The Rich Ruler and the Cost of Discipleship
Luke 18:18-30
Luke.18.18 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- Και: CONJ
- επηρωτησεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- τις: PRON,nom,sg,?
- αυτον: PRON,acc,sg,m
- αρχων: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- λεγων·Διδασκαλε: PART,pres,act,nom,sg,m
- αγαθε: ADJ,voc,sg,m
- τι: PRON,int,nom,sg,n
- ποιησας: VERB,aor,act,part,nom,m,sg
- ζωην: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- αιωνιον: ADJ,acc,sg,f
- κληρονομησω: VERB,aor,act,subj,1,sg
Parallels
- Mark 10:17 (verbal): Near-identical account of the ‘rich young man’ asking Jesus, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?”—same wording and narrative context as Luke 18:18.
- Matthew 19:16 (verbal): Parallel telling of the same incident; the question and ensuing dialogue (keep commandments; sell possessions) closely mirror Luke 18:18–23.
- Luke 10:25 (verbal): An earlier Lucan scene where a questioner (a lawyer) asks Jesus, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?”—shows Luke’s recurring use of this precise inquiry in different contexts.
- John 17:3 (thematic): Theologically related definition of eternal life—‘to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ’—which reframes the question of what one must do to attain eternal life toward relational knowledge of God rather than solely ethical actions.
Alternative generated candidates
- A ruler questioned him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
- A certain ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
Luke.18.19 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ειπεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- δε: CONJ
- αυτω: PRON,dat,sg,m
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- Ιησους·Τι: NOUN,nom,sg,m+PRON,nom,sg,n
- με: PRON,acc,sg,1
- λεγεις: VERB,pres,act,ind,2,sg
- αγαθον: ADJ,acc,sg,m
- ουδεις: PRON,nom,sg,m
- αγαθος: ADJ,nom,sg,m
- ει: VERB,pres,act,ind,2,sg
- μη: PART
- εις: PREP
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- θεος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
Parallels
- Mark 10:18 (verbal): Near‑identical wording in the parallel Synoptic; Jesus asks why he is called good and declares ‘no one is good but God alone.’
- Matthew 19:17 (verbal): Synoptic parallel with slightly different wording—Jesus questions the query about what is good and affirms that only God is good.
- Psalm 14:1-3 (thematic): Old Testament background: the psalmist declares that ‘there is none who does good,’ which undergirds the idea that true goodness belongs to God.
- Romans 3:10-12 (thematic): Paul’s citation of the Psalms (‘None is righteous…no one does good’) echoes the theme of universal human moral failure that Jesus’ remark implies, highlighting God as the sole source of goodness.
Alternative generated candidates
- Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.
- Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.
Luke.18.20 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- τας: ART,acc,pl,f
- εντολας: NOUN,acc,pl,f
- οιδας·Μη: VERB,perf,act,ind,2,sg
- μοιχευσης: VERB,aor,act,subj,2,sg
- Μη: PART
- φονευσης: VERB,aor,act,subj,2,sg
- Μη: PART
- κλεψης: VERB,aor,act,subj,2,sg
- Μη: PART
- ψευδομαρτυρησης: VERB,aor,act,subj,2,sg
- Τιμα: VERB,pres,act,imp,2,sg
- τον: ART,acc,sg,m
- πατερα: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- σου: PRON,gen,sg,2
- και: CONJ
- την: ART,acc,sg,f
- μητερα: NOUN,acc,sg,f
Parallels
- Exodus 20:12-16 (quotation): Part of the Decalogue; contains the same commandments cited in Luke (honor father and mother; do not murder, commit adultery, steal, or bear false witness).
- Deuteronomy 5:16-20 (quotation): Deuteronomic recension of the Ten Commandments that repeats the same prohibitions quoted by Jesus in Luke 18:20.
- Matthew 19:18-19 (verbal): Parallel pericope in which Jesus lists the same commandments when answering the rich young man; wording and sequence closely mirror Luke's account.
