Lucas 18
Leon Morris · Citado em PreceptAustin
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Morris - What the Pharisee said about himself was true. His trouble was not that he was not far enough along the road, but that he was on the wrong road altogether....The Pharisee also went beyond the Law’s requirements in tithing. The Law prescribed that certain crops be tithed (Deut. 14:22+), but it was a Pharisaic practice to tithe even garden herbs (Lk 11:42+). What this Pharisee said about himself was strictly true, but the spirit of the prayer was all wrong. There is no sense of sin nor of need nor of humble dependence on God. The Pharisee came short of congratulating God on the excellence of his servant, but only just. ‘He glances at God, but contemplates himself’ (Plummer). After his opening word he does not refer to God again, but he himself is never out of the picture. (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries –The Gospel According to St. Luke: An Introduction and Commentary - borrow) I pay tithes (give one tenth) of all that I get (ktaomai) - Not some of what I get but ALL, even to the ridiculous extreme of tithing seeds (Lk 11:42+)! Stein writes that "The Pharisee did more than the law demanded in that he tithed everything that came into his possession, not simply what he earned. He may have done this in case the person who sold this to him had not tithed it. By these two acts the Pharisee boasted of his works of supererogation, i.e., he thought he did more than God required of him." (See Luke: An Exegetical and Theological Exposition)
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Morris - More plausible is the view that the words render a Semitic expression meaning ‘He postpones His wrath’, i.e. God’s delay in vindicating the elect is in order to give people the opportunity to repent. (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries –The Gospel According to St. Luke: An Introduction and Commentary - borrow) Expositor's Bible Commentary - The point of the verse is that God patiently listens to his elect as they pray in their continuing distress, waiting for the proper time to act on their behalf. ESV Study Bible says will He delay long over them - probably means, “Will God be patient much longer as he sees his elect suffer?” The implied answer is no." Justice (Vengeance) (1557)(ekdikesis from ek = out, from + dike = justice; see also ekdikos) is literally that which proceeds "out of justice". Ekdikesis means to give justice to someone who has been wronged. It means to repay harm with harm on assumption that initial harm was unjustified and that retribution is therefore called for. W E Vine says ekdikesis describes pay back that is based on justice and "not (as often with human vengeance) from a sense of injury, or merely out of indignation. The judgments of God are holy and right, and free from any element of self-gratification… There is thus no element of vindictiveness, of “taking revenge,”… in the judgments of God; they are both holy and right (cp Rev 16:7+). The word indicates full, complete punishment. Ekdikesis was a technical term for administrative justice. Ekdeke Elect (chosen)(1588)(eklektos from verb eklego which in middle voice [eklegomai] means select or pick out for one's self which is derived from ek =out + lego =call) means literally the "called out ones" or "chosen out ones". The idea of eklektos is the ones who have been chosen for one's self, selected out of a larger number. Luke uses ekletos only one other time to describe "the Christ of God, His Chosen One." (Lk 23:35). Jesus uses ekletos three times in the eschatological section of Matthew, the Olivet Discourse - Mt 24:22, 24, 31+ (cf Mark 13:20, 22, 27). Ekletos - 22x in 22v - Matt. 22:14; Matt. 24:22; Matt. 24:24; Matt. 24:31; Mk. 13:20; Mk. 13:22; Mk. 13:27; Lk. 18:7; Lk. 23:35; Rom. 8:33; Rom. 16:13; Col. 3:12; 1 Tim. 5:21; 2 Tim. 2:10; Tit. 1:1; 1 Pet. 1:1; 1 Pet. 2:4; 1 Pet. 2:6; 1 Pet. 2:9; 2 Jn. 1:1; 2 Jn. 1:13; Rev. 17:14 Related Resources on ELECTION: Click here for many resources on election (this list has many resources NOT listed below) Who are the elect of God? How can I know if I am one of the elect? What is conditional election? Unconditional election - is it biblical? What does Peter mean when he tells us to make our calling and election sure in 2 Peter 1:10? How are predestination and election connected with foreknowledge? Daniel Wallace - My Understanding of the Doctrine