The Persistent Widow

Why the Parables?

To answer the “why” question when it comes to the Parables we have to understand what a Parable is in the first place.

Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary

Parable — a short fictitious story that illustrates a moral attitude or a religious principle

This is a helpful stating point for understanding what the Parables were, but it is not totally accurate to what we find in the parables that Jesus used. For example, while Jesus did tell parables that were stories, he also used parables to draw comparisons to certain realities now that Jesus was on the scene. So parables are examples…they are stories…they are illustrations and comparisons…all of which communicate the truth of God in a way that people in Jesus’ day could understand them.

But ultimately the reason why Jesus taught in Parables was because Jesus was a masterful communicator, teacher, and preacher. Jesus understood the power of stories, metaphors, and similes in teaching.

And the purpose of Jesus utilizing parables was because He was trying to communicate truths that needed to be mulled over. The things that Jesus communicates in the Parables cant be rushed. If you are just looking for a quick fix to a problem or a question you have, the Parables will frustrate the fool out of you.

Imagine for a moment what it would be like if you wanted to teach your kid to clean his room. How would you tell him or her to do that? Most people, obviously, would say something to the effect of, “If you aren't in your room by the time I get to three, you are gonna wish you hadn't been born at all...” But Jesus, in teaching his children to live according to the values of His Kingdom is patient. Instead of giving us to the count of three, he might tell us a story. Something like, “There once was a child that owned a large room. And in that room were many toys that never got picked up. One day the boys father came through the house frustrated that his child never cleaned his room like he had been asked to do, therefore the father threw away every toy the child owned…let the hearer understand.”

In that story, the point was clear, right? That kid better get in that room and start picking up his toys or else…but the

values of the Kingdom of God into the working-man’s vernacular. The Parables are vivid word pictures for normal people that call us to a point of decision. And the decision is to understand how they should live in light of the reality of the Kingdom of God has come in the person of Jesus Christ.

The parables are stories that Jesus used to force people to make a decision. Just like the people who heard these stories from the lips of Jesus, as we hear these stories over the next few weeks, we are going to be faced with a decision. Are we in with who God is calling us to be or are we out?

And that will be the question for us this morning as we approach this parable tradtionally called “The Parable of the Persistent Widow...”

Luke 18:1–8 (ESV)

1 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. 3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’ ” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

I once heard R.C. Sproul give this illustration of this passage…but he actually got the story wrong…so im gonna do something rare this morning and im gonna correct someone who is way smarter than me. (Which finding someone way smater than me isnt all that hard to do…)

In 1941, Sir Winston Churchill the British Prime Minister gave the commencement address to his alma mater of the All-Boys Harrow School. And in this address he said these words, “Never give in, Hever give in. Never, never never. Never in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense.”

Churchill would go on to say other things in this address, but the point was clear. What Churchill was trying to instill into the graduates on that particular spirit was a spirit of grit and perseverance when times get hard. He wanted to teach the students that persistence, tenacity, and resolve in this life—regardless of the hardships that they will undoubtedly face—is a virtue worthy of pursuing.

And this morning, as we hear the words Luke records in his gospel, we hear them in much of the same fashion that the boys at Harrow Academy heard Churchill on October 29th, 1941.

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Because in this passage the Holy Spirit leads Luke to share with us the point of the preceding story that Jesus tells at the beginning of the story in verse 1.

Hear what Luke writes,

Luke 18:1 ESV

1 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.

And so, What Jesus teaches us in this parable we are about to hear is about the necessity of persistent prayer.

In other words…what we need to hear this morning is this…When it comes to putting our hope in Prayer…Never Give In...

Never believe the lie that prayer is ineffective…No matter how bad things may seem to be, no matter the circumstances we face, no matter what comes our way in life…we should always pray and never lose heart.

Question for you…have you ever given up on prayer? Can I be honest with you, I have. I cant even give you any specific example…but I know that there have been moments in my life where I just stopped praying about something because it seemed like my prayers werent making it any further than the ceiling…And I hate to burst your bubble. I know Im a pastor and Im not supposed to ever give up on prayer…but the truth is…before I’m a pastor…Im just a normal person. And you know something about normal people? We lose hope, dont we?

And you know what…that’s why I love this story so much. You see, Jesus understood that we are people who—as the old hymn says—are prone to wonder, prone to leave the God I love…Jesus knew that…and it’s why he told this parable in the first place.

Because Jesus understood in this life: We need to be reminded to be persistent in prayer...

When we are faced with sickness …we need persistent prayer

When facing the inevitable hardships of marriage…we need persistent prayer.

When faced with trouble in our parenting…we need persistent prayer...

When it feels like our prayers are hindered…when it feels like they arent getting past the ceiling…we need persistence in our prayer.

