Have you ever read a passage of scripture numerous times and all of the sudden discover something new? That’s totally me today with the first story. The persistent widow story has always troubled me. So like, if you bug God long enough, He’ll give in?! Now I know I used to do that with my parents and it worked (sad but true), but is God really like that? I mean, does He say one thing and then because you wear Him down, say something different? Ummmmm – NO – you can’t equate God in this story to the “unrighteous judge.” The story tells us about God, who IS Righteous, and that He will certainly respond with compassion to His own when they cry out to Him! Yes – we should persist in prayer (1 Thess 5:17), but God doesn’t respond out of weariness but out of compassion & love.
Then there’s the two guys praying – this is a great example of “justification” – being made right with God. The Pharisee starts listing off all the reasons why God should accept him and that he’s glad not to be like the sorry chump next to him! Honestly, squeaky clean people (or at least they think they are) like this make me gag! Clearly the story teaches how a sinner, who has absolutely no righteousness, can in an instant be declared righteous by God because they repented..…vs 14, ”I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God.”
Jesus also addresses two things again: First, the foolishness of placing earthly riches above God. Second, Jesus repeats (for the third time) the fact that He was going to be beaten, killed and rise again.
Just as this chapter begins with pleading, it ends with pleading. This time it’s a beggar pleading for Jesus to give him sight. It is interesting to note what Jesus DOES and what Jesus SAYS. "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you." Again, it is FAITH that is the real message!
SO WHAT?!
*When was the last time you “begged” God for a friend or family member that they might come to know Jesus? We persist to get so many things in so many other areas, why wouldn’t we persist with the eternal issues?! Why not make a list today of 3 friends/peeps that you want to see come to know Jesus in 2012. Then begin to “beg” God daily for those 3 and watch what He does!
*Have you ever been guilty of being thankful that you’re “not like other men?” Lets never forget that apart from the grace of God shown to us, WE ARE like all other sinners! Faith alone in Christ alone is our only hope!
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