Lucas 18
Charles Spurgeon · Citado em PreceptAustin
Lucas 18
Spurgeon comments "Evening and morning, and at noon, will I pray. Often but none too often. Seasons of great need call for frequent seasons of devotion. The three periods chosen are most fitting; to begin, continue, and end the day with God is supreme wisdom. Where time has naturally set up a boundary, there let us set up an altar stone. The psalmist means that he will always pray; he will run a line of prayer right along the day, and track the sun with his petitions. Day and night he saw his enemies busy (Psalms 55:10), and therefore he would meet their activity by continuous prayer. And cry aloud. He would give a tongue to his complaint; he would be very earnest in his pleas with heaven. Some cry aloud who never say a word. It is the bell of the heart that rings loudest in heaven. Some read it, "I will nurse and murmur;" deep heart thoughts should be attended with inarticulate but vehement utterances of grief. Blessed be God, moaning is translatable in heaven. A father's heart reads a child's heart. And he shall hear my voice. He is confident that he will prevail; he makes no question that he would be heard, he speaks as if already he were answered. When our window is opened towards heaven, the windows of heaven are open to us. Have but a pleading heart and God will have a plenteous hand. W A Criswell quoted the following prayer from a source unknown... When you are weary in body and soul Cumbered with many a care When work is claiming its strength-taking toll Make it a matter of prayer. And when you're discouraged, distraught or dismayed Sinking almost in despair Remember there's One who will come to your aid, If you'll make it a matter of prayer. And when you are lost in this world's tangled maze When life seems a hopeless affair Direction will come for all of your ways If you'll make it a matter of prayer. Regular, daily prayer takes discipline and concerted effort. It is sadly possible for a believer to go through the whole day and not speak to God even once. This should not be. Prayer is a vital aspect of man’s role as one who is beloved of God the Father. How many times have you told someone you would pray for them and then you did not? We've all done that haven't we? But here's a little exercise that dovetails nicely with Paul's command to pray without ceasing... Stop saying you will pray about a thing. Instead stop right there and pray about it. The greatly used preacher Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892) put great emphasis on prayer in preparation for preaching. He felt that ministers ought to pray without ceasing and in fact once wrote that... All our libraries and studies are mere emptiness compared with our closets (Ed note: our "prayer closets" - Mt 6:6+). We grow, we wax mighty, we prevail in private prayer When Spurgeon prepared to preach, he would pray at all times -- before choosing his topic, as he was getting into the spirit of the text, as he sought God’s help for deep truths and the lifting out of those truths, as he sought to receive fresh streams of thought regarding the application of the text, and of course for his delivery of the message thus prepared. Spurgeon declared that... nothing can so gloriously fit you to preach as descending fresh from the mount of communion with God to speak with men. None are so able to plead with men as those who have been wrestling with God on their behalf. Tony Evans speaking of abiding in the Vine, Christ Jesus, asks... How do you stay connected to Jesus every moment? One way is through prayer. Remember the command, “Pray without ceasing” (1Th 5:17)? You don’t have to be on your knees moving your lips to pray. Prayer can be the atmosphere in which you exist. You can bring the Lord to bear on every aspect of your day by staying in touch with Him, communing with Him in your spirit. Prayer is an expression of your dependence on Christ. And because He is also your Great High Priest as well as the vine, He can do something about your situation. The Lord who is sitting at the right hand of God in the place of authority wants to work in your life to bear spiritual fruit. The key to fruit bearing is abiding in Him, and the key to abiding is obedience. (See Who Is This King of Glory?) Jesus told His disciples to... keep on the alert (present imperative) at all times, praying in order that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man." (Luke 21:36+) Comment: This passage is an especially good parallel with the present parable on prayer for both imply there will be delay in the Lord's return and the times on earth will involve tribulation. Praying brings spiritual strength to maintain alertness. It enables disciples to withstand their temptations to depart from God’s will. Disciples are to watch and pray at all times, thus separating themselves from the ungodly world which is doomed to experience the wrath of God. (He also said) "Ask (present imperative = command to keep on asking), and it shall be given to you; seek (present imperative = command to keep on seeking), and you shall find; knock (present imperative = command to keep on knocking), and it shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks (present tense = as their habitual practice) receives, and he who seeks (present tense = as their habitual practice) finds, and to him who knocks (present tense = as their habitual practice) it shall be opened. (Mt 7:7-8+) Spurgeon's Morning and Evening - “Men ought always to pray.” —Luke 18:1 If men ought always to pray and not to faint, much more Christian men. Jesus has sent his church into the world on the same errand upon which he himself came, and this mission includes intercession. What if I say that the church is the world’s priest? Creation is dumb, but the church is to find a mouth for it. It is the church’s high privilege to pray with acceptance. The door of grace is always open for her petitions, and they never return empty-handed. The veil was rent for her, the blood was sprinkled upon the altar for her, God constantly invites her to ask what she wills. Will she refuse the privilege which angels might envy her? Is she not the bride of Christ? May she not go in unto her King at every hour? Shall she allow the precious privilege to be unused? The church always has need for prayer. There are always some in her midst who are declining, or falling into open sin. There are lambs to be prayed for, that they may be carried in Christ’s bosom? the strong, lest they grow presumptuous; and the weak, lest they become despairing. If we kept up prayer-meetings four-and-twenty hours in the day, all the days in the year, we might never be without a special subject for supplication. Are we ever without the sick and the poor, the afflicted and the wavering? Are we ever without those who seek the conversion of relatives, the reclaiming of back-sliders, or the salvation of the depraved? Nay, with congregations constantly gathering, with ministers always preaching, with millions of sinners lying dead in trespasses and sins; in a country over which the darkness of Romanism is certainly descending; in a world full of idols, cruelties, devilries, if the church doth not pray, how shall she excuse her base neglect of the commission of her loving Lord? Let the church be constant in supplication, let every private believer cast his mite of prayer into the treasury. Oswald Chambers - What to pray for Men ought always to pray, and not to faint. Luke 18:1. You cannot intercede if you do not believe in the reality of the Redemption; you will turn intercession into futile sympathy with human beings which will only increase their submissive content to being out of touch with God. In intercession you bring the person, or the circumstance that impinges on you, before God until you are moved by His attitude towards that person or circumstance. Intercession means filling up “that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ,” and that is why there are so few intercessors. Intercession is put on the line of—‘Put yourself in his place.’ Never! Try to put yourself in God’s place. As a worker, be careful to keep pace with the communications of reality from God or you will be crushed. If you know too much, more than God has engineered for you to know, you cannot pray, the condition of the people is so crushing that you cannot get through to reality. Our work lies in coming into definite contact with God about everything, and we shirk it by becoming active workers. We do the things that can be tabulated, but we will not intercede. Intercession is the one thing that has no snares, because it keeps our relationship with God completely open. The thing to watch in intercession is that no soul is patched up, a soul must get through into contact with the life of God. Think of the number of souls God has brought about our path and we have dropped them! When we pray on the ground of Redemption, God creates something He can create in no other way than through intercessory prayer. David Jeremiah - PRAY AT ALL TIMES LUKE 18:1 He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart. Here is something I have learned about prayer that I have not seen mentioned in books on prayer I have read: Prayer is meant to be preventative more than remedial. We usually treat prayer as remedial, meaning we pray when we have a need or are in trouble. But in Luke 18:1 Jesus says that at all times we “ought to pray … and not lose heart.” In other words, prayer isn’t the last thought; it’s the first thought. It is preventative, not remedial. Also instead of praying when we are tempted, Jesus says we should pray that we “may not enter into temptation” (Matthew 26:41). When we are not under pressure and stress, we should be praying so that we might be shored up and defended against the pressures that will come. Until we come to the place of prayer, we will never find release from stress. If we treat prayer as just a religious ritual or option, then we are not truly living in dependence upon God. Prayer is the soul of man crying out in inadequacy to a God who is adequate, a God who is able to do what man cannot. John MacArthur (Drawing Near) - UNLIMITED PRAYER “Men ought always to pray” (Luke 18:1, KJV). Prayer should never be limited to certain times, places, or circumstances. As a child I was taught to pray with my head bowed, eyes closed, and hands folded. Even as a young man I thought that was the only acceptable mode of prayer. In my seminary days I sang in a quartet that traveled to various churches throughout the United States. The first time I traveled with them we had a prayer meeting in the car, and the driver prayed with his eyes open. All of us were glad he did, but I wondered if God really heard his prayer. I have since learned that praying with my eyes closed is a helpful way to avoid distractions, but it isn’t mandated in Scripture—nor are most of the other limitations people often place on prayer. For example, some people want to limit prayer to a certain posture, but Scripture tells of people praying while standing, sitting, kneeling, looking upward, bowing down, and lifting up their hands. Some try to limit prayer to certain times of the day, such as morning or evening. But in the Bible people prayed at all times: morning, evening, three times a day, before meals, after meals, at bedtime, at midnight, day and night, in their youth, in their old age, when troubled, and when joyful. Similarly, Scripture places no limits on the place or circumstances of prayer. It tells of people praying in a cave, in a closet, in a garden, on a mountainside, by a river, by the sea, in the street, in the Temple, in bed, at home, in the stomach of a fish, in battle, on a housetop, in a prison, in the wilderness, and on a cross. The point is clear: there is no specific correct mode or kind of prayer, and prayer isn’t limited by your location or circumstances. You are to pray always. That includes any kind of prayer, on any subject, at any time of the day or night. Kenneth Osbeck - Amazing Grace - PRAYER IS THE SOUL’S SINCERE DESIRE James Montgomery, 1771–1854 Men ought always to pray, and not to faint. (Luke 18:1 KJV) Living a life without prayer is like building a house without nails.—Unknown Prayer is releasing the energies of God. For prayer is asking God to do what we cannot do ourselves.—Selected Except for Charles Wesley or Isaac Watts, no writer has made a greater contribution to English hymnody than the author of this text, James Montgomery. He wrote more than 400 hymns, many of which are still in popular use: “Stand Up and Bless the Lord,” “Angel From the Realms of Glory,” “In the Hour of Trial,” and “According to Thy Gracious Word.” Though trained for the ministry, Montgomery spent his lifetime as a journalist and newspaper editor. He became widely known for his writings and poetry, yet when once asked, “Which of your poems will live?” he replied, “None, sir, except a few of my hymns.” His words were prophetic. It is by his hymns that Montgomery is remembered, rather than by his more classic poetry. Many have acclaimed this hymn as one of the finest definitions and descriptions of prayer to be found in short form. Such colorful metaphors as “hidden fire,” “a sign,” “a falling tear,” “an upward glance,” “vital breath,” and “native air” describe in poetic language the mystic meaning of prayer—understood by experience, yet often difficult to express in words. Perhaps those terms will lead you to a new appreciation for the “soul’s sincere desire.” (Listen to hymn). Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire, uttered or unexpressed, the motion of a hidden fire that trembles in the breast. Prayer is the burden of a sigh, the falling of a tear, the upward glancing of an eye when none but God is near. Prayer is the simplest form of speech that infant lips can try; prayer, the sublimest strains that reach the Majesty on high. Prayer is the Christian’s vital breath, the Christian’s native air; his watchword at the gates of death: He enters heav’n with prayer. O Thou by whom we come to God, the Life, the Truth, the Way! The path of prayer Thyself hast trod: Lord, teach us how to pray! We Don't Have Time Not To Read: Luke 18:1-8 Men always ought to pray and not lose heart. —Luke 18:1 Things we ought to do, but we don’t take the time to do: Balance our checkbook. Change our car’s oil and filter. Get a physical examination. Pray. That’s right, pray! Jesus said that we “always ought to pray and not lose heart” (Lk. 18:1). And the apostle Paul exhorted believers to “pray without ceasing” (1 Th. 5:17). We know that our lives would be deeper and fuller, and that we would be better prepared to face life’s challenges if we would talk to God. But so often we do not take the time, and as a result we feel spiritually dry and weak. In his book Prayer: A Holy Occupation, Oswald Chambers wrote, “We can hinder the time that should be spent with God by remembering we have other things to do. ‘I haven’t time.’ Of course you have not time! Take time, strangle some other interests and make time to realize that the center of power in your life is the Lord Jesus Christ and His atonement.” If we fail to balance our checkbook, service our car, or get a physical exam, we can run into serious problems. But if we neglect prayer, we will lose our spiritual power. We don’t have time not to pray. I must tell Jesus all of my trials; I cannot bear these burdens alone; In my distress He kindly will help me; He ever loves and cares for His own. —Hoffman If we are too busy to pray, we are too busy. Fight Or Pray? Read: Luke 18:1-8 He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart. —Luke 18:1 When my son Ben was 6 years old, he had a playground adversary. According to Ben, this fellow had gone too far, and he thought the only solution was to fight it out. So I talked to him about the Christlike way to handle the situation. I asked him, “Did you pray to the Lord for understanding and help to avoid a fight?” He didn’t answer, so I asked him again. This time with childish candor he blurted out, “No, I don’t want to pray. I’d rather beat him up.” How revealing! The problem was that he didn’t feel weak enough to seek God’s help. We often hesitate to pray for the Lord’s guidance in a tough situation because we think we can work it out ourselves. But if that’s our attitude, we are not yet in the place where God will come to our assistance. He wants us to sense that we really are helpless. Jesus told the parable of the widow and the unjust judge to encourage us to continue bringing our concerns to the Father. If we are not persistent in seeking His help, we may “lose heart” (Lk. 18:1) because our own efforts are inadequate. And God, unlike an unjust judge, longs to come to our aid. What problems are facing you? Are you going to fight or pray? Pray, always pray, the Holy Spirit pleads, Bring to thy God thy daily, hourly needs; All earthly things with earth shall pass away; Prayer grasps eternity; pray—always pray! —Bickersteth The best way to stay on your feet is to get down on your knees. Always Pray and Don’t Give Up Read: Luke 18:1-8 Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. Luke 18:1 Are you going through one of those times when it seems every attempt to resolve a problem is met with a new difficulty? You thank the Lord at night that it’s taken care of but awake to find that something else has gone wrong and the problem remains. During an experience like that, I was reading the gospel of Luke and was astounded by the opening words of chapter 18: “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up” (v. 