Luke 18:18-43 Blind beggars
18 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 19 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, even God.
Big trap. When you go to learn karate everyone wants to learn how to punch but the first thing you learn is how to protect yourself from getting punched. You are not standing on your goodness, the minute you do that you open yourself up to attack. I was touched by something Michael Jordan said. He said if he had known in the beginning what he knows now he would never have allowed him to be set up as an example in the “Be like Mike” campaign. They attacked him for going to Atlantic city. He didn’t break any laws. He didn’t violate his team's curfew. His gambling was legal and he paid his debts. What was the basis to attack him? Because he had set himself up as an example to young kids and some parents didn’t like his gambling. You will never succeed in gaining the kingdom based on your goodness. Don’t let anyone call you good. There is none good, only God. I am but a worm and an unprofitable servant. The best I can do is what I am supposed to do.
20 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor thy father and mother. 21 And he said, All these things have I observed from my youth up. 22 And when Jesus heard it, he said unto him, One thing thou lackest yet: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. 23 But when he heard these things, he became exceeding sorrowful; for he was very rich.
Many people are worried, how can I have the assurance of salvation. You need a revelation that Jesus is your righteousness. As long as we are depending on our own righteousness we’ll fall short. "Sell what you have" that is what Paul talked about in Philippians where he said he counted everything as dung. All your achievements, all your accolades, all the nice things people say about you is dung. Because if you think that means something then when they attack you, insult you and vilify you that will also have to mean something.
24 And Jesus seeing him said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
How is it that Christians lose all common sense. You sit in a meeting listening to a gang member who committed adultery, stole, killed and lied but who has since repented and been forgiven. He has given up all his money and is following the Lord as a faithful servant called to minister. He isn’t trusting in his righteousness. He has humbled himself, confessed his sins, doesn’t pretend to be good, and the Lord’s grace pours through him. Wake up. As long as you think you are “rich” or “righteous” you will fall short. The difference between you and him is that he is fully aware that he is not entering the kingdom based on his righteousness.
25 For it is easier for a camel to enter in through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Much of the kingdom is a matter of threading the needle. To walk the narrow road that few find is to thread that needle. To stand for righteousness but not in your own strength, to return again and again to an unrighteous judge asking him to “do his job” despite his insults is to thread the needle. To be the little seven year old with their hand up, I want to do it even though you make mistake after mistake.
26 And they that heard it said, Then who can be saved? 27 But he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.
The point is you can never win this battle unless you are one with God. Rioting and looting is not one with God. To not worry about what men say but to just follow the Lord by faith, that is what it means to be one with God.
28 And Peter said, Lo, we have left our own, and followed thee. 29 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or wife, or brethren, or parents, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake, 30 who shall not receive manifold more in this time, and in the world to come eternal life.
Our life is a time of sowing, we reap in the next age. This is the fundamental issue with the prosperity gospel, they base their “faith” in what they have reaped in this age. That is foolish. The apostles are our examples, they were beaten, imprisoned, stoned, excommunicated and killed.
31 And he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all the things that are written through the prophets shall be accomplished unto the Son of man. 32 For he shall be delivered up unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and shamefully treated, and spit upon: 33 and they shall scourge and kill him: and the third day he shall rise again. 34 And they understood none of these things; and this saying was hid from them, and they perceived not the things that were said.
Oh yeah, almost forgot, Jesus is the author of our faith. He was mocked, shamefully treated, spit upon, scourged and killed. Anyone who wants to follow Him needs to also take up their cross. Did you all notice the Lord said "we go up to Jerusalem"? I was always taught that the work the Lord did on the cross was accomplished by Him alone, we had no part in it, and yet here He says "we go up to Jerusalem". I believe that the Lord went to the cross 2,000 years ago and accomplished redemption for us, and that at the end of the age you will see His people as one follow Him and complete that work.
35 And it came to pass, as he drew nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging: 36 and hearing a multitude going by, he inquired what this meant. 37 And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by. 38 And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. 39 And they that went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried out the more a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on me. 40 And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him, 41 What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. 42 And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath made thee whole. 43 And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.
Jericho was a cursed city. If these protestors would humble themselves to be one with this blind man then the Lord could heal them so that they could receive their sight. You want to be made whole, well the healing is right here in the word of God. BLM protestors asking for reparations, they are blind beggars.
