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In this lesson:
Have trusting, childlike faith (18:15-17). The rich young man and how our good deeds cannot save us (18:18-30)? Also - For the third time, Jesus predicts His death (18:31-33). Study Tip: Take notes. Notes help us learn and remember. They keep us focused and help us follow up on thoughts and ideas. Plus, we can carry notes with us to meditate on and review. |
Jesus with an infant.
By American artist David Lindsley. |
The Gospel According to St. Luke
The King James Bible
The King James Bible
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Luke 18:15-34
Jesus blesses the children 15 And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. 17 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein. 18 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 19 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God. 20 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother. 21 And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up. 22 Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. 23 And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich. 24 And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. 26 And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved? 27 And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God. 28 Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee. 29 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, 30 Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting. 31 Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. 32 For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: 33 And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again. 34 And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken. |
Margin notes:
"Suffer little children." (18:16) - Means, "Allow the little children." "Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein." (18:17) - Like children, we must be loving, humble, trusting, and have childlike faith and dependence on God. See also Matthew 18:3. "A certain ruler." (18:18) - This could be a civic or religious leader. Some Bible scholars believe it is Mark. "Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God." (18:19) - This man called Jesus good, but only God is truly good. So Jesus is asking this fellow if he understands that he is talking to God. "The commandments." (18:20) - The Ten Commandments are outlined in Exodus 20:3-26 and Deuteronomy 5:16-22. You can also find the "honour thy father and thy mother" commandment in Ephesians 6:2. "All these have I kept from my youth up." (18:21) - It is impossible for anyone to keep the commandments. This man could not admit he was a sinner and did not know it is impossible to earn salvation. "Thou shalt have treasure in heaven." (18:22) - See also Matthew 6:20. "Sell all that thou hast." (18:22) - Jesus doesn't require all Christians to sell everything they own, just the ones who put money above God. The rich can also find Christ. Lydia, a wealthy merchant, was a baptized Christian (Acts 16:-14-15). Likewise, the wealthy and politically connected Joseph of Arimathaea was a believer. He put himself in danger when he asked Pontus Pilate for permission to bury Jesus (Luke 23:50-53). "How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!" (18:24) - "How hard it is for the rich to enter into the Kingdom of God." "Who then can be saved?" (18:26) - In Jesus' day, people believed that wealth was a sign of God's favor. They felt, if a person blessed with riches wasn't saved, who could be? "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God." (18:27) - It is impossible for us to save ourselves, but not impossible for God (Matthew 19:26). "Lo, we have left all." (18:28) - Look, we left everything." "Manifold more." (18:30) - "Many times as much." "He took unto him the twelve." (18:31) - "He took the twelve aside." "Spitefully entreated." (18:32) - "Shamefully treated." "They shall scourge him, and put him to death." (18:33) - This is the third time Jesus predicts His death. You can find the first time in Luke 9:21-22 and the second in Luke 9:43-45. You can also read Old Testament prophesies of Jesus' crucifixion in Psalm 22:16-18 and Isaiah 53:4-9. Both Old Testament prophecies were so sure to happen, they were written in the past tense, as if they had already occurred. "The third day he shall rise again." (18:33) - You can review the prophecy of the resurrection in Psalm 16:10. "They understood none of these things." (18:34) - Jesus was on His way to crucifixion and still, His disciples didn't understand His true mission. They believed that Jesus would liberate Israel and set up a new government. |
Matthew 19:13-29 (lesson 38) and Mark 10:13-30 (lessons 83 and 84) also tell the stories of the little children and the rich young man.
New Living Translation
Luke 18:15-34
Jesus Blesses the Children
15 One day some parents brought their little children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But when the disciples saw this, they scolded the parents for bothering him.
16 Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, "Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.
17 I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn't receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it."
The Rich Man
18 Once a religious leader asked Jesus this question: "Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?"
19 "Why do you call me good?" Jesus asked him. "Only God is truly good.
20 But to answer your question, you know the commandments: 'You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honor your father and mother.'"
21 The man replied, "I've obeyed all these commandments since I was young."
22 When Jesus heard his answer, he said, "There is still one thing you haven't done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
23 But when the man heard this he became very sad, for he was very rich.
24 When Jesus saw this, he said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!
25 In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!"
26 Those who heard this said, "Then who in the world can be saved?"
27 He replied, "What is impossible for people is possible with God."
28 Peter said, "We've left our homes to follow you."
29 "Yes," Jesus replied, "and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the Kingdom of God,
30 will be repaid many times over in this life, and will have eternal life in the world to come."
