Luke 18:22
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On hearing this, Jesus told him, “You still lack one thing: Sell everything you own and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
lackest . . . one thing--Ah! but that a fundamental, fatal lack. sell, &c.--As riches were his idol, our Lord, who knew if from the first, lays His great authoritative grasp at once upon it, saying, "Now give Me up that, and all is right." No general direction about the disposal of riches, then, is here given, save that we are to sit loose to them and lay them at the feet of Him who gave them. He who does this with all he has, whether rich or poor, is a true heir of the kingdom of heaven.
Open source ↗In this chapter we have, I. The parable of the importunate widow, designed to teach us fervency in prayer (Luk 18:1-8). II. The parable of the Pharisee and publican, designed to teach us humility, and humiliation for sin, in prayer (Luk 18:9-14). III. Christ's favour to little children that were brought to him (Luk 18:15-17). IV. The trial of a rich man that had a mind to follow Christ, whether he loved better Christ or his riches; his coming short upon that trial; and Christ's discourse with his disciples upon that occasion (Luk 18:18-30). V. Christ's foretelling his own death and sufferings (Luk 18:31-34). VI. His restoring sight to a blind man (Luk 18:35-43). And these four passages we had before in Matthew and Mark.
Open source ↗18:22 The man’s love of his riches revealed that he had not perfectly obeyed God; he did not love God or others in the way that God requires (10:25-28). Love of riches is a form of idolatry (Eph 5:5; Col 3:5).
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
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Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide yourselves with purses that will not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.
Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”
I tell you, use worldly wealth to make friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, they will welcome you into eternal dwellings.
But only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Beloved, do not let this one thing escape your notice: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.
Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,
One thing I have asked of the LORD; this is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and seek Him in His temple.
Then Jesus said to all of them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.