Lucas 18
William Barclay · Citado em PreceptAustin
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Barclay points out that this would not have been a Jewish judge, because disputes in the Jewish world were brought to the elders. “This judge was one of the paid magistrates appointed either by Herod or the Romans. Such judges were notorious.” (Luke 18 Commentary) Jamieson on did not fear God and did not respect man = defying the vengeance of God and despising the opinion of men. And did not respect (entrepo) man - Clearly this negative attribute links closely with the former (no fear of God), for a low view of the Creator will lead to a low view of men created in His image (cf society's low view of the value of human lives in the womb and rising cries for euthanasia, etc!). In other words, how we view God, directly affects how we view our fellow human beings. If you are having trouble loving men, it may be because you are faulty in your love of God, which is the first of the two great commandments AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.’ 31 “The second is this, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF (from Lev 19:18+, most quoted verse in the NT!).’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”(Mark 12:30, 31+) In Lk 18:6+ Jesus adds to his list of character traits that the judge is unrighteous which means he is one who deceives, who suppresses the truth and thus brings about injustice rather than justice. An unrighteousness person loves sin more than they love God and His truth (cf those described by Micah 3:11+, Mic 7:3-4+). John
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Barclay - It was the custom for mothers to bring their children to some distinguished Rabbi on their first birthday that he might bless them. That is what the mothers wanted for their children from Jesus....It is one of the loveliest things in all the gospel story that Jesus had time for the children even when He was on the way to Jerusalem to die! Leon
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Barclay - The Rabbis always said "there is nothing that is good but the law." Good Teacher - Although the rich young ruler calls Jesus "Good," he seems to have recognized something different about Jesus', something that caused other Jews to be "amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as the scribes." (Mk 1:22+, cf Mt 7:28-29+, Mt 13:54+, Lk 4:32+, Lk 19:48+, John 7:15, 46+). William Lane on good and good Teacher - In the OT and subsequent Judaism only God is characteristically called “good,” although it was possible to speak in a derived sense of “the good man” (e.g. Prov. 12:2; 14:14; Eccl. 9:2; Mt. 12:35). The designation of Jesus as “good teacher,” however, is virtually without parallel in Jewish sources and should be regarded as a sincere tribute to the impression he had made upon the man, whether “good” be understood to signify “kind,” “generous,” or some other quality of goodness. (See The Gospel of Mark) See comments below on "good" an adjective which has stirred up considerable debate among theologians, especially the two uses of "good" in Jesus' reply in Luke 18:19. Matthew 19:16+ does not have good Teacher but describes the good thing which he could do to inherit eternal life - “Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?” Eternal life - Note that this subject is the main theme in this story of the rich young ruler in Luke 18:18-30, because the phrase "eternal life" is found at the beginning (Luke 18:18) and at the end of the story (Luke 18:30). William Lane on inherit eternal life - To inherit eternal life becomes a fixed expression in Judaism, as in Psalms of Solomon 14:6 (APOCRYPHAL WRITING), which speaks of inheriting life, the life assigned by God to the righteous (cf. Ps. Sol. 3:16; 14:10; I Enoch 38:4; 40:9; 48:3; 2 Macc. 7:9; 4 Macc. 15:3). (See The Gospel of Mark - Page 365) Jesus gives us one of the best definitions of eternal life declaring in His prayer to His Father "This is eternal life, that they may know (ginosko = intimately, personally, not head knowledge, but heart knowledge!) You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." (John 17:3+). What shall I do to inherit eternal life - What is he asking? As noted above his question expresses the "Jewish way to asked about being saved by gaining life in the world to come." (Bock) In the context of Luke 18:15-17, we would answer that He is asking how he can gain entrance into the Kingdom of God (Matthew's version has "Kingdom of Heaven" a more Jewish terminology), which was synonymous with the Philippian jailer's question “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30+). We saw a similar question in Luke 10:25+ where "a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test (NOTE HIS INTENT IS QUITE DIFFERENT THAN THE YOUNG RULER WHO WAS NOT "TESTING" JESUS), saying, “Teacher, what shall I DO to inherit eternal life?” This prompted Jesus' answer in His famous Parable of the Good Samaritan (Lk 10:26-37+). There is one more point to observe regarding what is wrong regarding the young man's question - Perhaps we have had a rich relative pass away and they leave us an inheritance. Now what do we have to DO to inherit the inheritance? Nothing. A person does not do anything to