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Luke 18:1-18

Luke 18:1-18 CSB

Now he told them a parable on the need for them to pray  always and not give up.  “There was a judge in a certain town who didn’t fear God   or respect people. And a widow   in that town kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ “For a while he was unwilling, but later he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or respect people, yet because this widow keeps   pestering me,   I will give her justice, so that she doesn’t wear me out   by her persistent coming.’ ” Then the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. Will not God grant justice   to his elect   who cry out to him day and night?   Will he delay   helping them?   I tell you that he will swiftly grant them justice. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes,   will he find faith on earth? ” He  also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves  that they were righteous  and looked down  on everyone else: “Two men went up to the temple to pray,   one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee was standing   and praying like this about himself:   ‘God, I thank you that I’m not like other people #— #greedy,   unrighteous,   adulterers,   or even like this tax collector. I fast   twice a week; I give a tenth   , of everything I get.’ “But the tax collector, standing far off,   would not even raise his eyes to heaven   but kept striking his chest   and saying, ‘God, have mercy on me,   , a sinner! ’   I tell you, this one went down to his house justified   rather than the other, because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”   People  were bringing infants to him so that he might touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. Jesus, however, invited them: “Let the little children come to me,   and don’t stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you,   whoever does not receive   the kingdom of God like a little child   will never enter it.” A  ruler  asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? ”