Jesus Welcomes Simple Trust
March 15 | Rick Thiemke
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Luke 18
The Parable of the Persistent Widow
1 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?”
The Pharisee and the Tax Collector
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.”
Let the Children Come to Me
15 Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16 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. 17 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”
The Rich Ruler
18 And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 19 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 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.’” 21 And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.” 22 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.” 23 But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. 24 Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! 25 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.” 26 Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” 27 But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” 28 And Peter said, “See, we have left our homes and followed you.” 29 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, 30 who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.”
Jesus Foretells His Death a Third Time
31 And taking the twelve, he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. 32 For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. 33 And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.” 34 But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.
Jesus Heals a Blind Beggar
35 As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 36 And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. 37 They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” 38 And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39 And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 40 And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” 42 And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” 43 And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.
Luke 18 places us in a series of encounters with Jesus. At first the stories may feel unrelated. A widow pleading for justice. Two men praying in the temple. Children being brought to Jesus. A wealthy ruler asking a spiritual question.
But Luke is doing something very intentional.
Each person in this chapter approaches Jesus differently. Some come with desperation. Some come with religious confidence. Some are carried to Him. Some walk away from Him.
One of the quiet questions running through the chapter is this: when people come to Jesus, who does He receive and who struggles to follow Him?
The answer may surprise us.
Jesus Welcomes Those Who Come With Honest Trust
Jesus begins with a story about a widow who keeps coming to a judge asking for justice (verses 1-5). She has no power and no leverage. She simply refuses to stop coming. Jesus says, if even an unjust judge eventually responds, how much more will God hear the cries of His people (verse 7).
The point is not technique in prayer. It is confidence in the heart of God. Walking with Jesus means believing that God hears us and continuing to bring our lives honestly before Him.
Jesus then tells another story about two men praying in the temple (verses 10-14). One man stands confidently and thanks God that he is morally disciplined. He sees himself as different from others, convinced that he is on the inside while others are not. His prayer reveals a heart that quietly assumes God must see things the same way he does. He looks at others with distance and disdain, confident that God values him more than the people he looks down on. The other stands at a distance and simply says, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner” (verse 13). Jesus says it is the second man who goes home justified before God (verse 14).
Then children are brought to Jesus. The disciples try to stop them, but Jesus insists that the Kingdom belongs to those who receive it like a child (verse 16).
Across these scenes Jesus is revealing something about Himself. He welcomes people who come honestly and trust Him.
The widow keeps coming.
The tax collector asks for mercy.
The children simply receive.
Walking with Jesus begins there. Not with having everything figured out, but with coming to Him honestly. The invitation of this chapter is simple. Keep coming to Jesus. Bring your need, your questions, your weakness and your trust.
Jesus Invites Us To Trust Him With Our Whole Lives
Later in the chapter a ruler approaches Jesus with an important question (verse 18). He has lived a disciplined life and kept the commandments since his youth (verse 21). Yet Jesus sees the deeper issue (verse 22). The invitation is deeply personal. Follow me. But the man becomes sad because his wealth holds his heart (verse 23). Jesus then says how difficult it is for the wealthy to enter the Kingdom of God (verse 24).
The disciples are stunned and ask the question everyone is thinking (verse 26). Jesus answers with the heart of the gospel (verse 27).
Then Jesus tells His disciples what lies ahead. He is going to Jerusalem where He will suffer, die and rise again (verses 31-33). The King who invites people to trust Him is the King who will give His life for them.
Luke 18 invites us to see Jesus clearly. He welcomes those who come honestly, and He invites us to trust Him fully. The question this chapter leaves with us is not whether Jesus is trustworthy. The cross will answer that. The question is whether we will come to Him and follow.
Discussion Questions
In Luke 18 we see people coming to Jesus in different ways. Which person in the chapter do you most relate to right now, and what does that reveal about how you are currently approaching Jesus?
The sermon described practical ways people “come to Jesus” today such as prayer, Scripture, community, generosity and serving others. Which of these rhythms helps you stay connected to Jesus, and which one might He be inviting you to grow in right now?
Is there anything in your life right now that makes trusting Jesus fully difficult, and what might it look like to bring that honestly to Him this week?