In Luke Chapter 18 Jesus told the sinners and publicans whom the religious crowd despised that they “ought always to pray, and not to faint…” and that God would “avenge them speedily”. But then lamented with regard to the religious folks “Nevertheless, when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?”
Then Jesus spoke a parable to the religious leaders who thought that “they were righteous, and despised others” as follows:
“Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess…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…”
Jesus declared “I tell you, this man (the sinner) went down to his house justified rather than the other (the religious guy)…”
Jesus was disgusted with the lack of understanding and faith that he found among the Jewish religious teachers. They had developed their own religious doctrine and Jesus said about that doctrine...
Then Jesus spoke a parable to the religious leaders who thought that “they were righteous, and despised others” as follows:
“Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess…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…”
Jesus declared “I tell you, this man (the sinner) went down to his house justified rather than the other (the religious guy)…”
Jesus was disgusted with the lack of understanding and faith that he found among the Jewish religious teachers. They had developed their own religious doctrine and Jesus said about that doctrine...
“IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN” (Matthew 15:9).
They just refused to believe God, preferring their own teachings.
2000 years later I wonder if Jesus finds “faith on the earth”, or are sinners and publicans still being excluded from the good news of their salvation by Christian institutions who are again trusting “themselves that they were righteous, and despised others” who have not joined the club, or who do not follow their particular “creed” or “statement of faith”.
2000 years later I wonder if Jesus finds “faith on the earth”, or are sinners and publicans still being excluded from the good news of their salvation by Christian institutions who are again trusting “themselves that they were righteous, and despised others” who have not joined the club, or who do not follow their particular “creed” or “statement of faith”.