- Mark 10:19 (verbal): Synoptic parallel to Luke 18:20 (and Matthew 19), giving the same list of commandments in the account of the rich young ruler.
- Romans 13:9 (allusion): Paul cites several of the same commandments (adultery, murder, theft, coveting) to argue that love fulfills the law—echoes the Torah commandments Jesus cites in Luke.
Alternative generated candidates
- You know the commandments: 'Do not murder; do not commit adultery; do not steal; do not bear false witness; honor your father and your mother.'"
- You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery; do not murder; do not steal; do not bear false witness; honor your father and your mother.’”
Luke.18.21 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- δε: CONJ
- ειπεν·Ταυτα: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- παντα: ADJ,nom,pl,n
- εφυλαξα: VERB,aor,act,ind,1,sg
- εκ: PREP
- νεοτητος: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- μου: PRON,gen,sg,1
Parallels
- Matthew 19:20 (quotation): Direct parallel account of the rich young man’s reply: 'All these things I have kept from my youth' (essentially the same wording and context).
- Mark 10:20 (quotation): Parallel narrative in Mark reporting the same claim by the man about observing the commandments from his youth (slightly different Greek wording but same meaning).
- Luke 18:18 (structural): Immediate narrative context: the ruler’s initial question to Jesus ('Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?') that frames the man’s subsequent claim in v.21.
- Psalm 71:17 (verbal): Uses the same phrase 'from my youth' in a claim of lifelong devotion ('O God, thou hast taught me from my youth'), showing a biblical trope of asserting piety since youth.
Alternative generated candidates
- He said, "All these I have observed from my youth."
- He answered, “All these I have kept from my youth.”
Luke.18.22 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ακουσας: VERB,aor,act,part,nom,m,sg
- δε: CONJ
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- Ιησους: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- ειπεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- αυτω·Ετι: PRON,dat,sg,3
- εν: PREP
- σοι: PRON,dat,sg,2
- λειπει·παντα: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- οσα: PRON,acc,pl,n
- εχεις: VERB,pres,act,ind,2,sg
- πωλησον: VERB,aor,act,imp,2,sg
- και: CONJ
- διαδος: VERB,aor,act,imp,2,sg
- πτωχοις: ADJ,dat,pl,m
- και: CONJ
- εξεις: VERB,fut,act,ind,2,sg
- θησαυρον: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- εν: PREP
- ουρανοις: NOUN,dat,pl,m
- και: CONJ
- δευρο: ADV
- ακολουθει: VERB,pres,act,imp,2,sg
- μοι: PRON,dat,sg,1
Parallels
- Mark 10:21 (verbal): Parallel account of the rich young ruler: Jesus tells him to sell all, give to the poor, and follow him — language and sequence closely match Luke 18:22.
- Matthew 19:21 (verbal): Matthew's version of the same episode: Jesus' instruction to sell possessions, give to the poor, and gain treasure in heaven appears with very similar wording and intent.
- Luke 12:33-34 (verbal): In Luke elsewhere Jesus commands selling possessions and giving to the needy and links that action to storing treasure in heaven, echoing the counsel in Luke 18:22.
- Matthew 6:19-21 (thematic): Teaching on not hoarding earthly treasures but storing treasure in heaven connects thematically to Jesus' promise of heavenly treasure in Luke 18:22.
- Acts 4:34-35 (structural): The early Christian practice of selling property and distributing proceeds to the needy echoes the concrete ethic Jesus prescribes in Luke 18:22.
Alternative generated candidates
- When Jesus heard this he said to him, "There is still one thing you lack: sell all you have, give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me."
- When Jesus heard this he said to him, “You still lack one thing: sell all that you have, give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”
Luke.18.23 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- δε: CONJ
- ακουσας: VERB,aor,act,part,nom,m,sg
- ταυτα: PRON,acc,pl,n
- περιλυπος: ADJ,nom,sg,m
- εγενηθη: VERB,aor,pass,ind,3,sg
- ην: VERB,impf,act,ind,3,sg
- γαρ: PART
- πλουσιος: ADJ,nom,sg,m
- σφοδρα: ADV
Parallels
- Mark 10:22 (verbal): Parallel Synoptic account of the rich young man; nearly identical wording—he became sad/grieved because he had great possessions.
