The Savior for All: The Humble Are Justified

Luke 18 puts two pictures of prayer side by side — a Pharisee and a tax collector standing in the temple — and tells us which one went home justified.

The chapter is held together by the theme of humility before God. Persistent prayer. The Pharisee and the tax collector. Children received. A rich ruler who could not let go. A blind beggar who would not be silenced.

In every scene, the proud go away empty. The humble go home with what they could never earn.

The persistent widow

He tells them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.

In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying:

"Give me justice against my adversary."

For a while he refused. But afterward he said to himself:

"Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming."

The Lord says:

"Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily."

He ends with a sober question:

"Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

The Savior for All teaches us to pray with the persistence of a widow who will not stop knocking. The Father is not the unjust judge. He is the loving Father who delights to give justice to His own. The question is not whether He will answer — but whether we will keep praying until He does.

The Pharisee and the tax collector

He also tells this parable to some who trust in themselves that they are righteous and treat others with contempt.

Two men went up into the temple to pray. One a Pharisee. One a tax collector.

The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed:

"God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get."

The tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast and said:

"God, be merciful to me, a sinner!"

Jesus says:

"I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

This is the gospel in one parable.

The Pharisee's prayer is a list of his own achievements. He thanks God — but really he thanks himself. He looks down at the tax collector.

The tax collector's prayer has six words: God, be merciful to me, a sinner. He does not list. He does not compare. He does not negotiate. He just begs for mercy.

The Savior for All sends the humble sinner home justified — and sends the proud religious man home unforgiven, though he never knew it.

Let the children come

People are bringing even infants to Him that He might touch them. The disciples rebuke them.

Jesus calls them to Him:

"Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it."

A child does not earn. A child cannot perform. A child can only receive. That is faith. And that is the only way into the Kingdom.

The rich ruler

A ruler asks Him:

"Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

Jesus probes him: "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone."

He recites the commandments. The ruler says: "All these I have kept from my youth."

Jesus loves him — and tells him the one thing missing:

"One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me."

The ruler becomes very sad, for he is extremely rich.

Jesus, seeing his sadness, says:

"How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God."

Those who hear it ask: "Then who can be saved?"

He answers:

"What is impossible with man is possible with God."

Salvation is impossible to man. Salvation is possible to God. This is the gospel. No one is too rich to be saved — but no one is rich enough to save himself. Only God can do it.

"We have left our homes"

Peter speaks up: "See, we have left our homes and followed you."

Jesus answers:

"Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life."

The Savior for All never asks anyone to give up something without giving back much more — both now and forever.

The third prediction of the cross

Taking the twelve, He says to them:

"See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise."

But they understand none of these things. This saying is hidden from them. They do not grasp what is said.

Blind Bartimaeus

As He draws near to Jericho, a blind man is sitting by the roadside begging. Hearing a crowd going by, he asks what was happening. They tell him: Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.

He cries out:

"Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

Those who are in front rebuke him, telling him to be silent. But he cries out all the more:

"Son of David, have mercy on me!"

Jesus stops and commands him to be brought to Him. When he comes near, He asks:

"What do you want me to do for you?"

He says: "Lord, let me recover my sight."

Jesus says:

"Recover your sight; your faith has made you well."

Immediately he recovers his sight and follows Him, glorifying God. All the people, when they see it, give praise to God.

The Savior for All stops for the man no one wanted Him to hear. The crowd tried to silence Bartimaeus. Jesus heard him over the crowd. He always does.

Closing prayer

Father, teach us to pray like the persistent widow, like the humble tax collector, like the crying blind beggar. Save us from the Pharisee's prayer of self-congratulation. Receive us like children — small, empty-handed, trusting. Open our eyes. And give us a faith that will not be silenced by the crowd around us, but cries to Jesus, Son of David, until He stops and answers. In Jesus' name, amen.

The Savior for All: The Humble Are Justified

Luke 18 puts two pictures of prayer side by side — a Pharisee and a tax collector standing in the temple — and tells us which one went home justified.

In every scene, the proud go away empty. The humble go home with what they could never earn.

The persistent widow

He tells them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.

In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying:

"Give me justice against my adversary."

For a while he refused. But afterward he said to himself:

"Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming."

The Lord says:

"Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily."

He ends with a sober question:

"Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

The Pharisee and the tax collector

He also tells this parable to some who trust in themselves that they are righteous and treat others with contempt.

Two men went up into the temple to pray. One a Pharisee. One a tax collector.

The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed:

"God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get."

The tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast and said:

"God, be merciful to me, a sinner!"

Jesus says:

"I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

This is the gospel in one parable.

The Pharisee's prayer is a list of his own achievements. He thanks God — but really he thanks himself. He looks down at the tax collector.

The tax collector's prayer has six words: God, be merciful to me, a sinner. He does not list. He does not compare. He does not negotiate. He just begs for mercy.

The Savior for All sends the humble sinner home justified — and sends the proud religious man home unforgiven, though he never knew it.

Let the children come

People are bringing even infants to Him that He might touch them. The disciples rebuke them.

Jesus calls them to Him:

"Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it."

A child does not earn. A child cannot perform. A child can only receive. That is faith. And that is the only way into the Kingdom.

The rich ruler

A ruler asks Him:

"Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

Jesus probes him: "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone."

He recites the commandments. The ruler says: "All these I have kept from my youth."

Jesus loves him — and tells him the one thing missing:

"One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me."

The ruler becomes very sad, for he is extremely rich.

Jesus, seeing his sadness, says:

"How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God."

Those who hear it ask: "Then who can be saved?"

He answers:

"What is impossible with man is possible with God."

Salvation is impossible to man. Salvation is possible to God. This is the gospel. No one is too rich to be saved — but no one is rich enough to save himself. Only God can do it.

"We have left our homes"

Peter speaks up: "See, we have left our homes and followed you."

Jesus answers:

"Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life."

The Savior for All never asks anyone to give up something without giving back much more — both now and forever.

The third prediction of the cross

Taking the twelve, He says to them:

"See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise."

But they understand none of these things. This saying is hidden from them. They do not grasp what is said.

Blind Bartimaeus

As He draws near to Jericho, a blind man is sitting by the roadside begging. Hearing a crowd going by, he asks what was happening. They tell him: Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.

He cries out:

"Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

Those who are in front rebuke him, telling him to be silent. But he cries out all the more:

"Son of David, have mercy on me!"

Jesus stops and commands him to be brought to Him. When he comes near, He asks:

"What do you want me to do for you?"

He says: "Lord, let me recover my sight."

Jesus says:

"Recover your sight; your faith has made you well."

Immediately he recovers his sight and follows Him, glorifying God. All the people, when they see it, give praise to God.

The Savior for All stops for the man no one wanted Him to hear. The crowd tried to silence Bartimaeus. Jesus heard him over the crowd. He always does.