Sermon Tone Analysis
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The parable we just read today is one that’s either referred to as…
The Unjust Judge or The Persistent Widow
or
The Persistent Widow
The Persistent Widow
At first, when I heard it was going to be Children’s Sabbath I thought “man this parable is perfect”
If anyone knows anything about nat giving up and asking the same questions over and over again it’s children!
Now children, don’t think we’re picking on you guys, I mean us parents say the same thing over and over again too, don’t we?
“Pick up your room, Do your homework, Why aren’t you wearing pants, What did your mom tell you”… things like that.
But seriously, today we’re going to look at a parable that has some similarities and some differences in what you might find in Jesus’ other parables.
Just before today’s text Jesus is instructing his followers on what will happen in the end of time and how God will judge quickly in the end.
As I preached two weeks ago about their possible struggles with FORGIVENESS and lacking FAITH.
They are then told that the Kingdom of God cometh with no observation.
Or as mentioned in Matthews Gospel, “like a thief in the night” ()
Jesus’s return was the topic right before today’s scripture.
So Jesus was sticking with what was quickly becoming important and shared words that they needed to hear.
Jesus Christ was faced with a crowd where he was instructing them on the importance of prayer.
Just how important was prayer to the Lord?
So important that for the first time in all of the parables that Jesus told… he tells them the POINT of the parable at the beginning!
All other parables Jesus tells them at the END of the parable.
But this one, he doesn’t waste any time, gets straight to the point.
POINT ONE
Makes known right away, that we are to pray.
Wouldn’t it be nice if LIFE was as kind and thoughtful and upfront like Jesus was for this parable?
Could you imagine going to school and the teacher telling you up front “This won’t be on the test”
or you start a relationship with someone and they tell you “Yeah, 6 months tops”
or you go to buy a house and the realtor says “there’s mold in the attic that you’ll overlook until about 4 years into your mortgage”
or you go in for a job interview and they say “can you start today?
Because we hired a guy yesterday and we’ve already fired him because this is a terrible job…”
No, life isn’t like that.
You typically have to go through the process of learning before you ever find out the answer!
A test produces a testimony.
So for Jesus to tell us up front what it is he’s wanting us to know before he even starts the parable; means it’s pretty important.
We should listen up!
Should probably take it serious; he just mentioned a similar parable earlier in Luke.
(Luke 15:5-11)
How Much More may people of faith trust in God for vindication….
Much like the parable he taught after he taught them HOW to pray…
Luke 15:5-11
friend who knocks in the middle of the night
needs bread
kids are asleep
Basically says, “I am not about to wake my kids up to get you some bread”
(Guaranteed next time that friend comes over there’ll be a sign that says “GLUTEN FREE HOUSEHOLD” on the door….
Just saying!)
The friend gave in though.
Like the judge we read about today, who caved.
Not because of friendship, but because of brashness (the request was heard)
The judge caved in due to her annoyance and pestering.
The judge is thinking “HOW MUCH MORE CAN I TAKE FROM THIS WOMAN!!”
We as Christians ask “How much more…..” As well.
But ours is different, when we understand this parable.
HOW MUCH MORE….
Can we trust God to hear our prayers.
For God is a good God.
That parable goes on to say that …
“Which father among you would give a snake to your child if the child asked for a fish? 12 If a child asked for an egg, what father would give the child a scorpion?”
As evil as WE are, as FAR FROM PERFECT that we are….
Even WE would not do that to our children whom we love.
Again, HOW MUCH MORE … will God do for his children who seek after him.
He will not wait to be worn down, he hears us immediately.
It’s his answers that we don’t always agree with.
If he says no, we have an option.
Give up.
Keep praying.
God sometimes answers us in ways we don’t want to hear.
“No”
“Not now”
“Wait, I’ve got a better timing for this”
or
“Well, how about THIS instead”
It’s up to us to HEAR and COMMUNICATE with God to understand his will.
The thing I think Jesus wants us to take away from this part of the parable is this…
God hears his people.
When you first hear the parable about the unjust judge, you may think “what a minute, who’s the judge in this?
God? Surely not!”
It’s not.
And don’t call me Shirley!
The judge again represents someone who is the complete opposite of God.
Judge is unjust.
God is just.
The judge, the opposite of God, also represent unbelievers in the world too.
Non-believers can help and be good people.
Still capable of doing “good things”.
How many times have you heard, “well, he didn’t believe in God but he was a GOOD person”
Sure, there are going to be plenty of GOOD people who lack a relationship with God when it comes to the quick judgement of God.
Hell will be full of “good people”.
Good doesn’t get you in the front door.
Knowing God does.
People do good, that’s fine, but without the love of God and a relationship with Christ…
They’re doing it for the wrong reason.
The judge wanted her to STOP nagging him.
Still didn’t care all that much about her or her situation.
(Or anyones for that matter)
Yet still gave in.
Still helped serve justice.
He might’ve done GOOD in her eyes, but he still didn’t know God and do it out of his love of God’s people and hope to see justice done.
Again, it was for the wrong reason.
Still capable of doing “good” things.
Don’t do it for God, but for themselves.
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