Luke 18

43 verses

Two prayer parables anchor the chapter: the Unjust Judge (persistent widow receives justice from an unjust judge because of shameless persistence — how much more will God answer persistent prayer?) and the Pharisee and Tax Collector (the self-righteous who prays about himself goes home not justified; the sinner who prays God have mercy on me, a sinner goes home justified). The children brought to Jesus for blessing produce the kingdom-belongs-to-such-as-these saying and the receive-the-kingdom-like-a-child instruction. The rich ruler's question about eternal life receives the one-thing-you-lack answer: sell everything, give to the poor, follow me. His sadness because he is very wealthy produces the camel-through-the-eye-of-a-needle saying, the impossible-but-for-God answer, and Peter's all-we-had-we-left response. The third passion prediction — delivered with greatest detail (delivered to the Gentiles, mocked, insulted, spat on, flogged, killed, raised on the third day) and met with the triple non-understanding — precedes the healing of the blind Bartimaeus outside Jericho, whose Son-of-David confession and your-faith-has-saved-you declaration transition the narrative into Jerusalem.

VERSES IN THIS CHAPTER

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS