21 And he said , "All these things I have kept from my youth ." 22 When Jesus heard this, He said to him, "One thing you still lack ; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor , and you shall have treasure in heaven ; and come , follow Me." 23 But when he had heard these things , he became very sad , for he was extremely rich . 24 And Jesus looked at him and said , " How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God ! 25 "For 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 ." 26 They who heard it said , "Then who can be saved ?" 27 But He said , " The things that are impossible with people are possible with God ." 28 Peter said , "Behold , we have left our own homes and followed You." 29 And He said to them, "Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children , for the sake of the kingdom of God , 30 who will not receive many times as much at this time and in the age to come , eternal life ."
31 Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, "Behold , we are going up to Jerusalem , and all things which are written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished . 32 " For He will be handed over to the Gentiles , and will be mocked and mistreated and spit upon, 33 and after they have scourged Him, they will kill Him; and the third day He will rise again ." 34 But the disciples understood none of these things , and the meaning of this statement was hidden from them, and they did not comprehend the things that were said .
35 As Jesus was approaching Jericho , a blind man was sitting by the road begging .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Luke 18:21-35
Commentary on Luke 18:18-30
(Read Luke 18:18-30)
Many have a great deal in them very commendable, yet perish for lack of some one thing; so this ruler could not bear Christ's terms, which would part between him and his estate. Many who are loth to leave Christ, yet do leave him. After a long struggle between their convictions and their corruptions, their corruptions carry the day. They are very sorry that they cannot serve both; but if one must be quitted, it shall be their God, not their wordly gain. Their boasted obedience will be found mere outside show; the love of the world in some form or other lies at the root. Men are apt to speak too much of what they have left and lost, of what they have done and suffered for Christ, as Peter did. But we should rather be ashamed that there has been any regret or difficulty in doing it.
Commentary on Luke 18:31-34
(Read Luke 18:31-34)
The Spirit of Christ, in the Old Testament prophets, testified beforehand his sufferings, and the glory that should follow, 1 Peter 1:11. The disciples' prejudices were so strong, that they would not understand these things literally. They were so intent upon the prophecies which spake of Christ's glory, that they overlooked those which spake of his sufferings. People run into mistakes, because they read their Bibles by halves, and are only for the smooth things. We are as backward to learn the proper lessons from the sufferings, crucifixion, and resurrection of Christ, as the disciples were to what he told them as to those events; and for the same reason; self-love, and a desire of worldly objects, close our understandings.
Commentary on Luke 18:35-43
(Read Luke 18:35-43)
This poor blind man sat by the wayside, begging. He was not only blind, but poor, the fitter emblem of the world of mankind which Christ came to heal and save. The prayer of faith, guided by Christ's encouraging promises, and grounded on them, shall not be in vain. The grace of Christ ought to be thankfully acknowledged, to the glory of God. It is for the glory of God if we follow Jesus, as those will do whose eyes are opened. We must praise God for his mercies to others, as well as for mercies to ourselves. Would we rightly understand these things, we must come to Christ, like the blind man, earnestly beseeching him to open our eyes, and to show us clearly the excellence of his precepts, and the value of his salvation.