#1414 Luke 18 Part 2 My Garbage Doesn't Stink Like His

 

9 He 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. 11 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. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 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!’ 14 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.” Luke 18: 9-14 ESV

Luke 18: 9-14 Two Different Approaches

MacArthur points out that we have to keep in mind the larger context of this section, which is the subject of the kingdom of God which became a major focus beginning in Luke 17:20-21 (and extending through Luke 18:30) when He was "questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming," and Jesus answered explaining that “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.” He went on to explain that the Kingdom of God had a present spiritual aspect (in the hearts of those who received Christ the King). But that is just one aspect of the kingdom which consists secondly of a coming literal, earthly Millennial Kingdom and thirdly an eternal Kingdom. So naturally, the question arises "Who will get to enter the Kingdom of God?" In other words, who is a part of that spiritual kingdom, and will therefore participate in the earthly kingdom and live forever in the eternal kingdom? Who is qualified? Who is acceptable to God in the kingdom? Jesus answers that question in the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. - Precept Austin

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous - So, similar to the last parable, Luke again gives the meaning, the words before the word picture. In the last parable we were instructed straight away that it's intent was to teach us to always pray and not lose hope, to be persistent in prayer. Now we are told that this is a parable about self righteousness versus reality, those who would try to justify themselves versus those who seek God's mercy in their unworthiness. This is clearly about being justified by faith rather than by a system of works and outward appearance. 

…10As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one. 11There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. 12All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”… Romans 3: 10-12

…31but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. 32Why not? Because their pursuit was not by faith, but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33as it is written: “See, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense; and the one who believes in Him will never be put to shame.”… Romans 9: 31-33

…11There is a generation of those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers. 12There is a generation of those who are pure in their own eyes and yet unwashed of their filth. 13There is a generation—how haughty are their eyes and pretentious are their glances—… Proverbs 30: 11-13

And treated others with contempt - The Pharisees had a very vain and delusional sort of religion. God had told the Jews to be a light to the nations, a city set high on a hill. They were called out from all peoples on the earth, out of the mire, the filth, shown the ways of God, His holiness being made known to them. Instead of walking in the light of this they made a Judaism that twisted the Scriptures, added to the Scriptures their own extrabiblical writings which often contradicted the plain and clear teachings of God's word. We read before how they cleaned the outside of the cup, they tithed down to the very herb seed to appear more pious before other men, and they looked down upon anyone who wasn't like them. It is a perverse religion that looks like this: I am a son of Abraham and you are not, I don't eat pork, and gentiles do, I worship at the temple in Jerusalem and you worship an idol you made with your hands. All these things are true, but they don't save you. Being related to Abraham, Moses, or David doesn't save you. Having Mary, the mother of Jesus, as your mother would not save you either. It is not a matter of physical, genetic relations, but about of a new heart regenerated by the Spirit of God. It is a matter of being related to Christ in His living a perfect life that you did not, dying the death that you deserved to die, and rising up in Christ as a new creature. The Pharisees faith was not founded in God, but in themselves and what they had deemed righteous, where they had set the bar for holiness, in a sense of moral superiority to their lost neighbors. This is not the place to put your faith, as the Bible makes clear, there is none righteous not even one, and so to think you are is apostasy, and to look down on someone else for not being a part of your apostasy only drives those you were supposed to reach further away. In every age God has reserved a remnant though who truly believe, who have looked to Him rather than themselves as the answer. 

…9For this reason Christ died and returned to life, that He might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. 10Why, then, do you judge your brother? Or why do you belittle your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. 11It is written: “As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before Me; every tongue will confess to God.”… Romans 14: 9-11

…5This is what God the LORD says—He who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and its offspring, who gives breath to the people on it and life to those who walk in it: 6“I, the LORD, have called you for a righteous purpose, and I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and appoint you to be a covenant for the people and a light to the nations, 7to open the eyes of the blind, to bring prisoners out of the dungeon and those sitting in darkness out from the prison house.… Isaiah 42: 5-7

V. 11 God, I thank You that I am not like other men - I can't act like I have not thought or said this. I hear so called Christians, we who should no better, have conversations like this all the time. It's not wrong to be upset over sin, not wrong to want justice like the widow in the last parable, but it is grossly wrong to have sin in our own lives that we think is okay because at least we aren't sinners like that guy. Jesus called the Pharisees out for the sins of bad doctrine, the sin of overriding God's law in order to serve their own greed and take advantage of widows and orphans. He called out their prosperity gospel which ultimately sought to say that the rich were healthy and wealthy because they were doing the right thing. The poor and sick were being punished for being sinners of a higher magnitude, but this was their own vain teaching, not the Scriptures, just look at Job. He even had the audacity to call them out for what they were thinking, accusing them of wanting to kill Him, because He knew their hearts. That is the place where we are to measure, this is where God looks and what He weighs, just read the verse below and tell me, do you make the cut? Are you without sin? 

