Luke · The Evangelist

Luke · Chapter 18

Persistent Prayer, Humble Faith, and the Cost of Discipleship

Jesus teaches that God's kingdom belongs to the humble and persistent. This chapter contrasts two kinds of people: the persistent widow and the self-righteous Pharisee, the humble tax collector and the rich young ruler, those who welcome children and those who trust in wealth. Through parables and encounters, Jesus reveals that entering God's kingdom requires childlike dependence, relentless faith, and a willingness to surrender everything. As He journeys toward Jerusalem, Jesus prepares His disciples for both His suffering and the radical transformation required of all who would follow Him.

Luke 18:1-8

Parable of the Persistent Widow

LSB Text

¹Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, ²saying, 'In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect any man. ³Now there was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, "Give me legal protection from my opponent." ⁴And for a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, "Even though I do not fear God nor respect any man, ⁵yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out."' ⁶And the Lord said, 'Hear what the unrighteous judge said; ⁷now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? ⁸I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?'

Greek Text

¹Ἔλεγεν δὲ παραβολὴν αὐτοῖς πρὸς τὸ δεῖν πάντοτε προσεύχεσθαι αὐτοὺς καὶ μὴ ἐγκακεῖν, ²λέγων· Κριτής τις ἦν ἔν τινι πόλει τὸν θεὸν μὴ φοβούμενος καὶ ἄνθρωπον μὴ ἐντρεπόμενος. ³χήρα δὲ ἦν ἐν τῇ πόλει ἐκείνῃ καὶ ἤρχετο πρὸς αὐτὸν λέγουσα· Ἐκδίκησόν με ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀντιδίκου μου. ⁴καὶ οὐκ ἤθελεν ἐπὶ χρόνον, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα εἶπεν ἐν ἑαυτῷ· Εἰ καὶ τὸν θεὸν οὐ φοβοῦμαι οὐδὲ ἄνθρωπον ἐντρέπομαι, ⁵διά γε τὸ παρέχειν μοι κόπον τὴν χήραν ταύτην ἐκδικήσω αὐτήν, ἵνα μὴ εἰς τέλος ἐρχομένη ὑπωπιάζῃ με. ⁶Εἶπεν δὲ ὁ κύριος· Ἀκούσατε τί ὁ κριτὴς τῆς ἀδικίας λέγει· ⁷ὁ δὲ θεὸς οὐ μὴ ποιήσῃ τὴν ἐκδίκησιν τῶν ἐκλεκτῶν αὐτοῦ τῶν βοώντων αὐτῷ ἡμέρας καὶ νυκτός, καὶ μακροθυμεῖ ἐπ' αὐτοῖς; ⁸λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι ποιήσει τὴν ἐκδίκησιν αὐτῶν ἐν τάχει. πλὴν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐλθὼν ἆρα εὑρήσει τὴν πίστιν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς;

¹Elegen de parabolēn autois pros to dein pantote proseuchesthai autous kai mē egkakein, ²legōn· Kritēs tis ēn en tini polei ton theon mē phoboumenos kai anthrōpon mē entrepomenos. ³chēra de ēn en tē polei ekeinē kai ērcheto pros auton legousa· Ekdikēson me apo tou antidikou mou. ⁴kai ouk ēthelen epi chronon, meta de tauta eipen en heautō· Ei kai ton theon ou phoboumai oude anthrōpon entrepomai, ⁵dia ge to parechein moi kopon tēn chēran tautēn ekdikēsō autēn, hina mē eis telos erchomenē hypōpiazē me. ⁶Eipen de ho kyrios· Akousate ti ho kritēs tēs adikias legei· ⁷ho de theos ou mē poiēsē tēn ekdikēsin tōn eklektōn autou tōn boōntōn autō hēmeras kai nyktos, kai makrothymei ep' autois? ⁸legō hymin hoti poiēsei tēn ekdikēsin autōn en tachei. plēn ho huios tou anthrōpou elthōn ara heurēsei tēn pistin epi tēs gēs?

Key Words

ἐγκακεῖν egkakein to lose heart, grow weary, give up

From en ('in') and kakos ('bad, weak'), the verb literally means 'to be weak in,' 'to give in to fatigue.' Paul uses it five times in his letters (2 Cor 4:1, 16; Gal 6:9; Eph 3:13; 2 Thess 3:13) to describe the temptation to abandon ministry under sustained pressure. Luke's framing is striking: Jesus tells the parable pros to dein pantote proseuchesthai... kai mē egkakein ('to the necessity of always praying and not losing heart'). The two are alternatives: either prayer or surrender. The widow does not pray (the parable nowhere says she does), but her unrelenting petition to the unjust judge is the analog of prayer; her refusal to lose heart is the parable's point. Disciples in the long delay between Jesus' departure and His return face exactly her temptation.

φοβούμενος phoboumenos fearing, reverencing

Present middle/passive participle of phobeō, 'to fear.' In biblical Hebrew thought (translated by this verb in the LXX from yāre), the 'fear of God' is the foundation of wisdom and ethics: it produces honesty, restraint, justice. The judge's character is summed up by what he does not do: he does not fear God and does not respect any man (the verb entrepō, 'to turn around,' i.e., 'to be put to shame by, to defer to'). He is the perfect specimen of a corrupt official — accountable to neither vertical nor horizontal pressure. Yet even he, by the parable's logic, can be moved. The argument is a fortiori: if even this judge yields to persistence, how much more will God, who fears no one but loves His elect, vindicate them?

ὑπωπιάζῃ hypōpiazē give a black eye, wear out, batter

From hypo ('under') and ōps ('eye'), the verb literally means 'to strike under the eye,' i.e., to give a black eye, used in Hellenistic Greek for a boxer's blow to the face. Paul uses it metaphorically of self-discipline (hypōpiazō mou to sōma, 1 Cor 9:27, 'I beat my body'). The judge's word-choice is comic and revealing: this widow, by her unrelenting visits, is metaphorically punching him in the eye. He grants her case not from any conversion of conscience but to stop the public humiliation. Jesus chooses this verb deliberately — the parable's humor sharpens its point. The widow has no power but persistence; her persistence functions like a fighter's blows.

ἐκλεκτοί eklektoi chosen ones, elect

From eklegomai ('to choose out, select'). In the Hebrew Bible, baḥir ('chosen') describes Israel as Yahweh's covenant people; in the NT it is appropriated for the people of Christ across ethnic lines (Rom 8:33; Col 3:12; 1 Pet 1:1). Jesus' use here is theologically loaded. The widow had no patron and no claim on the judge; she came simply because she had been wronged and had nowhere else to go. The elect of God, by contrast, are not merely petitioners but covenant-people, those whom God Himself has chosen and bound Himself to. The argument moves from least claim (widow before unjust judge) to greatest claim (chosen ones before their faithful God).

μακροθυμεῖ makrothymei delays long, is patient

From makros ('long') and thymos ('soul, passion'), the verb means 'to be long-souled,' i.e., patient or slow to act. The clause kai makrothymei ep' autois in v. 7 is grammatically tangled — most likely a Semitism — and admits two readings: (1) 'and is He patient over them?' (rhetorical, expecting 'no — He will not delay'); (2) 'while He is patient toward them' (i.e., showing patience as part of His responding). LSB's 'will He delay long' takes the first. Either way, the answer of v. 8 is en tachei ('quickly') — God's vindication, when it comes, will not be drawn out. The patience the elect see is real, but it is not delay; it is the apparent slowness of a God who keeps perfect time.

πίστις pistis faith, faithfulness

From peithō ('to persuade, trust'). Jesus' closing question — ara heurēsei tēn pistin epi tēs gēs? ('will He find faith on the earth?') — uses the article tēn pistin, which can mean 'the faith' (the body of belief) or 'the faithfulness' (the persevering trust the parable has just commended). The question is open-ended, but its weight is on perseverance. The widow's persistence is the parable's portrait of faith. Faith, in Luke's eschatological frame, is not a cognitive or emotional state but the willingness to keep crying out through the long delay — the refusal to egkakein. The question is rhetorical and uncomfortable: not 'will faith exist somewhere?' but 'will the Son of Man, returning, find this kind of faith in His people?'

