What is a good Christian like? Is it someone who doesn’t as the saying goes “drink or smoke or cuss or chew or date/marry people who do”? Is it someone who faithfully attends church? Is it someone who waits until marriage to engage in sexual activity? Is it someone who is morally upright? Is it someone who tithes on the gross and on the growth of their investments? Is it someone who reads the Bible daily?
Those things may truly mark a good Christian.
For some of us, we grew up in church settings where we were rewarded - maybe with stickers - for activities that marked a good Christian. Even in Good News Club, we have prizes for memorizing scripture, doing the devotional worksheets, attending church, etc. I think in many ways, those are all good things to reinforce - good habits to instill in each other. But does doing those things make us Christian?
As we continue our study in the book of Luke, Jesus helps us to understand some things that mark Christianity - namely humility, faith, and devotion.
If you have your bibles, open them to Luke 18.
Luke 18:9–30 ESV
He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The 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. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But 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!’ I 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.”
Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But 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. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”
And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’ ” And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.” When 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.” But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! For 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.” Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” And Peter said, “See, we have left our homes and followed you.” And 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, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.”
Luke begins this section by telling us that Jesus told a parable in order to address those who “trusted in themselves… and treated others with contempt.”
It seems like overall, Jesus helps us to see that people who follow Him, God’s people should be marked with a…
Posture of humility (9-14)
So, in this parable, the fictional story with a lesson
two men go to pray
this would have been a daily gathering at the temple
the self-righteous Pharisee
standing/praying aloud was not uncommon - praying too loudly would be in appropriate (frankly, I find that when I pray aloud - even in a whisper - I can concentrate better)
Begins well - “I thank you” - it’s good to give thanks - then this man’s prayer goes awry from there - I thank you...
I’m not like, other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers and even this tax collector - his gratitude is not related to God - but to himself.
Then gets to his acts of self-righteousness
fast twice a week - only expected once a year - he’s clearly showboating or trying to prove how extra-righteous he is.
tithe - a good discipline and practice - “all that I get” - not just of somethings, but of everything.
The humble tax collector
Posture
far off
head down
beat his chest - he seems to be heartbroken over his sinfulness, over his fallenness. He knows he’s guilty
Plea - be merciful to me, a sinner. Interesting, that word in Greek that is translated “mercy” is the same word used for the covering of sin that would happen on the day of atonement. He recognizes his guilt. He does not deserve anything but God’s judgement and yet pleads for mercy, for atonement.
But, I think there are some important things for us to consider.
There is a balance in the Christian faith:
On one hand: growing, improving, learning, living more holy - all of these can lead to pride if not married with humility. Like the pharisees prayer - we could thank God that we are not so bad - that He didn’t have to give up too much to save us. God I thank you that I’m not like other people… Or even the Pharisee’s acts of self-righteousness. Fasting and tithing are good disciplines. In Matthew 6:16-18 (frankly all of Mt. 6 references these acts of righteousness), Jesus addresses the issue of fasting in the Sermon on the Mount - urging that we should not make a show of it, but rather should fast in secret so that God “who sees in secret will reward you.” In Matthew 6:1-4 Jesus addresses the act of giving - specifically to the needy - urging that this too should be done in secret - even to the point that one hand should not know what the other is giving. (this is part of the reason why we don’t pass plates - worshiping God through our gifts in secret in the box or online or even systematically - keeps it between us and God. Others don’t need to see or know.) Our acts of righteousness are to be done before an audience of One.
On the other: while we live - we will always wrestle with our sinfulness - our sin may be covered by the blood of Jesus, but that doesn’t mean we don’t continue to struggle.
The Apostle Paul could relate to this struggle.
Romans 7:21-24 “So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?”
Paul clearly delineates the challenge that we face as Christians - striving for holiness and struggling against sinfulness.
Jesus notes that the tax collector and not the pharisee when down justified because in humility he recognized his own fallenness and relied wholly on God’s grace and mercy.
In the mid-16th century, John Bradford, an English pastor, was imprisoned for his faith in the Tower of London. While there, he would see other prisoners come and go. Often those who left were headed to the gallows. In response to this regular activity, Bradford reportedly said: “There but for the grace of God, go I.” He acknowledge that even in his chains, his life was granted by the grace of God. His death would eventually come.
In a similar manner, as Jesus followers, we are encouraged not to look down on others in pride, but look in empathy, humility, and prayer. As Robert Robinson famously said in his hymn “Come Thou Fount” - “prone to wander, Lord I feel it; prone to leave the God I love.”
There is also a sense in which living with a posture of humility is freeing as the performance oriented pride gets to just rest and be. It allows us to look to God in gratitude for all that He has given. We get to grow for the pleasure of our loving God and for our good, rather than trying to prove or earn something.
