* Luke 18:21 "'All these I have kept since I was a boy,' he said."
* Luke 18:23 "When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth."
* Luke 10:25-37 someone else asked the same question. They two events are clearly not the same.
* Whether Matthew 19:18-30, Mark 10:17-31, and Luke 10:17-31 record the same event and man is not completely clear. However, is is highly possible that they are because all three directly follow people bringing little children to Jesus. John does not record this event as he focuses his gospel account more on the very beginning of Jesus' ministry and the events of the Passion Week.
Luke, Matthew and Mark's accounts are almost identical. The difference are each either add or omit a little information. The sentence structure differences should be ignored because the common people which includes Jesus and the disciples spoke Arabic and the gospels were written in Greek and now they are translated in English. I will assume that all three accounts are the same event.
* "ruler" -The type of ruler is not defined. Most likely he was a ruler of a local synagogue or a leading member of Jericho which they were approaching (35).
* "All these I have kept since I was a boy" -According to the Mosaic Law. Thus, he was not only a Jew, but a moral one as well. It can be assumed he also kept the extra rules and regulations added by the Pharisees and teachers of the Law.
* "a man of great wealth" -Whether inherited or self-earned is not stated and unimportant. The teaching is for both situations. It can be assumed the wealth was both obtained and maintained according to societal and religious rules.
>What did he ask Jesus?(18b; Matthew 19:20b: Mark 10:17b)
* Luke 18:18b "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
* Matthew 19:16b "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?"
* Mark 10:17b "Good teacher what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
* "Good teacher" -Mark, and Luke record that he called Jesus "good teacher". Matthew only states he addressed Jesus as "teacher" and then added to his question. "What good thing must I do to get eternal life?". Matthew did not need to add "good" because it is understood he was asking about good things as opposed to the opposite.
The Hebrew word for "teacher" is "rabbi". Luke used the Greek word "didaskalos" which is usually translated as "Master" when people were addressing Jesus.
* "I do" -Jesus later would counter the belief that a person is responsible for gaining eternal life through being "good" when he said, "What is impossible with men is possible with God." (27)
* "what must I do inherit" -He believed as most people then and now that eternal life is granted to people who either do everything according to God's way or either more good than bad. Jesus said in John 3:14-15 that the only thing needed is believe in him. A decision is not a work. A decision leads to work. Like the old hymn goes, "I have decided to follow Jesus." The decision leads to the act of following.
* "inherit" -Mark does not add this verb. It seems strange that the man asked what must he do and then say "inherit". The only way to inherit anything is nothing. The original Greek word is "kleronomeo" which can only be translated "inherit". Jesus and the apostles used it in connection to inheriting the earth and the promise. (Matthew 5:5; Hebrews 6:17).
* "eternal life?" -The original Greek is "aionios zoe". The two words can only be translated "eternal life".
* The expression "eternal life" occurs in the Old Testament only in Daniel 12:2 (as "everlasting life").
It occurs frequently in the New Testament (i.e. Matthew 7:14, 18:8-9; Luke 10:28, 18:18). It comprises the whole future of the redeemed (Luke 16:9), and is opposed to "eternal punishment" (Matthew 19:29, 25:46). It is the final reward and glory into which the children of God enter (1 Timothy 1:16, 6:12, 19; Romans 5:21, 6:22; Galatians 6:8); their Sabbath of rest (Hebrews 4:9; Compare Hebrews 12:22).
The newness of life which the believer derives from Christ (Romans 6:4) is the very essence of salvation, and hence the life of glory or the eternal life must also be theirs (Romans 6:8, 5:17, 21, 8:30; Ephesians 2:5-6; 2 Timothy 2:11-12). It is the "gift of God in Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23). The life the faithful have here on earth (John 3:36, 5:24, 6:47, 53-58) is inseparably connected with the eternal life beyond, the endless life of the future, the happy future of the saints in heaven (Matthew 19:16, 29, 25:46). (Illustrated Bible Dictionary: And Treasury of Biblical History, Biography, Geography, Doctrine, and Literature)
* The quality of life including the promise of resurrection which God gives to those who believe in Christ. This important term in the New Testament is emphasized in the Gospel of John, but also appears in the other Gospels and in Paul's writings. Eternal life in the New Testament eliminates the boundary line of death. Death is still a foe, but the one who has eternal life already experiences the kind of existence that will never end.
Yet in this expression, the emphasis is on the quality of life rather than on the unending duration of life. Probably some aspects of both quality and duration appear in every context, but some refer primarily to quality of life and others point to unending life or a life to be entered into in the future.
