do to receive eternal life.” As has been observed many times over, this is probably not a question along the lines of how do I get to go to heaven and die. Rather, it is to do with citizenship in God’s kingdom. This does involve life after death and the expectation of resurrection but is more than that (v18).[2]
Before answering the question, Jesus picks up on one seemingly small detail, “why do you call me good?” This focus on one tiny detail in the man’s attempt at polite address may surprise us but Jesus is intentional in his response, pushing the man to think about what is good and who is good. “Only God is good” says Jesus which may start to prompt questions about Jesus’ identity if he is good. However, Jesus’ aim here is perhaps more about giving the man a clue about how to answer the next bit (v19).
Jesus then reminds the man of God’s commandments in the Torah. The man insists he has kept them all which suggests that he hasn’t been paying attention when Jesus claimed that no one except God is good (v20-21). He shouldn’t be surprised then to hear Jesus tell him that he isn’t perfect, he is lacking in one crucial area. Jesus tells him to part with his possessions, selling them and giving everything to the poor. This will give him treasure in a better place, heaven, Then Jesus invites the man to follow him (v22). He is wealthy and simply cannot accept the command to give up his possessions for Jesus. He goes away sad. Often the focus of discussion is on his wealth however, the primary issue here seems to be that he isn’t ready to follow Jesus (v23)
Jesus then comments that it easier for camels to fit through needle eyes than rich men to get into God’s kingdom, their wealth and desire proves too much of an obstacle. Whilst there has been much speculation about a possible gate into Jerusalem which was small and known as the needle where those travelling in on camels had to dismount, I suspect that Jesus is intentionally presenting an extreme and ridiculous situation (v24-25)
Wealthy people were often seen as blessed, rewarded for their righteousness. The question is asked “can anyone get in”, it seems like the barriers are two high. Jesus responds that it is God alone who makes things possible for all (v26-27). Meanwhile Peter is keen to impress on Jesus that the disciples have given up everything. Jesus reassures him that no matter what they have given up, the rewards of the kingdom are far better (v28-30).
Read Luke 18:31-34
One of the markers of Jesus’ progress to Jerusalem in the Gospels is that on three occasions he predicts his death. Here, Luke records the third prediction. Three pronouncements will indicate emphatic completeness. Jesus’ prediction wasn’t a throw away comment, it was to be taken seriously. This prediction was central to the Gospel accounts.
Jesus takes his disciples aside, this is a message for their ears only. He tells them that they are going to Jerusalem and there, not only that he will die but the manner of his death. He will be betrayed into the hands of Gentiles who will mock, insult and flog him. They will kill him but he will rise again “on the third day.” Note that this expression “the third day” is different to saying “three days later (v31-33)
The disciples are unable to understand what Jesus is saying. Whether this is because they are not ready to consider him dying, that they are shocked at the Gentiles/Romans being given power to do so or that the idea of Jesus’ resurrection is too much to grasp isn’t said (v34)
Read Luke 18:35-43
Jesus arrives at Jericho. A blind beggar begins crying out, recognising Jesus as a descendant, and by implication, the heir of David, he begs for mercy (v35-38).[3] Those in front of Jesus try to silence him, to make sure he doesn’t bother Jesus, echoing the disciples attempts to turn away the children. Again, echoing his response to the disciples, Jesus insists that the blind man is brought to him (v39-40). Jesus asks him what he wants and the man responds by saying that he wants to receive his sight. Jesus heals him and immediately the man follows him (v41-43),
Read Luke 19:1-10
Whilst passing through Jericho, Jesus encounters another man who people would not have thought he should be bothered with. Zacchaeus, was not only a tax collector but “a chief tax collector” suggesting that he would have been high up in the chain, farming out or selling taxation rights to others. This would have enabled him to set his own cut at whatever he wanted. He has therefore become wealthy.
He was short in stature and so to get a vantage point over the crowd, he climbed up a tree, presumably hoping to observe without himself being seen (v1-4). However, when Jesus reaches the tree, he stops, addresses Zacchaeus and tells him to come down. Jesus intends to visit Zacheus and receive hospitality from him (v5-6). This causes grumbling among the crowd because tax-collectors were considered to be traitors and sinners (v7).
We are not told what went on in the exchange between Jesus and the tax collector but it produced repentance. Zacchaeus announces willingness to pay back with significant compensation those he has defrauded and to give half of his possessions to the poo (v8)
Notice the comparison and contrast with the rich young ruler. Zacheus is not required to give up his wealth by Jesus, yet he volunteers to give a significant amount of it away himself. That he doesn’t give up everything, although his wealth would have been seriously diminished suggests that there isn’t a binding requirement on rich people to give up everything. However, Zacheus’ response indicates a changed heart towards riches.
