Sunday School Lessons: Luke 18

Luke 18

Read Matt 19:16-30, Mark 10:17-31

18:1And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 2He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. 3And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” 6And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

Vs. 1 Matthew Henry tells us that this parable has its key ‘hanging by the door.’ Jesus tells his disciples exactly what this parable is teaching: That they (and we) should always pray and not lose heart, or become discouraged. At the end of chapter 17, Jesus talked to his disciples about the last days and the fact that he would be coming again. He knew that his disciples would grow weary in waiting for his return and that people would do one of two things: either pray or faint (lose heart). We should always persevere in prayer, but especially we should always persevere in our hope of Christ’s return and have faith that He is coming again.

Vs. 2-5 In this parable, we learn about a judge who feared neither God nor man. It is not a surprise that a man who did not believe in God would care how he treated people. It is bad when anyone mistreats another person, but it’s even worse when it is a judge who is acting in a dismissive manner because he has the added responsibility and obligation to see that justice is served. The woman who was coming to the judge for justice was a widow. It was hard for a widow to get justice if she didn’t have any sons to take care of her and to help her, so it was especially important for the judge to hear her case. In the law of Moses, judges were instructed to take care of widows and children and to defend them against their adversaries. But this judge did not fear God and did not follow his law. He ignored the woman and sent her away. The woman did not give up. She kept coming back. She did not ask for revenge, she just wanted justice. Finally the man tells himself that because she is still bothering him, he will give her justice so that she will go away and leave him along. The Greek words literally means so that she will not give me a black eye. Her constant presence in the court was making him look bad. He finally gave her justice but only to get rid of her. (also, note that Jesus knew what he was thinking in his heart vs.4)

Vs. 6-8 This is a parable of contrast, not comparison. We need to remember that Jesus is not comparing God to the unjust judge, he is contrasting them. He is demonstrating the ways they are different. Jesus is telling them that, unlike the unjust judge, God hears his people (the elect) and he will not delay in answering them. Sometimes it may seem like that to us because we don’t understand all the things that God is accomplishing on our behalf through the waiting, but he always answers us and gives us justice ‘speedily.’ The widow was a stranger to the unjust judge, but God knows us personally. She was trying to get in to see a judge who ignored her, but we are invited to boldly come to God at any time. She came to an unjust man who didn’t care about her or her problems, but we come to our God who is righteous and who understands our circumstances even better than we do! She had no one to come with her and speak for her, but we have Jesus, God’s own Son to speak to the Father in our defense. She could only come to the judge when the courtroom was open for business. We can come to God in prayer any time at all. Her constant presence was upsetting to the unjust judge, but God is pleased when we come to him in prayer.

He finishes by warning that when he returns, there will be few who are watching for him and still have faith that he is coming back. There will be faith on the earth but it will be a weak faith and there will be few who have faith.

9He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10“Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

To whom did Jesus direct this parable? He gives us a key to this one, too, in verse 9. Again, this is another parable of contrasts. This time he is comparing the Pharisee with a tax collector. These two men were about as different as two men could be! Both went to the temple to pray, but they went with very different motivations and received very different results.

The Pharisee began by thanking God that he was not like other men and then went on to describe other men as wicked sinners (he even looked around during his prayer and noticed the tax collector!) He made himself look good by telling God about all the bad things he DIDN’T do that other people did do. Then he followed up by giving God example of the Good things he had done. This man had come to the temple to exalt himself before God instead of exalting God.

The tax collector stood far off. He couldn’t come into the temple because when he became a tax collector, he had chosen money over his nation. To chose to work for Rome against his own people meant that he had rejected his nation and his religion. He was no longer a part of the community of faith. But he had repented and desired to come and ask for mercy from God and be forgiven. He humbled himself and would not even raise his eyes to heaven, but kept them downcast because he knew he was unworthy. But he knew that God was a merciful God and had faith that God was able to forgive even the worst of sinners. The Pharisee thought he was doing everything right. He felt like he had earned salvation. The tax collector knew that apart from God’s mercy, he had no hope. He knew that he did not deserve to be forgiven. Jesus said that he was the one who was justified, or forgiven.

15Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 17Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”

Remember what we learned about the status of children in that culture? Even the disciples did not want people to bring their children to Jesus. But Jesus invited the little children to come to him and said that those who come into the kingdom of God must come in like a child—with the faith of a child. Again, Jesus is teaching the importance of faith.

Matthew 19:16-30; Mark 10:17-31

18And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 19And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 20You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’” 21And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.” 22When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 23But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. 24Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! 25For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

Read 10 commandments (Exodus 20) The rich young ruler wanted to know what he must do to inherit eternal life. He was thinking that eternal life was something one earned through one’s works. He called Jesus, Good Teacher, and Jesus told him that only God is good. He was leading him to understand that he was God. Then he mentioned the last 5 of the 10 commandments. These are called the ‘prohibitas.’ They have to do with man’s relationships with man. (The first 5 have to do with man’s relationship with God). The man said he had kept all the law since he was a child. Is this even possible? Jesus knew this man’s heart and he knew that he was counting on his riches instead of faith, so he tells him to sell all his stuff, give it to the poor and he would have riches in heaven (which is what he claimed he wanted—to inherit eternal life.) Jesus told him to leave it all behind and follow him. He told him what was required to enter into eternal life—following Christ by faith. But the man went away sad because he was very wealthy. We don’t know if he ever did follow Christ. Perhaps he did. Perhaps he never did. Jesus tells us that it is easier for a camel to got through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. In other words, it is impossible!

26Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” 27But he said, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.” 28And Peter said, “See, we have left our homes and followed you.” 29And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.”

Are you rich? Compared to most of the world, we are all extremely rich—as rich as that rich young ruler or richer. When the people heard it they were amazed and afraid. Then who can be saved? Jesus has said that it is impossible for a rich man to enter, but then he says something further—‘What is impossible with men is possible with God.” Left to ourselves we would never desire God. We would be satisfied by the things of this world. But God is able to change our hearts and our minds and give us the desire to follow him. Peter tells Jesus about all the things they have left behind to follow him and he promises that they will receive greater blessing in the world to come.

31And taking the twelve, he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. 32For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. 33And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.” 34But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.

This is the third time that Jesus has told them that he was going to die and be resurrected. (Luke 5:35; 9:22, 43-45) He continues to give them more details. First, he tells them that the prophets had written that all these things were to happen. He also adds the detail that he was going to be delivered over to the Gentiles and that he would be mocked and spat upon. He was very clear about what was going to happen. He was telling them the way it was going to be in detail. But they did not understand any of it. They were still thinking of him as the victorious defender and conqueror who would deliver them from Rome’s oppression. The saying was hidden from them. They did not understand and they could not understand.

35As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 36And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. 37They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” 38And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 40And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, 41“What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” 42And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” 43And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

The blind man heard the crowd and wondered what was going on. When they told him that Jesus was passing by he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Who else cried out for mercy? People told him to be silent but he called even louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” By calling him Son of David it was the same as calling him King! He believed that Jesus was the promised King and had faith that he could heal him. He knew he needed mercy. Jesus stopped and had the man brought to him. He asked him what he wanted and he answered, ‘let me recover my sight.’ Jesus healed him immediately and, unlike the rich young ruler, he immediately followed Jesus, glorifying God, along with all the people.

*These lessons are written for use with elementary aged students. You can find lessons for previous chapters here . All scriptures are taken from the ESV.