Persistent Faith
Notes
Transcript
The Parable of the Persistent Widow
Setting the scene
On the way to Jerusalem, somewhere between Samaria and Galilee, “a village”
He’s just healed ten lepers, been grilled some more by Pharisees, and explained in some detail about the kingdom of heaven, and reverted his attention back to his disciples, to whom he is speaking to in this parable.
Jesus explains to the disciples, and the Pharisees who are likely listening in, that the Kingdom of Heaven will not come with glorious signs and wonders, but quietly. And, in fact, is already here through the son, Jesus. He goes on to talk about his second coming, that he must die, but that he will return. And, when he does, those who follow him will be brought into the fold, into the company of heaven, leaving those who do not believe behind. Essentially, what Jesus explains here is that when Christ returns there will be no time to prepare, or to say, “well, now that he’s back I better believe.” That time will come, and that’s that.
It is after all of this that Jesus moves into the parable of the Persistent Widow. You have to understand that Jesus has just laid out some pretty heavy stuff before the disciples. He’s explained that people will make claims that Christ has returned, but warns not to follow them. He’s explained that his second coming will be quick, with no time to prepare, and for many that brings about a sense of anxiety and fear. So, Jesus resolves this anxiety and fear by talking about persistent prayer! Here, listen again,
1 Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. 3 In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Grant me justice against my opponent.’ 4 For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, ‘Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.’ ”6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? 8 I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
This parable presents us with a widow who is seeking justice, and the bringer of justice here is a non-responsive and uncaring judge.
A judge who is supposed to know the differences between right and wrong, ignores this woman’s repeated requests for justice. But, justice does not come right away because he neither fears God nor cares about anything or anyone other than himself.
When the judge decides to finally do something about the injustice this woman has faced it does not come from a sense of justice, or a desire to do what is right and correct that which has been wrong… it comes from a place of self-concern. He says, “because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.”
The characters in this parable are ones that defy expectations. When you think of a judge you think of someone intelligent, longing for justice. You think of someone who wants the wrong to be right, is willing to pardon when need be, and willing to lay down the law when necessary. Yet, this judge is the opposite of all of that.
What’s uncharacteristic of the widow is that she acts almost aggressively with persistent courage, so relentless that the judge feels pummeled. This is unlike most widows at this time who were vulnerable, meek, and in need of protection.
Jesus is making a connection here with these characters. Remember before how God’s people were referenced as widows, right? Back when we talked about Lamentations. Well, Jesus is telling this to His people who are in Roman-occupied Palestine in the first century. A place of oppression and injustice, where people are constantly wronged by the judicial, economic, and political systems.
The widow here is relentlessly seeking justice when the system is stacked against her, and like the widow, Jesus is telling his followers her to be persistent in their oppression-resisting, justice-seeking cries to God, “day and night.”
Jesus sets before his followers this scene, highlighting the oppression that is to come to those who profess His name, pointing out the wrongdoing that happens all around. He is showing them that while this happens, the implementers of justice will continue to discredit and ignore the complaints. And, as he recognizes this and helps the disciples to see this, he reminds them of God and what he does, and he shows them that persistent faith is crucial.
What we can take away from this parable is three-fold:
Injustice is persistent
We can recount innumerable stories of crushing oppression, brutal injustice, and unjust suffering. As I’ve said before we can not only find it in our history books, but in the very world around us. Those whom we feel should have long lives are gone too soon, and some of the most wicked in our eyes live longer than we feel they deserve.
As this injustice persists we can recognize those people who long to bring justice, and those who prosper off the backs of those suffering injustice. And, this isn’t new to us. This has been happening ever since sin entered into the world. And, through it all, we look around and wonder, “God, where are you in all of this?”
Well, as we wonder that, as we long to see God’s presence, as we search everywhere for God, this parable shows us a glimpse into God’s character, and that is the second thing we learn about in this parable. That...
God’s justice is also persistent
Sure, there are moments where it doesn’t feel like it, and often times we want God’s justice to happen immediately, but it comes in God’s time. And, what’s worse is that we want God’s justice to occur to everyone who does wrong and wicked things, except of course when we are the ones who do wrong and wicked things...
But, God has promised to His people that He is everything that is opposite to the unjust judge in this parable. Unlike the selfish, unambitious, and careless judge, God is selfless, longs for justice, and cares for those who have been wronged. Jesus assures us of that in the closing marks of this parable when he says, “7 And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? 8 I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them.”
