HG121 Luke 18:1-14

Luke 18:1–14 NIV

1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ 4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’ ” 6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” 9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ 13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Intro and verse 1

Today we are introduced to two parables which are linked together by prayer. But with that said it is also linked to what Jesus said before in Luke 17. When it says here in the NIV, “then Jesus told”, it is more clear in the Greek. The translation is more: “So, then, following on from this we must be those who always pray”. What was Jesus speaking of before but His return. We are to be those who keep on praying until He returns no matter how long He is delayed. The issue was that Christians were beginning to wonder when He will return and Jesus foresaw this and gave us this parable to grasp it. Whilst there is a delay when Jesus returns it will be suddenly like lightning. From the outset the point is we must pray and not give up before receiving an answer from God.

We need to notice what it says in verse 1 about prayer. The Greek word δει is very important to Luke using it 41 times in Luke and Acts. This word led to a conversation I had with a Roman Catholic nun about

Acts 4:12 NIV

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

Here the NIV translates it correctly as must be saved. The nun I spoke of tried to argue with me that it is ‘should’. Should and must have different emphases. Should can be that there are other options but must does not give any other option.

So, in verse 1, when the NIV says we should pray and it is the same word in Greek we know has to be translated as ‘must’. We must pray. It is necessary to pray. In fact, God requires us to pray. There is no option, no get out clause. In the same way that Salvation is only through Jesus, the outworking of our salvation must be through prayer. The case Jesus is making is that we must pray and keep on doing so.

2-5

This parable is very easy to understand but we should see some of the background for the society we are in is not the same as it was back then.

The first requirement for a judge in Israel was that he feared God. We see this in

2 Chronicles 19:6–7 NKJV

6 and said to the judges, “Take heed to what you are doing, for you do not judge for man but for the Lord, who is with you in the judgment. 7 Now therefore, let the fear of the Lord be upon you; take care and do it, for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, no partiality, nor taking of bribes.”

But this judge did not fear God and couldn’t care less about other human beings. How he became a judge, who knows. All he was interested in was himself and this informed his morality.

And this made it bad for widows in this society. They were the most oppressed and defenceless in these times and were often taken advantage of. This woman was probably like Luke says in chapter 20 a victim of fraud and she wanted justice to restore what she had before.

Clearly she was poor and could not bribe the judge, she had no one else to help her but these things did not stop her. She did not just approach the judge in court but wherever else she could get access to him whether in the street, in the market and at his home. She forced him to take notice. It was easier to give in than to let her keep on coming and disturb all the other things that this man wanted to do. He felt he was under attack and this would have left an impression on others who saw this. The judge had met his match. The language here is that she metaphorically gave the judge a black eye.

6-8

Now, this is really important - God is NOT like this judge. This is extremely important to grasp - this parable is about contrast. They are opposites just like in a colour table: Yellow is the opposite of Purple, Green the opposite of Red, White the opposite of Black and so on.

In the Old Testament in 1 King 18 we have the Priests of Baal and Elijah battling for the hearts and minds of Israel. Whom shall you serve? was the question.

1 Kings 18:26–28 NKJV

26 So they took the bull which was given them, and they prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even till noon, saying, “O Baal, hear us!” But there was no voice; no one answered. Then they leaped about the altar which they had made. 27 And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, “Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened.” 28 So they cried aloud, and cut themselves, as was their custom, with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them.

They got no answer, of course. But you see the relevance. We are not trying to wake God up; He will not hear us because we scream and shout but Elijah prayed a simple prayer and God answered with fire out of Heaven. This is our God. Our God does not have to be forced. Our God cares about justice, He cares about human beings. And He has a special place in His heart for His chosen ones who are made in His image and redeemed by the blood of the lamb.

It is important that we get it clear. We are not to imagine that our fervent prayers will some how accumulate to a point where God can no longer ignore us. God is not like the unjust judge.

C. Samuel Storms poses some relevant questions in his book Reaching God’s Ear that we can use to evaluate our prayer lives.

• Do we repeat a request because we think that the quality of a prayer is dependent on the quantity of words?

• Do we repeat a request because we think that God is ignorant and needs to be informed, or if not ignorant at least he is unconcerned and therefore needs to be awoken?

• Do we repeat our prayers because we believe that God is unwilling to answer and we must prevail upon him, somehow transforming a hard-hearted God into a compassionate and loving one?

• Do we repeat a petition because we think that God will be swayed in his decision by our putting on a show of zeal and piety?

These errors are like the priests of Baal. But we persist in prayer because we know He cares for us and will hear us.

This is where the name and it claim crowd are so wrong. Paul had a thorn in the flesh, probably a sickness but the fact he was not healed despite asking God three times about it was nothing to do with a lack of faith but of grace and God knowing what is best for us. There are times to pray incessantly especially when disaster hits or when super critical decisions have to be made. But God knows what we need before we ask and knows the best way to answer. And sometimes God allows believers to suffer. And sometimes when we want justice God’s patience with others is extended so that they have time to repent and so it seems God is slow to answer us.

But as we said at the beginning, this parable follows on from what Jesus said about a time of judgement coming upon this world very suddenly and then all things will have to be accounted for. To conclude this parable, let us get the single main point:

The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 26: Luke Practicing Constancy

if an unrighteous, secular judge will finally hear your appeals, how much more will your appeals be heard by your heavenly Father, who loves you and cares about you supremely. If you say, “Father, help,” He will hear. Believe that God is on your side—always.

10-13

Then Jesus follows up this parable with another. The first is about persistence and God’s justice and the second is about humility for without it God will not listen to our prayers.

The point we need to get is that we must learn to depend upon God rather than ourselves. In the world there is a feeling that God and others are not needed but let this not be true of us.

Again this parable is of contrasts.

