Author: Bill Hall

He will be be delivered by betrayal to the nations, and will be ridiculed, and insulted, and spit upon,

Luke 18:32

Jesus is very specific, and everything He says here would shortly take place. A normal human being in His position would not be able to know exactly what might happen. The mock trial and crucifixion He was about to ensure was more impromptu from man’s perspective. To be sure the Jewish leaders had it in for Him. But they themselves could not have been this specific as to what would actually happen.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the sufficiency of Christ! We are so flawed and proud, but You have made a way for us to be forgiven. And when we think we are worthless You remind us that it was for us that Jesus died. How amazing! We will praise You forever! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Then, taking the twelve aside, He said to them, ‘Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything will be finished that was written by the prophets about the Son of Man.’

Luke 18:31

This is a foretaste of the completion that Jesus would Himself announce on the cross not long after. He was headed to do the work laid before Him and He knew it would be finished. There was no question in His mind as to what He was about to do. He would fulfill what He had directed the prophets to write about Him so many years before.

Heavenly Father, thank You! Christ is the richest gift ever to be given, or that ever could be given. We are in awe of Your plan for our redemption. Nothing could make us worthy of it, though by it wea are given worth in Your grace. We will praise You forever! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

‘who shall not recover many times more in this season, and in the age to come, life eternal.’

Luke 18:30

The joy of fellowship with our Christian family is excellent. For some their physical family is also their spiritual family. But even when this fails, the family of Christ at large fills the void. We have at any time a host of brothers, sisters, mothers, and fathers.

Beyond these riches, we look to eternal life. That which is to come will be wonderful, excelling above all of our fondest imagination.

Heavenly Father, we see this all as so grand. And yet it is no trouble for You. Your power is so much greater than we can ever comprehend. Thank You for Your gracious goodness and love! You are holy, pure, perfect, and so very awesome! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

So He said to them, ‘Truly I say to you, that there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, on account of the kingdom of God,’

Luke 18:29

Though it is not always the case, the vast majority of Christians must leave a home, family tie, or a close friend, due to their relationship with Christ. It is not something to be done flippantly or lightly, but resolutely when the need arises. We must not hold our earthy bonds in place of that heavenly joy.

The scope of this verse is not limited to full-time Christian ministers either. A true relationship with Christ will often require a break with others, even if the demands of time or place of service to the Lord are not a factor in the situation at hand. We should always be ready to release ourselves from this life in the interest of the kingdom.

Do not misunderstand however. Jesus also teaches through the New Testament writers that we are responsible to care for our family. The Lord does not release us to live free from familial responsibility. What He does do is take first place in all things.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the life that You give us. It is a life of care and concern for others, whether in our family or otherwise. But You are above all, and our interest in Your will for us is paramount. It may call us far from home, family, and friends whether physically or in other ways. But all of this is worth it because we love You so much. You are so worthy of our devotion. Thank You for this wonderful life! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Then Peter said, ‘Look, we left everything and followed you.’

Luke 18:29

This is one of those questions that we expect Jesus to rebuke Peter for. We expect Him to say that he should not worry about it and just to trust Him. But that is not our God. That is not how He deals with us. He gives us an answer. He understands the question as it was meant.

Peter was impetuous. Yes, he was. He put his foot in his mouth a lot. But this was not one of those times. He was indeed growing in his understanding of what Christ does in our hearts and lives. Surely this question and this conversation came to his mind later when he spoke to thousands on the day of Pentecost.

Heavenly Father, thank You for understanding us the way that we mean things. Sometimes we are so inept in the way we express ourselves. But You understand us better than we do ourselves. You can see into our very hearts. And You always do exactly the right thing. You always give us the answer that we need. Thank You! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

But He said, ‘The impossible with men is possible with God.’

Luke 18:27

With God, anything is possible. He has no limits. He has no hold-ups. He can do whatever He wills. There are many ‘hard’ things we will face. But He can work through it all.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the miracle of salvation! We cannot make assumptions. None of us deserves Your love. We are all just incredibly blessed to be alive. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

But those who heard it said, ‘Then who can be saved?’

Luke 18:26

In that society the rich were often respected as the best of men. Christ’s hearers were shocked to hear that the rich class would find it hard to enter the kingdom.

Heavenly Father, thank You for revealing Your Truth to the least of us! Your mercy is truly wonderful. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

For it is easier for a camel to enter the needle’s eye than for the rich to enter the kingdom of God.

Luke 18:25

Jesus is of course not saying that rich people cannot be, or should not be, saved. But great wealth often keeps individuals from the truth. We are all dependent upon God, but the wealthy are numb to their dependence.

Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us of Your care. You orchestrate everything. Nobody is outside of Your watchcare. I love You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

And when Jesus saw that he became very sad, he said, ‘How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!’

Luke 18:24

When we find ourselves contented with material things we tend to find our comfort in this life. Even if such comfort is an illusion, we hold to it as our confidence. The poor find it so much easier to trust the Lord from day to day because they see the dependence they have on others and can readily understand how that we all depend upon God.

Heavenly Father, I will look to You for all confidence. Only You can truly be trusted. You have the ability to meet every need. We are completely dependent upon You. Thank You for Your mercy, love, and goodness. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

But when he heard this, he became very sad, because he was extremely wealthy.

Luke 18:23

It is very important to understand what is going on here. This man really did want eternal life. And he really did believe Jesus could tell him how to obtain it. But, he was not willing to part with his riches for the sake of life.

This may seem ridiculous to us. But the fact is that people do this sort of thing every day. Anything that a person values more than Christ is the same as this man’s riches. It was not being rich that kept him from the Lord, it was an unwillingness to forsake all and follow.

The sorrow here is real. This man was very grieved. However, many will be in hell who are very grieved. Sorrow alone does not save anyone.

Heavenly Father, it is so important for us to put our hands over our mouths to stand in awe of You! When we think we have You all figured out, we have only obtained a new level of ignorance. Thank You for graciously allowing us to view Your Truth. May we live forever to enjoy Your beautiful and holy glory! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.