inherit an inheritance! An inheritance is something that we receive as a bequest from someone else. Of course, since salvation is a gift, we still must receive it (by faith) (Jn 1:12+). Even an earthly inheritance will not be forced on the one to whom the inheritance has been bequeathed. One God-Man died that we might inherit His eternal life and His perfect righteousness, but these gifts must be received by faith. Have you received this inheritance which God graciously makes available for all who will call upon His Name (cf Ro 10:13)? The dictionary defines "DO" as to carry out or perform an action. "DO" marks the crucial essence of the young man's question. The dictionary defines "RECEIVE" as to take something offered into one's hand or possession. His question should have been - "How can I RECEIVE eternal life?" Jesus made it clear that eternal life is something God GIVES, unrelated to something man DOES, clearly teaching "the narrow way" (Mt 7:14+) into eternal life and the Kingdom of God in Luke 18:17... “Truly I say to you, whoever does not RECEIVE the Kingdom of God (~"eternal life") like a child will not enter it at all.” In sum, the young man was in a sense only "one verb" away from eternal life! Instead of coming to Jesus helpless, dependent, and trusting, like a small child, the rich ruler comes as a young man, a rich man, a "good" man. But Jesus will show him that he is still far too big to walk through the minute eye of a needle, figuratively speaking of course (Lk 18:25)! Sean O'Donnell - This question, despite its obvious flaws, displays his fear of God, his recognition of Jesus’ authority, his genuine concern for his own soul, and his belief in life after death-the “attainment of the resurrected state. I think if most of us were honest we would admit that we think very little about life after death. It is simply not our everyday preoccupation. It is not what makes us restless. It is not what worries us. Our biggest concerns usually revolve around missing out on the benefits of this life. Most of the so-called important questions we ask have something or other to do with the here and now. They are earthbound questions. But this man appears to be genuinely concerned about life after death, not simply and superficially about this life. So this man’s question, though he himself will prove to be full of love for the present world, is the right question in that it asks “the essential question.”” (See Matthew: All Authority in Heaven and on Earth - Page 546) So looking at the positive side of this encounter, the young man came with the right attitude (contrast the lawyer's attitude in Luke 10:25+) and the right question (cf Philippian jailer - Acts 16:30+). On the negative side, William Lane says the form of his "question (“What must I DO to inherit eternal life?”) implies a piety of achievement which stands in contrast to Jesus’ teaching that a man must receive (dechomai - welcome) the Kingdom (or life) as a gift from God in his helplessness (Mark 10:15, Lk 18:17+ = "like a little child"). In the light of (Lk 18:21), the man evidently thought that there were conditions to be fulfilled beyond those set forth in the Law." (See The Gospel of Mark - Page 365) John MacArthur on what shall I DO - In keeping with his legalistic system of self-righteousness, he sought that one elusive good work that would push him over the top to obtain eternal life for himself. (See Luke Commentary) I agree with Constable that "The young man’s idea of how one obtains eternal life was far from what Jesus had been preaching and even recently illustrating (cf Luke 18:15-17+). He demonstrated the antithesis of childlike faith and humility (ED: AND HELPLESSNESS). He thought one had to perform some particular act of righteousness in addition to keeping the Mosaic Law ("What am I still lacking" - Mt 19:20, cf Lk 18:21). He wanted Jesus to tell him what that act was. He was a performance oriented person." In commenting on what one must "DO" to inherit eternal life, most of us would say just believe (repent and believe). But notice Jesus' interesting response to the question in John 6 when asked “What shall we DO, so that we may work the works (PLURAL) of God?” (They wanted to know what works God required of them that they might qualify for the gift of the food that lasts forever.) Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work (SINGULAR-ONLY ONE "WORK" IS NECESSARY!) of God, that you BELIEVE in Him Whom He has sent.” (Jn 6:28-29+) In simple terms, Jesus told these disciples that the only "work" (SINGULAR) God required was to believe, specifically to believe in Jesus. And this is a "work" they were not ready to perform (As shown by their hearts in John 6:41-42+ they were actually "pseudo-disciples") and as a result of Jesus' "hard sayings" these so-called "disciples" walked away and, if they never repented and believed, they walked away into eternity unsaved and bound for eternal punishment! (John 6:66+) John said essentially the same think in his first epistle "This is His commandment, that we believe in the Name of His Son Jesus Christ (FAITH), and love one another (WORKS - WORKS THAT DEMONSTRATE ONE'S FAITH IS GENUINE, SAVING FAITH), just as He commanded us." (1 John 3:23+). In sum, the Jews in general and the Pharisees in particular thought of salvation in terms of "WORKS" (PLURAL), the things they could DO to merit eternal life (entrance into the Kingdom of God). Norman Crawford on What shall I do to inherit eternal life - He imagined that eternal life could be earned by his own effort. In his question there is a paradox, for he spoke of an inheritance and yet wanted to know how to work for it. An inheritance is normally obtained without working to receive it, although there may be exceptions to the norm. When the inheritance was eternal life he was totally wrong. (What the Bible teaches – Luke)
