Luke Chapter 19
Showing all 48 verses for Luke Chapter 19.
The People's Bible is written by people, for the people. Each verse below shows:
"And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. "
"Jesus arrived in the town of Jericho and was passing through it."
I don't stay on the edges of anyone's life - I walk right into the middle of it, ready to meet whoever is there, wherever I find them.
"And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. "
"There was a man called Zacchaeus, a senior tax collector, and he was wealthy."
I don't judge people only by their reputation or their job - a man everyone had written off as corrupt is about to become someone I choose to spend my day with.
"And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. "
"Zacchaeus wanted to see who Jesus was, but he couldn't because of the crowd, since he was a short man."
I notice genuine curiosity wherever it shows up, even in someone the crowd looks down on - a real desire to see clearly is never too small a thing for me to respond to.
"And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. "
"So he ran on ahead and climbed up a sycamore-fig tree to get a look at Jesus, since Jesus was going to pass that way."
I welcome anyone willing to set aside their dignity or reputation to reach me - genuine seeking is never something to be embarrassed about.
"And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. "
"When Jesus reached that spot, he looked up and saw him, and said, 'Zacchaeus, hurry up and come down - I must stay at your house today.'"
I invite myself into your life not because you've earned it, but because I see you and choose you - you don't have to clean yourself up first before I'll spend time with you.
"And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. "
"Zacchaeus hurried down and welcomed Jesus into his home with great joy."
When I show up in your life, I hope your response is genuine joy, not fear or obligation - real change grows out of feeling accepted, not out of being shamed into it.
"And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. "
"When people saw this, they all complained, saying Jesus had gone to be the guest of a sinner."
I expect to be criticised for who I spend time with - other people's disapproval never stops me from going towards the person who needs to be seen.
"And Zacchaeus 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. "
"Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, 'Look, I will give half of everything I own to the poor, and if I've cheated anyone, I'll pay them back four times over.'"
Real change shows up in what you do with what you have - when someone truly meets me, it tends to loosen their grip on money and turn them towards making things right with the people they've wronged.
"And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. "
"Jesus said to him, 'Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham.'"
I don't measure who belongs by outward reputation - the moment you turn towards a better way of living, that change is proof you were never really excluded, whatever anyone else thought of you.
"For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. "
"For the Son of Man came to search for and rescue what was lost."
I don't sit and wait for you to fix yourself and come find me - I actively go looking for whoever feels lost, written off, or beyond help, because that's the whole point of why I came.
"And 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. "
"As people listened to this, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and they assumed God's kingdom was about to appear right away."
When you misunderstand what's coming, I don't leave the confusion standing - I take the time to correct it and tell you plainly what's expected of you while you wait.
"He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. "
"He said, 'A nobleman travelled to a distant country to be appointed king there, and then planned to return.'"
I'm honest that there will be a gap between now and when everything is finally set right - I don't hide that wait, I just tell you plainly what I expect from you during it.
"And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. "
"He called ten of his servants, gave each of them a sum of money worth about three months' wages, and said, 'Put this to work until I return.'"
I give you what you need to get started and then trust you to use it well while I'm away - what matters to me isn't how much you were handed, but how faithfully you use it.
"But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. "
"But his own countrymen hated him and sent messengers after him saying, 'We don't want this man to be our king.'"
I know what it is to be rejected by the very people I came to serve - if you face opposition for doing what's right, I understand that experience personally.
"And 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. "
"When he returned as king, he sent for the servants he'd given the money to, wanting to know how much profit each had made."
I will ask, eventually, what you did with what I gave you - not to catch you out, but because I genuinely want to see how you grew and what you built.
"Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. "
"The first servant came and said, 'Lord, your money has earned ten times as much.'"
I notice and celebrate real effort, even when it started with something small - what you build faithfully with limited resources genuinely matters to me.
"And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. "
"The nobleman replied, 'Well done, good servant! Because you were faithful with a small amount, take charge of ten cities.'"
When you're faithful with the small things I give you, I don't just praise you - I trust you with more, because faithfulness in little things is the real evidence of character.
"And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. "
"The second servant came and said, 'Lord, your money has earned five times as much.'"
I take note of every effort you make with what I've given you, even when the result isn't the biggest - it still counts and it's still seen by me.
"And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities. "
"The nobleman said to him too, 'You take charge of five cities.'"
I match what I give back to what you've actually shown me you can be trusted with - my response to you isn't arbitrary, it reflects the faithfulness you've already demonstrated.
"And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin: "
"Then another servant came and said, 'Lord, here is your money - I kept it safely wrapped up in a cloth.'"
Playing it completely safe with what I've given you isn't the same as being faithful to me - burying your gifts out of caution is its own kind of failure, even if nothing gets lost.
"For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow. "
"'I was afraid of you,' he said, 'because you're a harsh man - you take out what you didn't put in, and harvest what you didn't plant.'"
If you believe I'm harsh and impossible to please, that fear will paralyse you rather than motivate you - I'd rather you take an honest risk than freeze up because you've misjudged who I am.
"And 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: "
"The nobleman replied, 'I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant. You knew I was a harsh man who takes out what I didn't put in and harvests what I didn't plant.'"
I take your own reasoning seriously and hold you to it - if you genuinely believed something was at stake, that belief should have produced at least some action, not none at all.
"Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury? "
"'So why didn't you at least put my money in the bank, so I could have collected it with interest when I returned?'"
I'm not asking for perfection or spectacular results - I'm asking you to at least try something with what I've given you, rather than doing nothing out of fear.
"And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds. "
"Then he said to the bystanders, 'Take the money away from him and give it to the one who has ten times as much.'"
