Previously, we saw Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead, how the Pharisees began to plot for His demise because of that miracle, His revelation to them over when the Kingdom of God would come, warn the apostles about false Christs that would appear before that, the state of humanity at the time of His return, and what the end of time has in store. (See The Last Chance Requires Respect for Time).
Jesus is still fortifying His apostles for His departure, knowing that they will need that strength to carry on the Gospel.
He tells them a parable that demonstrates the necessity of persistent prayer:
“In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and had no respect for man. There was a [desperate] widow in that city and she kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice and legal protection from my adversary.’ For a time he would not; but later he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow continues to bother me, I will give her justice and legal protection; otherwise by continually coming she [will be an intolerable annoyance and she] will wear me out.’” Lk. 18:2-5. AMP
What we have here is a judge who cares nothing for humanity or God. The widow is a woman (lower class in that era) and doesn’t appear to have money to bribe him. She is asking for legal protection from an ‘adversary’. The judge cares nothing for her plight. Still, she keeps coming back until he grants her request, just to be rid of her.
Now, Jesus compares this unjust atheist judge to God – the ultimate ‘Just Judge’:
“Listen to what the unjust judge says! And will not [our just] God defend and avenge His elect [His chosen ones] who cry out to Him day and night? Will He delay [in providing justice] on their behalf? I tell you that He will defend and avenge them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find [this kind of persistent] faith on the earth?” Lk. 18: 6 – 8. AMP*
“[Ask and keep on asking and it will be given to you; seek and keep on seeking and you will find; knock and keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you.” Mt. 7:7 AMP
*We see in Lk. 18:8 above that Jesus is inferring that when He returns, there will be many who have given up their faith and hope.
Next, Jesus dives into another parable that warns against those who think their self-righteousness will grant them entrance into heaven:
“Two men went up into the temple [enclosure] to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood [ostentatiously] and began praying to himself [in a self-righteous way, saying]: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like the rest of men—swindlers, unjust (dishonest), adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ Lk. 18:10 – 12. AMP
But the tax collector, standing at a distance, would not even raise his eyes toward heaven, but was striking his chest [in humility and repentance], saying, ‘God, be merciful and gracious to me, the [especially wicked] sinner [that I am]!’ Lk. 8:13 AMP
Jesus sums up the truth of the matter:
I tell you, this man went to his home justified [forgiven of the guilt of sin and placed in right standing with God] rather than the other man; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself [forsaking self-righteous pride] will be exalted.” Lk. 18:14. AMP
Jesus turns His attention to a crowd that gathered around them. Some brought their children for Him to bless. The apostles tried to remove them, believing that they were a nuisance to Him. Instead, He rebukes the apostles:
“Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” Mt. 10:14, 15. NLT
(Another lesson of the requirement of having the simple faith and humility of a child to be able to enter God’s Kingdom).
Christ and the apostles travel to revisit the region of Perea, in the eastern Jordan River Valley. While there, He is approached by a wealthy young ruler. He asks Jesus (calling Him ‘Good Teacher), what it is that he must do to earn eternal life. Jesus responds:
“Why are you asking Me about what is [essentially] good? There is only One who is [essentially] good; but if you wish to enter into eternal life, keep the commandments.” Mt. 19:17 AMP
There is a lot of confusion regarding this Scripture. Let’s clear it up, shall we? In the first sentence, the young ruler is approaching Jesus under the premise that He is just a gifted spiritual teacher. Knowing this, Jesus begins steering him towards the truth in that only God is the source of all goodness.
The Bible teaches us that the way that we can experience God’s goodness is through obedience to His precepts, which is the way we demonstrate our love for Him:
“If anyone [really] loves Me, he will keep My word (teaching); and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling place with him.” Jn. 14:23 AMP
This is Jesus talking. He is the mouth of God, His voice. (See also Lk. 11:28; 1 Jn. 2:3, 4; 1 Jn. 5:2, 3.)
The young ruler says that he keeps all the commandments. (Is that even possible?):
Indeed, I was guilty when I was born; I was sinful when my mother conceived me. Ps. 51:5 CSB
There is certainly no one righteous on the earth who does good and never sins. Ec. 7:20 CSB
For we all stumble and sin in many ways. Jas. 3:2 AMP
So, Jesus knows the young ruler is lying – even if it is only to himself. Christ responds to his claim:
“If you wish to be perfect [that is, have the spiritual maturity that accompanies godly character with no moral or ethical deficiencies], go and sell what you have and give [the money] to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me [becoming My disciple, believing and trusting in Me and walking the same path of life that I walk].” Mt. 19:21 AMP
Not being able to part with his riches, the young ruler walked away.
(Note: Christ was not telling him to become a pauper. Rather, He was trying to get him to obey the 1st of the Ten Commandments by quit making an idol out of his wealth.) Jesus addresses His apostles:
“…it is difficult for a rich man [who clings to possessions and status as security] to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man [who places his faith in wealth and status] to enter the kingdom of God.”
When the disciples heard this, they were completely [astonished and bewildered, saying, “Then who can be saved [from the wrath of God]?” Mt. 19:23 – 25. AMP
The apostles were perplexed because the cultural thinking in their era was that riches were a blessing – giving one an advantage towards attaining salvation. Jesus responds:
“With people [as far as it depends on them] it is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Mt. 19:26 AMP
When you focus on God with regards to your stewardship of your abundance, your ticket to heaven is there for the taking.
The apostle Peter, in a most typically human way, declares that the apostles have given up everything for Him. Now he wants to know what’s in it for them.
Jesus answers that they will have the honor of sitting on the heavenly governing council with Him. Then He describes the magnanimity that all His followers will receive by putting Him first:
And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life. But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then. Mt. 19:29, 30. NLT
Jesus is again speaking metaphorically. You don’t have to literally leave your home or family to be able to follow Him. Instead, you must make Jesus front and center in your life. (Note that the last sentence in the Scripture above was directed at Peter, to teach him to serve for the sake of serving and loving God.)
Jesus drives this message home to the apostles with one more parable – this one about a landowner who hires laborers in the morning to work in his vineyard. Throughout the day at different intervals, he hires more people. When the day’s work concludes, the landowner pays everyone the same wage.
The workers who started in the morning protested, thinking that they should be paid more than those who worked a shorter day. The landowner replies:
‘Am I not lawfully permitted to do what I choose with what is mine? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?’ Mt. 20:15 AMP
Jesus’ point is that one must place their faith in God for just recompense to their faith, without casting jealous, envious glares at the rewards God gives others. It’s not a contest. It’s about winning souls…
Goodnight and God bless.