Jesus announces that salvation has come to Zachesu’ house. His mission was to “seek and save the lost”. Tax collectors are included in “the lost” as those Jesus came for (v9).
Read Luke 19:1127
Whilst there, Jesus tells a parable. Luke says that it Is in response to those expecting him to become king immediately. However, the story also seems to respond to the potential objections people would have had to Zacheus.
In the story, a nobleman heads off to another country to be appointed king. This was of course how the Herodian family had received their positions as appointees of Rome. He leaves his servants to look after his estate and splits allocates some of his capital evenly among ten of them to trade(v11-13).[4]
Rather than accepting him as king, the people petition and protest against him to no avail. He returns as king (v14) Some of his servants have invested the wealth given to them leading to returns of 5 or 10 times the amount. He rewards them. They have looked after his private and personal estate so now he entrusts them with parts of the kingdom, 5 cities and 10 cities )v15-19).
One servant however has failed to invest. He returns the money at exactly the same value. With the excuse that he knew the master to be harsh. The king tells him that he could at least have stuck it in the bank to make some interest. In context, we can see his move as political, joining with the protestors.
The master orders that this servants’ money is taken from him and given to the first servant. Those who resisted and protested are put to death. Jesus introduces here the proverb that those with much will receive more whilst those with nothing will even have that taken away from them (v22-27).
Jericho
The blind beggar is left unnamed in Luke 18 but introduced by his surname and Bartimaeus in Mark 10:46. Matthew tells us about two blind men rather than one. Only Luke records the encounter with Zacchaeus. There is another difference in accounts too. Is Jesus approaching (Luke) or leaving the city ) Matthew and Mark)?
There are a couple of possible explanations here. One suggestion made by a few commentators is that there were two parts to Jericho, the old city and the new city. It would be possible therefore to refer to Jesus as leaving the old city to enter the new city. Others suggest that we should not worry too much about technical exactitude. All the accounts emphasise that Jesus was passing through. It is possible that Luke intends to draw our attention to the encounter with Zachaeus and build to that incident so intentionally pulls the healing of the blind man to the start of his Jericho account. The blind man may have heard about Jesus entering the city and this would not preclude him from responding to Jesus as the Lord left the city having met Zacchaeus. The two blind men may have been present together with Mark and Luke focusing on one of them or it may be also that Matthew has brought two incidents, one as Jesus entered the city and one as he left together. [5]
Talents and pounds
The parable Jesus tells in Jericho is similar to the parable of the talents. However, there are differences. This may suggest that this was a story Jesus told on more than one occasion with intentional variations. In Luke 19, the reason for the master’s journey is made explicit drawing parables to Herod the Great. The servants receive an equal amount rather than beign differentiated between based on ability. Finally, the reward in Matthew 25 is that the servants are entrusted with more talents. However, in Luker 19, the master’s own step up in responsibility from noble to king is reflected in the step up given to the servants who move from stewarding his personal wealth to stewarding the cities of his kingdom.
Luke says that the parable was directed at those who expected Jesus’ kingdom to come quickly. The point was that there would be a period when Jesus would be away from his people before returning with full kingly authority. Zachaeus responds with the new faith given him to his immediate personal circumstances. He will no longer acquire for himself but will invest for the kingdom. This is what we are meant to do while we wait for Jesus too. This means investing in the responsibilities we are given now as part of God’s people with a view to the time to come when Christ returns where we will have greater blessing and greater responsibility in the coming kingdom.
What do you have faith for
The parable of the minas is the fitting culmination to a section on faith. We need faith to be right with God. True faith means that like Zachaeus and unlike the rich young ruler we do not need to depend on this world’s resources but in Christ alone. We can trust God to call upon Christ despite the barriers that some might try to put in the way. Faith gives us hope as we look for Christ’s return as king and so we can invest our resources, time, gifts for God’s glory as we look forward to life in the coming kingdom.
[1] See Green, Luke, 665.
[2] See Wright, Luke for Everyone, 216.
[3] He is named as Bartimaeus in Mark 10:46, although this simply means son of Timaeus and we may still be left without a first name for him.
[4] Green, Luke, 678.
[5] Bock offers a helpful summary, Bock, Luke 9:51-21:53, 1502-1504.
Faithroots 