21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. 23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. 26 Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

Lust

27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. Matthew 5: 21-30

By that standard, God's standard, I am a murderer, an adulterer, and I don't know anyone who isn't, for we are all fallen in Adam. You're not the standard bearer for me, Christ is, and so your sins should be of no comfort nor shock to me. I am as lost as all men if in the end I have trusted in something I have done rather than in the full and finished work of Christ. We are called to repent of sin, and included in that is the sin of self righteousness, of believing in your own inherent goodness. 

…5You welcome those who gladly do right, who remember Your ways. Surely You were angry, for we sinned. How can we be saved if we remain in our sins? 6Each of us has become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind. 7No one calls on Your name or strives to take hold of You. For You have hidden Your face from us and delivered us into the hand of our iniquity.… Isaiah 64: 5-7

Extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector - This is some strange fire here. He is approaching God and like Cain, he is saying, "yea, I know the wages of sin is death, and so You require a life for a life, but here are some veggies I grew in my garden, You need to accept these as good enough. I didn't feel like buying a lamb from my brother, besides, I'm a vegetarian." Remember, God accepted Abel's offering, and why? Because it pointed to the promised offering of His Son. This Pharisee is saying that He is acceptable by his outward standard, what men can see and know of him. He is self deceived and a liar, because God looks at the heart, so remember, if you thought it, that is enough reason for God to cull out what is unacceptable to His holiness. God says His holiness is the bar, and He is looking at the inward person, and you are saying, no, that tax collector is the bar and I am way better than him. 

…4because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5Therefore, when Christ came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You prepared for Me. 6In burnt offerings and sin offerings You took no delight.… Hebrews 10: 4-6

9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.

11 For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.

12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. James 2: 9-12

9So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. 10 All who rely on works of the law are under a curse. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” 11Now it is clear that no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.”… Galatians 3: 9-11

Only Christ kept the law perfectly so only in Christ can you be found righteous.

The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself (NET and NIV have "The Pharisee stood and prayed about himself like this...") - If this translation is correct (see below) What a picture! His prayers are to self and not through the Savior to the Father (1 Ti 2:5)! SELF-righteousness is SELF-deceit! It is one of the most deadly of sins because when a person is deceived, by definition they do not enough know they are deceived (see Deceitfulness of sin).

There is another way one could interpret praying...to himself and that is that he is simply speaking in a very low tone, essentially inaudible to others, and audible only to himself. There is still no doubt about who was on the altar of his deceitful heart - it was self not God (and certainly not the Savior). We can discern his self-focus even in the repetition of the first person pronoun "I" five times in two sentences. This pseudo-pious Pharisee was praying in essence a “self-eulogy," a tribute to self, for "self" was on the throne of his heart, not God! - Precept Austin

I fat twice a week, I give tithes of all that I get - Oh, so God owes you. This is not prayer, this is self promotion, self reliance, pride, the original sin. Jesus also tells the Pharisees, "you are like your father the devil," and he was a proud liar as well. We are gross in this, and no different than anyone else who would try to overturn God's pronounced judgment against sin. Works, hail Mary's, all these things are worse than rubbish, they are an affront to God's Holiness and sovereignty. Again, this is strange fire, contrary to the call of the gospel. 

…12How you have fallen from heaven, O day star, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the ground, O destroyer of nations. 13You said in your heart: “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mount of assembly, in the far reaches of the north. 14I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.”… Isaiah 14: 12-14

But the tax collector - The one the Pharisee looked down on, the scourge of Israel, a man who was in the minds of most of Israel, an ethnic traitor. These men collected taxes on behalf of occupying Roman authorities, and they were hated. 

…10Later, as Jesus was dining at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with Him and His disciples. 11When the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.… Matthew 9: 10-12

Standing far off - Not presumptuously, but where he was, as he admittedly knew himself to be. I have seen somewhat of Who God is, and it is so foreign to me. I have seen a more realistic picture of who I am and I dare not approach any closer than this. 