of Election List of Multiple Topics on Election, Including Quesitons Wayne Barber's sermon Chosen in Christ Making Your Calling and Election Sure - 2 Peter 1:10-11 What is the Doctrine of Election - John MacArthur The Doctrine of Election, Part 1 - John MacArthur The Doctrine of Election, Part 2 - John MacArthur What does the Bible teach about election? - John MacArthur Election and Predestination: The Sovereignty of God in Salvation - A Panel Discussion with John MacArthur Is the Doctrine of Election Biblical - John MacArthur Is the Doctrine of Election Unfair? - John MacArthur Election - Bob Utley Election/Predestination and the Need for A Theological Balance - Bob Utley Cry out (present tense = as one's lifestyle, only possible by depending on the Spirit)(994)(boao from boé 995) means raise a cry, call or shout of joy, pain, etc, by using one’s voice with unusually high volume. In this context (and many more of the Septuagint = LXX uses) this verb depicts crying out was for help or assistance. Luke uses this verb 7x more than all other NT writers combined = Lk. 3:4; Lk. 9:38; Lk. 18:7; Lk. 18:38; Acts 8:7; Acts 17:6; Acts 25:24. Matthew has the first NT use of boao describing John the Baptist “THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS." (Mt 3:3, Mk 1:3, Lk 3:4, Jn 1:23) Can you picture him shouting out with considerable volume. Of course in the context of prayer to God, it is not the level of volume that counts, but the sincerity (faith, submission, brokenness, etc) of the heart that counts (cf Ps 51:16,17). Boao is used of Jesus crying out on the cross (Mk 15:34). Luke use of boao in chapter 9 gives us a sense of the passion with which we should petition God (as if the life of our only child were at stake!) - " And a man from the crowd shouted, saying, “Teacher, I beg You to look at my son, for he is my only boy" (Lk. 9:38+) Luke uses this same verb again in Luke 18:38+ of the blind man who "called (boao - loudly!) saying "Jesus, Son of David (acknowledging Jesus' Messianic claim with this title), have mercy on me!" Sensing His need and nearness of the Savior prompted a loud plea, a good model for every child of God in this present evil age (Gal 1:4+, cf "days are evil" in Eph 5:16+) to practice with persistence and perseverance! What would this mindset do to our praying? We need to see ourselves continually as people just as needy as this blind man saw himself and that will surely motivate passionate pleading! Delay (3114)(makrothumeo from makros = long, distant, far off, large + thumos = temper, passion, emotion or thumoomai = to be furious or burn with intense anger; See related word makrothumia) literally describes prolonged restraint of thumos, of emotion, anger or agitation. It means one's temper is long (as opposed to "short tempered) and does not give way to a short or quick temper toward those who fail. Luke's use in this context conveys more of the simple meaning of delay or as one lexicon says "perhaps be slow to help them or delay to help them." (UBS) Other passages speak of the truth that God will not delay... Habakkuk 2:3+ “For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait (Lxx = hupomeno in the aorist imperative = do this now!) for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay. The Hebrew verb wait for is chakah. It is used in the following examples of "eschatological waiting." The book of Daniel closes with a blessing for those who would wait for the fulfillment of the prophecies (Dan 12:12+). The Lord declares, “Wait for me” (Zeph 3:8+). The expressions “to wait for the Lord” in Isa 8:17+ and “to wait for him” in Isa 64:4, connote an attitude of earnest expectation and confident hope. In Isaiah 64:4 we read "For from of old they have not heard nor perceived by ear, Neither has the eye seen a God besides Thee, Who acts in behalf of the one who waits for Him." Henry Morris - The fulfillment of God's promises (or warnings) may seem to tarry by our reckoning. But God has an appointed time for their accomplishment, and we can be sure it will come on time (Josh 23:14), for He does not lie (Titus 1:2+, Nu 23:19). In the New Testament, this truth which Habakkuk applied to the coming Chaldean invasion is quoted in reference to the promised return of Christ (Hebrews 10:36,37). To we who long for His return, it may seem that He is "tarrying." But we need to be patient, to "occupy till [He] come[s]" (Luke 19:13+), and to be ready. (Borrow The Defender's Study