1). I had read the story of the persistent widow many times but never grasped why Jesus told it (vv. 2-8). Now I connected those opening words with the story. The lesson to His followers was very clear: “Always pray and never give up.” Prayer is a process of recognizing God's power and plan for our lives. Prayer is not a means of coercing God to do what we want. It is a process of recognizing His power and plan for our lives. In prayer we yield our lives and circumstances to the Lord and trust Him to act in His time and in His way. As we rely on God’s grace not only for the outcome of our requests but for the process as well, we can keep coming to the Lord in prayer, trusting His wisdom and care for us. Our Lord’s encouragement to us is clear: Always pray and don’t give up! Lord, in the difficulty I face today, guard my heart, guide my words, and show Your grace. May I always turn to You in prayer. Prayer changes everything. Luke 18:2 saying, "In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man. a judge who did not fear God: Lu 18:4 Ex 18:21,22 2Ch 19:3-9 Job 29:7-17 Ps 8:1-4 Jer 22:16,17 Eze 22:6-8 Mic 3:1-3 Ro 3:14-18 did not respect man: Pr 29:7 Isa 33:8 Luke 18 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 18:1-8 Persevering in Prayer - Steven Cole Luke 18:1-8 - Persistent Prayer for the Lord's Return - John MacArthur NEITHER A GOD FEARER NOR A MAN LOVER In a certain city there was a judge (krites) who did not fear (phobeo) God and did not respect (entrepo) man - Recall that this is a parable so the Lord illustrates by giving us the "Where?" It is a certain city, which could be any city, but it is a city as that is where one would have need of a judge. Jesus paints a clear picture of the "blackness" of this judge's heart, for here we see he lacked the most fundamental requirement in life, the fear of God (see Pr 1:7, 9:10 below)! As Luke continues his description we see that this judge was not only anti-God but was also anti-people! This has to be the basic definition of a completely wicked, despicable heart! And so first Jesus says this judge lacks a basic attribute which is one of the keys to life, for if one has no fear of God, He will have no desire to walk in His ways, no desire to serve Him and no desire to keep His commandments (and in context clearly no desire to dispense justice). THOUGHT- This begs the basic question "Do you have have a healthy fear of God?" Solomon writes "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Pr 1:7+) Comment: As an aside, according to Solomon, how would we characterize this judge in Lk 18:1? How sad when a man who needs to make wise decisions that can so radically impact people's lives lacks a fear of the LORD! Does this sound like anything we are seeing take place in so many of the courts in America? Clearly many of the judges in our nation today would sadly fit the characterization of this judge in Lk 18:1! Believers need to pray at all times for their leaders, including their judges. Have you (I) ever prayed for the Supreme Court justices (cf 1 Ti 2:1,2)? The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (Pr 9:10) As Jon Courson says "Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Solomon says the fear of the Lord is the foundation. The fear of the Lord is the single most important essential. The fear of the Lord is where it all begins." Moses gives us the basic formula for a godly life (and a godly judge) - "And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require from you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways (notice a holy fear precedes a holy walk) and love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart (or as we might say today totally "sold out" - Are you? Am I?) and with all your soul, and to keep (shamar - guard) the LORD'S commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today (WHY?) for your good (Septuagint has "in order that [purpose clause] it may be will with thee")? (Dt 10:12-13+) What made Job such a godly man? "There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil." (Job 1:1) Comment: So why did Job turn away from evil? In context, the answer is clearly because he feared God. A corollary thought is what is my mindset when I contemplate sinning or am tempted to sin? If not, I have at least temporarily effectively jettisoned the "protective power" of a healthy fear of the Lord and will be vulnerable to the temptation and falling into sin. Lord, by Thy Spirit please teach us the fear of the LORD (Ps 34:11, cf Ps 86:11-see Give Me An Undivided Heart). In light of the Old Testament's emphasis on the fear of God, many saints today believe that the fear of God is relegated to men and women who lived in OT times, but this is clearly an aberrant belief, for the NT has many passages that advocate a healthy fear of the Lord as a prerequisite for a "healthy" Christian walk. For example, Paul spoke of the importance of godly fear in addressing the at times somewhat lawless saints at Corinth "Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in (sphere of) the fear of God. (2 Cor 7:1+) Comment: Saints are commanded to be holy as God is holy (1Pe 1:15-16) and to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). In short, saints should be growing daily more like Christ (progressive sanctification), and a key component of this increasingly holy walk ("perfecting holiness") is a healthy fear of the Lord. Can you see how vital it is that all saints have a healthy fear of God? This quality undergirds, motivates and empowers ALL of our Christian behavior. That's how important reverential fear of the Lord is to one living a godly life. 🙏 THOUGHT - So let me ask you -- Do you have a genuine fear of the Lord? Or are you more like this "certain judge" described by Jesus? Given the scriptural importance of the fear of the Lord, most of us must confess that although we have been going to church for many years, we have never heard a single sermon on the fear of God! When was the last time you had a Sunday School lesson on the fear of God? Have you ever seen a book devoted solely to this topic, the fear of God? The typical Christian today has heard many sermons on the love of God, but absolutely nothing about the fear of God. This is sad as well as thoroughly unbiblical. Of course we should love God. That is not the issue. What we are saying is that we must relate to God in more than one way. Loving God is not enough according to the Bible. We must also FEAR Him. If we take the Bible seriously, the fundamental aspect of our relationship to God should be the fear of the Lord! Fear goes hand in hand with love: love is the positive side, fear the negative; love prompts one to do what pleases God, fear prompts one to refrain from what displeases God. But what is the fear of the Lord? It is that affectionate reverence; by which the child of God bends himself humbly and carefully to his Father’s law (enabled by His Spirit giving us the desire and the power - Php 2:13+). His wrath is so bitter, and His love so sweet; that hence springs an earnest desire to please Him, and—because of the danger of coming short from his own weakness and temptations—a holy watchfulness and fear, “that he might not sin against him” (Heb 12:28, 29). So in summary, we all need to cultivate a healthy, holy fear of the Lord, for this is clearly a key truth in the entire Bible which speaks of "fear" of the Lord in some 295 verses! Scripture speaks of men fearing God, His name, His Law or His Word. In the OT there are 235 references to the fear of God. In the NT there are 43 references to the fear of God which, by the way, is the same number of references that speak of man’s love toward God. From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible proclaims that the fear of the Lord is a fountain of life (Pr 14:27) and those who drink deeply of it shall have the blessings of God in this life and in the life to come. However, those who reject the fear of the Lord will end up in the ways of death. The fear of God is the predominant response to and fundamental attitude toward God, His Word, His Law and His name, and what God desires. This is why it is mentioned more times than any other aspect of vital piety. If you are so inclined, let me encourage you to do a simple study on the Fear of the Lord, which you can find at this link. Related Resources: In Depth Analysis of the Fear of the Lord How is the fear of the Lord the beginning of wisdom? What does the Bible say about fear? What does it mean to work out salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12)? What does it mean to have the fear of God? What does “perfect love casts out fear” mean? How can I overcome the fear of death? How can I stop being scared of dying? How does fearing God add length to a person's life (Proverbs 10:27)?
