Summer Stories - Week 8: The Persistent Widow (Luke 18:1-8)

0:01 Good morning, and thank you to Nick and the band. You don't need to be around a group of children for very long, until you will hear, that's not fair. The complaint may be accompanied by pouted lips and a stamped foot, driven perhaps by another child getting longer on the amusements or seemingly receiving a larger slice of cake. And of course, it's not just children who have this inbuilt sense of justice. It's one of the reasons why we like our movies to finish with the bad guys getting their comeuppance. I don't know if you caught the latest installment in the Jurassic Park franchise over the summer, but if you didn't, it'll come as no surprise and needs no spoiler warning when I tell you that within the first five to ten minutes, you'll have worked out who is crooked and nasty, and hence who will be eaten before the movie ends. There's something strangely satisfying in that.

1:13 If you ever find yourself in a towering inferno, a sinking cruise ship, or a doomed airplane, here's a survival tip for you. Find the cute eight-year-old, preferably one with her teddy bear, and stick to them like glue, because according to Hollywood at least, they are going to survive. It just wouldn't be fair for someone so adorable to perish. But of course, we shouldn't be surprised that we desire justice. It is one of the attributes of God, and we are made in his image. And even though that image can be a little tarnished at times, distorting our view of what is truly just, some vestige of fairness remains in all of us. Well, as we continue our summer story series, considering the parables in Luke's gospel, we come to one this morning where Jesus has something to say about justice. If you have a Bible with you, please turn with me to Luke chapter 18 and follow along as I read the first eight verses, and it's also on the screen behind me.

2:27 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said, in a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, grant me justice against my adversary. For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, even though I don't fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice so that she won't eventually come and attack me. And the Lord said, listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?

3:25 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? Now when our passage begins with the word then or and as it is in some translations we need to consider what has just come before. Do have a read through chapter 17 verses 20 to 37 when you go home this afternoon but I'm going to summarize it for you. Jesus has been answering the Pharisees and then teaching his disciples about the coming of the kingdom of God. Now the kingdom of God is fundamentally about God's sovereignty and authority over all creation. And there's two aspects to it, a present reality and a future hope. And both are taught here by Jesus.

4:22 The Pharisees were wanting to know the cosmic signs that would precede the coming of the kingdom so that they wouldn't miss it. So they're making the mistake of not recognizing that it had already come in the person of Jesus and in those who were already following Jesus. There would be no signs to be observed. It would come quietly, evident in changed lives. Jesus then teaches his disciples about the future hope of the kingdom of God. He teaches about his second coming, that it will be dramatic and visible to all, not secret or hidden in any way, as sudden as lightning, and similarly lighting up the sky for all to see. Before that, he has to die in accordance with God's plan to redeem a people for himself. Now, he uses imagery that would have been familiar to the disciples, namely a flat-roofed Palestinian home with outside stairs and a man working in a field.

5:33 Jesus warns that when he does return, there will be no time to prepare, no time to collect possessions from the house or to get back home from the field. Jesus forewarns that like Lot's wife who turned back, looking longingly at Sodom, those who love this world will be lost. And Jesus tells them that there's a period coming when they will long for a day when he has already returned to the earth and is with them again, perhaps alluding to the cost of being a disciple of Jesus, a cost that these men would experience in suffering, separation, and persecution, something he's pointed out previously in chapter 14. So it's in that context that Jesus tells his disciples this parable. Right at the start in verse 1, he sets the scene for them, saying that it is to show them that they should always pray and not give up. And we now know from the context that this refers to a time in the future when the disciples might be tempted to give up because the Lord's return was not when they thought it might be. You see, fundamentally, it is a parable about faith. Jesus' story is about a judge in some unnamed town who didn't care what God or any man thought of him.

7:06 A widow comes to the judge seeking justice against her opponent. We aren't told what the issue is because that's irrelevant to the point Jesus is making. Now, in the minds of Jesus' disciples, the widow would represent the poor, the needy, the oppressed. So maybe they weren't surprised that the judge refused her justice. She had nothing. She would have been easily dismissed and seen as irrelevant. But she had one asset, her persistence. She keeps coming to the judge until eventually she gets justice.