…4At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook, and the temple was filled with smoke. 5Then I said: “Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips dwelling among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts.” 6Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar.… Isaiah 6: 4-6

…7To You, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but this day we are covered with shame—the men of Judah, the people of Jerusalem, and all Israel near and far, in all the countries to which You have driven us because of our unfaithfulness to You. 8O LORD, we are covered with shame— our kings, our leaders, and our fathers— because we have sinned against You. 9To the Lord our God belong compassion and forgiveness, even though we have rebelled against Him… Daniel 9: 7-9

Would not even lift up his eyes to heaven - The complete opposite approach to the Pharisee's, the tax collector comes in humility. Men think far too much of themselves when all they should expect is God's wrath. I hear a lot of created beings, fallen ones at that, talk of God as though He should answer to them, as if they stand on some great high ground of moral superiority, not needing a Savior. 

36Therefore let all Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ!” 37When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and asked Peter and the other apostles, “ Brothers, what shall we do?” 38Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.… Acts 2: 36-38

But was beating his breast - An expression of sorrow, deep hurt over sin that cannot be fully expressed with words. 

…10Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. 11 Consider what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what zeal, what vindication! In every way you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. 12So even though I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did wrong or the one who was harmed, but rather that your earnestness on our behalf would be made clear to you in the sight of God.… 2 Corinthians 7: 10-12

God be merciful to me a sinner - He knows he is owed something else, and so he doesn't come with a list of demands, a worthless resume of good deeds based upon some apostate notion, no, he comes with his sins. He comes announcing who He is, describing his very essence, his nature, a sinner, that's what I am, the very thing You hate, and with an eternal, Holy hatred. I have nothing to offer You other than my sin, my sorrow over it, and I don't deserve it, but I have to ask, please have mercy on me.

Do not remember the sins of my youth

and my rebellious ways;

according to your love remember me,

for you, Lord, are good.

8 Good and upright is the Lord;

therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.

9 He guides the humble in what is right

and teaches them his way.

10 All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful

toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.

11 For the sake of your name, Lord,

forgive my iniquity, though it is great. Psalm 25: 7-11

…15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who was tempted in every way that we are, yet was without sin. 16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4: 15-16

…8If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His word is not in us.… 1 John 1: 8-11

The one who humbles himself will be exulted - Pride is not a good vehicle to approach God in, it presumes upon things it doesn't understand. It is built upon a foundation that will not hold up. Who are you? The Creator has a right to expect and see what He expects in His creation. Being granted a choice does not nullify the expectation, it does not grant us the ability to cast accusations at God. He said, be holy, and you are not, so be humble, and ask for mercy, ask to be made holy. 

5Young men, in the same way, submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 6Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, so that in due time He may exalt you. 7Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.… 1 Peter 5: 5-7

#1413 Luke 18 Part 1 Keep It Coming

 

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

Luke 18: 1-8

…16Rejoice at all times. 17Pray without ceasing. 18Give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.… 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18

And He told them a parable to the effect - Some of the parables Jesus explains afterwards, but in this one He gives us the moral or lesson right up front. This is very reminiscent of Luke 11, where a friend in need, knocks on the door of a household, where everything is shut up for the night and the children are in bed. The moral of that was the man's impudence, seeming audacity in his persistence. Remember though, He uses the word friend, and in that word is not the invitation to abuse, yet there is the invitation to ask even when it may seem an inconvenience. When one of my friends opens with, "I hate to ask you this, but", I know it is going to involve, at the very least, some momentary loss of comfort or I may end up doing something that I don't particularly enjoy, but he is my friend so I am honored that he feels comfortable enough to ask, and I will go with him. 

5 And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, 6 for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. 9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. Luke 11: 5-9

That they ought always to pray and not lose heart - This is the gist, the moral of the story. The story adds extra emphasis, it reinstates and causes the one who wants to understand to further contemplate this subject of prayer. Even when you don't feel it, do it. Even when others mock the very idea, as I have often heard, even Christians say, "we don't need your prayers, we need action", and I would suggest to you that it is better to pray before you act, and not be bullied into a knee jerk decision. Daniel was told not to pray to his God, and at the price of being thrown into a lion's den. It's somewhat ironic that people who don't believe in my God, or even claim that there is no God, would take offense at whether a person prays or not. In Daniel's case, the jealousy of other officials prompted them to come up with this law against prayer. The world always wants to cut you off from the truth of Scripture, or contact with the God of Scripture, but Daniel did not compromise. He believed in the God he prayed to, and he held what that God said above the mandates and even punishments that men could deliver.

