Persistence Pays Off Scripture Reading 1 : Luke 18:1-8 NLT Introduction One day Jesus told his disciples a story to illustrate their need for constant prayer and to show them that they must never give up. 1 One day Jesus told his disciples a story to illustrate their need for constant prayer and to show them that they must never give up. 2 "There was a judge in a certain city," he said, "who was a godless man with great contempt for everyone. 3 A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, appealing for justice against someone who had harmed her. 4 The judge ignored her for a while, but eventually she wore him out. 'I fear neither God nor man,' he said to himself, 5 'but this woman is driving me crazy. I'm going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!'" 6 Then the Lord said, "Learn a lesson from this evil judge. 7 Even he rendered a just decision in the end, so don't you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who plead with him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when I, the Son of Man, return, how many will I find who have faith?" (Luke 18:1-8 NLT) What was your favourite story when you were a kid? I attended a little, one-room school... S.S. # 11, St. John s School. My great-grandfather taught at that school; my dad attended that school; my sister and I attended the same school. At the front, on the left-hand side of the platform, was a library full of books books which I loved to read. I loved stories about animals: White Fang, a wolf in the far North Flicka, a black horse who was tamed Beautiful Joe, a battered dog, (for which Meaford is famed) Black Beauty, an abused horse who was finally sold to an owner who cared deeply for this animal. I still can t read those stories without crying. They grip me; they reveal human nature and the vulnerability of those creatures for which we are responsible. They reveal insight into human struggles for power over the most defenceless. The story we just read is a story about power over vulnerability. But it is more than that. It is a story about persistence. About courage. About justice. About faith. Jesus was a story-teller extraordinaire. He used common ordinary events and people to illustrate deep spiritual truths. 1 All Scripture quotations, unless indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV 1984) Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House (a division of The Zondervan Corporation). All rights reserved.
Because He lived in a rural area, many of His stories were about farming and sowing and reaping the harvest; they were about weeds and seeds; they were about vineyards and sheep and goats and lost coins and lost children. They were stories drawn from the knowledge and experience of His audience. Sometimes the meaning behind the story was obscure. Sometimes the listener had to think about what had been said. But always, the story reflected an aspect of human nature in relationship to God, an aspect of the human spiritual struggle in relationship to God s will. This is a court-room story. The defendant is a widow. In that day, widows were almost entirely dependent on the surrounding society for their survival. If they did not have a male figure to care for and protect them, they were outcasts in society. This widow does not seem to have a support system. There is no Perry Mason or Matlock, the best of the best lawyers. There is no Hercule Poroit or Nero Wolfe detecting and uncovering evidence to strengthen her case. There is no forensic evidence; there is no one there to support her. This widow is on her own, fighting her own battle, seeking justice for injustice. This widow has an antagonist. We are not privy to the details. Perhaps her husband s death left her with a debt she was unable to pay. Perhaps someone had sued this widow, leaving her in a desperate financial situation. All we know for sure is this: the widow wants the judge to grant me justice against my adversary. (Luke 18:3) So in the face of injustice, she finds herself pleading before an unjust judge. She stands before a judge, who neither feared God nor cared about people. (Luke 18:2) Such a judge would have been one of those notorious magistrates appointed by either Herod or the Romans, and of whom Barclay said, "Unless a plaintiff had money and influence to bribe his way to a verdict, he had no hope of ever getting his case settled." (Barclay, 1965, p. 230) Because this person did not fear God, he paid no attention to the calls of justice; and because he respected no one, he was unmoved by the complaint of this widow woman. Except for one thing... she was persistent! The story seems to indicate that, every time court was in session, the widow was in court to present her case. Every time the judge came into the courtroom and glanced around the room, there she was! Again! Same widow. Same complaint. Same stubborn tenacity! The judge ignored her for a while, but eventually she wore him out. 4 The judge ignored her for a while, but eventually she wore him out. 'I fear neither God nor man,' he said to himself, 5 'but this woman is driving me