Jesus Again Predicts His Death
31 Taking the twelve disciples aside, Jesus said, "Listen, we're going up to Jerusalem, where all the predictions of the prophets concerning the Son of Man will come true.
32 He will be handed over to the Romans, and he will be mocked, treated shamefully, and spit upon.
33 They will flog him with a whip and kill him, but on the third day he will rise again."
34 But they didn't understand any of this. The significance of his words was hidden from them, and they failed to grasp what he was talking about.
This second Bible text from the "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word for word translation of the Bible. However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."
Jesus Blesses the Children
15 One day some parents brought their little children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But when the disciples saw this, they scolded the parents for bothering him.
16 Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, "Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.
17 I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn't receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it."
The Rich Man
18 Once a religious leader asked Jesus this question: "Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?"
19 "Why do you call me good?" Jesus asked him. "Only God is truly good.
20 But to answer your question, you know the commandments: 'You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honor your father and mother.'"
21 The man replied, "I've obeyed all these commandments since I was young."
22 When Jesus heard his answer, he said, "There is still one thing you haven't done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
23 But when the man heard this he became very sad, for he was very rich.
24 When Jesus saw this, he said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!
25 In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!"
26 Those who heard this said, "Then who in the world can be saved?"
27 He replied, "What is impossible for people is possible with God."
28 Peter said, "We've left our homes to follow you."
29 "Yes," Jesus replied, "and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the Kingdom of God,
30 will be repaid many times over in this life, and will have eternal life in the world to come."
Jesus Again Predicts His Death
31 Taking the twelve disciples aside, Jesus said, "Listen, we're going up to Jerusalem, where all the predictions of the prophets concerning the Son of Man will come true.
32 He will be handed over to the Romans, and he will be mocked, treated shamefully, and spit upon.
33 They will flog him with a whip and kill him, but on the third day he will rise again."
34 But they didn't understand any of this. The significance of his words was hidden from them, and they failed to grasp what he was talking about.
This second Bible text from the "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word for word translation of the Bible. However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."
Key verses from this passage
"And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them.
But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein." (18:15-17)
"Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother." (18:20)
"And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God." (18:27)
"Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again." (18:31-33)
But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein." (18:15-17)
"Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother." (18:20)
"And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God." (18:27)
"Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again." (18:31-33)
Today's Question:
1. "Who then can be saved?" (18:26)
Questions? We will do our best to answer them.
1. "Who then can be saved?" (18:26)
Questions? We will do our best to answer them.
Answer: (Do you agree?)
1. No one can be saved! At least not by their own efforts (Romans 3:20). Salvation cannot be earned; it is a gift (Ephesians 2:8-9) from God who alone has the power to save us (18:27). Through faith, mountains can move, camels can pass through the eye of a needle, and sinners can find heaven (Galatians 3:11). All we must do is accept God's gracious gift of salvation.
Application thought for the day:
"The things which are impossible with men are possible with God (18:27)."
When you see life through the eyes of faith,
you see the possibilities hidden before you had faith.
Suddenly, you see a way, where before there seemed none.
Second thought for the day:
People believe that the well off should help the less fortunate.
But helping others isn't what makes a person financially rich.
It's after they become wealthy that they can be more generous.
It's the same with salvation.
Tithing or donating time isn't what saves us.
It's after being saved that Christians want to show their love for others.
First comes salvation, then the desire to serve Christ.
Charity without salvation does not earn salvation.
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Thanks to the writings and commentary of John Wesley and Adam Clarke. Also, "The Layman's Bible Study Notebook" by Irving Jensen published by Harvest House Publishing, Irvine, California; the "Life Change Series" published by NavPress Books, Colorado Springs, Colorado; the "Life Application Study Bible" published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; "The Quest Study Bible" published by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "Robertson's New Testament Word Studies"; "The MacArthur Bible Commentary" by John MacArthur published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee; "Wisdom of the Bible" CD by Topics Entertainment, Inc., Renton, Washington for their inspiring pictures; "My utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers published by Barbour publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio; The "Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge" by Reuben Archer Torrey; "Hope For Each Day" by Billy Graham published by J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; "Easton's Bible Dictionary" by Matthew George Easton; "Unger's Bible Dictionary" by Merrill F. Unger, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; "Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The Living New Testament" published by Tyndale house; "The New Living Translation" published by Tyndale House; BibleGateway.com for all their wonderful links; and of course the "King James Bible". All were critical in putting these lessons together.
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© 2026 evolke