- Matthew 19:22 (verbal): Matthew's version of the same incident: the man goes away sorrowful for he had many possessions (verbal and narrative parallel).
- Matthew 19:23-24 (thematic): Jesus' teaching that it is hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven explains why the rich young man was sorrowful and unable to follow without radical renunciation.
- Luke 16:19-31 (thematic): Luke's parable of the rich man and Lazarus treats the moral and eschatological dangers of wealth, thematically related to the rich young man's inability to follow Jesus.
- Luke 12:21 (thematic): Warning about those who store up treasure for themselves but are not 'rich toward God' echoes the spiritual problem of the wealthy man who values possessions above following Jesus.
Alternative generated candidates
- But when he heard this he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.
- But when he heard these words he became deeply grieved, for he was very rich.
Luke.18.24 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- Ιδων: VERB,aor,act,ptc,nom,sg,m
- δε: CONJ
- αυτον: PRON,acc,sg,m
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- Ιησους: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- ειπεν·Πως: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- δυσκολως: ADV
- οι: ART,nom,pl,m
- τα: ART,acc,pl,n
- χρηματα: NOUN,acc,pl,n
- εχοντες: VERB,pres,act,part,nom,pl,m
- εις: PREP
- την: ART,acc,sg,f
- βασιλειαν: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- θεου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- εισπορευονται·: VERB,pres,mid,ind,3,pl
Parallels
- Matthew 19:23 (verbal): Nearly identical saying in Matthew: Jesus declares how difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom (same teaching in the rich-young-ruler pericope).
- Mark 10:23 (verbal): Mark's parallel to Luke 18:24 with very similar wording and context (the rich man and Jesus' warning about wealth and the kingdom).
- Matthew 19:24 (thematic): Immediate follow-up in Matthew: the hyperbolic image of a camel going through the eye of a needle elaborates the difficulty for the rich to enter God's kingdom, developing the same theme.
- Mark 10:25 (thematic): Mark's version of the camel-and-needle saying parallels Matthew 19:24 and functions as the same dramatic illustration of the impossibility suggested in Luke 18:24.
- Luke 18:27 (structural): Direct Lukan continuation: Jesus responds that what is impossible with men is possible with God, qualifying the previous statement about the rich and the kingdom and shaping the pericope's theological point.
Alternative generated candidates
- And Jesus, seeing him mourn, said, "How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!
- And Jesus, seeing that he was distressed, said, “How difficult it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!
Luke.18.25 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ευκοπωτερον: ADJ,comp,nom,sg,n
- γαρ: PART
- εστιν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- καμηλον: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- δια: PREP
- τρηματος: NOUN,gen,sg,n
- βελονης: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- εισελθειν: VERB,pres,mid,inf
- η: ART,nom,sg,f
- πλουσιον: ADJ,acc,sg,m
- εις: PREP
- την: ART,acc,sg,f
- βασιλειαν: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- θεου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- εισελθειν: VERB,pres,mid,inf
Parallels
- Matthew 19:24 (verbal): Almost identical wording of Jesus’ proverb about a camel and the eye of a needle; same teaching on the difficulty for the rich to enter God’s kingdom.
- Mark 10:25 (verbal): Synoptic parallel with the same metaphor; appears in the context that follows Jesus’ warning to the rich and the disciples’ astonishment.
- Luke 16:19-31 (thematic): Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus—examines the moral and eschatological consequences of wealth and neglect of the poor, thematically linked to exclusion from the kingdom.
- Luke 12:16-21 (thematic): Parable of the Rich Fool critiques trust in wealth and asserts the futility of earthly riches compared with being ‘rich toward God,’ a theme related to entering God’s kingdom.
