Luke 18
COMMENTARY:
: 1 And he spoke a parable to them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint. (1573 “faint” [ekkakeo] means be weary, to be utterly spiritless, to be wearied out, exhausted, become discouraged, give up, lose heart, tired of, or lose enthusiasm.)
DEVOTION: A few years ago, we as a ministry were praying for a good outcome to our application for tax exemption to be reinstated. It was a long process and at times it seems never ending but the LORD is in control and HE wanted us to continue to ask HIM for guidance and direction. HE answered our prayer regarding this issue.
Each of us has something going on in our life that we have been praying for a long time. It has been years and we wonder if it will never be answered the way we would like.
Some people are praying for the salvation of a member of their family. Some are praying for a marriage that honors the LORD. Some are praying for their church to be the Biblical church that it should be. Some are praying for employment that will support the family.
Here in this passage a widow is praying for a judge to give her a good ruling regarding an issue that he can only settle. The judge in the parable doesn’t fear God but is weary of the woman continually coming to him for a good judgment. He gives in because of her continual coming.
Jesus states that God the Father will avenge his own elect because of HIS love for HIS children. Jesus says we are to continue to pray for HIS dealing with those who are outside the kingdom. They lie about us. They do everything in their power to hurt us. We are not to avenge ourselves but leave it all in the hands of the LORD.
We are to never give up on prayer. We are never to be discouraged because the answer doesn’t come in our time period. We are never to lose our enthusiasm in service to the LORD.
CHALLENGE: Always remember that discouragement comes from the enemy of our faith. The LORD may chasten and correct us but it is done in love, not to discourage us but to encourage us to come closer.
: 13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. (2433 “merciful” [hilikomai] means to become propitious, be placated or appeased, be gracious, to expiate or conciliate to one’s self.)
DEVOTION: Jesus is illustrating the importance of prayer. HE encourages HIS followers not to stop praying.
The first illustration was one with a judge and a widow. The widow wanted the judge to rule in her favor. She kept asking the judge to look at her case. The judge decides that even though he doesn’t care about God, he was troubled with her continual coming. Jesus says that God the Father will avenge HIS elect as they continually cry out to HIM in prayer.
The second illustration was two men coming into the temple to pray. The two are a Pharisee and a publican. Remember a publican was a tax collector. The Pharisee trusted in himself and despised other. He also thought he was more righteous than others around him. He bragged to God in his prayer that he didn’t sin like others, fasted twice a week and tithed all that he possessed. The publican would not even look up into heaven but asked the LORD to be merciful to him a sinner. Jesus tells his disciples that the publican will go down to his house justified in the sight of God. The Pharisee who had exalted himself was going to be abased.
Now at the end of the chapter we find a blind man crying out to the LORD for healing. The people tell him to stop. However, he continues until he has the attention of the LORD. Jesus asks him what he wants. Strange but true. What did HE think the blind man wanted? HE knew. HE wanted the blind man to ask HIM for healing. He did. The LORD healed him. He was persistent.
The LORD was teaching the disciples that persistence was necessary in those who followed HIM. All these illustrations were used to encourage the disciples to pray for help from the LORD.
We should enter into our prayer closet daily to pray. Once we enter our prayer closet we should pray with a proper attitude. Jesus is demonstrating two attitudes. The first person, who is a Pharisee, came with the attitude that he was better than other people. He came thinking that God owed him something because he was so good. He came with a holier-than-thou attitude toward his fellow prayer.
The LORD told his disciples that God would not answer his prayer. The second person came with a humble attitude. He would not lift up his eyes to heaven because he didn’t think he was worthy to even look toward the place called heaven. He didn’t think he deserved forgiveness for his sins. He knew he was a sinner.
When we come to pray do we: know that we are a sinner; know that we have to come with an humble attitude; know that we don’t deserve an answer except on the basis of the blood of Christ? If we come with the wrong attitude- God will not hear us.
The one who comes with the right attitude will be heard. Jesus told a parable earlier in the chapter to tell us to also to come often to the LORD with our requests. Are we coming as often as we should into the presence of the LORD? If not, start now. AMEN!
CHALLENGE: Do we honor the LORD with our prayers? Are we persistent in our prayers? Do we give up too soon?
: 27 And HE said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God. (1415 “possible” [dunatos] means able, might, strong, could, capable of happening or existing, or implication of power or ability to alter or control circumstances.)
DEVOTION: Myths that were believed by the common people during the time of Christ were involved in the disciple’s question. There was the myth that those who were sick at birth were sick because of the sins of the parents. Those who well are well because their parents were good followers of the LORD. Another myth was that those who are rich are rich because God is blessing them because they are good. Those who are poor are that way because they or their parents were evil.
The disciples needed to be taught the facts that their false beliefs regarding people were just that- false beliefs.
Jesus was in the ministry of spreading truth. The truth was that rich people were not rich because they were good. God showers HIS blessings on the rich and the poor. Also, the sick are not sick because of the sins of the parents or their sins. Both might be a case of God’s special blessings on HIS people but the myths are wrong.
All people have an opportunity for salvation whether from a rich family or poor family or a healthy family or a sickly family. God can do the impossible. HE is doing it now and will continue to do it in the future.
CHALLENGE: We need to keep our belief system Biblical. Keep your eyes on Jesus.
: 40 And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought to HIM: and when he was come near, HE asked him, :41 Saying, What will you that I shall do to you? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. (2753 “commanded” [keleuo] means order, to give instructions to or direct somebody to do something with authority, urge, to set in motion, or to speak with strength.)
DEVOTION: Now what would you think if you walked up to a blind man with the power to heal. Would you ask the same question that Jesus asked or another question? It would seem to be simple but it isn’t.
Many people have different ideas from us. They think different than us. This blind man could have been more concerned with personal comfort over receiving his sight. He could have wanted to have another family member healed. He could have just wanted to be a believer?
This account had Jesus state that the man’s faith had save him. Jesus knew the heart of the man. Jesus even knew what he wanted but HE wanted the man to state his own need.
We have needs that we would like the LORD to take care of in our life. HE wants us to come to HIM in prayer and state what we want. We might not state our greatest need and HE might not answer until we ask for our greatest need.
Too often we can be sidelined with needs that are not as important. We can be busy asking the LORD for a lesser need instead of our greatest need.
CHALLENGE: The Bible and the Holy Spirit will show us our greatest need if we are willing to learn and listen.
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