Point of Grace – 9.22.24 Sermon Notes
“Always Pray and Don’t Give Up”
Luke 18:1-8 Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not become discouraged, 2 saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect any person. 3 Now there was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me justice against my opponent.’ 4 For a while he was unwilling; but later he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God respect any person, 5 yet because this widow is bothering me, I will give her justice; otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.’” 6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge said; 7 now, will God not bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night, and will He delay long for them? 8 I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”
This parable has some layers of meaning and helps us with two questions:
Why should we persist in “prayer and not become discouraged”?
How should we persist in “prayer and not become discouraged”?
Luke 18 Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not become discouraged, (not give up) 2 saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect any person.
3 Now there was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me justice against my opponent.’ (vindicate me… make things right … make sure truth prevails) 4 For a while he was unwilling; but later he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God or respect any person, 5 yet because this widow is bothering me, I will give her justice; otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.’” (Literally ‘give me a black eye’) 6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge said; 7 now, will God not bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night, and will He delay long for them? (or be longsuffering to them) 8 I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly.
Why Pray?
Jesus paints a picture of the persistent woman who was utterly powerless against the unjust forces of culture and indifference of people. She had “one” thing available to her that is her “persistent coming to the one who could ‘make things right’”. Jesus accentuates the importance of this “persistent coming” by describing the judge as indifferent to the woman’s needs except ….. he didn’t want her to “give him a black eye”.???? It turns out the judge did care about himself and his reputation when it was on the line. This is what her persistence tapped into and she (the powerless one) got justice in the end.
Jesus contrasts our heavenly Father with the judge by saying our Father in not indifferent.
He does hear our prayers.
He is at work answering our prayers.
He does value our tears shed under the weight of things “not being right” as we cry out to Him to “make things right” in a world gone wrong.
He wants us to cry out to Him.
He wants us to “hold Him to His promises – He cares about His reputation.”
He wants His children to bring all the angst messiness of being broken people in a broken unjust world to the prayer room.
Because He does care.
He is compassionate.
He is merciful and He does answer often “unexpectedly” … “surprisingly” now and will “make all things right” when He returns……. Come Lord Jesus … Come quickly.
How do we pray and not give up?
Jesus leads us to pray “all in”….. bring our whole selves…. wholehearted.
Come fully, passionately “all in” to Him in prayer.
Rehearse His promises back to Him. Ask Him to fulfill them in our day… in our lives …. Now!
He comes “quickly” as we pray…. unexpectedly “making things right”
as we pray in this “already now but not yet” chapter of the story we are in.
In the last line Jesus paints us who live 2000 years later into the picture,
“However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find (the) faith on the earth?”