Bible) Like a number of OT prophecies that have a dual fulfillment, Habakkuk's words have a near fulfillment with Babylon's invasion but also a far future fulfillment with the King of kings' "invasion," which the prophet did not understand. See the near and far fulfillment schematic below... Hebrews 10:35-37+ Therefore, do not throw away your confidence (CONTEXT IS JEWISH BELIEVERS WHO WERE SUFFERING FOR THEIR BELIEF IN MESSIAH), which has a great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance (CF WAITING ON JEHOVAH - PRAYING AT ALL TIMES FOR HIS RETURN!), so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised (AND LUKE 18:7 SAYS PART OF THAT "PROMISE" IS VINDICATION, PERFECT JUSTICE! THIS TRUTH SHOULD HELP RESTRAIN US FROM SEEKING OUR OWN VENGEANCE! cf Ro 12:17-21+). 37 FOR YET IN A VERY LITTLE WHILE, HE WHO IS COMING WILL COME, AND WILL NOT DELAY. Max Lucado - God’s Good Timing God will always give what is right to his people who cry to him night and day, and he will not be slow to answer them.LUKE 18:7 Why does God wait until the money is gone? Why does he wait until the sickness has lingered? Why does he choose to wait until the other side of the grave to answer the prayers for healing? I don’t know. I only know his timing is always right. I can only say he will do what is best.… Though you hear nothing, he is speaking. Though you see nothing, he is acting. With God there are no accidents. Every incident is intended to bring us closer to him. (Grace for the Moment) Luke 18:8 "I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?" He will: Ps 46:5 143:7-9 2Pe 2:3 3:8,9 when the Son of Man comes: Mt 24:9-13,24 1Th 5:1-3 Heb 10:23-26 Jas 5:1-8 Luke 18 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 18:1-8 Persevering in Prayer - Steven Cole Luke 18:1-8 - Persistent Prayer for the Lord's Return - John MacArthur Related Passages: James 5:1-8+ Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. 2Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! 4 Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. 5 You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you. 7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. 8 You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. Daniel 7:13+ “I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him. SPEEDY JUSTICE FOR THE ELECT I tell you that He will bring (poieo - accomplish) about justice (ekdikesis) for them quickly (tachos) - He will bring about justice see comments above on this same phrase in Lk 18:7. Jesus uses the idiom en tachei which means quickly, suddenly and so He is promising that when it happens it will happen suddenly. His justice on behalf of the elect will be sudden, sure and complete! But we are to keep praying and persisting in prayer and not lose heart because He is waiting to gather in all His elect. Quickly does not necessarily immediately, but quickly once it begins. Compare "like the lightning" (Lk 17:24+) Christ's justice will be swift and sure, and "our suffering will seem short-lived compared to the glory to follow. In the meantime he protects us.” (Bock) I tell you - note that 2/3's of uses of this demonstrative declaration are by Luke - Matt. 2:13; Matt. 10:27; Matt. 11:9; Matt. 12:36; Matt. 21:27; Matt. 26:64; Mk. 11:33; Lk. 11:8; Lk. 11:51; Lk. 12:5; Lk. 12:27; Lk. 12:51; Lk. 13:3; Lk. 13:5; Lk. 13:24; Lk. 13:27; Lk. 14:24; Lk. 15:7; Lk. 15:10; Lk. 17:34; Lk. 18:8; Lk. 18:14; Lk. 19:26; Lk. 19:40; Lk. 20:8; Lk. 22:37; Lk. 22:67; Jn. 3:12; Jn. 16:7; 1 Co. 15:51 Steven
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Morris - When he asks whether the Son of man will find faith on earth, he is not suggesting that there will be no believers. He is saying that the characteristic of the world’s people at that time will not be faith. (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries –The Gospel According to St. Luke: An Introduction and Commentary - borrow) Wiersbe on will He find faith - The question in Luke 18:8 ties in with what Jesus taught in Luke 17:22–37: “Shall He find [that kind of] faith on the earth?” The end times will not be days of great faith. Eight people were saved in Noah’s day, and only four out of Sodom (and one of them perished on the way). Passages like 1 Timothy 4 and 2 Timothy 3 paint a dark picture of the last days. (Borrow Be courageous Luke 14-24) Criswell - "Will He find faith on the earth?" underscores the concern of Jesus that the disciples not be shaken in their faith and confidence in Him. (Believer's Study Bible) R Kent