What you refuse to use, out of fear or neglect, I won't leave sitting idle forever - I'll eventually give that opportunity to someone ready to make something of it.
"(And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.) "
"(The bystanders said to him, 'But Lord, he already has ten times as much!')"
I expect you to question things that seem unfair to you - I'd rather you voice that honestly, as these bystanders did, than quietly resent something you don't understand.
"For 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. "
"'I tell you, everyone who has will be given more, but from the person who has nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.'"
The habits and gifts you actually put to use will grow; the ones you leave untouched out of fear will shrink and eventually be lost - so start now, even in small ways, with whatever you've got.
"But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me. "
"'But as for my enemies who didn't want me to rule over them, bring them here and execute them in front of me.'"
I don't pretend that rejecting me has no consequences - I speak honestly about what's at stake, even when it's hard to hear, because I'd rather warn you clearly than let you walk into disaster unprepared.
"And when he had thus spoken, he went before, ascending up to Jerusalem. "
"After saying this, Jesus went on ahead, going up towards Jerusalem."
I go ahead of you, even towards the hardest and most costly parts of what lies before me - I don't send you into difficulty I'm not willing to walk into myself.
"And 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, "
"As he approached Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples ahead."
I plan carefully even for moments that will look spontaneous and celebratory from the outside - what seems unplanned to the crowd is something I've already thought through.
"Saying, 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. "
"He said, 'Go into the village ahead of you; as you enter you'll find a young donkey tied up that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here.'"
I choose ordinary, unused things and people for significant purposes - you don't need a grand history or reputation for me to have real use for you.
"And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him. "
"'And if anyone asks you why you're untying it, just say, "The Lord needs it."'"
I ask for what I need plainly and directly, and I equip you in advance with exactly what to say when things get uncertain - you're never left improvising alone.
"And they that were sent went their way, and found even as he had said unto them. "
"The two disciples went and found everything exactly as Jesus had told them."
What I tell you will happen, happens - my words aren't empty promises, and you can trust the details of what I say, not just the general gist.
"And as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof said unto them, Why loose ye the colt? "
"As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, 'Why are you untying that colt?'"
When you act in obedience to what I've asked, expect to be questioned by others - that's normal, and you don't need to be thrown off by it.
"And they said, The Lord hath need of him. "
"They replied, 'The Lord needs it.'"
I ask you to trust and follow my instructions precisely, even when you don't fully see how they'll work out - obedience in the small details matters as much as the big picture.
"And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon. "
"They brought the colt to Jesus, threw their cloaks over its back, and helped Jesus up onto it."
I welcome whatever honest tribute you can offer, however small or improvised - a coat thrown down in the road matters to me just as much as any grand gesture.
"And as he went, they spread their clothes in the way. "
"As he rode along, people spread their cloaks on the road in front of him."
I accept honour that comes from ordinary people, not just the powerful - real recognition of who I am often comes from the crowd on the road, not from the palace.
"And 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; "
"As he came near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully praising God at the top of their voices for all the miracles they had witnessed."
I want your praise and joy to be rooted in what you've actually seen and experienced of good in your life, not empty hype - real gratitude remembers specifics.
"Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest. "
"They shouted, 'Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest!'"
I bring peace, not through domination or force, but through humility - notice that I arrive on a borrowed donkey, not a warhorse, and that's exactly the kind of king I choose to be.
"And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. "
"Some Pharisees in the crowd said to him, 'Teacher, tell your disciples to stop.'"
I don't shrink who I am to make the powerful comfortable - when people try to silence genuine praise or joy out of fear or self-interest, I don't go along with it.
"And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out. "
"He answered, 'I tell you, if they stayed silent, the very stones would cry out.'"
I won't ask you to stay quiet about something true and good just because it makes others uncomfortable - some truths are too real to be suppressed.
"And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, "
"As he approached and saw the city, he wept over it."
I feel real grief over what's coming for the people and places I love, even in moments that look triumphant on the surface - love includes being honestly moved to tears, not just celebrating.
"Saying, 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. "
"He said, 'If only you had known today what would bring you peace! But now it's hidden from your sight.'"
I grieve when people miss the very thing that would bring them peace, especially when it was right in front of them - I want you to recognise what truly brings peace before it's too late, not after.
"For 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, "
"'For a time is coming when your enemies will build a barricade around you, surround you, and hem you in on every side,'"
I speak plainly about painful consequences ahead when I see them coming, even when no one wants to hear it - honesty out of love sometimes means delivering hard news.
"And 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. "
"'and they will level you to the ground, along with your people within you, and will not leave one stone standing on another - because you did not recognise the time when God came to you.'"
I want you to recognise the moments that truly matter in your life while they're happening, not look back with regret after the chance has passed.
"And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought; "
"Then he went into the temple and began driving out those who were selling things there."
I take direct action against systems that exploit people in the name of religion or authority - I won't stay silent when sacred trust is used for profit at others' expense.
"Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves. "
"He told them, 'It is written, "My house will be a house of prayer" - but you have turned it into a den of robbers.'"
I hold institutions accountable to their original, honest purpose - when something meant to help and connect people is twisted into a means of exploitation, I call it out plainly, using truth rather than mere outrage.
"And he taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him, "
"He taught in the temple every day, while the chief priests, the scribes, and the leading citizens were looking for a way to kill him."
I keep doing what's right and true openly, even while I know powerful people are working against me - fear of opposition never stops me from continuing my purpose.
"And could not find what they might do: for all the people were very attentive to hear him. "
"But they couldn't find a way to do it, because all the people were hanging on his every word."
I trust that a message which genuinely reaches and helps ordinary people carries its own protection and power - opposition from the powerful can't easily silence something people themselves recognise as true and good.