We are promised that God will bring justice, and God does bring justice. It doesn’t always come when we want it, and it doesn’t always come in the way that we think it should, but God’s justice is not defined by our human expectations. Let me repeat that, “God’s justice is not defined by our human expectations.”
So, what is God’s justice? Well, we see it explained here in this parable. God’s justice is explained as contrasting that of the judge. In this parable the judge does not fear God, does not respect people. He is impatient, refuses to bring justice, easily irritable, slow to action, and above all else he is selfish. If we look at all that opposes this character, we get a glimpse at who God is and what God’s justice looks like:
God and his justice:
Is holy, not opposing God
It respects people and righteousness
God is patient, as is his justice
God promises to bring justice
God is not irritable, and neither is his justice
God is quick to act, and quick to bring justice (in His time)
God is selfless, as is his justice
Ultimately, what we learn about God’s persistent justice in this parable is that God does not forsake his people, and will always rectify that which is wrong.
Finally, the third thing we learn in this parable is that...
Our faith should be persistent
Not only do we see this with the widow who persists in her desire for justice, but we also see this with the last sentence in verse 8. Jesus says, “And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
I don’t know about the rest of you, but when I look around at the injustice in the world, and when I see that God’s justice doesn’t always match what I think is just, I sometimes get into this mindset of just wanting to give in to the despair I see.
But, Jesus’ question at the end here poses a challenge and command to us who follow Christ, that through it all we must be persistent in prayer and faith. As God’s people, we are called to resist giving in to despair and to continue resisting tenacious violent forces that produce injustice. It’s easy for us to give up in the midst of this challenge, but that’s when we face our own troubles.
The cost of discipleship that we must pay is that of persistent, justice-seeking, restorative faith. One that doesn’t allow us to just sit in here on Sunday mornings and say good things, but to actually live out that faith every single day and in every single moment. Until Christ comes again, and until the new heaven and new earth are a reality, we are going to be Kingdom people living in a cruel and relentlessly wicked world.
But, our command to be endlessly faithful is not just for our own benefit, but for the benefit of the people who also live in this cruel and relentlessly wicked and sinful world who do not know the life giving, justice bringing, loving God that we know. It is so hard for us to live each day even with the knowledge of God that we have, so try to imagine what that must be like for our friends and family members who do not know God as their savior.
Our persistent faith, when lived out in this dark world, will be the only light that some people see in their lives. It may be the only inkling of faith they are witness to, and it may very well plant the seed of faith that eventually grows strong and deep within them. Folks, it starts with us, with those of us who cry out to God day and night. It starts with us who long for justice, and understand that God is and does bring it.
What we’ve learned in this parable are these three points: 1) Injustice is persistent, 2) God’s justice is persistent, and 3) our faith should be persistent.
Thus, that is the question we must each consider every day… “Will you persist in faith? Will you be found faithful until the very end?”
The first two points are not things that we have much control over, but the last is. We, as God’s people, must endure with a persistent and reverent faith. It means not cowering when we face injustice or see it in our world, but persistently going to our Father in heaven, as Jesus says, “night and day,” and being relentless in our request and even demand of justice.
What we can do with all of this today and in the days to come is to write down those moments and times when we see wickedness in our world, and we can pray hard and faithfully over it. Even in those moments where we are tired of praying, where we are tired of being persistent…it’s in those moments when our persistence is probably the most important. It’s because of your persistence as children of God that others will begin to see God’s justice, recognize His movement in the world, and it will lead them to professing Christ as Lord.
If you find yourself losing persistent faith, talk to your brothers and sisters around you and share that. There is no shame here in that. If you find yourself struggling to be persistent in prayer and faith, the first thing you should be doing is leaning on your brothers and sisters in Christ around you and seeking their prayers. That is why we are here together. To not only worship God on High, but support one another in faith and love.
We are here as a community of believers not to masquerade around as perfect people, or sinless people, or people without struggles or hangups… but to be genuine, faithful, and supportive people. That means that this is a place where you can come with your struggles, your pains, your anger and frustration, and you can not only lay it out before God, but you will have a family that surrounds you, prays for you, and loves you.
Your persistent faith, that thing that Christ has called you to, will not only change your life for the better, but it will change the lives of the people in and around your life as well.
So, with confidence and persistence in the face of growing pain and injustice in our world, let us all reaffirm our faith with the Apostle’s Creed...