2007

Jan 30, 2007 Always Pray Kathleen Maples

Jesus told us in Luk_18:1 that men ought always to pray. That seems to be pretty
self explanatory. But when you dig a little deeper, and check into the original
Greek, it means it's necessary must, a command that men at all times, in all
situation pray and not to faint. At first glance, that word 'faint' brings to mind the
thought of losing consciousness temporarily. A person collapsing to the floor
unconscious. But here, that isn't what it means. In the Greek, it means to be weak,
despondent, or weary. When someone gets dejected, depressed, what strength they
have is feeble; they put up only faint resistance again the enemy or any opposition.
They just accept what comes and sink lower into despair.

The Lord goes on to give an illustration of His point. We've all read it, but have we
stopped to think about how it applies to us? When you open your Bible, and you
see this Scripture, or the precious Holy Ghost brings it to your remembrance, it's
because He knows your circumstance, and He also knows the devil will do
whatever He can to interfere with your communication with the Lord. Your
adversary knows that is your lifeline. Do you? Do I understand that myself? When
I opened my Bible this morning, this is where it opened to. It was not coincidence
or random, though it could be said thus. HE knows I opened His Word because I
want to know Him, because I cherish His Word. He also knows I have been
struggling with prayer of late.

Luk 18:2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:
Luk 18:3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of
mine adversary.

Oh, I thank God for His Holy Spirit to direct, teach and guide us into all of His
marvelous truth. On my own I would never be able to understand these things-the
deeper meanings in this precious Book, or the spiritual applications to my life. I
looked at that word 'judge' and felt compelled to look closer. Thayer's Greek
Definitions says it's one who passes or arrogates to himself judgment on anything.
Now, I only have a high school education, and that word 'arrogate' was
unfamiliar, so I looked it up. It doesn't sound like your typical judge. It means
someone who makes undue claim to having control of something or someone.

This judge in this city doesn't sound very righteous, does he? It says he feared not
God or regarded man. He didn't have respect for people or God. One day when he
takes this bench this little widow woman comes in. She's a widow. She has no
husband, no strength or covering of protection that a husband would provide. She
had no resources of her own, else she would not come to the judge seeking help.
She says I've got a problem, judge. I have this adversary that opposes me
constantly. He's always making trouble for me. You can vindicate me, you can set
a judgment against him that will punish my adversary. You can defend me, protect
my rights, she says.

This judge did not care to do this for her. He was not concerned with her problem,
or complaint. But she persisted. She kept coming back, and it got on his nerves
enough he got tired of hearing her complaint, and seeing her presence in his
courtroom so he decided and had the authority to handle her case, to mete out
judgment against her enemy. Sounds like she had a valid argument, one with a
legal remedy that he until that point hadn't been willing to enforce. This is a carnal
illustration Jesus was giving the people. This is how it works in the world. Those
who are well off, and have power, all to often are not predisposed to truly help
those poor and afflicted among us because they are too busy ignoring their plight
and their civil rights. A good example of what I mean is when governments evoke
eminent domain to take citizens' property and give it to a developer for selfish
reasons.

Luk 18:4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not
God, nor regard man;
Luk 18:5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming
she weary me.

