Luke 18:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.

NIV: Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.

NASB: Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not become discouraged,

CSB: Now he told them a parable on the need for them to pray always and not give up.

NLT: One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.

KJV: And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

NKJV: Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart,

Jesus has just explained to the disciples what the world will look like when He returns. People will not be thinking about God. They will be living their normal lives, marrying, working, and planning. Like the people of the days of Noah and Lot, they won't realize that judgment is imminent. When Jesus comes, He will separate His followers from those who reject Him. Even the closest relationships will be broken (Luke 17:22–37).

The Greek word de leads off this passage. This connecting word can mean "and," "then," or "now," among other things. It indicates this segment is directly related to the previous one. The disciples are apparently discouraged by Jesus' warning. The parable Jesus tells suggests the disciples are doubtful that God's judgment against their enemies will ever come. They agree with Jesus when He says, "The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it" (Luke 17:22).

This parable is interesting in that Luke leads off with the basic meaning of the lesson. To "lose heart" means demotivation towards something positive: to fail to maintain resolve about a subject or idea. Jesus knows His followers will face far more hardships than what they are experiencing now. Most of the Twelve will die as martyrs. We, too, look at the state of the world and wonder if God will ever bring His justice. Jesus' answer is, "Yes, so keep praying" (cf. Luke 18:7–8).

To pray for Jesus' return and the justice He will bring "always" doesn't mean we need to be in active prayer every waking second. It means we should pray often and regularly.

The parable of the persistent neighbor is similar but, in that case, the neighbor sought bread—an earthly need—not justice (Luke 11:5–13).

Luke 18:1–8 contains the parable of the persistent widow. Jesus contrasts God with a corrupt judge who will only give a widow justice when she becomes a nuisance. The Lord, however, is eager to give His followers justice—partially now and fully when Jesus returns. Like the widow, we must ask diligently and with faith. Jesus goes on to show that proper faith is humble, not self-congratulating (Luke 18:9–14), childlike (Luke 18:15–17), and makes us hold lightly things of the earth as compared to how we cling to God (Luke 18:18–30). Only Luke records this parable.

Luke continues to arrange Jesus' teachings by their topic. Here, he includes two parables: the persistent widow and the Pharisee and the tax collector. Jesus encourages children to approach Him. He interacts with a moral, wealthy man who can't bear to follow Jesus if it means giving up wealth. After another prediction of His death, Jesus encounters and heals a blind man on His way to Jerusalem.

Luke 18 approaches the end of Jesus' "travelogue" to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51—19:27). Luke has selected miracles, teachings, and events to show how Jesus trained His disciples. His emphasis was explaining the kingdom of God in preparation for their work to build the church. Luke 18 includes several contrasts between those who understand God's kingdom and those who don't. Luke 19 includes the story of Zacchaeus and another parable before Jesus' triumphal entry and the Passion Week. These stories are also found primarily in Matthew 19—20 and Mark 10.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.