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This week we are continuing our study of Chapter 18. Please read verses 18:9-14 every day this week and, if possible, use a different translation each day, asking God to open your eyes to fresh revelation from His Word.
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Luke 18:9-14 (The Message)
‘Jesus commented, “This tax man, not the other, went home made right with God. If you walk around with your nose in the air, you’re going to end up flat on your face, but if you’re content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself.”’
In my early childhood, my father was a policeman and we lived in a Police Station. It was a huge three storey house and the middle floor contained the main office and the jail cell. One time, a friend of mine came to visit and during a game, I inadvertently locked myself in the cell and was unable to get out. My friend couldn’t open the door and I had to wait until my father came back to the station to ‘free’ me. It was a horrible experience and praise God that by His grace I’ve never returned to a cell since.
According to a recent study by the International Centre for Prison Studies, there are approximately 9 million people currently serving prison sentences in various countries around the world. That is a staggering number to comprehend and I’m deeply saddened when I think that every one of these 9 million has family and friends that are impacted in some way by their incarceration. Their wrongdoing has major repercussions for their loved ones. One study in the USA tracked over 400, 000 prisoners released and found that within 5 years, almost 80% of them had been rearrested. Part of the problem is that once you’ve been in prison, it’s very difficult to recommence life in a normal manner. Most people are reluctant to give jobs to ‘ex-cons’ and depending on the offence, it’s very difficult to forge proper relationships in society. Even if the person desperately wants to change, very often they are ‘labelled’ as an offender and drop back into a life of crime.
You may be asking yourself “what on earth has any of that got to do with Luke’s gospel?” Well, in our verse today we see the phrase ‘made right with God’. In the original language of the Scripture, the word translated into English is ‘Justified’. This is a very old word that has dropped out of common use just about everywhere except in religious circles. It has a wealth of meaning that can transform our lives when we truly understand and apply it correctly. It is translated by some scholars in the following ways: ‘To be regarded as innocent, free, righteous, acquitted or vindicated’.
I’d like to point out that the key phrase is ‘to be regarded as…’ This tax collector declared publicly that he was guilty. He was a sinner and was ashamed of his guilt. This confession of sin and the request for mercy received an amazing response from God. Jesus is telling us that even though the man’s guilt is beyond doubt, as far as God is concerned, the despised tax collector is being regarded as innocent and has been acquitted of all charges. That’s what it means to be justified. Our sin hasn’t just been covered over. It’s been wiped out. We don’t have to serve any punishment and we are completely free in Christ.
As mentioned earlier, the prisoners who had been freed after serving their sentence were likely to reoffend because their past remains with them to a large extent. I can’t stress this enough – We have been freed from our past! God, the Judge has declared us not guilty of everything and so we don’t need ‘to drop back into a life of crime.’ We are completely justified and can live in total freedom because of His forgiveness. His promises for our lives are wonderful. He knows the plans He has for us: they are plans to prosper us, to give us hope and a future. Praise God!
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