Grammar & Argument

Luke gives the unusual courtesy of stating the parable's point before the parable itself: πρὸς τὸ δεῖν πάντοτε προσεύχεσθαι αὐτοὺς καὶ μὴ ἐγκακεῖν ('to the necessity that they always pray and not lose heart'). The construction πρὸς τό + infinitive expresses purpose; δεῖν ('to be necessary') is Luke's signature word for divine necessity. The two infinitives προσεύχεσθαι and ἐγκακεῖν are placed as alternatives — pray, or lose heart. There is no third option for disciples in the eschatological gap.

The parable's character-sketch (vv. 2-3) is built on three antithetical pairings. The judge fears no one (vertical or horizontal); the widow has no leverage (she is a χήρα, the most legally vulnerable category in ancient society, with neither husband nor patron). The judge is established (ἦν ἐν τινι πόλει, 'was in a certain city,' settled and powerful); the widow is in motion (ἤρχετο πρὸς αὐτόν, imperfect, 'kept coming to him'). The judge has resources to refuse; the widow has only the request. Her petition is a single imperative: Ἐκδίκησόν με ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀντιδίκου μου ('vindicate me from my legal opponent'). The verb ἐκδικέω here is the legal-technical 'to vindicate,' not the moral 'to take revenge.'

The judge's interior monologue (vv. 4-5) is the parable's comic and revealing center. He confesses his own corruption to himself in the same words Luke has used to describe him. The reasoning is shameless: διά γε τὸ παρέχειν μοι κόπον τὴν χήραν ταύτην ('on account, indeed, of this widow's giving me trouble') — the particle γε intensifies, signaling that he yields to the most embarrassing motive imaginable: he wants to be left alone. The verb ὑπωπιάζῃ ('she will give me a black eye') is comic boxing-vocabulary; the most powerful man in the city fears a widow's relentless visits. The point is not that God is like this judge but that God is unlike him in every respect; the lesser-to-greater logic is built on the contrast.

Jesus' application (vv. 6-8) is signaled by Luke's editorial Εἶπεν δὲ ὁ κύριος ('the Lord said'). The imperative ἀκούσατε ('hear') invites the audience to do the rabbinic exegesis themselves: hear what this judge says. Then comes the qal vahomer ('how much more') argument: ὁ δὲ θεὸς οὐ μὴ ποιήσῃ τὴν ἐκδίκησιν τῶν ἐκλεκτῶν αὐτοῦ — God will absolutely not fail to vindicate His elect. The double negative οὐ μή with the aorist subjunctive is the strongest negation in Greek. The qualifying clause καὶ μακροθυμεῖ ἐπ' αὐτοῖς is grammatically ambiguous; whether it concedes God's patient delay or denies it, the resolution comes in v. 8: ποιήσει τὴν ἐκδίκησιν αὐτῶν ἐν τάχει ('He will do the vindication for them quickly'). The phrase ἐν τάχει means 'in haste,' but in eschatological texts (Rev 1:1; 22:6) it carries the sense of 'when the time comes, without delay' rather than 'soon by our calendars.'

The closing question (v. 8b) reverses the parable's pressure. Up to this point Jesus has been encouraging the disciples to keep crying out. Now He asks whether they will. πλὴν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐλθὼν ἆρα εὑρήσει τὴν πίστιν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ('but/however, the Son of Man, when He comes, will He find the faith on the earth?'). The particle ἆρα introduces a question expecting a doubtful or negative answer; πλὴν ('however, nevertheless') signals a turn from the parable's reassurance to a sober challenge. The article τὴν πίστιν identifies the specific faith the parable has just described: persisting prayer that does not lose heart. The question is not whether faith will survive at all but whether the disciples — the elect — will prove to be the kind of widow this parable describes when they are the ones in the long delay.

The widow's hands are empty; that is why she keeps coming. Disciples whose hands are full of resources may stop coming because they think they can manage. Faith, in Luke's eschatological frame, is the empty-handed return to the door at every hour, the refusal to grow tired before the verdict.

Luke 18:9-14

Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector

LSB Text

⁹And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: ¹⁰'Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹The Pharisee stood and was praying these things to himself: "God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. ¹²I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get." ¹³But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, "God, be merciful to me, the sinner!" ¹⁴I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.'

Greek Text

⁹Εἶπεν δὲ καὶ πρός τινας τοὺς πεποιθότας ἐφ' ἑαυτοῖς ὅτι εἰσὶν δίκαιοι καὶ ἐξουθενοῦντας τοὺς λοιποὺς τὴν παραβολὴν ταύτην· ¹⁰Ἄνθρωποι δύο ἀνέβησαν εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν προσεύξασθαι, ὁ εἷς Φαρισαῖος καὶ ὁ ἕτερος τελώνης. ¹¹ὁ Φαρισαῖος σταθεὶς πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ταῦτα προσηύχετο· Ὁ θεός, εὐχαριστῶ σοι ὅτι οὐκ εἰμὶ ὥσπερ οἱ λοιποὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἅρπαγες, ἄδικοι, μοιχοί, ἢ καὶ ὡς οὗτος ὁ τελώνης· ¹²νηστεύω δὶς τοῦ σαββάτου, ἀποδεκατῶ πάντα ὅσα κτῶμαι. ¹³ὁ δὲ τελώνης μακρόθεν ἑστὼς οὐκ ἤθελεν οὐδὲ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐπᾶραι εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν, ἀλλ' ἔτυπτεν τὸ στῆθος αὐτοῦ λέγων· Ὁ θεός, ἱλάσθητί μοι τῷ ἁμαρτωλῷ. ¹⁴λέγω ὑμῖν, κατέβη οὗτος δεδικαιωμένος εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ παρ' ἐκεῖνον· ὅτι πᾶς ὁ ὑψῶν ἑαυτὸν ταπεινωθήσεται, ὁ δὲ ταπεινῶν ἑαυτὸν ὑψωθήσεται.

⁹Eipen de kai pros tinas tous pepoithotas eph' heautois hoti eisin dikaioi kai exouthenountas tous loipous tēn parabolēn tautēn· ¹⁰Anthrōpoi dyo anebēsan eis to hieron proseuxasthai, ho heis Pharisaios kai ho heteros telōnēs. ¹¹ho Pharisaios statheis pros heauton tauta prosēucheto· Ho theos, eucharistō soi hoti ouk eimi hōsper hoi loipoi tōn anthrōpōn, harpages, adikoi, moichoi, ē kai hōs houtos ho telōnēs· ¹²nēsteuō dis tou sabbatou, apodekatō panta hosa ktōmai. ¹³ho de telōnēs makrothen hestōs ouk ēthelen oude tous ophthalmous eparai eis ton ouranon, all' etypton to stēthos autou legōn· Ho theos, hilasthēti moi tō hamartōlō. ¹⁴legō hymin, katebē houtos dedikaiōmenos eis ton oikon autou par' ekeinon· hoti pas ho hypsōn heauton tapeinōthēsetai, ho de tapeinōn heauton hypsōthēsetai.

Key Words

πεποιθότας pepoithotas having trusted, being confident

Perfect active participle of peithō, 'to persuade, convince,' which in the perfect tense denotes a settled state of confidence or trust. The perfect tense here is devastating: these are people whose confidence has become a fixed disposition, a hardened posture of self-reliance. The reflexive construction 'eph' heautois' (upon themselves) sharpens the indictment—their trust rests not on God but on their own perceived righteousness. This is not momentary pride but calcified self-assurance. Luke uses this participle to diagnose a spiritual pathology: trust that has been misdirected from God to self, resulting in the contempt described in the next participle.

ἐξουθενοῦντας exouthenountas despising, treating with contempt

Present active participle of exoutheneō, a compound of ex ('out') and outheis ('nothing'), literally 'to treat as nothing, to regard as worthless.' The present tense indicates habitual action: these people continuously view others as beneath them. This verb appears in contexts of scorn and disdain throughout the NT (cf. Luke 23:11; Rom 14:3; 1 Cor 16:11). The pairing with pepoithotas reveals the inevitable trajectory: self-trust produces contempt for others. Where confidence in one's own righteousness grows, regard for the unrighteous withers. Luke is exposing not merely an attitude but a relational pattern that destroys community and blinds the soul to its need for mercy.

τελώνης telōnēs tax collector

From telos ('tax, toll') and ōneomai ('to buy'), denoting one who purchased the right to collect taxes for Rome. Tax collectors were despised in Jewish society as collaborators with pagan oppressors and notorious for extortion. They were grouped with 'sinners' (hamartōloi) as the quintessential outsiders, ritually unclean and morally compromised. Yet Jesus repeatedly associates with telōnai (5:27-32; 7:34; 15:1), making them emblems of those who know they need a physician. In this parable, the telōnēs becomes the unlikely hero, the one who goes home justified. Luke is overturning social and religious hierarchies: the despised outsider who knows his sin stands closer to God than the respected insider who denies his.

