Luke 18:1-8 - The Parable of the Persistent Widow

We continue on this morning in our sermon series in the Book of Luke in the Gospel of Luke today looking at the persistent Widow the persistent Widow in this morning. I want to begin right off the bat with the main idea. What's the main idea of this teaching that Christ is using the parable of the persistent Widow. Well, here's how I would articulate the main idea of this passage. Since God is just and compassionate we should persevere in prayer for his Justice to come. Since God is just and compassionate we should persevere in prayer for his Justice to come, you know, before we even get into the introduction. It's just amazing to me how gracious God is in his providential care for the church how gracious he is and using the sequential expositional preaching of scripture that we do here to bring a boat timely messages for the care of the church. It's interesting this morning that Justice is a prominent theme. In the passage were considering before the world is created God saw that and saw our time in history and knew that these words in the Gospel of Luke would be considered bias this morning. I think that's a beautiful thing. So, let's get started. Let's talk about Justice. The English terms for righteousness and Justice are different words in the English language, but both in the Hebrew Old Testament and in the Greek New Testament, there is only one word group Behind These two English terms righteousness and Justice until God's righteousness or Justice means that God always acts in accordance with what is right and is himself the final standard of what is right. With respect to the definition means we may I ask what is right or what is just in other words what ought to happen? And what ought to be an answer to that question is whatever conforms to God's moral character is right and just whatever conforms to God's moral character is right and just because God is a final standard of righteousness God is the final standard of justice. And therefore for there can be no standard of righteousness or Justice outside of God. He himself is the final standard. So when we say God is just we are saying that God conforms to his own standard, which is somewhat redundant because it's akin to saying God is God and when we say we are praying for his Justice. When we say we are praying for his Justice to come we are saying we want all things we want every single thing to be conformed to God's standard of righteousness and we are indicating that ultimately only he can accomplish this. Dutch Theologian Herman bavinck indicates God's righteousness, is that by which he equitably and just leave indicates the righteous and condemns the wicked and that's precisely what this passage is dealing with and this parable when we say we are to persist or persevere in prayer for God's justice. We are saying that we should continually pray that rights dismiss and the righteous are Vindicated and that wickedness and the wicked are condemned and judge. That's what we mean. That's what the Bible means so with that idea of justice and righteousness in our mind. Let's go to God's word. Let's read together from the 18th chapter of Luke verses 1 through 8.

Luke 18 verses 1 through 8 And he told them a parable to the effect. They ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said in a certain city. There was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man, and there was a widow in that City who kept coming to him and saying give me Justice against my adversary for a while he refused but afterward he said to himself do I need to fear God no respect a man yet because this Widow keeps bothering me. I will give her justice so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming and the Lord said here with the righteous judge sense and will not God give Justice to his elect who cry to him day and night will he delay long over then? I tell you he will give Justice to them speedily. Nevertheless when the son of man comes will he find faith on Earth? Join with me in prayer.

Good and gracious Heavenly Father. We thank you for this beautiful morning. We thank you for the blue skies, and the sun is shining. But thank you for the warm temperatures. Let me thank you that we have an opportunity this morning to come to your word and though it's not in the way that we would prefer. We recognize that you are sovereign and that you are Dane all things that come to pass. And so we look to you even in this circumstance as a good god a God who is worthy of Praise The God Who we thank we come to you needy this morning Father. We come to you Nene and we asked for your help. We ask that is we come to your word this morning. Would you by your Holy Spirit? Use it to change us use it to conform us to the image of Christ. Help us understand what your word is saying and teaching. Help us to love what your word is saying in teaching. Help us to apply it in our lives we can't do this without you and specifically father God I pray for your help this morning that you would help me to communicate your word and the truth there in in a way that is faithful and helpful to those ends.