crazy. I'm going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!'" (Luke 18:4-5, NLT) The judge did not rule in the widow s favour because of his empathy toward her; he did not rule in her favour because of his desire to see justice served; he ruled in her favour to get her out of his hair, to leave him alone, to quit bothering him. He ruled in her favour for strictly selfish reasons. She had become an itch he could not scratch. She was bugging him and he was sick of seeing her in his courtroom. So what does this story have to do with well... anything? How in the world does this story apply to us? Here s an interesting comment Jesus made after He finished this story. Listen to what the unjust judge says. Will not God bring about justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night? Will He keep putting them off? (Luke 18:6-7) This story is not just about justice, although that is part of it. This story is about persistence and fortitude and courage. It is about prayer... intercessory prayer. This story is strategically placed. Just prior to this, in Luke 17, Jesus is talking about the corruption of society, the decay of morality, the apathy and complacency of believers before the return of the Son of Man. (Luke 17:24-30) It is a warning that injustice will seem to reign supreme. On the other end of this story, is the story of two men; one a tax collector, with a reputation of corruption, the other a Pharisee, an educated church leader, with a reputation for talking the talk and not walking the walk. They are praying. The tax collector is at the back of the church, out of sight, concerned only with his personal spiritual condition. The Pharisee, on the other hand, is at the front of the church, where he can be seen by all, as he thanks the good Lord that he is not like robbers or evildoers or adulterers, or like that tax collector way back there in the back of the sanctuary rather, he is so good, so self-righteous, a perfect example of keeping the Law. Here s the question that Jesus asks at the end of the story. It is a question that should be troubling for those who call themselves Christian. When the Son of Man returns, will he find faith on the earth? (Luke 18:8) In a society of corruption and immorality and injustice, in a society where people are self-seeking, self-centered, and self-righteous... will there be anyone who will be persistent, calling out to God day and night for justice... do you find that troubling, or unsettling? If you call yourself a believer, a Christian, you should feel uncomfortable. Jesus is not talking about those people. He is talking about US!
The children of God. People who have sought and received forgiveness from sin; people who call God their Heavenly Father, Saviour, Redeemer and Friend. Will WE be found faithful when He returns? You see, the widow in this story represents God s children, those who have repented of their sins and are followers of Christ. We are the ones that are, or should be, constantly pursuing the judge. Constantly crying out to him day and night. Constantly pleading our case before him in hopes of receiving relief from our enemy. Peter vividly describes the enemy, the devil, as one who... prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5: 8) Be self-controlled and alert! Resist him; stand firm in the faith. (1 Peter 5:8, 9) James says the same thing a bit differently: Submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. (James 4:7-8) In most of the stories that Jesus narrates, one of the characters represents people who are searching for mercy; the other usually represents God. In this story, however, the judge is NOT God. Instead, the evil and injustice of this judge is contrasted to the justice and mercy of God. If this non-god fearing, non-respecter of man, unjust judge will answer the cry of this persistent, widow, then how much more and better do you think God will respond? Jesus asks:... will not God bring about justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? (Luke 18:7) Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; to him who knocks, the door is opened....if you know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him? (Matthew 7:7-9) James says it this way:... you do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your own pleasures. (James 4:3) The widow finally received the justice she asked for... and deserved because she was persistent, she stuck with it. She took action. She travelled every day to court; she waited every day to present her case; she implored the judge every day to hear her and rule in her favour. She did not swerve from her mission. Her mission was to receive justice against her adversary. She was relentless in her pursuit of justice.