ἱλάσθητί hilasthēti be merciful, be propitious

Aorist passive imperative of hilaskomai, 'to propitiate, to make favorable, to atone for.' This verb is rooted in the cultic language of atonement; the related noun hilastērion refers to the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies (Rom 3:25; Heb 9:5). The passive voice here may carry the sense 'be propitiated' or 'show mercy on the basis of atonement.' The tax collector is not asking for leniency but for mercy grounded in sacrifice. He stands in the temple, the place of atonement, and cries out for God to deal with his sin through the means God has provided. This is not self-help spirituality but a plea for divine intervention, for God to act in mercy where the sinner cannot act for himself.

δεδικαιωμένος dedikaiōmenos having been justified

Perfect passive participle of dikaioō, 'to justify, to declare righteous.' The perfect tense indicates a completed action with ongoing results: the tax collector went down in a state of justification that continues. The passive voice is crucial—he did not justify himself; God justified him. This is forensic language, the vocabulary of the law court, where God as judge pronounces a verdict of 'righteous' over the one who has no righteousness of his own. Luke anticipates Paul's theology of justification by faith (Rom 3:24, 28; 5:1), showing that the one who confesses sin and pleads for mercy receives what the one who catalogs his virtues does not. The parable dramatizes the gospel: justification is God's gift to the helpless, not his reward to the accomplished.

ὑψῶν hypsōn exalting, lifting up

Present active participle of hypsoō, 'to lift up, to exalt, to elevate.' This verb can refer to physical elevation or to honor and status. In the NT it often describes Christ's exaltation (John 3:14; 8:28; 12:32-34; Acts 2:33; Phil 2:9). Here it captures the self-promoting posture of the Pharisee, who elevates himself through comparison and self-congratulation. The present tense suggests ongoing action: 'everyone who keeps exalting himself.' Jesus' concluding maxim (v. 14b) inverts the expected order—self-exaltation leads to humiliation, while self-humbling leads to exaltation. This is a kingdom principle that runs throughout Luke (1:52; 14:11) and the entire biblical narrative: God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (Prov 3:34; Jas 4:6; 1 Pet 5:5).

ταπεινῶν tapeinōn humbling, lowering

Present active participle of tapeinoō, 'to humble, to lower, to make low.' The root tapeinos denotes lowliness, humility, sometimes even humiliation. In Greco-Roman culture, tapeinosis was often viewed negatively, as weakness or servility. But in biblical theology, humility is the posture that opens one to God's grace. The tax collector embodies tapeinōn: he stands at a distance, will not lift his eyes, beats his breast in contrition. He lowers himself in recognition of his true condition before God. Jesus' maxim promises that this self-lowering will result in divine exaltation—not because humility earns favor, but because humility creates the space for God to act. The one who empties himself of pretense receives the fullness of God's mercy.

ἅρπαγες harpages swindlers, robbers

Nominative plural of harpax, 'rapacious, grasping, one who seizes by force.' From harpazō, 'to snatch, to seize, to steal.' The Pharisee's catalog of vices begins with harpages, those who take what is not theirs through violence or fraud. Ironically, the Pharisee himself is engaged in a kind of spiritual robbery—he is seizing righteousness that does not belong to him, claiming a status before God that only God can confer. His prayer is an inventory of what he is not, a litany of comparison that reveals his heart. He thanks God that he is not like 'the rest of men,' yet his very prayer demonstrates that he is exactly like them in the one way that matters most: he is a sinner in need of mercy, though he cannot see it.

Grammar & Argument

Luke frames the parable with surgical precision in verse 9, identifying both the audience and their pathology: 'some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt.' The two participles—pepoithotas (perfect, settled confidence) and exouthenountas (present, habitual contempt)—are causally linked. Self-trust in one's righteousness inevitably produces contempt for others. The parable that follows is not a general lesson on humility but a targeted diagnosis of a specific spiritual disease. Jesus is addressing those who have inverted the proper order of trust, placing confidence in themselves rather than in God, and who have thereby forfeited the capacity to see others—or themselves—truthfully.

The structure of the parable is built on stark contrasts. Two men (anthrōpoi dyo) go up to the temple; one (ho heis) is a Pharisee, the other (ho heteros) a tax collector. The Pharisee 'stood' (statheis) and prayed 'to himself' (pros heauton)—a phrase that can mean either 'by himself' or 'to himself,' and Luke likely intends both. His prayer is a monologue of self-congratulation disguised as thanksgiving. He thanks God, but the content of his thanks is entirely about himself: what he is not (like other sinners) and what he does (fasting, tithing). The structure of his prayer is revealing: 'I thank you that I am not... I fast... I tithe.' The first-person pronoun dominates. This is not prayer but self-affirmation in the presence of God.

The tax collector's posture and prayer form a point-by-point reversal. He stands 'at a distance' (makrothen), unwilling even to lift his eyes to heaven. He beats his breast (etypton to stēthos), a gesture of intense grief and contrition. His prayer is brief, desperate, and entirely focused on his need: 'God, be merciful to me, the sinner!' The definite article (tō hamartōlō) is striking—not 'a sinner' but 'the sinner,' as if he sees himself as the chief of sinners, the exemplar of human guilt. The verb hilasthēti carries the weight of cultic atonement; he is asking God to deal with his sin through the means of propitiation. This is not vague spirituality but a cry rooted in the sacrificial system, a plea for God to act where the sinner cannot.

Jesus' verdict in verse 14 is shocking: 'This man went down to his house justified rather than the other.' The perfect passive participle dedikaiōmenos indicates a completed divine action with ongoing effect—God has declared him righteous. The Pharisee, for all his religious performance, goes home unjustified. The parable concludes with a maxim that encapsulates the kingdom's upside-down logic: 'Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.' The passive verbs (tapeinōthēsetai, hypsōthēsetai) indicate divine action—God himself does the humbling and the exalting. The parable is not about the virtue of humility in the abstract but about the posture that receives God's justifying grace. The one who knows he has nothing to offer receives everything; the one who catalogs his achievements receives nothing.

The Pharisee's prayer is theologically correct but spiritually lethal—he thanks God, yet his gratitude is a mask for self-worship. The tax collector's prayer is theologically profound and spiritually alive—he asks for mercy, and mercy justifies him. God does not grade on a curve; he justifies the helpless who cry out for grace.

Luke 18:15-17

Jesus Blesses the Children

LSB Text

¹⁵And they were bringing even their babies to Him so that He would touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they began rebuking them. ¹⁶But Jesus called for them, saying, 'Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. ¹⁷Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it at all.'

Greek Text

¹⁵Προσέφερον δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ τὰ βρέφη ἵνα αὐτῶν ἅπτηται· ἰδόντες δὲ οἱ μαθηταὶ ἐπετίμων αὐτοῖς. ¹⁶ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς προσεκαλέσατο αὐτὰ λέγων· Ἄφετε τὰ παιδία ἔρχεσθαι πρός με καὶ μὴ κωλύετε αὐτά, τῶν γὰρ τοιούτων ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ. ¹⁷ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ὃς ἂν μὴ δέξηται τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ ὡς παιδίον, οὐ μὴ εἰσέλθῃ εἰς αὐτήν.

¹⁵Prosepheron de autō kai ta brephē hina autōn haptētai· idontes de hoi mathētai epetimōn autois. ¹⁶ho de Iēsous prosekalesato auta legōn· Aphete ta paidia erchesthai pros me kai mē kōlyete auta, tōn gar toioutōn estin hē basileia tou theou. ¹⁷amēn legō hymin, hos an mē dexētai tēn basileian tou theou hōs paidion, ou mē eiselthē eis autēn.

Key Words

βρέφη brephē infants, babies

The neuter plural of brephos, denoting newborn infants or unborn children. Luke is the only Synoptic to use this specific word in the parallel accounts (Mark 10:13 and Matt 19:13 both use paidia, 'little children'). Luke's choice intensifies the scene: not merely toddlers but nursing infants. The word also appears in Luke 1:41-44 of John leaping in Elizabeth's womb, and in Luke 2:12, 16 of the infant Jesus in the manger. Luke's medical-historical eye highlights the youngest, most dependent humans imaginable, and these are the ones Jesus claims as kingdom-citizens.