10Now when Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house, where the windows of his upper room opened toward Jerusalem, and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before. 11Then these men went as a group and found Daniel petitioning and imploring his God.… Daniel 6: 10-11

A judge who neither feared God nor respected man - So coming to this judge and saying look here, this is what the Bible says about this, "thou shalt not steal", and this person has stolen from me. The fact that God said it would mean nothing to this judge who was ignorant of God. He is a materialist, and though the rules of men may even say, don't steal, this man does not respect other people either. What a terrible judge, in order for him to do justice, someone will have to force him or make it worth his while. He has the title but not the heart. When God directed Moses to put men over the people, the most important qualifications were related to character. You want leaders who will be honest, not respecters of persons, but rather blind to wealth and desirous of giving justice whether the person is rich or poor. Those who rule are to do so in such a way that provides a quiet and peaceful existence for those who do right.

…21Furthermore, select capable men from among the people—God-fearing, trustworthy men who are averse to dishonest gain. Appoint them over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 22Have these men judge the people at all times. Then they can bring you any major issue, but all minor cases they can judge on their own, so that your load may be lightened as they share it with you. 23If you follow this advice and God so directs you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people can go home in peace.”… Exodus 18: 21-23

…16He took up the cause of the poor and needy, and so it went well with him. Is this not what it means to know Me?” declares the LORD. 17“But your eyes and heart are set on nothing except your own dishonest gain, on shedding innocent blood, on practicing extortion and oppression.” 18Therefore this is what the LORD says concerning Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah: “They will not mourn for him: ‘Alas, my brother! Alas, my sister!’ They will not mourn for him: ‘Alas, my master! Alas, his splendor!’… Jeremiah 22: 16-18

…16Wash and cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from My sight. Stop doing evil! 17Learn to do right; seek justice and correct the oppressor. Defend the fatherless and plead the case of the widow.” 18“Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will become like wool.… Isaiah 1: 16-18

Vs. 5 Because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice - Not because justice was his middle name, not because he wanted to do his job correctly, remember, he doesn't fear God or regard men, least of all some poor widow who can't give him any kick backs. She's a nobody, it won't help his career, and in his mind there is no higher authority that he will have to answer to. Knowing that he is a man like this, most wouldn't even bother, but look at this widow, she is not an influencer on social media, or a dignitary from another country, yet she is able to get this unjust and lazy fellow to do his job. We often figure, what's the point, why bother? Well, someone should speak up, someone should care enough for this judge to tell him how bad he is at his job and give him the opportunity to do the right thing for once. Sometimes everyone will tell you that you are wasting your time, but stand up for the truth anyway, for righteousness sake, say something. 

46Next, they came to Jericho. And as Jesus and His disciples were leaving Jericho with a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting beside the road. 47When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48Many people admonished him to be silent, but he cried out all the louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”… Mark 10: 46-48

7. And will not God give justice to His elect - This started out with they ought always to pray and not lose heart. God is inviting us to petition Him, unlike the unjust judge who doesn't want to be bothered. God wants us to talk to Him, and the lack of prayer is like spiritual anemia. We are taught to pray without ceasing, to be constantly in communication with God, and this grows us into a conscious reality of such a great and ongoing audience. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God, and so let our prayers be instructed by His word. Prayer causes the faith that is already planted within us to grow. If God is inviting you to something, then there is no greater invitation that a man can receive. That is as high up as you can take any matter. 

9And when the Lamb opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony they had upheld. 10And they cried out in a loud voice, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You avenge our blood and judge those who dwell upon the earth?” 11Then each of them was given a white robe and told to rest a little while longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers, were killed, just as they had been killed.… Revelation 6: 9-11

19Then they will throw dust on their heads as they weep and mourn and cry out: “Woe, woe to the great city, where all who had ships on the sea were enriched by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been destroyed.” 20Rejoice over her, O heaven, O saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced for you His judgment against her. 21Then a mighty angel picked up a stone the size of a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying: “With such violence the great city of Babylon will be cast down, never to be seen again.… Revelation 18: 19-21

He will give justice to them speedily - Make sure when you ask for justice that your expectations aren't greater than what you want to receive for yourself. It is a hypocrite who wants others to be judged for the very same crimes he commits and goes unpunished for. Also, know that justice is coming, it is part of God's eternal identity. He cannot and will not tarnish His own name. 