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Morris - There is an implied call to faith, for the man could not do what Jesus asked without trusting him wholeheartedly. The call to give everything away was more than simply a dramatic challenge: it showed that the man had not understood the commandments he professed to have kept. The first of them enjoins the worship of one God. But when he was faced with the choice he found that he could not serve God if it meant parting with his money. It was not really God that had first place in his heart. (The Gospel According to St. Luke: An Introduction and Commentary - borrow) W A Criswell on sell all that you possess - Jesus does not teach that salvation is ever achieved by divesting oneself of all possessions, even for charitable purposes. However, this youthful inquirer had one concern that was far greater than his desire to have life eternal. His possessions occupied the position of primary devotion in his life. (ED: HE HAD AN "IDOL")Until he could persuade himself to be willing to seek God regardless of the cost (cf. Mt 6:33), he could never discover eternal life. Therefore, Jesus suggested the selling of his possessions. Adrian Rogers says that "Whatever a man trusts is his god. Say amen. Whatever a man trusts is his god. Anything you love more, serve more, trust more, fear more than Almighty God is an idol. Do you see that? This man had an idol. This man had a false god. No man can serve two masters, but he must serve one. And what this man needed to do in order to have eternal life was to repent. Repent of what? Idolatry. First Thessalonians speaks of “how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God” (1 Thessalonians 1:9). Now this turning to God from idols, whatever the idol is in your heart and in your life—and, it may not be money—but, I’m telling you, one God is enough for everybody....Now this turning is called repentance (metanoia). And here is where many people miss salvation. They hear a preacher preach, and they want to go to Heaven, so they just think that they can hold on to their gods and just add Jesus in as one more god. But you must repent. (cf Jesus' first words when He began to preach - Mt 4:17, Mark 1:15 is about as plain as it could be stated = "The kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the Gospel.", The doctrine of repentance has "fallen on hard times" in American evangelicalism but see Jesus' emphasis in Lk 5:32+, Lk 13:3,5+, Lk 15:7, 10+, Lk 24:47+) You cannot hold your god of greed with one hand and your God of grace with the other hand. You have to turn from idols to serve the living God. And there is the problem in so many churches: that people have joined churches, and they have never really repented of their sin....Now this rich young ruler would have been happy to accept the message that is preached in the average church today—the feel-good religion. And give him a little religiosity; baptize him; take him into the church. Now Jesus is not teaching works righteousness. But He is teaching that no man can serve two masters, but he must serve one. Jesus is saying, “You come and follow Me."
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Morris - It is a fact that few of the world’s great religious teachers have been greatly concerned with children. Jesus is different. The Master called (Lk 18:16) the children and made them welcome. (The Gospel According to St. Luke: An Introduction and Commentary - borrow) So that (purpose clause) He would touch (hapto in present tense = laying His hands on them, one after another) them - The purpose of bringing the children was to receive a touch from Jesus and as Mark 10:16 adds to receive a blessing. Matthew 19:13 adds "so that He might lay His hands on them and pray." There was nothing "magical" in Jesus' touching them. Touching or laying on of hands is used in Scripture as a way to bestow blessing on another (Acts 6:6, Acts 8:17, Acts 9:17, 1 Ti 5:22, 2 Ti 1:6) Acts 6:6 And these they brought before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them. Acts 8:17 Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit. Acts 9:17 So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 1 Timothy 5:22 Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin. 2 Timothy For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. Related Resource: Laying on of hands - what does the Bible say?
