THE GOD WHO CARES & ANSWERS PRAYERS: THE PERSISTENT WIDOW
(Message by Tanny Keng)
1. The God Who Cares And Answers Prayers
a) We look at two more parables that teach us of the goodness and compassion of God.
b) The parables of the Friends at Midnight and the Persistent Widow illustrate how good and kind God is. These parables show that we need to seek his grace (Luke 18:1-8).
c) The parables of the Friends at Midnight and the Persistent Widow are interesting because Jesus illustrates God's kindness with stories of people who are reluctant and slow to help! Jesus tells of a friend who is tucked up in bed and doesn't want to be disturbed. Jesus also tells of an unrighteous judge who finally gives a widow what she wants — only to stop her pestering him.
d) Of course Jesus does not mean that God is thus. Jesus is making a contrast. These reluctant and selfish ones are opposite in character to God. If they could be persuaded to answer a plea, how much more will our loving and willing heavenly Father answer our prayers! Therefore we should keep on asking of him, and seeking him, for he will not turn us away. That is what Jesus is illustrating.
2. The Persistent Widow
Luke 18:1
“1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and never give up.”
a) It shows the lesson of this parable "that at all times people ought to pray and not lose heart". God is most high, yet he is merciful and kind. He will listen to our prayers and our pleadings, and answer them. So we should keep on praying and never give up on God.
Luke 18:2-5
“2 Jesus said: There was a town which had a judge who didn't fear God. Nor did he have due regard for people. 3 There was also a widow in that town who kept coming to him to plead, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.' 4 For a while he refused her. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God and even though I don't have due regard for people, 5 nevertheless because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice. That way she won't come back to trouble me endlessly!'”
a) It illustrates that even an unrighteous judge will hear the pleas of one who persists in asking. He may have done so out of annoyance or cunning, and not out of kindness, yet he answered the repeated request. His attitude was not very worthy: "Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her what she asks lest she wear me out". Jesus tells us to listen to what this unjust judge said, because Jesus is going to use it to make a point.
Luke 18:6-7
“66 And the Lord said: Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And shall God not bring about justice for his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?”
a) It gives Jesus’s own application of the parable. We have heard what the unjust judge said. Now consider that by contrast God is perfectly just, and he has a regard for man (because he is our creator and Father). So if an unjust judge answered a widow’s plea, surely God will answer the prayers of his chosen ones, won't he? And God is not going to be reluctant to answer, is he? "He will bring about justice for them speedily".
Luke 18:8
“8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
a) It shows why the lesson of the parable is important. It may seem to us that God is not answering quickly, and that the Lord’s coming has been long delayed, in spite of his teaching that he will come quickly and will not delay. So our faith weakens — but it shouldn't. Jesus asks, "When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"
The End ...
1. The God Who Cares And Answers Prayers a) We look at two more parables that teach us of the goodness and compassion of God.
b) The parables of the Friends at Midnight and the Persistent Widow illustrate how good and kind God is. These parables show that we need to seek his grace (Luke 18:1-8).
c) The parables of the Friends at Midnight and the Persistent Widow are interesting because Jesus illustrates God's kindness with stories of people who are reluctant and slow to help! Jesus tells of a friend who is tucked up in bed and doesn't want to be disturbed. Jesus also tells of an unrighteous judge who finally gives a widow what she wants — only to stop her pestering him.
d) Of course Jesus does not mean that God is thus. Jesus is making a contrast. These reluctant and selfish ones are opposite in character to God. If they could be persuaded to answer a plea, how much more will our loving and willing heavenly Father answer our prayers! Therefore we should keep on asking of him, and seeking him, for he will not turn us away. That is what Jesus is illustrating.
2. The Persistent Widow
Luke 18:1
“1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and never give up.”
a) It shows the lesson of this parable "that at all times people ought to pray and not lose heart". God is most high, yet he is merciful and kind. He will listen to our prayers and our pleadings, and answer them. So we should keep on praying and never give up on God.
Luke 18:2-5
“2 Jesus said: There was a town which had a judge who didn't fear God. Nor did he have due regard for people. 3 There was also a widow in that town who kept coming to him to plead, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.' 4 For a while he refused her. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God and even though I don't have due regard for people, 5 nevertheless because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice. That way she won't come back to trouble me endlessly!'”
a) It illustrates that even an unrighteous judge will hear the pleas of one who persists in asking. He may have done so out of annoyance or cunning, and not out of kindness, yet he answered the repeated request. His attitude was not very worthy: "Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her what she asks lest she wear me out". Jesus tells us to listen to what this unjust judge said, because Jesus is going to use it to make a point.
Luke 18:6-7
“66 And the Lord said: Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And shall God not bring about justice for his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?”
a) It gives Jesus’s own application of the parable. We have heard what the unjust judge said. Now consider that by contrast God is perfectly just, and he has a regard for man (because he is our creator and Father). So if an unjust judge answered a widow’s plea, surely God will answer the prayers of his chosen ones, won't he? And God is not going to be reluctant to answer, is he? "He will bring about justice for them speedily".
Luke 18:8
“8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
a) It shows why the lesson of the parable is important. It may seem to us that God is not answering quickly, and that the Lord’s coming has been long delayed, in spite of his teaching that he will come quickly and will not delay. So our faith weakens — but it shouldn't. Jesus asks, "When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"
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