…2Then the LORD answered me: “Write down this vision and clearly inscribe it on tablets, so that a herald may run with it. 3For the vision awaits an appointed time; it testifies of the end and does not lie. Though it lingers, wait for it, since it will surely come and will not delay. 4Look at the proud one; his soul is not upright—but the righteous will live by faith—… Habakkuk 2: 2-4

…35So do not throw away your confidence; it holds a great reward. 36 You need to persevere, so that after you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised. 37For, “In just a little while, He who is coming will come and will not delay.… Hebrews 10: 35-37

16Furthermore, I saw under the sun that in the place of judgment there is wickedness, and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness. 17I said in my heart, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked, since there is a time for every activity and every deed.” 18I said to myself, “As for the sons of men, God tests them so that they may see for themselves that they are but beasts.”… Ecclesiastes 3: 16-18

…24What if there are fifty righteous ones in the city? Will You really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous ones who are there? 25Far be it from You to do such a thing— to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Will not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?” 26So the LORD replied, “If I find fifty righteous ones within the city of Sodom, on their account I will spare the whole place.”… Genesis 18: 24-26

When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth - We know that it will be like in the days of Noah, and only eight were saved from all of humanity at that time. It is safe to assume that there will be few with faith when Jesus comes back as the righteous judge of all the earth, yet we know from the Scriptures that there will be a remnant of Israel that will repent at that time. 

MacArthur assumes you may be asking "How do you know this is a Second Coming section?" Lk 18:8 is the key for at the end of the verse Jesus asks "when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?" Will He find this kind of persevering faith? Will He find this kind of persevering prayer? Will He find this kind of enduring confidence? This is definitely eschatological praying. We don't know when the events that are the Second Coming will begin. We don't know when the day of the Lord is going to come, but 2,000 years have passed by. Believers have been waiting and suffering at the hand of sinners. And sin escalates while evil men grow worse and worse. We see the pollution inside and outside Christendom. False teachers abound. And followers of Christ continue to endeavor to endure and remain true and faithful, trusting in the Word of God. We have been promised that He will come. We believe that He will come. And here He says, "Keep praying for that event." He will come but part of the means of His coming is our prayer life. Prayer moves God to accomplish His work and therefore having accomplished His work, bringing it to its great culmination in His Second Coming. He will come. He promises He will come. He will be faithful to His elect. He will bring judgment to the ungodly. He will vindicate the saints. He will exalt Himself. He will establish His throne on earth. He will reign in a kingdom on earth and after that He will establish the new heaven and the new earth. And that is what we are to pray for relentlessly. This takes us back to Matthew 6:10 and Luke 11:2. "When you pray, pray like this: ‘Our Father who art in heaven, Thy kingdom come.’" This is kingdom praying. This is praying for the kingdom to come, for the Lord to punish the ungodly, reclaim the earth, mete out righteous judgment, vindicate His elect, establish His glory on the earth, vanquish Satan, take His throne, and establish the glorious fulfillment of all His promises. So again I say: The key to the parable hangs at the front door. We know what this story is about. We are to be living our lives saying, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus." (Luke 18:1-8 - Persistent Prayer for the Lord's Return)

Darrell Bock on will He find faith - When Jesus returns, will He find faith on earth—that is, will people persevere in looking for His return?

…38Look, your house is left to you desolate. 39For I tell you that you will not see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.’” Matthew 23: 38-39

10Then I will pour out on the house of David and on the people of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and prayer, and they will look on Me, the One they have pierced. They will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for Him as one grieves for a firstborn son. 11On that day the wailing in Jerusalem will be as great as the wailing of Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.… Zechariah 12: 10-11

#1412 Luke 17 Part 5 Birds Circling Overhead

 

20 Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, 21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”

22 And he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go out or follow them. 24 For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. 25 But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 26 Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, 29 but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all— 30 so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. 32 Remember Lot's wife. 33 Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. 34 I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. 35 There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left.” 37 And they said to him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.” Luke 17: 20-37

Luke 17: 22-37 

I did verses 20-21 in the last post, so I am going to start with 22 here.

