Luke 18:1-8

Zachary B Horn

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Intro

"Pray for me!” -unruly boy

-Or maybe the Titanic (will divine help arrive too late?)

Read the text

Pray

—The disciples ask of Jesus “Lord, teach us to pray” What follows is the Lord’s prayer

— “Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

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Context:

-preceding chapter dealt with the coming kingdom of God

in 17:20 the pharisees ask when the kingdom will come

after answering them, Christ speaks to the disciples about the kingdom in greater detail from 17:22 on

Observe that we are to pray consistently and without losing heart.

The purpose, the point of the following discourse is not obscure, nor does it take a great deal of hermeneutical or exegetical skill to tease out.

Luke lays it plainly before us, so that the parable and subsequent application is clearly understood in the light of this simple thesis:

“That men always ought to pray and not lose heart.”

this raises some important questions

why are we praying? what are we praying for? why are we at risk of being discouraged?

1. Why are we to always pray?

Luke lays it plainly before us, so that the parable and subsequent application is clearly understood in the light of this simple thesis:

“That men always ought to pray and not lose heart.”

in 17:20 the pharisees ask when the kingdom will come

after answering them, Christ speaks to the disciples about the kingdom in greater detail from 17:22 on

A few thoughts on prayer for this passage:

this is key—it describes both the motive for our praying and the manner in which we are to pray

1. Why are we to always pray?

Our motive for praying in the context of this passage is the reality of persecution in the life of the believer.

We pray out of desires of our hearts

Our manner is that of persistent, patient, persevering prayer.

every day I am not praying for the return of Jesus Christ is a day I am loving the world too much

so that when the desired outcome of our prayer is not immediately forthcoming, we are not turned aside from the project of habitual prayer.

Prayer is an act of faith and an expression of trust

It is an admission that we cannot solve the problems we face on our own—and that we face problems

but what comfort, what peace is ours in prayer!

prayer is that great audience in which we appeal for heavenly resources in the face of earthly perils

From the time of Christ’s ascension until now, no one has lived to realize the second coming of Christ in their lifetime

And since the moment of His ascension, scoffers have been undermining the truth of his return.

2 Peter 3:4 ESV

They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.”

2 Peter 3:3–4 ESV

knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.”

—>Therefore , while this passage is viewed through the lens of prayer, there is a foundational question of whether it is our desire to have the world put right by the return of Jesus Christ and the coming kingdom of God, and if we truly trust that He who has promised will be faithful to do it!

Winston Churchill quote?

-Supposing the answer to both questions is “YES!”, then we must be continually devoted to prayer for the same.

-My passion this morning stems from a conviction from my study this past week that my own life with God in prayer is not sufficiently in step with the will of God for my prayer as revealed in His Word.

2. What are we praying for?

-and if that is true for me, my premise is that may also be a true for one or two of you as well.

Observe the plight of the righteous in the parable of the widow

Back to the parable...

A danger:

Reading too superficially

Some have read this parable to mean “if you ask for something frequently enough, God will have to give it to you.”

the logic goes— “the widow wanted something, she asked over and over, she got it.”

therefore, the key to getting what you want is asking God repeatedly

essentially, if you whine at God enough, He’ll give in

Example: Varuca Salt (Willie Wonka)

I want a party with roomfuls of laughter Ten thousand tons of ice cream And if I don't get the things I am after I'm going to scream! I want the works, I want the whole works! Presents and prizes and sweets and surprises in all shapes and sizes, And now! Don't care how I want it now! Don't care how I want it now!

“I want a party with roomfuls of laughter Ten thousand tons of ice cream And if I don't get the things I am after I'm going to scream! I want the works, I want the whole works! Presents and prizes and sweets and surprises in all shapes and sizes, And now! Don't care how I want it now! Don't care how I want it now!”

The flaw is in the reading—with no regard for the context that reveals the greater spiritual truth that is being illustrated in the parable

it is why we often neglect the second son in the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15)

the first son is loud, rebellious, and lives a colorful life—it is easy to notice him, and make all sorts of modern and relevant applications

But Jesus in that parable is responding to the grumbling Pharisees and scribes who bemoan that “this man receives sinners and eats with them.”

