Grace to the Humble (a Poem from Luke 18 by Jeff Kliewer)

Grace to the Humble in Luke 18

Answers. So, in closing, Luke 18 is one of the most beautiful chapters in the Bible. It starts with that widow, that poor woman who was deprived of justice. She simply keeps coming until finally the judge listens.

Then it moves to the parable of the two people in the church, in the temple. One is self-righteous, the other is humble. One cries for mercy, the other looks down his nose with lifted brow. Children come to him, the humble, and some try to push them away, but Jesus says, no, let them come.

The Rich Young Ruler and Self-Righteousness

It's the humble that I exalt. You see a theme coming through Luke 18? Time and again, the rich young ruler comes, but he can't come. Why? He's self-righteous. He has his own righteousness. He's prideful.

So he doesn't come to faith. He goes away sad. You have this mysterious revelation that this is how your salvation will be meted out. Don't miss this. You come humbly, but the only reason you can come is because he, Jesus Christ, humbled himself to die on a cross.

The Humbling of the Savior and Grace to the Humble

And it's the cross, the humbling of the Savior, him being beaten, and flogged, and killed, and spit upon, shamefully treated. The humbling of the Savior is what provides this righteousness, if only you humble yourself to take it.

And finally, the passage closes with this beggar, a blind man who has nothing, and all he can do is cry for mercy, and he cries for mercy, and God is gracious to give it. It's a story of grace to the humble.

A Poem Summarizing Luke 18

I was just thinking about this whole chapter last night, getting ready to preach, praying, and I thought, I need some paper. I got a pen and paper. I needed to write. And so at 10 o 'clock last night, I wrote a poem, and it summarizes this.

It just, it came with a, just a desire to communicate how each of these stories points grace to the humble. So the first is the persistent widow, then the two men praying, and then the children come, the rich young ruler, the mystery revealed, and finally, the beggar crying for mercy.

The Closing Poem and Prayer

We'll close with this. See her there. It wasn't fair. Judge doesn't care. Persistent prayer. Two enter now, a lifted brow, a humble bow, one righteous now. Look, children brought, receive them not, rebuke the thought, the kingdom taught.

Rich ruler enter, himself the center, no quick repenter, law his mentor. Now a mystery, all through history, told of this story, hung upon a tree. Have mercy on me, beg there quietly, have mercy on me, given eyes to see.

Bring losing fumble, bring broken mumble, bring klutzy stumble, grace to, amen. Let's pray, and we'll ask the worship team to come. Thank you. Let's pray. Grace to the humble.