Trust or bust?
Luke the man, the physician • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Luke 18
Luke 18
After speaking about His days regarding His return in chapter 17 - the message wasn’t to the church but a troubled nation called Israel.
In review “the taken” are those who were judged - those who are left were granted a mission to carry out God’s purposes Noah & his family, Lot and his daughters, the disciples and presently the church.
While there are hints of His coming for the church as lightning we have been left to share the good news of the gospel! His sacrifice, resurrection and the forgiveness of sins.
It was Yeshua who promised to build the church - our call is to follow Him sacrificially right now. It’s that simple!
So as we come into chapter 18, the theme of His return to earth continues with two parables and one illustration directed at Israel. Is it trust or bust?
Let’s read: vs. 1-17
Now He was telling them [The disciples] a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, saying, “In a certain city there was a certain judge who did not fear God and did not respect man. “Now there was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me justice from my opponent.’
“And for a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow is bothering me, [persistently bringing up her issue to make something happen causing this judge to say] I will give her justice, lest by continually coming she wears me out.’”
And the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. “Now, will God not bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them?
“I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. [elect of Israel] However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find that faith [Like this widow] on the earth?”
“I tell you that He will bring about justice for them [Israel] quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find that faith on the earth?”
This message was to all who will face the tribulation period. Also known as the Day of the Lord is a time of judgment and Jesus took ours!
When such pressure is on, will there be the same kind of faith from Israel for their Messiah?
Next challenge
And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
“The Pharisee stood and was praying these things to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. ‘I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ [I’ve earned my favor with God]
“But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his chest, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other, for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Next challenge
And they were bringing even their babies to Him so that He would touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they were rebuking them. But Jesus called for them, saying, “Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. “Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”
Three challenges if you want to jot down:
A widow who shows - 1] Tenacity
A sinful Tax collector shows - 2] Humility
Children represent - 3] Dependability
1] Tenacity
A widow comes to a judge asking for justice against her adversary or opponent. We don’t know who they were, might have been Rome taking her home. In India widows are left at the train station after their husband dies because they have lost their worth! It’s terrible! You see, in the ancient world Widows were on their own, they had no income and no right to an attorney to defend her in court. That's why God defends widows, orphans and foreigners. So this widow had to defend herself!
This unjust judge refused to help her because he’s indifferent, but her tenacity she wore him down so the judge gave her justice to get her off his back.
But this parable isn’t about injustice, it’s a message to those who lose heart and give up on God because they don’t see an answer when they pray.
I suggest Yeshua is indicating the widow is Israel. Why do I say that?
In Lam 1:1 Jeremiah sees the nation destroyed and weeps over her as she goes into Babylonian captivity.
How lonely sits the city That was great with people! She has become like a widow who was once great among the nations! She who was a princess among the provinces has become a forced laborer!
In reality Israel has no living husband, He’s a resurrected one. So she is on her own and injustice has been thrown at her for centuries as God warned it would if they looked to other gods who He called their “lovers”. Deut 28:47-48 prophesied it!
“Because you did not serve Yahweh your God with gladness and a merry heart—because of the abundance of all things, therefore you shall serve your enemies whom Yahweh will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in the lack of all things; and He will put an iron yoke on your neck until He has destroyed you.
This map describes Israel at her lowest point after 400 years of idolatry when Judah was sent into captivity!
Which is why Yeshua wondered if He would find such persistent faith while on earth before He comes.
Because of the holocaust, the loss of family members and many other atrocities such as the recent Oct 7 massacre many Jews are atheists or secular Jews.
But when God’s focus turns to Israel after we are caught up to be with our bridegroom. An event I might add that all Jews were invited to attend but many refused. After seven years of deception then opposition His comes to earth - see Revelation 19.11-16
Yet God will remain faithful to his promises to Israel and even seal 144,000 Jewish male virgins to offer deliverance to them through His Son again and most of them will face martyrdom but later justice will prevail!
Rev 6:10 fits a persecuted Israel waiting for God to vindicate her, like the souls under the altar!
