Parable of Persistent Widow
Parables of Jesus (Deer Creek) 2023 • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 21 viewsAim: To look at the faith and persistence needed in prayer
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Parable of Persistent Widow-Lesson 10 (Lk18:1-8)
Just keep nagging and they will give in. (expand on this)
Many take this parable and have seen it that way, keep nagging the Lord and He will give in and answer your prayers .
This is not what this parable is about. God hears and answers prayers, His way in His timing and for the good.
God is not slow (insert 2Pt3:9-10) -His desire is for all men to come to repentance.
9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.
This parable does go hand in hand with another teaching of Jesus on prayer (ref: Mt7:7) keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking.
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
Background:
Background:
Many wonder about the kingdom of God and Jesus had been discussing that (Mt17:20-21) then speaks historically about things that happened just as God planned.
He speaks of the second coming, the return (Lk17:30-37) - - - this is what has transpired just before He speaks this parable
The kingdom they were asking about was a physical kingdom, but the kingdom Jesus is speaking about is a spiritual kingdom, one that was to be among them(Lk17:21). The fullness of the Kingdom would be with Christ returns to take home His church. The woman grinding (v.25) and the man in the field (v.36) not all will be ready, not all will be His.
May we be like the woman, like the man, working, serving as we are waiting for the fulness of the kingdom of heaven to be revealed.
This parable is about the kingdom, but more so about our attitude as we wait for the fulness of the kingdom to be fulfilled.
God does not operate “within time.” We live by calendars, clocks, watches, but to God (2Pt3:9) as I read a moment ago is much different.
The widow goes to a Gentile Judge to seek legal protection, she needed relief and she was not getting it within the Jewish system. Widows did not have many personal rights, she had no one to plead her case for her. She was not alone in doing this, but was not what was to be done, the Corinthians were chastised for it (1Cor5:12-6:8).
She was a pestering persistent widow who did not give up. The judge wanted this woman to go away for was not good for his own reputation so he gave into her.
This parable is found only in Gospel of Luke. Luke paints a picture of a wise, loving God who will answer our prayers, in His way, in His timetable and it will be for the good.
So, let us read the passage then get into it more.
Insert (Lk18:1-8) - ask the general questions
1 Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, 2 saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man. 3 “There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me legal protection from my opponent.’ 4 “For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.’ ” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge said; 7 now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over 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?”
Anything stick out to you in this passage?
Explaining the text
Explaining the text
Problem: Many take this parable literal. Problem is if God is the God of patience (2Pt3:9) but grow impatient when pestered by persistent prayer, then God would be like the unjust Judge and not the totally righteous and just God.
Portray: Jesus contrasts the unjust Judge with the totally just and righteous God.
Interesting that Lk17:7, 2Pt3:9 it uses the same Greek word when it comes to patience (Gk: Makrothemeo) - to have patience, be forebearing. - - - Jesus said “will he keep putting them off?, or “yet he is longsuffering over them (ASV).” (Womack) Take that and contrast that with the judge who did not give in because he was patient, or forebearing bu rather to stop her from pestering him.
Another problem: Again, when taken literally is that from the verbage is seems the judge comes against the woman for “she will not wear me out.” and the greek work here is (Hupopiadze me) which means to strike under the eye, give a black eye. Did the woman threaten to give a black eye to the judge? Is that what he thought. He was really worried about giving a black eye to his reputation if she kept at him. Remember he does not fear God, nor man (Lk17:1) but he gave in to save his own reputation.
Next, we see the woman is persistent, she did not give up. We are told by Luke the reason for the parable (v.1). To not give up in prayer to (GK: egkakein) not to give in to evil, to turn coward, lose heart, behave badly. She persisted until her prayer was answered.
Purpose and application:
Purpose and application:
1 Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart,
As stated in (v.1) (read it again) the purpose of this parable is about prayer. The power and preciousness of prayer. Prayer that came in humility as we see this widow woman do this.