- 1 Timothy 6:9-10 (thematic): Paul’s warning that the desire to be rich leads to temptation, ruin, and many harmful desires (and the love of money is root of evil), echoing New Testament concern about wealth and spiritual peril.
Alternative generated candidates
- For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God."
- For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
Luke.18.26 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- Ειπαν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,pl
- δε: CONJ
- οι: ART,nom,pl,m
- ακουσαντες·Και: PTCP,aor,act,nom,pl,m
- τις: PRON,nom,sg,?
- δυναται: VERB,pres,mid,ind,3,sg
- σωθηναι: VERB,aor,pass,inf
Parallels
- Matthew 19:25 (verbal): Synoptic parallel to Luke 18:26; the disciples react with the same question, 'Who then can be saved?' in the rich young ruler pericope.
- Mark 10:26 (verbal): Another close synoptic parallel—Mark records the identical astonished question, emphasizing the disciples' sense of impossibility regarding salvation by human means.
- Luke 18:27 (structural): Immediate answer to the question in 18:26: Jesus replies that what is impossible with men is possible with God, reframing who can be saved.
- Romans 3:23-24 (thematic): Theological parallel: human inability to attain righteousness ('all have sinned') and the solution—justification and salvation as God's gracious act—answers the implied dilemma of 'Who then can be saved?'
Alternative generated candidates
- Those who heard this said, "Then who can be saved?"
- Those who heard this said, “Then who can be saved?”
Luke.18.27 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- δε: CONJ
- ειπεν·Τα: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- αδυνατα: ADJ,nom,pl,n
- παρα: PREP
- ανθρωποις: NOUN,dat,pl,m
- δυνατα: ADJ,acc,pl,n
- παρα: PREP
- τω: ART,dat,sg,m
- θεω: NOUN,dat,sg,m
- εστιν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
Parallels
- Matthew 19:26 (verbal): Nearly identical saying: 'With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible,' a direct parallel to Luke’s wording.
- Mark 10:27 (verbal): Close verbal parallel to Luke 18:27 in Mark’s account: 'With man it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.'
- Luke 1:37 (verbal): Luke’s earlier statement in the same Gospel: 'For nothing will be impossible with God,' echoing the same conviction about God’s power.
- Genesis 18:14 (allusion): God’s rhetorical question 'Is anything too hard for the LORD?' undergirds the theme of divine ability to do what seems impossible to humans.
- Jeremiah 32:17 (thematic): Confesses God’s sovereign power over creation and concludes 'nothing is too hard' for God, thematically supporting Luke’s claim about divine possibility.
Alternative generated candidates
- He said, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."
- He said, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.”
Luke.18.28 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- Ειπεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- δε: CONJ
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- Πετρος·Ιδου: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- ημεις: PRON,nom,pl,1
- αφεντες: VERB,aor,act,part,nom,pl,m
- τα: ART,acc,pl,n
- ιδια: ADJ,acc,pl,n
- ηκολουθησαμεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,1,pl
- σοι: PRON,dat,sg,2
Parallels
- Mark 10:28 (verbal): Peter repeats the same claim after the rich young ruler episode: 'we have left everything and followed you'—near-identical wording to Luke 18:28.
- Matthew 19:27 (verbal): Parallel account where Peter says they have left all to follow Jesus; same concern about disciples' sacrifice and reward.
- Luke 5:11 (verbal): An earlier Lucan account of the first disciples leaving their possessions to follow Jesus—uses the same language of leaving everything and following him.
- Matthew 4:20 (thematic): When Jesus calls fishermen they 'left their nets and followed him'—the same theme of abandoning livelihood/possessions to become Jesus' followers.
Alternative generated candidates
- Peter said, "Look, we have left our possessions and followed you."
- Peter said, “Look—we have left our homes and followed you.”