"Quality of life" involves
1) life imparted by God
2) transformation and renewal of life
3) life fully opened to God and centered in Him
4) a constant overcoming of sin and moral evil
5) the complete removal of moral evil from the person and from the environment of that person. (Holman Bible Dictionary)
* He asked Jesus this because even with all he did he knew he was lacking something. Though he was religious he did not know what it was and not even the people he asked could not help him.
Listen to the above comments on Luke 18:18
* The drawing titled "Rich Ruler" is by Luther, Martin (1483-1546). It is in the book, "Hausspostilla vber die Sontags vnd der furnemesten Feste Euangelien, durch das gantze Jar / Doct. Mart. Luther".
>Why does Jesus reply teach about him and his understanding of the man's motive? (19)
* Luke 18:19 "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good--except God alone."
* Matthew 19:17a "Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good."
* Mark 10:18a "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good--except God alone."
* In connection to the note above, Matthew adds Jesus's answer to a question that neither Mark nor Luke include, that is the word "good". Then he eliminates the question Luke and Mark include. Nothing is lost in Jesus' answer to him, nor the main point of the passage.
* Jesus's answer is an obvious answer. Why then does Jesus state it? Because the man thought he was good. Also, he called Jesus good. He believed doing something good is the price to pay to have eternal life. So, Jesus is bringing to light the ruler's conception problem with being good and inheriting eternal life.
* A "certain ruler" came to Jesus as he approached the entrance to Jericho (35, 19:1). He was a ruler (18), most likely Jericho's synagogue ruler (8:41 is Capernaum's synagogue ruler). He certainly had the qualifications. He kept the commandments (19) probably including the extra rules created by the Pharisees and teachers of the law, he was wealthy (23), and the disciples recognized his post from the unique religious garbs that synagogue rulers wore (26).
The rich young good guy went out to Jesus to ask him a question that must have troubled his soul for some time. "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" he asked (18). The question of eternity is asked by all, for as Solomon wrote, "He has set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." (Ecclesiastes 3:11)
Jesus mentions eternal life (aka everlasting life) many times in this teaching (Matthew 18:8, 19:16, 29, 25:46; Mark 10:17, 30; Luke 10:25; John 3:15-16, 36, 4:14, 36, 5:24, 39, 6:24, 40, 47, 54, 68, 10:28, 12:25, 50, 17:2-3). The Apostle John records it the most, often taken the place of the term "kingdom of God" and "kingdom of heaven" which are used in the Synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke). The Synoptic gospels treat the following expressions as synonymous: 1) eternal life, 2) entering the kingdom of heaven (24-25, 29; Matthew 19:23; Mark 10:24), 3) being saved (26; Matthew 19:25; Mark 10:26), 4) age to come (30; Mark 10:30), and 5) at the renewal of all things (Matthew 19:28). I am only looking at this passage though it is true elsewhere.
Jesus answered the man by citing half the Ten Commandments, the ones that deal with interaction with others. He did not cite the ones that deal with interaction with God. Before Jesus quoted from Exodus 20:12-15 and Deuteronomy 5:16-20 he asked an interesting question and made an interesting comment about being good. The reason was because the ruler, like many, had mistakenly believed salvation in terms of righteousness by good works. Jesus had to correct this misunderstanding first before answering the question more fully.
Listen to the above comments on Luke 18:18-21.
>If the man already knew the commandments why did Jesus repeat them?
* Luke 18:20 "You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.'"
* Matthew records that after Jesus said, "If you want to enter life, obey the commandments," by asking, "Which ones?" (Matthew 19:18) Then Matthew records Jesus' answer, "Do not..."
* Exodus 20:12-17 "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
"You shall not murder.
"You shall not commit adultery.
"You shall not steal.
"You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
"You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."
* Deuteronomy 5:16-21 "Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
"You shall not murder.
"You shall not commit adultery.
"You shall not steal.
"You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
"You shall not covet your neighbor's wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbor's house or land, his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."
* The man had the wrong concept of good, that goodness was keeping the commandments and that that had anything on a person having eternal life.
* Jesus was addressing the rulers first problem with why he needed to ask the question about how to obtain eternal life.