And so in the parable, it is the second son—who is quiet and seemingly obedient, but ultimately shames his father by refusing to come in to feast with his returned brother—who serves as the warning to the Pharisees

Reading too specifically (THIS IS NOT THE RIGHT WORD)

In reading parables you have to remember to keep the main thing the main thing

Sometimes reading theological symbolism into every minutiae of the parable can lead to monstrous distortions and grotesque applications

For example, some commentators have argued that the unrighteous judge is the direct comparison for God in this parable (God doesn’t have to fear God, and He is no respect of persons)

This absurdity fails to recognize that the judge is a contrast to God, not His comparison

Back to the parable...

Two characters are introduced who would be very familiar to a biblical audience

The unrighteous judge

Almost certainly a gentile magistrate

These men were notoriously corrupt

In fact, they were officially called the “Dayyaneh Gezeroth” (meaning judges of punishments) but a play on words was often used to call they Dayyaneh Gezeloth (meaning robber judges)

He is, by description and his own admission, thoroughly morally unfit to administer justice

The Law of God (the law by which justice is measured) hangs on two principles—Loving God and loving neighbor

This man has regard for neither!

The Widow

She is (by nature of being a widow) without a protector/provider in a male-dominated society

She has an adversary—which is itself remarkable (it would be considered a great injustice

Exodus 22:22–24 ESV

You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.

Exodus 22:22–23 ESV

You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry,

Her desire, therefore, is that justice would be done—that she would be delivered from her persecuter and that he would be punished for his evil!

In the absence of a husband or of-age son to care for her, it would have been the responsibility of a male relative or God fearing man to protect her

See Naomi, Ruth, Boaz

Leaves extra gleanings in the field for Ruth

Tells the young men she is under his protection (to leave her alone)

Cover her with his cloak (a protective gesture)

See Job

Job’s “friend” Eliphaz is endeavoring to find a reason for Job’s sufferings, and among the list of moral failings he says Job must be guilty of, he says:

Job 22:9 NKJV

You have sent widows away empty, And the strength of the fatherless was crushed.

Job 22:

to which Job replies

Job 29:13 ESV

The blessing of him who was about to perish came upon me, and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy.

Job 31:18 ESV

(for from my youth the fatherless grew up with me as with a father, and from my mother’s womb I guided the widow),

so this widow apparently has no one in the world to appeal to for protection, no resources of her own to avail herself of protection

surely she can then appeal to the judge to have her just claim vindicated—but he is an unrighteous judge! He doesn’t care for God’s commands and he doesn’t care for her plight!

this is a parable that closely mirrors the truth of reality, if you wonder if we live in a world as unjust as the one of this parable—shortly after this Pilot will release a guilty man and condemn an innocent one without any concern for justice but only for the sake of self-interested expedience

it is the ultimate paradoxical exchange—the murder, one who, while living, takes life from other men, for the One in whose dying gives life to men.

he is self-interested, and so he denies her protection from her adversary

The widow serves as an illustration for the suffering people of God—for those who are being unjustly persecuted because they love the One whom the world hates.

the world hated our Savior and it hates his disciples

It has been the call of the church in every age to suffer for the sake of Jesus Christ

consider her martyrs—thrown to the lions of Rome, burned at the stake as heretics, ruthlessly murdered by pagan tribes in distant lands, hunted down by their own towns for the purpose of honor killings, mercilessly slain in our present day at the hands of the Islamic State.

consider her sufferers—those who have undergone countless beatings and abuses, pastors in Russia and China disfigured and tortured beyond recognition, those who were disowned by family and friends for Christ’s sake, those whose families were dispersed in interment camps, those who languish today in prison in the more than 40 countries whose governments actively persecute Christians.

consider the current ostracizing in our own country—the wholesale rejection of Christian morality, the active attacks on biblical Christianity. Consider the baker being sued for the third time because he will not celebrate sexual unions that God calls sin.

