22-Feb. 2026
I like this passage. Why do I like it? Because it tells me what the application is right in verse 1. And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose. Heart, Isn't it nice when you read the gospels and it says exactly why Jesus tells us something. Amen. He's telling us that we should always pray and not lose heart as Marcus reminded us a couple of weeks ago. Don't stop at the struggle, right? Don't stop at the struggle because God is still working in the struggle, whatever you're praying about whatever you're seeking the Lord for. And so he told them a parable to the effect that is for the reason that they should always pray and not lose heart. That's the directive. So, brothers and sister, we should always pray and not lose heart. Amen. Alright, we can go home now. That's great. That's the lesson for today.
Question, 1 is from our perspective. Why do we lose heart? Why do I lose heart? Why do I lose heart that verb or that word? Therefore losing heart means to grow weary. It's used in Galatians chapter 6, do not grow weary in doing good 2nd Thessalonians chapter 3. Also do not grow. Weary means to lose heart or to give up or grow weary. Why do I lose heart? Well, that's a question that we have to ask the Lord in and listen for his answer. Why do I personally lose heart? I realize sometimes that my expectations are way up here and I lose heart, because reality is here. And so there's that gap between your expectations and what reality is and then you think, okay? Is that my perspective? Why do I have that expectation? Sometimes I lose heart because of expectations that are unrealistic, so then looks but the second question is to turn it around. What Usher's me. What Asher is us that prayer will be answered no matter when the answer comes. What is scherers me? That prayer will be answered. No matter what the answer is or when the answer comes So the Apostle Paul uses the same word for losing heart and 2nd Corinthians 4:1 there for having this ministry. By the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. We do not lose heart. Why do we not lose heart? Because we have this ministry by the mercy of God. How does every mess every missionary on the mission field not lose heart. Because they remember that. Therefore by the mercy of God, he has given us this ministry. He has sustained us to this point. We do not lose heart. Why? Because God is merciful and we do not lose heart because of who God is I was going to use this for for the kids lesson but we only had a few few younger kids in the service earlier. But You know, the adults really learn from the kids lesson to write. So how does God answer prayer? Well, sometimes God answers prayer with a, yes, a green light.
Oh, you know the next one that's coming. How does God answer prayer sometimes? With a red light. No.
Then, how does God answer prayer? Other times, we get confused, don't we? Right or the traffic circle, the roundabout right. No seriously. How does God answer prayer other times?
Not yet. Wait be cautious. So that's a simple example that I think helps us sometimes when we think about prayer if we're, especially if we're praying about something for a while. God usually answers prayer in one of three ways. Yes. No, or wait or not right now.
And so we are assured that God answers prayer. Why? Because of who got is because of who the father is. We ask we seek, we knock because God is good and gracious and loves to give good gifts to his children and God is infinitely. Merciful more merciful than the annoyed judge. I hope you pick that up in the text, that Jesus is using a contrast. This is one of those. How much more examples where he says, if this scenario is how the world is, or how a particular unjust judges, how much more is God? Good and righteous and perfect. God is infinitely more merciful than the annoyed judge. So turn with me to Luke 11 actually back to Luke 11. Just to give you a similar example to this kind of parable. And this is a little bit of a preamble, but I hope you see the similarity between the two Parables, Luke chapter 11, just after Jesus gives Luke records, Jesus giving the disciples the Lord's Prayer.
