The Gospel According to St. Luke

⭑ Unlocked Dynamic Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 18 -

Jesus told his disciples another story to teach them that they ought to pray continually and not become discouraged if God does not immediately answer their prayers.

He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not revere God and did not care about people.

There was a widow in that city who kept coming to that judge, saying, ’Please get justice for me from the man who is opposing me in court.

For a long time the judge refused to help her. But later, he said to himself, ’I do not revere God and I do not care about people,

but this widow keeps bothering me! So I will judge her case and make sure she is treated fairly, because if I do not do that, she will exhaust me by continually coming to me!’”

Then the Lord Jesus said, “Think carefully about what the unjust judge said.

Even more certainly will God, who is just, bring about justice for his chosen people, who pray earnestly to him night and day! And he is always patient with them.

I tell you, God will quickly do justice for his chosen ones! Nevertheless when I, the Son of Man, come back to earth, there will still be many people who do not believe in me.”

The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

Then Jesus also told the following story to some people who thought they were righteous and who looked down on other people.

He said, “Two men went up to the temple in Jerusalem to pray. One of the men was a Pharisee. The other was someone who collected taxes from the people for the Roman government.

The Pharisee stood and prayed about himself in this way, ’O God, I thank you that I am not like other people. Some steal money from others, some treat others unjustly, and some commit adultery. I do not do any of those things. And I am certainly not like this sinful tax collector who cheats people!

I fast two days every week and I give to the temple ten percent of all that I earn!’

But the tax collector stood far away from the other people in the temple courtyard. He would not even look up toward heaven. Instead, he beat on his chest and said, ‘O God, please be merciful to me and forgive me, because I am a terrible sinner!’”

Then Jesus said, “I tell you that the tax collector was forgiven as they left to go home, but not the Pharisee. This is because everyone who exalts himself will be made humble, and everyone who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Jesus Blesses the Children

(Matthew 19:13–15; Mark 10:13–16)

One day people were bringing even their babies to Jesus so that he would put his hands on them and bless them. When the disciples saw this, they told them not to do that.

But Jesus called for the children to be brought to him. He said, “Let the little children come to me! Do not stop them! It is humble and trusting people like these children over whom God will agree to rule.

Indeed I say to you that whoever does not accept with humility like a child for God to rule over them, God will not accept that person at all.”

The Rich Young Ruler

(Matthew 19:16–30; Mark 10:17–31)

Once a Jewish leader asked Jesus, “Good teacher, what must I do in order to have eternal life?”

Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? God is the only one who is truly good!

In answer to your question, certainly you know the commandments that God gave to Moses for us to obey: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder anyone, do not steal, do not give a false report, honor your father and mother.’”

The man said, “I have obeyed all those commandments ever since I was young.”

When Jesus heard him say that, he replied to him, “You still need to do one more thing. Sell all that you own. Then give the money to people who have very little to live on. The result will be that you will have spiritual riches in heaven. Then come and be my disciple!”

The man became very sad when he heard that, because he was extremely rich.

When Jesus saw how sad the man was, he too became very sorrowful. He said, “It is very difficult for those who are wealthy to agree for God to rule over them.”

In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for rich people to let God rule their lives.”

Those who heard Jesus say that replied, “Then it seems that no one can be saved!”

But Jesus said, “What is impossible for people is possible for God.”

Then Peter said, “Look, we have left everything we had in order to become your disciples.

Jesus said to them, “Yes, and I also tell you that those who have left their homes, their wives, their brothers, their parents, or their children in order to submit to God’s will for them

will receive in this life many times as much as they left behind, and in the coming age they will receive eternal life.”

The Third Prediction of the Passion

(Matthew 20:17–19; Mark 10:32–34)

Jesus took the twelve disciples to a place by themselves and said to them, “Listen carefully! We are now going up to Jerusalem. While we are there, everything that the prophets wrote long ago about me, the Son of Man, will be accomplished.

My enemies will put me into the power of the non-Jews. They will mock me, treat me with disdain, and spit on me.

They will whip me and then they will kill me. But on the third day after that I will become alive again.”

