The Road to Calvary

Parables that Prepare us for Easter

Introduction:

Today is Palm Sunday, we celebrate the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. This is the beginning of the last week of Jesus life. This is called Holy Week and we will have 6 different services at Trinity commemorating what Jesus did for us during this time.

The Triumphal Entry, Palm Sunday, is a mountain top experience for Jesus and the disciples. This event, prophesied by Zechariah, involved Jesus riding on a donkey while crowds spread palm branches and clothes on the road, shouting "Hosanna" which means save me today Lord.

Jesus took Peter, John and James on a mountain top experience in Luke 9:28-36. As Jesus is praying, they see him transfigured before them. They see him in his glorified body, plus Moses and Elijah are with him. They audibly hear God say, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.”

Mountain top experience typically down last long. After entering Jerusalem with great praise, things quickly went from bad to really bad. Those who shouted “Hosanna” on Sunday shouted “crucify him” on Friday.

Coming down from the Mount of Transfiguration Jesus and the disciples were confronted by a stubborn demon, Jesus predicts his death, the disciples get into an argument about who is the greatest, the village they intended to minister in totally rejected them, and the disciples asked for power to call fire down from heaven to destroy them.

Mountain tops inspire us, but valleys mature us.

The Parable of the Persistent Widow

Luke 18:1-8 (NIV)

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: ‘In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, “Grant me justice against my adversary.” 4 ‘For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, “Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!” ’ 6 And the Lord said, ‘Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?’

The Parable of the Persistent Widow is valley moment. In this parable Jesus teach us the most important this we should do while journing through the vallies of life.

Set the Stage

The Judge:

Is not a good man, he is crooked, and more like a crime boss than a servant of justice.

He had no respect for other people or for God

First centery Judges in Isreal were pupets of Rome.

Highly educated, wealthy through extorsion, power prokers of society.

The Widow:

In those days, widows were regarded as the helpless of all people.

They were easy to take advantage of people no husband to defend them.

The widow had no rights

The Judge and the widow were at opposite poles of social power. She had no power and he had all the power.

She wanted justice because someone had wronged her. Possibly some of her goods or land had been stolen. She need justice form the legal system, asking in essence, “Correct this matter. Avenge me of my adversay. Set things right.”

The Problem is the Judge did fear God nor regard man. He has no motivation to do anything for her.

The Solution is persistence - “because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice.” v5

Jesus knew that asking is not an incidental, trivial sort of thing but is among the most fundamental aspects of human relations. Asking and giving come from the deepest parts of human nature and personality. Dallas Willard, The Scandal of the Kingdom, p.228

When in the valley, Jesus is urging us not to quit, don’t give up on God.

God answers prayer from an eternal perspective, but we ask from an earthly perspective. So we must keep asking until our perspective comes into alignment with His.

Prayer in not about my will be done on earth, but it is about God’s will bing done on earth.

God is not concerned about the quantity (length) of your life. He is deeply concerned about the quality of your life.