누가복음 18

A widow who kept coming

¹Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray at all times and not lose heart. ²He said, “There was once a judge in a certain city who did not fear God and had no regard for anyone. ³In that city there was also a widow who came to him again and again. She said, ‘Give me my rights against my opponent.’ ⁴For a while he refused. But later he said to himself, ‘I do not fear God and I have no regard for anyone. ⁵Still, this widow is such a nuisance that I will give her justice. If I do not, she will keep coming until she wears me out.’”^{a 6}The Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. ⁷Then surely God will give justice to the people he has chosen, when they call out to him day and night. Will he be slow to help them?^{b 8}I tell you, he will see them vindicated, and without delay. Even so, when the Son of Man comes, will he find this kind of faith on the earth?” ⁹There were some who relied on themselves, sure that they were righteous, and who looked down on all others. Jesus told them this parable. ¹⁰“Two men went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector. ¹¹The Pharisee stood and prayed this prayer about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity, who are swindlers, crooks and adulterers, or even like this tax collector.^{c 12}Twice every week I fast, and I give a tenth of everything I take in.’ ¹³The tax collector, though, kept back at a distance and would not even lift his eyes toward heaven. Instead he struck his chest again and again and said, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ ¹⁴I tell you, it was this man, not the other, who went home put right with God. For everyone who lifts themselves up will be brought low, and the one who takes the low place will be lifted up.”

Children and the kingdom

¹⁵People were even bringing their babies to him, so that he would touch them. The disciples saw it and began to scold them. ¹⁶But Jesus called them over and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not try to stop them. The kingdom of God belongs to those who are like them. ¹⁷Truly I tell you, anyone who does not welcome the kingdom of God the way a child does will never get into it.”

A rich leader’s question

¹⁸One of the leaders asked him, “Good Teacher, what do I have to do to inherit eternal life?” ¹⁹Jesus answered, “Why are you calling me good? No one is good but God alone. ²⁰You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery. Do not murder. Do not steal. Do not give false testimony. Honor your father and your mother.’” ²¹The man replied, “I have kept every one of these from my youth.” ²²Hearing this, Jesus told him, “You are still missing one thing. Sell all your possessions and hand out the money to the poor. Then you will have treasure in heaven. After that, come and follow me.” ²³At these words the man was filled with sorrow, for he was a man of great wealth.

²⁴Seeing this, Jesus said, “What a hard thing it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!^{d 25}In fact, a camel could get through the eye of a needle more easily than a rich person could get into the kingdom of God.”

²⁶Those listening asked, “Then who can be saved?” ²⁷He answered, “What human beings cannot do is possible for God.”

²⁸Peter said, “But we have given up what was ours and followed you!” ²⁹He answered them, “Truly I tell you, anyone who has left a house, a wife, brothers, parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God ³⁰is sure to be given back far more in this life, and in the age that is coming, eternal life.”

Going up to Jerusalem

³¹Taking the Twelve aside, he told them, “We are now going up to Jerusalem, and all that the prophets wrote about the Son of Man will come to pass. ³²He will be given over to the Gentiles, who will make fun of him, treat him shamefully and spit on him. ³³After whipping him they will put him to death, and on the third day he will rise.” ³⁴But the Twelve understood none of this. What he said was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what he meant.

A blind man at Jericho sees

³⁵Jesus was approaching Jericho. A blind man was sitting there beside the road, begging. ³⁶He heard a crowd passing by and asked what it was all about. ³⁷They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is going by.” ³⁸So he shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” ³⁹The people at the front of the crowd told him sternly to be quiet, but he cried out all the louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” ⁴⁰Jesus stood still and gave orders for them to bring the man to him. When the man came near, Jesus asked him, ⁴¹“What would you like me to do for you?” He answered, “Lord, I want to see again.” ⁴²Jesus told him, “See again. Your faith has made you well.”^{e 43}At once he could see, and he followed him, giving glory to God. All the people saw what happened, and they gave praise to God.