ἐπετίμων epetimōn were rebuking

Imperfect of epitimaō ('to rebuke, censure'), the same verb Jesus uses to silence demons (4:35, 41), still a storm (8:24), and warn Peter (9:21). The disciples turn this strong verb on the parents bringing infants — an act presumed to be social hygiene around their increasingly important Master. The imperfect tense suggests sustained, repeated rebuke. Their assessment is that Jesus is too important for this kind of interruption; Jesus' response will reveal that the disciples have entirely misread who is too important for whom.

κωλύετε kōlyete hinder, prevent, forbid

From a root meaning 'to cut off, to bar.' The verb appears in early Christian baptismal contexts: the eunuch's question 'what hinders me from being baptized?' (Acts 8:36) uses the same verb, and Peter declares concerning Cornelius's household, 'who can kōlysai the water?' (Acts 10:47). The verbal echo has long suggested to commentators that Luke's rendering of this scene is shaped by infant-baptism debates in his community. Whether or not infant baptism is in view, the principle is firm: nothing in the disciple's instinct to gatekeep the kingdom is allowed to stand. Jesus reverses the gate's direction.

τοιούτων toioutōn of such ones, of such kind

The genitive plural of the demonstrative toioutos, 'of such kind, such as these.' Jesus does not say the kingdom belongs to children simpliciter (tōn paidiōn) but to such kind as children — including, but not limited to, the actual infants in front of Him. The construction admits two meanings: (1) the kingdom belongs to children themselves and to those resembling them; (2) the kingdom belongs to those of childlike disposition. Both are present. The infants are not metaphors but participants; they show what the kingdom-mode of belonging looks like.

δέξηται dexētai receive, accept, welcome

Aorist middle subjunctive of dechomai ('to receive'). The crucial point is the voice and the metaphor. The kingdom is not a thing one earns, achieves, or constructs; it is a gift one receives. Children are the natural object of the metaphor because they have nothing to bring — no contributions, no merits, no leverage. They open their hands. The phrase hōs paidion ('like a child') modifies the verb of receiving, not the noun being received: it is the manner of reception that is childlike. The contrast with the rich ruler who follows immediately (vv. 18-30) is deliberate: he cannot enter because his hands are too full to receive.

εἰσέλθῃ eiselthē enter, come into

Aorist subjunctive of eiserchomai ('to enter'). Combined with the double negative ou mē, the verb yields the strongest negation possible in Greek: 'shall absolutely not enter.' Jesus is not describing a higher difficulty for non-childlike receivers but an absolute exclusion. The kingdom has only one mode of entry, and it is the empty-handed reception of a gift. Even the parable of the Pharisee and tax collector (vv. 9-14) and the rich ruler (vv. 18-30) form a triptych around this verse: each illustrates someone who fails to receive 'as a child' and so does not enter, and someone (the tax collector, the children themselves) who does.

Grammar & Argument

The episode is brief — three verses — but it occupies a structural keystone in chapter 18. Luke has just contrasted self-trusting Pharisee with helpless tax collector (vv. 9-14); he is about to contrast wealthy ruler with everything-leaving disciples (vv. 18-30). The infants in vv. 15-17 are the visible image of the kind of receiver who does enter. They are not paradigms because they are innocent or pure (Luke makes no such claim), but because they have nothing to bring.

The opening verb προσέφερον ('they were bringing') is imperfect — a sustained stream of parents, not a single delegation. Luke's choice of βρέφη ('infants') over Mark's and Matthew's παιδία sharpens the picture: nursing babies, the most dependent and least productive members of any household. The purpose clause ἵνα αὐτῶν ἅπτηται ('so that He might touch them') describes a benediction, the prophet's hand on the head, perhaps an echo of Genesis 48 where Jacob blesses Joseph's children. The disciples' rebuke (ἐπετίμων, imperfect, sustained) is well-meant: they are protecting Jesus' time and dignity, perhaps recalling that He has been intent on Jerusalem (9:51). Their judgment is that infants do not warrant rabbinic attention. They are wrong by exactly the breadth of the kingdom.

Jesus' counter-action is striking: προσεκαλέσατο αὐτά ('He called them' — middle voice, calling them to Himself). The double imperative Ἄφετε... καὶ μὴ κωλύετε ('permit... and do not hinder') is intensive. The conjoined positive command and prohibition leaves no gap for the disciples to retain the impulse. The reason is given in causal γάρ: τῶν γὰρ τοιούτων ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ ('for of such kind is the kingdom of God'). The genitive of possession τῶν τοιούτων is theologically loaded: the kingdom belongs to ('is of') such ones. The infants are not merely permitted entrance; the kingdom is described as constituted by them.

Verse 17 generalizes the principle into a rule of entry. The construction ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ('truly, I say to you') marks a solemn declaration. The conditional structure — ὃς ἂν μὴ δέξηται... οὐ μὴ εἰσέλθῃ ('whoever does not receive... shall not enter') — is balanced negation: failure to receive correlates exactly with failure to enter. The mode of reception is named: ὡς παιδίον ('as a child'). The double negative οὐ μὴ with the aorist subjunctive is the strongest negation in Greek, the same construction Jesus used about His covenant cup (Mark 14:25) and which appears here categorically. There is no second mode of entry. There is no mature, achieved, sophisticated path to the kingdom that bypasses the open empty hand.

Read backwards, the saying is a definition of faith. The widow of vv. 1-8 cried out empty-handed; the tax collector of vv. 9-14 stood at a distance with empty hands; the infants of vv. 15-17 are brought with empty hands. The rich ruler who immediately follows (vv. 18-23) walks away precisely because his hands are full. Luke has built the chapter as a sustained meditation on the kind of receiver who enters and the kind who does not. The infants are the visible center: they have nothing to offer, and Jesus blesses them, and their mode of being-in-the-kingdom is the universal mode for all who enter.

An infant cannot earn the touch laid on its head; it can only be carried into the room. The whole logic of the kingdom in Luke 18 is concentrated here — everyone who enters is carried in by hands not their own, and the only posture that fits a gift is the open palm.

Luke 18:18-30

The Rich Ruler's Question

LSB Text

¹⁸And a certain ruler questioned Him, saying, 'Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?' ¹⁹And Jesus said to him, 'Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. ²⁰You know the commandments: "Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honor your father and mother."' ²¹And he said, 'All these things I have kept from my youth.' ²²And when Jesus heard this, He said to him, 'One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.' ²³But when he had heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. ²⁴And Jesus, seeing him become very sad, said, 'How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.' ²⁶And those who heard it said, 'Then who can be saved?' ²⁷But He said, 'The things that are impossible with people are possible with God.' ²⁸And Peter said, 'Behold, we have left our own homes and followed You.' ²⁹And He said to them, 'Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, ³⁰who will not receive many times as much at this time and in the age to come, eternal life.'

Greek Text

¹⁸Καὶ ἐπηρώτησέν τις αὐτὸν ἄρχων λέγων· Διδάσκαλε ἀγαθέ, τί ποιήσας ζωὴν αἰώνιον κληρονομήσω; ¹⁹εἶπεν δὲ αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Τί με λέγεις ἀγαθόν; οὐδεὶς ἀγαθὸς εἰ μὴ εἷς ὁ θεός. ²⁰τὰς ἐντολὰς οἶδας· Μὴ μοιχεύσῃς, Μὴ φονεύσῃς, Μὴ κλέψῃς, Μὴ ψευδομαρτυρήσῃς, Τίμα τὸν πατέρα σου καὶ τὴν μητέρα. ²¹ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· Ταῦτα πάντα ἐφύλαξα ἐκ νεότητος. ²²ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Ἔτι ἕν σοι λείπει· πάντα ὅσα ἔχεις πώλησον καὶ διάδος πτωχοῖς, καὶ ἕξεις θησαυρὸν ἐν οὐρανοῖς, καὶ δεῦρο ἀκολούθει μοι. ²³ὁ δὲ ἀκούσας ταῦτα περίλυπος ἐγενήθη, ἦν γὰρ πλούσιος σφόδρα. ²⁴Ἰδὼν δὲ αὐτὸν ὁ Ἰησοῦς περίλυπον γενόμενον εἶπεν· Πῶς δυσκόλως οἱ τὰ χρήματα ἔχοντες εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ εἰσπορεύονται· ²⁵εὐκοπώτερον γάρ ἐστιν κάμηλον διὰ τρήματος βελόνης εἰσελθεῖν ἢ πλούσιον εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ εἰσελθεῖν. ²⁶εἶπαν δὲ οἱ ἀκούσαντες· Καὶ τίς δύναται σωθῆναι; ²⁷ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· Τὰ ἀδύνατα παρὰ ἀνθρώποις δυνατὰ παρὰ τῷ θεῷ ἐστιν. ²⁸Εἶπεν δὲ ὁ Πέτρος· Ἰδοὺ ἡμεῖς ἀφέντες τὰ ἴδια ἠκολουθήσαμέν σοι. ²⁹ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι οὐδείς ἐστιν ὃς ἀφῆκεν οἰκίαν ἢ γυναῖκα ἢ ἀδελφοὺς ἢ γονεῖς ἢ τέκνα ἕνεκεν τῆς βασιλείας τοῦ θεοῦ, ³⁰ὃς οὐχὶ μὴ ἀπολάβῃ πολλαπλασίονα ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τούτῳ καὶ ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τῷ ἐρχομένῳ ζωὴν αἰώνιον.