Here is the problem. It is hard to be persistent in prayer. It is even harder to have faith that our prayers are being heard. Sometimes! Because we live in a society of instant... instant pudding, instant oatmeal, instant connection to the internet, instant results. We do not like to wait. We do not like to be persistent. We do not like to persevere because that takes commitment and courage and focus. Because it takes away our control and puts that control into the hands of God. It forces us to wait for the unknown. Jesus seems to be suggesting that this desperation, this persistence, this crying out to God day and night in prayer is the link as to whether or not He will find faith on earth when he returns. Let me read that verse again:... when the Son of Man returns, will he find faith on the earth? (Luke 18:8) When I, the Son of Man, return, how many will I find who have faith?" (Luke 18:8 NLT) How much of that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on the earth when he returns?" (Luke 18:8 The Message) But when the Son of Man comes again, will he find those on earth who believe in him?" (Luke 18:8 NCV) The widow had to overcome the judge's reluctance to help. We often feel that we must do the same when we pray overcome God's reluctance by our persistence. But this misses the point of the parable entirely. Jesus is not saying that folks always ought to pray and not lose heart because God is reluctant, but because He is not, and that is our encouragement to prayer. Then why does it seem that we must overcome reluctance in God? The delays in prayer are not needed to change God, but to change us. Persistence in prayer brings a transforming element into our lives, building into us the character of God Himself. It is a way that God builds into us a heart that cares about things the same way He does. Shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him? (Luke 18:7) This parable has a unique approach. Obviously, God is not the unjust judge; but if the unjust judge will answer the persistent request, how much more will a righteous God? Sometimes we think that God delays because He is unjust or because He is unfair. He is not like the unjust judge, so we should keep praying to the God who will resolve all things righteously. Charles Spurgeon once wrote:
Too many prayers are like boy's runaway knocks, given, and then the giver is away before the door can be opened. (Guzik, 1997-2003) In this particular passage, Jesus makes this connection to a day when the Son of Man will return, seeking out the faithful, the true family of God The disturbing thought is this: will there still be people who are crying out day and night persistent, desperate people, seeking, crying out to God, praying continually. There is great power in desperation that leads to persistent prayer. You see, desperation leads to change. In this story, there are no great heroes just a persistent widow, a vulnerable woman who has been wronged by an adversary. We can relate to that. Sometimes we feel tired, beaten-down by life; we just feel like quitting, giving up. We may even have legitimate reasons for doing so. Life has been unkind, unfair, unjust. No one has listened; no one seems to care. There are two choices: give up or persist. The widow does not give up. She does not give in. She does not surrender. Why? Because she was desperate. And desperation produces change. It gave a widow the courage to continue pestering an unsympathetic judge. It gave her tenacity and stubbornness and nerve. She had nothing to lose by her determination, and everything to gain by her persistence. The body of Christ is facing desperate times. Our enemy is engaging in a full on assault. Satan has a simple mission... to destroy us. He wants to destroy the family unit; he wants to incite doubt and quarrels and bickering within the body of Christ. He wants us to believe that we can live unholy lives and yet somehow God will bless us because He loves us. Every day we are reminded of battles which rage against nations and communities and individuals, but we are oblivious to the most desperate battle of all: a spiritual battle which rages around us the battle for our minds, our attention, and our priorities.
Therefore, put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil, (Ephesians 6:11-12) Stand your ground! Stand firm! (Ephesians 6:13, 14) Pray without ceasing. (1 Thessalonians 5:17) Persevere. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. Blessed is the one who perseveres, because when he or she has stood the test, they will receive the crown of life that God has promised those who love him. (James 1:4, 12) Only when the body of Christ wakes up to fact that we are involved in a terrible battle, will we reach a point of desperation that results in change. And in that battle there is hope! When the Son of Man returns, will He find you and me faithful, persistent, praying day and night for justice to prevail? Praying day and night for our loved ones, our communities, our churches, our schools, and our society. Will you choose a persistent, prayer-full, faithful lifestyle, totally dependent upon Christ? Or... will you choose a mediocre, faithless, prayer-less lifestyle which is self-serving and self-reliant? The choice is yours. When I, the Son of Man, return, how many will I find who have faith?" (Luke 18:8) Bibliography The Holy Bible, New Century Version (NCV). (1987, 1988, 1991). Thomas Nelson Publishers, Inc. Barclay, W. (1965). The Gospel of Luke: The Daily Study Bible. Edinbburgh: The Saint Andrew Press. Biblica. (1973, 1978, 1984). HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (NIV 1984). Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House (The Zondervan Corporation). Guzik, D. (1997-2003). David Guzik's Commentaries on the Bible: Commentary on Luke 18. Retrieved September 11, 2012, from StudyLight.org: http://www.studylight.org/com/guz/view.cgi?book=lu&chapter=018 Peterson, E. (1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002). The MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language. Colorado Springs: NavPress Publishing Group. Tyndale House Publishers. (2005). Holy Bible, The New Living Translation (NLT). Carol Stream, Illinois: Tyndale house Publishers, Inc.