Lucas 18
Spurgeon - “But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even raise his eyes to heaven but kept striking his chest and saying, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’” It was the fault of the Pharisee that, though he entered the temple to pray, he did not pray; there is no prayer in all that he said. It is one excellence of the tax collector that he went up to the temple to pray and did pray; there is nothing but prayer in all that he said. “God, have mercy on me, a sinner” is a pure, unadulterated prayer throughout. It was the fault of the Pharisee that when he went up to the temple to pray he forgot an essential part of prayer, which is confession of sin; he spoke as if he had no sins to confess but many virtues to parade. It was a chief excellence in the devotion of the tax collector that he did confess his sin and that his utterance was full of confession of sin; from beginning to end it was an acknowledgment of his guilt and an appeal for grace to the merciful God. The prayer of the tax collector is admirable for its fullness of meaning. One expositor calls it a holy telegram, and certainly it is so compact and so condensed, so free from superfluous words, that it is worthy to be called by that name. I do not see how he could have expressed his meaning more fully or more briefly. What great things are packed away in this short petition! God, mercy, sin, the propitiation, and forgiveness. The prayer so pleased the Lord Jesus Christ, who heard it, that he condescended to become a portrait painter and took a sketch of the petitioner. Luke, who, according to tradition, was somewhat of an artist as well as a physician, takes great care to place this picture in the national portrait gallery of men saved by sovereign grace. Here we have the portrait of a man who called himself a sinner, who may yet be held up as a pattern to saints. (Luke 18:13 A Sermon for the Worst Man on Earth) 'Guilty!' Read: Luke 18:9-14 God, be merciful to me a sinner! —Luke 18:13 The great “prince of preachers” Charles Haddon Spurgeon used to tell the story of a duke who boarded a galley ship and went below to talk with the criminals manning the oars. He asked several of them what their offenses were. Almost every man claimed he was innocent, blaming someone else or accusing the judge of taking a bribe. One young fellow, however, replied, “Sir, I deserve to be here. I stole some money. No one is at fault but me. I’m guilty.” Upon hearing this, the duke shouted, “You scoundrel, you! What are you doing here with all these honest men? Get out of their company at once!” The duke ordered that this prisoner be released. He was set free, while the rest were left to tug at the oars. The key to this prisoner’s freedom was his admission of guilt. That’s also true in salvation. Until a person is willing to admit, “I am a sinner in need of salvation,” he cannot experience freedom from guilt and condemnation. Admitting that we're guilty, Acknowledging our sin, Then trusting in Christ's sacrifice Will make us clean within. —Sper Sin brings fear; confession brings freedom. For Sinners Only Read: Luke 18:9-14 The tax collector . . . beat his breast, saying, “God, be merciful to me a sinner!" —Luke 18:13 An article in The Grand Rapids Press described a woman who overcame her drinking habit—but only after she admitted she had a problem. She said the “emotional moment” came when she brought herself to say, “I’m Betty and I’m an alcoholic.” She had been saying that her slurred speech, drowsiness, and other problems were due to the medication she was taking for a chronic ailment. But the family knew the real cause and confronted her. As a result, she finally faced up to her problem. Before that, she was a hopeless case. But when she said, “I’m an alcoholic,” there was hope. It’s much the same way with salvation. As long as a person makes excuses for his sinful behavior, he’ll never experience deliverance. It’s only when he admits, “I am a sinner and cannot save myself,” that the Lord will rescue him from sin and its awful consequences. The proud and boastful Pharisee in Luke 18 was lost. The tax collector, however, acknowledged his sinfulness and “went down to his house justified” (v.14). Naught have I gotten but what I received, Grace has bestowed it since I have believed; Boasting excluded, pride I abase— I’m only a sinner saved by grace! —Gray Jesus can change the foulest sinner into the finest saint. Lost And Found Read: Luke 18:9-14 The tax collector . . . beat his breast, saying, "God, be merciful to me a sinner!. —Luke 18:13 Evangelist D. L. Moody once visited a prison called “The Tombs” to preach to the inmates. After he had finished speaking, Moody talked with a number of men in their cells. He asked each prisoner this question, “What brought you here?” Again and again he received replies like this: “I don’t deserve to be here.” “I was framed.” “I was falsely accused.” “I was not given a fair trial.” Not one inmate would admit he was guilty. Moody finally found a man with his face buried in his hands, weeping. “What’s wrong, my friend?” he inquired. The prisoner responded, “My sins are more than I can bear.” Relieved to find at least one man who would recognize his guilt and need of forgiveness, the evangelist exclaimed, “Thank God for that!” Moody then joyfully led him to a saving knowledge of Christ—a knowledge that released him from the shackles of his sin. To find salvation you must admit you are lost. Looking Down Read: Luke 18:9-14 I say . . . to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly. —Romans 12:3 After I had minor eye surgery, the nurse told me, “Don’t look down for the next 2 weeks. No cooking or cleaning.” The last part of those instructions was a little easier to take than the first part! The incisions needed to heal, and she didn’t want me to put any unnecessary pressure on them by looking down. C. S. Lewis wrote about another kind of looking down that we may have a problem with: “In God you come up against something which is in every respect immeasurably superior to yourself. . . . As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people: and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you” (Mere Christianity). Jesus told a parable about a Pharisee who felt superior to others. In a prideful prayer, he thanked God that he was not like other men (Luke 18:11). He looked down on extortioners, the unjust, adulterers, and the tax collector who was also praying in the temple. By contrast, the tax collector knew he was a sinner before God and asked for His mercy (v.13). When I survey the wondrous cross On which the Prince of Glory died, My richest gain I count but loss, And pour contempt on all my pride. —Watts Spiritual pride is the most arrogant of all kinds of pride. Expect and Extend Mercy Read: Luke 18:9–14 God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Luke 18:13 When I complained that a friend’s choices were leading her deeper into sin and how her actions affected me, the woman I prayed with weekly placed her hand over mine. “Let’s pray for all of us.” I frowned. “All of us?” When we realize the depth of our need for mercy, we can more readily offer mercy to others. “Yes,” she said. “Aren’t you the one who always says Jesus sets our standard of holiness, so we shouldn’t compare our sins to the sins of others?” “That truth hurts a little,” I said, “but you’re right. My judgmental attitude and spiritual pride are no better or worse than her sins.” “And by talking about your friend, we’re gossiping. So—” “We’re sinning.” I lowered my head. “Please, pray for