Hebrews 11:32

Hebrews 11:32–39 NKJV

And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented—of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise,

We could add to that list

-the stoning of Steven, the beheading of Paul, the crucifixion of Peter, the burning and stabbing of Polycarp, the burning of John Huss and William Tyndale, the killing of Bonhoeffer, the sacrifice of Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Roger Eudarian, Pete Flemming and Ed Mcully to name a few of the people we know.

the beheading of Paul

And so we are called to pray and do so unceasingly—to seek heavenly resources to confront earthly perils

BUT DO WE PRAY?

“O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer, strong defender of my weary heart, my sword to fight the cruel deceiver, and my shield against his hateful darts, my song when enemies surround me, my hope when tides of sorrow rise, my joy when trials are abounding, Your faithfulness, my refuge in the night.” -O Lord, My Rock and My Redeemer

2. What are we to pray for?

Question: What is it that the widow seeks from the judge? Justice

—> Reading comprehension: Parables

A danger:

Reading too superficially

Some have read this parable to mean “if you ask for something frequently enough, God will have to give it to you.”

the logic goes— “the widow wanted something, she asked over and over, she got it.”

therefore, the key to getting what you want is asking God repeatedly

essentially, if you whine at God enough, He’ll give in

Example: Varuca Salt (Willie Wonka)

to repeat: the widow is seeking justice in an unjust world

as the late writer Terry Pratchett opined: “there is not justice, just us.”

Question: What is it that the elect of God cry to God for day and night? And what does he promise to give them speedily? His justice on earth

Consider the Lord’s prayer—the disciples ask “teach us to pray” and that is the pattern he leaves them

Luke 11:1–4 ESV

Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” And he said to them, “When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.”

how much do we neglect “thy kingdom come, thy will be done”? —and when will this kingdom come in its fulness?

and so our great cry in prayer must be “come quickly, Lord Jesus!”

and this is where I admitted near the outset that I have been convicted in study that my prayer life is not what it ought to be.

3. Why are we in danger of losing heart?

the wicked judge gives justice because he is tired of being bothered

It is easy to become discouraged when we do not get an immediate response. (example of the Battle of Britain)

From the time of Christ’s ascension until now, no one has lived to realize the second coming of Christ in their lifetime

And since the moment of His ascension, scoffers have been undermining the truth of his return.

2 Peter 3:3–4 ESV

and so like the helpless widow begs for justice from her adversary, so we “cry day and night” with the Psalmist “How Long O Lord? Will you forget me forever?” ()

You will conquer every evil thing Every sorrow, pain, and wrong They will cease with Your return, our King How long, O Lord, how long?

the judge prolongs justice from the widow because he cares nothing for God nor anything for mankind—it is only the widow’s persistent effort that spurs his action

in contrast we are sure our judge will give us justice because He IS God and He loves His elect!

We see in this our confidence comes not from the similarity of our situation to that of the parable, but in the contrast of our situation to that of the parable

Like the widow we may be oppressed and afflicted as the people of God in a world that hates him, unlike her we are not without an advocate, protector, or kinsmen redeemer.

Our judge is not unjust, but he is (as Abraham testified) the judge of all the earth who must do what is right, he is the judge to whom Christ committed himself in his moment of passion as the “one who judges justly”

Moment of honest: is our lack of prayer for help from the righteous judge a reflection that we don’t feel the tension of living in an evil world?

Is our cry “How Long O Lord?” or is it more “Take your time, Lord”?

God is longsuffering

that is it may be long from our perspective

but is is mercy from God’s perspective

2 Peter 3:8–13 NKJV

But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

2 Peter 3:8

—He will come speedily!

-same word as in:

Revelation 22:12 NKJV

“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.

You will conquer every evil thing Every sorrow, pain, and wrong They will cease with Your return, our King How long, O Lord, how long?

Revelations 22:12

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What will Christ find?

-When the disciples were tasked to watch and pray, they gave in to their exhaustion

-Will we be found sleeping

When He shall come with trumpet sound, Oh, may I then in Him be found; In Him, my righteousness, alone, Faultless to stand before the throne.