And it is this truth that helps us better understand our passage today, in which we encounter another rich man. But rather than a rich ruler, he was a tax collector. He was not respected but despised. He didn’t come asking what he must do to inherit eternal life. He simply wanted to see Jesus and so climbed a tree. But by the end of the day, Jesus could declare, “Today, salvation has come” (19:9).
Category Archives: Sermons
What the Blind Man Saw
We often use the language of sight to describe understanding. When something finally becomes clear, we say, “Now I see.” Conversely, we may have perfectly healthy eyes and still fail to perceive what is directly before us. Such is the irony of our passage: a blind man sees what many with sight cannot.
For the Sake of the Kingdom
There are certain moments in the Christian life when obedience feels costly. You may never say it out loud. No one else may even notice. But you do. Perhaps it’s what you have given up, what you have walked away from, what you could have pursued, what you might have gained, what you would have enjoyed had you not been following Christ: a friendship strained because you would not compromise, a career path narrowed because you would not sacrifice your conscience, a family tension endured because you belong to Christ, a reputation slighted because you would rather be faithful than admired, a comfort denied, a desire mortified, a sin forsaken, a future surrendered. And in such moments, if we are honest, we may find ourselves with Peter, in a kind of weary honesty, naming what we have left for Christ: “See, we have left our homes and followed you” (Luke 18:28).
To Such Belongs the Kingdom
One of the key principles of faithful Bible reading is that context informs interpretation. It is a dangerous thing to extract a verse from its setting and make it say what we want it to say, rather than what God has actually said. And few verses have suffered more sentimental misuse than the words of our Lord in this passage: “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God” (Luke 18:16). These words are beautiful and encouraging. Our Savior welcomes little children brought to him and rebukes those who would keep them away. He is not inconvenienced by the weak, the small, the needy, or the overlooked.
But here is the caution: We must guard against using or welcoming this verse as a child-centered mantra that distorts its proper use in its original context. Children are not the ultimate theme of this passage. Grace is.
A Tale of Two Prayers
Our parable today is quite short, because prayer is never merely about the words we say. Prayer is an approach to God. It is a posture of the soul before the Lord of heaven and earth. Our parable involves two men, two prayers, and two postures. Two men in the right place, at the right time, doing what appears to be the right thing.
Persisting in Hopeful Prayer
If you wonder what our passage is about today, wonder no more. Luke tells us pointedly: “[Jesus] told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart” (18:1). But in addition to knowing what this parable is about, we also ought to ask: Why is this here, in this specific place in Luke’s Gospel? What has happened up to this point that would lead Jesus to provide this parable?
Behold the Triune God
I want to begin with a question: Why would the eternal and sinless Son of God stand in line with sinners and submit to a baptism associated with repentance? Did he need to repent? Of course not, he was without sin from conception to the grave. Then, why?
The Spirit Poured Out
What happened at Pentecost, as recorded in the second chapter of Acts? Clearly it was a unique event, tongues of fire, rushing wind, the miraculous gift of languages. It was sudden, Luke says,[2] but what happened on that day did not come out of nowhere. When the crowd stood bewildered at the sound of the apostles declaring the mighty works of God in many languages, Peter corrected their misconceptions and pointed them back to the Scriptures, saying, “this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel” (Acts 2:16). What was witnessed in that moment was not merely a curiosity nor chaos, but a prophesied promise fulfilled.
When He Ascended on High
Among the great events of redemption, the ascension of Jesus Christ is often overlooked. We rightly glory in the incarnation, marvel at the cross, and rejoice in the resurrection. But the ascension can seem merely transitional, like a quiet epilogue, as though Jesus simply went away. Yet the New Testament presents the ascension not as Christ’s disappearance but as his coronation. The ascension is the public enthronement of the crucified and risen Son of God. It is the declaration that Jesus Christ reigns.
Already, Not Yet, and Suddenly
At some point in his onward journey to Jerusalem, the Pharisees ask Jesus when the kingdom of God will come. It’s a question that seems out of context, given the preceding passages. But it is important to remember that Luke’s placement of this question follows Jesus’s miraculously healing of ten lepers, an event surely to have caused attention and drawn curiosity. Miracles didn’t happen every day, or any day. But everywhere Jesus went, preached, and ministered, there was miracle after miracle, including ten in one day. And this was sure to lead some to wonder if Zephaniah’s prophesied “day of the Lord” (Zeph. 3) was soon to come, when Israel’s Messiah would come and establish his kingdom forever. And so, the Pharisees ask, “When will the kingdom come?”
Planter, Pastor, Preacher 