us.” In Luke 18, Jesus shared a parable about two men approaching the temple to pray in very different ways (vv. 9–14). Like the Pharisee, we can become trapped in a circle of comparing ourselves to other people. We can boast about ourselves (vv. 11–12) and live as though we have the right to judge and the responsibility or the power to change others. But when we look to Jesus as our example of holy living and encounter His goodness firsthand, like the tax collector, our desperate need for God’s grace is magnified (v. 13). As we experience the Lord’s loving compassion and forgiveness personally, we’ll be forever changed and empowered to expect and extend mercy, not condemnation, to others. When we realize the depth of our need for mercy, we can more readily offer mercy to others. Luke 18:14 "I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted. I tell you, this man went to his hous: Lu 5:24,25 7:47-50 1Sa 1:18 Ec 9:7 justified rather than the other: Lu 10:29 16:15 Job 9:20 25:4 Ps 143:2 Isa 45:25 53:11 Ro 3:20 Ro 4:5 5:1 8:33 Ga 2:16 Jas 2:21-25 for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled: Lu 1:52 14:11 Ex 18:11 Job 22:29 40:9-13 Ps 138:6 Pr 3:34 15:33 Pr 16:18,19 18:12 29:23 Isa 2:11-17 57:15 Da 4:37 Hab 2:4 Mt 5:3 23:12 Jas 4:6,10 1Pe 5:5,6 Luke 18 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 18:9-14 The Wrong and Right Way to Approach God - Steven Cole Luke 18:9-14 Who Can Be Right with God? Part 1 - John MacArthur Luke 18:9-14 Who Can Be Right with God? Part 2 - John MacArthur THE SHOCKING REVERSAL I tell you - What is Jesus saying by using this introduction? He is telling the hearers truth that comes with His authority. He is telling them truth that they would not hear from their religious leaders. There was no rabbinical teaching which He could quote. This reminds us of the reaction of His Jewish audience who was "amazed at His teaching, for His message was with authority." In the present case the reaction of the hearers is not recorded but undoubtedly they were stunned by Jesus' words that a tax collector was justified before God and a Pharisee was not justified. Jesus was telling them, "It is not the man who is "good" who is justified, but the man who knows he is wicked that is justified." This is not what the rabbis taught. This is not what the Pharisees and Scribes taught. But this is the truth that Jesus taught and it was shocking to Jewish ears! Stein on Jesus' words I tell you - Note the Christological claim in these words. Jesus claimed to know the mind of God. (NAC) And so the Pharisee is as good as it gets, but not good enough (Mt 5:20). The self-confessed sinner, on the other hand, is as bad as it gets, the most despised of all outcasts, and yet he is the one of whom Jesus said, "He went down justified,” or just, or right, or righteous with God, acceptable and approved by God. That idea to religious people in the religions of human achievement, that idea to a Jew in the Judaism of that day and particularly that idea to a Pharisee would constitute a kind of outrage. This man went to his house justified rather than the other - The Sacrificial Service is over, and now the tax collector is mentioned before the Pharisee, reversing the order at the beginning of the parable. The humble tax collector is justified or declared righteous before God, while the prideful, self-righteous Pharisee is not declared righteous. Scripture consistently teaches that sinners are justified when God’s perfect righteousness is imputed to their account (cf. Ge 15:6; Ro 4:4, 5; 2Co 5:21; Php 3:4–9)—and it was only on that basis that this tax collector (or anyone else) could be saved. Went - This is more literally "went down" and presents an interesting wordplay. Both men went up the Temple stairs. Both men came down the Temple stairs. The one who went up exalting self, went down downgraded and dismissively described as "that one," rather than "the Pharisee!" The one who went up in humility, went down exalted by God as described in the proverbial statement in this verse. Bailey has an interesting note - For centuries the Church debated whether the sacraments have an automatic effect on the believer irrespective of his spiritual state. Here in this simple parable we already have an answer, and the answer is NO! The Pharisee was wasting his time. The self-righteous returns home unjustified....The sacrifice of the lamb for the sins of the people is made—but the broken of heart, who come in unworthiness trusting in God’s atonement, they alone are made right with God. (Borrow - Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes: Cultural Studies in the Gospels). Justified (1344) (dikaioo from dike = right, expected behavior or conformity,) primarily means to deem to be right, and describes the act by which a man is brought into a right state of relationship to God. Dikaioo is a legal term having to do with the law and the the courtroom, where it represented the legally binding verdict of the judge. This is the sense in which Paul uses dikaioo in the great section in Romans in which he unfolds the doctrine of justification. (Ro 3:21-5:11) It is important to note that dikaioo is in the perfect tense which describes a past completed action (in this context the moment the tax collected believed in the substitutionary atonement of the Messiah) with an ongoing, permanent effect (eternal security = once truly saved, then truly saved for eternity!). In short, the tax collector is declared permanently in right standing before God! Steven
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Spurgeon - Faith's Checkbook - True Humility Rewarded “He that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”—Luke 18:14 IT ought not to be difficult for us to humble ourselves, for what have we to be proud of? We ought to take the lowest place without being told to do so. If we are sensible and honest we shall be little in our own eyes. Especially before the Lord in prayer, we shall shrink to nothing. There we cannot speak of merit, for we have none. Our one and only appeal must be to mercy: “God be merciful to me a sinner.” Here is a cheering word from the throne. We shall be exalted by the Lord if we humble ourselves. For us the way upward is downhill. When we are stripped of self, we are clothed with humility, and this is the best of wear. The Lord will exalt us in peace and happiness of mind; He will exalt us into knowledge of His Word and fellowship with Himself; He will exalt us in the enjoyment of sure pardon and justification. The Lord puts His honors upon those who can wear them to the honor of the Giver. He gives usefulness, acceptance, and influence to those who will not be puffed up by them, but will be abased by a sense of greater responsibility. Neither God nor man will care to lift up a man who lifts up himself; but both God and good men unite to honor modest worth. O Lord, sink me in self that I may rise in thee. Luke 18:15 And they were bringing even their babies to Him so that He would touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they began rebuking them. NLT Luke 18:15 One day some parents brought their little children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But when the disciples saw this, they scolded the parents for bothering him. And they were bringing even their babies to Him: 1 Sa 1:24 Mt 19:13-15 Mk 10:13-16 when the disciples saw it, they began rebuking them: Lu 9:49,50,54 Luke 18 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 18:15-17 Bringing Children to Jesus - Steven Cole Luke 18:15-17 Children and the Kingdom of God, Part 1 - John MacArthur Luke 18:15-17 Children and the Kingdom of God, Part 2 - John MacArthur Related Passages: Matthew 19:13-15+ Then some children were brought to Him so that He might lay His hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them. 14 But Jesus said, “Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 15 After laying His hands on them, He departed from there. Mark 10:13-16+ And they were bringing children to Him so that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked them. 14 But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, “Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 “Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.” 