Just after that, in the beginning of Luke, 11 verse five, it says, and he said to them, and I think we have it on the screen. Thank you. And he said to them, which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, friend, let me three loads. For a friend of mine has arrived on a journey and I have nothing to set before him. Now, we look at our lives in the current world compared to the ancient world and we go world. That doesn't really apply to me. Remember in the ancient world Hospitality was showing kindness and Hospitality was the thing that you do. It was very, very, very important. So he says, which of you, of course, all of you, if you have someone coming to you to stay with you and you don't have what they need, you'll go to a friend and ask for it. So your friend says and he will answer from within, do not bother me, the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything. Well, of course, the family was in a small house, probably one room with one Matt. And in order to get up to the door, the person that the man will have to wake up, wake up, his family in the process of getting to the door. Jesus says, I tell you though, he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend yet because of his impudence Because of his persistence. He will rise and give him whatever he needs. Now what's the application then? Jesus says, and I tell you ask, and it will be given to you seek and you will find knock and it will be open to you for everyone who asks receives and the one who seeks finds and to the one who knocks it will be open. What father among you if his son asks for a fish will instead of a fish, give him a serpent, or if he asked for an egg, will give him a scorpion if you then who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, here are the keywords. How much more will the heavenly father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him? So Jesus tells a parable and he says, this is a common scenario, a friend, need something desperately from another person and not just because he's his friend, but just because he's annoyed at night and he wants to solve the problem. He gives him what he needs if you then who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more will the heavenly father? Give good things to those who ask him. So the point is not only to keep going in prayer. We all know that we all know that we should pray, we all know that we should pray more. We all know that we should pray more often about certain things. The point is to remember who God is, as you are praying, amen. Because if you don't remember who God is, as you are praying, you're going to pray the wrong things. You we go to God as our provider, as our healer, as Our Redeemer, as our comforter, Psalm 94:19, that we read in the call to worship. When anxious thoughts multiply within me your consolations cheer, my soul, Different translation but that's another Pastor said, hey, this might be a good first for you. Pastor Jim when anxious thoughts multiply within me your consolations to you're my soul. So then I have to pray. Lord, remind me of your constellations. Remind me of your comfort. Remind me of the ways that you have been good to me day by day week by week. The point is to remember who God is, as we are praying It's a Luke, Luke records that Jesus here compares. The worst of men with God who is perfect. So that's the main Truth for today is that we can can persist in prayer. Why? Because of who God is
We can persist in prayer. We are strengthened to persistent prayer. Not only by our own strength, but because of who God is, that's the main truth. Amen? God is the one who gives strength to our prayers. We pray to the father through the son in the spirit. We persist in prayer because God Usher's us. He is listening. We persist in prayer because we want his kingdom to come more than any other human Kingdom. We persist in prayer. Why? Because we know we need God every hour. Lord, I need you every hour. I need you. That was written by a woman. Who is a mother at the time. Young mother at the time and she was overwhelmed by the daily tasks of the day and she wrote the hymn Lord, I need you. We persist in prayer because God has set a day when he will judge the living. And the dead by the man, he has appointed.
Noticed that emphasis on the end times, I tell you he will give Justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the son of man comes, will he find faith on Earth? So he's he correlating, he will give Justice to them speedily and the son of man coming. Will he find faith on the Earth from our perspective and maybe a long time? But forgot from God's perspective, it speedily So what we're going to do here is we're going to look at the text and we're going to look at the sketch of the two characters, I want to give you some background, and then we're going to look at for contrast and I know what you're thinking, you're thinking for sermon points, that's longer than three. Hopefully, it won't be.
We're going to look at 2 to sketches of the characters and then look at the contrast which shows us who God is amen. We want to turn our eyes to who God is.
We don't come to church till 2 to remember who the worship leader. Is who the Sunday school teacher is? Who the pastor is? We come to church because we want to remember who God is. Amen. That's why we're here. So, where you look at two characters here. So first the Widow, the Widow is a picture of vulnerability. The laws in the Mosaic law, end of the Old Testament made special provision for for widows. You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless, child Exodus, 22, 22 and then Psalm 68 verse 5, father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. It's up. It's implying an attribute of God. This is who God is, he is the father of the fatherless and the protector of widows.
Now, we're not told of this Widow is Rich or poor in this Parable, but in general, the situation of a widow in Jesus day would have been one of dependence upon others. Remember the Widow's offering the Widow's Mite where Jesus commands, the woman who gives the two coins into the offering and he says this woman gave out of her at all. She had to live on these other people gave out of their abundance. So, we do, would have been someone who would probably dependent upon others for her livelihood. A widow would legally take the place of the husband in a legal proceeding. But in this case, the opponent is not required to appear. So she had, she had the the right to appeal to the judge. But the opponent is not required to appear, so it's probably a monetary matter and not a criminal matter. And notice. Also, she had no one to advocate for her. She had to go herself.
And so the Mosaic law because of these types of scenarios the Mosaic law gave protections for widows Deuteronomy 24. We're going to look at the Book of Ruth next week and talk about the practice of gleaning. And the idea that there was a practice among the people of Israel that they would win when they harvested the field, they would leave portions. If there was any extra any leftover pieces that they missed, leave that for the widows and the orphans to collect from the Harvest. So that was one of the provisions in the Old Testament law.
So she didn't have anyone to speak up for her. Didn't have an advocate. Didn't have a defense attorney so to speak, but she's going right to the judge. That was her only recourse. What about the unjust judge? What's the picture of him? Well, he's not a very decent guy. It says he had no fear of God. He did not respect man. Probably a gentile judge cuz this is not referring to a Jewish proceeding it within the religious setting. This is probably in the, in the Gentile setting Roman setting It's so he's the kind of guy who wakes up on the wrong side of the bed in the morning.
He was probably disinterested in the Widow's case. Who are you again? What's your complaint? Didn't I see you before? Didn't I refer you out to somebody else? Next.
but then, he gives in Because she keeps bothering me. I will give her justice so that she will not beat me down with her. Coming with her continual coming. Why does he give in
Why does he give in? He's had it. He gives in out of selfish interest. The verb there, the word for beat me down. Is the verb hoopoe piazzo. Said it with an Italian accent, but that's not really a Greek. Hupo piazzo. The word hoop, opian. Hoopoe the Greek prefix. Hypo means under the word who poke on means the part under the eye.
