1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:08,039 Speaker 1: Life Audio The Bible Study Podcast, Episode nine point fifty. Today, 2 00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:11,280 Speaker 1: The Bible Study Podcast continues the study of the Book 3 00:00:11,280 --> 00:00:23,079 Speaker 1: of Luke with chapter eighteen. Welcome to the Bible Study Podcast. 4 00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:25,640 Speaker 1: I'm your host, Chris Kristensen. We're going to talk a 5 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:28,880 Speaker 1: little bit about prayer here in Luke eighteen, but first 6 00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:33,839 Speaker 1: a word from this sponsor. Luke eighteen starts with the 7 00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:38,600 Speaker 1: parable of the persistent Widow. Then Jesus told his disciples 8 00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:41,120 Speaker 1: a parable to show them that they should always pray 9 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:44,000 Speaker 1: and not give up. He said, in a certain town, 10 00:00:44,080 --> 00:00:47,400 Speaker 1: there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared 11 00:00:47,440 --> 00:00:50,239 Speaker 1: what people thought. And there was a widow in that 12 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:53,120 Speaker 1: town who kept coming to him with a plea grant 13 00:00:53,159 --> 00:00:57,160 Speaker 1: me justice against my adversary. For some time he refused, 14 00:00:57,200 --> 00:01:00,360 Speaker 1: but finally he said to himself, even though I don't 15 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:03,360 Speaker 1: fear God or care what people think, yet, because this 16 00:01:03,440 --> 00:01:06,280 Speaker 1: widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets 17 00:01:06,480 --> 00:01:10,960 Speaker 1: justice so she won't eventually come and attack me. And 18 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:14,880 Speaker 1: the Lord said, listen to what the unjust judge says, 19 00:01:15,520 --> 00:01:18,640 Speaker 1: and will not God bring about justice for his chosen 20 00:01:18,680 --> 00:01:21,920 Speaker 1: ones who cry out to him day and night. Will 21 00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:25,240 Speaker 1: he keep putting them off. I tell you he will 22 00:01:25,280 --> 00:01:29,080 Speaker 1: see that they get justice and quickly. However, when the 23 00:01:29,080 --> 00:01:32,520 Speaker 1: Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth. 24 00:01:34,040 --> 00:01:37,560 Speaker 1: So this is one of those interesting stories where Jesus 25 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:43,200 Speaker 1: is using a unjust person to tell us something about God, 26 00:01:43,240 --> 00:01:46,280 Speaker 1: who is just. And so he is not saying God 27 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:51,560 Speaker 1: is like this, but he is saying that if this 28 00:01:51,880 --> 00:01:57,240 Speaker 1: unjust judge who doesn't even care to do the right thing, 29 00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:03,200 Speaker 1: will do the right thing when he is bothered by 30 00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:08,560 Speaker 1: this widow, won't God, who does do the right things 31 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:13,639 Speaker 1: look and see that his people will find justice. Now 32 00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:16,320 Speaker 1: that's the particular thing we need to look at here 33 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:20,400 Speaker 1: is he's not saying here in this prayers that his 34 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:24,760 Speaker 1: people will have that it's prayers for health, or prayers 35 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:29,840 Speaker 1: for prosperity, or prayers for healing. He's specifically talking here 36 00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:33,640 Speaker 1: about prayers for justice, which is interesting and I don't 37 00:02:33,639 --> 00:02:35,800 Speaker 1: know that I ever noticed that detail when I was 38 00:02:35,800 --> 00:02:39,799 Speaker 1: reading through this story before. So he's definitely talking about prayer. 39 00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:43,120 Speaker 1: And I love the fact that Luke tells us right 40 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:45,440 Speaker 1: up front, we were supposed to get out of the story, right. 41 00:02:45,680 --> 00:02:48,280 Speaker 1: Jesus tells us disciples are prayerble to make sure they 42 00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:52,880 Speaker 1: should always pray and not give up, but specifically from 43 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:56,960 Speaker 1: the end, not give up on what, not give up 44 00:02:56,960 --> 00:03:03,760 Speaker 1: on getting justice. God cares about justice. The law in 45 00:03:03,880 --> 00:03:09,000 Speaker 1: the Old Testament for these judges like this person were 46 00:03:09,560 --> 00:03:12,520 Speaker 1: that a judge shouldn't be anything like this, that a 47 00:03:12,600 --> 00:03:15,960 Speaker 1: judge shouldn't be someone who doesn't care what people think, 48 00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:19,799 Speaker 1: who doesn't fear God. That the judges were intended to 49 00:03:19,840 --> 00:03:24,000 Speaker 1: bring justice because God cares about justice. And yet we 50 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:26,560 Speaker 1: live in a world that is unjust. We live in 51 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 1: a world where if you are rich, you are more 52 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:32,760 Speaker 1: likely to get a outcome in your favor. We live 53 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:36,160 Speaker 1: in a world where where you're born makes a big difference. 