107. Chapter 48 - Parables on Prayer

Chapter 48 - Parables on Prayer

Luke 18:1-14 The Context

Out of the multitude of events and discourses in the Peraean ministry, Luke selects the next two parables on prayer. We are unable to determine whether the parable of the unjust judge was delivered at the same time and to the same audience as the preceding address on the second coming. Luke introduces it without an obvious break: “And he spake a parable unto them.” There is a direct line of contact in the thought seen in the surprising conclusion to this parable. It emphasizes the oppression and persecution which the righteous will experience at the hands of the wicked and the difficulty of maintaining the faith until the day of glory when Christ shall return. The supreme importance of His coming, the uncertainty of the time, and the seduction of worldly treasures should lead them to be persistent in prayer. A similar connection is presented between the second coming and persistence in prayer in Luke 21:36 and Mark 13:33. This parable also carries a strong emphasis upon trust in God and upon the faith once for all delivered unto the saints.

Principles The two parables teach (1) persistence in prayer, and (2) humility in prayer. The parable of the unjust judge is a good place to see that the details of a parable must not be pressed into parallelism, but that the interpreter must be content with the fundamental principles taught. Luke states the main principle taught by the parable: “And he spake a parable unto them to the end that they ought always to pray, and not to faint” (Luke 18:1). Praying or fainting sounds like a strange choice of alternatives! To faint means to lose consciousness, when used in a physical sense. In the spiritual realm, to faint means to grow weary and discouraged, and to quit. To pray always means to maintain constant contact with heaven by keeping the life in harmony and in communion with God. It is essential to have regular and special seasons of prayer, but it is most important also to keep the heart and life in constant seeking and doing God’s will.

Persistence in Prayer The allegorical method of interpreting parables, which insists on identifying every detail, is reduced to an absurdity in this parable, where God would be represented by a judge so wicked he respects neither God nor man and finally gives justice to the widow only in order to get rid of her. Jesus states the fundamental principle of persistence in prayer both at the beginning and at the close. The Judge

“And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith And shall not God avenge his own elect...?” In other words, if a wicked judge will grant justice to a poor, helpless widow just to get rid of her, how much more will the righteous God of all the earth grant protection and succor to His own chosen faithful servants, besieged in a hostile world? Jesus does not undertake to minimize the wickedness of the judge in order to draw a parallel with God. He rather emphasizes the wickedness of the judge. Two brief clauses set forth the absolute baseness of the judge: “...judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man.” He had no reverence for God and no respect even for the noblest of men. He loved only himself and served himself. Justice and truth had no meaning for him. The only similarity between God and this judge is the place of authority which he had and which gave him the power of life and death. The Widow The helplessness of the widow introduces another element of the parable which is developed at the close: the persecution of the helpless righteous at the hands of the powerful wicked, and the difficult problem as to why God permits this situation to continue in the world. The widow was helpless because she had “no protector to coerce, nor money to bribe the unrighteous judge,” assuming, of course, that she would have used such base methods to secure her end if they had been available. We no not know what sort of mistreatment this helpless woman was enduring. In His blistering denunciation of the Pharisees on the last day of His public ministry Jesus declared, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation” (Matthew 23:14). Devouring houses suggests clever trickery to get a mortgage on the home and then to foreclose the mortgage without mercy. It is noteworthy that Jesus does not urge long prayers in this parable, but unbroken succession of brief prayers which constitute praying always. Long prayers may cause a person to pray and faint at the same time, as his mind wanders off to earthly things, even while he is in the posture and act of addressing God. This is not prayer, but pretense. The Appeals

“Avenge me of mine adversary” (Luke 18:3). The Greek phrase means, “Give me a sentence of protection from,” “preserve me against his attacks,” rather than “deliver me out of his power” (Plummer). The tense of the verbs is impressive. The imperfect tense is used with its emphasis upon continued action: “She came oft”; “she kept on coming”; also, “He kept on refusing.” “And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest she wear me out by continual coming” (Luke 18:4, Luke 18:5). This judge is as boastful of his wickedness as the Pharisee in the next parable is boastful of his goodness. But this is no public confession of sin by the judge; it Is merely the shrewd calculation of his private thoughts and intents. The verb wear me out (a.s.v.), weary me (a.v.), has the following meanings: (1) “hit under the eye, give a black eye”; (2) “beat black and blue” ; (3) “mortify, annoy greatly.” A number of commentators, including Meyer, Godet, Weiss, and others, hold to the primary meaning and put a glint of humor or exaggeration into the declaration: “Lest she give me a black eye,” or “Lest she beat me black and blue.” But this picture is entirely contrary to the helplessness of the widow and the continuance of her appeals. Moreover, the tense of the Greek verbs renders this interpretation impossible, as also the phrase “by her continual coming.” Presumably a surprise assault might have given the judge a black eye, but the helpless widow would not have been able to give the judge a black eye every day or heat black and blue continually. The judge might have secured a bodyguard or had her put in prison, but such a move would have increased the public humiliation and annoyance. His wicked character would have been underscored publicly. If he refused to allow her to have an audience in his court room, she still could follow along the highway with her appeals and make it very embarrassing for him. The Longsuffering of God

