A Judge, a Pharisee and Publican, and Little Children

The parable of an unjust judge.

The parable teaches that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.  We should stay with it till God answers.  Don’t quit, because he’s going to answer.

He was a Judge that feared not God, neither regarded man.

The trouble with not fearing God is that the judge would not honor God’s authority in his judgment of this widow’s cause.  God would command that he avenge her, Deut 10:17-18.

The trouble with not regarding man is that the fact that she was a widow wouldn’t have meant anything to this judge one way or the other.

She said, “Avenge me of mine adversary”.  Her adversary was taking advantage of her or had an unwarranted cause against her and she was requesting to be avenged.  Evidently, her case had merit because he ultimately granted her request.

And he wouldn’t for a while.  His response reminds us of Jesus’s initial response to the Canaanite woman in Matt 15:22-28.  That woman wouldn’t take “No” for an answer.

The judge admitted that he had no fear of God and no regard for man.  Yet, he said, “because this widow troubleth me”.  She was persistently asking to be avenged.  It was obvious to the judge that she wasn’t going away.

He said, “Lest by her continual coming she weary me”.  He knew that she would have just worn him down until he gave in.

Jesus then commented, “Shall not God avenge his own elect”.  God certainly has more incentive to avenge his own elect than the judge had to avenge the widow.  This alone should encourage his own elect to keep praying.

Jesus added, “Which cry unto him day and night”.  David prayed evening, morning, and at noon, Ps 55:17.   Daniel prayed three times a day, Dan 6:10.  Notice how the martyred saints under the altar will be crying to God to be avenged, Rev 6:9-11.

And then he said, “Though he bear long with them”.  To the Lord it’s just “a little while”, Jn 16:16.  To us it seems like for ever.  The Lord has borne very long with Israel.  In the Psalms, we find several verses where the Psalmist asks the Lord how long before he comes to deliver, Ps 6:3-4, 13:1-2, 35:17, 74:10-11, etc.

Jesus said, “He will avenge them speedily”.  This seems to contradict “bear long”.  The point is that when Jesus does come to avenge his elect, he will make a short work of it.   He will avenge them very quickly when he arrives.

The context is the Second Coming of Jesus.  Jesus asked, “Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh shall he find faith on the earth”?  Matt 24:45-51 is a good cross reference.  Who is that faithful and wise servant… the Lord delayeth his coming.  Those who have faith believe that Jesus will come to avenge them and they will be watching for him, Matt 24:44.

Spiritually, this parable is a great lesson to us that we should not quit praying even though we may have to wait a long time before the Lord answers.

The parable of a Pharisee and a publican.

Pharisees, because of their religious righteousness, trust that they are good enough to be judged righteous by the Lord. That’s the way they judge themselves.  They, therefore, despise others whom they consider to be beneath them.  They are wrong.

Two men went to the temple to pray, Acts 3:1.  It was the right place to go for prayer.  One was a Pharisee and the other a publican.

“The Pharisee stood”.  When you contrast the publican’s posture in v.13, you understand that the Pharisee is standing in pride and the publican in humility.

“Prayed thus with himself”. This prayer was for the ears of the Pharisee (himself) and not one that God would care to hear.  The fact that he starts his prayer by calling out God’s name doesn’t afford him any favor, Matt 7:21-23.  And thanking God for his own good works is insincere and hypocritical.

“I am not as other men are”.  In other words, I am better than other men.  Clearly, he exalted himself, v. 14.  He listed other men who are extortioners, unjust, and adulterers.  This is very interesting.  In fact, he was not even as good as those with whom he compared himself.  See Lk 16:14-15, Matt 12:38-42, and 16:1-4. It turns out that the publican was justified, not the Pharisee, v.14.

“I fast… I give tithes”.  He was like the men about whom Jesus spoke in Matt 6:1-2.  This was all for show, not for the Lord.

The publican stood afar off, wouldn’t lift his eyes, and smote his breast.  These are all indications of his humility.  And he prayed, “God be merciful to me a sinner”.  This is the right attitude and prayer, Matt 9:13.

The publican was justified; but the Pharisee wasn’t.  The reason and lesson is this.  “Every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted”.

Little children.

When parents brought infants to Jesus so he could touch them, the disciples rebuked them.  Jesus said, “Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God”.  This gives us assurance that little children are safe before they can be saved.  They have no knowledge between good and evil, Deut 1:39.  See also Rom 4:15.

Jesus then said, “Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein”.  This is not a reference to infant baptism.  People who enter the kingdom of God must be born again, Jn 3:3-7, by which we become sons of God, Jn 1:12.  The kingdom of God, therefore, is not earned; rather it’s given to those who receive it, “through faith which is in Christ Jesus”, 2 Tim 3:15.

To study the previous lesson, click on The Coming Kingdom of God.