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Morris - Jesus went on to point out that it is the childlike to whom the kingdom of God belongs (not those proud of their virtues like the Pharisee, 11f.) What matters is whole-hearted trust like that of a child. The negative is also true. Unless one receives the kingdom like a child one will never enter it. Children show us the way in their utter dependence, their unworldliness, their openness, the completeness of their trust. (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries –The Gospel According to St. Luke: An Introduction and Commentary - borrow) D A Carson says "childlike qualities such as trust, openness, and the absence of holier-than-thou attitudes" POSB - A child is usually humble and forgiving. He is not interested in prominence, fame, power, wealth, or position. He does not push himself forward."
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Morris on ruler - The term is a very general one and ‘denotes Roman and Jewish officials of all kinds’ (Gerhard Delling, who sees the rulers in this Gospel as a group of people distinguished from the elders, scribes and high priests ). We cannot be specific about his office and suggest for example that he was a ruler of the synagogue (in any case, as Matthew tells us that he was young, this is unlikely). But at least he was among the ruling classes. (The Gospel According to St. Luke: An Introduction and Commentary - borrow) Mark adds two important details not recorded by Luke, recording that this man ran up to Him and knelt before Him. What does this show about this ruler? Running up to Jesus speaks of his eagerness, earnestness and sense of urgency. Ostensibly he had a vibrant enthusiasm for the things of God. And secondly, the fact that he knelt (Greek = gonupeteo = literally fell on his knees; kneel down before someone in petition, cf. Tacitus, Annals, cf action of Jairus in Lk 8:41 but a different verb) before Jesus depicts a degree of humility. Note that there is no indication he came at night like Nicodemus (Jn 3:2), but in broad daylight, publicly and without embarrassment. He was not worried about his reputation. Consider the context -- Jesus is a poor peasant prophet and this young man is a ruler and is rich and yet he was willing to bow down, in spite of his position, possessions, power and prestige! This young ruler reminds me of another young Jewish man, Mark Zuckerberg, who began Facebook, and at a young age attained all of advantages of this rich young ruler! How wonderful would it be if he read this story, saw himself depicted and was gloriously saved! Let it be so Lord. Amen. Another thing about this rich young ruler was that he expresses discernment because he clearly recognized there was something different about Jesus, calling Him good Teacher. He recognized something good about Jesus. As Adrian Rogers said "we have a lot of people who cannot even discern goodness—even in the Lord Jesus Christ. There are cynics who know the price of everything and the value of nothing." And he was spiritually minded, clearly having a concern for spiritual things, asking Jesus what he could do to attain eternal life. He didn't ask Jesus about worldly matters, but eternal matters. Too many people are interested in mundane, temporal things, but not this rich young ruler. Note also that this young man had a degree of moral cleanliness as shown by his answer in Lk 18:21. How would you have answered Jesus? And so outwardly this rich young ruler is morally clean. In addition, he was financially successful, Matthew 19:22 and Mark 10:22 recording that he owned much property and Luke 18:18 describing him as rich. What is fascinating about this ruler, is that he is the sort of young man any church in America would love to have in their congregation. He "had it all" as we might say today. He was a "good person" and was surely well on his way to heaven! Or so it seemed. Read on. As an aside an early edition of Webster’s Dictionary defined a Christian as “a decent, civilized, or presentable person.” The rich young ruler would certainly have qualified under that easy but deficient definition. A. Plummer writes, "There is no instance in the whole Talmud of a rabbi being addressed as 'Good Master'; the title was absolutely unknown among the Jews". Leon Morris adds that "Good Teacher, was not in use among the rabbis because it ascribed to man an attribute possessed only by God (according to Plummer there is not one example in the whole Talmud of a rabbi being addressed in this way; Fitzmyer finds one example, but it is dated in the fourth century)." (The Gospel According to St. Luke: An Introduction and Commentary - borrow) R Kent