18 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 19 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, even God.
Big trap. When you go to learn karate everyone wants to learn how to punch but the first thing you learn is how to protect yourself from getting punched. You are not standing on your goodness, the minute you do that you open yourself up to attack. I was touched by something Michael Jordan said. He said if he had known in the beginning what he knows now he would never have allowed him to be set up as an example in the “Be like Mike” campaign. They attacked him for going to Atlantic city. He didn’t break any laws. He didn’t violate his team's curfew. His gambling was legal and he paid his debts. What was the basis to attack him? Because he had set himself up as an example to young kids and some parents didn’t like his gambling. You will never succeed in gaining the kingdom based on your goodness. Don’t let anyone call you good. There is none good, only God. I am but a worm and an unprofitable servant. The best I can do is what I am supposed to do.
20 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor thy father and mother. 21 And he said, All these things have I observed from my youth up. 22 And when Jesus heard it, he said unto him, One thing thou lackest yet: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. 23 But when he heard these things, he became exceeding sorrowful; for he was very rich.
Many people are worried, how can I have the assurance of salvation. You need a revelation that Jesus is your righteousness. As long as we are depending on our own righteousness we’ll fall short. "Sell what you have" that is what Paul talked about in Philippians where he said he counted everything as dung. All your achievements, all your accolades, all the nice things people say about you is dung. Because if you think that means something then when they attack you, insult you and vilify you that will also have to mean something.
24 And Jesus seeing him said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
How is it that Christians lose all common sense. You sit in a meeting listening to a gang member who committed adultery, stole, killed and lied but who has since repented and been forgiven. He has given up all his money and is following the Lord as a faithful servant called to minister. He isn’t trusting in his righteousness. He has humbled himself, confessed his sins, doesn’t pretend to be good, and the Lord’s grace pours through him. Wake up. As long as you think you are “rich” or “righteous” you will fall short. The difference between you and him is that he is fully aware that he is not entering the kingdom based on his righteousness.
25 For it is easier for a camel to enter in through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Much of the kingdom is a matter of threading the needle. To walk the narrow road that few find is to thread that needle. To stand for righteousness but not in your own strength, to return again and again to an unrighteous judge asking him to “do his job” despite his insults is to thread the needle. To be the little seven year old with their hand up, I want to do it even though you make mistake after mistake.
26 And they that heard it said, Then who can be saved? 27 But he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.
The point is you can never win this battle unless you are one with God. Rioting and looting is not one with God. To not worry about what men say but to just follow the Lord by faith, that is what it means to be one with God.
28 And Peter said, Lo, we have left our own, and followed thee. 29 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or wife, or brethren, or parents, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake, 30 who shall not receive manifold more in this time, and in the world to come eternal life.
Our life is a time of sowing, we reap in the next age. This is the fundamental issue with the prosperity gospel, they base their “faith” in what they have reaped in this age. That is foolish. The apostles are our examples, they were beaten, imprisoned, stoned, excommunicated and killed.
31 And he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all the things that are written through the prophets shall be accomplished unto the Son of man. 32 For he shall be delivered up unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and shamefully treated, and spit upon: 33 and they shall scourge and kill him: and the third day he shall rise again. 34 And they understood none of these things; and this saying was hid from them, and they perceived not the things that were said.
Oh yeah, almost forgot, Jesus is the author of our faith. He was mocked, shamefully treated, spit upon, scourged and killed. Anyone who wants to follow Him needs to also take up their cross. Did you all notice the Lord said "we go up to Jerusalem"? I was always taught that the work the Lord did on the cross was accomplished by Him alone, we had no part in it, and yet here He says "we go up to Jerusalem". I believe that the Lord went to the cross 2,000 years ago and accomplished redemption for us, and that at the end of the age you will see His people as one follow Him and complete that work.
35 And it came to pass, as he drew nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging: 36 and hearing a multitude going by, he inquired what this meant. 37 And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by. 38 And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. 39 And they that went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried out the more a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on me. 40 And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him, 41 What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. 42 And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath made thee whole. 43 And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.
Jericho was a cursed city. If these protestors would humble themselves to be one with this blind man then the Lord could heal them so that they could receive their sight. You want to be made whole, well the healing is right here in the word of God. BLM protestors asking for reparations, they are blind beggars.