Luke 18:8-23

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Luke 18:9-14

The Parable Of The One Who Trusted In Himself That He Was Supremely Acceptable to God, And Was Not, And The One Who Was Doubtful About His Acceptability With God Who Was Made Fully Acceptable (18:9-14). The parable that we have just considered demonstrated how God’s people were to await the coming of the Son of Man in glory in continual prayer. In the parable that follows we will learn how to distinguish between those who will in that Day be taken, and those who will be left, those who are... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Luke 18:10

“Two men went up into the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee, and the other a public servant.” The contrast is between a Pharisee and a public servant. Now let us be quite clear about this, outwardly the Pharisee lived the better and more religious life. He would be highly respected, and probably a little feared. And in comparison with the public servant (before he had come to the attitude that resulted in his prayer), the Pharisee would have been seen by all as so superior to him in God’s eyes... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Luke 18:11

“The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank you, that I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this public servant.’ ” ‘Stood and prayed thus with himself.’ It was normal to pray standing, thus it would not need to be mentioned. The mention of it is probably therefore in order to bring out his pompous attitude. He wanted to be seen and admired. He would probably pray aloud, which was normal, but he did it quietly (‘with himself’). This too... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Luke 18:12

“I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I get.” It was customary among the Pharisees to tithe even the smallest thing that they received ‘from God’, even when it was not required by the Law (Luke 11:42; Matthew 23:23). Furthermore they fasted every Monday and Thursday, as well as on special days. The purpose of this latter was in order to make them humble, but always the danger was, as in this example, that it could make them inordinately proud (compare Matthew 6:1; Matthew... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Luke 18:13

“But the public servant, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes to heaven, but smote his breast, saying, ‘God, be you merciful to me (literally ‘be propitiated towards me’) a sinner.’ ” The public servant was another matter. He really was a sinner, and he knew it and regretted it. He did not approach as close as he could to the Sanctuary, where all would see him. He stood afar off. Possibly he had seen the Pharisee and thought himself not worthy to be near him. The last thing... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Luke 18:14

“For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Jesus then summed up the conclusion to be drawn from the parable. Those who exalt themselves will be humbled. Those who humble themselves will be exalted. For God scatters the proud in the imagination of their hearts (Luke 1:51) and exalts those of low degree (Luke 1:52). He draws near to those with a humble and contrite heart, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Luke 18:15

‘And they were bringing to him also their infants, that he should touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.’ The scene is a very simple one. The believing mothers, who would have told the young children all about Jesus, now brought them, eager faced and willing, to be received and touched by Him. The use of the term ‘infants’ by Luke, which he alters from paidion in Mark, is not in order to indicate babes in arms, but in order to bring out the contrast with adults which, by... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Luke 18:15-17

Young Children Are Welcomed By Jesus (18:15-17). A special example of the humble who will be exalted, and of those who will be ready for the coming of the Son of Man, is now given in the little children who because of their humility and innocence as children are welcomed into the presence of the King, at which He points out that all who would enter under the Kingly Rule of God must come in the same way as little children, in humble and accepting trust. These children are described as... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Luke 18:16

‘But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Allow the little children to come to me, and forbid them not, for to such belongs the Kingly Rule of God.” ’ Jesus, however, saw things differently. He told His disciples to let the children come to Him. Indeed, He says, none have more right to the Kingly Rule of God than they, for they are so open to it. It belongs to them more than anyone else. They have no barriers built up within their hearts which prevent their open-hearted response to God. read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Luke 18:17

“Truly I say to you, Whoever shall not receive the Kingly Rule of God in the same way as a little child, he shall in no wise enter into it.” And then He adds a solemn saying, as evidenced by its opening words, the solemn ‘truly I say to you’ which occur only seven times in Luke. And the point of His saying is that anyone who receives the Kingly Rule of God must do so in the ready and willing way in which a little child does. For there is no other way to receive it. These children would have no... read more

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