¹⁸Kai epērōtēsen tis auton archōn legōn· Didaskale agathe, ti poiēsas zōēn aiōnion klēronomēsō? ¹⁹eipen de autō ho Iēsous· Ti me legeis agathon? oudeis agathos ei mē heis ho theos. ²⁰tas entolas oidas· Mē moicheusēs, Mē phoneusēs, Mē klepsēs, Mē pseudomartyrēsēs, Tima ton patera sou kai tēn mētera. ²¹ho de eipen· Tauta panta ephylaxa ek neotētos. ²²akousas de ho Iēsous eipen autō· Eti hen soi leipei· panta hosa echeis pōlēson kai diados ptōchois, kai hexeis thēsauron en ouranois, kai deuro akolouthei moi. ²³ho de akousas tauta perilypos egenēthē, ēn gar plousios sphodra. ²⁴Idōn de auton ho Iēsous perilypon genomenon eipen· Pōs dyskolōs hoi ta chrēmata echontes eis tēn basileian tou theou eisporeuontai· ²⁵eukopōteron gar estin kamēlon dia trēmatos belonēs eiselthein ē plousion eis tēn basileian tou theou eiselthein. ²⁶eipan de hoi akousantes· Kai tis dynatai sōthēnai? ²⁷ho de eipen· Ta adynata para anthrōpois dynata para tō theō estin. ²⁸Eipen de ho Petros· Idou hēmeis aphentes ta idia ēkolouthēsamen soi. ²⁹ho de eipen autois· Amēn legō hymin hoti oudeis estin hos aphēken oikian ē gynaika ē adelphous ē goneis ē tekna heneken tēs basileias tou theou, ³⁰hos ouchi mē apolabē pollaplasiona en tō kairō toutō kai en tō aiōni tō erchomenō zōēn aiōnion.

Key Words

κληρονομέω klēronomeō to inherit, receive as an inheritance

From κλῆρος (lot, portion) and νέμω (to distribute, apportion), this verb originally denoted receiving property by lot or legal inheritance. In Hellenistic Judaism and the NT, it takes on covenantal overtones: inheriting the promises of God, entering into what God has apportioned to His people. The ruler's question assumes eternal life is something one can earn or merit, but the verb itself points to reception rather than achievement. Luke uses it to highlight the tension between human striving and divine gift. The term appears throughout the NT in contexts of promise and fulfillment, linking the believer's future hope to God's sovereign distribution of blessing.

ἀγαθός agathos good, beneficial, morally excellent

A fundamental Greek ethical term denoting moral goodness, excellence, or beneficial quality. In classical philosophy, it described the highest virtue and the goal of human life. Jesus' response in verse 19 is not a denial of His own goodness but a redirection of the ruler's casual use of the term toward its ultimate referent: God alone is intrinsically good. The adjective appears twice in quick succession, forcing the ruler to reckon with what 'good' truly means. By linking absolute goodness exclusively to God, Jesus implicitly raises the question of His own identity. The word's philosophical weight makes this exchange a profound theological moment, not merely a semantic quibble.

ἐντολή entolē commandment, order, precept

Derived from ἐντέλλομαι (to command, enjoin), this noun denotes an authoritative directive or injunction. In the LXX, it regularly translates Hebrew מִצְוָה (mitzvah), referring to God's covenantal commands given through Moses. Jesus cites five commandments from the Decalogue, focusing on the second table (duties toward neighbor) rather than the first (duties toward God). This selective citation is strategic: the ruler can claim external compliance with these, but Jesus will expose the deeper idolatry of wealth. The term carries the weight of divine authority, yet the ruler treats these commands as a checklist rather than a revelation of God's character and claim on his life.

περίλυπος perilypos very sad, deeply grieved, exceedingly sorrowful

A compound of περί (around, exceedingly) and λύπη (grief, sorrow), this adjective intensifies the emotional state to convey overwhelming sadness. The prefix suggests being surrounded by or immersed in grief. Luke uses it to capture the ruler's visceral response to Jesus' demand: his sorrow is not mere disappointment but a profound inner conflict. The same term appears in the Gethsemane narrative (Mark 14:34), where Jesus Himself is 'deeply grieved' unto death. The ruler's grief reveals the depth of his bondage to wealth—he recognizes the truth of Jesus' words but cannot break free. His sorrow is the sorrow of one who sees the kingdom but cannot enter it.

δυσκόλως dyskolōs with difficulty, hardly

An adverb formed from δύσκολος (hard to satisfy, difficult), itself from δυς- (a prefix indicating difficulty or badness) and an uncertain second element. It describes something accomplished only with great effort or nearly impossible. Jesus uses it to characterize the entry of the wealthy into God's kingdom—not as absolutely impossible, but as humanly insurmountable without divine intervention. The term's rarity in the NT (appearing only in the Synoptic parallels of this account) underscores the exceptional difficulty Jesus is highlighting. The adverb prepares for the hyperbolic camel-and-needle image that follows, both expressions pointing to the same reality: wealth creates a barrier that human effort cannot overcome.

κάμηλος kamēlos camel

A loanword likely from a Semitic source (Hebrew גָּמָל, gamal), referring to the large domesticated animal common in the ancient Near East. Jesus' image of a camel passing through the eye of a needle is deliberately absurd, a vivid hyperbole in the tradition of rabbinic teaching. Some interpreters have tried to soften the saying by positing a small gate in Jerusalem called 'the Needle's Eye,' but no historical evidence supports this. The camel was the largest animal in Palestine; the needle's eye the smallest opening. The juxtaposition creates an impossible scenario, which is precisely Jesus' point: apart from God's intervention, the wealthy cannot be saved. The image is memorable, shocking, and theologically precise.

ἀδύνατος adynatos impossible, powerless, unable

From the alpha-privative (negating prefix) and δυνατός (possible, powerful), this adjective denotes absolute impossibility or inability. In verse 27, Jesus uses the neuter plural substantively: 'the impossible things.' The term appears in contexts of human limitation contrasted with divine omnipotence. What is ἀδύνατος for humans is δυνατός for God—a stark antithesis that defines the gospel itself. The word echoes Gabriel's announcement to Mary (Luke 1:37): 'nothing will be impossible with God.' Here it resolves the disciples' despairing question about salvation: if even the wealthy (who seemed most blessed by God) cannot save themselves, then salvation must be entirely God's work. The term encapsulates the doctrine of grace.

πολλαπλασίων pollaplasiōn many times as much, manifold

A comparative adjective from πολλαπλάσιος (manifold, multiple), itself from πολύς (much, many) and a root related to multiplication. It denotes a return far exceeding the original investment. Jesus promises that those who sacrifice for the kingdom will receive 'many times as much' both in this age and the age to come. This is not a prosperity gospel—the context makes clear that following Jesus involves real loss and suffering. Rather, it speaks to the surpassing value and richness of life in the kingdom community. The multiplication is both qualitative (the depth of relationships in the church) and quantitative (the eschatological reward). The term assures disciples that God is no one's debtor; His generosity infinitely exceeds our sacrifice.

