Luke 18:17

Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein. VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU, WHOSOEVER SHALL NOT RECEIVE THE KINGDOM OF GOD AS A LITTLE CHILD SHALL IN NO WISE ENTER THEREIN. See the note at . But the action that followed-omitted by our Evangelist, and only partially given by Matthew, but fully supplied by Mark-is the best of all: "AND HE TOOK THEM UP IN HIS ARMS, PUT HIS HANDS UPON THEM, AND BLESSED THEM" (). Now, is it to be conceived that all our Lord meant by this was to teach a lesson, not about children at all, but about grown people; namely, that they must become childlike if they would be capable of the kingdom of God, and for this reason they should not hinder infants from coming to Him, and therefore He took up an...

15-17 None are too little, too young, to be brought to Christ, who knows how to show kindness to those not capable of doing service to him. It is the mind of Christ, that little children should be brought to him. The promise is to us, and to our seed; therefore He will bid them welcome to him with us. And we must receive his kingdom as children, not by purchase, and must call it our Father's gift....

See the notes at Matthew 19:13....

EXPOSITION LUKE 18:1 _The Lord speaks the two parables on prayer_—_the importunate widow, and the Pharisee and publican._ LUKE 18:1 AND HE SPAKE A PARABLE UNTO THEM TO THIS END, THAT MEN OUGHT ALWAYS TO PRAY, AND NOT TO FAINT. The formnla ἕλεγε δὲ καί, literally, "and he spake also," calls attention to the fact that the parable-teaching immediately to follow was a continuation of what had preceded. Indeed, the connection between the first of the two parables, which urges restless continued prayer, and the picture which the Lord had just drawn of men's state of utter forgetfulness of God, is obvious. "The Son of man has been rejected; he has gone from view; the masses are plunged in gross worldliness; men of God are

VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU,...., Christ takes an occasion from hence to teach his disciples humility, and guard them against pride and vanity: WHOSOEVER SHALL NOT RECEIVE THE KINGDOM OF GOD; the King Messiah, the doctrines of the Gospel, and the ordinances of it, even the whole Gospel dispensation; AS A LITTLE CHILD; without prejudice, pride, ambition, and vanity, with meekness, and humility: SHALL IN NO WISE ENTER THEREIN; a very unfit and improper person to be a professor of the Gospel; or to be admitted to Gospel ordinances: or be a member of a Gospel church; or be reckoned a subject of the Messiah's kingdom, which is of a spiritual nature; and as he has not a meetness for, and a right unto the kingdom of glory, he shall never see it, and enjoy it....

Luke 18:1. _And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;_ Especially, not to faint in prayer, not to become disheartened, or weary, even if their prayers should, for a long time, remain unanswered. Luke 18:2. _Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: and there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary._ He would not have interested himself in her case simply because she was a poor widow, he had no bowels of compassion for her; nor would it have concerned him at all that her adversary had wronged her. He did not trouble to discharge the duties appertaining to his office. No fear of God and no respect for public opinion, affected him at all....

CHAPTER 18 _ 1. The Unjust Judge and the Avenging of His Elect. (Luke 18:1)_ 2. The Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican. (Luke 18:9) 3. The Little Children and the Required Lowliness. (Luke 18:15) 4. The Rich Young Ruler. (Luke 18:18) 5. Rewards Promised. (Luke 18:28) 6. The Renewed Prediction of His Suffering, Death and Resurrection. (Luke 18:31) 7. The Blind Man near Jericho Healed. ...

JESUS BLESSES THE CHILDREN (Mark 10:13 *, Matthew 19:13 *). Lk. makes the children babes....

UNWEARIED IN PRAYER (Luke 18:1-8)...

VERILY. See note on Matthew 5:18. IN NO WISE. Greek. _ou me._ App-105. THEREIN. into (App-104.) it....