TEXT:  Luke 18:1-8 

TOPIC:  The Parable of the Widow and The Unjust Judge

Theme:  The Value of Persevering In Prayer

Proposition:  Don’t Stop Praying

Interrogative:   How Should you pray?

Key Word:  Take not of the Personsin this text, which will show you how to be persistent.

1. The Unjust Judge (V.2)
2. His Character
3. No fear of God
4. No respect for people
5. No respect for the widow’s request.
6. No longer tolerate her persistency
7. His Legacy –Circumstances
8. The Widow
9. Fringe Of Society
10. Needed Government like the judge to settle her suit
11. Ignored by the judge
12. She knew her rights because her city citizenship entitled her to due process
13. The Lord God Himself (Vv. 7-8)
14. Comparison Between God and The Unjust Judge
15. Judge delayed his actions due to selfishness
16. Judge was uncaring about the widow’s plight though she was a citizen and thus had the right to receive justice.
17. God will answer prayer in order to produce
18. Patience
19. Faith
20. Prayer life

INTRODUCTION

It was Samuel Johnson who once wrote, “Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance.”  This of course is the theme of the American tradition.  We hear this idea especially at graduation ceremonies, where the dean or principle would congratulate the graduating class for their perseverance in completing their course of studies, in spite of many who started out with them, but unfortunately have either dropped out or flunked out. I remember watching a religious program where the minister said, “It matters little if you try and fail and try and fail again, but it matters much if you try and fail and fail to try again.”  Our television are inundated with motivational gurus’ who attempt to motivate their viewing audiences on a number of facets from exercising to completing a degree in a certain area.  Their achievement reward can range anywhere from a tee-shirt to a diploma.   

          And so it is in the Christian life.  We are admonished by our teachers and preachers that if we persevere, in the various facets of our spiritual life such as prayer, rewards will follow.  And our Lord verifies that teaching of perseverance in prayer by presenting this parable of the widow and the unjust judge.  Prayer is a important praxis in the life of the believer.  We need to hear from God and God wants to hear from us. Man used to walk and talk with God in the cool of the evening.  But because he disobeyed God’s command to refrain from eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, his disobedience caused a rift between himself and the Almighty.  Except for a few, such as Abraham, Moses, the prophets, and some Apostles, we pray through the eyes of faith, not physically seeing God nor Christ.  But it is the Holy Spirit moving on the inside and His Word that give us the assurance that God is present and listening to our petitions.  And the seasoned saints already know from past experiences that God is right here because He has answered prayers so many times before.  If He did it once, He can do again!

          As we look at this parable, we can see how we should pray, in order to get an answer from God.  Each of the persons, that Jesus mentions in this parable are important for our understanding of the value of persevering in prayer.     Let us look at the first person, which is the Unjust Judge.

1. The Unjust Judge
2. Note his Character.  Verse two tells us that he lacks the fear of God.  And if a person doesn’t fear God, then in most cases he will not respect his fellow man.  Hence this judge exercise poor ethical judicial practices.  How he obtained this bad habit, Jesus does not say in this illustration.  The parable doesn’t even explain whether he was Jew or Gentile.  If the judge was a Roman Gentile, then his listeners excuse him and wouldn’t be so harsh on him.  But suppose he was a Jew.  Shouldn’t he have known that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom?” (Ps. 111:10).  He also should have learned from his upbringing that the Lord required him to “fear God and keep his commandments” Eccles. 12:13)  Let us come to the conclusion of the whole matter, fear God and keep his commandments.”  One of the Great Commandments that Jesus says  is that one should not only to love God, but one has the obligation  to love his neighbor as himself—for all of the law and the prophets hinges on these two commandments (Matt. 221:37-40)  Small wonder that this widow had a difficult time obtaining justice.  This judge was a self-centered, unethical, insensitive character.  Those of us who lived during the post-slavery Jim Crow era, and even today, can resonate with the plight of this widow. However this widow, in her persistency override this judge ethical shortcomings and hence made him    succumbed to her request for justice  (verse 5).  
3. Now we can apply the unjust judge’s character to our Circumstances, which seems to be overbearing.  Life often is unjust as it is uncertain.  Why should we be sick? Why should we fall into financial difficulties due to loss of job or wages?  Why is there trouble in my life?   Why does trouble, trials, and tribulation knock at my life’s door?   Why, Why, Why, Why, Why?  Jesus teaches in this parable; you and I are taught the “How” we can get an answer for our overbearing situation.  If we take a look at the widow, we can learn how she got justice from the unjust judge.
4. The Widow.
5.  Fringe of Society. Widows in Jesus’ time and before in the Old Testament were often on the fringe of society.  It was their husbands who bear the economic responsibility of the household.  If the husband died, the widow would often have to depend on her son(s) or relatives to aid her.  If that was not the case she would be responsible for creating her own economic security. If she could not ensure enough financial security, in order to survive or pay off debts, she may be subject to starvation or even slavery.  That is why the Bible commands us to “honor your father and mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God gives us (Exodus 20:12).  Honor means in the Hebrew really means financial support.  Grown children ought to financially support their parents. It is often said today, “One mother can take care of five children, but five children cannot take care of their one mother.”  That ought not to be.  Whether the adult children accommodate their elderly parent(s) in their homes or support them in a respectable adult care facility, it is the children’s responsibility to see that their aging ailing parents live out their lives in a comfortable manner. 