Luke.18.29 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- δε: CONJ
- ειπεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- αυτοις·Αμην: PRON,dat,pl,m
- λεγω: VERB,pres,act,ind,1,sg
- υμιν: PRON,dat,pl,2
- οτι: CONJ
- ουδεις: PRON,nom,sg,m
- εστιν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- ος: PRON,nom,sg,m
- αφηκεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- οικιαν: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- η: ART,nom,sg,f
- γυναικα: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- η: ART,nom,sg,f
- αδελφους: NOUN,acc,pl,m
- η: ART,nom,sg,f
- γονεις: NOUN,acc,pl,m
- η: ART,nom,sg,f
- τεκνα: NOUN,acc,pl,neut
- ενεκεν: PREP,gen
- της: ART,gen,sg,f
- βασιλειας: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- θεου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
Parallels
- Matthew 19:29 (verbal): Nearly identical promise: anyone who has left houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children or fields for the kingdom will receive a hundredfold and inherit eternal life — direct parallel to Luke's wording and reward theme.
- Mark 10:29-30 (verbal): Mark parallels Luke's saying almost word-for-word, adding mention of persecutions and present-and-future rewards (now in this age and the age to come).
- Matthew 10:37-39 (thematic): Jesus teaches that love of family must be secondary to discipleship and that following him entails taking up the cross — echoes Luke's emphasis on leaving family for the kingdom's sake.
- Luke 9:57-62 (structural): Series of sayings and encounters where Jesus calls would-be followers to leave home and ordinary ties immediately; structurally reinforces Luke's theme of costly, displacing discipleship.
Alternative generated candidates
- Jesus said to them, "I tell you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God
- And he said to them, “I tell you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God who will fail to receive many times as much in this present age, and in the age to come life eternal.”
Luke.18.30 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ος: PRON,nom,sg,m
- ουχι: PART
- μη: PART
- απολαβη: VERB,aor,act,subj,2,pl
- πολλαπλασιονα: ADV
- εν: PREP
- τω: ART,dat,sg,m
- καιρω: NOUN,dat,sg,m
- τουτω: DEM,dat,sg,m
- και: CONJ
- εν: PREP
- τω: ART,dat,sg,m
- αιωνι: NOUN,dat,sg,m
- τω: ART,dat,sg,m
- ερχομενω: PTCP,pres,mid,dat,sg,m
- ζωην: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- αιωνιον: ADJ,acc,sg,f
Parallels
- Matthew 19:29 (verbal): Near-verbatim synoptic parallel: promises a hundredfold in this life and eternal life in the age to come for those who left homes for Jesus and the kingdom.
- Mark 10:29-30 (verbal): Synoptic parallel with very similar wording: those who have left house, family, property receive manyfold now (houses, brothers, persecutions) and in the age to come eternal life.
- Luke 18:29 (structural): Immediate context in Luke: Jesus' original statement that those who have left home for the kingdom receive reward — v.30 completes and specifies the reward.
- Matthew 5:12 (thematic): Beatitude promising a great reward in heaven for those persecuted for righteousness' sake — parallels the theme of present sacrifice/persecution leading to future heavenly reward.
- 2 Corinthians 4:17 (thematic): Paul's contrast of present affliction with a future, far greater eternal weight of glory echoes Luke's contrast between present loss and future, eternal life.
Alternative generated candidates
- who will not receive many times more in this present age, and in the age to come eternal life."
- And he added, “But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
A certain ruler asked him, 'Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?'
Jesus said to him, 'Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.'
'You know the commandments,' he said: 'Do not commit adultery; do not murder; do not steal; do not bear false witness; honor your father and your mother.'
He replied, 'All these I have kept since my youth.'
When Jesus heard this, he said to him, 'You still lack one thing: sell all that you have, distribute it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.'
When he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.
Jesus, seeing that he was distressed, said, 'How difficult it will be for those who are rich to enter the kingdom of God!'
For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.
Those who heard this said, 'Then who can be saved?'
He said, 'What is impossible with men is possible with God.'
Peter said, 'Look, we have left everything and followed you.' And he said to them, 'I tell you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God,
who will not receive many times over in this present age, and in the age to come, eternal life.'