Let Us Pray

Luke 18:1–14 CSB

1 Now he told them a parable on the need for them to pray always and not give up. 2 “There was a judge in a certain town who didn’t fear God or respect people. 3 And a widow in that town kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4 “For a while he was unwilling, but later he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or respect people, 5 yet because this widow keeps pestering me, I will give her justice, so that she doesn’t wear me out by her persistent coming.’ ” 6 Then the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 Will not God grant justice to his elect who cry out to him day and night? Will he delay helping them? 8 I tell you that he will swiftly grant them justice. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” 9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and looked down on everyone else: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee was standing and praying like this about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I’m not like other people—greedy, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.’ 13 “But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even raise his eyes to heaven but kept striking his chest and saying, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this one went down to his house justified rather than the other, because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

INTRODUCTION: Why we need to pray. The time between Jesus resurrection and His second coming, we ought to be praying. It is the easy yet most inconsistent thing for us to do.

The Unjust Judge

Luke 18:1–8 CSB

1 Now he told them a parable on the need for them to pray always and not give up. 2 “There was a judge in a certain town who didn’t fear God or respect people. 3 And a widow in that town kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4 “For a while he was unwilling, but later he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or respect people, 5 yet because this widow keeps pestering me, I will give her justice, so that she doesn’t wear me out by her persistent coming.’ ” 6 Then the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 Will not God grant justice to his elect who cry out to him day and night? Will he delay helping them? 8 I tell you that he will swiftly grant them justice. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

the is a parable that illuminates the need for prayer (v. 1)

contrast: widow and judge (vs. 2-3)

The Judge:

unjust (v. 6)

didn’t fear God (v. 2)

didn’t care about people (v. 4)

The Widow:

the most vulnerable in the society

had been wronged in some type of way (v. 3)

was seeking justice (v. 3)

was persistent (v. 3)

eventually gets justice because of her persistence (v. 5)

Luke 18:7–8 (CSB)

7 Will not God grant justice to his elect who cry out to him day and night? Will he delay helping them?

8 I tell you that he will swiftly grant them justice. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

Jesus points us to the fact that God is not like the unjust judge. He is a just God. But this not to say to us that “if we pester God enough, He will give us what we want” (like the unjust judge did). Your Father already knows your needs......

Matthew 6:7–8 CSB

7 When you pray, don’t babble like the Gentiles, since they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words. 8 Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask him.

While we wait we ought to pray for justice. The restoring of what is right. What God declares to be right. (talk about current events and tradgies)

The Pharisee and The Tax Collector

The Pharisee

Luke 18:11–12 CSB

11 The Pharisee was standing and praying like this about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I’m not like other people—greedy, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.’

standing (had the right posture)

wasn’t greedy, unrighteous, an adulterer, or a thief (all this was self proclaimed) (and if it were true he still and sin and failures)

fast twice a week (only once was required)

gave a tenth

his pray started with God and ended with himself

The Tax Collector

Luke 18:13 CSB

13 “But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even raise his eyes to heaven but kept striking his chest and saying, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’

the lowest of the society (would over tax people)

stood off, wouldn’t look up (this is the real right posture we should have)

beat his chest (a sign of sorrow)

only identified himself as a sinner in need of God’s mercy

Luke 18:14 CSB

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

The Focus of our prayers should be justice. The reality of our prayers should be the we live in a fallen world and we need the redemptive power of Christ.

Remember this is on the heels of the end of Chapter 17 where Jesus is talking about the coming Kingdom.

Who deserved justice:

the unjust judge

the widow

the Pharisee

the tax collector

Romans 3:23–24 CSB

23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; 24 they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:8–10 CSB

8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— 9 not from works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.