RSV ~ Luke 19 Notes

Lk 19:1-10 | ISB Notes

This is an episode recounted only in Luke. The story is marked with irony, since Zacchaeus sought with great effort to see Jesus (19:3-4), only to discover that Jesus was seeking him (19:10)! Despite his riches (19:2), Zacchaeus held a loose grip on his wealth and so gave generously to the poor (19:8).

Lk 19:2 | ISB Notes

chief tax collector: Possibly the head of a taxing district in charge of other collectors. Most tax collectors were suspected of dishonesty and despised as sinners (19:7). See note on Mk 2:14.

Lk 19:8 | ISB Notes

fourfold: The most stringent standard of restitution for thievery (Ex 22:1) (CCC 2412).

Lk 19:9 | ISB Notes

son of Abraham: Israel traced its ancestry to the patriarch (Is 51:1-2). Zacchaeus showed himself a true descendant by his repentance (3:12-13) and faith (Rom 4:12). Abraham is an important figure in Luke (1:55, 73; 13:16; 16:22).

Lk 19:10 | ISB Notes

A Lucan summary of Jesus’ mission as the “Savior” (2:11; 5:32; 9:24; 15:3-32).

Lk 19:11 | ISB Notes

appear immediately: The disciples expected Jesus’ long journey to Jerusalem to culminate in his enthronement and the establishment of an earthly kingdom (Acts 1:6). The parable corrects this misunderstanding on two counts. (1) It hints that Jesus will be enthroned far away in the heavenly Jerusalem, not in the earthly city just up the road (Acts 2:33-36). (2) It shows that Jesus will be absent for a time before he returns to judge his enemies and settle accounts with his servants.

Lk 19:12-27 | ISB Notes

Luke’s parable of the Pounds is similar to the parable of the Talents in Mt 25:14-30. It has multiple layers of significance. (1) Historically, it recalls how the Herodian rulers of Palestine often traveled to Rome to bid for ruling authority. Archelaus in particular went before Caesar Augustus seeking the kingdom of his late father, Herod the Great, in 4/1 B.C. As in the parable (19:14), Jewish delegates also journeyed to Rome to oppose the request. (2) Morally, Jesus stresses the need for diligence and responsibility. He expects disciples to fulfill their Christian duties in his absence, warning that fear will be no excuse for laziness or lack of productivity (19:20-24). (3) Theologically, the parable envisions Jesus ascending to the Father to receive his kingdom (19:12; Mk 16:19) and returning to judge those who reject his royal authority (19:27). His return is closely linked with the judgment of Israel and the downfall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, which is itself a prophetic preview of his Second Coming in glory to judge all nations at the end of time.

Lk 19:13 | ISB Notes

ten pounds: Literally, “ten minas”. Each one was worth nearly four months’ wages for a laborer. Here the pounds are distributed equally, while the Matthean parable distributes “talents” unequally (Mt 25:15).

Lk 19:27 | ISB Notes

slay them: Points to the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, when the city will draw a divine curse upon itself for rejecting Jesus as its messianic king (13:34-35; 19:41-44; 21:20-24).

Lk 19:28 | ISB Notes

going up to Jerusalem: The long journey begun at 9:51 finally ends as Jesus arrives at his appointed destination (13:22, 33; 17:11; 18:31; 19:11).

Lk 19:28-40 | ISB Notes

Jesus’ triumphal entry is staged as a royal procession (Jn 12:12-19). See note on Mt 21:1-11.

Lk 19:29 | ISB Notes

Bethphage … Bethany: Two villages within two miles of Jerusalem (Jn 11:18). See note on Mk 11:1.

Olivet: The Mount of Olives directly faces the city on the east. It is here that Jesus and the disciples lodged during the evenings of Passion Week (21:37).

Lk 19:30 | ISB Notes

a colt: Matthew mentions a “donkey” also (Mt 21:7). The animal was fit for sacred use, since no one had ridden upon it (Num 19:2; 1 Sam 6:7).

• Jesus’ procession into the city fulfills the royal prophecy of Zech 9:9. The colt symbolizes that Jesus comes in peace; otherwise he would be mounted on a war horse (Zech 9:10) (CCC 559).

Lk 19:38 | ISB Notes

Blessed is the King: The crowds chant Ps 118:26 in fulfillment of Jesus’ words in 13:35. The Hallel Psalms (11318) were regularly sung by Jewish pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem for the sacred feasts of Passover, Weeks, and Booths. . Peace … glory: Echoes the angelic hymn of 2:14.

Lk 19:42-44 | ISB Notes

Jesus foresees what eventually took place in A.D. 70, when the Roman army laid siege to Jerusalem and destroyed it (21:20). Its conquest will be a sign that God is visiting his judgment on the wayward city.

• Jesus clothes his solemn words with the language and imagery of OT prophecy (Is 29:1-3; Jer 6:6; Ezek 4:1-3). Because Jerusalem has become a repeat offender, it will again suffer the devastation that befell the city in 586 B.C. with the Babylonian invasions.

• Mystically (St. Gregory the Great, Hom. in Evan. 39): Christ continues to weep for sinners who, like Jerusalem, run after evil and refuse to make peace with God. Their sins hide from their eyes the judgment that is coming, otherwise they would weep for themselves. When it arrives, demons will besiege the soul and the Lord will visit them with his dreadful punishment.

Lk 19:45-48 | ISB Notes

Jesus’ dramatic expulsion of Temple merchants both prophesies and preenacts the sanctuary’s imminent downfall (21:5-6). He is appalled that God’s house of prayer (Is 56:7) has been desecrated like a den of robbers (Jer 7:11). See note on Mt 21:13.