We pray that you would help us to see Jesus help us to get a clear understanding of the Gospel this morning. Again apart from your spirits. We recognize that won't happen. We ask all of these things in the precious name of Christ. Amen. Well this morning we're going to go fairly quickly through the particulars and the point of this Parable so that we can get onto the practice of what it teaches. So what are the particular is? Well, we see that we have a judge who is very likely a Jew and a powerful Jew at that. He is a judge that has a reputation. However, his reputation is that he is not compassionate his reputation is that he doesn't fear God his reputation is that he doesn't respect men or people And so we see that this judge along with that reputation is described by Jesus as unrighteous. And therefore we can also say he is unjust we also have a widow who would be Jewish who brings this judge. I dispute a dispute which most likely involved some sort of financial distress in which she can't care for herself or is having difficulty caring for herself. This Widow is notably persistent. She's notably persistent and petitioning the judge to get relief from her adversary in regards to the situation. Now the judge wanting to avoid the hassle that this woman represents the judge though. He is unjust and unrighteous though. He doesn't fear God. He doesn't respect man, and he isn't compassionate just because of the hassle he vindicates her. And we see that her persistent petitioning. Bring success.

That's the particulars of this Parable. What's the point? Well, in this case, it's interesting because Jesus makes it very clear what the point is. It's Luke's word in words and verse one. So either Jesus makes it clear before he tells the parable. If for some reason Luke inspired by God makes it clear what the point of this Parable is, right when we start and he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. That's the point of the parable. It's stated explicitly. We seeing verses 6 through 8. We also get applications and the Lord said here what the unrighteous judge says and will not God give Justice to his elect Who Cried unto him day and night Willie Delaine long over them. I tell you he will give Justice to them speedily nevertheless when the son of man comes he will he find faith on Earth another believer or the disciple is meant to identify with the Widow to identify with her persistence in prayer and Seeking Justice. Idisciple should pray persistently for the justice of God to come. Don't understand is praying persistently means praying continually not continuously. It means praying again and again and again, it doesn't be praying all the time. And the ultimate request is for God's justice. And for God's return because it's God's return that will bring complete and final Justice. So despite persecution despite possible delays. The disciple is to pray. This requires patience this requires perseverance. We are to not grow weary. We are to not lose hope in this Pursuit and then it is prayer. Vindication is Promised Believers will receive justice, but we need to understand that that Vindication hasn't already and not yet Dynamic to it. Some of our prayers for justice will be answered now and in our lifetime. Some only be realized at the return of Christ when he comes to judge the world. We also need to take note that ultimately Vindication is only promised for God's elect for his chosen people for his family.

And finally there is evidence of faithfulness in a disciples. Like what is that evidence the evidence? Is that when the son of man returns You continued to pray for justice and you continue to hope for his return that is evidence or a sign of the faithfulness of the disciple. And so that was the particulars and the point of the parable and we got through that fairly quickly. I want to spend the majority of our time on the Practical. I want to look at this practically in and give you some practical application in regards to this parable of the persistent Widow. now holistic application scripture at least according to Matthew Harmon and some of you may recognize that name Matthew Harmon was a commentator on the book of Philippians that I used extensively when we went to that book He suggests that holistic application can be achieved by considering passages in regards to four areas belief understanding Desiring and doing that is when we engage with a passage of scripture. We can apply it by asking ourselves for questions. 1 what does God want me to believe? To what does God want me to understand? 3 what does God want me to desire? And for what? Does God want me to do believe understand desire and do buddy? You know what I and added a y to those letters and it stands for the buddy system of application to help you. Remember the buddy system of application. What does God want me to believe? What does God want me to understand? What does God want me to desire? And what does God want me to do and the y stands for yes Lord, because that's going to be a response as we look how to apply God's word to our life. So let's use that system and look at this Parable to see how we might apply at this morning be what does God want me to believe God wants us to believe that he is just and compassionate. and think of your life and think of the things that you've been through a think of how often you have been tempted to think otherwise The thing either that God isn't just or that he's not compassionate merciful and love it. we need to believe that God is just and compassionate God's word is clear on this.