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Barclay - His real god was comfort, and what he really worshiped were his own possessions and his wealth. That is why Jesus told him to give it all away. Recall that Jesus summed up the whole of the 10 commandments in simple, easy remember passages the essence of which teach "Love God. Love your neighbor." In Matthew we read... "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" And He said to him, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ “This is the great and foremost commandment. “The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ (Mt 22:36-39, cf Mk 12:28-31, Lk 10:27+) Notice that in calling the young ruler to sell and distribute he was in effect challenging his obedience to the two great commandments. In other words, the young man was not willing to sell all he possessed. So he loved his possessions more than he loved God, which is the first great commandment (a summary of the first 4 commandments = Godward). Secondly, he was not willing to distribute his possessions to the poor, and so he was not willing to demonstrate love to his neighbor, thus breaking the second great commandment (Commandments 6-10 = Manward). Do you see it? Notice that in reality the spirit of this young man had broken ALL Ten Commandments by refusing to do these two thing. Don't misunderstand, as explained elsewhere, Jesus is not teaching one can "buy" their way to heaven. Jesus is simply using commandment number 10 (Do not covet) to expose the young man's heart and show him that in fact he was guilty of breaking all 10 Commandments, despite his claim that he had kept #'s 5-9 since his youth. He was deceived and Jesus took the mirror of the Word of God (in this case the Law) and held it up to the young man's face to so he could see what kind of person he really was inside! That's what the Law does beloved! As James wrote... If anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a MIRROR; 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. 25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it (THIS IS ONLY POSSIBLE FOR ONE WHO HAS THE INDWELLING, ENABLING SPIRIT), not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does (HIS "DOING" FLOWS OUT OF HIS "BEING," SPECIFICALLY HIS BEING BORN AGAIN BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS). (Read about the "mirror" effect of the Word in James 1:23-25+) Sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor - Jesus is NOT giving a general prescription to be applied to all people. This command was appropriate for this young man. It was like a divine "laser" pointed directly at the young man's heart, a heart in which Jesus could discern an idol that was keeping him from the eternal life he so desired. It is also notable that if he sold everything and gave the proceeds to the poor, he himself would be poor and helpless, much like a little child, much more in the position Jesus had just taught in Luke 18:15-17! Sell...distribute - Both are commands in the aorist imperative calling for the young man "Do this now!" (Recall he had been asking for what he could "DO?") Don't go home and think about it (or "pray" about it!). Just Do It. So Jesus finally tells him what he can DO to inherit eternal life. But don't be confused. Jesus is not saying the DOING would earn the young man eternal life, but his willingness to DO would be a reflection of a miraculously, supernaturally changed heart, the new heart every believer receives by grace through faith in Christ. And after Pentecost there was also the promise of a new power accompanying the new heart. In Ezekiel 36:26-27+ Yahweh promised Israel "Moreover, I will give you a new heart (THIS WAS THE RICH YOUNG RULER'S GREAT NEED) and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes (GOD'S PROVISION OF DESIRE AND POWER), and you will be careful to observe My ordinances (MAN'S RESPONSIBILITY TO DAILY YIELD TO THE SPIRIT AND OBEY IN HIS POWER)." As an aside see the "Paradoxical Principle of 100% Dependent and 100% Responsible" (100/100). NET Note comments on sell all you possess... that "The call for sacrifice comes with a promise of eternal reward: …you will have treasure in heaven. Jesus' call is a test to see how responsive the man is to God's direction through him. Will he walk the path God's agent calls him to walk? For a rich person who got it right, see Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1–10+." Distribute (1239)(diadidomi from dia = transition, dispersion + didomi = to give) literally is to deliver through and means to give out, assign, distribute, dispense, allot, give out especially hand to hand in succession, " apportion among various parties" (BDAG).