* The photograph titled "Er-Riha, the Jericho of the Crusades" is from the Photochrom Co., Ltd. The small village was situated some two miles farther to the east of old Jericho, and was in ruinous condition at time of the photo was taken because it was destroyed by the Turks in 1840. The Photochrom Co. was a producer of postcards launched in 1895 and based in Zurich. It used a revolutionary process whereby black-and-white photographs were overprinted by multi-color lithography, with up to fourteen different ink colors being applied in sequence to produce what the company claimed was "natural colour photography".
>2. What kept him from being perfect? (21-22)
* Luke 18:21-22 "All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said. When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
* "All these I have kept since I was a boy" -Matthew adds that the ruler followed this with the question, "What do I still lack?" (Matthew 19:20) This shows that he knew in his heart that though he kept the law it was not enough to inherit eternal life. Something was still missing.
* "You still lack one thing." -The one thing was love. He had a priority problem. Love for God and love for others was not his priority, though he thought they were. Love is not an act if emotion is not attached.
* "Then come, follow me." -Jesus gave him an invitation, but only after he expressed love practically.
>What does his reaction reveal? (23)
* Luke 18:23 "When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth."
* He loved money.
>What can we learn from Jesus from his next words to the rich young good guy?
* Luke 18:24-25 "Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
* "Jesus looked at him" -Jesus was not finished in helping the man.
* "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!" -A rebuke that was meant to help the ruler recognize that he was not who he thought he was and that his eternal life was in jeopardy because of his love for riches.
* Jesus gave him a proverb as an illustration. Some point out that there was an entrance through Jerusalem's wall that was called, "The Eye of a Needle" because it was very narrow. The only way a camel could go through the gate was to completely unload the camel's burden of goods. Wealth and possessions are a burden. Though fitting, the one slight problem to this thought was that Jesus and the disciples were about to enter Jericho, not Jerusalem.
>3. What encouraging words did Jesus give those who were surprised? (26-27)
* Luke 18:26-27 "Those who heard this asked, "Who then can be saved?" Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."
* "Those who heard this" -Matthew and Mark says that those who heard Jesus were his disciples.
* "Who then can be saved?" -Jesus directly countered the believe and teaching both then and now that religious activity and moral living is blessed with wealth and social position. So the disciples were shocked. This respected ruler who was moral and wealthy would not be saved because he didn't do enough.
* "saved" -The opposite of "eternal life" is "eternal punishment". The disciples and all those who heard Jesus knew this. So, when they asked Jesus this question they were asking who could be saved from eternal punishment.
>What does it mean?
* "What is impossible with men is possible with God." -Salvation is not through any work we can or cannot do. Salvation is only a gift of God given my grace alone.
* Romans 5:9-11 9"Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."
* Ephesians 2:4-9 "But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast."
* Jesus answered a certain ruler who asked, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus cited the second half of the Ten Commandments, the ones that concern our interaction with other people. When the ruler heard Jesus's answer, he replied, "All these I have kept as a boy" (21). Perhaps Jesus was going to cite all ten, but the man, in excitement, cut Jesus off before he finished.
Jesus replied by directly addressing the ruler's problem. "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me" (22). The ruler was rich. When he heard Jesus, he became sad. When Jesus saw this, he openly acknowledged the man's internal struggle and gave him a proverb as a warning. (24-25)
I note that this encounter interchanges "eternal life" (18, 30), "treasure in heaven" (22), "the kingdom of God" (24, 25, 29), and "the age to come" (30). Jesus warned the rich, now-sad ruler with the proverb "The Camel and Needle-Eye" that if he didn't obey, he would forfeit them. The choice was and is always ours. Jesus's disciples made the right choice (28-30). Did he? We do not know.
The ruler's problem was that he loved others and God because he believed he kept the Ten Commandments. He kept the letter of the Law but not the spirit of the law, that is, love. The man loved wealth more than God and others. He could not give his first love away. Thus, Jesus's prediction in "The Parable of the Shrewd Manager" is proven true: "No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." (16:13)
Listen to the above comments on Luke 18:22-29.
>Why did Peter state what he did?
* Luke 18:28 "Peter said to him, 'We have left all we had to follow you!'"
* Matthew and Luke have "everything" instead of "all", a minor difference in translation to English that is not in all translations.
* Was it regret for leaving everything that he felt before this and now relief that this decision was more than worth it? Was he asking, "Is this enough?" Was Peter asking, "We did that Jesus, so...?"
* Matthew adds to Peter's question, "What then will there be for us?"
>How did Jesus encourage him?
* Luke 18:29-30 "I tell you the truth," Jesus said to them, "no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life."
* Matthew 19:28-30 adds more words from Jesus. Mark 10:29-34 also adds more, but not what Matthew added.
