{"id":786,"date":"2010-06-03T08:40:21","date_gmt":"2010-06-03T14:40:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.desertspringschurch.org\/blog\/?p=786"},"modified":"2010-06-03T08:42:38","modified_gmt":"2010-06-03T14:42:38","slug":"786","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.desertspringschurch.org\/blog\/2010\/06\/786\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding Luke 18"},"content":{"rendered":"

Each of the first four units of Luke 18 can easily be misunderstood; each makes abundant sense when read in conjunction with the others.<\/p>\n

The first (18:1-8) is a parable that Jesus tells his disciples \u00e2\u20ac\u0153to show them that they should always pray and not give up\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (18:1). An unjust judge is badgered by a persistent widow so that in the end he provides her with the justice she asks for. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (18:7). If even this judge eventually puts things right, how much more will God, when his \u00e2\u20ac\u0153chosen ones\u00e2\u20ac\u009d cry to him? By itself, of course, this parable could be taken to mean that the longer and louder one prays, the more blessings one gets\u00e2\u20ac\u201da kind of tit-for-tat arrangement that Jesus himself elsewhere disavows (Matt. 6:5-15). But the last verse (18:8) focuses the point: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d The real problem is not with God\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s unwillingness to answer, but with our faithless and lethargic refusal to ask.<\/p>\n

The second (18:9-14) parable describes a Pharisee and a tax collector who go up to the temple to pray. Some modern relativists conclude from this story that Jesus accepts everyone, regardless of his or her continuing sins, habits, or lifestyle. He rejects only self-confident religious hypocrites. Certainly Jesus rejects the latter. But the parable does not suggest that the tax collector wished to continue in his sin; rather, he begs for mercy, knowing what he is; he approaches God out of a freely recognized need.<\/p>\n

In the third unit (18:15-17) Jesus insists that little children be brought to him, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d One must \u00e2\u20ac\u0153receive the kingdom of God like a child,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d or not at all. Yet this does not commend childlike behavior in all respects (e.g., na\u00c3\u00afvet\u00c3\u00a9, short-term thinking, moral immaturity, the cranky \u00e2\u20ac\u0153No!\u00e2\u20ac\u009d of the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153terrible twos\u00e2\u20ac\u009d). But little children do have an openness, a refreshing freedom from self-promotion, a simplicity that asks and trusts.<\/p>\n

The fourth unit (18:18-30) finds Jesus telling a rich ruler to sell all that he has and give to the poor, if he is to have treasure in heaven, and then follow Christ. Does this mean that only penurious asceticism will enjoy the blessings of heaven? Is it not Christ\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s way of stripping off this particular person\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s real god, the pathetic ground of his self-confidence, so that he may trust Jesus and follow him wholly?<\/p>\n

Can you see what holds these four units together?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

– Excerpted from D. A. Carson’s, For the Love of God, vol. 1<\/em><\/a>, entry for March 4.<\/p>\n

Download the whole book for free here<\/a> or read it day-by-day here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Each of the first four units of Luke 18 can easily be misunderstood; each makes abundant sense when… Continue Reading ›<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[43,1,6,36,41],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.desertspringschurch.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/786"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.desertspringschurch.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.desertspringschurch.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.desertspringschurch.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.desertspringschurch.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=786"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/www.desertspringschurch.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/786\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":788,"href":"http:\/\/www.desertspringschurch.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/786\/revisions\/788"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.desertspringschurch.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=786"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.desertspringschurch.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=786"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.desertspringschurch.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=786"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}