Compare & Contrast

Introduction

Worthless Video

Tension

I don’t know about you, but in my life I often need to have and example before I can truly understand something. Someone shares with me a new idea or a new concept and one of the most helpful questions that I have found to ask is “Give me an example of what you mean”.

I could tell you that it is”Worthless to only have an appearance of a Christian”, but to give you an example of what that looks like is a much better way of communicating the truth. The young man and his “Jesus Fish” just about ran over a woman who could have used some help. His “Jesus” tshirt and bracelet didn’t seem to make much of a difference.

This is what we could call a contrasting example. Basically this is an example of what NOT to do. And please don’t misunderstand the point here. It is not that it is necessarily wrong to have a Jesus fish, tshirt or WWJD bracelet. It is only wrong if it is false advertising. It is only wrong if you claim his name, when you claim to be one of his followers but don’t do the kind of things that he would do. The video set up this contrasting example pretty vividly, but its important to remember that it is just one example. There are many ways to “only have the appearance of a Christian” and the example helps us to look at ourselves and see where something similar might be popping up. A contrasting example.

Another way to answer “Give me an example” is to offer a comparison. This would be an example of the right way of doing something in a given situation. What does it look like to live like Jesus in our world and the world around us. Of course the best example to follow in how to live like Jesus is to follow…well…Jesus. That is why he came down to earth in the way that he did. He became a man to offer us the perfect example of what it looks like to be human as God intended when he created us. So we study his life and his decisions in order to learn from him, but the Bible says that we also are to be examples to each other.

Paul told his young protege Timothy in

1 Timothy 4:12 ESV

Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.

That is quite a list isn’t it, how are we doing in being an example in these areas? In how we talk, how we act, how love others.... Our very lives are to examples of what it looks like to serve Jesus by becoming like him.

When Jesus was still here on earth in the flesh, he often used examples to help teach his disciples the truths that they needed to know and we continue to benefit from his teachings today. These past several weeks we have been on a journey with Jesus to accomplish his mission in Jerusalem. He has his face set on Jerusalem, and he knows what awaits him there. So on the way there he is especially vigilant in teaching his disciples about what the Kingdom of God looks like so that when they no longer have Jesus present and in front of them, they will still have his teachings in such a way that they can continue to grow in the knowledge and nurturing of the Kingdom of God.

Sometimes we all need examples to truly understand something, and in our text today Jesus offers us both contrasting and comparative examples on prayer, repentance and allegiance in the Kingdom of God.

If you haven’t opened your Bibles already, you can open them up to Luke chapter 18,( p 877) in the Bible in the chairs. I’ll pray and we will learn from Jesus’ examples together.

Truth

The first example that Jesus gives us is a contrasting one, and it is really a response to the last thing that we read in chapter 17, more than an introduction to chapter 18. Either way, Jesus is giving us

An Example of Persistence

Luke 18”

Luke 18:1–8 ESV

And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’ ” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

English Standard Version Chapter 18

18 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. 3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’ ” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? zWill he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

The first thing to remember when seeking to understand this example is that it is a parable. So hopefully by now you have a good working understanding of what a parable is.

A Parable is a new idea that is laid alongside a common experience to increase clarity and understanding.

So Jesus wants us to better understand one thing by laying it alongside something else. What is it that he wants us to understand? Well this Luke tells us right at the beginning doesn’t he?

Luke 18:1 ESV

And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.

Specifically this is a follow up to what Jesus had just been teaching, we find it in our Bibles at the beginning of chapter 18, but it easily could have been included at the end of chapter 17. Jesus was talking about the coming day of Judgement when the full Kingdom of God will be realized. Until that day comes what are we to be doing? We are to be persistently in prayer for that day of justice.

Another thing that we should notice is that this parable is a contrasting one.

More specifically this is a follow up to what just happened in chapter 17, when Jesus was talking about the coming Kingdom. We should be continuing in watchful and anticipating prayer for that time of justice to come. That is the context that has lead to this parable.