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Morris observes, “When a man takes seriously the requirements of the law he is on the way to coming to Christ” (Luke[IVP/Eerdmans], p. 267). In our attempts to share the gospel, we are often too quick to share the good news before people feel the awful weight of the bad news. When we are talking with a person who trusts in his own goodness to get him into heaven, we need to emphasize the holy Law of God which the person has violated, even though he is blind to that fact. The Bible says that to keep the whole law, but to violate it in one point, is to be guilty of it all (James 2:10). You can live a perfect life, but if you sin just once, you are disqualified from heaven, because God will not allow any unpardoned sinner into heaven. He must punish all sin in order to be just. If you were driving too fast and got a ticket, you could tell the judge, “But I’ve never murdered anyone,” and it would not get you off. You could say, “I’ve never robbed a bank. I’ve always paid my taxes. I go to church.” It wouldn’t matter. You broke the law and the judge will impose the penalty. Or, suppose that you went to buy a new mirror and the clerk tried to sell you one with a crack in it. He says, “It’s just a small crack. The rest of the mirror is just fine.” Sorry! One crack makes a broken mirror. One sin makes a sinner and law-breaker. And we all have sinned, not just once, but repeatedly all of our lives. People who think that they’re good enough to qualify for heaven need to hold their behavior, including their thoughts, up to the standard of God’s holy Law. They need to feel, as
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Morris has a similar thought regarding Jesus' question why do you call Me good - Jesus proceeds to show the shortcomings in the young man’s position. No one is good but God alone is not to be understood as a repudiation of the epithet good as applied to himself. If that was his meaning, Jesus would surely have said plainly that he was a sinner. Rather he was inviting the ruler to reflect on the meaning of his own words. (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries –The Gospel According to St. Luke: An Introduction and Commentary - borrow) Criswell on no one good - Jesus is not denying His goodness or His deity here, but is making an effort to cause the man to identify the source of His goodness, the very goodness of God. In fact, the obvious purpose of Jesus' reply is to force the ruler to the realization that Jesus is good because He is God. (Believer's Study Bible) Ray Pritchard on good - Jesus understands that all true goodness comes from God. He’s saying, “When you call me good, do you really know what you’re saying? If I am good in the ultimate sense, it’s because I am not merely a good person, it’s because I am God in human flesh.” And so, when Jesus says, “Why do you call me good?” he’s asking the question, “Do you really know who you are talking to? And do you really know what you are saying?” William Lane on good - Jesus responded by directing attention away from himself to God, who alone is the source and norm of essential goodness. The apparent repudiation of the epithet “good” only serves to radicalize the issue posed by the question of verse 17. The inquirer’s idea of goodness was defined by human achievement. He undoubtedly regarded himself as “good” in the sense that he was confident that he had fulfilled the commandments from the time he first assumed their yoke as a very young man; now he hopes to discover from another “good” man what he can do to assure eternal life. Jesus’ answer forces him to recognize that his only hope is an utter reliance upon God, who alone can bestow eternal life. The referral of the question to God, bowing before the Father and giving him the glory, places Jesus’ response within the context of the lordship of God. In calling in question the man’s use of “good,” Jesus’ intention is not to pose the question of His own sinlessness or oneness with the Father, but to set in correct perspective the honor of God. He took seriously the concept of the envoy which stands behind the formulation of Mark 9:37 (Lk 9:48+), and desires to be known only in terms of his mission and the one who sent him. (NICNT-Mark) Norman Crawford notes that "The Lord Jesus did not deny the goodness that the young ruler had attributed to Him, and now gave him opportunity to consider the full implications of his form of address, that the One who is "good" is God. We do not conclude from this that he grasped the truth of the identity of the Lord Jesus, but the implications are clear. There is, however, another truth that is in the Lord's words. Only God is good in the absolute sense, therefore the young ruler is sinful. The greatest of all soul winners is showing a sinner how far short he has come of the standard demanded by divine holiness (Rom 3:9-23). The acknowledgment of his guilt as a sinner is the necessary requirement to receive eternal life, not as a reward for personal goodness but as a gift. (What the Bible teaches – Luke) Kent
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Morris adds "The rabbis held that the law could be kept in its entirety, and for example R. Eliezer could ask, ‘Akiba, have I neglected anything of the whole Torah?’ (Sanhedrin 101a). The young man’s claim was thus not outlandish, even if superficial. It showed that he had not thought deeply enough about what keeping the commandments meant. (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries –The Gospel According to St. Luke: An Introduction and Commentary - borrow) In Mt 19:20 he adds "what am I still lacking?” His question tells us that he knew something was missing. He knew that despite his good behavior, his heart was restless. Deep down, he was asking “I’ve kept the rules — but why do I still feel empty? Is there more to eternal life than obedience?”