But the disciples did not understand any of those things that he said. God prevented them from understanding the meaning of what he was telling them.

Jesus Heals a Blind Beggar

(Matthew 20:29–34; Mark 10:46–52)

As Jesus and his disciples came near to the city of Jericho, a blind man was sitting beside the road. He was begging for money.

When he heard the crowd of people passing by, he asked someone, “What is happening?”

They told him, “Jesus, the man from the town of Nazareth, is passing by.”

He shouted, “Jesus, you who are descended from King David, have pity on me!”

Those who were walking at the front of the crowd scolded him and told him to be quiet. But he shouted even more loudly, “You who are descended from King David, have pity on me!”

Jesus stopped walking and commanded the people to bring the man to him. When the blind man came near, Jesus asked him,

“What do you want me to do for you?” He replied, “Lord, I want you to enable me to see!”

Jesus said to him, “Then see! Because you have trusted in me, I have healed you!”

Immediately he was able to see. And he went with Jesus, praising God. And when all the people there saw this, they also praised God.

He also spoke a parable to them that they must always pray and not give up,

saying, “There was a judge in a certain city who didn’t fear God and didn’t respect man.

A widow was in that city, and she often came to him, saying, ‘Defend me from my adversary!’

He wouldn’t for a while; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man,

yet because this widow bothers me, I will defend her, or else she will wear me out by her continual coming.’”

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

Won’t God avenge his chosen ones who are crying out to him day and night, and yet he exercises patience with them?

I tell you that he will avenge them quickly. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

He also spoke this parable to certain people who were convinced of their own righteousness, and who despised all others:

“Two men went up into the temple to pray; one was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector.

The Pharisee stood and prayed by himself like this: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of men: extortionists, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.

I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I get.’

But the tax collector, standing far away, wouldn’t even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’

I 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.”

Jesus Blesses the Children

(Matthew 19:13–15; Mark 10:13–16)

They were also bringing their babies to him, that he might touch them. But when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.

Jesus summoned them, saying, “Allow the little children to come to me, and don’t hinder them, for God’s Kingdom belongs to such as these.

Most certainly, I tell you, whoever doesn’t receive God’s Kingdom like a little child, he will in no way enter into it.”

The Rich Young Ruler

(Matthew 19:16–30; Mark 10:17–31)

A certain ruler asked him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

Jesus asked him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good, except one: God.

You know the commandments: ‘Don’t commit adultery,’ ‘Don’t murder,’ ‘Don’t steal,’ ‘Don’t give false testimony,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’” (a)

He said, “I have observed all these things from my youth up.”

When Jesus heard these things, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute it to the poor. Then you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”

But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was very rich.

Jesus, seeing that he became very sad, said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter into God’s Kingdom!

For it is easier for a camel to enter in through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter into God’s Kingdom.”

Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?”

But he said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”

Peter said, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.”

He said to them, “Most certainly I tell you, there is no one who has left house, or wife, or brothers, or parents, or children, for God’s Kingdom’s sake,

who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the world to come, eternal life.”

The Third Prediction of the Passion

(Matthew 20:17–19; Mark 10:32–34)

He took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all the things that are written through the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be completed.

For he will be delivered up to the Gentiles, will be mocked, treated shamefully, and spit on.

They will scourge and kill him. On the third day, he will rise again.”

They understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they didn’t understand the things that were said.

Jesus Heals a Blind Beggar

(Matthew 20:29–34; Mark 10:46–52)

As he came near Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the road, begging.

Hearing a multitude going by, he asked what this meant.

They told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.

He cried out, “Jesus, you son of David, have mercy on me!”

Those who led the way rebuked him, that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “You son of David, have mercy on me!”

Standing still, Jesus commanded him to be brought to him. When he had come near, he asked him,

“What do you want me to do?” He said, “Lord, that I may see again.”

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

Immediately he received his sight and followed him, glorifying God. All the people, when they saw it, praised God.

Footnotes

(a)18:20 ℘ Exodus 20:12-16; Deuteronomy 5:16-20