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Weekly Message | December 27th, 2009
Passage: Luke 18:1-17
Key Verse(s): 1
This year 2009 is almost over. Throughout this year many of us have been holding Luke 18:1 our ministry key verse as our personal key verse: “Always pray and not give up.” Praise God who has answered our prayers. I am very grateful to the many faithful praying people among us. One noticeable fruit is the renovation and expansion project we have worked on. Another important prayer topic is for student ministry. Personally, my most important prayer topic was about raising up leaders who assume responsible leadership in Toledo.
The three parables in Luke 18 are about prayer. Look at verse 1: “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” The point of Jesus’ teaching is very clear. It is about praying always and not giving up. Let’s see how each of these three parables speak about the need to pray always and not give up.
First, we always pray and not give up because we need God’s help (2-8). Jesus describes a judge in this parable. Look at verse 2: He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men.” To illustrate this point, Jesus speaks about the struggle of a determined widow. What was the single request of this persistent widow? “And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’” Her single request was: (1) justice from some injustice she had experience; (2) justice against an adversary; evil person(s) who took advantage of her weak situation. A widow is a symbol of pity and helplessness. In ancient days, without any form of life insurance, welfare arrangements, or employable skills, a widow was poor, destitute, and vulnerable. Probably, she had a little money, a life-savings for her son. Yet, even this money was gone. An evil man took it with a scheme. He did not run away. He was still living in that town. From time to time this man met her and pretended as if nothing had happened. She could not resolve this practical issue alone. She needed help. She came to seek the help of the judge. Here, notice that this widow was not coming to the judge with some noble goals for her neighbors. Nor was her prayer topic to make Israel a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. She was merely seeking her own practical personal need—seeking an intensely personal matter. Here, we see the most common reason for our prayers. We pray because of some real personal issue of life. We pray because we need to seek God’s help in this. Last night John Wilson said, “Renovation and expansion was one real prayer topic.” He and Jim Paul took this as their personal prayer topic.
What is the judge’s initial reaction to this widow? (4-5a) Look at verse 4: “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!’” He refused. He declined to get involved in this. He did not fear God. Neither did he care about people. How did he make his final decision? (5b) The reason for helping her was for his own self-interest. It had nothing to with the merit of the widow’s case. He had no regard for this widow. He only focused on his own interest. He wanted to be burden free from the consistent bothering of this widow. He decided to do something about this case.
What truth does Jesus teach through this story? (6,7) “And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly.” God is righteous. He is just. God cares about his people. Second, God also has power to bring about justice for his chosen ones. God hears those who cry out to him day and night. He will not keep putting them off.
Look at verse 8b: “I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly.” Here, “quickly” is in God’s right time─God does his work. So this might not be “quickly” to our liking. Even so, God rewards those who earnestly seek him, so it is important for us to keep praying. What does Jesus imply with his question about the coming of the Son of Man? It might be about his Second Coming. Amazingly, those who pray may not be so many. In fact, too small! That’s why it is all the more important to pray always and not give up.
As we conclude this year 2009, we have had many issues that are personally important. Old issues are resolved and new issues are with us. Some important matters are not resolved yet. Therefore, we need God’s help. The key step is to know what one or two really important prayer topics are to hold and work on. We then need to understand who is a critical person who might make the difference for the resolution of the issues. We must approach the right person. Had the widow merely struggled with the evil man, she would have never resolved the matter. She would have had a wrong focus! Instead, she focused on the unjust judge. She determined that he had the key for the matter. She was correct in this. Eventually, it was the judge that resolved the matter.
This is an important teaching from this parable. We need to know and have one or two important focuses on our personal level. If the matter involves people, we need to determine who has the key to resolve this issue. Focus on the key people who make differences. Spiritually, we must go one step further. As we seek help, we know that our real help comes from God. As we lift up our eyes, where does our help really come from? It is God. God is able to open any door. What is impossible with men is possible with God. Therefore, we come to God seeking his help. We know that God has the key for all matters. God is above all. Therefore, as we approach critical people for our needs, we must approach God who is above all.
Second, we always pray and not give up because we need God’s mercy (9-14). Look at verse 9: “To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable…” Jesus speaks here about those who feel confident of their own righteousness and look down on everybody else. Jesus told this parable. This is about the right attitude of prayer.
How different was the Pharisee and the tax collector in their approach to God? (10) Look at verse 10: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.” There were just two men—one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
What did the Pharisees pray about? (11-12) Look at verse 11: “The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’” The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself. He was happy to compare himself to others and thought he was not like other men. He was confident about his righteous acts and despised others. He was not in the presence of God at all.
