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LU KE 1 8
off? 8 I tell you, he will grant justice to them
quickly! But when the Son of Man* returns, how
many will he find on the earth who have faith?”
Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector
9 Then Jesus told this story to some who had
great confidence in their own righteousness
and scorned everyone else: 10 “Two men went
to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and
the other was a despised tax collector. 11 The
Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this
prayer*: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like
other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m
certainly not like that tax collector! 12 I fast twice
a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’
13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance
and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as
he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow,
saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ 14 I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee,
returned home justified before God. For those
who exalt themselves will be humbled, and
those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Jesus Blesses the Children
15 One day some parents brought their little children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them.
But when the disciples saw this, they scolded
the parents for bothering him.
16 Then Jesus called for the children and
said to the disciples, “Let the children come to
me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God
belongs to those who are like these children.
17 I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never
enter it.”
• Money
LU KE 1 8 :2 2 -2 3
What does your money mean to you?
Although Jesus wanted this man to sell
everything and give his money to the
poor, this does not mean that all believers
should sell all their possessions. Most
of Jesus’ followers did not sell everything but used their possessions to bless
others. This story shows us that we must
not let anything keep us from following
Jesus. We must remove anything that
gets in the way of serving him fully. If
Jesus asked you, would you give up your
house or car? Would you live somewhere
else—a place that wasn’t as convenient
or didn’t feel as comfortable as where
you live now? Your reaction may show
your attitude toward money—whether it
is your servant or your master.
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The Rich Man
18 Once a religious leader asked Jesus this question: “Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit
eternal life?”
19 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked
him. “Only God is truly good. 20 But to answer
your question, you know the commandments:
‘You must not commit adultery. You must not
murder. You must not steal. You must not testify
falsely. Honor your father and mother.’*”
21 The man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these
commandments since I was young.”
22 When Jesus heard his answer, he said,
“There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell
all your possessions and give the money to the
poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.
Then come, follow me.”
23 But when the man heard this he became
very sad, for he was very rich.
24 When Jesus saw this,* he said, “How hard it
is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God! 25 In
fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye
of a needle than for a rich person to enter the
Kingdom of God!”
26 Those who heard this said, “Then who in
the world can be saved?”
27 He replied, “What is impossible for people
is possible with God.”
28 Peter said, “We’ve left our homes to follow
you.”
29 “Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you
that everyone who has given up house or wife
or brothers or parents or children, for the sake
of the Kingdom of God, 30 will be repaid many
times over in this life, and will have eternal life
in the world to come.”
Jesus Again Predicts His Death
31 Taking the twelve disciples aside, Jesus said,
“Listen, we’re going up to Jerusalem, where all
the predictions of the prophets concerning the
Son of Man will come true. 32 He will be handed
over to the Romans,* and he will be mocked,
treated shamefully, and spit upon. 33 They will
flog him with a whip and kill him, but on the
third day he will rise again.”
34 But they didn’t understand any of this.
The significance of his words was hidden from
them, and they failed to grasp what he was talking about.
Jesus Heals a Blind Beggar
35 As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind beggar
was sitting beside the road. 36 When he heard
the noise of a crowd going past, he asked what
was happening. 37 They told him that Jesus the
Nazarene* was going by. 38 So he began shouting, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
18:8 “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself.
18:11 Some manuscripts read stood and prayed this prayer
to himself. 18:20 Exod 20:12-16; Deut 5:16-20. 18:24 Some
manuscripts read When Jesus saw how sad the man was.
18:32 Greek the Gentiles. 18:37 Or Jesus of Nazareth.