Looking out Psalm 116 verses 1 through 5. We get a clearer picture of this. This is a great 5 versus that sort of stand behind this Parable in this teaching of Jesus. We read I Love the Lord because he has heard my voice and my pleas for Mercy because he is inclined his ear to me. Therefore. I will call on him as long as I live the snares of death and Compass me the pangs of shingle laid hold of me. I suffered distress and anguish then I called on the name of the Lord. Oh Lord. I pray deliver. My soul. Gracious is the Lord and righteous. Our God is merciful. As we hear about the righteousness of God are mine should be thinking justice as well as we think about them or hear about the mercy of God. We should be thinking about his great compassion towards us. God is just and compassionate know. Where is this seen more brilliantly the more gloriously than in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and we read Romans chapter 3 verses 21 through 26. We again get a picture of the justice and righteousness and the compassion and mercy of God. Starting verse 21, but now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law although the law and the prophets bear witness to it the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe for there is no distinction for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified by his grace as a gift. Who the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood to be received by faith. Do we see the mercy of God we see the compassion of God because all had sending all had fallen short, but in his grace and his mercy and his compassion. We were Justified as a gift. All goes on to say this was to show God's righteousness. You can also say this was to show God's justice because in his Divine forbearance, he had passed over for more since it was to show his righteousness at the present time so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. What a glorious picture of a just and compassionate God. God is just in the demands of his Justice and righteousness mean that all Injustice and all unrighteousness will be judged. But God is also compassionate and merciful and has a made a way for those who are under his judgment. And that's all Humanity all have sinned. He has made a way for them to come out from under that judgment to be counted righteous and eventually to be Vindicated. This is the gospel. This is the good news that because of Jesus Christ those who repent of their unrighteousness and their unjustness and those acts which are represented which we call send those who repent of those things and put their faith and trust in Christ They will receive the benefits of the Salvation that he works when he died on the cross for their sins and rose from the dead. They will avoid the Judgment for their in justices and their unrighteousness. They will be declared righteous and just by God with the very righteousness and Justice of Christ. And eventually they will be Vindicated. Let me encourage you if you have never put your faith in Christ. If you don't consider yourself a Christian, if you are an unbeliever, let me encourage you to admonish you this morning. You are under God's judgement as a sinner as all humans are. But you can Avail yourself of Christ work by turning from your sin and putting your faith in him. God wants us to believe that he is just and compassionate. God also wants us to believe that he answers our prayers for his Justice to come again. We are tempted to not believe this truth. 2nd Peter 3 verse 9 and 10 says the Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness but his patients were you not wishing that any should perish but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief and a Heavens will pass away with a roar in the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved and the are in the works that are done on it will be exposed. God will answer the prayers for justice. He wants us to believe that And he wants us to believe that she will answer them quickly.

That quickly is a difficult one.

in this day and age where we are experiencing what we have in North America and all over the world over the past couple of weeks. I can understand why generations of our black brothers and sisters would say really he's bringing Justice quickly.

I can understand. Whereas in our continent millions and millions of children in the womb are aborted and kill that people would ask the question really is his Justice coming quickly.

in a world where tens of thousands of women adult and children are trafficked for the person purposes of sex for years and years one might ask This is Justice really coming quickly.

Brothers and sisters we have to trust God's word on this. We have to trust that God's word is true and at the end of days. when we see all things clearly We will see that our prayers for justice. Were answered quickly and I know that's hard to believe right now, but we have to trust God's word on it when we see things as Christ sees them as God sees them when we have his perspective. We will recognize

But he answered the prayers for justice and he answered them quickly. What does God want me to believe in regards to this passage? He wants us to believe that he is just and compassionate. And that God answers prayers for justice. Let's move on to you. What does God want me to understand? He wants us to understand that Injustice is unacceptable. that there are no Injustice has which we should be okay with

