The Parable of the Persistent Widow; Luke18:1-8.
Jesus taught his disciples how to pray, we have the Lords Prayer as an example of prayer. We also have in Luke’s gospel a little parable about prayer. Jesus uses the story of an un-just judge and a persistently annoying widow woman to make his point.
This is what he says to his disciples. Luke 18: 1-8.
There’s a few interesting facts in this story that all add to the picture:
i) The judge mentioned was as a real bad egg! How do we know? This judge was according to William Barclay [not a Jewish judge; as ordinary Jewish disagreements went before the elders and didn’t get to court. If a dispute got beyond the elders ability to settle, three judges sat on the case, one chosen by either side and one who was independent.
So this one judge was a paid magistrate, who was appointed by either Herod or the Romans. These state appointed judges were notorious, and usually a bribe and a complainants personal status were required to get anywhere with a case.] In other words a backhander and a fair amount of personal clout were required to get anywhere with one of these judges.
These judges had a reputation for perverting justice. They rightly earned the popular name “robber judges” .
ii) The widow was poor and she was defenceless, widows had it tough in biblical times, it was extremely hard to be a widow, there was no social welfare. If they couldn’t work widows were reliant on the generosity of family and friends. This widow was poor and it appears that she had no real significance, and there was one around who would go into bat for her.
All she had was a good set of vocal cords and a stubborn determination; you’ve almost got to wonder if it was this is why her husband meet his demise?
I like that proverb, “Better to live on a corner of a roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.” (Proverbs 21:9 and 25:24) This is one of the few proverbs that are repeated word for word. Maybe, her husband fell off the corner of the roof?
It’s thought that this dear lady, being poor, would not have had the mandatory bribe to see the judge in the first place so she would most likely have made her plea from outside the tent where the judge was sitting.
Picture it inside the tent, cases being heard, judgements being made, money changing hands, all nice and corrupt, but very orderly. Outside does this woman keep quiet? Not on life she lets fly at the top of her lungs; “Grant me justice against my adversary.”
The judge who’s thinking what’s in it for me? Refuses to see her, but she sticks to her guns, “Grant me justice against my adversary.” For sometime he refused, “Grant me justice against my adversary.” “Grant me justice against my adversary.” “Grant me justice against my adversary.” “Grant me justice against my adversary.”
Are you getting the picture? This woman was determined she was going to be heard or destroy her voice trying. Not only that, it seems this may have gone on for some hours or even days. Nag, nag, nag!
iii) The judge who at this stage was probably becoming concerned for his sanity and to avoid further public embarrassment makes a decision. “Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she won’t wear me out with her coming.”
iv) What is it Jesus says about this, firstly, he says “Listen to what the unjust judge says. “ This judge doesn’t care about the woman’s case he is concerned for his own weariness, this woman is wearing him out. She’s harassed him to the point of surrender.
Parents have you ever been in that position where a child, one of those sweet innocent creatures comes to you and says “mother/ father can I please have a/or do such and such”. As a wise parent you know that this is not what they need, so you say “no”. Five minutes later the same child who of course being a child has forgotten the answer comes and asks again. The answer, “no!” Two minutes later, “No!” One minute later “NO!!” But by persisting they either catch you of guard or wear you down and you blurt out something like, “If it will give me a moments peace, just do it”, and before you know it you’ve agreed to a dozen eight year olds having a sleep over at your place. Trust me from experience if they come back the second time, give them time out or remove some privilege from them. I don’t give to many parenting tips but that one works.
If you’ve been there; this is how the judge felt and so he should have. It’s a judge’s job to ensure that justice is served. He’s been harassed to surrender.
a) Jesus then makes a comparison. It’s a case of this is what the judge is like, listen to what he says. “And will God not bring about justice for his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you he will see that they get justice, and quickly.” (Luke 18:7-8a)
The difference between the ways the Judge operates and the way God operates is vast. The Judge is all about the judge, a back hander or personal distress motivate his judgements.
God sees that his people get justice, and quickly. The writer of Hebrews says this,”Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we might receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
Because Jesus has been in that place of human weakness because he has encountered suffering, he is able to sympathise with our weaknesses. We don’t have to harass God!
That word quickly is an interesting one, when we pray for justice, when we ask, the answer is immediate, and God answers all prayer immediately, though answers may not always appear to be immediate, some times the answer may even be no. God does not have a back log of prayer requests stacked in the corner like a pile of unanswered letters, he responds immediately, though answers may seem to us delayed. Remember God’s ways are not our ways.
So what does any of this mean to us here today with the way we ask God stuff?
b) It doesn’t mean that we should be to repetitive in our prayers. Jesus told the disciples “And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like the pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for the Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (Matthew 6:7-8).
So what did he mean by this parable that was used “to show them that they should always pray and not give up?”
c) Prayer was to be as natural to the disciples as breathing is to all of us as if it was part of the environment that surrounded the disciples. This gives the picture of ongoing conversation with God.
Not the sort of “God where did I put my keys, I’m already running late” conversation. Or the conversations you see some people having with an imaginary friend or God as they walk down the street.
This prayer life Jesus was talking about was to become second nature an ongoing interaction with God.
Oh how to achieve this?
d) There are many ways to pray:
Try these:
• Talk to God verbally
• As you think about something, direct your thinking to God (this is one of my favourite ways to pray, usually people don’t even know that you’re doing it)
• Write God a memo, a note, a letter, a thesis
• Send God a text try 027 4 U JESUS (in New Zealand)
• Meditate on his word, mull it over and ask his Holy Spirit to give you insight
• When you get up in the morning listen to a Christian station or watch a Christian channel, discuss the programming with God
• Review your day with God discuss the best and worst thing that happened in the day with him
• Light a candle and focus on it, then all your thinking towards God
• Place scriptures around your house read them and discuss them with God
• Pray for your neighbours as you walk along the street (best that this is a thought prayer)
• Set aside time to pray for family, friends, people in the media, government, and even annoying people
• There’s even a page called "prayer needs" on face book, you can post a request
• That’s just a few of the ways to pray
Prayer can be as simple to us as breathing; talking to God can be as natural as it is to talk with our spouse or any other friend. If our prayers are within the will of God they will of course be answered, so that we see them answered.
If our lives are in accord with the Holy will of God our prayers will only be directed at achieving his will for our lives. Remember that God wants us to have life in all its abundance, which is not what we always see as being abundant living.
e) Like the judge our focus is not always on what God wants for us (true abundant living, is about being in a right relationship with God and others: think about the two great commandments).
What was it the widow was after, justice! What is it God wants for us, true justified living, free from the bondage of sin. (God wants to give us what is right (SBI))
The way of the judge was selfishness, he didn’t fear God or care about man; the way of Jesus is selflessness, the proof is that he died so that we could be free.
Why did Jesus instruct his disciples to pray and not give up? Because he knew that God wants to answer prayer and bring about justice for the person who is asking. The person praying will have the right thing happen, God wants us to have what is right in our lives and quickly.
Is that what we seek, the right thing in our lives, the true thing, the correct thing. That is what God wants for us; is this what he sees in us?
f) Jesus asks the question after this parable, “However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
Are the things that you pray for within the will of God, are they? Or are they only for your gain; are they for you here and now, what are the eternal consequences of prayers you ask?
Are the prayers we ask faith based? Can you pray the words with the confidence that God will agree, remember God wants the right thing the abundant life thing, not the selfish thing for you.
God always wants what is best for you – he will give you, he will give us what is right and quickly!
God waits to hear our prayers, so pray and don’t give up!