* "in this age and, in the age to come" -This age is the age of the preaching of the good news. The age to come is after the resurrection of the dead. See Matthew's account that confirms this for he adds "at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne...".
* Jesus acknowledged that the disciples decision to leave everything to follow him made three years early had set up treasures for them in heaven and the age to come.
II. Jesus Again Predicts His Death (18:31-34)
>4. What did Jesus know about the details of the things that would happen to him in Jerusalem?
* Luke 18:31-32 "Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, "We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him."
* Luke 10:32-34 and Mark 10:32-34 puts this prediction directly after the exchange with the rich young good guy. Matthew 20:1-16 adds "The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard" in between the exchange with the rich young good guy and this prediction (Matthew 20:17-19).
* Jesus' previous predictions of his death in Luke's gospel are below.
Luke 5:34-"Jesus answered, "Can you make the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast."
Luke 9:22 is the first distinct perdition. "And he said, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life."
Luke 9:43-45 is the second distinct perdition. Jesus simply said, "Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you: The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men." (Luke 9:44)
Luke 12:50 Jesus said, "But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed!"
Luke 13:32-33 "Jesus replied, "Go tell that fox, 'I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.' In any case, I must keep going today and tomorrow and the next day--for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!"
Luke 17:22, 25 "Then he said to his disciples, "The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it... But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation."
The angels at the resurrection tomb said, "Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: "The Son of Man must..." (Luke 24:6-7)
* The word "crucify" has not yet occur in any of the passion predictions in the Synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke), but the statement here that Jesus would be "handed over to the Gentiles" to be killed by them suggests crucifixion, since this was the usual mean of Roman capital punishment of non-Romans.
Mark, Luke, and John begin using the word "crucified" on the day Jesus was crucified. Matthew 20:19 (same as this one) uses the word "crucified" when Jesus predicted his death. Matthew 26:2 also has Jesus uses it when Passover was two (2) days away.
John's uniquely records that Jesus told Nicodemus, "Just as Moses lifted the snake up in the desert, so the Son of Man may will be lifted up..." (John 3:14). This is the closes that the four gospels record Jesus predicted the crucifixion before this passage. Yet, even then Jesus did not use the word "crucified".
Matthew records Jesus twice telling the religious leaders (Luke does once) that they will be given the sign of Jonah, referring to being buried 3 days, implying his death and resurrection, but not using the word "crucified" (Matthew 12:39-40, 16:4; Luke 11:29-32).
Then, Matthew 16:21 comments prior to this event, "From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life." Yet, even in Matthew prior to this event the word "crucified" is not used.
* The artwork title "Jesus Whipped" is by Luiken, Jan, (1649-1712). It was in the book, "De schriftuurlyke geschiedenissen en gelykenissen van het Oude en Nieuwe Verbond / Vertoonende drie honderd zeven en dertig konstige figuuren ; verrykt met bybelse verklaaringen en stichtelyke verzen, door Joannes Luiken, met het leven van den dichter".
The whipping of Jesus in the forecourt of the Roman Court. The Dutch artist and poet Johannes Luyken (1649-1712) drew and etched this emblem and wrote the accompanying poem.
The cited passages are: Isaiah 53:5-6, Luke 18:32-33, and 1 Peter 2:21-24.
>How did he know about them?
* The Messiah's death had been predicted and/or prefigured centuries before (Psalm 22; Isaiah 53; Zechariah 13:7, etc.)
* Luke 24:27 "And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself."
* Matthew 26:24a "The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him."
* Matthew 26:54 "But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?"
* The Hebrew calendar's spring holy days (feasts) in the Mosaic Law also predicts his suffering and resurrection(Explained at the beginning of studies 34 to 42 and elsewhere in this commentary.).
>What is the final outcome?
* Luke 18:33 "On the third day he will rise again."
* "third day" -Burial end of Hebrew day (sunset) is day 1. Sabbath is day two. Resurrection is at sunrise the day after Sabbath, the third day.
* "rise again" -The original Greek word is "anistemi" meaning "stand up".
* Jesus' resurrection is the climax of the passion week. His death for our sins would have had not effect if he didn't rise from the dead. If he would have remained dead and buried, then it would me Jesus was not the perfect and blameless offering.
>5. Why did the disciples not understand?
* Luke 18:34 "The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about."
* Luke's comment here is not in Matthew nor Mark's accounts of this prediction.
