Luke
18:15-34
Lesson 146
18:15-34
Lesson 146
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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. |