The parables found
in Luke 18 are great metaphors for Hebrews 12. My heart jumped when I heard Jesus start talk about the widow who had persistent faith. Justice was served not because of her, but because of the Holy Spirit, who lived inside of her, would not give up! Then there’s the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. In my opinion, this is the beginning of the faith journey that represents the image of the mustard seed. It's speaks about a religious man who is spiritually dead, and compares him to a sinner who falls on his face, overwhelmed by the disgrace of acknowledging who he actually is. He becomes spiritually aware, that he is just a man - who lives inside a world of sin. And he understands that only following Jesus can save him. He takes an honest reflection of who he is - and sees that he is simply a man collecting a fee for a worldly kingdom, knowing full well the money will not be used to take care of the citizens. Instead it will fill the pockets of rich men, who use power and control to rule over them. I believe that the tax collectors who followed Jesus had to be the greatest servants. They had an awareness of the price that Jesus’s sacrifice was worth. They represent the children of God - the ones who fall on their face, fully submitted to Him. They do not dare to exalt themselves; and they know full well that their faith far outweighs their doubt. And after learning about the Tax Collector, Jesus tells them “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” Luke 18:16-17 Did you notice, that Jesus said “LIKE these children?” We must be able to read between the lines to fully understand that He is not only talking about the young, but instead He is declaring that those who desire to come to Him, should never be stopped. Then there’s the rich man who declares, “Jesus I want to follow you. Tell me, what should I do to inherit eternal life?” First let me just say that the key word here is “should!” "Should" implies no heart change. "Must" would be the proper word spoken by a person who has actually chosen to follow God. And instead of answering the rich man's question, Jesus asks him if he has followed the Law of Moses. And as you can assume, the man replies, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.” When Jesus heard this, He said, “There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me.” "But when the man heard this he became very sad, for he was very rich." When Jesus saw this, He said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God! In fact, 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!” And those who heard this said, “Then who in the world can be saved?” He replied, “What is impossible for people is possible with God.” And this, my friend, is the moral of the story! A mustard seed of faith is all that it takes to begin the journey of Holy Spirit intervention - a process known as sanctification. Jesus came with the end in mind. He is not like us, who takes Heaven for granted. He knows that every human will experience eternal life, or eternal death depending on whether they choose the blessing or the curse. His desire is that no one should perish, not even one. That is why He came with a plan and a three-fold purpose First, He came to be our final sacrifice because He knew that we could never be perfect. His blood was shed for all humans, on the table of God; where anyone who chooses to eat of Him can. His flesh is the bread of life, and his blood is the wine that washes away sin. Second, His blood purifies us, and this permits Holy Spirit to live inside us. The Seed of Abraham is miraculous! It reverses the curse declared against the Seed of Adam. Holy Spirit brings dead bones back to life, and He guides us back to the Tree of Life. He is in charge of sanctification, and He prepares our hearts and our minds to face the Judge. Third, humanity will continue to live in the world, until the appointed time; and we must be prepared to leave at any time. We must always have oil in our lamp, because when the time comes there will be no time to ask. This is the race that has been set before us, and though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we shall fear no evil for the Lord, our God, is with us. Hebrews 12:1-3 says “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” That's it folks! That's the moral to the story. We must begin with the end in mind, in order to finish the race that leads to the Kingdom of Heaven. The journey of sanctification leads to the Just Judge and the King of Righteousness who has required a persistent faith, humility and kindness. If you are not prepared, you will fall with the shifting of the sands, and the exhaustion of the world will overtake you and make up give up. You must look ahead to see the "FINISH" sign, and believe that Jesus is holding it up. And you must submit to the fire that is deep inside, Holy Spirit is the One who does not give up. In your own power, it is not possible, But with God, all things are possible. Luke 18 ends with the Parable of the Blind Beggar, right after Jesus predicts His own death. It's about a poor man who is also blind, who is spiritually hungry and wants to have sight. The man discerns Jesus coming close to Him, and He shouts, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” When Jesus heard him, He stopped and ordered that the man be brought to him. As the man came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord,” he said, “I want to see!” And Jesus said, “All right, receive your sight! Your faith has healed you. Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus, and praised God for giving sight to him." And the interesting this is that "all who saw it praised God, too.” In that moment they could see what only God could do. It's amazing to me, this journey we call Faith. Matthew 18 holds the perfect Parables for my life verse, which is Hebrews 12. Faith it is a choice, and it is a gift. If you draw in close, God will give you it. And when you ask for seconds, He will give you even more of it. Taste, and see that I am good. Milk and Honey goes down so easily.
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