“And shall not God avenge his elect, that cry to him day and night, and yet he is longsuffering over them?” (Luke 18:7). The background in the hearts of the apostles during all this period is the fearful realization that Jesus is going up to Jerusalem to die at the hands of the wicked leaders of the nation. The problem of evil and the question as to why God permits the wicked to persecute and slay the righteous is also in the background of this parable. The disciples would make their own application. God has a plan and a purpose in all that He does and permits. It is hard for us to understand now, but it all will he made plain to us in eternity. The verb long-suffering over them (bear long with them, A. V.) may mean “slow to anger,” and over them would then refer to the enemies of the righteous whom God is seeking to save. He is long-suffering with the wicked because He does not desire that any should perish, but that all men may he brought to repentance and reconciliation with God. For this reason God permits the righteous to suffer, even as He sent His Son to die for all lost mankind. The verb may mean “is not impatient,” and over them would then refer to the persistence of the righteous in prayer. The wicked judge was worn out and disgusted with the widow’s continuous pleading, but God is not impatient at the repeated appeals of just persons. The kind of prayers we offer, the manner in which we offer them, the indolent spirit in which we fail to back up our prayers with our deeds must he enough to try the patience of God. He is merciful toward us in our weakness as He is toward the rebellious wicked in their stubborn disobedience. The Triumph of Righteousness

“I say unto you, that he will avenge them speedily” (Luke 18:8). This kind of action is what John the Baptist had predicted would be the Messiah’s course. How often the apostles must have recalled his blazing denunciations and predictions, and then turned in perplexity to witness Jesus’ refusal to use His miraculous power to destroy His enemies. But the disciples were given this strong assurance that God would finally act; and, when He did, it would be swift and terrible. This was a most important element of this parable because Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, which was so full of rebellion against God and deadly plots of death to His Son. The chief principle is persistence in prayer, but the fact that God lives and rules, and will finally prevail over all the wicked is a secondary element which should not be overlooked. The difference in the viewpoint of God and man in regard to the passage of time seems to enter into this word speedily. God knows man’s needs and possibilities, and acts with perfect wisdom. Man may feel it is a perplexing delay over a long period as he suffers and wrestles in prayer. God acts speedily even though the Christian may he tempted to faint during the long wait. Godet holds that speedily means that “although God delays to act; yet, when the moment comes, He acts swiftly, as in the Deluge and the destruction of Sodom.” This approach furnishes another line of contact with the preceding discourse.

“Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8). The adversative conjunction nevertheless is startling. It arrests the reader and makes him search for the contrast. It asks whether “in spite of the fact” that the gate of heaven is always open, that at any moment of need a Christian may seek God’s help without any preliminary wait for an audience to be granted, and that man’s need is so great and the hostility of the world so oppressive, will man yet seek the presence and help of God with enough frequency and perseverance that he will be able to prove faithful? The Faith The climax of the parable comes with the final triumph of God over all evil and the sending of His Son to bring eternal blessedness to the righteous and doom to the wicked. The definite article in the text gives strong emphasis to “the faith.” It is not only man’s persistence in prayer, but his actual preservation and proclamation of the divine message of redemption both in his words and in his life. Shall He find “faithful ones on the earth”? This is tantamount to finding “the faith” still believed, proclaimed, and lived. Some urge that it means the faith which perseveres in prayer, but to limit the meaning in this fashion is to overlook the close connection between this parable and the discussion of the second coming, where the world is pictured as imitating the time of Noah and Lot. The answer to the question has hen given by Jesus on many occasions, as He pointed out that there will he the few who enter by the narrow gate. This outcry of Jesus is not despondent; it casts no doubt upon His Person or power or the certainty of His second coming. It reflects only upon man’s wisdom and loyalty. The point of the question here is that although God is so patient and His answer to prayer so certain, yet man always tends to tire, to lose his appreciation, and to desert God.

