Good News of Great Joy | December 18 — “Persistence, Humility, & Faithfulness in Following Christ

As we are getting closer to the cross in Luke’s gospel, the applications are going to get a little more, well, more. We will be getting more specific in our application. If you have been reading from Luke 1 onward, you will see a bit of repetition, but that is good and good for us.

Luke 18 emphasizes persistence in prayer, humility in seeking God, and faithfulness in following Christ—lessons especially relevant during Advent. As we prepare to celebrate Christ’s first coming and await His return, we are reminded to:

1. Pray Without Ceasing: Like the persistent widow, we are to bring our requests to God with confidence and faith in Him.
2. Humble Ourselves Before God: The tax collector’s prayer shows us that God values a repentant heart over outward religious acts.
3. Approach God Like a Child: Advent calls us to renew our childlike faith, trusting in God’s grace and provision.
4. Follow Christ Fully: The rich ruler’s reluctance warns us against clinging to earthly possessions. Let us remember that Christ is our greatest treasure.

This Advent, may we echo the blind beggar’s cry, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” and live with gratitude for the abundant blessings we have received through Him.

Christ Has Come: The Promised King & His Gift of Peace (Advent 2025) – Refresh & Restore | A JustKeithHarris.com Podcast

Christ Has Come – Week 3Episode Title: The Promised King & His Gift of JoyLuke 1:39–56In this Advent episode of Christ Has Come, Keith Harris turns to Luke 1 and invites us to slow down and listen to the joy that begins stirring before Bethlehem. Long before angels sing to shepherds, joy breaks the silence in the hill country of Judea—through a Spirit-filled confession, a leaping child, and the worshipful song of a young woman who trusts the promises of God.Together, we explore:What biblical joy is—and what it isn’t, distinguishing it from fleeting happiness or emotional highs.How joy appears before the word is even spoken, as John the Baptist leaps for joy in Elizabeth’s womb at the presence of the unborn Messiah.Why Mary’s joy is rooted not in circumstances but in God’s mercy, as she magnifies the Lord and rejoices in God her Savior.The meaning and message of the Magnificat, a Scripture-saturated song that celebrates God’s great reversal—lifting the lowly, filling the hungry, and humbling the proud.How Mary’s joy points beyond herself to Jesus, the promised King who fulfills God’s covenant promises and secures lasting joy through His saving work.This episode reminds us that joy is not something we manufacture—it’s something we receive, and it grows wherever Jesus is trusted. Advent teaches us that true joy is found not in having life figured out, but in the presence of Christ and the mercy He brings.If you would like to see a written version of this study, complete with footnotes and cross-references, you can find it here.

1. Christ Has Come: The Promised King & His Gift of Peace (Advent 2025) 26:00
2. Christ Has Come: The Promised King & His Gift of PEACE (Advent 2025) 22:47
3. Christ Has Come: The Promised King & His Gift of HOPE (Advent 2025) 24:58
4. Thankful: Learning to Number Our Days (Refresh & Restore) 21:21
5. "Strengthen What Remains: Jesus's Letter to the Church at Sardis" (The KING is Coming) 20:30

The Parable of the Persistent Widow (18:1-8)^[1]

And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. ² He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. ³ And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ ⁴ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, ⁵ yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’ ” ⁶ And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. ⁷ And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? ^zWill he delay long over them? ⁸ I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

The Pharisee and the Tax Collector (18:9-14)^[2]

⁹ He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: ¹⁰ “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹ The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. ¹² I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ ¹³ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ ¹⁴ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Jesus Blesses the Children (18:15-17)^[3]

¹⁵ Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. ¹⁶ But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. ¹⁷ Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”

The Rich Ruler (18:18-30)^[4]

¹⁸ And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” ¹⁹ And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. ²⁰ You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’ ” ²¹ And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.” ²² When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” ²³ But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. ²⁴ Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵ For 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.” ²⁶ Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” ²⁷ But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” ²⁸ And Peter said, “See, we have left our homes and followed you.” ²⁹ And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, ³⁰ who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.”

Jesus Foretells His Death a Third Time (18:31-34)^[5]

³¹ And taking the twelve, he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. ³² For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. ³³ And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.” ³⁴ But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.

Jesus Heals a Blind Beggar (18:35-43)^[6]

³⁵ As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. ³⁶ And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. ³⁷ They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” ³⁸ And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” ³⁹ And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” ⁴⁰ And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, ⁴¹ “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” ⁴² And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” ⁴³ And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

[1] Jesus told a parable to teach His disciples to pray without losing heart. He compared an unjust judge, who granted justice because of a widow’s persistence, to God, who is always just and merciful. If persistence works with a reluctant judge, how much more should we pray to our loving Father, trusting Him to bring justice swiftly? Jesus questioned whether faith would still be found when He returns, underscoring the importance of persistent, faithful prayer.

[2] Jesus told a parable contrasting a self-righteous Pharisee, who exalted himself in prayer, with a humble tax collector, who sought God’s mercy. The tax collector, aware of his sinfulness, went home justified because of his genuine and repentant faith. Jesus declared that those who exalt themselves will be humbled, but the humble will be exalted, showing that God values genuine repentance over self-righteousness.

[3] When people brought children to Jesus, His disciples tried to stop them. Jesus, however, welcomed the children and taught that only those who approach God with the humility and dependence of a child will enter His Kingdom.

[4] A rich ruler asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus pointed him to the commandments and then challenged him to sell all he had, give to the poor, and follow Him. The man left sorrowful, unwilling to part with his wealth. Jesus remarked on the difficulty of the rich entering the Kingdom of God, but assured His disciples that with God, all things are possible. He promised that those who leave everything for His sake will receive abundant blessings in this life and eternal life in the age to come.

[5] Jesus reminded His disciples that He would be handed over to the Gentiles, mocked, mistreated, killed, and rise on the third day. However, the disciples did not understand what He meant, as the significance of His mission was still hidden from them.

[6] Near Jericho, a blind beggar called out to Jesus as the “Son of David,” recognizing Him as the Messiah and seeking mercy from Him (v. 38). Despite the crowd’s attempts to silence him, the man persisted. Jesus stopped, healed him, and declared that his faith had made him well. The man immediately followed Jesus, glorifying God, and the people praised God for this miracle.