Link to last post

5Now, however, I am going to Him who sent Me; yet none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ 6Instead, your hearts are filled with sorrow because I have told you these things. 7But I tell you the truth, it is for your benefit that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.… John 16: 5-7

V. 22 The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man - The disciples have Christ with them now, and He not only makes it known that the Son of Man must be turned over to the religious rulers, be crucified, but that He will also rise again. This is all in accordance with their Scriptures, to fulfill what was written about Him by the prophets, testifying to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. They like none of these ideas and would prefer to believe in a kingdom that is only moments away. Now add to His kangaroo trial, his crucifixion, all of which would make any follower stagger, He is also going to leave them shortly after. He is going to ascend back into heaven, and the world that hated His message of repentance is going to switch it's focus to His followers. If I can't kill God, then let me destroy something made in His image, especially those that say what He said, and do what He does. They are going to miss His physical presence, being able to walk with Him, seeing Him face to face. The longing for His presence is only going to grow, the realization of what and Who they had spent the last 3 years with is going to be a cause for many a pause. Imagine as they grow in the faith, looking back at the many dumb things they said to God the Son, the arguments over who would be the greatest in kingdom, humility will replace all that. The realization of their unworthiness will set in, and it is only by the power of the Holy Spirit that it comes and that we deny ourselves and that we rise up as new creatures in Christ. They are all going to want to know when He is returning, and mark this, because anyone who gives you a date is a false teacher. The Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses and all other groups who entertain extrabiblical revelations are apostate. It is in their literature, it is in their pulpits, it is garbage, and so don't be deceived, come out from them. Look forward to Jesus coming because He promised it, but don't mark your calendar. Live every day in the light of His return, but don't argue to the contrary of the Master's own words.

32No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33Be on your guard and stay alert! For you do not know when the appointed time will come. 34It is like a man going on a journey who left his house, put each servant in charge of his own task, and instructed the doorkeeper to keep watch.… Mark 13: 32-34

Comment: Take heed and be on the alert are both commands in the present imperative, calling for this to be our lifestyle, our daily practice. And so this calls for saints to be looking continually. Jesus knows that if we are continually LOOKING for His Return, we are much more likely (enabled by His Spirit) to be LIVING for His glory (cf 1 Jn 3:3-note, 2 Pe 3:11-note). While we not know when, we do know that no prophecy needs to be fulfilled before the Rapture of the Church, the next event on God's prophetic timetable. And so the Rapture is Imminent, and could happen at any time. It could happen at any time so that every generation of Christians can live in the light of that anticipation. And when the Church is raptured, this event will almost certainly initiate the events of the Tribulation or Daniel's Seventieth Week. - Precept Austin

V. 23 - Look there or Look here, do not go out or follow them - The gospels, Paul's letters, the letter of Jude, Peter, and John's works all warn of false prophets, teachers, and faux Christs, antichrists. A false teacher can be subtle too, use the words, Jesus, Bible, yet they don't want you to follow the true Jesus; they want you to follow them. I learned the hard way in life that some of the warmest and most "loving" people don't love me enough to tell me the truth. They were sweet, they were kind, did stuff for me, but some of them had heard the truth, and when I asked them they would play it down rather than risk our friendship. I long for a different type of relationship now, people who will be honest with me, hold me accountable to God's word, put a higher premium on what God meant when He said something then on what they or I would like for it to mean. When they say they found Jesus somewhere other than the Scriptures, don't follow them, but love them enough to tell them the truth. 

Matthew 24:23-26 “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe him. 24 “For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. 25 “Behold, I have told you in advance. 26 “So if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them.

V. 24 For as the lightning flashes - You won't need a weatherman to tell you there is a storm. When Christ returns it will be plainly visible to all. 

Like the lightning - As lightning illumines the entire sky, the whole world will see the coming kingdom. As lightning strikes suddenly so too will be the return of the King! When the King returns, His arrival will not be subtle but obvious, not slow but quick, not local but global (how He does that I am not sure) for Jesus Himself taught "And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory." (Mt 24:30-note) John adds "BEHOLD (idou), HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen." (Rev 1:7-note) There will be no need to turn on your television to check CNN or Fox News and no need to look at your Iphone or send a text alert to a friend, for all you will need to do in this day of His glorious return is lift up your eyes to the heavens from whence He comes! - Precept Austin

V. 25 - But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation - The prophet Isaiah spoke in the clearest and plainest language, about 700 years before Christ came, and the Jews had these manuscripts, but Jesus has to reiterate it over and over again. This is the ignorance of our kind, we want a Messiah that ends world hunger, that makes our lives easier, that stops wars, but we are so self righteous as to think we don't need a savior to die for our sins. Anyone who truly comes to believe is convicted of this very thing. It is in Christ alone that we have access to Holy communion, otherwise we are forever separated from His mercy, and the subjects of His just nature. 