...they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Master, holy and true? Will You not judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”
So this parable isn’t a lesson on prayer but a challenge not to lose heart and give up on God.
There are many passages by the Apostles to the church but we have the Holy Spirit and recognize God’s gracious character in the face of opposition. The tribulation is called the time of Jacob’s trouble not the church, [Jer 30:7] our tribulation is now.- And Jesus ponders if Israel will have faith in Him before He returns!
2] Humility
Jesus told us when we pray to ask and it would be given, seek and we would find, to knock and the door would be opened to us. In this next parable He focuses on people who trust in their own righteousness, and view others with contempt. A Pharisee and tax collector go up to the temple to pray but in very different ways!
a) Keep in mind, the Pharisee was a respected religious man with a lot of influence and he taught in the synagogues. The people respected them as devout, keeping the law carefully and serious about God. But this Pharisee thought so highly of his devotion he looked down on others who didn’t meet his standards. Thus, He "prayed to himself” and thanked God he wasn’t like sinners. Actually, he didn’t know he was in a worse position than the tax collector! Religion and ritual will do that to us!
b) But tax collectors were seen as traitors because as a Jew, they gathered taxes for Rome or the opposition. They had a bad reputation of overcharging and pocketing the difference. But this tax collector was a broken man and he was so ashamed he couldn’t even look to heaven, beating his chest praying, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner." Thus Jesus said his humility and honesty justified him! He was forgiven!
The moral of the story? everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
While the tax collector understood his need for deliverance but you recall the Pharisees hated and looked down on Yeshua claiming:
“This man is not from God, he does not keep the Sabbath, we know this man is a sinner, He’s a blasphemer, a servant of Beelzebub, he eats with tax collectors and sinners, he touches sinful people and forgives their sin, he breaks the Sabbath by healing people and doesn’t ritually wash his hands, on & on!!
But sadly many of these Pharisees would die in their sins and face the ultimate humiliation in AD 70 because they exalted themselves!
So Israel will need tenacity, humility and finally....
3] Dependability
In verses 15-17 mothers were bringing babies and toddlers to Jesus so he would touch and bless them.
But the disciples saw this and rebuked the moms, as if children were a waste of his time.
You see in Jewish society, a child was a "nobody" until adulthood. Why? Children couldn't keep the whole Law, they had no legal standing, and couldn’t contribute socially.
But Jesus told his boys “no” "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." He didn’t just stand for babies, he used them as an object lesson for entering the kingdom! And this wasn’t the first time!
In Luke 9 the disciples were arguing over which one of them was the greatest, [typical teenage issue] so Yeshua set a child beside him and said, "Whoever receives this child in my name receives me... for he who is least among you all is the one who is great." Obviously they still didn't get it.
Let’s ask....what can a baby or a little child do? Nothing!! They can't provide for themselves and are totally dependent upon their parents.
So too, our salvation cannot be earned! It starts with admitting we can't save ourselves (Ephesians 2:8–9). Just like a child! We must depend on God to save us!
“Whoever therefore will humble himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
This also shoots holes in the pro-choice movement doesn’t it? They used to sell their view to justify killing a child for rape or incest victims and they pushed their agenda too far so that many organizations want the freedom to kill a child up to birth! And now they shifted the term from "pro-choice" to Reproductive rights....to make it sound more sanitized.
My point is the child is discarded as a mother’s right to do so.
But the Old Testament scriptures treated children very differently.
Behold, children are an inheritance or heritage of Yahweh, the fruit of the womb is a reward.
Jesus taught that we must become like children to enter the kingdom of God. It doesn’t mean we must act childish but we must always come to God like children.
And as the church we are exhorted by Paul to not grow weary of well-doing, James said “cleanse your hands you sinners! humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, and we are not called the “adults” of God but children of God!
The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, also heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.
But just as our bridegroom is building His church - God promises to fix Israel through injustice, causing tenacity to cry out to God in humility to be sons of God thus they must depend on Yeshua HaMashiach!
Next week we will study about the rich young ruler who was obviously taught a works based religion
[worship team]
Let’s put put our faith in action and come to the table to apply what God has told us to work on!
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