7:45 Note that the judge doesn't grant her justice because it is the right thing to do. Jesus says that it was because he feared for his own well-being. Oh, the irony of it, a widow seeking justice from such an unjust judge. But Jesus then explains the parable in verses six to eight. It's a lesser to greater argument. Let me explain. If the reluctant action of an unjust judge, the lesser, if that action is just, then how much more just will be the action of a just God, the greater? Now, we need to be careful that we don't get wrong ideas from this parable, especially with the reference to prayer.

8:37 We might think that Jesus is telling us to keep badgering God in prayer until we get what we want. Now think about the implications of that, if it were true. You have a very sick friend and you're praying for their recovery. Nothing wrong with that. You keep praying, again biblical, but you don't see any improvement in your friend's health. Indeed, they're getting worse, if anything. So you get more Christian friends to pray. Once again, biblical approach.

9:11 And even more Christians get in on the act. But eventually your friend dies. Oh, God didn't seem to hear or answer your prayers or those of your brothers and sisters in Christ. You end up in a crisis of faith. Oh, what if I'd prayed more often? Maybe then my friend wouldn't have died. What if I'd got just one more person to pray? Maybe then God would have been persuaded and my friend would have lived.

9:42 Oh, all of that terrible guilt comes from a misunderstanding of prayer. We are taught that prayer changes things, which it does, but primarily it changes me as I pray, aligning my will with God's will. You see, in the scenario I just outlined, the power of prayer would have been to prepare me and those praying with me for the death of my friend. It isn't wrong to pray for the healing of a sick person, but in doing so, we must always be open to the possibility that God may be more glorified in the death of that individual than in the recovery. And if that outcome is becoming evident, then our prayers will change as we ask God to grant us peace, comfort, and an awareness of his presence in a sad situation. We ask others to pray with us, not so that God is somehow impressed by the numbers and persuaded to grant us what we ask, but so that they carry the burden with us. And if the person recovers, they can share in that blessing. Or if they don't, then they can support us in our grief.

11:04 So then what is Jesus teaching his disciples by way of this parable, and how does that apply to us? Well, I've picked out three lessons for us. Have faith that justice will be done. demonstrate that faith by keeping praying in the meantime. And by faith, be ready for when it happens. In verse 7, Jesus says that God will bring about justice for his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night. Throughout the Bible, we see God caring for his chosen ones, that is, those who are in Christ. Our suffering and injustice in this world do not go unnoticed by our God who loves us.

11:55 Jesus says in verse 8 that we will get justice and soon. In chapter 12 of the book of Romans, Paul urges the believers not to take revenge themselves, but to leave it to God to avenge. On the contrary, we are to bless those who persecute us and to provide food and drink for our enemies. In doing so, we hope to advance the gospel. We don't need to be bothered that those who harm us or treat us unfairly seemingly get away with it. Jesus is telling us that justice will be done. Now some people think that when God forgives us, he just overlooks sin, but that isn't justice. Suppose someone broke into your house and stole your TV.

12:49 The police tracked down the offender and they appear in court. Now if the judge said, oh it doesn't matter and you can keep the TV you stole, would you feel you'd receive justice? Of course not. Because God is just, he cannot just overlook sin. He is our creator and he has told us how we should live. That is right. But such is the love of our God that those instructions are designed around what is best for us. Going against those instructions is sin because it is an offense against God.

13:30 The Bible makes it very clear that the wages of sin is death. Now note that word wages. We receive wages because we have earned them. They are what are owed to us. So when God says that we will be punished for our sin, that is simply what we deserve. Oh, but praise God that that verse continues. But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. It's a gift.

14:02 This we don't deserve. But how can God gift us eternal life and remain just without overlooking our sin? That's where the cross comes in. A man who was without sin and who didn't deserve to die stood in our place. God laid our sins on his son Jesus, and he took the punishment that should be ours. Oh, in one sense, it's profoundly deep. And yet in another, it's really very simple. Either you pay the price for your sin, or Christ pays it on your behalf.