54 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:39,240 Speaker 1: That things are not even, things are not fair, and 55 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:41,680 Speaker 1: things are not just. But it doesn't mean that we 56 00:03:41,800 --> 00:03:45,400 Speaker 1: are supposed to be happy with that or content with that. 57 00:03:46,400 --> 00:03:49,760 Speaker 1: But instead we are to cry out to Him day 58 00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:54,680 Speaker 1: and night, and will not God see that they get 59 00:03:54,840 --> 00:03:58,760 Speaker 1: justice and quickly? But then it ends in this rather 60 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:01,800 Speaker 1: ominous way. However, when the son of Man comes, will 61 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:04,320 Speaker 1: he find faith on the earth. I'm hoping the answer 62 00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:09,560 Speaker 1: to that question is yes. The parable of the Pharisee 63 00:04:09,600 --> 00:04:13,160 Speaker 1: and the tax collector to some who were confident of 64 00:04:13,200 --> 00:04:16,680 Speaker 1: their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else. Jesus 65 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:20,040 Speaker 1: told this parable. Two men went up to the temple 66 00:04:20,080 --> 00:04:23,560 Speaker 1: to pray, one a pharisee and the other a tax collector. 67 00:04:25,520 --> 00:04:28,320 Speaker 1: The pharisee stood by himself and prayed, God, I thank 68 00:04:28,360 --> 00:04:31,960 Speaker 1: you that I am not like other people robbers, evildoers, adulterers, 69 00:04:32,080 --> 00:04:35,600 Speaker 1: or even this tax collector. I fast twice a week 70 00:04:35,640 --> 00:04:37,960 Speaker 1: and give a tenth of all I get. But the 71 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:40,680 Speaker 1: tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even 72 00:04:40,720 --> 00:04:45,000 Speaker 1: look up to Heaven, but beat his breast and said, God, 73 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:48,920 Speaker 1: have mercy on me, a sinner. I tell you that 74 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:53,400 Speaker 1: this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. 75 00:04:53,839 --> 00:04:57,080 Speaker 1: For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and 76 00:04:57,160 --> 00:05:03,480 Speaker 1: those who humble themselves will be exalted. So again, Luke 77 00:05:03,680 --> 00:05:06,480 Speaker 1: does us a great favor here and says at the beginning, 78 00:05:06,880 --> 00:05:09,520 Speaker 1: what we're supposed to get out of this parable or 79 00:05:09,600 --> 00:05:12,600 Speaker 1: why Jesus told it to some who are confident in 80 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:16,240 Speaker 1: their own righteousness. Well, I'm hoping you're confident in your 81 00:05:16,279 --> 00:05:21,279 Speaker 1: own righteousness because it's justified. But to those who looked 82 00:05:21,440 --> 00:05:25,360 Speaker 1: down on everyone else. So at this point we're talking 83 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:29,560 Speaker 1: about self righteousness. Jesus tells this parable. So he talks 84 00:05:29,600 --> 00:05:34,279 Speaker 1: about this pharisee who is confident, pharisee who is trying 85 00:05:34,320 --> 00:05:37,800 Speaker 1: to do the right thing, but is literally looking around 86 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:41,160 Speaker 1: the temple and saying, boy, I'm glad I'm more righteous 87 00:05:41,200 --> 00:05:48,600 Speaker 1: than that guy. Wow, that's some hutzfa there. That is 88 00:05:48,640 --> 00:05:52,159 Speaker 1: some self righteousness when you're looking around and saying I'm 89 00:05:52,200 --> 00:05:57,960 Speaker 1: glad I'm better than that person. For one thing. Don't 90 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:04,600 Speaker 1: be too sure, because this story, this pharisee who is 91 00:06:04,839 --> 00:06:10,600 Speaker 1: saying I'm not like other people. I'm not like robbers, evildoers, adulterers, 92 00:06:10,680 --> 00:06:17,360 Speaker 1: or this tax collector. When he leaves the temple, nothing 93 00:06:17,440 --> 00:06:20,240 Speaker 1: has changed. He hasn't got any better, and he is 94 00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:25,799 Speaker 1: not justified before God, is what Jesus tells us, because 95 00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:28,599 Speaker 1: he has no humility, He doesn't see all the things 96 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:32,000 Speaker 1: that he may be doing wrong, and he doesn't look 97 00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:36,000 Speaker 1: at the tax collector with any sort of compassion or 98 00:06:36,080 --> 00:06:40,240 Speaker 1: empathy and say, you know, maybe Lord, you should help 99 00:06:40,279 --> 00:06:45,159 Speaker 1: this guy. He's just self righteous, not somebody I think 100 00:06:45,160 --> 00:06:47,919 Speaker 1: I want to hang out with here. But the tax collector, 101 00:06:47,920 --> 00:06:49,960 Speaker 1: on the other hand, the tax collector knows that he 102 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:53,120 Speaker 1: has done wrong, he doesn't even look up to Heaven. 