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Luke 19

KJV · Chapter 19/24

1And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.

2And, behold, there was a man named Zaccheus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.

3And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.

4And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.

5And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zaccheus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.

6And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.

7And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.

8And Zaccheus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.

9And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.

10For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

11And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear.

12He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.

13And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.

14But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.

15And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.

16Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.

17And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.

18And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.

19And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.

20And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin:

21For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.

22And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:

23Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?

24And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds.

25(And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.)

26For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.

27But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.

28And when he had thus spoken, he went before, ascending up to Jerusalem.

29And it came to pass, when he was come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount called the mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples,

30Saying, Go ye into the village over against you; in the which at your entering ye shall find a colt tied, whereon yet never man sat: loose him, and bring him hither.

31And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him.

32And they that were sent went their way, and found even as he had said unto them.

33And as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof said unto them, Why loose ye the colt?

34And they said, The Lord hath need of him.

35And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon.

36And as he went, they spread their clothes in the way.

37And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen;

38Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.

39And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples.

40And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.

41And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,

42Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.

43For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side,

44And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.

45And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought;

46Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves.

47And he taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him,

48And could not find what they might do: for all the people were very attentive to hear him.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

Jesus visits the home of Zacchaeus, a tax collector who publicly repents. He tells the parable of the ten minas about faithfulness and responsibility, then enters Jerusalem triumphantly, weeps over the city, and drives the money changers out of the temple.

Explanation

Zacchaeus, socially rejected for collaborating with Rome in tax collection, represents yet another example of a marginalized person whom Jesus seeks out and transforms — 'the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost' (v.10). The parable of the ten minas teaches about making good use of what has been entrusted to us, with responsibility proportional to what was given. The triumphal entry into Jerusalem, with the people hailing Jesus as king, fulfills messianic expectations, but his weeping over the city reveals that he knew of the rejection and destruction to come. The cleansing of the temple demonstrates his zeal for the holiness of the place of worship. The application today is to remember that no one is beyond the reach of God's grace, whatever their social reputation.

