Chapter 18
Chapter 17 ended with familiar language about "end times", which in fact, I think is a reference to 70 AD. "Two women grinding...", two in one bed...", one taken and the other left.
The chapter begins with a parable. (2022 - A better way to look at it might be that 18 continues the parables.) The parable of the persistent widow. The ESV wording is interesting:
1 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. [Luk 18:1 ESV]
Don't lose heart. No matter what the prayer, no matter how long the delay.
Don't lose heart!
2022 - The interpretation of this parable comes in advance. That is unusual.
2020 - So Luke tells us precisely what this parable is about. And the point is that even a dishonest judge will dispense justice to one who can do him no good, if pestered persistently enough. But this doesn't seem to be about just any kind of prayer. This verse:
7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? [Luk 18:7 ESV] This says it is about justice. Wouldn't this be about those who have wronged us, or about rioters, and lawbreakers, and looters. Is this about praying persistently to God that He will give us justice toward such in this world? Or am I dividing things down too far? Getting Pharisaical in restricting what is being said? Maybe better to say that at the very least, this is about seeking God's justice toward those who do us wrong. It is at least that. It would be worthwhile to compare other gospel writer's versions of this same parable...if any others cover it. ...Checked. Only Luke relates this parable. At this point, I do not see this parable as a continuation of what Jesus was telling them about coming events. From here we move to another parable about prayer. Seems better to consider this a new section, not a continuation.
Reading on, this widow had an adversary. She was being cheated, probably daily, by this adversary. All she wanted was justice. To be relieved of the burden of this person who daily injured her. The judge knows she is right, he knows her story is true, he knows it is her adversary that is in the wrong. But she is a lowly person, and helping her in no way benefits this corrupt judge. There is no bribe offered to him for dispensing justice. But somehow, she pesters him regularly enough that he decides a little peace and quiet is worth doing the right thing even if there isn't a bribe.
So...is the point of this to pray with persistence for a new car and we'll get it? I hardly see where driving an old one is unjust. There might be other places that discuss praying for luxury in this life, for "extra" in this life, but I don't think that's what this particular passage is about. This parable ends with this verse:
8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" [Luk 18:8 ESV] What is this last little phrase about ? Will he find faith on earth? When the Son of Man comes? Is that about the time when Jesus was talking, or about the second coming? Seems more likely he was talking about the first advent. He is encouraging them to pray, but then noting that few had real faith at that time. 2020 - Either that, or that last little phrase ties us back to the coming of the Son of Man in the previous chapter. It ends with the things going on when the Son of Man returns, and this little parable ends with "what will the Son of Man find when he returns". Surely the Antichrist will be pouring out injustice like water against the returned Jews just before the Son of Man returns. Surely they should be praying for justice, for the annihilation even of Antichrist at that time. Or maybe Jesus is telling them to pray for justice persistently even during Great Tribulation? When it seems they can't expect justice from any earthly quarter? Pray for it even then. 2021 - MSB note says this last phrase ties in with "the days of Noah", so a reference to the second coming. Even though the prayers of the faithful for justice are answered, there will be fewer and fewer who pray. More and more of the world is going to be lost. The church is in a losing battle for the salvation of mankind. We are to fight desperately, but we will lose. Heartbreaking. No matter how faithful a generation might be, the next will be less, then less, then less again, until almost none. And none will care. As they didn't care until the first drops of rain fell in Noah's day. There will always be hatred of the saved, but in the main what we get is indifference. People just won't care about God, won't give him the time of day. And anyone who suggests that people ought to think about God becomes a lightning rod for those who hate, or brings out the hatred that exists in all who love the world instead. The verse doesn't say those who love the world are indifferent to Christ. It says they hate him. This is where it is all heading.
2022 - This is the second time that the "hero" of the parable has been an anti-hero. This judge in this parable is corrupt. He is out only for himself. Yet at the end, Jesus uses this antihero as a comparison and a contrast at the same time, in order to amplify the confidence we ought to have when we pray. Even BAD judges will dispense justice of pressed hard enough. But God needs little pressing, and will respond quickly to prayers for justice. Maybe I ought to go back and look at the bad manager's master as the antihero of that parable, rather than the manager himself being the antihero? Both were corrupt, but what if I look at it from the master being comparison and contrast to God?
