Sunday, October 19, 2025 After Pentecost, Proper 24(C)

Notes

22 The same night he got up and took his two wives, his two maids, and his eleven children and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 He took them and sent them across the stream, and likewise everything that he had. 24 Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he struck him on the hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. 26 Then he said, “Let me go, for the day is breaking.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go, unless you bless me.” 27 So he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28 Then the man said, “You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans and have prevailed.” 29 Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. 30 So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, yet my life is preserved.” 31 The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the thigh muscle that is on the hip socket, because he struck Jacob on the hip socket at the thigh muscle.

(Genesis 32:22–32, NRSVue)

Jacob's tradiional family - 2 wives, 2 maids, and 11 children

Jacob fought with a messenger of God - what for?

Luke:

Jesus encourages prayer that is not dependent on results - do not lose heart

Judge that sees a widow that is persistent x God that actually wants to help and cares.

Good morning.

Have you ever waited for a truly important message? An email, a text, a phone call that you knew could change things? You find yourself checking, refreshing, waiting by the phone. Our world teaches us that waiting is wasting time, that everything important should be just a click away. In a culture of instant gratification, our phones can feel like magic lamps, ready to summon whatever we need.

But as we know, prayer is rarely like that. There are no bells, no thunder, no instant confirmation. And in that quiet, it can be easy to lose heart. It is into that very human experience that Jesus tells this story of a persistent widow and an unjust judge. The judge, who cares for neither God nor people, is finally worn down by the widow's relentless pursuit of justice.

And then Jesus delivers the punchline: “Will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them.”

This is a powerful call to keep praying for what matters. But notice, persistent prayer is not a passive waiting game. It is an active, formative process. When we consistently cry out to God for justice, our hearts begin to change. We start to yearn for the things God yearns for. And when your heart is filled with God's passion for justice, it becomes impossible to stay silent. That passion compels us not only to cry out to God in heaven but also to speak up for justice here on earth.

God is the ultimate authority, but she entrusts authority to human leaders. As Jesus told Pilate, “You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above.” This power is a sacred trust, meant to be used for justice and love.

This is why the Apostle Peter gives us this challenging instruction: “For the Lord’s sake be subject to every human authority... As servants of God, live as free people... Fear God. Honor the emperor.”

Notice the tension here. We are to honor the office, yet we are to live as people whose ultimate freedom comes from God. This is not a call for blind obedience. It is a call to be respectful and engaged citizens whose final allegiance is to God's kingdom. It means we can persist, just like the widow, in calling earthly authorities to account, urging them to use their God-given power justly.

So, what does this persistence look like for us? It means we courageously and consistently ask our leaders tough questions rooted in our faith: How does this policy affect the poor? Does this law protect the vulnerable and uphold the dignity of all human life? Does our budget reflect a love for our neighbor? Are we promoting peace and protecting the freedom for all people to live out their faith?

Being persistent in asking might mean advocating for a just economic system where the burden on the poor is eased. It might mean standing for the dignity of work, ensuring every laborer is protected. It might mean championing community structures that care for the widow, the orphan, and the stranger in our midst.

Our calling is not to chaos or violence, but to the disciplined, creative, and persistent work of building a better world. We are not called to tear things down, but to build up. This might look like mentoring a child, running for school board, writing a letter to an editor, or simply speaking truth with love in our neighborhoods. We do what we can, with skill and a clean conscience before God.

Beloveds, above all, we are called not to lose heart. We are called to be God's people together—to persist in asking God for what our hearts yearn for, and to find the courage to ask the same of our leaders and our world. Justice on earth does not have to wait for the end of time. Let us believe that God can move hearts and change minds, so that His will might be done here on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.

Children’s sermon:

Props: A gavel (or a toy hammer) if you have one.

Icebreaker Questions

Good morning, everyone! It’s great to see you today. I have some very important questions for you.

Have you ever wanted something so, so, so much that you asked your parents or grandparents for it over and over and over again?

What was it? (Let a few kids share their answers, like a toy, a pet, or staying up late).

Did you ask just one time, or did you keep on asking? Why did you keep asking? (Because you really wanted it and believed they might say yes!)

The Sermon

Well, your stories about not giving up remind me of a special story Jesus once told.

In this story, there was a woman who needed help. Something really unfair had happened, and she needed someone to make it right. So, she went to the most powerful person in her town: the judge.

But this judge was... well, he was super GRUMPY! He sat up high with his gavel (pretend to bang a gavel) and didn't seem to care about anyone.

The woman came to him and said, "Judge, please help me! Make things fair!" The grumpy judge just waved his hand and said, "Nope! Go away! I'm too busy."

But did she give up? No way!

The very next day, she came back. "Judge, please, I really need your help!" The judge grumbled, "I said NO!"

She came back the next day... and the next day... and the day after that. Every single morning, she was there, asking him to help make things right.

Finally, after many days, the grumpy judge threw his hands in the air and said, "Oh, for goodness sake! This woman is never going to stop asking! I guess I'll just help her so I can finally get some peace and quiet!" And so, he did. He made things fair for her.

Now, Jesus told this story to teach us something amazing about prayer. He asked his friends a question: "Is God like that grumpy judge?" What do you think?

(Wait for the kids to say "NO!")

You are exactly right! God is NOTHING like that grumpy judge. God is our loving Father who cares about us more than anyone in the entire universe! Jesus’s point was this: If even a mean, grumpy judge will eventually help someone who won't give up, imagine how much MORE your loving Father in heaven wants to listen and help you when you pray to Him!

God wants you to be persistent—that’s a big word for never giving up. He wants you to keep talking to him about everything that’s on your heart. When you see something that isn’t fair at school, you can pray about it. When someone you love is sick, you can keep praying for them. When you are worried or scared, you can talk to God.

Never give up, because God is always listening.

Closing Prayer

Let's fold our hands and talk to God now.

Dear God, Thank you that you are not a grumpy judge, but our loving Father. Thank you for always listening when we talk to you. Help us to never give up on praying, and to always trust that you love us and hear us. Amen.