…3He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. 4Surely He took on our infirmities and carried our sorrows; yet we considered Him stricken by God, struck down and afflicted. 5But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.… Isaiah 53: 3-5

V. 27 They were eating and drinking - Noah was a prophet that preached for 120 years while building the ark God told him to build for the saving of his family. God hates sin, God is eternal, so He hates sin that much and for that long. How is it that we come to down play sin so much, to brush off God's mercy as if it were a trifle thing. The Ark is a real story, but it is a picture of Christ as well, only in Him do we survive the judgment set against all ungodliness. Noah preached and the people laughed, pointing out that there wasn't enough water to float this contraption that God had given him the directions to build. They ate, drank, married, basically went about their every day lives with no regard for eternity, no fear of the coming judgment. In the day you eat of the fruit you will surely die, and they were dead, the walking dead, hearing but not understanding, unable to rightly discern, spiritually still born. Nothing has changed.

…6And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. 7By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in godly fear built an ark to save his family. By faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. 8By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, without knowing where he was going.… Hebrews 11: 6-8

…19in whom He also went and preached to the spirits in prison 20who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In the ark a few people, only eight souls, were saved through water. 21And this water symbolizes the baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body, but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,… 1 Peter 3: 19-21

…4For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them deep into hell, placing them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment; 5if He did not spare the ancient world when He brought the flood on its ungodly people, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, among the eight; 6if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction, reducing them to ashes as an example of what is coming on the ungodly;…

7and if He rescued Lot, a righteous man distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless 8(for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— 9if all this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.… 2 Peter 2: 4-9

V. 28 Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot - Lot was Abraham's nephew that lived in Sodom and Gomorrah. He was frustrated with the actions of the people there, but apparently not enough to move out. He left with his wife and daughters, but her heart was still with that city, with it's comforts, and they were told not to look back but she did, and was turned into a pillar of salt. God has called many things sin that cultures and governments think they have the right and jurisdiction to overturn. God revealed once again that He is just, and that He does not change. He has the right over His creation, to expect from it what He decrees, and men will either glorify God in their obedience or He will be glorified in His justice against their disobedience.

…8And the Daughter of Zion is abandoned like a shelter in a vineyard, like a shack in a cucumber field, like a city besieged. 9Unless the LORD of Hosts had left us a few survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have resembled Gomorrah. Isaiah 1: 8-9

V. 30 So will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed - The Jews asked for a sign in the heavens, well guess what, when He returns it will be like lightning that can be seen from East to West, and like the judgment that came from the heavens against Sodom and Gomorrah. He came first as the Lamb to be slaughtered, but those who refuse the Lamb will one day meet the Lion of Judah. He will return in judgment. 

…21For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom He wishes. 22Furthermore, the Father judges no one, but has assigned all judgment to the Son, 23so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.… John 5: 21-23

…6who has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and power forever and ever! Amen. 7Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him— even those who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. So shall it be! Amen. 8“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and was and is to come—the Almighty.… Revelation 1: 6-8

Wiersbe - Luke 17:30–36 describes what will occur when Jesus Christ returns in judgment to defeat His enemies and establish His kingdom on earth (Rev. 19:11–20:6). Believers in every age of the church can take warning from these verses, but they apply in a special way to Israel at the end of the age (see Matt. 24:29–44). When Jesus comes for His church and takes it to heaven, it will happen “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye” (1 Cor. 15:52). Nobody taking part in the rapture of the church need worry about being on a housetop or in a field and wanting to get something out of the house! However, when the Lord returns to the earth, His coming will first be preceded by a “sign” in heaven (Matt. 24:30–31), and some people might try to hurry home to rescue something. “Remember Lot’s wife!” (Borrow Be courageous Luke 14-24) - Precept Austin

V. 34 One will be taken and the other left - There are sheep and there are goats, there are wheat and there are tares, and they often graze or grow in the same field. Sometimes they share the same bed, as close as husband and wife, but one will be taken and the other left. Regardless, if they are taken to judgment or left for judgment, Christ is coming to separate the two, and this has already started even now. If you choose Christ then you are at enmity with the world. 