Unanswered Prayers? The problem of unanswered prayers is presented to us in this parable. There are many reasons discernible to us, besides what is hidden from our sight. (1) We pray for the wrong things or in the wrong spirit or with wrong motives. (2) We lack faith and obedience (James 1:2-8). (3) We fail to do our part. (4) The stubborn will of others enters in to frustrate the will of God, as is seen in the prayers offered for the salvation of a loved one. Most lives are barren because they are prayerless: “Ye have not because ye ask not” (James 4:2). We offer selfish, sinful, foolish prayers: “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may spend it in your pleasures” (James 4:3). “Ye know not what ye ask” (Mark 10:38). “Teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1).

Context The parable of the Pharisee and the publican is directed to the Pharisees: “And he spake also this parable unto certain who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and set all others at nought” (Luke 18:9). The lines of connection between the content of this parable, the sermon on the second coming, and the parable of the unjust judge are not evident; and we cannot tell whether it was delivered at the same time. It may be placed here because it also treats the subject of prayer, or it may have arisen out of the preceding discussion. Trusting in themselves that they were righteous, the Pharisees rested on a doctrine of salvation by good works rather than the mercy of God. They felt they could be so good that they deserved salvation. The scorn they had for others was in proportion to their blind conceit and self-praise. The Two Men

“Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican” (Luke 18:10). Whether they went up from some section of the lower city or from the country of Judaea or the provinces, the description went up is accurate. The temple was on Mount Moriah. These two men doubtless prayed in the court of Israel, where only male Israelites over twenty years of age might enter. In the outer courts the crowds would have been larger. The Pharisee might have sought the most prominent place before the largest crowd, but not the publican. The two seem to have had the court or some section of it to themselves; they stood apart in sufficient isolation that the Pharisee was able to keep his eye on the publican. The Prayer of the Pharisee

“The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican” (Luke 18:11). The Pharisee did not pray to God; be was talking to himself. There is deep irony in that phrase thus with himself. God was purely incidental and secondary; he himself was all-sufficient; the time, place, and form were all merely chosen for self-glorification. His address God, I thank thee coupled with the prayer that follows was condescension itself. He congratulated God in having such a wonderful worshiper as himself, and his thanksgiving turned into a boast. He divided all the world of mankind into two parts — himself and “the rest of men.” If it were not for his own spotless life and perfection, God would have been bereft of true worshipers.

It is a question as to how far his boasting was deceitful or self-deceived. He was probably blind to his faults and imagined that he was correctly stating the case. Just how far he was from understanding the true nature of the virtues he claimed can be seen in that he claimed never to have been unjust, and in the same breath was guilty of injustice toward the publican in attempting to estimate and judge his life, a task of which only God is capable. He freely charged “the rest of men” as guilty of these sins. His declaration that He was free from adultery was not humble enough to take into account the attitude and thoughts of the heart as well as the conduct of life. His estimate of the other sins would have been just as superficial. He reminds one of the elder brother in the parable of the prodigal son. The rich young ruler also comes somewhat into view as we study this Pharisee.

Fasting and Tithing

“I fast twice in the week; I give tithes of all that I get” (Luke 18:12). The Mosaic law ordered a fast on one day out of the year — the Day of Atonement. To commemorate various national calamities, other fasts were observed (Zechariah 8:19). The Pharisees went beyond the law with a work of supererogation by fasting twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays. These days were established by tradition because Moses was supposed to have ascended Mount Sinai on the fifth day and to have come down on the second day. A Pharisee who fasted twice a week through the entire year was exceedingly strict. All that I get (a.s.v.) is a more accurate translation of the Greek verb than the all that I possess in the a.v. The Pharisee did not tithe his capital, but his income.