The second thing to note is that this parable is a contrasting one.

One of the easiest ways to misunderstand this parable is to think that Jesus is relating the unrighteous judge here to God the father in a comparative way. As if God is somehow like the Judge, just as we are to be like the widow. Going at it from this direction might bring us to believe that if we really want something, then all we have to do is pester God over and over again until he gives us what we want just so that we will stop “bothering” him. That is not the point at all. Pestering God to do what we want will get us no where that we want to be.

What parent among us would ever give in to the demands of our child just because he or she keeps bothering us with requests...ok maybe we are poor example of this...because in moments of weakness we might have given to this, but as a principle we all know better. And as God is the perfect parent, our perfect Father we know that He never would do such a thing.

The key to understanding this is found in looking at what it was that the widow was asking for. She wasn’t looking for money or extravagance. She wasn’t looking for charity or benevolence. What did she want? Justice!

She wasn’t looking for money or extravagance. She wasn’t looking for charity or benevolence. What did she want? Justice!

She wasn’t looking for charity or benevolance

To paint the picture for us we have to look at the Justice system in Jesus’ day. While there were

What did she want? Justice!

She wanted what was right to be done. She wanted what God always wants: Justice.

Jesus chose the character of a widow as a representative of those who are needy, helpless, poor and oppressed. Those who had no ability to help themselves except to call on their rights according to the Law.

The Old Testament is riddled with God’s commands to care for widows like this woman (, , , , ,’ ) and yet here Jesus is using it as an example of a common experience that people could relate to. Something that they had probably seen happen or experienced.

One of the marks of the New Testament Church is a resurgence in caring for widows and orphans as God had always commanded his people to do. Reports of this are found in (; ; ) And the Christian Church today, some 2,000 years later, has the same command. To work for justice for those who are being treated unjustly.

In a few weeks, on Sunday Sept 23rd, we are going to spend the day looking at the issue of Justice, especially as it pertains to modern day slavery around the world. Many of us are unaware of this, but right now in our world there are statistically more slaves then there has ever been. It just looks different then it did in the past. They are being hidden in horrible places, forced to do unspeakable things all while their governments do very little to bring them justice.

Much of the World has ignored their cries for justice, because they “neither fear God nor respect men”, just like the judge in this story. So who will stand up for them? Who will champion their cause as they cry out for freedom? Is that not the role of the Christian Church? What has made the difference in many of these cases is when people have taken what is hidden and brought it out into the light for all to see. When people are willing to be made aware of the issue and then respond by persistently and continually call out for justice and raise awareness of the unjust practices of a particular company, owner or government.

So along with hundreds of other Churches around the World, we are partnering together with the International Justice Mission to bring awareness of both the devastating effect of human trafficking and exploitation in our world and the hopeful command to God’s people to step in and make a difference. So I hope that you can be with us on Sept 23rd for “Freedom Sunday”.

And that is what this woman was asking for, that she would receive the justice that was hers according to the law of the land, and this unrighteous judge was keeping it from her. So she went back, day after day, and finally she received the justice that she cried out for even from this unrighteous judge.

In contrast to what it took to receive justice from an unrighteous judge - How much more is our holy and perfect Judge ready to give us Justice. No longer according to the law, but according to the faith that we have in Jesus Christ.

Luke 18:8 ESV

I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

will the holy and perfect judge follow through with the justice that he desires for every person. God who has commanded us to operate in Justice, will deliver justice in response to our prayers. But when justice comes, when Jesus comes, will he find people faithfully praying for it? or will he find people who have settled for the lesser things of this world. Do you see how this connects so strongly to the last half of Chapter 17.

So our first example is:

An Example of Persistence

Luke then offers us another of Jesus’ Parables this time it swings very close to our video this morning, as he gives us:

An Example of Humility

Luke 18:9–14 ESV

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a 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 the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

luke 18:

There is a glaring contrast in this parable isn’t there. It is impossible to miss the impact of how different these two characters are. Everything that we find they have in common is seen in the first verse, and then we have polar extremes for the rest.