103 00:06:53,160 --> 00:06:55,880 Speaker 1: He's beating his breast and he's saying, God be merciful 104 00:06:55,920 --> 00:06:59,480 Speaker 1: to me, a sinner. And Jesus says, that's the guy 105 00:06:59,600 --> 00:07:05,520 Speaker 1: who go home justified before God. That guy who understands 106 00:07:05,560 --> 00:07:07,719 Speaker 1: that he is not worthy of the grace of God, 107 00:07:07,839 --> 00:07:12,280 Speaker 1: as we are all not worthy of the grace of God. 108 00:07:12,960 --> 00:07:16,880 Speaker 1: That's the one who goes home changed. That's the one 109 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:22,680 Speaker 1: who goes home in good standing with God. And it 110 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:27,640 Speaker 1: is interesting the number of times that Jesus is preaching 111 00:07:27,680 --> 00:07:32,560 Speaker 1: against those who are religious. And it is a warning 112 00:07:32,640 --> 00:07:37,720 Speaker 1: for those of us who are religious. Just because we 113 00:07:37,760 --> 00:07:41,640 Speaker 1: go went to Sunday school every Sunday, just because we 114 00:07:41,680 --> 00:07:45,080 Speaker 1: go to church every day, we shouldn't be so full 115 00:07:45,080 --> 00:07:48,320 Speaker 1: of ourselves to think that somehow we have earned the 116 00:07:48,360 --> 00:07:50,800 Speaker 1: grace of God. It is still grace and we have not. 117 00:07:52,960 --> 00:07:56,480 Speaker 1: And then continuing on the little children and Jesus, people 118 00:07:56,600 --> 00:08:00,240 Speaker 1: were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place 119 00:08:00,320 --> 00:08:03,200 Speaker 1: his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they 120 00:08:03,240 --> 00:08:06,559 Speaker 1: rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, 121 00:08:07,080 --> 00:08:09,640 Speaker 1: let the little children come to me, and do not 122 00:08:09,800 --> 00:08:13,200 Speaker 1: hinder them. For the Kingdom of God belongs to such 123 00:08:13,280 --> 00:08:16,440 Speaker 1: as these. Truly, I tell you, anyone who does not 124 00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:20,320 Speaker 1: receive the Kingdom of God like a little child will 125 00:08:20,320 --> 00:08:25,320 Speaker 1: never enter it. It is interesting for us, this story 126 00:08:25,400 --> 00:08:28,880 Speaker 1: makes perfect sense, and it's definitely the Sunday School Jesus 127 00:08:28,880 --> 00:08:32,000 Speaker 1: that we think about. This Jesus we see pictured in 128 00:08:32,160 --> 00:08:35,360 Speaker 1: church here letting the little children come up and touch 129 00:08:35,400 --> 00:08:40,080 Speaker 1: him and he's blessing them. But it's quite different from 130 00:08:40,320 --> 00:08:44,600 Speaker 1: the time where children were not considered as important. For 131 00:08:44,720 --> 00:08:49,280 Speaker 1: one thing, they probably wouldn't last half the children were 132 00:08:49,320 --> 00:08:51,760 Speaker 1: going to die before they got to adulthood because of 133 00:08:51,840 --> 00:08:56,920 Speaker 1: childhood diseases and such in those days before vaccinations, before 134 00:08:56,920 --> 00:08:59,600 Speaker 1: we understood germ theory and all of those things that 135 00:08:59,679 --> 00:09:03,720 Speaker 1: led to to high infant mortality. But children were not 136 00:09:03,960 --> 00:09:07,720 Speaker 1: as important, and so the disciples just trying to shoe 137 00:09:07,760 --> 00:09:14,920 Speaker 1: away these in their minds less important people, and Jesus 138 00:09:15,120 --> 00:09:21,360 Speaker 1: will have none of it, because they are important to 139 00:09:21,440 --> 00:09:25,840 Speaker 1: God as we are all important to God. And with that, 140 00:09:25,880 --> 00:09:28,440 Speaker 1: we're going to end this episode of the Bible Study Podcast. 141 00:09:28,520 --> 00:09:31,600 Speaker 1: If you have any questions, send an email to Chris 142 00:09:31,640 --> 00:09:34,960 Speaker 1: two x at gmail dot com, or, better yet, leave 143 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:38,360 Speaker 1: a comment on this episode at the Bible Study podcast 144 00:09:38,440 --> 00:09:52,000 Speaker 1: dot com and thanks so much for listening. I want 145 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:53,840 Speaker 1: to take just a second to thank the team at 146 00:09:53,880 --> 00:09:56,920 Speaker 1: Life Audio for their partnership with us on this podcast. 147 00:09:57,320 --> 00:10:00,440 Speaker 1: If you go to lifeaudio dot com, you'll find dozens 148 00:10:00,440 --> 00:10:04,199 Speaker 1: of other faith centered podcasts in their network. They've got 149 00:10:04,200 --> 00:10:08,000 Speaker 1: shows about prayer, Bible study, parenting, and more.