Continue in Prayer
Luke 18:1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
Faint: growing weary, and growing feeble, relaxing what we were doing.
Luke 18:2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:
Luke 18:3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.
Luke 18:4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;
Luke 18:5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.
The widow was persistent and it was the judge who became weary and faint.
Luke 18:6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.
Luke 18:7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?
God is wiser and more loving than the unjust judge. God never slumbers, nor is he weary. He shall hear your prayers and answer them.
Luke 18:8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
Will we be praying in faith? What hinders faith? Unbelief? How about having all the things we need? There will be a falling away before Jesus returns. Will we still have faith? I certainly hope so.
2 Th 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2 Th 2:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
2 Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
2 Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
Self Righteous
Luke 18:9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
That is a bad way to be. They were glorifying their own evil hearts above others. Who is better than another, but by the grace of God? We in Christ are in a better place, but we are commanded to love others and bring as many as will come to Jesus. We are to be humble grateful servants.
Luke 18:10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
A Pharisee was a religious leader all dressed in beautiful robes, feared and respected by men. A publican was a despised tax collector, hated by men.
Luke 18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
Luke 18:12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
His focus was on his own righteousness by doing religious things. Jesus rebuked these men.
Mat 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
Mat 23:24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
Mat 23:25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
Mat 23:26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
Mat 23:27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
Mat 23:28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
Mat 23:29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,
Mat 23:30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
Mat 23:31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.
Luke 18:13 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.
He had the right response. We seek the mercy of God, for all have sinned.
Luke 18:14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
Our work is one of love and self denial. Take up your cross and follow Jesus. Die to self and live in the Spirit of Christ. Never are we to exalt ourselves above another, as if we are better than they.
Phil 2:3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
Phil 2:4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
Phil 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Let the Children Come
Luke 18:15 And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them.
They rebuked the parents who brought their children to Jesus. To rebuke, is to criticize sharply, to turn back or keep down, to show strong disapproval, why? Did they think Jesus was too busy? Maybe too important for children? They had a lot to learn.
Luke 18:16 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
Luke 18:17 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.
Suffer little children to come to me; let them come unto me for of such is the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is children? Yes, children of God with the trust, faith, and dependence on God as have natural children. Children have innocent trust and they surrender to those who keep them. This makes the responsibility of a parent important as unto God. For God loves the little children. We as parents are to bring them up with the love of God, teaching them the stories of the Bible and living out the good life as Jesus lived. To say that we will not train a child in the things of God, and to wait until he is old to decide? That is to say, God is not important. It is to hand him over to the world and it's evil. Beware of how you treat one of these little ones, Jesus says that they are as those in the kingdom of heaven. Yes, a child who dies will be in the kingdom of heaven, for they are innocent until the age that they understand and can choose between good and evil. We must be as children in trusting in Jesus, without debate or strife. Simple trust is all that is required; so hard for some who are wise in their own eyes. Like the self righteous, the proud cannot please God. We must be able to receive as do the little children.
Mark 9:42 And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.
Almost Impossible
Luke 18:18 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
A good question, for many believed this came by keeping God's commandments.
Luke 18:19 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.
Jesus asks him a question, why do you call me good? Only God is good? Jesus was God the Son, but the prince did not know this. We must know who Jesus is in order to enter the kingdom of heaven; he said this later:
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Salvation is by personal faith in Jesus. Compare this to the time Jesus was questioned by Pontius Pilate.
John 18:33 Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews?
John 18:34 Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?
We must see Jesus as he truly is to receive him by faith and truth.
Luke 18:20 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.
Luke 18:21 And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up.
Again, as most Jews, he knew the commandments and claimed to keep them. There is a difference in knowing the commandments and in having them written on your heart.
2 Cor 3:3 Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart.
Luke 18:22 Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.
Luke 18:23 And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.
He was covetous desiring his riches more than heaven.
Luke 18:24 And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
Where is your heart and confidence?
Mat 19:24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Mat 19:25 When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?
Mat 19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
Everlasting Faith
Luke 18:25 For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Luke 18:26 And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved?
Luke 18:27 And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.
A friend shared with me an article saying that many have tried to make the eye of the needle something else than it says. One story is that there is a gate in Jerusalem that was so narrow that the camel had to be unloaded to go through it. The story was one which was more lore than reality. There is no evidence of this gate. Another interesting observation was that although the eye of the needle is very small, that by faith in God, all things are possible. I agree with the word as written. Another parable speaks of tiny faith that grows.
Luke 13:18 Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it?
Luke 13:19 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it.
Sometimes the tree grows as a large church, by false words, itching ears, to bring the world in, but to not change their hearts. Godlike faith grows as we feast on the word of truth.
Rom 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
All things are possible by this type of faith in the Living God. There is eternal life and rewards for this kind of faith.
Luke 18:28 Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee.
Luke 18:29 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake,
Luke 18:30 Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.
Rewards now, a great increase of good things, and eternal life with our Lord Jesus. This is for me, will you commit yourself to this faith?
Unheard Words
Luke 18:31 Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.
Listen to Jesus. Jesus spoke a profound message to his intimate friends and disciples. They must go to Jerusalem, to fulfill the prophesies concerning himself.
Luke 18:32 For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on:
Luke 18:33 And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.
Terrible treatment; to be delivered unto the Gentiles, the dogs, as in Psalms 22.
Psa 22:16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
He would be mocked, treated horribly, spit upon, scourged and put to death!
Psa 22:14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.
He specifically said that after death, on the third day, he would rise again. Wow, what a lot to cause his intimate friends to take notice and to offer him their prayers and support?
Luke 18:34 And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.
They heard nothing, perhaps because they had their minds on their own things. Not a one of the twelve heard him speak this profound gospel message. Whose disciples were they? Who were they listening too? Who do we listen too? He would repeat the message again and again, but they were not hearing, they did not get it. I wonder how many times we hear God's message to us, without it touching our understanding and our hearts? Is satan removing our attention by substituting other thoughts? Is he removing the word like the parable of the sower?
Luke 8:10 And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.
Luke 8:11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
Luke 8:12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
Are we hearing, understanding and obeying God's word to us? What was said?
Blind Man Hears
Luke 18:35 And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging:
Jesus was coming near Jericho where a certain blind man was begging. This was the Jericho where Joshua heard from God, marched around the high walls of the city and with a shout, the walls came tumbling down. The enemy fortress was delivered to Israel by faith and obedience to God.
Josh 6:16 And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the LORD hath given you the city.
Luke 18:36 And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant.
Luke 18:37 And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by.
Luke 18:38 And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.
The blind man heard, asked questions and then cried out to Jesus as a fellow Jew trusting in the savior. Jesus, son of man, son of David and Son of God came to his own people first, fulfilling the prophecies.
John 1:9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
John 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Luke 18:39 And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou son of David, have mercy on me.
The blind man called out in faith, thou son of David, have mercy on me. He had faith in spite of the unbelief around him that tried to silence him. Do not let the unbelief of others keep you from your life of faith.
Luke 18:40 And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him,
Luke 18:41 Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight.
He stopped, called to him and asked what he wanted him to do for him? The blind man wanted to be able to see with his eyes.
Luke 18:42 And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee.
Luke 18:43 And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.
The blind man had eyes and ears of faith. He trusted in the savior, he asked and received from him.
John 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
John 14:14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
When Jesus is near, call to him in faith and he will hear you. Ask him your need and he will do for you as he did for the blind man who called out in faith.
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