Luke 18

Prayer and the parable of the Persistent Widow

¹ Now he was saying to them [a] parable to it being necessary they always be praying and not be giving up, ² saying: A certain judge not fearing God and not respecting men was in a certain city. ³ Now [a] widow was in that city, and she was coming to him saying: Vindicate me from my opponents. ⁴ And he did not want to for [a] time, but after these [things] he said in himself: If even God I do not fear nor have regard for men, ⁵ because this widow causes me trouble will I vindicate her, in order that she not finally wear me out. ⁶ So the Lord said: Hear what the judge of injustice says. ⁷ But would God not do the vindication of his chosen who are crying out to him day and night, and be forbearing upon them? ⁸ I say to you that he will do their vindication quickly. However, will the coming son of man find faith upon the land?

The Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector

⁹ But he also said this parable to some having believed upon themselves that they are just and despising the rest: ¹⁰ Two men went up to the temple to pray, the one [a] Pharisee and the other [a] tax gatherer. ¹¹ The Pharisee having stood prayed these [things] towards himself: O God, I thank you that I am not as the rest of men, rapacious, unjust, adulterous, or even as this tax gatherer. ¹² I fast twice during the Sabbath, and I tithe all that I acquire. ¹³ But the tax gatherer having stood afar off did not want to raise his eyes to heaven, but he was beating his chest saying: O Lord, be merciful to me the sinner. ¹⁴ I say to you this one went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone exalting himself will be humbled, but the [one] humbling himself will be exalted.

Jesus and Little Children

¹⁵ Now they were bringing to him even infants¹ in order that he touch them, but when the disciples saw they were rebuking them. ¹⁶ But Jesus called to them saying: Allow the children to come to me and be not hindering them, for of such is the kingdom of God. ¹⁷ Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as [a] child does not enter it.

The Wealthy Ruler

¹⁸ And one of the rulers asked him saying: Good teacher, what having done will I inherit eternal zoe-life² ? ¹⁹ But Jesus said to him: Why do you call me good? No one is good except one—God. ²⁰ You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not falsely witness, be honoring your father and mother. ²¹ But he said, All these [things] I have kept since youth. ²² But Jesus answering said to him: Yet one [thing] you lack. Sell all as much as you have and distribute [it] to the poor, and you will have treasure in the heavens, and Come! Be following me. ²³ But when he heard these [things] he was become deeply pained, for he was greatly rich. ²⁴ But seeing him Jesus said: How difficultly those having possessions enter into the kingdom of God. ²⁵ For it is easier for [a] camel to enter through [a] needle hole³ than [for] the rich to enter into the kingdom of God. ²⁶ But those who heard said: And who is able to be delivered? ²⁷ But he said: the [things] impossible⁴ with men are possible⁵ with God. ²⁸ But Peter said: Behold having left our own [things]⁶ we have followed you. ²⁹ So he said to them: Truly I say to you that there is no one who left houses or wives or brothers⁷ or parents or children because of the kingdom of God ³⁰ who would not receive much more in this opportune-time⁸ and in the eternity in the coming eternal zoe-life².

Another Prediction of Jesus's Passion

³¹ But taking along the twelve he said to them: Behold we go up to Jerusalem, and everything written through the prophets with respect to the son of man will be completed. ³² For he will be delivered up to the nations and will be mocked and will be scoffed at and will be spit upon, ³³ and having flogged [him] they will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised. ³⁴ And they understood nothing of this, and this word was hidden from them, and they did not know what was said.

Healing a Blind Man

³⁵ Now it came to pass when he was drawing near to Jericho a certain blind man sat beside the road begging. ³⁶ But having heard while the crowd was walking through he inquired what this might be. ³⁷ So they reported to him that Jesus the Nazarene comes by. ³⁸ And he cried out saying: Jesus son of David, have mercy on me. ³⁹ And those preceding⁹ him were rebuking him that he be silent, but he cried out rather more. ⁴⁰ But having stood [still] Jesus called him to be brought to him. So when he came near he asked him, ⁴¹ What do you want I do for you? So he said: O Lord, that I gain sight. ⁴² And Jesus said to him: Gain sight, your faith has saved you. ⁴³ And immediately he gained sight, and he was following him glorifying God. And when all the people saw they gave praise to God.

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¹babies or toddlers

²from ZOE "ZOH-ay" (ζωη)—Life 'collectively', interdependent, interconnected. Although it means 'life' in the conventional sense (for example: Matt.9:18, Matt.27:63, Luke.2:36, Acts.25:24, Rom.7:2, 2Cor.1:8, 1Thes.4:17, 1Tim.5:10, Rev.19:20), Jesus uses ZOE exclusively of 'life eternal' (with the possible exceptions of Luke.15:13, Luke.16:25). The other N.T. writers use ZOE in both senses—temporal and eternal, generally clear from the context. The Father is the 'zoe-living God' (see Matt.16:16). The Septuagint (LXX) in Gen.2:7 has "...[God] breathed into his nostrils the breath of zoe-life, and the man became a zoe-living psyche-life" (and see 1Cor.15:45); and Gen.3:20 (LXX) "And Adam called his wife's name ZOE, because she was the mother of all zoe-living." Contrast PSYCHE (ψυχη): an individual manifestation of life/consciousness. See John.12:25 where both ZOE and PSYCHE occur. Greek also has the word BIOS (βιoς ) for 'life' in the sense of biological processes.

³or "perforation"

⁴or "powerless"

⁵or "powerful"

⁶can refer to one's own home (and everything and everyone in it) or to one's property or possessions.

⁷"brothers" can mean "siblings" (both male and female), but note that "sisters" are explicitly mentioned in the parallel passages in Matt.19:29 and Mark.10:29

⁸KAIROS (καιρoς ) `opportune time', `proper time', `season'

⁹or "leading"