But, wanting to justify himself, the teacher of the Law of Moses asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Luke 18:9 - An Understandable Version (2005 edition) Then Jesus told this parable to certain ones who were relying on their own goodness and putting everyone else down: More versionsKing James Version (Oxford) 1769 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Amplified Bible - Classic Edition He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves and were confident that they were righteous [that they were upright and in right standing with God] and scorned and made nothing of all the rest of men: American Standard Version (1901) And he spake also this parable unto certain who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and set all others at nought: Common English Bible Jesus told this parable to certain people who had convinced themselves that they were righteous and who looked on everyone else with disgust: Catholic Public Domain Version Now about certain persons who consider themselves to be just, while disdaining others, he told also this parable: Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version And to some who trusted in themselves as just, and despised others, he spoke also this parable: |
But, wanting to justify himself, the teacher of the Law of Moses asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
And the Pharisees and experts in the Law of Moses both complained, saying, “This man welcomes worldly people and [even] eats with them.”
And He said to them, “You are people who claim to be just in the eyes of [other] people, but God knows [what is in] your hearts. For that which is held up as most important among people [i.e., fame or fortune (?)] is disgusting in the eyes of God.
The Pharisee stood up [conspicuously] and prayed about himself this way [i.e., bragging to God about how good he was], ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, sexually unfaithful to their mates, or even like that tax collector [over there].
And when the crowd saw this, they began complaining [i.e., because Zacchaeus was a despised tax collector] and said, “He is going to lodge with a sinful man.”
Now when the Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who touched him and what kind of a woman she was --- a sinner.”
The Jews answered and said to Jesus, “Were we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan [See note on 4:9], and are dominated by an evil spirit?”
Then they began ridiculing him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are Moses’ disciples.
They replied to the beggar, “You were born entirely in sins [i.e., you have been a sinner all your life], and you are [trying] to teach us?” Then they threw him out [of the synagogue. See verse 22].
Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away from here to the Gentiles.’”
For they did not know about God’s way of making people right with Himself, so they attempted to establish their own way. In doing this they did not submit to God’s way for being made right with Him.
But why do you [who eat only certain foods] condemn your brother [who feels he can eat anything]? Or, indeed, why do you [i.e., who feels he can eat anything] look down on your brother [i.e., who eats only certain foods]? For all of us will have to stand before the judgment bar of God.
The person who can eat anything should not look down on the person who cannot eat [what was used in idolatrous worship]; and the person who cannot eat [such things] should not pass judgment on the person who can. For God accepts that person, too.
And I was [once] alive before being aware of the law [i.e., complacent and without a sense of guilt]; but when [awareness of] the commandment [not to sin] came, sin sprang to life,