In Jesus’ and the Old Testament times, Israel was reminded to care for the widows and orphans (Isa. 1:17).  In the early days of the New Testament churches, seven deacons were chosen to care for the widows (Acts 6:1-3). 

•  Needed Help.  Another thing that we learn about this widow is that she needed help, especially from the government.  Notice that she did not take the law into her own hands.  Whoever did her wrong, she took legal steps to have this unjust judge to avenge her rather than she takes revenge on her adversary.  And shouldn’t ‘t that be our course today.  Rather than taking revenge on persons who do us wrong, we ought to go the spiritual route and fall on our knees and look to the Lord for help.  If we try to settle things in our own way and methods, we only make a big mess.  But if we take the matter to The Righteousness Judge, He will make everything come out all right.  Like the old song we used to sing says, “You can talk about me as much as you please, I’ll take about you down on my knees.”   Let Jesus fix it for you, for He knows just what to do, whenever you pray, just let Him have his way, whatever the problem may be, let Jesus fix it for you.
• Ignored by The Unjust Judge.  Now the unjust Judge thought he could ignore this poor widow.  After all, she had no clout, she certainly did not have any friend in high political places.  And She perhaps had no money.  But you know what she had.
• Her citizenship.   Though Jesus does not specifically specify in His parable, I seem to get the notion that the woman could constantly appear before the judge, because of her citizenship.  The Evangelist quotes Jesus’ words, “But a widow in that city came to him” (Verse 3).  Though she had no money, prestige, power, or political influence, she was nevertheless a citizen of that city, and therefore was entitled to legal justice—else this amoral, crooked uncaring judge would have thrown her out and had her incarcerated or even executed.  “You have to adjudicate my case, because I am a citizen of this city—I got rights,” she probably thought.

           Paul faced a similar problem.  He had to invoke his Roman citizenship to the captain of the Roman army, who was going to deny him due process and hence further beat him and cast him in prison in Jerusalem (Acts 22:24-30).  The Roman army captain consequently sent Paul to Felix the governor in Caesarea for a hearing (Acts 23:23-33).  Moreover, beloved so are we.  Since we have given our hearts to Christ, we are, “No more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God.  Hence, we have access, a way in to the throne of heaven through Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2: 18-19).   Therefore, idea of the widow’s citizenship is important because her legal status leads us to the third Person involved in this parable.

1. The Lord God Himself. 

Jesus uses this parable to convey the message that God hears the prayers of those who continue to seek His face.  Jesus utilizes the rabbinic literary technique of going from the lesser to the greater.  The parable of the Friend At Night is similar to the literary rabbinic style.  (Luke 11:5-8).  The parable starts with the mundane every day life experience, and ends with a very important spiritual lesson.

1. Note The Comparison Between God and the Unjust Judge.
2. The Unjust Judge First the unjust judge delayed his actions due to his uncaring selfish character.   The second thing about this unjust judge, as we have mentioned before was that he was disinterested in loving God and thus his fellow man.   Perhaps if the widow would have given him some money under the table,  or if she was a prominent woman of high social standing, he may have automatically ruled in her favor. But she seemly had none of these things.  All she had was her citizenship and her persistency in getting through to the unjust judge.   
3. Unlike the unjust judge, God will not delay to answer His elect.  We have the assurance that He will quickly answer prayer, though His quickness is different from our understanding of quickness.  We have to wait for His answer.  The Greek word “ βοωντων”             really means , “to invoke, to implore the aid of anyone.”   This word is in the present participle, which suggests continual action.  Hence our continual asking of God is geared to engender patience, endurance, and faith.  These virtues can be found in Galatians 5:22-23; and Romans 5:1-5). 