Grammar & Argument

The episode is the negative pendant to vv. 15-17. The infants were brought with empty hands and Jesus blessed them; the ruler comes with full hands and walks away grieved. Luke alone identifies him as ἄρχων ('a ruler' — perhaps a synagogue official), and only at the end as 'extremely rich' (πλούσιος σφόδρα). The opening question is framed in the rhetoric of merit: τί ποιήσας...κληρονομήσω — 'what having done shall I inherit?' The aorist participle ποιήσας seeks a single decisive action that will transact eternal life. The verb κληρονομέω ('inherit') sits awkwardly with that framing, since inheritance is precisely what one receives by relation rather than earns by deed. The ruler's grammar already betrays the contradiction at the heart of his approach.

Jesus' counter-question in v. 19 (τί με λέγεις ἀγαθόν;) is not a denial of His own goodness but a probe. The ruler addressed Him as διδάσκαλε ἀγαθέ ('Good Teacher'), an unusual honorific in Jewish address; rabbis were not customarily called 'good.' Jesus presses the form: if 'good' belongs absolutely only to God (οὐδεὶς ἀγαθὸς εἰ μὴ εἷς ὁ θεός), then either the ruler is using the word loosely or he is unwittingly making a claim about Jesus' identity. The exchange forces the ruler — and the reader — to confront what 'good' means and to whom it properly belongs. Jesus will return to the same standard at the end of the encounter: only God can do what man cannot (v. 27).

Jesus' citation of the second-table commandments in v. 20 (adultery, murder, theft, false witness, honor of parents) is selective. He omits the first table (no other gods, no idols, no Yahweh's name in vain, Sabbath) and omits the tenth (do not covet) — the very commandment about which Paul confesses, 'I would not have known coveting if the Law had not said, "You shall not covet"' (Rom 7:7). The selection is strategic: the ruler can in fact claim outward conformity to the second-table prohibitions of overt sin against neighbor. ταῦτα πάντα ἐφύλαξα ἐκ νεότητος ('all these I have kept from youth') is not necessarily false. But the missing commandments — especially the prohibition of coveting and the demand of undivided love for God — are the ones his life will not survive.

The pivot is in v. 22: ἕν σοι λείπει ('one thing you lack'). The 'one thing' replaces the ruler's accumulated 'all these.' The double imperative πώλησον...διάδος ('sell...distribute') and the promised θησαυρὸν ἐν οὐρανοῖς ('treasure in heaven') are not a generic counsel of poverty but a specific surgery on the one place where this man's heart is enthroned. Mark 10:21 adds that Jesus 'loved him' as He spoke this; Luke leaves the love implicit but no less real. The final imperative δεῦρο ἀκολούθει μοι ('come, follow Me') makes clear that the surgery is not the goal — the goal is union with Jesus, of which the dispossession is merely the entrance.

The ruler's response (v. 23) is the chapter's most poignant verbal echo: περίλυπος ἐγενήθη ('he became deeply grieved'). The same adjective will describe Jesus in Gethsemane (Matt 26:38, Mark 14:34). The man is not callously indifferent — he sees the kingdom and grieves to lose it — but his grief is not yet repentance. Luke's note ἦν γὰρ πλούσιος σφόδρα ('for he was extremely rich') is causal: it was the wealth, specifically, that bound him. Jesus' subsequent saying about the camel and the needle's eye is not a soft hyperbole but a categorical impossibility: human contrivance cannot widen the gate. The disciples' alarmed question, καὶ τίς δύναται σωθῆναι; ('then who can be saved?'), takes Jesus' point seriously — if the seeming-blessed cannot save themselves, no one can.

Verse 27 is the gospel inside the parable: τὰ ἀδύνατα παρὰ ἀνθρώποις δυνατὰ παρὰ τῷ θεῷ ἐστιν. The neuter plural substantives generalize: the impossible things — not just rich men — are possible only with God. Peter's rejoinder in v. 28 is half-boasting, half-anxious: 'we have left our own things and followed.' Jesus' answer (vv. 29-30) is no rebuke but a sober promise. The list (house, wife, brothers, parents, children) is comprehensive: every form of stable belonging. The compensation, πολλαπλασίονα ('many times as much'), is twofold: ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τούτῳ ('in this time') and ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τῷ ἐρχομένῳ ζωὴν αἰώνιον ('in the age to come, eternal life'). The 'this-time' return is not the prosperity gospel but the kingdom-community: a hundred mothers, brothers, sisters in the household of faith. The age-to-come return is the very thing the ruler asked about and could not receive: ζωὴν αἰώνιον. The chapter ends as it began: eternal life is inherited, not earned, and only the empty-handed receive it.

The ruler walks away grieved because he has seen the kingdom and weighed it against his estates and found his estates heavier. The cruel arithmetic of wealth is that what we keep keeps us; what we open the hand to release we suddenly possess in a different mode — as gift returning a hundredfold — and what we close the hand around closes itself around us.

Luke 18:31-34

Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection

LSB Text

³¹Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, 'Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things which are written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished. ³²For He will be delivered over to the Gentiles, and will be mocked and mistreated and spit upon, ³³and after they have scourged Him, they will kill Him; and the third day He will rise again.' ³⁴But the disciples understood none of these things, and this saying was hidden from them, and they were not comprehending the things being said.

Greek Text

³¹Παραλαβὼν δὲ τοὺς δώδεκα εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτούς· Ἰδοὺ ἀναβαίνομεν εἰς Ἰερουσαλήμ, καὶ τελεσθήσεται πάντα τὰ γεγραμμένα διὰ τῶν προφητῶν τῷ υἱῷ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου· ³²παραδοθήσεται γὰρ τοῖς ἔθνεσιν καὶ ἐμπαιχθήσεται καὶ ὑβρισθήσεται καὶ ἐμπτυσθήσεται, ³³καὶ μαστιγώσαντες ἀποκτενοῦσιν αὐτόν, καὶ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ τρίτῃ ἀναστήσεται. ³⁴καὶ αὐτοὶ οὐδὲν τούτων συνῆκαν, καὶ ἦν τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο κεκρυμμένον ἀπ' αὐτῶν, καὶ οὐκ ἐγίνωσκον τὰ λεγόμενα.

³¹Paralabōn de tous dōdeka eipen pros autous· Idou anabainomen eis Ierousalēm, kai telesthēsetai panta ta gegrammena dia tōn prophētōn tō huiō tou anthrōpou· ³²paradothēsetai gar tois ethnesin kai empaichthēsetai kai hubristhēsetai kai emptusthēsetai, ³³kai mastigōsantes apoktenousin auton, kai tē hēmera tē tritē anastēsetai. ³⁴kai autoi ouden toutōn synēkan, kai ēn to rhēma touto kekrummenon ap' autōn, kai ouk eginōskon ta legomena.

Key Words

τελεσθήσεται telesthēsetai will be accomplished

Future passive indicative of τελέω, from the root τέλος ('end, goal, completion'). The verb carries the sense of bringing something to its intended fulfillment or consummation, not merely finishing a task. In biblical usage, it often denotes the accomplishment of divine purpose or prophecy. Jesus uses this verb to emphasize that his suffering is not accidental but the deliberate fulfillment of what the prophets wrote. The passive voice suggests divine agency—God himself is bringing these things to completion through what will happen in Jerusalem.

παραδοθήσεται paradothēsetai will be delivered over

Future passive of παραδίδωμι, a compound of παρά ('alongside, over') and δίδωμι ('to give'). This verb became a technical term in early Christian passion vocabulary, denoting the handing over of Jesus to hostile authorities. The passive voice is theologically loaded—while human agents betray and deliver Jesus, the divine passive suggests God's sovereign plan. Paul uses the same verb in Romans 4:25, stating Christ 'was delivered over for our transgressions.' The term bridges human treachery and divine purpose.

ἐμπαιχθήσεται empaichthēsetai will be mocked

Future passive of ἐμπαίζω, from ἐν ('in') and παίζω ('to play, sport'). The verb denotes making sport of someone, treating them as an object of ridicule and cruel amusement. In the LXX, this verb appears in passages describing the suffering of the righteous (e.g., the mocking of prophets). The compound form intensifies the base meaning, suggesting not casual derision but deliberate, sustained mockery. Luke's use anticipates the Roman soldiers' treatment of Jesus, fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy of the suffering servant who endured contempt.

ὑβρισθήσεται hubristhēsetai will be mistreated

Future passive of ὑβρίζω, related to ὕβρις ('insolence, outrage, wanton violence'). In classical Greek, hubris denoted arrogant transgression of proper boundaries, often with violent overtones. The verb here indicates shameful, insulting treatment that violates dignity and honor. Luke employs this term to capture the degradation Jesus will endure—not merely physical suffering but deliberate humiliation. The passive voice again points to Jesus' willing submission to this treatment as part of the prophetic script being fulfilled.