MacArthur comments of two in one bed, presumably picturing a husband and wife - "It is the most divisive thing because you live in two completely different worlds with two completely different loves and two completely different motivations. That’s true now. Some of you experience that every day of your life because you’re alienated from your own children, you’re alienated from your own spouse, you’re alienated from your own parents, you’re alienated from the friends and the people you associate with and you’re terminally alienated, and eternally alienated because you are in Christ and they are not. You possess eternal life and they do not. And the price you’ve had to pay for your commitment to Christ is the loss of that intimacy to a very significant and serious degree."

One will be taken and the other will be left - In short the return of Jesus will be divisive. We have already seen in the comparison to the days of Noah and Lot that the day of divine judgment brings division and eternal separation. So too, the day of divine judgment associated with the return of Jesus will bring a division and the logical conclusion is that the division will be between believers and non-believers. The question of course is who is taken and who is left. There is considerable disagreement among commentators as to who constitutes each group, and I will give my measured opinion. However, the most important point is not so much the identity of the taken and the left but the fact that Jesus' return will bring about a moment of division in relationships which will last for eternity. The point is that there will be an unbridgeable separation, between spouses, parents and children, friends, casual acquaintances, etc. All mankind will be radically impacted by the fact that some are taken and some are left. Regardless of their specific identities, it is crystal clear that their will be a point of separation, which for some will yield eternal good and for others will yield eternal bad. That's the main point of Jesus' words. And frankly, when one meditates on that truth as a believer, our hearts should be deeply stirred to desire to be passionate and persistent (in the Spirit) to share the Gospel clearly with EVERYONE God gives us even a small opportunity "to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence." (1 Peter 3:15). Life is short. Eternity is long. This moment of division is permanently fixed. - Precept Austin

16At that time those who feared the LORD spoke with one another, and the LORD listened and heard them. So a scroll of remembrance was written before Him regarding those who feared the LORD and honored His name. 17“They will be Mine,” says the LORD of Hosts, “on the day when I prepare My treasured possession. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him. 18So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.”… Malachi 3: 16-18

V. 37 Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather - Sodom could be seen at a distance from it's smoldering, and wherever these come out to fight against Christ there will be corpses from East to West, for they will all come to drink of His wrath. Together they will have reached the brim. Almost anyone even today recognizes the sign of circling vultures.

17Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out in a loud voice to all the birds flying overhead, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, 18so that you may eat the flesh of kings and commanders and mighty men, of horses and riders, of everyone slave and free, small and great.” 19Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies assembled to wage war against the One seated on the horse, and against His army.… Revelation 19: 17-19

And He said to them, “Where the body is, there also the vultures will be gathered - One knows where there is dead flesh by observing vultures circling overhead. They are visible from a distance. , so the return of the Son of Man will be clear to the whole world.

MacArthur explains the vultures - Vultures are scavengers, and will feed on the corpses of those killed in the judgments associated with the second coming. Wherever in the world the bodies of the unregenerate lie and the vultures gather will be where Christ has been in judgment. Those who fail to heed the warnings of imminent judgment and reject the Son of Man will be caught in that judgment and will not enter the millennial or the eternal kingdom.

Morris - These vultures, will be gathering together "unto the supper of the great God" (Revelation 19:17) to eat "the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great" (Revelation 19:18). This will be the final event of the great tribulation when the rebels of the earth are all slain by Christ at Armageddon and "all the fowls were filled with their flesh" (Revelation 19:21). (Borrow The Defender's Study Bible)

Criswell - Vultures gather wherever the corpse is, and God's judgment will strike wherever the situation deserves it. - Precept Austin

…15You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a ripe old age. 16In the fourth generation your descendants will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” 17When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, behold, a smoking firepot and a flaming torch appeared and passed between the halves of the carcasses.… Genesis 15: 15-17

…15who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and drove us out as well. They are displeasing to God and hostile to all men, 16hindering us from telling the Gentiles how they may be saved. As a result, they continue to heap up their sins to full capacity; the utmost wrath has come upon them. 17Brothers, although we were torn away from you for a short time (in person, not in heart), our desire to see you face to face was even more intense.… 1 Thessalonians 2: 15-17

…23You must not lie carnally with any animal, thus defiling yourself with it; a woman must not stand before an animal to mate with it; that is a perversion. 24Do not defile yourselves by any of these practices, for by all these things the nations I am driving out before you have defiled themselves. 25Even the land has become defiled, so I am punishing it for its sin, and the land will vomit out its inhabitants.… Leviticus 18: 23-25