And to teach us about persistence in prayer, Jesus tells us a story about two characters:

The first is a Judge:

Jesus says two things that give us a picture of what type of person this judge is:

He didnt care God

He didnt care about people.

(Look at Verse 2)

Luke 18:2 (ESV)

2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man.

This judge, according to Jesus, didn't at all care about justice in any real since. If you dont care about what God thinks…and you dont care about people…how can you care about justice in any real sense? You cant…this judge is just doing a job. He is just making a paycheck…he isnt concerned about whether or not things are done fairly or right.

And ill be honest…I think we are now at a place in our own culture where we can understand this type of judge…

Because I think we are at a place where we are electing and appointing judges (and justices) that dont care about God.

And they dont care about people.

They just care about doing their job.

They dont stop to ask, “is this ruling right in the eyes of God…?”

This is the kind of man that Jesus describes in this story.

He doesnt love God

He doesnt love people

…therefore…he doesnt care about Justice at all...

The other character in this story is a widow…widows were vulnerable people in a middle eastern first century world. Losing a husband in this time period typically meant that a woman had no finacial support, as most women didnt work. To lose one’s husband also meant that the widow lost protection. Women in these days typically were not given legal rights in the court of law. They were defended by their husbands or their closest male family in the event of becoming a widow.

And in using the example of a widow, Jesus represents all types of people who were poor and defenseless in first century culture…and in our culture today.

The widow had only one resource to plead her case…it wasnt power, it wasnt authority, it wasnt legal representation…it was persistence and patience.

Here is how Jesus describes the widow’s interaction with this incompetent judge:

Luke 18:3–5 (ESV)

3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused...

The first time the widow came to him…he said “Who are you?” Get out of my courtroom… You're a nobody… Quit bothering me...

but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’ ”

Jesus tells us that for awhile the judge refused to listen to the widow...

However, though the judge neither fears God nor respects man…he gives the widow her justice because of her persistence. Her persistence beats down the judge, and so the judge…out of sheer exhaustion…gave the widow what she was asking for just so he could get on with his self-centered life.

The widow decided that if she wasn't going to be important to the judge…she could at least be annoying.

Its like my daughter when she is thirsty…she will let me know.

Some of yall who have been through the 3 year old stage know what Im talking about...

And then if I dont get up to get her something to drink she will more adamantly let me know until I finally get annoyed enough to get up and give her a drink.

She is persistent...

That is what this widow is like in this story...

So what is the point of this story?

Jesus tells us...

Luke 18:6–8 (ESV)

6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily.

The point that Jesus makes is clear: If an ungodly and unjust judge will give justice to a woman that bothers him....How much more will God:

God is a Just Judge…He is eternally concerned with justice.

He is committed to putting all wrongs to right.

He will not ignore the plight of His people…like an unjust judge would.

God doesnt have to have his arm twisted like an unjust judge…he is willing and able to answer the persistent prayers of his people.

So how can we become more persistent in prayer?

We have to realize what this persistent widow realized...

You see, the reason the widow persisted was because she realized just how helpless she was...

She realized that her only hope was her continual asking....

And believe it or not, this is the secret to persistent prayer...

You see…we often believe that those who have it all together are the ones who persist in prayer…but what Jesus teaches us in this parable is the exact oppositte. Those that persist in prayer are not the spiritually strong…persistent prayer is for the weak.

You see…strong Christians do pray more…but they pray more because they realize how utterly weak they are.

Weakness and dependence…it is the channel that leads us to pray.

Prayer is an admission that we are helpless…and that God is the only one that can effect real change....Mature Christians recognize that they have abudant need for more prayer…more mercy… more grace…more justice…AND SO THEY DONT STOP ASKING FOR IT.

Less mature Christians give up…because they dont see how great their need really is...

And so the question that Jesus asked his disciples in this story is the same quesiton that remains for us…v 8.

v8: Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

Will he find the persistent type of faith of a weak and weary widow?

Will he find us to be people who believe that God is a Just Judge…who loves his chosen ones…who persistently pray in faith…knowing that God will speedily do what is right by His beloved?

So...You who have given up on prayer altogether this morning…or if you are about to give up on prayer....I want you to be reminded…God will not delay in hearing your cause…He is infintely better than a worldly judge...

keep praying

keep asking

keep pleading

…God loves your persistence.

...He honors your patience

…he longs to hear your cries for justice, mercy, and grace.

And...You who recognize your weakness this morning…you who see that you are spiritually poor an helpless…like a widow without a representative...

I want you to hear these words of Jesus:

Jesus promises to be your advocate...

Matthew 11:28–30 ESV

28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

If that is you this morning…come to Jesus…confess your sin…cry out to God for mercy...

And the promise from scripture is true…if today…you will have the persistent faith of a poor and helpless widow…today you can find rest in a powerful God who loves to give aid to the spiritually destitue and downtrodenn…

In this time of Invitation...Come to Him...

Let’s Pray...