μαστιγώσαντες mastigōsantes having scourged

Aorist active participle of μαστιγόω, from μάστιξ ('whip, scourge'). Roman scourging was a brutal preliminary to crucifixion, involving a leather whip embedded with bone or metal that tore flesh. The aorist participle indicates action prior to the main verb ('they will kill')—scourging precedes execution. This verb appears in prophetic contexts (Isaiah 50:6, 'I gave my back to those who strike') and connects Jesus' passion to the suffering servant motif. The graphic specificity of Jesus' prediction underscores his full awareness of what awaits.

ἀναστήσεται anastēsetai will rise again

Future middle/passive of ἀνίστημι, from ἀνά ('up') and ἵστημι ('to stand, set'). The verb literally means 'to stand up again' and became the standard term for resurrection in early Christianity. The middle/passive voice can be read either as reflexive ('he will raise himself') or passive ('he will be raised'), reflecting the NT's dual emphasis on Jesus' own power and the Father's action. The third day specification echoes Hosea 6:2 and establishes the temporal framework that became central to apostolic preaching (1 Cor 15:4).

κεκρυμμένον kekrummenon hidden

Perfect passive participle of κρύπτω ('to hide, conceal'). The perfect tense indicates a completed state with ongoing results—the saying was hidden and remained hidden from them. The passive voice raises the question of agency: who hid this truth? Luke's narrative suggests divine concealment (compare Luke 9:45, where 'it was concealed from them'). This is not mere intellectual failure but a providential veiling that will be removed only after the resurrection. The verb appears in contexts of divine mystery and eschatological revelation throughout Luke-Acts.

συνῆκαν synēkan understood

Aorist active indicative of συνίημι, a compound of σύν ('together') and ἵημι ('to send, put'). The verb literally means 'to put together' and denotes comprehension, the ability to connect pieces into coherent understanding. Luke uses the emphatic οὐδέν ('nothing')—they understood nothing of these things. This is not partial misunderstanding but complete incomprehension. The verb appears frequently in contexts where spiritual insight is required (Mark 4:12; Acts 7:25), suggesting that understanding Jesus' passion requires more than intellectual capacity—it requires revelation.

Grammar & Argument

The passage opens with Jesus taking deliberate action—παραλαβών ('having taken aside') signals intentionality and privacy. He addresses 'the twelve' specifically, marking this as instruction for his inner circle. The dramatic ἰδού ('behold') commands attention for what follows: a journey announcement that is simultaneously geographical and theological. The present tense ἀναβαίνομεν ('we are going up') creates narrative immediacy, drawing the disciples into the action even as they fail to grasp its meaning. The verb 'going up' is not incidental—Jerusalem sits at elevation, but more importantly, pilgrims 'went up' to the holy city for festivals. Jesus frames his passion as a pilgrimage to fulfillment.

Verse 31b introduces the theological key: τελεσθήσεται πάντα τὰ γεγραμμένα ('all things written will be accomplished'). The future passive verb places divine agency at the center—these events are not accidents but the unfolding of prophetic script. The perfect participle γεγραμμένα ('having been written') emphasizes the enduring authority of prophetic texts. Luke does not cite specific passages but invokes the entire prophetic corpus as witness. The phrase 'through the prophets' (διὰ τῶν προφητῶν) presents the prophets as instruments of divine communication. The dative τῷ υἱῷ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου specifies the subject of prophecy—the Son of Man, Daniel's enigmatic figure now identified with the suffering servant of Isaiah.

Verses 32-33 cascade through six future passive verbs, creating a relentless drumbeat of predicted suffering: delivered, mocked, mistreated, spit upon, scourged, killed. The passive voice throughout suggests Jesus' submission to forces beyond his control, yet the predictive frame asserts his sovereign foreknowledge. The shift from passive to active in verse 33 ('they will kill him') momentarily surfaces human agency before the climactic passive ἀναστήσεται ('he will rise'). The resurrection verb stands alone, unelaborated, as the reversal that reframes all preceding suffering. The temporal marker 'the third day' is precise and prophetically significant, anchoring the prediction in verifiable history.

Verse 34 delivers a threefold statement of incomprehension that is almost painful in its emphasis: they understood nothing (οὐδὲν τούτων συνῆκαν), the saying was hidden from them (ἦν τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο κεκρυμμένον ἀπ' αὐτῶν), and they were not comprehending what was being said (οὐκ ἐγίνωσκον τὰ λεγόμενα). Luke uses three different verbs for knowing/understanding, exhausting the semantic field to underscore total cognitive failure. The perfect participle κεκρυμμένον suggests divine concealment—this is not mere dullness but providential veiling. The imperfect ἐγίνωσκον ('they were not comprehending') indicates ongoing failure throughout Jesus' explanation. The irony is devastating: Jesus speaks with crystalline clarity about prophetic fulfillment, yet his closest followers grasp nothing. Only resurrection will open their eyes.

Jesus walks toward Jerusalem with full knowledge of the script he is fulfilling, while those closest to him remain blind to the plot. Divine concealment is sometimes the prelude to divine revelation—what cannot be understood before the cross becomes luminous after the empty tomb.

Luke 18:35-43

Healing of the Blind Beggar

LSB Text

³⁵Now it happened that as He was approaching Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging. ³⁶Now hearing a crowd going by, he began to inquire what this was. ³⁷And they told him that Jesus the Nazarene was passing by. ³⁸And he called out, saying, 'Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!' ³⁹And those who led the way were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, 'Son of David, have mercy on me!' ⁴⁰And Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to Him; and when he came near, He asked him, ⁴¹'What do you want Me to do for you?' And he said, 'Lord, that I may regain my sight!' ⁴²And Jesus said to him, 'Regain your sight; your faith has saved you.' ⁴³And immediately he regained his sight and began following Him, glorifying God; and when all the people saw it, they gave praise to God.

Greek Text

³⁵Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν τῷ ἐγγίζειν αὐτὸν εἰς Ἰεριχὼ τυφλός τις ἐκάθητο παρὰ τὴν ὁδὸν ἐπαιτῶν. ³⁶ἀκούσας δὲ ὄχλου διαπορευομένου ἐπυνθάνετο τί εἴη τοῦτο. ³⁷ἀπήγγειλαν δὲ αὐτῷ ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ὁ Ναζωραῖος παρέρχεται. ³⁸καὶ ἐβόησεν λέγων· Ἰησοῦ υἱὲ Δαυίδ, ἐλέησόν με. ³⁹καὶ οἱ προάγοντες ἐπετίμων αὐτῷ ἵνα σιωπήσῃ· αὐτὸς δὲ πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἔκραζεν· υἱὲ Δαυίδ, ἐλέησόν με. ⁴⁰σταθεὶς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐκέλευσεν αὐτὸν ἀχθῆναι πρὸς αὐτόν. ἐγγίσαντος δὲ αὐτοῦ ἐπηρώτησεν αὐτόν· ⁴¹τί σοι θέλεις ποιήσω; ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· κύριε, ἵνα ἀναβλέψω. ⁴²καὶ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτῷ· ἀνάβλεψον· ἡ πίστις σου σέσωκέν σε. ⁴³καὶ παραχρῆμα ἀνέβλεψεν καὶ ἠκολούθει αὐτῷ δοξάζων τὸν θεόν. καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ἰδὼν ἔδωκεν αἶνον τῷ θεῷ.

³⁵Egeneto de en tō engizein auton eis Ierichō typhlos tis ekathēto para tēn hodon epaitōn. ³⁶akousas de ochlou diaporeuomenou epynthaneto ti eiē touto. ³⁷apēngeilan de autō hoti Iēsous ho Nazōraios parerchetai. ³⁸kai eboēsen legōn· Iēsou hyie Dauid, eleēson me. ³⁹kai hoi proagontes epetimōn autō hina siōpēsē· autos de pollō mallon ekrazen· hyie Dauid, eleēson me. ⁴⁰statheis de ho Iēsous ekeleusen auton achthēnai pros auton. engisantos de autou epērōtēsen auton· ⁴¹ti soi theleis poiēsō; ho de eipen· kyrie, hina anablepsō. ⁴²kai ho Iēsous eipen autō· anablepson· hē pistis sou sesōken se. ⁴³kai parachrēma aneblepsen kai ēkolouthei autō doxazōn ton theon. kai pas ho laos idōn edōken ainon tō theō.

