Jump Start # 3450

Luke 18:9 “And He also told this parable to certain ones who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt.”

Luke 18 is a chapter about prayer. It begins with our Lord “telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart.” And, what follows are two immediate parables about prayer.

Prayer is an interesting topic. As we head towards the holiday of being thankful, prayer is on our minds. Just about everyone can pray. Some need a little teaching to understand that we pray to God and not to Mary or a dead saint. But even our little ones can pray. They might pray for kitty cats and dandelions in the yard, but they get the idea. Among disciples, one of the most common dissatisfaction is our prayer life. We don’t pray enough and we don’t pray deep enough. Most feel that way. Most recognize that they could do better and many want to do better.

Author Philip Yancey wrote this in his book about prayer: “I wonder what I would do if seated at a banquet next to say, Albert Einstein, or Mozart. Would I chitchat? Would I make a fool of myself? In prayer I am approaching the Creator of all that is. Someone who makes me feel immeasurably small. How can I do anything but fall silent in such presence? More, how can I believe that whatever I say matters to God?”

I understand what Yancey is saying. I have attended baseball games with a former National League all-star player. I never played college baseball. I think I understand the game until he was sitting next to me. I feel this way when I attend the orchestra with my wife. She studied music in college and has a great knowledge of classical music. I’m trying to figure out why they don’t wear colorful socks.

There is war in Israel. There is a war in Ukraine. There is a lot of moving and shaking taking place on the global level. There are governors, mayors and every important people who are making decisions that will impact the lives of many, many people. Why should what I say even matter to God? What I think doesn’t matter to the governor. What I think doesn’t matter to the boss. And, for many, what I think doesn’t even matter at home. No one listens. No one cares. I’m nobody. So, why should God even pay attention to anything I have to say? Great question. Many feel that way, but hate to admit it.

And, that’s a starting point for us. For the next several Jump Starts, we want to open the lid on the box of prayer. I hope these thoughts help you and I hope they open our eyes to the wonderful and powerful blessing of prayer. One of the hymns is called, “Sweet hour of prayer.” And, that’s the spirit that we need to have. It’s not the tedious hour of prayer. It’s not the enduring pain of prayer. It’s not boring hour of prayer. It’s sweet, the sweet hour of prayer.

Let’s begin with a few fundamentals:

First, God wants us to pray. That’s the direction we must understand. Heaven wants to hear from you. It’s not that we are trying to grab a minute from a busy God and we are waiting patiently for Him to give us some time. It’s not that way. It is God who is asking us to pray to Him. In the sermon on the mount, Jesus said, “But you, when you pray…” God expects you to pray. God is wanting you to pray. God is telling us to pray.

You are not bothering God when you pray.

Second, God cares. In the Yancey quote above, I don’t know if Einstein would care about what I had to say. I doubt, from what I’ve read about Mozart, that he would even look my way, if I was talking to him. God is not like that. Peter tells us to cast all of our anxiety upon Him because He cares. That’s why we pray. God cares.

He cares when you are discouraged. He cares when you are beat down. He cares when you feel like you can’t go on. He cares when stress is greater than you can handle. He cares when you cry. He cares when you open the door to temptation. God cares.

Third, God is moved by our prayers. James says the prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. It accomplishes much not because it makes us feel better to talk about things. It accomplishes much not because we are getting things off of our chest. It accomplishes much because we have invited the God of Heaven into our lives. God can do what no one else can. God can open doors that are closed. When everyone else says, ‘no way,’ God has a way.

Prayer is not talking to the air. Prayer is not just hearing my self. Prayer is talking to the God of Heaven and Earth who loves you and can do things. The Ephesians were told, “Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus”.

At all times, Jesus says, we ought to pray and not lose heart. Sweet hour of prayer.

Roger

Jump Start # 2167

Luke 18:9 “And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt”

Luke 18 is the chapter about prayer. There are two back-to-back parables about prayer. The persistent widow and the two men who went up to the temple to pray. Our verse today introduces the parable about the temple praying.

It’s good that both men went to pray. That’s more than some do. Some can go through an entire day, even a week, sadly, even a lifetime with little or no thoughts about God. Both of these men went to pray.

However, not all prayers are good. This parable illustrates that very well. One man thanked God that he was not like others and then he bragged to God. One doesn’t brag to God. First, He already knows. And, second, you are not going to impress God by what you do. The only thing that catches the eye of God is our faith. The Pharisee never praised God. He never truly thanked God. He didn’t really even talk to God. He needed nothing. He had to confess nothing. All he could do was look down from his mountain top and be glad he wasn’t like others. Arrogant, self-righteous and definitely in need of God’s grace, this guy missed it all together.

Now, this leads into a very sensitive subject, elitism in the church. It would be wonderful if it never existed, but it does. It hurts. It pushes some away. It’s ugly. It’s not necessary. I have seen it. I have tasted it. I have fought it. I have tried to steer clear of it. I want it to go away.