* "The disciples did not understand any of this"
* "Its meaning was hidden from them"
* "they did not know what he was talking about."
>Why then tell them?
* Luke 24:6-8 "He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.'" Then they remembered his words."
* Jesus and his disciples, traveling south, passed through Perea on the east side of the Jordan River, turned west, crossed the Jordan River, and entered the northernmost part of the Judean Desert as they approached Jericho (17:11, 18:35) while on their way to Jerusalem for the Passover. This is where John the Baptist had baptized Jesus and publicly declared about Jesus, "Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world" (3:1-3, 21-4:1, Mark 1:4, 9; Matthew 3:1, 13; John 1:15, 29-36)
Jesus, perhaps remembering John's words over three years earlier, took the time to tell his disciples what would happen to him in Jerusalem. "We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again." (31-33)
Jesus knew what was going to happen. Yet, he did not turn away. Instead, he thought of his disciples. He prepared them. But they did not understand. The meaning was hidden because they held onto someone else's teaching about the Messiah.
What would I do if I knew my future and that future included pain, suffering, and crucifixion? Would I think of others? Though I may not know details about what is going to happen, sometimes I can deduce that the coming days, weeks, and months will not be pleasant. For example, loss of a job, moving, illness, and the death of a loved one will mean hardship. It is times like these that I especially should be thinking of others and what I can do to help them, just like Jesus did.
Listen to the above comments on Luke 18:31-34
III. A Blind Beggar Receives His Sight (18:35-43)
* "The Bind Beggar" is by Josephus Laurentius Dyckmans (1811-1888) and is now in public domain.
>6. Where did the blind man live?
* Luke 18:35 "As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging."
* Matthew 20:29-34 and Mark 10:46-52 are the same event as Luke 18:35-43. However, Mark and Matthew places the healing of the blind men between Jesus' prediction of his death and resurrection, and an encounter with the blind beggar, a request from James and John (with their mother there) to Jesus. Luke does not include this request.
* John 9 is not the same event. John 9 happened in Jerusalem many months earlier. John 11, Lazarus raised from the dead, took place shortly before Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
* "Jericho" -Jericho is a place of fragrance. Jericho means "moon". Some consider Jericho the oldest city in the world. It is 5 miles (8km) west of the Jordan River and about 15 miles (24km) northeast of Jerusalem. From Jericho to Jerusalem is a very steep climb.
Jericho is a fenced city in the midst of a vast grove of palm trees in the plain of Jordan. It was the place where that Jordan River was crossed by the Israelites and the first city they fought (Joshua 3:16). It is near the spring ain es-Sultan, meaning Elisha's Fountain (2 Kings 2:19-22).
Jericho was the most important city in the Jordan valley (Numbers 22:1; 34:15), and the strongest fortress in all the land of Canaan. It was the key to Western Palestine.
The Holman Bible Dictionary states, "Jericho is situated in the lower Jordan Valley, which, according to Genesis 13:10, "was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord." The Old Testament town lies beneath tell es-Sultan near one of Palestine's strongest springs. New Testament Jericho, founded by Herod the Great, was about 1.5 miles (2.4km) southward in the magnificent wadi Qelt. The spring, ain es-Sultan, issues some 30,000 cubit feet (850 cubic meters) of water daily which falls about 160 feet (49m) in the first mile (1.6km) of its course down many channels to the Jordan River 6 miles (10km) away, irrigating about 2,500 acres (10 square km).
"The combination of rich alluvial soil, the perennial spring, and constant sunshine made Jericho an attractive place for settlement. Only about 6.4 inches (162mm) of rain fall there per year (mostly between November and February), and the average temperature for January is 59F (15C), while it is 88F (31C) for August. Jericho is about 740 feet (230 meters) below sea level (accounting for its warm climate) but well above the Dead Sea 8 miles (13km) southward which at 1,300 feet (396 meters) below sea level marks the earth's lowest point. Thus, Jericho could be called "city of palms" (Deuteronomy 34:3; Judges 1:16; 3:3; 2 Chronicles 28:15) and has plenty of palm trees today."
The NIV Study Bible says, "In Jesus' time Old Testament Jericho was largely abandoned, but a new city, south of the old one, had been built by Herod the Great. Luke says Jesus "approached the city" (35). He may have been referring to the new Jericho, while Matthew 20:29 and Mark 10:46 may have meant the old city when they stated they were leaving Jericho."