one area that we can apply this text and grow in our understanding is that Injustice is unacceptable in regards to racism. The recent events from the past several weeks including the death of George Floyd in the custody of police have again raised. This issue worldwide is something we should consider when I say racism Racism is an explicit or implicit feeling or belief or practice that values one group of people over others or devalued one group beneath others based primarily on physical appearance. That is the reason for favoring one group or Des favoring another are things like skin color and facial features and hair type. We need to understand God wants us to understand that any shred of racist inclination in our heart is unacceptable. We need to understand that the smallest action motivated by the slightest racist rationale is unacceptable. We need to understand God wants us to understand that to whatever degree any feeling belief or practice that we have or commit would you values or default use others based on their physical appearance is lived out in our lives. God wants us to understand that this is unacceptable. . We need to understand this church. We need to understand this brothers and sisters. I understand in light of the complexity of things that are going on you might have other questions in your mind. You might be thinking where is the evidence that this action by this police officer was motivated by racism. I want you to take that. It's a legitimate discussing but set it aside for now. You might be bringing up ideas that rioting and looting is also in Justice. That's a fair point. But I want you to take that idea and set it aside for a moment. You might be thinking and bring to mind the fact that George Floyd was on drugs at the time of his arrest and he had a criminal record. These things may be true. I want you to set that aside. It's it's a discussion that can be hide and should be happy. But in this moment, we need to understand clearly. that racism even a little bit any inclination towards it is unacceptable because it is Injustice. And we realized that God wants us to understand this because scripture is clear on this. Genesis 1 verses 26 and 27 reminds is that all people are created equal in the image and likeness of God and are therefore equal in value and dignity and work. John 3:16 reminds us that God loved the world so much that he sent his son to lay down his life for people from every single ethnic group for every person who would trust in him regardless of their physical features. We know this from scripture Romans, 2:11 and Ephesians. 6:9. God does not show partiality or favoritism and neither should we We know this from Luke 10:27. We are called to love our neighbors as ourselves. regardless of what our neighbors look like in Ephesians, 2:14 Jesus Christ destroyed the dividing wall of hostility between all men. So I recognize Church. In light of current events that there is much disagreement in the many facets of the issues that we're dealing with in this day and there are many disagreements even among God-fearing Disciples of Christ, but let us understand as God wants us to that racism is unacceptable because Injustice is unacceptable.

I believe that's what God would have us understand from this passage this morning.

Let's move on. We've been through believe what does God want us to believe understand? What does God want us to understand? Let's go to D. What does God want me and you to desire as we consider this passage and I believe that God want us to desire to be found faithful. I should be a desire that we have.

Now we're the past few weeks. I have been. Reading a book of fiction probably for the fourth or fifth time called the road by Cormac McCarthy, and I've been reading it with several men from the church. One of the most compelling aspects of this book for me comes from the main character who's referred to as the man or Papa by his son and one of the things that is so appealing and compelling about this story in about this character. Is that his ground for surviving the apocalypse that they're living through and his ground and motivation for saving his son is that he wants to be found safe. Play read a passage from this book. When it was light enough to use the binoculars, he glass the valley below everything paling away into the Merc the soft ass blowing and blue swirls over the blacktop. He studied what he could see the segments of the road there among the dead trees looking for anything of color any movement any trace of standing smoke. He lowered the glasses and pulled down to Cotton mask from his face and wiped his nose on the back of his wrist and then glass the country again. Then he just sat there holding the binoculars and watching the action daylight congeal over the land. He knew only that the child was his warrant. Is he understood that he was responsible for this child and he was to be found faithful a little later on in the story after the boy was nearly killed by another man the father explains his calling to his sons To his son. He said I should have been more careful. He said the boy didn't answer. You have to talk to me. Okay, you wanted to know what the bad guys look like. Now, you know it may happen again. My job is to take care of you. I was appointed to do that by God. I will kill anyone. Who touches you. The man in the story of spends all of his energy all of his will power all of his thoughts all of his words. So as to be found faithful to his calling to care for his son that is such a compelling message to me will brothers and sisters this morning. Every fiber of our being should pulsate with the desire to be found faithful. Does that question ever even occur to you to ever ask yourself? Will I be found faithful?

Jesus in this teaching ask a rhetorical question nevertheless when the son of man comes will he find faith on Earth? the point of that question is to convey the idea that we better be found faithful at the return of the son of man because when he comes he will bring God's justice with him and he will bring the wrath of God's Judgment of wickedness and it will fall on the Unfaithful. So we need to be found faithful.