Fun facts

  • Zacchaeus was a 'chief tax collector' (v.2), a position of authority over other tax collectors, which explains why he was especially wealthy and especially hated by his fellow Jews.
  • Jesus' prediction about the destruction of Jerusalem (v.43-44) was historically fulfilled in A.D. 70, when the Roman legions commanded by Titus destroyed the city and the temple after a Jewish revolt.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Luke 19:1This transitional verse simply sets the scene: Jesus enters Jericho and is passing through the city.
  2. Luke 19:2Being the “chief” among the publicans meant overseeing other tax collectors beneath him and profiting from a whole collection network, not just from his own tax-taking. That explains both Zaccheus’s wealth and the size of the city’s resentment toward someone in that position.
  3. Luke 19:3Zaccheus wanted to see Jesus, but his short height and the crowd around him made that impossible — a very practical obstacle that leads him to his next solution.
  4. Luke 19:4Climbing a sycamore tree for a better view was an undignified thing for a wealthy grown man to do in that society — it shows how far his curiosity outweighed any concern for his own image.
  5. Luke 19:5It is striking that Jesus already knows Zaccheus’s name without introduction, and even takes the initiative to invite Himself to his house — a reversal of the usual custom of hospitality.
  6. Luke 19:6Zaccheus’s response is immediate and joyful: he hurries down and receives Jesus gladly, without hesitation.
  7. Luke 19:7The crowd grumbles that Jesus is lodging at the house of a sinner — the same recurring social objection to His associations found throughout the gospel.
  8. Luke 19:8The law normally required repaying what was stolen plus a smaller added penalty — paying back fourfold was a far more generous restitution than any court could have demanded of him. Zaccheus voluntarily holds himself to a far higher standard than the law itself required.
  9. Luke 19:9Jesus declares that salvation has come to that house, affirming that Zaccheus, even though rejected as a sinner, is also a son of Abraham — the changed life announced in the previous verse confirms this declaration.
  10. Luke 19:10This line sums up Jesus’s mission: to seek and to save that which was lost — directly linking this episode to the theme of the parables in chapter 15 about lost things and lost people.
  11. Luke 19:11Jesus tells this parable because, so near Jerusalem, many expected the Kingdom of God to appear immediately — the story corrects that hasty expectation.
  12. Luke 19:12The scenario of a nobleman traveling to a far country to receive a kingdom and then return echoes the real historical practice of princes in that region, who had to travel to Rome to have their rule confirmed by the emperor.
  13. Luke 19:13A mina was a considerable sum, roughly equal to three months’ wages — ten servants receive this amount with the simple instruction to trade with it until their lord returns.
  14. Luke 19:14The citizens who hate the nobleman and send a delegation against him reflect real historical episodes of opposition to rulers in that region who needed Roman approval.
  15. Luke 19:15Returning now as king, he calls the servants to give an account of what each one gained with the money he was given.
  16. Luke 19:16The first servant reports a tenfold return on the original amount — an excellent result.
  17. Luke 19:17The reward is proportional to the faithfulness shown with a small amount: authority over ten cities, far more responsibility than the original sum entrusted to him.
  18. Luke 19:18The second servant reports a fivefold return on the original amount — smaller than the first, but still a positive result.
  19. Luke 19:19His reward is likewise proportional: authority over five cities, less than the first servant’s, but still significant.
  20. Luke 19:20The third servant simply kept his mina wrapped in a cloth, making no effort at all to put it to use.
  21. Luke 19:21His excuse accuses his own lord of being harsh and of profiting from what is not his — a justification that tries to shift the blame for his inaction onto his lord’s character.
  22. Luke 19:22The lord uses the servant’s own words against him: if he truly believed that, he should have acted with more care, not less.
  23. Luke 19:23The minimum expected effort would have been at least putting the money in the bank to earn interest — the simplest possible action, and the servant did not even do that.
  24. Luke 19:24The mina is taken from the negligent servant and given to the one who already had ten — a redistribution based on productivity, not equality.
  25. Luke 19:25Those present react with surprise at the decision, pointing out that this servant already has ten minas — the same puzzlement a reader might feel at this outcome.
  26. Luke 19:26This principle repeats what already appeared back in chapter 8: to everyone who has, more will be given; from the one who has not, even what he seems to have will be taken away.
  27. Luke 19:27The parable’s ending is harsh: the king orders those who did not want him to reign to be brought and slain before him — a dark echo of real historical episodes of repression against those who opposed rulers in that region.
  28. Luke 19:28The narrative picks the main thread back up after the parable: Jesus continues going up the road toward Jerusalem.
  29. Luke 19:29Near Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, Jesus sends two disciples ahead — the start of the preparations for the triumphal entry.
  30. Luke 19:30Entering on a colt that no one had ever ridden echoes a prophecy of Zechariah about a king arriving humbly, mounted on a donkey instead of a war horse. Anyone who knew that prophecy would recognize a deliberate gesture here, not just a detail of transportation.
  31. Luke 19:31Jesus already anticipates the question the disciples will be asked and supplies the ready answer: “the Lord hath need of him” — suggesting either a prior arrangement or knowledge of the situation beyond the ordinary.
  32. Luke 19:32The disciples sent ahead find everything exactly as Jesus had said — confirming the accuracy of His prediction.
  33. Luke 19:33The colt’s owners ask the reason, exactly as Jesus had anticipated.
  34. Luke 19:34The disciples answer with the exact phrase Jesus supplied, and that seems to be enough for the animal to be released.
  35. Luke 19:35Laying their own cloaks on the animal was part of preparing an entry with real significance, tied to Zechariah’s prophecy of a king arriving mounted on a colt.
  36. Luke 19:36Spreading cloaks on the road where Jesus passes was a traditional gesture of honor reserved for kings or victors, as also happened with Jehu in 2 Kings 9.
  37. Luke 19:37Near the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples begins praising God aloud for all the mighty works they had witnessed — a public, collective celebration.
  38. Luke 19:38This acclamation comes from Psalm 118, traditionally sung by pilgrims arriving in Jerusalem for the great feasts. Using it here to specifically call Jesus King gives the scene a political and messianic weight that goes beyond the psalm’s normal festival use.
  39. Luke 19:39Some Pharisees in the crowd ask Jesus to rebuke His disciples — likely worried about how much this messianic acclamation might draw unwanted attention from the Roman authorities.
  40. Luke 19:40Jesus’s answer is firm: if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out — affirming that this praise was both inevitable and right, something creation itself would testify to if people did not.
  41. Luke 19:41This is one of the rare moments the gospel records Jesus weeping openly — not over personal pain, but over the tragedy He already sees coming for the city.
  42. Luke 19:42Jesus’s lament plays on the meaning of the name Jerusalem, tied to the word peace: the city could have recognized the things that belong to her peace, but now they are hidden from her eyes.
  43. Luke 19:43This prophetic description of a military siege, with trenches surrounding the city on every side, was historically fulfilled in the Roman siege of Jerusalem in the year 70.
  44. Luke 19:44This lament is understood as a prediction of Jerusalem’s destruction by Roman troops in the year 70, roughly forty years later — an event that had already happened by the time Luke wrote this. That explains the very specific siege details described in the following verses.
  45. Luke 19:45As soon as He enters the temple, Jesus begins driving out those who were selling and buying there — a decisive act of authority right after the triumphal entry, at the very heart of the religious center.
  46. Luke 19:46The temple courts, especially the area set aside for Gentiles to pray, had turned into a market for selling sacrificial animals and exchanging money to pay the temple tax, often at abusive rates. Jesus’s action targets exactly this commercial exploitation taking over the one space reserved for foreigners to pray.
  47. Luke 19:47Jesus now teaches daily in the temple, while the chief priests, scribes, and leaders of the people are already seeking ways to kill Him — the opposition now takes direct aim at His life.
  48. Luke 19:48They cannot act because the whole crowd hangs on Jesus’s words, listening with real interest — popular support functions as a practical brake on the religious leaders’ plans, at least for now.

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