This term “ βοωντων” is also gear for the believer to form a prayer life.  The late Mother EJ. Dabney of the Garden Of Prayer Church of God In Christ in Philadelphia, Pa., said that every one ought to have a special place for prayer, as Jesus stated in The Sermon On The Mount.  She stated that the special place of prayer could be on the job, or someplace in the home, or even on the trolley car riding to work.  Our family was heavily influenced by Mother Dabney’s ministry.  Mother would often take us her Wednesday morning 4:00 A.M. service. And ofen she would go by herself, traveling by public transportation from West Philadelphia to North Philadelphia.  In our own home for many years, Mother would have us to pray at 4:oo P.M. It didn’t hurt us a bit.  We  children have learned the importance of talking to God for ourselves. 

3.  Unlike the Unjust who refused to listen to the widow, who was a citizen, Godheads us, because we are His “Elect.”   We have been called out, chosen by God through Jesus Christ.  In other words, we are saved.  The word “των εκλεκτων ” is the root word for the word church, which is “eklaysia,”  meaning “called out”  or “elect.”   We have been called out of darkness, into His marvelous light.”  We have been called out from being children of disobedience to children of God.  We have been called out from sin to salvation.  You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, holy nation, a people of His own, that you should show forth the praises of Him who hath called your out of darkness, into his marvelous light” (I Peter 2:9).  You are fellow citizens with the saints and the household of God (Eph. 2:19)  Therefore, God through His Son Jesus Christ has given  you the right “come boldly to the throne of Grace and obtain mercy and find grace to help in the time of need (Hebrews 4:16). 

B.     God will answer our prayers, in order to produce inner virtues.  God always answers prayer.  However, He does not answer our prayers the way we may want Him to answer.  Nevertheless, He always answer prayer.  Sometimes He will answer, “Yes;” other times He will utter, ”No;”  while other times He will say, “Waite.”  Waiting on God produces patience.   James Garfield, former President of the United States, was once the principal of Hiram College in Ohio.   One of the student’s father came to him and asked him if his son could take a course of study that would take him a shorter time to graduate.  Garfield replied, “Of course.”   “It all depends on what you want to make of your son.”  “You see, when God makes an oak tree, it takes Him a hundred years—when He wants to make squash, it only takes Him two summers.  Patience in prayer builds character.  Sometimes it seems frustrating waiting on God, but this parable encourages us to “Keep on Praying.”

Faith is another virtue that develops in continual prayer.   Tied up with the perseverance of prayer is faith.  Jesus concluded this parable with the question as well as a challenge found in verse 8,” πλην ο υιος του ανθρωπου ελθων αρα ευρησει την πιστιν επι της γης?”   The Bible says in Hebrews 11:6, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him.  He that cometh to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” 

          And of course, perseverance in prayer like the widow who pressed the unjust judge in this parable, also develops the habit of prayer.  Earl S. Scott reported that there was a surgeon who always have a moment of prayer alone before each operation.  The young doctors and interns noticed this surgeon’s habit of prayer.  One day one of the interns questioned him on the relationship between his prayer and his surgical operations.  “Yes,” replied the doctor.  “Before each operation I ask the Great Surgeon to be with me and guide my hands in operating on the patient.”   “There were times when I didn’t know what procedures to do.”  But all of a sudden a powered would come over me and I realized that it was God helping me to perform the operation.”  I would not think of performing an operation without God’s help. His habit of prayer aided him in his performance of surgery.  Think of what God will do for us, if we just formed the habit of prayer.       There is a song that says, “Everybody, everybody, everybody ought to pray sometime. You ought to fall down on your knees and say O lord have mercy on me.     

          Keep on praying.  Don’t stop praying, His word is nigh; Beloved don’t stop praying, He’ll hear your cry; the Lord has promised; and His Word is true; Don’t’ stop praying, He’ll answer you.  I wonder if I have a witness in the house, who kept on praying for some or something and by and by, after while, God showed up and answered your prayer.  Won’t He do it.  Don’t you dare stop—keep on praying.