1. They were Men. 2. They went to the Temple. 3. They went there to pray. But this is where the similarities end.

There are very few things that these two characters have in common. I can really only see three. They were both Men. They both went to the temple. They went there to pray. And that is where the similarities end.

Let’s first look at the example of the PHARISEE. Any Pharisee would have held a position of respect, they were influential in both the civic and religious circles. People wanted to know them, be known by them and what they knew about anything mattered.

In light of this, we find him entering the Temple to “pray” and he immediately stands out in the middle of the room to gather a crowd. That is what is meant by “standing by himself”. It wasn’t quiet in the corner somewhere, it was seperating himself from his true audience in order that they all might here his message. He was “praying” boastfully.

His message was that he was righteous man. We hear him shamelessly flaunting his own righteousness in front of others. And of course their is nothing that makes a star shine brighter than to place it against a dark background so he spends some times condemning the sins of others, in order to boost his image even further. This is a parable, so there might be some exaggeration for emphasis here, but it effectively makes Jesus’ point that some people’s prayer time has very little to do with God.

respected leader

prays boldly

Have you ever heard a prayer like that? Have you ever prayed a prayer like that?

flaunts righteousness

He mentions God at the beginning of his prayer and then the rest of his prayer time is all about him. Our prayer times might not be designed to gather a crowd, but I wonder if we could find any of this attitude in them. I wonder if I heard a recording of my prayer, how much of it would be about me?

What a contrast then to the TAX COLLECTOR. Much like the widow represented the poor, needy, or destitute, the Tax Collector would have represented those who were despised. They were considered hated traitors as they were typically Jewish born men who were collecting taxes for the Roman Empire. And as hatred always breeds hatred, tax collectors were known to abuse their power by extorting more from their fellow Jew then Rome demanded. So they were known to be dishonest sinners, just as this particular man recognized on this day.

asks for nothing

While the Pharisee looked to draw an audience, the Tax Collector tried to remain unnoticed. He prays humbly without even looking up to heaven, beating his chest and declaring himself to be the sinner that he is. Unlike the Pharisee who seemed to need nothing from God, the Tax Collector knows his need for forgiveness so he cries out to God for mercy.

What a contrast then to the Tax Collectors. Much like the widow represented the poor, needy, or destitute, the story character of a Tax Collector was used to represent those who were despised. They were considered hated traitors as they were typically Jewish born men who were collecting taxes for the Roman Empire. Anger always breeds more anger, so tax collectors were known to abuse their power to extortion more from their fellow Jew then was expected by Rome and pocket the rest. So they were believed to be dishonest sinners, and this particular man recognizes it. The Pharisee was looking for attention in his prayer, but this man prays humbly without even looking up to heaven, beating his chest and declaring himself as the sinner that he is. Unlike, the Pharisee, the Tax Collector knows that he is in need of forgiveness so he cries out to God for mercy.

And the surprise to everyone in the room was that the immoral tax collector returned to his house that day justified, which means the self-righteous Pharisee remained condemned. How can this be? Jesus answers that question in the second half of verse 14

Luke 18:14 ESV

I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

At the heart of the message of the Gospel is our need for Jesus and his righteousness. That we have come to the end of ourselves and have nothing to offer Jesus except our need for Him. That is why humility is such an important part of the equation. To further make this point, Luke shares with us a story about Jesus as an example of the kind of humility it takes to have the faith to follow him.

Jesus gave the example of Children

Luke 18:15–17 ESV

Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”

The verb tense for the phrase, “They were bringing” means that this was something that happened more than once. In other words, it was a common occasion for people to bring in their babies to have Jesus bless them. We are not sure why the disciples rebuked these parents, because if was a common custom for people to bring their children to rabbis to bless them, but Jesus uses the opportunity to teach about what it takes to “recieve the Kingdom of God” and Luke places it here as an example of the humble attitude that those who come to Jesus by faith will demonstrate.