Calvin wrote that the man started to cry out when Jesus and the crowd were approaching the city where he was not heard because of the noise and was told to stop. So he moved to the exit gate of the city and started shouting as the group left the city where he was heard by Jesus. Calvin's thought is plausible though he would have to wait until Jesus and his disciples ate at Zacchaeus' house which was inside Jericho and which Luke places after him being healed (19:1).
* "a blind man" -Matthew says their were two men. Mark gives only one of the two's name, "Bartimaus, (that is, the son of Tamaeus)". Mark may have meet him sometime later. However, he did know meet the other one and thus excluded him as did Luke.
* The blind man probably lived in the ruins of the mostly abandoned old Jericho. The newly built Herod the Great (37BC-4BC) Jericho was where the rich, like Zacchaeus lived.
* Some of the remains of Jericho's over ten acre winter palace complex with many gardens and buildings including three palaces constructed by Herod the Great (37BC-4BC) about 1.5 miles (3km) southwest of old Jericho. The enormous complex spanned Wadi Qelt gorge, with a bridge connecting the sections built on the northern and southern banks. It had luxurious amenities, courtyards, sunken gardens, and swimming pools. Herod's palace was next to the Roman road that connected Jericho and Jerusalem.
>How did he earn his living?
* "sitting by the roadside begging" -A humbling life, but all he could do to survive and was expected to do. He would want to see, but what hope was there to see?
* The Roman road passing through old Jericho and next to new Jericho would be full of people because the Mosaic Law required all Jewish men to worship in Jerusalem during three holy feasts each year. The Passover which was one of the three feast, was a week away.
>What does this tell us about his fatalistic life?
* All people depend on others whether we acknowledge it or not. Many have the ability to portray they are independent when in fact they are not. A blind man knows he lives on the charity of others, while others want people to believe they do not because that is what society says a man should be no matter the circumstances. Many societies view such a man as less than others. So often we look down on those who openly depend on others, even when their need cannot be denied or hidden. The human heart is slow to be charitable. So though he could obtain food, he would not make enough to wear expensive clothes or live in a comfortable place, even on such a well traveled road. He lived with what he had and made the best of it.
>How did he know that Jesus was passing by the place where he was living?
* Luke 18:36-37 "When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by."
* "When he heard the crowd going by" -Often the blind person's sense of hearing is better trained than those who can see. Human concentration is focused on another sense if one is lost. In the blinds' case hearing is enhanced. The stream of pilgrams going to Jerusalem had a constant sound, until Jesus approached. The sound was different. Jesus' presence changed even the sound of a crowd.
* "he asked what was happening" -The excitement and unique sound of Jesus's crowd beckoned knowing more. He was not slow to ask for help in understanding what he was hearing.
* "Jesus of Nazareth" -A common reference to Jesus during his lifetime to distinguish him from other people named Jesus. (Matthew 26:71; Mark 1:24, 10:47; Luke 4:34, 18:37, 24:19; John 1:45, 18:5, 7, 19:19; Acts 2:22, 3:6, 4:10, 6:14, 10:38, 22:8, 26:9) Acts 22:8 is Paul's recant of his conversion. He said that Jesus addressed himself with this name to Paul. However, perhaps Paul just used that term in his conversion story so the listeners would know which Jesus he was preaching about.
* The artwork titled "Healing the Blind Man" and now in public domain was in the Martin Luther (1483-1546) book "Auslegung der Episteln vnd Euangelien vom Advent an, bis auff Ostern / Durch Doctorem Martinum Luther".
>7. What did he do when he learn about Jesus passing by?
* Luke 18:38 "He called out, 'Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!'"
* "Son of David" -When the angel visited Mary before she conceived said of Jesus, "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David..." (Luke 1:32). Joseph, Jesus' human father was referred as "the son of David" by the angel who visited him after Mary conceived (Matthew 1:20). The people asked themselves, "Could this be the Son of David?" (Matthew 12:23). The children in the crowd with Jesus as he entered Jerusalem said, "Hosanna to the Son of David" (Matthew 21:5). While in Jerusalem teaching the religious teachers agreed that the Christ (Messiah) was the son of David (Matthew 22:42; Mark 12:35; Luke 20:41).
* Isaiah 11:1-5 "A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him-- the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD-- and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist."
* Jeremiah 23:5-6 "The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness."
* Ezekiel 34:22-24 "I will save my flock, and they will no longer be plundered. I will judge between one sheep and another. I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd. I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the LORD have spoken."
>Why did those who led Jesus' way rebuke the blind man?
* Luke 18:39a "Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet..."