How did the tax collector approach God? “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’” (13) He came to God with a deep sense of shame and his unworthiness before God. The tax collector stood in the presence of God. He knew so well about his shortcomings. He was aware of his sins. He sought God’s mercy—earnestly and sincerely.
What does Jesus teach about prayer here? (14) “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Jesus said that God justified this humble tax collector. Jesus here is referring to prayer and the spirit of prayer. There is a time for us in this world to present ourselves truthfully and factually so that people can judge us correctly. As we compare ourselves with others, we may feel confident. But before God we have every reason to be humble and to seek his mercy.
Here, we see the second reason why we pray always and not give up. It is to come into God’s presence. God is everywhere. Then why do people worship? Why do we appear before God? It is to practice being in God’s presence. Prayer is to present ourselves to God. There we become aware of our need for his mercy. Our need for God’s help is a specific issue in this life. Our need for God’s mercy is for our failures, mistakes, shortcomings, and sins that require God’s forgiveness. This is about our need for his mercy. How should we live in ways that seek God’s mercy like the tax collector? Should we live a sinful life to feel miserable and pitiful in order to seek God’s mercy? Should we avoid righteous and disciplined living? No, the need for God’s mercy arises because our need for God’s mercy goes beyond all our disciplined habits and righteous acts. It is based on two important areas: (1) our tendency to dwell on righteous acts and despise others. This is what the Pharisee felt in this parable; (2) our pitiful situation demands that we appear to God in total humility. This is what the tax collector felt. When we have reasons to feel righteous, at that time we need to humble ourselves. Instead of despising others we must seek God’s mercy for our dangerous situation as well as for others’ need.
In 2009 many of us have not committed obvious sins like this tax collector. Therefore, too often, it is natural for us to feel more like this Pharisee. But this is a dangerous situation. Jesus said, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” This is God’s warning to all of us. We cannot stay humble too long apart from God’s grace.
In our life of faith we do not need to choose between the path of this Pharisee and tax collector. The purpose of Jesus’ illustration is not about pursuing the life style of the tax collector. Rather, Jesus’ point is how terrible it is to live like a Pharisee. There are other fine ways of living. It is to live before God as humble and faithful people to the end. In the course of studying the Bible, I find two types of highly accomplished people. The names of Type A include: Adam, Lot, Gideon, Samson, Solomon and Uzziah. Those who are Type B are: Abraham, Job, Samuel, David, Daniel and Paul. What are the differences between Type A and Type B? Both are highly blessed and accomplished people. Type A started well but all ended poorly. Type B started and ended well as well.
Third, we always pray and not give up because we need God’s blessings (15-17). What did the people expect when they brought their children to Jesus? (15a) People were bringing their babies to Jesus to have him touch them. They (the parents) expected Jesus to touch and bless them. What did Jesus’ disciples try to do with them? (15b) When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them, but Jesus rebuked them.
What does Jesus teach his disciples about the kingdom of God? Look at verses 16-17: Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17 I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” The kingdom of God is for those who receive the kingdom of God like a little child. The kingdom of God is for those who are humble and needy like a little child. Jesus appreciates a child-like attitude.
Why do we need God’s blessings? “Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. 2 In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat—for he grants sleep to those he loves.” (Ps 127:1-2) Our life is so fragile. All our efforts turn out to be nothing apart from God’s favor and his blessings. “May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands.” (Ps 90:17) The countless hours we spend on some projects turn out to be nothing. The work of our hands does not accomplish anything. This is the reality. We need God’s blessings. As people living in this land, we all need to seek God’s blessings. During Christmas the U.S. Senate passed its health care reform bill. This is quite a controversial bill. As a Christian I am committed to pray for our leaders all the more. We must pray that God may continue to help us, show his mercy on us, and pour out his blessings on us.
We all need God’s blessings. We come to seek God’s blessings. As we conclude this year, we may remember God’s grace—seek his help, mercy, and blessings. What can we do for others? Through prayer we seek God’s help on behalf of others. Through prayer we support those who are in need of God’s mercy. Through prayer we bless others and love them.
Luke 18:1 was our 2009 key verse: “Always pray and not give up” but it is not only the key verse for this year. Personally, this will remain with me for years. Always pray and not give up. This is the Christian life. As long as we breathe, we always pray. Through prayer we recognize that God is our Father and that we are his children. Through prayer life we recognize our dependence, gratitude, and confidence. As long as we pray, we do not give up this precious gift of life. As we pray, we do not abandon our important struggles in this life. By prayer we live and with prayer we end this life’s journey. In between by prayer we take care of our needs and fulfill God’s will. May God enable each of you to be praying people.
December 27, 2009; Dr. Paul Hong; Toledo, UBF
Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
