“If You Keep Showing Up, He Will Show Out”

Propositional Statement

Though your answer may seem delayed, Gods responds to prayer and listens to his children and will vindicate your faith. #HeWillShowOut

Context

By this parable Luke taught his readers the proper response to the delay of the parousia spoken of in 17:22–37. Luke revealed to his readers that Jesus foresaw an interval between his death and ascension and his glorious return. This is why he told this parable (18:1) and the parable of the pounds (19:11). During this interval, it was important for them, like the widow in the parable, to persevere in faith and bear fruit (cf. 8:15; 18:1, 3–4). Such perseverance was possible by continuing in prayer. For only by so doing would they be able to keep from giving up (18:1) and not succumb to the temptations of the coming days (21:34–36).

Preaching Application

A consistent and persistent prayer life will keep your heart when your answer is delayed. The believer can rest in the assurance that God will answer their prayer.

Jesus Explains the Importance of Persistent Prayer — Luke 18:1

Luke 18:1 ESV

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

“Persistent prayer is the prescription for the hopeless heart.”

In November 1940 Coventry was devastated by aerial bombardment, including its fourteenth-century cathedral. After the war, the ruins of the old cathedral were preserved, while a new cathedral was built beside it.

Ever since the Middle Ages, Coventry has been famous for its crafts and craftsmen’s guilds. Although the old cathedral’s guild chapels were destroyed, in their place “hallowing places” have been set round the ruined walls, expressing implications of the prayer “Hallowed be Your Name”:

In industry, God be in my hands and in my making

In the arts, God be in my senses and in my creating

In the home, God be in my heart and in my loving

In commerce, God be in my desk and in my trading

In healing, God be in my skill and in my touching

In government, God be in my plans and in my deciding

In education, God be in my mind and in my growing.

In recreation, God be in my limbs and in my leisure.

“Prayer work in every area of life if you practice prayer consistently”

Practical Application: The answer to the dilemma of prayer is that it is not intended to do something for God, but for us. It is one of the mechanisms of relationship that God gives to his children to be in touch with him. God may not need prayer, but we do.

The word prayer here suggests someone speaking or making request of God. The idea here is continual prayer, not continuous, nonstop prayer. Jesus is using 17:22-37 and the coming kingdom as a backdrop to teach the disciples the importance of prayer. The delay in the consummation of the the kingdom it is especially important for persistent prayer to characterize the Christian life. This will ensure that a community of faith will exist when the son of Man comes. Luke is telling his friend Theophilus—should not give up but continue to pray “Your kingdom come” (Luke 11:2). Jesus shows that God responds to prayer and listens to his children. He does not wind up the universe ticking on its merry way and sit back to observe as an uninterested spectator; God relates to his creation. This is especially the case when our prayers cry out for justice and the righteous treatment of his children. In such cases, when God acts, his response will be swift and certain.

Jesus explains the importance of Persistent Presence — Luke 18:2-4

Luke 18:2–4 ESV

He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man,

“A persistent presence without prayer is loitering.”

Our characters in conflict are introduced: the godless judge and the nagging widow. Jesus describes the judge as someone that did not fear God or man. The judge lacked the most fundamental requirement in life, reverence towards God (Prov. 9:10). The law of God summarized that we are to love God and man

It would be a mistake to assume that the woman in this story is old. In the ancient culture, woman married in their early to mid teens, and the life expectancy for men who reached adulthood often did not exceed “thritysomething.” Yet, being a widow, she was among the most vulnerable people in her society. She was to be cared for. Her precarious position parallels the risk believers experience in an often hostile world. The widow represented the needy, helpless, poor, and oppressed (Luke 20:47). In this instance her insignificance resulted in an injustice and she demanded justice…The phrase “kept coming” is an iterative imperfect is a verb tense that describes repeated actions in the past that did not occur on a regular schedule….”she made time in her schedule for unscheduled nagging…”

Jesus does not reveal her issue, but he does highlight her persistent presence. “Sometimes, the only weapon you have at your disposal is prayer.” There are times in your life when the issue is not as important as how persistent her prayer life made her. When Jesus uses the word justice here, it is in the verb aorist imperative meaning the judge was supposed to follow her request the first time she asked. We are to pray to pray just like she nagged when we desire God’s vindication of our commitment to him. We are to pray and keep praying for this.

The phrase he said to himself is a Hebrew/Aramaic phrase expression for “repented.” This refers not only to a mental process that causes him to think more clearly about his situation but also to a moral renewal involving repentance.

Acts 4:24–32 ESV

And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, “ ‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed’— for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common.

Jesus Seeks Persistent Faith from Believers — Luke 18:5-8

Luke 18:5–8 ESV

yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’ ” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

“Prayer without a finish is a life with no direction.”

The widow’s answer arrived because persistently interrupted the judge’s routine. Jesus describes here coming as contiunaul, a prepositional phrase that modifies the action. It did not matter how, when, or where the judge saw her, it was as the youth say “on site.” Even though the widow was marginalized, she understood her right to justice. You have to have the “on site” faith that doesn’t care about how, when or where, but you know the why. Her faith in God caused a impartial and irreverent judge to be used for God’s glory. What he thought was self-preservation for himself was actually salvation for the widow. The phrase “so that she won’t eventually wear me out” can mean that she will wear me our” or that she will make me look bad by having ignored her and thus give me a bad reputation. There are marginalized women in the world looking for justice and vindication, yet they are continually denied….Jesus makes two things clear in the form of two rhetorical questions: (1) God will vindicte his elect, and (2) God will not delay…he closes by making two more points: (1) God will act quickly. (2) Will he find faith on earth

The point of the parable is not why God will bring justice for his people but that he will. Jesus urges prayer and peserverance. God will vindicate his saints. Trust him to do so and keep praying for his return, which is the vindication of the saints. We should pray because, unlike the judge in the parable, God is not grudging about granting our desires for justice. And we should keep asking for the vindication of the people of God; our patience and willingness to make this request should never run out. By continuity to make the request, we stay sensitive to the need for justice to come. So like the nagging widow, just keep asking.

Persistent prayer and perseverance are necessary in order for God’s chosen ones to remain true to the faith until the Son of Man returns. The use of the article before “faith,” i.e., “the faith,” suggests that this question should be translated “Will he find the faith?” rather than “Will he find faithfulness?” Another way of expressing this thought is found in 21:36.

I thought number one would surely be me I thought I could be what I wanted to be I thought I could build on life's sinking sand But now I can't even walk without you holding my hand

I thought I could do a lot on my own I thought I could make it all day long I thought of myself as a mighty big man But Lord I can't even walk without you holding my hand

Oh Lord, I can't even walk without you holding my hand The mountains too high and the valleys too wide Down on my knees that's where I learned to stand Oh Lord, I can't even walk without you holding my hand