I don't want her to keep coming and give me a black eye damage my reputation. That's the that's the idiom that the text is using here.
He gives in out of self-interest. And so, look how Jesus contrast, God the Father with the judge versus seven and eight 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 the Earth? Of course, God will give them Justice. Will not God, give Justice to his elect to cry to him Day and Night Like This Widow who came to the judge. Of course he will. Will he delay like the unjust judge know, he will give them justices speedily in his time. Who is the god? We are praying to. We see it in for contrast. Let me give you the for contrast quickly. Unlike the unjust judge. We pray to God whose character is perfect. Unchanging, and always righteous. The unjust judge didn't care, didn't fear. God didn't care about men.
Just cared about himself. Unlike the unjust judge. We pray to God whose character is perfect. Unchanging, and always righteous. Our Father who is in heaven. Hallowed be your name Your kingdom come, your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven. God, you have no rivals. You are perfect in goodness and righteousness and Justice and peace personified in Jesus Christ. It's a lord. I can rely on your faithfulness when I pray to you because you are trustworthy. You are steadfast. Unlike the unjust judge. We pray to God whose character is perfect. Let me think about this. God never gets hacked. His password can never be broken in a sentence. He's not up there fretting over what some people might do. He can't ever lower his perfect standards, that is the god who we pray to when we say God almighty.
Unlike the unjust judge, we pray to God who is perfect in character unchanging and always right is that is a reason to keep praying. Amen. That is a reason to keep persisting in prayer. Secondly, unlike the unjust judge. Who acted selfishly. God's motives are always pure and for our ultimate good. That's where the doubt Creeps in for me. God. What? What are your motives? What it? What are you? What are you doing in my life? I would only like good things. I don't want those difficult things. So when we doubt God's goodness, when we doubt God's motive that leads to sin. Either sending our belief or sending our actions but unlike the unjust judge, you acted. Selfishly. God's motives are always pure scholar Simon kistenmacher wrote this in a book on The Parables of Jesus talking about this Parable, he said the judge listened to the Widow for the wrong reason to get her off his back. God, listens to his people because he loves them and vindicates their cause. The judge act selfishly, but God acts on behalf of his people. Now the word elect here is not emphasizing in this context, God's choosing of individuals for salvation. It is emphasizing the certainty of final judgment and the urgency of belonging to God. Will he not will not God, give Justice to his elect to cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give them Justice to them, speedily Nevertheless when the son of man comes, will he find faith on the earth? Eternity is right at the door. My friends. me this past August, we had to Gentleman, one of the dads at Grace Christian School that idea had just talked to you at corrine's right after before Corinne's graduation, last May I think it was 56 years old died of a heart attack. With another gentleman is, that's in the grace dad's group, who was found to have cancer right up against his between his heart and his lung. And miraculously God provided for him provided of surgeon at Duke and he was able to recover from that and is in his meeting with the dad's monthly. I can't make sense of that. But eternity is right at the door. There is urgency in what Jesus is saying. The urgency of belonging to God. It is emphasizing the certainty of final judgment. Peter and Acts chapter 10, says this, when he is called to Cornelius his house, he tells corneos. And he commanded, he, Jesus commanded us to preach to the people. And to testify that he Jesus is the one appointed by God to be the judge of the living, and the dead to him all the prophets, bear witness that everyone who believes in him receive forgiveness, in his name, forgiveness of sins, through his name,
What's the what's the first right after John 3:16?
Do we recognize that there are consequences to rejecting Christ? John 3:16. We've seen it, we've heard it for God, so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him. Should not perish, but have eternal life. For God, did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Listen to verse 18, whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he is not believed in the name of the only son of God. There are consequences to rejecting Christ. And so Jesus is giving his disciples the urgency here. Say when the son of man comes, it's it's not a matter of. If the son of man comes it's a matter of when the son of man comes referring to Jesus.
Everyone here to have confidence on the day of judgement. Needs to acknowledge as the Apostle, John wrote that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the Living, God to Bow before him, and ask for the Forgiveness of your sins, and New Life. Buzz is Holy Spirit. 1st John chapter 5 he who has the Son of God has life. He who does not have, the son does not have life.
To have the sun. Is the only way to know that God's motives towards you are always loving and kind.
To have the sun. Is the only way to know to be sure that God's motives towards you are always loving and kind was reading a Blog yesterday about talking about how gen Z is this rediscovering these old hymns that the church has had for hundreds of years. And I thought well, I know a few old hymns, Isaac watts, and Charles Wesley, and Jonathan Wesley, and let's lot. So I want to see what the list was. The king of love. My shepherd is on Psalm 23. It's a couple different newer versions of it, but it's a traditional hymn, the king of love. My shepherd is Jesus is the Good Shepherd who is also our King? Amen. And so we come to God the Father through Christ.