Lucas 18
Morris comments on this somewhat enigmatic verse - On the other side of the cross such sayings must have been very difficult. The disciples did not understand. Jesus said many paradoxical things and they probably reasoned, ‘He cannot mean that he will literally die and rise. This must be something like the dying in order to live that he demands of us’ (cf. Lk 17:33). It took the cross and the empty tomb to make them understand. For the present this saying was hidden from them, which may mean that they were prevented from understanding (ED: IT SEEMS THAT IS THE MOST NATURAL WAY TO INTERPRET THIS - AS POSB SAYS "THEY WOULDN'T, SO THE COULDN'T!"). If so, the thought will be that their failure to grasp it had its place in God’s purpose. (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries –The Gospel According to St. Luke: An Introduction and Commentary - borrow) And the meaning of this statement was hidden (krupto) from them - Hidden is in the perfect tense which indicates that it was hidden at some point in time and remained hidden or concealed, although after His resurrection their spiritual eyes were opened by the Spirit. In view of the fact that was hidden is in the passive voice, it is almost certainly an example of the "divine passive," so somehow the significance of Jesus' passion prediction was kept veiled from the disciples. In the first direct mention of His passion Luke has a similar description of a three-fold failure to comprehend Jesus' words writing “Let these words sink into your ears; for the Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.” But they did not understand (active voice) this statement, and it was concealed f(perfect tense, passive voice, again likely the divine passive) from them so that they would not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this statement." (Luke 9:44-45+) POSB - They understood none of these things. They would not accept nor understand the death of Christ literally. They refused to take His words at face value (ED: THIS SPEAKS OF A CHOICE); therefore, they did not understand these things. his saying was hidden from them. Since they would not literally accept His words, they could not understand. What He said was a puzzle, a mystery, a riddle. The meaning was completely hidden from them. The word "hid" (kekrummenon PWS: 1945) has the sense of completion in it. (Borrow Luke Commentary) Lawrence Richards agrees commenting that "Luke clearly implied that God Himself withheld understanding awaiting the right time. What a helpful reminder! Often those we teach or minister to, including our own children, seem unwilling to grasp and apply truths we know are vital. Despite all we say, they make unwise or foolish choices. While the reason may lie in their own willfulness, we must remember that it may simply be that it isn’t yet God’s time for them to understand. God often hides the meaning of what we teach until the time is right to reveal it. Let’s deal graciously and patiently with others, as Jesus did with His disciples. If they seem slow or reluctant, let’s consider the possibility that God has His own reasons for withholding understanding for a time." (Borrow 365 Day Devotional Commentary) As Jesus approached Jerusalem, He wept over it (Lk 19:41) and said "If you (ED: HE IS PERSONIFYING THE CITY OF JERUSALEM) had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden (krupto) from your eyes." (Luke 19:42+) And they did not comprehend the things that were said - Note that not is the strongest negation (ou, ouk) indicating they absolutely did not "get it!" Comprehend is ginosko meaning to know by experience, and in the imperfect tense means again and again they did not know, which is in keeping the fact that again and again they were told of His passion either directly or in allusions. And yet they kept on not comprehending or perceiving. John uses the same verb in explaining that "These things (referring specifically to the Zech 9:9 prophecy alluded to in Jn 12:14) His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him." (John 12:16)