Kids don’t need

????Children exponded on?

After

After: An Example of Persistence

and

And: An Example of Humility

Luke gives us Jesus’ encounter with a rich young ruler as

prays humbly

declares himself

a sinner

asks for mercy

leaves justified

leaves condemned

An Example of Surrender

Luke 18:18–19 ESV

And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.

Contrasting God and the unrighteous judge.

in Jesus’ day people might call a rabbi “Master” or “Teacher” but they did not use term “good”, that word was reserved for the “goodness of God” and a person would never feel worthy to receive that descriptor for themselves. We might wonder why Jesus didn’t accept it though, being that he is God it was very fitting, but his response was not a questioning of his own deity, it was a questioning of the heart of the rich young ruler. And after getting him to think about what he meant by “good” Jesus then takes him to the 10 Commandments.

Luke 18:20–23 ESV

You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’ ” And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.” When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.

As we take a look at the commandments that Jesus is referencing here we recognize them as being part of the 10 Commandments don’t we? We typically divide the 10 commandments up into two catagories. The first four (on the left)have to do with our relationship with God and the last six are about our relationship with Men. If we were to get out our red pen and check off the ones that Jesus mentioned then we will find them all on the right side. So the rich young ruler was good when it came to his relationships with men - but Jesus knew that there was still one thing that he lacked.

The command that Jesus gave this ruler is not found verbatim in the 10 commandments is it? It is really more of an example of what it would like for this ruler to obey the first commandments. Jesus could have just said, well how about the first four commandments… but instead he shows the young man how he has not obeyed them with his command.

Have no other God’s before me.

The rich ruler was excited to hear that he had been doing what Jesus said, but then Jesus revealed his heart. It makes me wonder: What did he think eternal life was going to be like? Was he so enjoying life that he was just looking to see how he could keep it going forever? That is not what eternal life looks like. Eternal life, as we talked about last week, is the full and perfected Kingdom of God. Where Jesus rules and reigns without contention and all his subjects lovingly follow after him as ruler.

When we hear this story, we are so challenged by what this young man was asked to give up, that we might completely miss what he is being offered. This is exactly the attitude of the Rich Young Ruler. Jesus asked him to get rid of all of this stuff because it was getting in the way of what Jesus wanted to give him. Jesus offered him heavenly treasure and a seat among his disciples.

It is the same thing that we talked about last week. Do we believe that what Jesus has for us is better than what we have been able to acquire for ourselves here on earth? This young ruler didn’t, and so he went away sad.

Matthew 6:19–21 ESV

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Where are we investing our Time, Talent and Treasure? If it is just here on earth it is only a temporary investment that has no eternal return. But if you invest whatever you have in the Kingdom of God, it will have eternal reward. This contrast is what Jesus is getting at in his next statement:

Luke 18:24–25 ESV

Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth 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:

When you appear to have everything you need to handle your life, and even more…it is so hard to understand your need to surrender to someone else.

Remember back in chapter 16 we talked about the cost of following Jesus. How much does it cost? It is up to everything you have. This includes thing you can count like finances, and things you can’t like relationships. This is a difficult teaching for anyone to accept. The people in Jesus’ day would have agreed with J.D. Rockefeller when he said,

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Seventeen: People to Meet, Lessons to Learn (Luke 18)

John D. Rockefeller would have agreed with them, for he once said that riches were “a gift from heaven signifying, ‘This is My beloved son, in whom I am well pleased.’ ”

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Seventeen: People to Meet, Lessons to Learn (Luke 18)

that riches were “a gift from heaven signifying, ‘This is My beloved son, in whom I am well pleased.’ ”

Unfortunately this false teaching did not die with the rich young ruler or with J.D. Rockefeller. The popularity of the “prosperity gospel” is growing and growing around the world today. Sadly, this false gospel is seeing the greatest growth in underdeveloped countries, in what we might call 3rd world cultures where people are hoping that their faithfulness to this false message will bring them the prosperity that they see displayed here in the west. I don’t know if the story of the rich young ruler has just been cut out of their Bibles or what, but the masses of these people who are believing in this false gospel would respond the same way that the crowd did that day.