Elitism is demonstrated in several ways. Some will talk about all the Gospel Meetings that they go to. Some will talk about special Bible camps and classes that they go to. For some, it’s a certain college. For some, it can even be a certain congregation. Now, are any of these things wrong? No. Never. When the Bible is taught and honest and good hearts intersect, great things will happen. These things are good. Helping young people get closer to God through a study of the Bible is a wonderful thing. It’s life changing.

Very similar to our passage today and the parable about prayer. Praying in the temple was not wrong. It’s how one did it and what it did to them.

Elitism is driven by judging others. And, it is developed when you go to a spiritual event and I don’t. It is easily concluded that you are more spiritual than I am, simply because you are there and I am not. It’s just a step from that to think, you are better than I am. And, from that, you want to only associate with strong Christians, like you, and not like me. So, a club or clique forms. I’ve seen it in a congregation where only certain ones will talk to certain ones. If you are one who is on the inside, you are included, invited and welcomed. If you are on the outside, you feel like you are on the outside.

Now, here’s some problems with elitism in the church.

First, it stinks. It’s nothing like Jesus. I remember years ago a dad talking to me about his college son. He’s so spiritual now the father proudly said. The son walked in, passed right by me, and a few others, without saying a word. He went right to his buddies and you could see him laughing and enjoying his time with them. I turned to this father and said, “Spiritual? Even Jesus spent time with Samaritans.” My take-away from that was this college kid didn’t think I was in his spiritual circle. Samaritans– do you have any in your life? Would you even stop by a well in Samaria as Jesus did?

Second, so you are better than me. That’s probably true. Shouldn’t the big ones help the little ones? Should we work on helping each other mature and get stronger in the Lord? Share what you have learned. Invite and include others so they can see. Looking down our noses at others, doesn’t make one right nor is it the spirit of Christ. It’s like driving down the highway. Certainly there are people behind you and beside you, but there are also people ahead of you. That’s life. That doesn’t mean one is better than the other.

Third, we must be careful about judging someone’s spirituality and strength solely upon attendance, especially at special events. So a guy doesn’t attend all the area meetings. We can conclude that he is not very interested in the Gospel or that he is simply weak. However, he may be out teaching or helping someone and doing more good than we are. Maybe a congregation decides to have one Sunday service rather than two. Does that mean they are weak and not very spiritual? Maybe there are reasons you don’t know. Maybe we are hopelessly stuck in our traditions. Maybe we ought to mind our own business. A young person doesn’t go to a Bible camp. He’s not spiritual. Be careful. You don’t know that. That young man may be a great encouragement to his congregation. He may be a huge influence in his school. Because someone doesn’t come to our event doesn’t mean they are weak and uninterested.

Fourth, elitism stands directly in the shadows of the disciples who argued about which one was the greatest in the kingdom. That’s nothing more than judging and elitism. Jesus wouldn’t have any part with that. Serve is what the Lord said. Going to a college that teaches the Bible is nice if one can afford it. But long before any of those colleges existed, folks were faithfully serving the Lord and making a difference in their world. Before the colleges existed, people knew the word of God and could please the Lord. The schools serve a purpose, but they are not the church nor are we crushed without them. If someone wants to go, that’s fine. If they don’t, that’s fine.

Fifth, the way to make elitism go away is to include all, invite all, and learn from all. Don’t be too big in your britches, as my grandma used to say, to learn from others. Don’t mock a guy because he doesn’t use the “in” translation these days. Don’t think someone can teach you a thing or two even though he hasn’t been to all the things you have. Truth is truth, no matter who speaks it. The disciples wanted to run the children off. Jesus invited them and then used them to teach the disciples. Preachers need to remember this point as well. We can sit pretty tall up on the mountain top, thinking that we know the Bible more than anyone else. False. Not only that, but in many congregations, the preacher isn’t even the best public speaker. He just happens to be the one who gets paid to do that job. Learn from the little old widow who has studied her Bible all of her life. Listen to the teen whose curious eyes see something in a text that you have overlooked for years. Consider the perspective of others. Listen to their questions. Love all. Include all. Stop declaring that some are less spiritual than you are. Your assessment may not be right.

The Pharisee who prayed certainly thought he was better than the publican. He wasn’t. In fact, the prayer of the publican justified him. It did more good than the words of the Pharisee. If you must look down your nose, look down into a mirror and take a long, deep look at yourself. Are you doing what you can? Are you where you ought to be spiritually? Are you using your talents? Are you making a difference?

Elitism drives some away. It simply drives me crazy. It’s time to end it. It’s time to stop acting like a private county club and open the doors of our hearts to all. To the one who still has one foot in the world. To the one who is mixed up doctrinally. To the one who talks faster than he thinks. To the one who has been in trouble. To the one who is lukewarm. To the one who needs so much help and attention. Include. Invite. Welcome. Help. If we don’t, we tend to shun. And, it is here where the spirit of elitism starts all over again.

God so loved the world…that includes you and that includes me.

Roger