* The walk from Jericho to Jerusalem is a six (6) to nine (9) hour walk depending on the pace and stops.
* Fatigue from a long hard journey for those traveling Jesus was setting in. Many probably just wanted to make it to Jerusalem without any more delays.
* "the people in front yelled at him." -Mark states that many people rebuked him. So the man must have been crying out for some time. Mark also indicates this by writing, "...he began to shout... he shouted all the more..." implying he continued and did not stop to shout this. Luke and Matthew also wrote, "...they shouted all the more..." The blind men so desperately wanted Jesus to heal them.
>Why did he shout all the more in spite of their words?
* Luke 18:39b "... but he only all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"
* "have mercy on me!" -He wanted mercy so much. The people trying to stop him did not have mercy. He must have been used to people like those at the front of the crowd.
>What did he believe about Jesus?
* Despondency can find hope; all that is needed is faith. One need not despair; Jesus is going by my way. Despondency continues to cry out in faith; for a better future, the Lord gives eyes to see.
Jericho, in the Jordan valley, is the rich man's paradise, an escape to an oasis "well watered like the garden of the Lord" (Genesis 13:10). Abundant palm, sycamore, and pomegranates trees; music and laughter for all but one in the newly built Herodian city. A blind man (two according to Matthew 20:29) sat by the road hoping for charity from the pilgrims going to the feast of Passover in Jerusalem.
When he heard the crowd following Jesus approaching, he asked what was happening (36). Jesus's popularity attracted many. When he heard it was Jesus, he cried out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Son of David is a Messianic title. Jeremiah 11:1-3 states, "A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse (David's father)... the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him..." It goes on to speak of the character of Jesus. Jeremiah 23:5-6 and Ezekiel 34:22-24 agree and add that a good shepherd will come from David to heal his people. The blind man had faith in Jesus, the Son of David, the Messiah (42).
The blind man's faith is shown that although those who led the way tried to discourage him the man showed faith instead of despondency (39). He cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" Despondency disappears with persistent faith when despair is presented.
Listen to the above comments on Luke 18:35-39
>What can we learn from him?
* Daily life journal entry: Bartimaeus. The day my life changed forever. It is eight days before what I expect will be the most wonderful Passover of my life.
I sat at my normal place at sunrise this morning between old and new Jericho to ask for alms. The spring air was crisp with much fragrance from all the flowers and trees of this rich man's oasis. I expected many travelers to give alms because this was the height of the Passover pilgrimage.
Lately, my blindness has been causing more depression than usual. What hope is there for me other than to sit here day after day? However, something about this morning lifted my spirit. Perhaps it was the spring air. Maybe it was a slight hope that I could eat a full meal today due to increased alms intake. I do not know what it was. But I had a feeling that today was going to be a good day.
The morning alms started slowly due to a smaller than expected crowd, even for my blind friend, the lame man across the street, and the old widow at the city gate. They always received more than I, even when I recited from Deuteronomy, "If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother." (Deuteronomy 15:7) This morning I was quoting Leviticus more because it is specifically for the blind, "Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but fear your God. I am the LORD." (Leviticus 19:14)
Sometime in the afternoon, I heard a large and noisy crowd approaching. My ears were more sensitive than anyone I knew. Something was up, for they were much more excited than any group I had experienced. I asked my friend across the street, "Joseph, what is coming? What is happening?" He hadn't noticed. He asked the lame man sitting up on the wall next to him. He replied. "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by."
I had heard of this Jesus before. He heals people. Some say he is John the Baptizer come back from the dead. I heard John's fiery speeches and knew he was dead for sure. Others say that this Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of David. I agree, for John never healed anyone. This Jesus is reported to heal many people from all kinds of sickness. Would Jesus be willing to heal me?
Listen to the above comments on Luke 18:35-43a
When I heard that Jesus of Nazareth was coming my way, I said to my blind friend across the street, "I believe Jesus can give me sight".
"You do? Like you believed John the Baptist was a prophet? Didn't Herod, the builder of this city, kill him?" he replied, pointing to the new city to his left, not the old one to his right, where the lively crowd was coming from. The jubilant noise was growing. Some at the front of the oncoming crowd were saying, "Hosanna. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"
"I believed John was from God, and he believed that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of David. Our people always kill all the prophets God sends us. Why would John be different? Jesus can heal us!" I insisted and then shouted, "Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!"
