Jesus told them a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. 2 He said: “In a certain city there was a judge who had no fear of God and no respect for anyone. 3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my opponent.’ 4 For a long time he refused. But afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or respect anyone, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice — otherwise she’ll wear me out by coming back again and again.’”[1]
6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And won’t God bring about justice for his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will bring them justice quickly. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
9 He also told this story to some who trusted in themselves that they were upright and looked down on everyone else: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray — one a Pharisee, the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed like this: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people — swindlers, unjust, adulterers — or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week. I give a tenth of everything I get.’[2] 13 But the tax collector stood at a distance. He wouldn’t even lift his eyes to heaven, but beat his chest and said, ‘God, have mercy on me — a sinner.’
14 “I tell you, this man went down to his house right with God, rather than the other one. For everyone who lifts himself up will be brought low, but the one who lowers himself will be lifted up.”
15 People were bringing even their babies to Jesus so he would touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and don’t stop them — for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17 Amen, I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
18 A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”[3]
19 Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery. Do not murder. Do not steal. Do not give false testimony. Honor your father and mother.”
21 He said, “I have kept all these since I was young.”
22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
23 But when the man heard this, he was crushed, because he was extremely rich.
24 Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God. 25 It’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”[4]
26 Those who heard this said, “Then who can be saved?”
27 He said, “What is impossible with people is possible with God.”
28 Peter said, “Look — we have left what was ours and followed you.”
29 Jesus said to them, “Amen, I tell 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 30 who will not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come, eternal life.”
31 Jesus took the Twelve aside and said to them, “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. 32 He will be handed over to the Gentiles. He will be mocked, insulted, and spit on. 33 They will flog him and kill him, and on the third day he will rise.”
34 But they understood none of this. The meaning was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what he was saying.
35 As Jesus came near Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging. 36 Hearing a crowd passing by, he asked what was happening. 37 They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is going by.”
38 He shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”[5]
39 Those leading the way warned him sharply to be quiet. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
40 Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?”
He said, “Lord, let me see again.”
42 Jesus said to him, “See again. Your faith has saved you.” 43 Immediately he could see, and he followed Jesus, praising God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.
Notes
Note 1. The verb behind “wear me out” (hypōpiazō) is a boxing term meaning to strike under the eye — to give someone a black eye. ↩
Note 2. The Law of Moses required only one annual fast, on the Day of Atonement. Fasting twice a week was an extra discipline taken on voluntarily; the Didache names those days as Monday and Thursday (8:1). ↩
Note 3. The Greek archōn is a broad word for a person in authority — it could mean a synagogue leader, a member of the ruling council, or a civic magistrate. Luke doesn’t specify which. ↩
Note 4. A popular legend claims Jerusalem had a low gate called the “Needle’s Eye” that a camel could squeeze through on its knees. There is no historical or archaeological evidence for such a gate; the idea appears only in medieval commentary. A camel was the largest animal in common use in the region; a needle’s eye, among the smallest openings in daily life. ↩
Note 5. “Son of David” was a title for the awaited Messiah, the promised king descended from David’s line. ↩