Wenham wrote” “Prayer is an expression of human weakness, but also a weapon of divine power. The thought of God’s power being displayed in and through human weakness is an important theme in Paul’s letters (i.e. 2Cor12:9-10): Prayer is the expression of our powerlessness and of our dependence on God, and at the same time the most powerful means we have of collaborating in God’s work.”
Some great lessons on prayer in this purposed parable with great application:
We ought to pray always and not give up.
Don’t grow weary.
Too many scriptures tell us that God answers prayer (turn to Mt7:11)
11 “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!
We learn a number of Characteristics of Christian prayer (Womack)
Weakly veiled in this parable is the obligation to pray (ought to pray)
Jesus exampled this, He prayed seeking the Father’s direction. But there were times just just prayed and we do not know the content or context of the prayer. So from Jesus example, and Paul’s words pray always, pray without ceasing (1The5:17) .
Prayers need to be sincere- without a doubt the woman was sincere in her plea’s over and over again. -Cosgrove “insincerity in prayer is a major characteristic of hypocrisy.”
Prayers need to be consistent (1The5:17 again). We need to be fervent in prayer (Jm5:16), fervent in the aspect that we do not grow weary and give up on God.
Prayers need to be asked by faith (Jm1:6) - - - - this is beyond saving faith, this is prayer faith that what You ask that the Lord hears and will answer.
Sometimes we think it will work for them, or it was for that time, but not for me now.
Sometimes we can pray and then are astonished that God answers the prayer
Womacks next point in purpose and application is “We reach our ultimate potential through our prayers to God.”
Man’s extremity is God’s opportunity. We need to get to the point of total dependence on God
Prayers need to be in faith that God and God alone can answer our prayers and step by faith, in obedience knowing God answers oftentimes in our participation. (i.e. praying for job). Godly results take godly participation on our part not to make it happen but to participate in it happening. It will give powerful results.
Our passage demonstrates the woman had faith that the plea, the request for relief would happen. That it would be answered.
We need to believe God will answer! We need to stop with the “may” answer for God hears and answers prayers.
Think in your own life how God has previously answered many of your prayers. Sometimes just as you prayed., sometimes other ways, but He answers. He has not changed!
Learning to live the parable
Learning to live the parable
I have to stay when reading the parable over and over again, when reading other material including Womack’s book I am in awe of a simple point that I will get to on this living the parable part. Only a couple of points on this, take aways, application. Since that is why we are studying the parables in the first place, right?
Remember God is not in a hurry, does not live in out time-space. He has already been here and is here and will be here in the future. He knows what is best. He knows the big picture.
We are limited by time; God lives outside of time
We have limited patience for we get to a point
Is God listening? Does God care?
Is God “ever” going to answer my prayer
But God is forever patient and has good things for us.
A couple of biblical exampled. 1Sam15 God promised to punish (destroy) the Amalekites and that does not happen for several hundred years 1Sam30. Or when Jesus fulfilled the bruising mentioned to Adam/Eve in the garden.
We need to be patient with God’s responses. His delayed responses can be for several reasons.
Our disobedience
Our obstinate way, refusing to participate
Our impatience waiting
Or even missing that God has answered, just not the way we expected, desired.
Also, that God can be using the delayed response to teach us patience or that we are not ready for the answer yet.
The point that got me is found in (v.8 Read it again) will the Son of man find faith when He comes.
Womack: “Isn’t this an interesting ending to the parable? At first glace, on asks, ‘what does this have to do with the persistent woman’s plea to the judge?” But when you see the parable in its totality, it makes great sense. The parable teaches us that we must trust God even though we do not readily understand what He is doing.”
Do I have faith? Am I truly asking in my prayers by faith? Am I asking and stepping in faith? - - - the woman had faith in this parable.
Here is the quote that got me, let this sink in: “Jesus reorients our thinking; the question is not ‘Is God faithful?’ (He is infinitely faithful.) The question is, ‘Are we faithful?” Will the Lord find faith in you and me? This is one of the pivotal issues taught in this parable.