We left Jesus beginning to prepare His apostles for His eminent departure (see The Beginning of the End Reveals a New Beginning).
Let’s return, as He continues in His preparation. At this juncture, He tells them to be persistent in prayer, waiting faithfully for the day of His return. He expounds upon this with a parable.
In it, Jesus weaves a story about a widow, who, suffered an injustice at the hands of an adversary. Distraught, she took her plight to an unjust and atheistic judge. His initial response is to ignore her. However, she persistently returned to him again and again, until the judge finally ruled in her favor – just to be rid of her. Regardless, her outcome was favorable.
Jesus is trying to get His apostles to see that God (being the ultimate ‘just’ Judge), does not let the prayers of His faithful and persistent children go unanswered (see Mt. 7:7)
To further stimulate their thinking, Jesus says:
“However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find [this kind of persistent] faith on the earth?” Lk. 18:8 AMP
Jesus is prophesying that there will be many who give up their faith and hope, but He urges all of God’s children to hold steadfast to theirs. Years later, the apostle Paul would say:
(…at the present time there has come to be a remnant [a small believing minority] according to God’s gracious choice. Rm. 11:5 AMP)
Christ the warns against believing that ‘self-righteousness’ will bring you into the Kingdom of God. That is a path doomed to failure. Only the true righteousness of Christ, conferred upon you by Him, will open that door.
He offers another parable to elucidate – this one, about a Pharisee and a tax collector. Tax collectors were considered the scum of the earth in the social strata at that time.
They both went to the Temple to pray. The Pharisee boasted about his self-righteousness, declaring that he was so much better than all the sinners that were around him.
The tax collector, on the other hand, would not even raise his eyes heavenward.
Furthermore, he beat his chest and cried out to God, begging for mercy because of his sins. J
Jesus then reveals the point of the parable:
“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
(Not a single person on earth is always good and never sins. Eccl. 7:20 NLT)
Jesus turned His attention to a crowd that had gathered around Him. As He was teaching, some people brought their children to Him for His blessing.
The apostles tried to shoo them away, believing that the children were a nuisance to Jesus. Instead, He rebukes them:
“Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children…anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” Mk. 10:14, 15. NLT
(Another lesson about the requirement of having the simple faith and humility of a child to be able to enter God’s Kingdom).
Christ and company travel to the eastern Jordan River Valley, revisiting the region of Perea. While there, a wealthy young ruler approached Jesus and asked Him what kind of deed 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
The young upstart declares that he is already doing that and asks Him what else he must do. Christ answers his persistence:
“If you want to be perfect…go, sell all your belongings and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” Mt. 19:21 CSB
Jesus is not telling the young ruler to become a pauper. Rather, He is revealing the man’s disobedience to the first of the Ten Commandments, by making ‘wealth’ his god. Alas, he walked away rich in money, but poverty-stricken in his soul (Mt. 19:22).
Christ turns to His apostles that were watching this exchange and says:
“…it is difficult for a rich man [who clings to possessions and status as security] to enter the kingdom of heaven…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.” Mt. 19:23, 24. AMP
Wealthy people are not necessarily wicked. They too can enter the Kingdom of God if they don’t make an idol of their possessions. Wealth is a blessing from God (Dt. 8:18), both for the possessor and to whom he or she blesses with it.
It is just that it can be a great struggle to handle that wealth with a spiritual focus.
The apostles are perplexed, because the cultural thinking in their day, was one that regarded riches as a blessing, and that it gave one an advantage with regards to attaining salvation. Now, they are wondering if anyone can be saved.
Jesus lays that notion to rest:
“Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” Mt. 19:26 NLT
What Jesus is saying is that when you make God your focus and follow His wisdom regarding the stewardship of your abundances, your heavenly invitation remains intact.
In a typically human way, the apostle Peter pipes up and says that he and the other apostles have given up everything that they have for Him. Now, Peter wants to know what’s in it for them.
Jesus doesn’t address Peter’s selfish motive at first. Instead, He answers that their reward will be the honor of sitting in the heavenly governing council with Himself. And then He describes the magnanimity that all His followers will receive, when they put Him first:
“…everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father of mother or children or property for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in 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 NLT
Again, Jesus is speaking metaphorically. You don’t have to literally leave your home or your family to be able to follow him. You only have to make Jesus front and center in your life.
[Note the little admonition at the end (for Peter’s sake), to teach him that one must serve for the sake of serving and from their love of God.]
Jesus accentuates this message with a parable about a landowner who hires laborers one morning to work in his vineyard. Throughout the day, he hires more people. When the day concludes, the landowner pays everyone the same wage.
The workers who started in the morning thought that they should have been paid more that the latecomers. The landowner replied that they made an agreement at the beginning for the amount that they were paid; and he says:
‘Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be jealous because I am kind to others?’ Mt. 20:15 NLT
The point that Jesus is making, is that they need to place their trust in the grace of God, for just recompense for their faith; and they must refrain from casting a jealous, envious gaze upon the rewards God gives to His other children.
It is not a contest. It’s all about winning the salvation of Love for as many people we possibly can. And it’s about the faith:
Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises.
….when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded for our benefit too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to make us right with God. Rm. 4:20, 21 & 23 – 25. NLT
Amen.
Goodnight and God bless.