Jesus told a parable about the need to pray and not to lose heart. As recorded in Luke 18:1-8, he spoke the parable of the persistent widow. In this parable Jesus sets up the least favourable circumstances for the widow. Generally widows in 1st Century Palestine have nothing; it is implied therefore that she has no wealth with which to buy the judge’s favour. This judge to whom she is appealing also neither fears neither God nor respects people (18:2, 4). She may not appeal to him in the name of God or people: it will not influence his decision. How then does she receive justice? By persistently bothering the judge (v.5). If the ungodly give into persistence even though they do not care about God, man, or a situation in general, how much more will God “grant justice to his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night (v.7)?” One should persistently engage God in prayer. When we need justice we should not grow weary but rather continue to cry out both day and night. The story is not solely about prayer in general, however, “the theme is that of the vindication of God's misunderstood and suffering people.”[10] As well as obtaining justice, I suggest, that this parable is also teaching us that we will increase our faith in the process.
The parable concludes with the question, “And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth (v.8)?” This, as well as the analogy of the Mustered Seed (17:6) and the healing of the Samaritan leper to whom Jesus remarks, “Your faith has made you well (17:19),” I believe directly relate to the disciples’ demand that Jesus increase there faith that is recorded in 17:5. Ethically speaking then, as the Kingdom is coming into the world we must be persistent in prayer, yes, and we should also have faith that the LORD will grant justice.
We must have faith in God rather than ourselves. Jesus told a parable of a tax collector and a Pharisee praying at the temple (18:9-14). The Pharisee was thankful about his position in life: he could have been a thief, rogue, adulterer or tax collector. Instead he was a Pharisee. He could have committed all the wrongs of the aforementioned groups but instead he fasted twice a week and tithed all his income. This man is contrasted with a specific tax collector who, approaching God in the temple, stands far off and “would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ (v.13).”
The man who was a Pharisee did many things right (tithing, fasting) but what he did wrong was to exalt himself (v.14) and even trust in himself (v.9) and his own actions rather than the justice and mercy of God, “for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted (v.14, cf. 14:11).” Is this parable saying that we should not tithe or fast? No. Is it saying that we should not be thankful for what we have? No. I believe that it is saying that we can no more put our faith in ourselves and our actions than we can in our money (cf. Luke 6:20-26, 16:19-30, 18:18-30). We should approach God persistently (cf. 18:1-8) and humbly.
Ethically speaking, we should not exalt ourselves but rather seek God in humility.
The parable concludes with the question, “And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth (v.8)?” This, as well as the analogy of the Mustered Seed (17:6) and the healing of the Samaritan leper to whom Jesus remarks, “Your faith has made you well (17:19),” I believe directly relate to the disciples’ demand that Jesus increase there faith that is recorded in 17:5. Ethically speaking then, as the Kingdom is coming into the world we must be persistent in prayer, yes, and we should also have faith that the LORD will grant justice.
We must have faith in God rather than ourselves. Jesus told a parable of a tax collector and a Pharisee praying at the temple (18:9-14). The Pharisee was thankful about his position in life: he could have been a thief, rogue, adulterer or tax collector. Instead he was a Pharisee. He could have committed all the wrongs of the aforementioned groups but instead he fasted twice a week and tithed all his income. This man is contrasted with a specific tax collector who, approaching God in the temple, stands far off and “would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ (v.13).”
The man who was a Pharisee did many things right (tithing, fasting) but what he did wrong was to exalt himself (v.14) and even trust in himself (v.9) and his own actions rather than the justice and mercy of God, “for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted (v.14, cf. 14:11).” Is this parable saying that we should not tithe or fast? No. Is it saying that we should not be thankful for what we have? No. I believe that it is saying that we can no more put our faith in ourselves and our actions than we can in our money (cf. Luke 6:20-26, 16:19-30, 18:18-30). We should approach God persistently (cf. 18:1-8) and humbly.
Ethically speaking, we should not exalt ourselves but rather seek God in humility.
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