16 And He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands on them. JESUS' BLESSES THE LITTLE CHILDREN A somewhat technical note is that the material in Luke 9:51 to Luke 18:14 has no direct parallel with the material in the other Synoptic Gospels of Matthew and Mark. But in Luke 18:15-17 we find a definite parallel with the Gospel of Mark 10:13-16 and Mt 19:13-15. Luke has more duplication of the other Synoptic Gospels in the chapters that follow than we have seen in Luke 9:51-18:14. Walter Liefeld helps set the context - Jesus’ words about little children provide Luke’s second example of the attitude essential for receiving God’s grace. In its placement in this gospel, this passage not only further explores the theme of reversal (cf. Lk 18:13–14), but it also introduces the stories that follow, in which various characters are portrayed as either having or lacking this childlike faith. S. Fowl (“Receiving the Kingdom of God as a Child,” NTS 39 [1993]: 153–58) has included as exemplary characters the rich ruler (Lk 18:18–25), the disciples (Lk 18:26–30), the blind man (Lk 18:35–43), and Zacchaeus (Lk19:1–10). (Expositor's Bible Commentary) POSB asks "What is it that makes a man acceptable to God? The answer had just been given by Jesus in the story of the Pharisee and the publican (Luke 18:9-14). Now Jesus gives a living demonstration. He took a few small children into His arms and sat them upon His lap, and He told everyone exactly what they must do to be acceptable to God. (The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible – Luke) J C
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Spurgeon says "He did not baptize them, but he did bless them.” (Luke 18 - exposition) J C Ryle on touch them - There is reference here in all probability to the Jewish habit of laying hands on a child and blessing it. We have an instance in the case of Jacob blessing Joseph’s children. (Ge 48:14.) POSB - The scene is warm, full of genuine care and truth that we often overlook. It is not so much that we come and touch God as it is that He comes and touches us. It is not so much that we apprehend God as it is that we are apprehended by Him (Php 3:12–13). (Borrow The Preacher's outline & sermon Bible) Swete says “The custom of laying on of hands with prayer upon children for the purpose of benediction, finds its archetype in Genesis 48:14, 15. Such benedictions, it seems, were commonly obtained by parents for their children from the ruler of the synagogue; and here was One greater than any local synagogue-ruler." But when the disciples (mathetes) saw it - The disciples were guarding entree to Jesus and presumably did not want their Master bothered by what they considered to be such unimportant matters as touching and blessing infants! Hendriksen on the disciples rebuking them - For somewhat similar manifestations of unkindness on the part of the disciples see Luke 9:49, 50; Matt. 15:23. But this certainly was not Christ’s attitude, or God’s. See Mt. 5:43–48; 11:25–30; Luke 6:27–38; John 3:16. (Exposition of the Gospel of Luke - borrow) Kenneth
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Spurgeon puts it, “I might as well prove vaccination from the text” as infant baptism (“Children Brought to Christ, Not to the Font,” Spurgeon’s Sermons [Baker], 8:40-41). According to the New Testament, baptism follows saving faith in Christ as a public testimony of that faith. I believe that infant baptism is potentially damaging, because it gives a false sense of assurance to people who need to repent and believe in Christ. They think that since they were baptized, they will go to heaven, which is patently false. Personal faith in Jesus Christ is the only thing that saves. (Bringing Children to Jesus) Robert Stein echoes Cole writing "Although this passage later became a proof-text for infant baptism (Jesus’ blessing the children has even been called a “baptism without water”), in the context of Jesus’ ministry these words do not deal with the issue of infant baptism. It is furthermore difficult to believe that Luke understood this passage as a reference to children’s baptism because for him baptism was intimately associated with repentance (cf. Lk 3:8; Acts 2:38) and faith (Acts 8:12–13; 16:31–33)." (See Luke: An Exegetical and Theological Exposition). THOUGHT Have you ever "sung" the hymn Gentle Jesus by Charles Wesley? I mean have you sung it as a child and come to Him as a little child to receive by faith His precious gift of eternal life? If not, may the Spirit of Jesus enable you today to sing this song from your heart, a heart filled with childlike faith and trust. Amen.... Gentle Jesus, meek and mild, Look upon a little child. Pity my simplicity. Suffer me to come to Thee. Lamb of God, I look to Thee. Thou shal my example be. Thou art gentle, meek and mild; Thou wast once a little child. Fain I would be as Thou art; Give me Thine obedient heart. Thou art pitiful and kind. Let me have Thy loving mind. Loving Jesus, gentle Lamb, In Thy gracious hands I am; Make me, Savior, what Thou art, Live Thyself within my heart. MATTHEW 18 AND LITTLE CHILDREN In a similar declaration in Matthew 18 Jesus used a child to illustrate how one can enter the Kingdom of Heaven (God). Jesus' teaching in Matthew 18 helps us understand Jesus' use of a child to illustrate how one is saved. At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” (PRIDE) 2 And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, 3 and said, “Truly I say ("AMEN LEGO" - INTRODUCING A SOLEMN DECLARATION OF TRUTH) to you, unless you are converted (strepho = turn, to be changed inwardly) and become like children, you will not (Strong double negative = ou me = absolutely will not) enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven (GOD). 5 “And whoever receives (dechomai) one such child in My name receives (dechomai) Me. 6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me (believers who are "children of God" - 1 Jn 3:1) to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.(Matthew 18:1-6) Let's analyze Jesus' words in Matthew 18 -- Why would the disciples ask about who is greatest in the Kingdom? Clearly, although Jesus had taught extensively about the Kingdom, the disciples were still expecting Him to set up His Messianic Kingdom. And they expected (or were hoping) He would name one of them as greatest in the Kingdom. Similarly, Jesus had taught repeatedly on the need for humility but they did not "get it." Their question about who is greatest clearly reflected their pride. So Jesus proceeds to illustrate the principles about the Kingdom and about pride by setting a child before them and opening His remarks with the solemn phrase Truly I say. This must have gotten their attention! Don't you imagine they were a little embarrassed. And so Jesus uses the child to illustrate to the disciples how one is "converted" (cf His use of the phrase "born again" with Nicodemus Jn 3:3).