Key Words

τυφλός typhlos blind

From τύφω (typhō, 'to smoke, smolder'), originally denoting the clouding or obscuring of vision, as smoke obscures sight. In medical contexts it refers to literal blindness, but metaphorically throughout Scripture it describes spiritual inability to perceive truth. Luke uses the term literally here, yet the beggar's spiritual perception—recognizing Jesus as 'Son of David'—stands in stark contrast to the physical blindness. The word appears frequently in prophetic texts describing messianic healing (Isa 29:18; 35:5; 42:7), making this encounter a sign of the kingdom's arrival.

ἐπαιτέω epaiteō to beg

Compound of ἐπί (epi, 'upon, toward') and αἰτέω (aiteō, 'to ask, request'), intensifying the sense of persistent asking directed toward others. The present participle ἐπαιτῶν (epaitōn) indicates continuous action—this was the man's daily occupation, his means of survival. The verb captures both the social marginalization and the economic desperation of the blind in antiquity, who had few options beyond begging. Yet this same verb root (aiteō) appears in Jesus' teaching on prayer, suggesting that persistent asking is not merely tolerated but commended when directed toward God.

υἱὲ Δαυίδ hyie Dauid Son of David

The vocative form of a messianic title rooted in 2 Samuel 7:12-16 and the prophetic expectation of a Davidic king who would restore Israel. This title appears strategically in Luke's Gospel, always on the lips of those seeking mercy or healing. The beggar's use of this title demonstrates theological insight—he recognizes Jesus not merely as a wonder-worker but as the promised Messiah. The crowd's attempt to silence him (v. 39) may reflect discomfort with such a public messianic acclamation as Jesus approaches Jerusalem, where such claims would prove explosive.

ἐλέησόν eleēson have mercy

Aorist imperative of ἐλεέω (eleeō, 'to show mercy, have compassion'), from ἔλεος (eleos, 'mercy, compassion'). The aorist tense suggests a specific, decisive act of mercy rather than ongoing compassion. This verb and its cognates are deeply rooted in the LXX translation of Hebrew חָנַן (ḥanan) and רָחַם (raḥam), both expressing God's covenant faithfulness and tender compassion. The beggar's cry echoes the language of the Psalms (e.g., Ps 6:2; 9:13; 41:4), positioning his request within Israel's liturgical tradition of appealing to divine mercy.

ἐπιτιμάω epitimaō to rebuke, warn sternly

Compound of ἐπί (epi, 'upon') and τιμάω (timaō, 'to honor, value'), with the compound meaning 'to place value/censure upon,' hence 'to rebuke, censure.' Luke uses this verb elsewhere for Jesus rebuking demons (4:35, 41), fever (4:39), and wind (8:24), giving it authoritative force. Here the crowd attempts to exercise authority over the beggar, silencing his messianic acclamation. The imperfect tense (ἐπετίμων) indicates repeated rebukes, yet the man's persistence overcomes their opposition—a narrative pattern Luke uses to commend bold faith.

ἀναβλέπω anablepō to look up, regain sight

Compound of ἀνά (ana, 'up, again') and βλέπω (blepō, 'to see'), carrying both the sense of 'looking up' and 'seeing again' or 'recovering sight.' The prefix ἀνά suggests restoration to a former state, though the narrative does not specify whether the man was born blind or lost his sight. Luke uses this verb three times in verses 41-43, emphasizing the completeness and immediacy of the healing. The verb's dual sense—physical and directional—may hint at the spiritual dimension: the man not only sees but looks upward, toward God, as evidenced by his immediate glorifying of God.

πίστις pistis faith, trust

From πείθω (peithō, 'to persuade, trust'), denoting conviction, trust, or faithfulness. In Hellenistic usage it could mean 'proof' or 'pledge,' but in biblical contexts it consistently refers to trust in God or Christ. Jesus' declaration 'your faith has saved you' (ἡ πίστις σου σέσωκέν σε) uses the perfect tense of σῴζω (sōzō), indicating a completed action with ongoing results. The beggar's faith is demonstrated not in intellectual assent but in persistent, public appeal to Jesus as Messiah despite social opposition. Luke consistently presents faith as the human response that receives divine grace.

σῴζω sōzō to save, heal, deliver

A verb with broad semantic range including physical healing, rescue from danger, and spiritual salvation. The perfect tense σέσωκέν (sesōken) indicates completed action with abiding results—'has saved and continues in that saved state.' Luke deliberately uses this verb rather than a mere healing term (θεραπεύω, therapeuō or ἰάομαι, iaomai), suggesting that the physical healing is part of a larger salvation. The man's immediate response—following Jesus and glorifying God—confirms that more than eyesight has been restored; he has entered into the salvation Jesus brings.

Grammar & Argument

Luke structures this healing narrative with careful attention to contrasts and escalation. The opening genitive absolute construction (ἐν τῷ ἐγγίζειν αὐτὸν εἰς Ἰεριχώ, 'as He was approaching Jericho') situates the event geographically and narratively—Jesus is on the final approach to Jerusalem, where his identity as Messiah will be publicly contested. The blind beggar sits παρὰ τὴν ὁδόν ('by the road'), physically marginalized yet positioned precisely where Jesus will pass. Luke's use of the imperfect ἐκάθητο ('was sitting') and present participle ἐπαιτῶν ('begging') establishes this as the man's habitual state, his daily reality of dependence and social invisibility.

The narrative tension builds through the beggar's persistent crying out against the crowd's repeated rebukes. Luke employs the imperfect ἐπετίμων ('they were rebuking') to show ongoing opposition, contrasted with the man's escalating response: πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἔκραζεν ('he was crying out much more'). The comparative construction intensifies the drama—the more they silence him, the louder he becomes. His cry, 'Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!' is theologically loaded, publicly identifying Jesus with messianic expectation. The vocative Ἰησοῦ υἱὲ Δαυίδ places Jesus squarely within Israel's royal-messianic hope, a claim that will soon lead to crucifixion.

Jesus' response is marked by decisive action: σταθεὶς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐκέλευσεν ('Jesus stopped and commanded'). The aorist participle σταθείς ('having stopped') interrupts the journey's momentum—the beggar's faith arrests Jesus' progress toward Jerusalem. The question τί σοι θέλεις ποιήσω; ('What do you want Me to do for you?') is not a request for information but an invitation to articulate faith. The man's response is economical: κύριε, ἵνα ἀναβλέψω ('Lord, that I may regain my sight'). The shift from 'Son of David' to κύριε ('Lord') may reflect growing recognition, and the ἵνα clause expresses purpose or result—this is his singular, focused request.

The healing itself is narrated with striking brevity: ἀνάβλεψον ('Regain your sight')—a single imperative. Jesus' explanation, ἡ πίστις σου σέσωκέν σε ('your faith has saved you'), uses the perfect tense to indicate completed action with ongoing effect. The verb σῴζω carries both physical and spiritual freight; the man is not merely healed but saved. Luke concludes with a cascade of responses: the man immediately (παραχρῆμα) regains sight, follows Jesus, and glorifies God; the people, seeing this, give praise to God. The narrative moves from individual healing to communal worship, from physical restoration to theological recognition. The blind beggar becomes a model disciple—seeing, following, glorifying—while those with physical sight remain spiritually blind to who Jesus is.

Faith that persists against opposition—that cries louder when told to be silent—is faith that arrests Jesus in his tracks. The beggar's physical blindness becomes the occasion for demonstrating the spiritual sight that recognizes the Son of David, while the seeing crowd attempts to silence the very confession they should be making.

LSB Choices Worth Noting

The LSB rendering 'regain my sight' for ἀναβλέψω (anablepsō) captures both the restorative sense of the ἀνά prefix and the specific request for vision. Some translations opt for 'receive my sight,' but 'regain' better reflects the verb's implication of restoration, even if the text does not explicitly state the man was not born blind. The threefold use of this verb (vv. 41, 42, 43) creates a verbal thread that the LSB preserves consistently.

The translation 'your faith has saved you' (ἡ πίστις σου σέσωκέν σε) maintains the full theological weight of σῴζω rather than reducing it to 'healed' or 'made you well.' While the immediate context involves physical healing, Luke's consistent use of σῴζω for salvation (e.g., 7:50; 8:12, 48; 19:10) suggests a broader meaning. The LSB's choice honors the verb's semantic range and allows readers to perceive the connection between physical healing and spiritual salvation that Luke intends.