Third contrast. Unlike the unjust judge God's disposition is one of attentive father and he answers is people gladly
the unjust judge gets more disinterested the more and more the Widow comes to him until he finally gives in No, not you again. Get a life. Don't you have anything better to do? Stop. You're annoying me. You're making me look bad. I never things like that about when we pray. I remember reading a short little essay. That said, 10 things that Jesus will never say to you. And one of them was, I don't have time for you. Jesus will never say that. Because he is eternal. He is omnipotent. He is omniscient.
He always listens to our prayers.
God is Not annoyed when we pray to him, God is Not predisposed to say no. According to some, a policy that he has in place. God does not finally give in to our prayers as the unjust judge finally gave in, you know, one of the most encouraging verses in the book of Exodus. Right before God Appears to Moses at the burning bush. Exodus chapter 2.
The end of Exodus chapter 2. During those many days, the king of Egypt died in the people of Israel. Groaned, because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery. Came up to God, God heard, they're groaning God remember his Covenant with Abraham, Isaac. And Jacob, God, saw the people of Israel and God knew. That's who God is. He knows the suffering of his people. He remembers his Covenant, he hears your groaning. He sees you in the midst of whatever you're going through. Amen that is who God is. That's the father. We come to.
He does not finally just relent to our prayers because we've been asking him for a long time. No see sees every heartache. What are the song says you have kept my tears in your bottle? Have you have not, you have you not collected my tears in your bottle?
The final contrast is that unlike the unjust judge who had no relationship with the Widow, we pray to God who is our heavenly father through Christ? Who is our Defender, our advocate, That's something that I realized after. I reread through this Parable is that the woman didn't have an advocate, the Widow didn't have an advocate. She didn't have a relative to go with her to appeal to the judge, but who is our Advocate before the father? It's Jesus. Jesus is our Defender.
Notice that the Widow need both an advocate and a judge. Four on her side. And in Jesus Christ we have an advocate who goes before the father 1st. John Chapter 2 verses 1 and 2 says this. My little children. I am writing these things to you so that you may not send. But if anyone does sin we have an advocate. We have a Defender with the father. Jesus Christ. The righteous he is the propitiation for our sins. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins and not owe, not four hours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
He is our advocate. He's the one who goes to the father on our behalf when we pray, we don't, we don't have to think that were alone. Praying, because Jesus is our Advocate before the Father. The scripture says that Jesus intercedes for us. At the right hand of the Father, the scripture says that the holy spirit, intercedes for us with words and groans that we can express went, when we don't know what to pray in, Romans chapter 8.
He is our advocate.
Let me show you a picture.
This is Lake Killarney in Killarney National Park in Southwest Ireland. Never been there, but looked it up on Google Maps.
Listen to this story. Edward, Ferrell of Detroit, took his two week vacation to Ireland, to celebrate his favorite uncle's, 80th birthday. On the morning of that great day Ed and his uncle got up Before Dawn. Dressed in silence and went for a walk along the shores of Lake Killarney. Just as the sun was Rising, his uncle turned and stared straight at the rising orb. And Stood Beside him for 20 minutes with not a single word exchanged. Then his elderly Uncle began to Skip Along the shoreline a radiant smile on his face. After catching up with him, Ed commented. Uncle Seamus Uncle, Seamus you look very happy. Do you want, do you want to tell me why?
Yes, lad. The old man said here's washing down his face. You see? The father is fond of me. My father is very, so very fond of me.
The father is fond of us when we know Jesus Christ. And we can come to him because we know his disposition toward us is one that is good.
I would not be, I would be remiss. If I didn't mention verse 8, where Jesus says, nevertheless will the sun emit when the son of man comes? Will he find faith on the earth Scholars? Kind of debate whether whether that's anticipating a negative answer or a positive answer? Some say, well, Jesus is asking that question with the anticipated answer, of course, he will and some Scholars say, he's asking that to Spur faith.
Meaning, make sure that you have faith, when the son of man comes, make sure that you are doing God's. Will when the son of man comes Revelation chapter 6, verses 9 through 10, gives us a picture of those who have given their lives for the Lord. The martyrs when he opened the fifth seal I saw under the altar, The Souls of those who have been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne they cried out with a loud voice, o Sovereign Lord holy and true how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the Earth. Brothers and sisters eternity is right at the door.
When the son of man comes, will he find faith on the Earth? May he find us continually seeking him continually praying to him. Continually asking him for his holy spirit strength in our lives. Let's pray.