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Barclay - The expression, "the eye of a needle," was often used in contemporary rabbinic literature to express something extremely difficult and most unusual. The rabbis sometimes spoke of an elephant passing through the eye of a needle to make their point. Jesus went on to say that it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. Quite often the rabbis talked of an elephant trying to get through the eye of a needle as a picture of something fantastically impossible.
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Barclay - Peter pointed out that he and his fellow disciples had left all to follow Jesus; and Jesus promised that no man would ever give up anything for the kingdom of God but he would be repaid many times over. It is the experience of all Christian folk that that is true. Once someone said to David Livingstone, thinking of the trials he had endured and the sorrows he had borne, of how he had lost his wife and ruined his health in Africa, "What sacrifices you have made!" Livingstone answered, "Sacrifices? I never made a sacrifice in all my life." For the man who walks the Christian way there may be things the world calls hard, but, beyond them all and through them all, there is a peace which the world cannot give and cannot take away, and a joy that no man takes from him. Luke 18:31 Then 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. Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem: Lu 9:22 24:6,7 Mt 16:21 17:22,23 Mt 20:17-19 Mk 8:31,9,30,31 Mk 10:32-34 and all things which are written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished: Lu 24:44-46 Ps 22:1-31 Ps 69:1-36 Isa 53:1-12 Da 9:26 Zec 13:7 Luke 18 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 18:28-34 What do You Get When You Follow Christ? - Steven Cole Luke 18:31-34 Approaching the Cross with Determined Anticipation, Part 1 - John MacArthur Luke 18:31-34 Approaching the Cross with Determined Anticipation, Part 2 - John MacArthur Summary of All 9 Prophecies of His Passion in the Synoptic Gospels. Related Passages: Matthew 20:17-19 As Jesus was about to go up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and on the way He said to them, 18 “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, 19 and will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify Him, and on the third day He will be raised up.” Mark 10:32-34/mark-10-commentary#10:32 (WORDS IN BOLD NOT IN LUKE) "They were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking on ahead of them; and they were amazed (thambeo - a mixture of astonishment and admiration), and those who followed were fearful. And again He took the twelve aside and began to tell them what was going to happen to Him." 33 saying, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and will hand Him over to the Gentiles. 34 “They will mock Him and spit on Him, and scourge Him and kill Him, and three days later He will rise again.” Lane comments on this passage in Mark - What awakens amazement and terror in the disciples who follow is not the recognition that the road leads to Jerusalem nor an awareness of what will be accomplished there, but Jesus himself. The power of the Lord, who holds in his hands his own destiny as well as that of the people of God, is manifested for Mark and his readers in the awe and dread which characterize those around him (cf. Mark 9:32). (Ibid) JESUS' JOURNEYS TO JERUSALEM TO FULFILL THE SCRIPTURES Then - This time phrase marks progression. In context the disciples were saying what's in it for me since I have given up so much. In that self-centered context Jesus reveals what He is about to give up for them! He took the twelve aside (paralambano) and said to them (cf Parallel Passages above) - There was always a crowd around Jesus, but this conversation is for their ears only. And what He proceeds to do is tell them for the third time (directly, not counting allusions) that He is going to be killed and be resurrected (see the Table below). Jesus' first two passion predictions (Lk 9:22 and Lk 9:43-45) were given just before He set His face like flint for Jerusalem (Lk 9:51KJV) to accomplish His mission (cf Jn 4:34, Jn 17:4). Recall that Luke 9:51KJV begins a section in Luke that continues through Lk 19:27. Now as Jesus approaches Jerusalem, He gives the third and most detailed description of His Passion. In a sense Jesus' passion predictions function as "bookends" of the beginning and end of His journey toward Jerusalem. His entire journey in Lk 9:51 through Lk 19:27 is oriented toward His passion.