Luke 18:26 ESV

Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?”

If those people with great wealth, those people who have been so clearly blessed by God will not be saved, then what hope do any of us have? And Jesus’ response is so profound, even as I saw it in new light as I read it again this past week:

Luke 18:27 ESV

But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

Luke 18:26–27 ESV

Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

Luke 18:26 ESV

Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?”

Luke 18:

This ruler had “religiously” followed all the commands about interactions “With Men” but had not established a “relationship” with God. He sought eternal life because he wanted the good things in this life to continue, but he had no desire to surrender himself to a “relationship” with a King and His Kingdom.

Did you know that before Matthew was a Disciple, Apostle and Gospel writer he was a Tax Collector. So he understood the lure of money. He remembered that Jesus said this:

Even God can reach a person whose heart is caught up in trap of money.

Matthew 6:19–21 ESV

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Luke 16:13 ESV

No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

The big question when it come to finances is where is your heart? What is it aimed at when it comes to money? We don’t see it when we compare ourselves to our neighbors, but compared to most of the world we are wealthy. We were talking about this some yesterday in the Men’s Bible study as we are finishing up the book of 1 Timothy and Paul tells young Timothy this:

1 Timothy 6:17–19 ESV

As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

This Rich Young Ruler gave up the opportunity to be one of Jesus’ disciples, the opportunity to have treasures in heaven and take hold of that which is truly life. Instead he just sadly walked away, returning to what he already had. And what of his hope for the eternal life that he asked Jesus for?

But the disciples are now invested in this teaching, they want to know about this treasure that Jesus is talking about because they have left everything to follow Jesus:

Luke 18:28–30 ESV

And Peter said, “See, we have left our homes and followed you.” And he said to them, “Truly, I say to 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 more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.”

:28-30

There is no better way to live life than in the Kingdom of God, whether it is hear on earth or in it’s fullness in heaven. There is nothing that we could be asked to give up that would not be worth this. What God has for us is always better than anything that He might ask us to give up. We might not always believe it right away, but we can trust that what Jesus is telling us here is true.

Gospel Application

How can we trust that what Jesus is true? Because he knows something about cost. He knows something about sacrifice. He paid the ultimate cost in order for us to be able to experience the Kingdom of God. This next section is the clearest example of Jesus telling his disciples exactly what will happen when they finally reach Jerusalem…and for whatever reason they still didn’t get it.

If you have had to sacrifice relationships with family members who don’t want to follow after Jesus, then know that you have gained brothers and sisters in Christ wh

Luke 18:31–34 ESV

And taking the twelve, he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.” But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.

Luke 18:

Before any of it happened, Jesus told his disciples all about it. They just didn’t understand it yet, but they will. And after they do they will write down everything that Jesus wants us to know about what he said and did while they were together. They will share with us not only the perfect example of Jesus’ life, but the examples that Jesus used to teach them about the Kingdom of God.

Landing

So what have we learned from these examples this morning?

Have we recommitted ourselves to praying along with the Lord’s prayer where it says “Your Kingdom Come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. That God’s perfect justice will be here on earth as it is heaven. Are we committed to playing our part in setting captives free as we fight together against human trafficking and exploitation.

Have we decided that we will examine our prayer life. Do we come to God in prayer that is really just about us? Do we start “Dear God… and then ask Him to bend to our will? Is that representative of a relationship with God where He is the King and we are the subjects of His Kingdom? Or do we come to him understanding our need for forgiveness, and humbly ask for his mercy and then seek his will for our day?

Or what is it that we have in the way of our completely surrender to Jesus? Is there anything that we know is off limits to Jesus. I will give you anything Jesus, just don’t ask for …this.

The answer to that struggle is found in the question: Do I believe that whatever Jesus wants to give me is better than anything that I have acquired on my own.”

Something to compare and contrast.

Let’s pray.

.