May humility mark our prayers, our actions, our interactions, and our way of life.
Immediately following this parable, Luke notes that several parents were seeking to bring their babies to Jesus so that He might touch them.
In their culture, this was a way of asking for some sort of blessing from Jesus on their children.
a good a noble desire
I commend so many of you - your faithful devotion pouring into your children - bringing them to church, impressing on them the truths of the Gospel! You’re doing a great work bringing your kids to be touched by Jesus.
Kids - things of God may not be as entertaining as the latest video game you’re playing or the funny reel that you’re viewing, but the truths that your parents are instilling in you are for life - for eternity. Let me encourage you to thank them, recognize that they are pouring the word of God into you for your good, for your life!
In the first century culture, children were not highly regarded. Frankly there is a sense in which that is true today as we are having fewer children, view pets as furry family members, and lose ourselves in our screens, hobbies, careers, and so many other forms of entertainment.
Disciples even felt that bringing children to Jesus was beneath Him - and yet Jesus responds that His people will follow Him with a…
Childlike faith (15-17)
Not only does Jesus not want to hinder children to come, but He urges that everyone must “receive the Kingdom of God like a child.”
In other words, we need a child-like faith. We need to follow their example.
But does that mean? How do children believe?
they believe anything is possible - their imaginations are not hindered by disappointment. Several years ago, one of the car manufacturers played into that child-like belief that anything is possible as they showed a child, dressed like Darth Vader, holding up his hand to his father’s car and pretending to use the force to start it. Of course, the father was inside with the fob and started it remotely at just the right time. Children believe that anything is possible.
the things children learn stay with them for life - and beyond - their minds are like sponges - soaking up all the information, knowledge, experiences - forming their views of the world. I think this is why the writer of Proverbs urges us to: Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
There is a part in this where as we age or as we become more and more familiar with the things of God, that we need to approach His word with this same wonder and amazement that a child would. Oh may we never grow weary in soaking in the beautiful things of God.
But in coming to faith as a child, there is something else that we have to remember - there is at the same time all the potential in the world and yet none of it realized. In other words, children come with nothing. Children grow into the people who God made them to be. They are formed and developed, but they have no prior knowledge and no experience.
We must come in the same way. If anything, we have to lay aside things in order to receive Christ as Savior. We must lay aside our conventional, natural way of thinking in order to be renewed by Christ. We must lay aside our self-righteousness and trust in Jesus’ “All Sufficient Merit” acknowledging that we need help!
I do think that it’s important for us to remember that while we are called to have a childlike faith, we are not expected to have a childish faith. Yes, there is a lot that we have to take purely on faith. In fact this season brings so much of that:
angelic visitors
prophetic proclamations
virgin birth
Jesus - fully God and fully human
his perfect life
his substitutionary death, burial and resurrection
his promised return
We are called to believe, but we are not expected to check our minds at the door. It’s okay to wrestle with Scripture, with the tenets of the faith. But at some point, we must accept the things of God by faith.
Think briefly back to Abraham. When he was in his 70s, he and his wife had no children and yet God had promised to make him a great nation. Several times God kept coming back to Abraham - renewing his promise - and yet none of that was realized. Genesis 15:6 “And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.” Abraham’s faith and practice was not perfect. He stumbled many times along the way - but he believed. Eventually, at the ripe old age of 100 - God fulfilled His promise to Abraham- opening the barren womb of Sarah. Turning their sorrow into laughter.
Beloved, we must believe that God is able. He is strong and able to save. He is able to heal. He is able to fulfill his promises. He has proved his faithfulness in the past. I believe He will fulfill His promises in the future. Do you believe?
So in this section, Luke helps us to see that the Christian religion according to Jesus is marked by humility and faith. Finally, we get to see that it is marked by...
Undivided devotion (18-30)
In these verses, a rich young ruler comes to Jesus asking what he must DO to inherit eternal life. His question reveals some misconceptions about life with God and eternal life.
Inheritances are not earned - they are given. As if eternal life is like a grade on a report card, he is asking about what actions he must perform in order to make the grade, get the reward. But inheritances are given by the grace of the giver - often by a close relative. Eternal life is given by God’s grace and mercy to those who will receive it.
The second challenge with his question is...
His pharisaical mindset of performance. Like the Pharisee in the parable at the beginning of this section, this rich young ruler assumes God is appeased by his good deeds.
His mindset is not far off from what many people still believe today. We know our own performances. So much of our life is based on personal merit, earned outcomes. And yet eternal life is received by those who have a relationship with God - through Jesus Christ.
So, Jesus presses into his mindset and asks about his performance - Luke 18:20 “You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’ ”” To which the man replied, “I have kept all of those from a young age.”