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Spurgeon put it, the rope around their necks, that they stand guilty and condemned before God. One reason that we see so many superficial professions of faith in our day is that we do not use the Law as Jesus did, to convict people of how far short they have fallen from God’s perfect standard. Thus salvation by human goodness is impossible because it can never compare with God’s goodness and it always falls short of God’s holy Law. C. SALVATION BY HUMAN GOODNESS IS IMPOSSIBLE BECAUSE HUMAN GOODNESS DECEIVES US ABOUT OUR TRUE HEART CONDITION. This man was sincere in thinking that he had kept the commandments, but he was sincerely wrong! He was deceiving himself because he was not looking at things on the heart level as God does. You can sincerely believe that you are well, but if you have some internal disease that is killing you, your sincerity does not matter. You must deal with your true condition or you will die. Sincerity is not enough; we must believe God’s diagnosis about the wickedness of the human heart. This man thought that he had it pretty well together. He just needed to do another thing or two to nail down eternal life. But Jesus sought to show him that in his heart, he was an idolater. He worshipped his money more than God. The Bible repeatedly warns us about the danger of money. In the parable of the sower, the thorns that choked out the word represent “worries and riches and the pleasures of this life” (Luke 8:14). In the parable of the rich fool, Jesus described a man who had plenty of goods stored up, but he had neglected his soul (Lk 12:16-21). Paul warned that “those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction” (1 Tim. 6:9). Money is like a loaded gun. It can be a useful thing if you’re careful with it. But, at all times it is a dangerous thing that you must treat with caution. Like guns, money can only be handled by sinners. It can lull us into thinking that all is well because we live comfortably, but we forget that eternity is a heartbeat away. If you protest that money is no problem for you, I would say that you do not see your heart as God sees it. Even those who are generous with their money may deceive themselves into thinking that because they give away so much, God will overlook their sin. But no one can get into heaven by his own goodness. Good people must abandon trusting in their own goodness if they want to get right with God. Salvation by human goodness is impossible. 3. Good people are saved by turning from their sin and trusting in God alone to save them. This man lacked one thing (Lk 18:22), but in lacking that one thing, he lacked everything. What was that one thing? He needed to sell everything, give the money away, and come follow Jesus. What? Did Jesus mean that he could earn salvation by doing this one thing? If so, this would be the first and only man in history of whom that was true. Scripture is uniformly clear that salvation is by grace through faith apart from works (Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5). So why did Jesus lay this heavy requirement on this man? He did it because a man cannot cling to his idols and genuinely trust in Christ for salvation at the same time. Saving faith is inseparable from repentance, which means, turning from our sins. Mark 1:15 sums up Jesus’ message: “Repent and believe in the gospel.” Repentance loosens our grasp on our sin; faith lays hold of God for deliverance. Repentance and saving faith always go together. Jesus was telling this rich young ruler what He taught elsewhere, that if your hand or foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. If you don’t, you will go to hell (see Matt. 5:29-30; Mark 9:43-50). In other words, sin condemns us. We must repent of it or it will drag us down to hell. You can’t cling to your sin with one hand and to the cross of Christ with the other. Picture a man in an upper story of a burning high-rise apartment. This has been his home and he loves it. But the building is on fire and if he wants to save his life, he must give it up. If he clings to his things, he will die in the smoke and flames. Repentance is his turning from those things to the open window. Faith is his jumping out the window into the safety net which the firemen have spread below. Both are necessary for him to be saved. As Jesus makes plain here, no man can save himself; but, “the things impossible with men are possible with God” (Lk 18:27). This means that we dare not trust in our repentance to save us. We dare not trust in our trust to save us. We can only trust in God to save us. Salvation is totally God’s doing, not at all our doing. We must cast ourselves totally on Him, not trusting at all in ourselves. Thus, Good people are saved by abandoning trust in their own goodness, by turning from their sin and trusting in God alone to save them. Conclusion In 1882, C. H. Spurgeon wrote something that precisely fits our times as well (exact source unknown): (ED: HOW INTERESTING TO READ SPURGEON'S WORDS COMPARED WITH ADRIAN ROGERS' SIMILAR WORDS ABOVE!) A very great portion of modern revivalism has been more a curse than a blessing, because it has led thousands to a kind of peace before they have known their misery; restoring the prodigal to the Father’s house, and never making him say, ‘Father, I have sinned.’ How can he be healed who is not sick, or he be satisfied with the bread of life who is not hungry? The old-fashioned sense of sin is despised…. Everything in this age is shallow…. The consequence is that men leap into religion, and then leap out again. Unhumbled they came to the church, unhumbled they remained in it, and unhumbled they go from it. Perhaps I am speaking to some good people today. You’ve assumed that your good deeds will get you into heaven. But you must see that your own goodness can never save you. You must further see the awful sins of your heart as God sees them. Perhaps there is one sin that you refuse to let go. The Lord is saying, “Let it go! Sell all that you possess, and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” Turn from your sin and trust in Christ alone who can save. Even though this rich young ruler went away sorrowful and unsaved, Jesus knew what He was doing as an evangelist. I pray your response will not be like that of this young man. (Luke 18:18-27 How Good People Get Saved) Luke 18:19 And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. Lu 1:35 11:13 Job 14:4 15:14-16 25:4 1Ti 3:16 Heb 7:26 Jas 1:17 Luke 18 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 18:18-27 How Good People Get Saved - Steven Cole Luke 18:18-27 The Impossibility of Salvation, Part 1 - John MacArthur Luke 18:18-27 The Impossibility of Salvation, Part 2 - John MacArthur ONLY GOD IS GOOD Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone (Mt 19:17, Mk 10:18) - There are differences of opinion as to the significance of Jesus' question. Here is one thought on the meaning of Jesus' question - Is He saying He is not good? That's not what He says. He says that only God is good. He is directing the young ruler's attention to God Who alone is good. Jesus is not saying that He Himself is not good, although we know He is because He is God. What Jesus seems to be doing is teaching the young ruler about what true goodness is, what the standard of goodness is, and thus He emphasizes that the standard of what is really good is God alone. Imagine the shock of this young man who had so many "good qualities" (eagerness, humility, discernment, spiritual mindedness, moral cleanliness, worldly success). What Jesus is saying to the young man is that he was not good. There is none good but God. Paul makes a similar statement in the section of Romans where he indicts all humanity as falling short of the glory of God, declaring "there is none who does good, there is (absolutely) not even one." (Ro 3:12, from Ps 14:3 and Ps 53:3) Solomon is even more direct writing "there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins." (Eccl 7:20) Some writers have twisted Jesus' words to such a degree that they say this statement by Jesus amounts to a confession of sin. Of course this is preposterous speculation for such an interpretation would counter so many other passages that describe Jesus as without sin () I will not discuss this further but will refer you to an article by the esteemed Princeton theologian Benjamin B Warfield - Jesus' Alleged Confession of Sin - The Princeton Theological Review, pp 177-228 (1914). (Note you can download the Pdf to facilitate reading this excellent article, which also functions as a good commentary on the story of the Rich Young Ruler.) Joel Williams has a well reasoned comment on "good" in the present context - The rich man and Jesus have different ideas about the meaning of the word "good." The rich man apparently defines goodness in terms of personal piety attained through human achievement (Lane, 365). Since he felt that he had fulfilled God's commandments from his youth (Mk 10:30, Lk 18:21, Mt 19:20), he probably also believed himself to be good. Now he was asking another good man ("good Teacher" - Mk 10:17, Lk 18:18) what else he should do to guarantee eternal life (Mk 10:17, Mt 19:16 "What GOOD thing shall I do that I may inherit eternal life", Lk 18:18). Jesus' question in Mark 10:28 (Lk 18:19, Mt 19:17) is not a confession of His Own sinfulness but rather a challenge to the rich man's notion of goodness. Jesus points the man to the goodness of God. God is good in an unlimited and perfect way, not by achievement but by His eternal character. This perfect standard of God's righteousness complicates the rich man's quest for eternal life. Instead of taking the opportunity to rethink his views, the rich man simply drops the offending word and addresses Jesus as "Teacher" (Mk 10:20 = only in Mark's version) rather than as "good Teacher" (Mk 10:17, Lk 18:18). (The Bible Knowledge Key Word Study - The Gospels - comments on Gospel of Mark, page 147-148) Leon
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Spurgeon explains good this way - It was as if Jesus said, “You come to Me asking about what good thing you can do to inherit eternal life; but what do you really know about goodness?” “The argument is clear: either Jesus was good, or He ought not to have called Him good; but as there is none good but God, Jesus Who is good must be God.” (Luke 18 - exposition)
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Spurgeon - It would be hard to imagine our Lord speaking more plainly. He tells them of his sufferings in detail—describes exactly what is to happen. But their thoughts did not run that way, and when you are not expecting a thing, it matters little how plainly you may be told of it. And these disciples of our Lord were looking to see him made a king; they could not comprehend that the only crown he was to have would be one of thorns and that the homage paid to him would be to be scourged and spat on. (Luke 18 - exposition) Handed over (delivered to, cf similar uses in Lk. 23:25; Lk. 24:7; Lk. 24:20)(3860)(paradidomi from para = alongside, beside, to the side of, over to + didomi = to give) conveys the basic meaning of to give over from one's hand to someone or something, especially to give over to the power of another. Luke's uses of paradidomi - it is notable that the verb paradidomi is frequently translated "betray" (Lk 22:4, 22:6, 22:21, 22, 48) Lk. 1:2; Lk. 4:6; Lk. 9:44; Lk. 10:22; Lk. 12:58; Lk. 18:32; Lk. 20:20; Lk. 21:12; Lk. 21:16; Lk. 22:4; Lk. 22:6; Lk. 22:21; Lk. 22:22; Lk. 22:48; Lk. 23:25; Lk. 24:7; Lk. 24:20; Acts 3:13; Acts 6:14; Acts 7:42; Acts 8:3; Acts 12:4; Acts 14:26; Acts 15:26; Acts 15:40; Acts 16:4; Acts 21:11; Acts 22:4; Acts 27:1; Acts 28:17; Mocked (1702)(empaizo from en = in, at + paizo = play as a child - pais - child) means to ridicule, to make fun of, to mock, to deceive, to trick, to taunt, to treat outrageously, to treat someone contemptuously in an insolent and arrogant way, to treat abusively. To to play a game with. Vine - empaizo — emp-aheed'-zo - a compound of paizo, "to play like a child" (pais), "to sport, jest," prefixed by en, "in" or "at," is used only in the Synoptists, and, in every instance, of the "mockery" of Christ, except in Matthew 2:16 (there in the sense of deluding, or deceiving, of Herod by the wise men) and in Luke 14:29 , of ridicule cast upon the one who after laying a foundation of a tower is unable to finish it. The word is used (a) prophetically by the Lord, of His impending sufferings, Matthew 20:19 ; Mark 10:34 ; Luke 18:32 ; (b) of the actual insults inflicted upon Him by the men who had taken Him from Gethsemane, Luke 22:63; by Herod and his soldiers, Luke 23:11 ; by the soldiers of the governor, Matthew 27:29,31 ; Mark 15:20 ; Luke 23:36 ; by the chief priests, Matthew 27:41 ; Mark 15:31 . Empaizo - 13v - mock(2), mocked(5), mocking(4), ridicule(1), tricked(1). Matt. 2:16; Matt. 20:19; Matt. 27:29; Matt. 27:31; Matt. 27:41; Mk. 10:34; Mk. 15:20; Mk. 15:31; Lk. 14:29; Lk. 18:32; Lk. 22:63; Lk. 23:11; Lk. 23:36 Mistreated (insulted) (5195)(hubrizo from húbris = injury, insult, reproach, arrogance, insolence, ill-treatment. Our English word hubris refers to exaggerated pride or self-confidence) means act with insolence, wantonness, wicked violence, to treat injuriously. To act spitefully toward someone, treat shamefully, and therefore to injure or to abuse. It conveys the idea of treating someone contemptuously in an insolent and arrogant way. Luke uses this same verb in Acts 14:5 "when an attempt was made by both the Gentiles and the Jews with their rulers, to mistreat and to stone" Paul and Barnabas in Iconium. Hubrizo - 5v - insult(1), mistreat(1), mistreated(3). Matt. 22:6; Lk. 11:45; Lk. 18:32; Acts 14:5; 1 Thess. 2:2 Spit upon (1716)(emptuo) spit on or at, as in one's face(Mt 26.67, Mt 27:30; Lxx - Nu 12:14); passive be spit on (Lk 18.32), to be understood as a gesture of extreme contempt (Lxx - 25:9) Emptuo - 8v Matt. 26:67; Matt. 27:30; Mk. 10:34; Mk. 14:65; Mk. 15:19; Lk. 18:32 Twice in Lxx = Num. 12:14; Deut. 25:9; Luke 18:33 and after they have scourged Him, they will kill Him; and the third day He will rise again." the third day He will rise again: Lu 24:7,21 Mt 27:63 1 Co 15:3,4 Luke 18 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 18:28-34 What do You Get When You Follow Christ? - Steven Cole Luke 18:31-34 Approaching the Cross with Determined Anticipation, Part 1 - John MacArthur Luke 18:31-34 Approaching the Cross with Determined Anticipation, Part 2 - John MacArthur YOU CAN'T KEEP A GOOD MAN DOWN! In Luke 9:21-22 (first Passion prediction - see table) Jesus had foretold of His murder... But He warned them and instructed them not to tell this to anyone, saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day.” After they have scourged (mastigoo) Him (Mt 20:19, Mk 10:34) They will kill Him and the third day He will rise again (literally "the day the third") - In Roman law scourging always accompanied capital punishment. His death was substitutionary, in other words He died in our place, so that we might live with Him (cf Gal 1:4+, Titus 2:14+, 1 Pe 3:18+, 1 Jn 3:16+, Rev 1:5+). His death and resurrection are the key truths repeated in all three of Luke's mentions of the Passion (see table). Mark 10:34+ has "They will mock Him and spit on Him, and scourge Him and kill Him, and three days later He will rise again.” Luke 24:7, 21+ saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.”....21 “But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened. Bob Utley on the third day - In Jewish reckoning of time any part of a day was counted as a full day. Jesus died before 6 p.m. on Friday; therefore, that was one day. He was in the grave all of the Sabbath; that was day two. He arose sometime before sunrise on Sunday (remember Jews start their day at 6 p.m.); that was day three.