Parable of the Persistent Woman (Luke 18:1-8) Biblestudy
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And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
Okay, we need to connect a portion of chapter 17 with this story because there is more to it than just this part. You cannot just isolate this part, you need to see the full spectrum in which Jesus is using this parable to understand its application.
And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it. And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them. For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day. But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation. And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.
Notes:
Jesus had been preaching about the kingdom of heaven or the kingdom of God. So the Pharisees wanted to know when is this kingdom coming.
Jesus replies “The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:” And we will stop here to explain. Remember that most people thought that when Jesus came as the Messiah that he would come and restore the kingdom of Israel. Rome was the governing power. They thought that something great and powerful would happen to bring down this heathen government and that they would no longer be under there laws and rule but under their own rules and governance. But the problem is that Jesus didn’t come to deliver them from Rome, He came to deliver from sin.
Let’s pick back up with the text:
So the Bible declares in 17:20 it says “when he was DEMANDED of the Pharisees” That is a negative connotation. He wasn’t asked, he was demanded, he was questioned by the Pharisees. ‘We been hearing about this for sometime now….when is it going to happen.”
If you know the Pharisees, they were Jesus’ enemies, so they wasn’t really concerned about when the kingdom of God was coming. They were more so interested in tarnishing Jesus’ ministry.
He tells the Pharisees “The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:” Meaning that you won’t be able to see it outwardly and there was a reason….he is speaking directly to the? Pharisees. Now why won’t they be able to see the kingdom of God? Because number 1 their unbelief. Secondly, the kingdom of God was embodied in Christ himself, thirdly, the kingdom of God or the rule of God would happen in those who believed in Jesus:
Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
Jesus tells the Pharisees, you won’t be able to see it, there is no geographical location on this earth. Jesus told Pilate, my kingdom is not of this world.
But Jesus tells the Pharisees that “behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” Now that last three words are tricky. Because we are thinking that Jesus is telling the Pharisees that “the kingdom of God is within you.”. THAT IS LITERALLY IMPOSSIBLE!!! THE KINGDOM OF GOD CAN’T BE IN THOSE UNBELIEVERS, NEITHER CAN IT BE IN ANY UNBELIEVER.
But if you study the text and break it down, what Jesus really means is that “The kingdom of God is in your midst” NASB, the NLT says “For the Kingdom of God is already among you.”
Jesus himself said Matt 12:28
But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.
But here is the problem:
But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:
But here goes the antithesis to those who didn’t believe…..this is what happens to those who REALLY BELIEVE….I SAID REALLY BELIEVE:
(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
Every person that really believes, every person that desires to be a part of the kingdom of God should receive the Holy Ghost. Jesus said, he that believeth on my out of his belly shall flow rivers of living waters.
Now Jesus then turns to his disciples. I said week before last and the week prior to that, that it is important to pay attention to the details in the scripture. Again, I don’t get my information from a commentary because all a commentary is observations from another preacher that is studying the Bible and sometimes their observations can be off….not all the time but sometimes, especially if they are not filled with the Holy Ghost. Commentaries are good for historical study and observations, its good for cultural observation and it might tell you some things that you might not see in scripture. But I don’t use commentaries often….I use the Holy Ghost and the Holy Ghost gives me insight.
Jesus turns to his disciples and says the follow and for time sake I don’t have time to break this down….maybe next week if the Lord pushes me this way I’ll come back to it:
And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it. And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them. For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day. But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation. And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.
So NOW…..we link together what Jesus just said and in verse 1 of chapter 18. See that’s where a lot of people get confused, they think because text has chapters that it is a separate thing, but this is one dialogue, in the next chapter, the dialogue from chapter 17 is still continuing.
And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
Jesus told his disciples that rough times where going to be ahead. So rough that you’re going to desire to see one of the days of the son of Man.
There will be much deception in the land.
Buy the son of Man must suffer and be rejected of this nation. Scripture doesn’t say this, but if they rejected him they gonna reject you too.
Then Jesus said as were in the days of Noe, so shall it be in the days of the son of Man. Hard times, sin everywhere.
But Jesus said in the 1st verse of chapter 17:
Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!
He said to His disciples, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to him through whom they come!
One day Jesus said to his disciples, “There will always be temptations to sin, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting!
There will always be temptations to sin…..there will be temptations to give up and throw in the towel. But you gotta keep praying!
Jesus said that “men ought always to pray, and not to faint.” Fainting is not in the physical sense of passing out….but from the spiritual standpoint of giving up or giving out. To remain upright….come on somebody! To be sober and aware. We’ve got to pray….even though hardtimes may come, we gotta pray even though we see things getting a little coo coo out here in the world.
Let’s conclude:
Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
The lesson that Jesus was trying to teach his disciples is that even this unjust judge rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think……DO YOU BELIEVE God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night?
God not only going to give justice….i believe he’s going to give relief, this woman needed relief, she needed help…..I believe if we remain consistent in prayer and not give up….God is going to give us the help that we need.
Just encourage someone and tell them…”You can’t give up now….keep praying….your close to your breakthrough!”
God is not going to keep putting it off…..the question becomes “how bad do you want it?” I’ll pray everyday, I’ll pray every morning, I’ll pray in the noonday, I’ll pray every night, if I gotta come to prayer every Saturday and cry out to God, if I gotta come to church and cry every Sunday, if I gotta jump in the prayer line every week until I get my miracle, if I gotta lay on the altar every Sunday until my family member gets saved, if I have to fast and pray every day, pray in the midnight hour, come to the altar, lay in the floor until the Lord fills me with the Holy Ghost I’ll do what it takes to get my breakthrough!!!