"Shut up, fool," said the lame man, still sitting on the path's wall. "No one will give alms if we shout that. John was killed, and if this Jesus has anything to do with him, they would kill him too. Do you want to die with Jesus? Don't take away my chance to receive money from this large, lively group with your loud, stupid cries." Those leading the crowd also tried to quiet me.
"Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!" I shouted all the louder. Jesus could not hear me because the crowd was very noisy. "Son of David, have mercy on me!" The main crowd where Jesus must have been located was now past me. I knew because the noise was diminishing. "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"
"Be quiet. The Lord needs to get to Jerusalem now, for he has many things to accomplish. He cannot stop," those trailing the large crowd added to the lame man's rebuke, who said, "Someone help me out of here. I have no association with these two blind fools."
"Son of David, have mercy on me!" Jesus did not hear. "Friend," I said to my blind friend who was across the street, "let's go to the west entrance and get in front of the crowd again. Join me in asking Jesus, the Son of David, to have mercy on us."
"I will".
Listen to the above comments on Luke 18:35-43b
My friend and I, blind men, passed by Herod the Great's 10-acre, 3-palace garden oasis to the west exit of Jericho. There we waited for Jesus of Nazareth and the exuberant crowd we encountered at the east gate. We had a second chance to receive our sight. We were determined to yell for mercy so Jesus could hear us.
"What is taking them so long? Did we take too long to make it here? Perhaps we missed them," my friend stated.
Just then, a pair of Pharisees stated as they walked to Jerusalem, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner', a chief tax collector. No righteous man would do that."
I told my friend, "John baptized anyone who repented, even soldiers. Pay no attention to those religious bigots. Jesus is still in Jericho, eating as most pilgrims do."
Then we heard the crowd again. "He is coming! Shout with me, friend. Be loud. Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"
Jesus stopped and ordered that we be brought to him. Some came to us and said, "Cheer up! On your feet!. He's calling you." We obeyed. I was so full of anticipation, I threw my cloak aside, jumped to my feet, and came to Jesus (40; Matthew 20:32; Mark 10:49-50).
I didn't think about it then, but now I realize Jesus asked an obvious question: "What do you want me to do for you?"
"Lord, I want to see," I said.
"Yes, Rabbi, we want to see," my friend added.
Jesus touched our eyes and said, "Receive your sight. Go, your faith has healed you." (42; Matthew 20:34; Mark 10:52) Immediately, we received our sight and followed Jesus, praising God all the way to Jerusalem. The greatest day of my life. Surely, the Messiah has come and now he is in his city, Jerusalem. We all expect him to do great things this Passover.
Listen to the above comments on Luke 18:35-43c
>8. What did Jesus do when he heard him?
* Luke 18:40-41a "Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, 'What do you want me to do for you?'"
* "Jesus stopped" -When Jesus stopped almost all the crowd would have stopped.
* "ordered the man to be brought to him"
* "When he came near"
>How was Jesus different from those who led his way?
* "Jesus asked him, 'What do you want me to do for you?'"
*
>9. How did the man respond to Jesus?
* Luke 18:41b "'Lord, I want to see!' he replied"
* "Lord" -The original Greek noun is "kyrios" and is translated either "Lord" (over six hundred times), "Master", and "Sir" in most English translations. It is from "kuros" implying supreme authority and controller. It is a respectful title. "Kuros" can also be translated as "God".
* "!" -Ancient writers pressed their pens hard to apply more ink when they wanted to show strong emotional words.
* "I want to see" -Obvious, but when asked needed to be answered.
*
>What did Jesus do for him?
* Luke 18:42 Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you."
* "receive your sight!"
*
>What did Jesus mean when he said, "Your faith has healed you"?
* "Your faith has healed you"? -Jesus repeated this phrase often.
* "healed" -The original Greek verb "sozo" used here and in other places Jesus said this phrase actually means "saved". This saved is both physical healing ("be freed from your suffering") and spiritual salvation ("go in peace") are meant. The two are often seen together.
* "faith" -The original Greek noun "pistis" can also be translated "assurance" and "belief". It is from the Greek root verb "peitho" that means "persuasion" and "conviction of religious truth". It especially means reliance upon Jesus Christ for salvation.
*
>What can be learned from the blind man?
* Persistent clever faith.
>10. How did the man and the crowd respond to this miracle?
* Luke 18:43 "Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God."
* "Immediately he received his sight"
* "and followed Jesus, praising God"
* "When all the people saw it, they also praised God."
*
>What does this event teach us about Jesus?
* Isaiah 29:18-19 "In that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, and out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see. Once more the humble will rejoice in the LORD; the needy will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel."