ThePublican’s Prayer

“But the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God, he merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18:13). The definite article “the sinner” (a.s.v. , footnote) is even more emphatic, suggesting “of whom I am chief.” The publican stood afar off from the entrance to the court of priests and from the Pharisee, who evidently had chosen a prominent place near the entrance to the most sacred area. He did not feel he was worthy to be in this holy temple and certainly should not push himself up to the front. He was, however, in the inner court of Israel and not the court of the Gentiles, because he desired isolation from the noise and hubbub of the crowd. The Pharisee probably would not have seen him so readily if he had been in the larger court. As he did not choose a prominent position, so he did not even look toward heaven. His agony of repentance expressed itself in an eloquent gesture, as he continued to smite his breast. This could have been in a manner not to attract the attention of men. The words so much as in would not lift up so much as his eyes seem to mean “not to mention his hands or face,” or “not to mention adopting a familiar or patronizing air such as the Pharisee affected.” The extreme brevity of the prayer is like the sharp outcry of a man in deadly danger or desperate need. He does not undertake to excuse himself or defend himself by making comparison He might have selected someone far worse than himself and thanked God that he was not like men who never repented or came to confess and ask forgiveness of God. Many abandoned publicans would never even enter the temple. He might have cited various good deeds and generous acts but he accepted prayer as a time for penitence rather than boasting. As the Pharisee had divided the world of mankind into two parts, himself, and “the rest of men,” so the publican in extreme humility suggests the same sort of division, “Be merciful to me, the sinner.”

God’s Answer

“This man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled; but he that humbleth himself shall be exalted” (Luke 18:14). Here is the fundamental principle of the parable stated at its close, even as it had been suggested at the opening: “who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and set all others at nought” (Luke 18:9). This man echoes the contemptuous reference of the Pharisee. Even this publican was justified, i.e., was accounted righteous by being forgiven and accepted of God, rather than the punctilious Pharisee. Was the Pharisee justified at all? He did not ask forgiveness or express any sort of lack or need. Since he confessed no sin and did not ask forgiveness, how could he have been forgiven? God would not force forgiveness upon him unasked, or grant it to him unrepentant. Why did the Pharisee bother to come up and pray? Did he pray? A Prayer for the Pharisee A. B. Bruce suggests the following prayer as one which would have been fitting for the Pharisee:

I thank Thee that I have been preserved from extortion, but I confess I have coveted oft times what I have not laid hands on. I thank Thee I have not been an unjust man, but I acknowledge that I am far from being a generous man. I thank Thee I am not an adulterer, but I confess that my heart has harboured many wicked thoughts. I thank Thee that my lot, my opportunities, and my habits differ widely from those of the class to which this man my fellow-worshipper, who beats his breast, belongs; but I do not flatter myself that had I been in his circumstances I should have been better than he, and I deplore that I and the class of which I am a member feel so little compassion toward these much-tempted men, that we content ourselves with simply abhorring them and holding aloof from their society. I thank thee that it is in my heart to attend punctually to my religious duties, but I acknowledge that my zeal and liberality come immeasurably short of what is due Thee, and contrast but poorly with those of him who centuries ago offered up this prayer and thanksgiving in the holy city: “Now therefore, our God, we thank Thee and praise thy glorious name. But who Amos 1:1-15, and what is my people, that we should he able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of Thee, and of Thine own have we given Thee. O Lord our God, all this store that we have prepared to build Thee and house for Thine holy name cometh of Thine hand, and is all thine own.” What are my poor tithes to the liberality of King David, or what my religious devotion compared to his whose whole heart was set upon building a temple for Jehovah such as that within whose sacred precincts I now stand? (The Parabolic Teaching of Christ, pp. 318, 319). A New Life for the Publican The publican might have formulated a prayer to defend himself in his low estate after the fashion of the Pharisee. He might have pointed out to God that at least he was not a hypocrite, such as the Pharisee. He might have referred to good deeds in his life or defended himself by comparison with others who were so wicked they would not even enter the temple. His humble confession and plea for forgiveness carried the necessary pledge to make a stronger fight against sin than he had ever done before. He would still fail to reach perfection. Each day he would find himself compelled to pray in humility for forgiveness for the sins of commission and omission during that day. But even facing the prospect of trial and failure, he had begun a new life. Repentance is a sham if it does not include the most determined struggle against sin. The Whiffenpoof Song

God’s forgiveness requires man’s repentance. To experience sorrow for sin is not enough. The change of mind must he joined to reformation of life. As we pray for forgiveness, we must pledge a stronger battle against the temptations that beset us. Upon hearing for the first time on the radio The Yale Whiffenpoof Song, what Christian has not been startled and surprised? thrilled by the beauty of its music when rendered by a great male chorus? saddened by the thought content, which pledges a life of boastful dedication to a wicked habit and contemplates a death without hope? shocked and dismayed by the blasphemy of such a cynical prayer to Almighty God? The Temple Bar is the name of the Saloon in New Haven. Mory is the name of the owner. Louis is the bartender. The title Whiffenpoofs presents the picture of the gay, young blades starting a night of drunkenness. First they take a “whiff” of the odor; next they “poof,” as they blow off the foam; then they drink it down. To the tables down at Mory’s, To the place where Louis dwells, To the dear old Temple Bar We love so well.