Hmmm...What if the idea in the bad manager is that he represents Gentiles? God's promises are to Abraham and his seed. The Gentiles get nothing. But God warns the Gentiles that they are in danger of hell. He gives us a change to "weasel" our way into heaven, but we can only do that by "usurping" the promises God has already made to the Jews. While they are blinded - during the church age - we are "collecting" what would have been theirs. And God is "ok" with our doing so, he compliments us for doing so.
2022 - That last phrase - will he find faith on earth...The second advent is after the rapture. At the rapture, all the saved on earth will have been removed. I believe that the door for the Gentiles will be mostly shut at that time, and the door for the Jews will open. Their blindness will be completely removed. And so this phrase is Jesus saying that in that day, opportunity for salvation will abound, but will the Jews go through the door? Their history on this matter is not very promising.
The Pharisee and the Tax Collector.
2021 - Starts like this:
9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: [Luk 18:9 ESV] Interesting that this is two times now that Luke has "previewed" the parable to help us understand it as it unfolds, rather than telling us afterward what it was about. This is about those who think themselves righteous because of their own efforts. We could put Catholics into this category today, certainly those who lived by perfectly obeying the law and making their sacrifices on time were in view in Jesus' time, and I can't help but think of Islam today, where only the best of the best of the best get to go into the top level of heaven. Works. This is about the arrogance of thinking you can save yourself. Three largest religions - by headcount - Islam, Judaism, Christianity. Islam is all works. I haven't read anything in the Quran about the heart being what's important. Judaism perverted the Law and made the sacrifices primary rather than the heart that offered them, and Christianity has always been about the heart. Works expected, works consequent to salvation because they're just the right thing to do, but the change of heart is what Christianity is about. Inner, permanent sincere change.
The Pharisee lists his works, which make him, in his own eyes, more honorable in God's eyes. The tax collector almost despised himself because of sin that he could not remove on his own. He saw himself hanging on by the fingernails, and begged for mercy. I am thinking that I need to work this into a testimony I can offer to Muslims. Two men. Jesus words, because they are allowed to hear Jesus' words. And then let it sink in. Need to work this out, memorize it.
2022 - Another parable with the explanation at the beginning.
Neither was very popular at that time. The Pharisees were accepted, but they were probably not well liked. How could they be since they were so entirely arrogant and judgemental of others. No one wants to spend time with them unless they too want to be arrogant and judgemental. The Tax Collectors were unpopular, and total outcasts. They were actively openly hated. The difference in character was in their own perceptions of their relationship with God. The Pharisee saw himself as an honored participant in the working of God, a big help to God, and a good man - well....at least a better man than all these "other people". But the Tax Collector knew that he was nothing. That he was a scab to be picked and discarded. He knew he deserved no consideration from God. And it is this second attitude that God requires before He will justify. All of us sin, whether we admit it or not. But God only forgives sin that is repented. If our sin is not nearly as bad as that guy's sin, and we decide we don't need to change until we're the worst of the worst, we will never be forgiven, we will die in our sins. We should repent even of the little sins. The second helping. the encouragement we didn't give, the judgment that we silently passed. 2020 - I see no way to tie this back to chapter 17, so likely the previous parable didn't tie back either. These are two parables about prayer. We need to be persistent in prayer. We need to be humble in prayer. The Pharisee seems to think that his "good standing" with God in comparison to others entitles him to more consideration. Almost as if he believes God owes him answers to his prayers. But Jesus says we need to understand that God owes us nothing, because we are sinners. Yet he has just told us to keep praying anyway, understanding how undeserving we are, and so leading to the right thankfulness when we do get our prayers answered.
2022 - They all tie is the Pharisees represent the arrogance of the Jews and the tax collector represents Gentiles. That ties them all together. We Gentiles know that we are just scraping our way in, and we ought to be very grateful for it. But the Jews believe they have a birthright to heaven and to God's special favor. But this age we live in says that they too must humble themselves before God if they want to see heaven.
17 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it." [Luk 18:17 ESV] I think we've seen a similar verse before, maybe in a different gospel. The idea is to have faith in God as a little child in his parent. Trusting without complete understanding. All we need understand is that God wants what is best for us, and the He can do all things. No man can do for us the things that God can. God can give us eternal life. Children trust parents without question, and even when they have questions, they still trust their parents. This is how we should trust God.
Rich young ruler, Luke 18:18-23 - Being rich is an obstacle to salvation. This is so because the rich put their faith in their riches. They (we?) are less dependent on God for our help because we have enough to look out for ourselves. We "need" Him less. At least in our minds. It is not really so. The problem is that money keeps our minds on this world, and our needs in this world are met by our money. But it is of no value in the next world. That is the need we should focus on. In that next world, rich and poor will be irrelevant. We should set our minds to use the value system of the next world while we are still in this one.
