LUKE CHAPTER 18

LUKE CHAPTER 18

SCRIPTURE

Today I will summarize Luke chapter 18 where Luke wrote about Jesus teaching a parable and giving instructions about prayer.  Where Jesus discussed heaven with a young rich ruler of the land and where Jesus healed a blind man.  Jesus taught his disciples, saying,” You must pray always and not lose heart.”  I will explain to you with an example.  A town had a certain judge who did not fear God and did not respect man.  There was a widow in the same town.  Someone was trying to sue the widow for everything she had owned.  The widow spoke to the judge and asked him for legal protection.  He refused her.  But the widow did not give up.  She kept on pleading and asking. 

The judge said to himself,” I don’t fear God and I don’t care about anyone other than myself.  But this widow keeps bothering and asking me over and over.  I will give in to her requests so that she will go away.  Did you hear what the unrighteous judge did?  Now consider what your Father in heaven will do when you ask him for something repeatedly.  He will bring about justice for his elect who cry to him day and night.  He will not delay too much longer.  Jesus taught another lesson to the people who were sure of their goodness and despised everybody else.   He said two men went into the temple to pray.  One was a Pharisee and the other was a hated tax collector. 

The Pharisee stood up and started praying by himself.  While praying he started kind of self-praising himself.  He said,” Father, God I thank you that I am not like other sinners who steal or commit adultery or even like this tax collector beside me.  I fast and I give you a tenth of all my income.  The tax collector on the other hand wouldn’t even lift his eyes to heaven.  He was hiding in his chest and said,” God, Be merciful to me, the sinner.   I tell you the truth the tax collector went away justified and forgiven.  The Pharisees did not.  I tell you again anyone who exalts himself will be humbled.  He who humbles himself will be exalted.  Many people started to bring their young babies to Jesus so that he would touch and bless them.  The disciples saw this and scolded them.  But Jesus told the disciples to permit the children to come to me and not hinder them for the kingdom of God belongs to them. Anyone who does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never be allowed to enter it.  

A ruler went up to Jesus and asked,” Good teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?  Jesus said,” I noticed that you call all the teachers good.  Why do you call all of us good?  No one is good except for God alone.  You know the commandments,” Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honor your father and mother. “The young ruler interrupted and said,” I have kept all of these commandments from my youth.  Jesus heard this and replied,” Sell all that you have and give the money to the poor and you will have riches in heaven.  But when the man heard this, he became very sad because he was very rich.  You know the other commandment about him like you shall have no other God beside him, and you shall not make an idol and worship it, and you shall not covet.  O hearing this he became very unhappy and left.  Jesus said,” how hard it is for the rich to the kingdom of God. 

It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.  Everyone who heard that said,” Who can be saved?”  Jesus said,” Indeed, you are thinking correctly.  No one can be saved on their own.  Fortunately, the things that are impossible with people are possible with God.  He can do and does do anything he pleases.  Jesus taught his disciples and said,” there is no one who has sacrificed for the sake of the kingdom of God who will not be rewarded in this life and they will also receive eternal life in the age to come.  Listen,” we are going to Jerusalem and everything that was written about me in the law and the prophets and the psalms will come true.  I will be handed over to the Gentiles, mocked, spit on, whipped, and crucified, and killed.  But I will rise again on the third day.  But the disciples did not comprehend the things that Jesus said.  God hid the meaning of these statements from them.  As Jesus was approaching Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the side of the road begging.  He heard a commotion and asked the crowd,” what was happening?  They told him that Jesus was passing by.  He heard about Jesus and was excited He screamed out loud,” Jesus, son of David Have mercy on me.  Despite everyone telling him to be quiet he kept shouting louder to gain Jesus’s attention.  While passing by Jesus stopped to speak to the man.  He said,” what do you want me to do for you?  The man replied,” Lord, I want to regain my sight.  Jesus said, “receive your sight.”  Your faith has made you well. “Immediately, he regained his sight and started following Jesus and glorifying God. 

OBSERVATION

The thing I think the lord wants us to understand after reading this chapter is that many times even a wicked person will give you want if you are persistent.  How much more will your heavenly father give you what you ask for if you are persistent?  God wants us to see that if a person is self-righteous, he /she wastes their breath if they pray because they are only praying to themselves.  If someone is humble and repentant.  That person does not waste their breadth.  God listens and responds to them.  God wants us to understand that it is right to allow children to come to Jesus if we do not all come to Jesus just like a child will not enter heaven at all.  God wants us to see that we are all sinful even if we think we follow all the rules.  Jesus can point out the places where we fail. God wants us to see again that Jesus told his disciples what would soon happen with his death and resurrection.  But since they were expecting Jesus to be a political leader.  They could not comprehend the magnitude of what Jesus was about to accomplish.  Have you ever been persistent in your prayer to the Lord?  Have you been praying for yourself instead of God?  Is there something in your life that you refuse? to give up to follow Jesus? Why don’t you take a silent moment to think about some of these things right now?  Come let us repent for our sins and place our faith in Jesus Christ our lord.

PRAYER

Dear God, I admit that I have done things that are against your will for me and that I want to have a good relationship with you.  Please forgive me for my sins.  I believe in my heart that Jesus died and rose again to take away my sin and I declare Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour.  Please fill me with your Holy Spirit so that I may be faithful to you.  Thank you for saving me and letting me become your child.  Please speak to me and help me to hear your voice and to follow the way that you want me to live.   I look forward to spending time with you both here on earth and in heaven.  In Jesus’s name, I pray.      Amen