That's what God would want us to desire as we read this passage. We should desire to be found faithful. Finally, what does God want me to do we hide what does God want me to believe? What does God want me to understand? What does God want me to desire? What does God want me to do he want you to persistently pray. Are there is a backlash in our society against the offering of thoughts and prayers as a condolence when tragedies strike and when large and justices take place. It is common or at least was common on social media when a tragedy would occur whether that was a mass shooting or a natural disaster. Or even something like the death of George Floyd which raises the Specter of racism on a national International level. It was common for people to respond by sending our thoughts and prayers to those going through the difficulty. The backlash against that could be seen play it plainly take for instance the front page of the New York daily news the New York daily news after a mass shooting in San Bernardino where 14 civil servants were killed. The day later the New York daily news had a headline on its front page. The surrounding the headline where pictures were screenshots of politicians who had tweeted in regards to the mass shooting our thoughts and our prayers are with you. We send our thoughts and our prayers. Do you know what the headline was? Big Capital bold letters God isn't fixing this.

God isn't fixing this don't send your thoughts and your prayers. That's where our society is that. But let me suggest you this morning brothers and sisters. If God isn't fixing it. It isn't going to get fixed. We need to disregard suggestions that we don't send our prayers. We need to persist in prayer specifically in regards to Injustice and specifically in regards to Injustice. We see in our lives and our societies and in our world. Any sentiment suggesting that we not pray or that we stop praying about these things is an ungodly anti-christian idea that is contrary to Christ explicit command In this passage we persist in prayer we persist and praying for God's justice to come tour.

Now this passage doesn't say only pray. It doesn't say that but it does say always pray.

So that's what God wants us to do. Is the persist in prayer to persist in praying that these unjust Injustice has would end and that God's justice justice would come come to earth now and that Christ will return and bring the justice and righteousness of God with him for eternity. in light of the clear indication In this passage that we are too persistent prayer in regards to Injustice. I'm going to ask you to join with me in a prayer of lament in regards to what we are dealing with as a country as a society and as the as a world right now, will you join with me in prayer?

Oh Lord, how long will your church be divided along racial lines? How long will the lingering effects of animosity Injustice and pride Mark your blessed Brian how long the Lord will I wait brothers and sisters not understand the pain and those who experience is different than our How long the Lord will our minority brothers and sisters struggle with distrust and feel ostracized? God grant us the heart to weep with those who weep give us empathy and understanding create trust where there is pain make your church the United bride you want her to be Oh God these divisions of mistrust in historical bias Run Deep. Without you nothing will ever change. In our pain and in our weariness, we express our hope that Jesus can change our hearts and unite the church. We believe the gospel is greater than our division and we long for the day when the world will take note of how we the church love each other. So help us to meet each other in this prayerful Journey help us to learn to lament here. It says we week together that we might walk together in the name of Jesus our King. We pray amen. That prayer was a prayer written by one of the authors who published a book on the mint with Crossway publishers. You can look it up there on their webpage to wonderful little prayer.

Let me finish this morning by summarizing the Practical aspects. Of what we have looked at.

Let's use the buddy system. Let's think about this and terms of applying B. What does God want me to believe God wants us to believe that he is just and compassionate and that he answers prayer for his Justice to come. You what does God want me to understand? God wants me to understand an injustice is unacceptable and specifically racism is unacceptable. D. What does God want me to desire God wants me to desire to be found faithful. 2nd D. What does God want me to do he wants me to persistently pray that his Justice would come and that Christ would return.

Why do all of these things we say? Yes, Lord, and as an affirmation of our yes, Lord. Let me share this quote by a commentator on the Book of Luke that I have found helpful. His name is tabiti and your boy Lee. And this is what he says on this passage in his commentary on Luke. The parable repeatedly mentions Justice for several years. We have heard so much about Justice. We have witnessed so many please and demonstrations for justice artax reveals the connection between the prayers of the elect and the answer of Justice from God the surest way to get Justice in this world is for God's people or story for God's people is not by marching. The marching may have its place the surest way to achieve Justice in this world is not by protest signs. Those Also may be appropriate the surest way to find Justice is Never by rioting and burning down your own neighborhood. Justice comes most surely by Falling on her knees with our heads bad when God Justice comes it will be perfect proportionate and balanced pray for justice. We do more on our knees with their voices lifted in prayer. Then we doing our feet marching with our voices lifted in protest. We ought to protest in right just causes that demand it but we are never to protest without praying before during and after. brothers and sisters I hope The. Summary of the applications from this Parable is helpful to you. And I pray that with the help of the Holy Spirit you will apply these things to your life. The Lord be with you.