Sing the Whiffenpoofs, assembled With their glasses raised on high, And the magic of their singing Casts its spell.

Yes, the magic of their singing Of the songs we love so well, “Shall I Wasting,” and “Ma-vour-neen,” And the rest.

We will serenade our Louis While life and voice shall last, Then we’ll pass and be forgotten With the rest.

We’re poor little lambs Who have lost our way: Baa! Baa! Baa!

We’re little black sheep Who have gone astray: Baa! Baa! Baa!

Gentlemen songsters off on a spree, Doomed from here to eternity;

Lord have mercy on such as we: Baa! Baa! Baa! As faith without works is dead, so a prayer for forgiveness without repentance is an insult to God. “God, be merciful to me a sinner” requires the necessary complement “Help me to begin a new life in this very moment and help me to climb up to higher ground every day.” It is inconceivable trifling with the long-suffering, patience, and love of God to ask Him for forgiveness if we do not pledge to Him our life’s devotion and follow through with an unyielding battle against temptation. Who of us is so good he does not need to give heed to the urgent warning of our Savior: “Except ye repent, ye shall all in like manner perish”?

Both parables end with man standing before the judgment seat of Christ in the final day. As a general rule, even in this wicked world, those who exalt themselves find that their fellows deflate their egotism. A Hitler or a Mussolini may strut before hypnotized followers for a time, but the current of history has a way of humbling those who exalt themselves and of exalting those who humble themselves. Where the inequalities of earth leave the proud and haughty in power through a long life, death finally comes to summon them to the judgment bar of Christ. THE PHARISEE AND THE PUBLICAN: A STUDY IN CONTRASTS I. Position and life of both men (Luke 18:9)

A. The Pharisee 1.A member of the extremely pious sect of the Jews, priding himself on his devotion to God and the Old Testament 2. At home in the temple and present as a result of habit 3. His prayer a revelation of his life and to be accepted at face value

4. Not an extortioner (in contrast with the publicans, who were notorious for oppressing the people and collecting more taxes than were due) 5. Not unjust (temptation of publicans to use power unjustly) 6. Not an adulterer (publicans, notable outcasts from society) 7. Fasted twice a week (one regular fast a year on the Day of Atonement required in the law) (Luke 18:12) 8. Gave tithes of all (only the produce of herds and fields required to be tithed in the law) (Luke 18:12)

B. The publican 1. A despised outcast and colleague of Gentiles 2. A stranger in the temple and present as the result of desperate need 3. His prayer a confession of his sinfulness, his gesture and words implying he was a great sinner (Luke 18:13) II. Attitudes of both toward God (Luke 18:10-13)

A. The Pharisee 1. Revealed by manner and content of his prayer 2. “Prayed with himself” and ignored God (Luke 18:11) 3. Adopted a patronizing air toward God: “I thank thee that I am not as the rest of men” (Luke 18:11) 4. Trusted in himself, rather than in God (Luke 18:9) 5. Had no confession of sin to offer (Luke 18:11, Luke 18:12) 6. Recited a list of his virtues (Luke 18:11, Luke 18:12) 7. Had no petition to present; altogether self-centered and satisfied

B. The publican 1. Realized God’s holiness and the solemnity of the occasion: “standing afar off,” (Luke 18:13)

2. Realized the privilege of prayer and his unworthiness: “would not so much as lift up his eyes unto heaven” (Luke 18:13) 3. Made no claim to goodness 4. Expressed desperate need. “smote his breast” (Luke 18:13) 5. Confessed his sin and asked forgiveness, and implied his repentance and vow for renewed battle against sin III. Attitude of both toward their fellowmen

A. The Pharisee 1. Scorn and depreciation for his fellows: “set all others at nought” (Luke 18:9) 2. Blind to his own sin, but alive to the sin of others: “I am not as the rest of men” (Luke 18:11) 3. Attempted to elevate himself by casting reflection on others: “even as this publican (Luke 18:11)

B. The publican 1. Felt unworthy to associate with his fellow worshipers: “standing afar off” (Luke 18:13) 2. Did not attempt to indict his fellows 3. Did not attempt to excuse himself C. Effect of their attitude and action (Luke 18:14) 1. The Pharisee, praising his own goodness, fastened his sin upon himself.

2. The publican, confessing his sin and pleading for mercy, was forgiven.