The Lord said hear or understand what the unjust judge said. This judge did not
care for this woman or her situation. He just wanted her out of his hair-so to
speak. So to accomplish that he decided to avenge her. But what about God who is
the JUDGE of all the earth? He hears the cries of His people. Stop and consider
that. Who are we talking about here? The High and Lofty One who inhabits
eternity, the HOLY ONE who has and is all power and all wisdom, all knowing,
and who is also love. His Word alone lights up dark places. His Word brings life
out of death. He upholds all things by the power of His Word, according to
Hebrews 1. The Lord patiently endures the cries of His people, hearing, and
bottling their prayers as well as their tears for when the time is right He knows He
will move. But as He prepares things for His judgment to come, as He gathers all
the evidence, prepares the verdict, and provides for the execution of His just
sentence, a place of punishment, will His people continue to trust that He hears,
and cares, and is going to act on their behalf? When the time is right, everything is
in order, judicially speaking, and justice is ready to be served, and when Jesus
comes on the scene to vindicate His chosen people, will they still be trusting Him?
Will He find them still believing in Him and His ability to meet their need? He goes
straight into another parable and addresses the religious crowd who trust their
own righteousness, in spite of the fact that Isaiah warned it was filthy rags in the
sight of God. (Isa_64:6) Remember, the Pharisees are those who are to be teachers
of the law to the people. Those who were to be in authority over the people were
required by God to write a copy of the law, and keep it in their heart, and teach it
to the people. But just like everything else about the Law, which they added to and
twisted and changed, and talked about but would not do, they had scribes, which
wrote copies of the law, or opinions about the law, and added their own thoughts
and interpretations to it, which became men's ordinances and traditions and
almost completely obscured the original intent of the Law of God. They were very
religious and honored above the Law. Smith's BBL Dictionary says they were
devoted to study carefully the text of the Law, and laid down rules for making
written copies of it. But as time passed their words were honored above the law
and it became a greater crime among the people to offend a scribe than against the
Law, and the God whose Word it was.

So we see how easily pride corrupted them. Not everybody could understand or
write the Law. They became chief interpreters of Scriptures of the Old Testament,
and they interpreted it to suit them which led to many extra ordinances and
traditions that God had never instituted. Jesus gave an illustration of how God
saw things when it come to prayer. He speaks of a Pharisee, one supposed to be
knowledgeable in the Word, a teacher of the Word. They took what God said, in the
original Law given to Moses, and multiplied and added to it making it a heavy
burden it was never meant to be on the people. Today, religion does the same
thing. I have see those who would consider a woman hell bound for wearing
earrings, or wedding rings. I have encountered people who think it is sin for a
woman to wear dresses with short sleeves or cut her hair in any way. But how
does that measure up with reality? If it is sin for a woman to have short hair, what
about those who are of other cultures, and races whose hair does not grow out
long and flowing like other races? I know Hispanic, white, Asian and Indian
women have the ability to grow long hair. But black women often don't. I have
talked to some who say they can't get their hair to grow enough to do anything
with. Are they hell bound for this? No, I don't believe it. This comes from people's
opinions and ideas and concepts of righteousness being fashioned by men's
opinions and traditions rather than the Word of God and knowing Him for
ourselves. To say something like that, or to condemn someone for their clothes, or
because they wear a ring, is ridiculous when you consider standing in the presence
of a HOLY GOD who cannot be bribed or corrupted, who has no guile, or sin in His
mouth or nature, and expect to stand there faultless because you didn't cut your
hair or wear jewelry or makeup? That's a frightening thought. We can only hope
to stand before Him clothed in the righteousness of CHRIST alone. We were
ordained to good works, not men's traditions. They corrupt.

Col 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of
men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

So how did these two who went up to the temple to pray appear in the eyes of God?

Luk 18:9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were
righteous, and despised others:
Luk 18:10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a
publican.

The Pharisee stood clothed in pride and self righteousness before God, and boasted
on his own accomplishments, and thoughts of himself. He vocally judged and
condemned the publican who also went up to the temple to pray. The publican, a
tax collector for the Romans, had a job that caused his own people to view him as a
traitor. He was a social outcast. The Romans were in authority over the Jews, and
they chose Jews who were good with numbers, and figuring and often, they were
given no choice but to do as they were told, and collect taxes of their own people.
Many were unjust and collected too much to line their own pockets. But I don't
think this man was of that caliber. He stood here in the temple, recognizing he had
need of mercy from God, and that he was a sinner. He couldn't even bring himself
to look up to God, or try to defend himself before God. He knew he didn't have a leg
to stand on, so God held him up and justified, or declared him right. But the
arrogant Pharisee was not received or recognized by God. Arrogance and pride in
the presence of God can only be maintained by willful blindness and ignorance of
who God is. It is foolish and unacceptable to God. We are warned by Paul not to
think more highly of ourselves than we should. (Rom 12:3) nor are we to hold our
traditions handed down to us by men above the Word of God. They come to Jesus
and bring their children, because He, unlike the Pharisees and Scribes, is
approachable. He's kind, compassionate, not cold and aloof and critical of others.