We have a Pharisee who was confident of his own righteousness and looked down upon others. He lived what seemed to be a righteous life but he trusted himself rather than God. He felt superior to others. He feels he is good enough for God just as he is. He is doing enough good for God to accept him. God could never reject him. He does wrong, but not much, it’s not enough for God to reject him for eternity. He is a self-righteousness. He has enough goodness to make him acceptable to God. He is another of those who think God is pretty lucky to have him around to look out for his affairs. I’m sure he felt he would one day have enough stock to be a director in Heaven.

We read how he fasted and tithed more than anyone else who was not a Pharisee. He is compelled to give himself to as many good works as humanly possible and all this work is to secure God’ favour. He believes his good works are what makes him good and righteous and builds him up in the eyes of God. He is striving for God’s acceptance.

So, the Pharisee and the tax collector comes to the Temple. It may even seem surprising that the tax collector is there at all. Public prayers were said at 9am and 3pm which were mostly in like a prayer meeting about general things in the world but they would also go up to pray personal prayers too.

Now we come to the substance of their prayers.

We read that the Pharisee, whilst it would seem he was praying to God was only praying to himself, out loud and for the benefit of himself in front of others. He thanks God. This is usual in prayer and should always be included in ours. But what is missing from his prayer was the usual confession and of petition. This man only thought about how good he was rather than any apology for anything wrong nor was he concerned to pray for others in petition, rather like the judge in the previous parable, he was self-absorbed.

But let us look at this prayer of thankfulness. Thank you I am not like others. Thank you for saving me from gross sin. We have to understand that to the hearers of this parable the Pharisee was the good guy, the man of God; and the tax collector was the bad guy, the thief and crook.

What I’d like us to see is just how similar we have become like the Pharisee. Somehow we become like him and think it is OK. He is, after all the good guy. Well, no, he is not in the sight of God. He prays, in effect, there by the grace of God go I. So, what are we saying by this, that somehow we are better than the one who got caught in some sin? And that is exactly what we think. Of course, when we say it we could mean that if I had been down the same path I may have done exactly the same thing. But we are still proclaiming our own righteousness. But Paul says:

Romans 7:18 NKJV

18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.

And this is where the tax collector comes in. He knew he was a sinner who only deserved God’s wrath and He is straight up and honest and humble with God about it. He had seen what God was like: He has unmerited grace, burning love, and endless forgiveness. He was awed by the God he knew. As he contemplated God it was as if he already saw the cross:

“I caused Him pain. It was as if I drove the nails through his hands. I caused Him to suffer.” This caused him to cry out to God for mercy. The language of the tax collector was that I am THE sinner, the one who had hurt God and was more undeserving of Him than anyone else, there was nothing good in him, nothing to commend himself to God and nothing to make him acceptable to Him.

The Gospel according to Luke (King James Version) D. The Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican: The Spirit Needed for Prayer, 18:9–14

He prayed for God to remove His anger and judgment from him. He deserved God’s anger and judgment, but he begged God to turn His anger and judgment away. He felt he would die from the pressure within his chest unless God forgave him and gave him peace and assurance of forgiveness. He wanted to be reconciled to God; he wanted God to remove His judgment from him and to accept him

We can hear such prayers from before with King David who prayed:

Psalm 51:2 NKJV

2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.

We have hope when we come to the New Testament for it says in:

Hebrews 4:15–16 NKJV

15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Preaching the Word: Luke, Vol. 2—That You May Know the Truth The Publican’s Prayer

Two men went to pray; or rather say,

One went to brag, the other to pray;

One stands up close, and treads on high,

Where th’ other dare not send his eye.

One nearer to the altar trod,

The other to the altar’s God.

—SOURCE UNKNOWN

14

The mercy that he had called for is where we get the word propitiation which is about turning away God’s wrath. The tax collector who cried for mercy left the Temple justified. In a moment God’s wrath was turned away and he had received new life.

We know that Jesus became the propitiation for our sin by turning the wrath of God away from us and instead took it upon Himself.

The result is that the tax collector and we are called righteous. As a result we have been justified. The justified person is not righteous - this is evident by our sinful lives - but we are counted as righteous by God. And in this case God accepted the tax collector because his heart was set on God. He was forgiven. And all of us who come to this table today with a sincere humble heart in true repentance will also be forgiven. Jesus paid the whole price for our sin. Now we are free.

Let us be then those who pray and keep on praying to the God who will have mercy on us as long as we are humble before Him:

As it says in

James 4:10 NKJV

10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

Communion

We have heard that it is our sin that caused Jesus to go to the cross. Our sin caused him pain. Our sin put the nails in his hands. Our sin caused Him to suffer. We have to get a bit more personal than that. I caused Him pain. I broke His heart. I put the nails through his feat. I scourged Him. I caused Him agony. I caused His Father to turn His face away. I caused Him to die.

He became sin for us so that we could, in that great exchange, be counted free and just and righteous in His sight. All because of His willingness to go to the cross which is what we are thinking about today.

We come humbly and in awe of a God whose long suffering has brought us to the foot of the cross, It is here where our freedom is. And we adoringly look up at Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith.

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 NKJV

23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.

Benediction

Ephesians 3:20–21 NKJV

20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Bibliography

Blum, E. A., & Wax, T. (Eds.). (2017). CSB Study Bible: Notes. Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

Hughes, R. K. (1998). Luke: that you may know the truth. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

Larson, B., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1983). Luke (Vol. 26). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.

Leadership Ministries Worldwide. (1996). The Gospel according to Luke. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.

Osborne, G. R. (2018). Luke: Verse by Verse. (J. Reimer, E. Ritzema, & D. Thevenaz, Awa Sarah, Eds.). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 13:16 16 March 2019.