2021 - Note that Jesus gave him the five commandments about worldly relationships. Adultery, stealing, killing, lying, and parents. All about how to behave in the world. The spiritual commandments are not listed. And the man says he has all those worldly relationships under control. So Jesus tells him to "sell his connection to the world" and depend only on the relationship that the man did not claim he had under control. His spiritual relationship. Being a good man, doing good things, treating people right...those are all good things, but they are superficial. But this man could not, would not let go of the superficial and devote himself instead to the spiritual. This would make a good FB post. Will it be hypocritical for me to post it? Here is a thought...this parable is about converting the unsaved but already rich. It is not about those saved who become rich. Riches to this second group are a distraction from their salvation, but riches can never remove salvation. But if riches come first, they are quite difficult to displace. THAT is what this is about. Think of all the verses in Proverbs that talk about getting rich through gradual and steady accumulation and hard work and perseverance and getting out of bed, and not being lazy when it's time to plant so you won't starve when it's harvest. Abraham was very rich. He and lot were too rich to stay in the same country. Isaac was rich. Joseph was second only to Pharoah. Talk about rich! David, Solomon...Being rich is not a curse, and it is not something you shouldn't try for, a la Dave Ramsey. But if you're born rich...now it is an entirely different matter. You don't see that you're rich because God blessed you. You don't make that connection, you think you deserve to be rich because you're worthy, and then it is beyond difficult to humble yourself before God.
2022 - Vs 18 - What is the significance of this title, "Good Teacher". Jesus answer implies that it was a specific title reserved for...someone else. Jesus denies that it applies to him, or to any other human really. It is "agathos didaskolos". In the Mark 10 recounting of this, Jesus' answer is the same. Matthew's phrasing is just a little different though: 17 And he said to him, "Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments." [Mat 19:17 ESV]. I still think this was a special title, perhaps reserved for God alone, and Jesus is pointing out the difference between himself and God? Physical vs spiritual?
In vss 31-34, Jesus tells them very specifically what is going to happen when they get to Jerusalem. These two verses:
32 For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. 33 And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise." [Luk 18:32-33 ESV] This is very plain. They should have recognized as events unfolded that what Jesus had said would happen is going along just as he said. Most of all, there is that last phrase, that should have given them hope. "...on the third day he will rise." But Luke tells us in vs. 34 that the implications of what Jesus was telling them was "hidden" from them. They were not allowed to understand the details of it, nor to "remember" it as it happened. They would put it all together later, with the help of the risen Christ. Perhaps they would have behaved differently had they been "conscious" of the details.
Jesus heals a blind man at Jericho. Jesus is getting pretty close to Jerusalem by this time. 42 And Jesus said to him, "Recover your sight; your faith has made you well." [Luk 18:42 ESV] Sometimes Jesus healed everybody of everything. You know they didn't all have faith. But the point of those healings was to witness to who he was, because only one from God could do such miracles, in such quantities. And I've noted previously that his healing of those the Pharisees considered sinners and undeserving of miracles would have played into the antagonism between Jesus and the religious elite. But sometimes, when Jesus healed, this phrase about "your faith has..." is included. I have wondered why it was there, and I think I finally see what this "faith" healing is about. Faith, in sufficient quantity, can draw the attention of God to us. Persistence, as in the parable in this very chapter, along with faith, has a strong appeal to God. This blind man was not really part of the day's "plan". But his constant yelling, and his true faith that Jesus could heal him and that no one else could - there is only one door to heaven, and it is Christ - caused Jesus to "stop", to turn, to grant a face to face meeting, to ask this blind beggar what could be done for him, and then Jesus granted it, not because it was part of the demonstration of his own power, but because faith sort of has its own power. Prayers of faith can work miracles, even in the hands of mortal men, if the faith is strong enough. And looking back at where this phrase was previously used, I think this way of looking at it may hold up in all those cases. Going back and looking at these would be a good study....I remember the woman with the bloody issue. Her faith did it. And the Centurion who asked healing for his servant, Jesus did that because of faith. And the woman who said even dogs eat from the master's table. That was done because of her faith. This is really starting to make sense. And look at the results in the rest of the chapter. Those who see healing by faith gave praise to God. Those healed as "all were healed" just go away. The 10 lepers...9 didn't praise God, only one did.