Turn in your bibles over to Exodus 20. Jesus is references the 10 Commandments in his question to the man.
If you’re familiar with the commandments, did you notice what commandments Jesus left out? If we were to number the commandments, Jesus included - 7 (adultery), 6 (murder), 8 (stealing), 9 (false witness), and 5 (honoring parents). All of these relate to our interactions with others - how we treat other people.
He left out the first four - which all relate to God
Have no other Gods
Don’t make or worship idols
Don’t take God’s name in vain
Honor the sabbath
and he left out the last one (10) - do not covet - which is idolatry in it’s own way (Col. 3:5).
In a subtle way, by responding to this man in this way, Jesus was getting to the heart of the matter. You see, ultimately, this man did not love God. He saw God as something to be pleased. God was a means to an end - wealth and to add on to that Eternal Life. He loved money and used God to get it.
Several weeks ago, this topic came up as Jesus addressed the greed of some around him noting:
Luke 16:13 “No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
Jesus invited the man to follow him, providing that he sell his possessions and give the proceeds to the poor. In sorrow, the man departs - because that was too high a price to pay. This rich man demonstrates that money or mammon was his master.
For many people in that day, they believed that if people had wealth, then God had blessed them. There was a sort of first century prosperity theology. In response, Jesus comments about how difficult it is for the wealthy to enter the kingdom of God - referencing the largest animal in that area (camel) and the smallest hole in people’s homes (the eye of a needle). To which the disciples ask - “then who can be saved?”
How does that settle with us? What role does money have in our lives? By many standards, even the poorest among us are still among the wealthiest in the world - even throughout history. How much is enough? Is money our master or our tool?
What’s more - are we wholly devoted to God? Or is there something in us that wants a little bit of God and enough stuff to make life comfortable?
Are our resources instruments in His hand or are they the goals of our lives?
Closing thoughts
So as Jesus communicates with those who will listen, he pushes back on performance-based religious notions. Essentially, he is stating that in the Christian religion:
It’s not works - it’s humility
It’s not ability - it’s faith
It’s not wealth - it’s devotion
start of section - trusted in self and treated others with contempt - how we treat others is significant - how are we doing? Judging believers, non- believers -
Jesus demonstrated that life perfectly. In humility and obedience to the Father, He became like us. While He had great abilities, He demonstrated great faith in the Father’s plan. Where He could have gathered great crowds for personal fame and glory, He demonstrated undivided devotion to God - going all the way to the cross - for you and me.
Let’s pray.
Jesus, thank you for your example and your life. You’ve called us to walk with you, by faith, with humility, and wholly devoted to you. Lord you know how divided our hearts can be. You know how short-sighted our faith can be. You know how proud we can be. Help us we pray. Amen.
Benediction:
Jude 24 “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy,”
Questions for reflection and discussion:
Read: Luke 18:9-30.
In what ways is it easy for Christians to become like the Pharisee in the parable? When did you last simply say to God, “Have mercy on me, a sinner”?
Are we humble in our prayers? When does public gratitude to God become pride?
How can understanding the mindset of the Pharisee deepen our understanding of what it means to be humble before God in prayer?
How does a child receive the Kingdom of God? How is that an example or model for adults?
What does it mean to be childlike in faith? Are we childlike in our response to Christ (15-17)?
Consider Luke 18:22, 23. Was the rich young ruler more entangled in his possessions than modern believers? Would our response to Christ’s command have been different?
Do you think riches and material possessions are a significant hindrance to eternal life for some people? If so, why do you think some people choose their possessions rather than Christ? What is it about riches or about people that gives money this power?
How do verses 29–30 encourage you to be whole-hearted and sacrificial in your discipleship?
In practical terms, how can the lessons from the rich young ruler influence your financial decisions and attitude towards wealth?
Sources:
Anyabwile, Thabiti. Exalting Jesus in Luke. Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary. Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2018.
Bock, Darrell L. Luke 9:51-24:53. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1999.
Martin, John A. “Luke.” In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, edited by J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985.
Liefeld, Walter L. “Luke.” In The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke, edited by Frank E. Gaebelein, Vol. 8. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984.
McKinley, Mike. Luke 12-24 for You. Edited by Carl Laferton. God’s Word for You. The Good Book Company, 2016.
Stein, Robert H. Luke. Vol. 24. The New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992.
Thomson, J. G. S. S. “Prayer.” In New Bible Dictionary, edited by D. R. W. Wood, I. H. Marshall, A. R. Millard, J. I. Packer, and D. J. Wiseman. Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996.
The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible. Biblical Studies Press, 2005. Print.
Wilcock, Michael. The Savior of the World: The Message of Luke’s Gospel. The Bible Speaks Today. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1979.
