Luke 18 — God Be Merciful to Me a Sinner
The parable of the persistent widow — ought always to pray. The Pharisee and the publican — God be merciful to me a sinner. This man went down to his house justified. Suffer the little children. The rich young ruler — yet lackest thou one thing. He went away sorrowful. Hard for a rich man. With God all things are possible. Third passion prediction — they understood none of these things. Blind Bartimaeus — Lord, that I may receive my sight. His faith makes him whole; he follows.
“And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.”
— Luke 18:13
- v.1-8 The persistent widow
- v.9-14 Pharisee and publican
- v.15-17 Little children
- v.18-30 The rich young ruler
- v.31-34 Third passion prediction
- v.35-43 Blind Bartimaeus
The model prayer of justification. Seven words. No résumé; no comparison; just God be merciful to me a sinner.
Merciful. The Greek includes the word for atonement — be propitious to me, treat me through the covering. The publican's plea aligns with the cross before the cross.
Justified. The technical word for declared righteous. The publican went home with the verdict he could never have earned; the Pharisee went home as he came.
A diagram for every reader. Which prayer is yours? I thank thee that I am not as other men, or God be merciful to me a sinner? The verdict depends on the verb.
The disciples' question was who then can be saved? The answer is — no one, by human effort. With God all things are possible is the only basis of any salvation.
A verse for the rich, the powerful, the entrenched — those whom the world cannot save. The very impossibility is the doorway to God's grace.
Verse 13 is the prayer to learn by heart. The publican's seven words are the prayer of the justified. Pray them tonight, and tomorrow, and on the day you would be tempted to say something more impressive. The mercy is in the asking, not the polish.
Christ in Luke 18 teaches persistent prayer, justifies the humble, welcomes the children, sorrows for the rich man who walked away, predicts His own cross, opens the eyes of the blind. He is the One every scene revolves around — Mediator, Judge, Healer, Saviour.
Always to pray, and not to faint. The two are joined. Fainting is the alternative to praying; prayer is the antidote to discouragement.
Persistence is taught here as the norm, not the exception. The widow's steadiness is the disciple's pattern.