14:41 And only you can know which it is right now, in this instant. If Christ were to return at this moment, who's paying the price for your sin? You see, this is the tremendous gift of God, that there is a redeemer, a sacrificial lamb, a substitute for people like you and me, who were only deserving of his wrath and an eternity in hell, who were once his enemies, but who are now forgiven, are his sons and daughters, and co-heirs with Christ. Justice will finally be done when Christ returns, and no wrongdoing will go unpunished. Whilst for the ungodly, the event will be an unmitigated catastrophe. For the Christian, it will be an end to suffering and a point where everything will be put right. When we cry out to God day and night, it is not for revenge on our enemies. No, it is a cry of your kingdom come, a cry for God to intervene and bring to an end the evils we endure from corrupt individuals and governments.

16:01 But the challenge for us is this. do we long for that day when Christ comes back again? Does the corruption and darkness of this world weigh upon us so that we're longing for that day? Or do we love this world too much that we barely give the second coming of Christ a thought? You know, some of us grew up listening to the songs of the artist Keith Green, and he used a phrase that's always stuck with me. He said that we are living in a garbage can compared to what is to come. But when will this happen? Jesus says in verse 7, Will he keep putting them off?

16:46 Or in other words, will God be patient much longer as he sees his chosen ones suffer? The implied answer is no. But isn't God gracious? giving men and women time to repent and turn to him. But that won't go on forever. From God's perspective, justice will come quickly. From a human perspective, of course, justice may seem to be a long time coming. So Jesus tells us to persist in prayer and not give up as we wait.

17:24 And that brings us to our second lesson from Jesus' parable this morning. show our faith that Christ will return by keeping on praying in the meantime. Now, why might we be tempted to give up? Maybe we let ourselves get distracted by the busyness of life. You know, I'm friendly with a few young adults, and when they're telling me about all that they've got up to in their day, they've only got as far as lunchtime, and I'm already feeling exhausted. Ask some of those with young families and they'll tell you what busyness and tiredness is. And it doesn't change, does it, as we offer a taxi service to our children or look after our grandchildren. Oh friends, whilst it's ideal to have a time set aside each day when we can in the quietness draw near to God in prayer, sometimes the circumstances of life, even after we've examined our priorities.

18:25 That sheer busyness prevents that happening at times. But then, instead of giving up on prayer, remember that you can pray when you're doing the dishes. You can pray whilst changing a nappy. You can even pray whilst driving, but just don't close your eyes. Or could it be that we've lost trust in God? We cry out to him, but he remains silent and appears to do nothing. Maybe he doesn't really care. Perhaps you've been in a situation a bit like the one I outlined earlier, where you've prayed earnestly for something and you didn't get the answer you expected.

19:11 Those are the times when we need Christian fellowship more than ever. When we need our brothers and sisters in Christ to remind us of the goodness of God. To remind us that his ways are not our ways. To remind us that he works for our good. To remind us that he loves us. Do you ever wonder if God truly loves us? Do you ever wonder if God is really for us? Oh friends, there's a cross that says he is.

19:51 Such is the love of God for us that he answers the prayer we ought to have prayed instead of the prayer we did pray. Now Jesus poses a question at the end of this passage. When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth? The answer, of course, is yes. After all, God is the author and finisher of our faith. But we won't remain in Christ in our own strength. But if we're truly his, then he will never let go of us. But Jesus' purpose in asking that question is to encourage his disciples to keep praying, to keep watching for his return, to keep believing in God's justice, To give up praying would be to doubt his character, to imply that he is indifferent to justice.

20:49 It would be a statement that we have no hope of a new heaven and a new earth where justice reigns. When Jesus returns, he will be looking for those who are praying and watching for him. Which brings me to our final lesson from this parable this morning. We need to be ready for Christ's return. Or for when he calls us into his presence in death. Should that happen first. You see it's even possible that we don't persist in prayer. Because we don't really know the one to whom we pray.

21:32 The apostle Paul was once asked. What must I do to be saved? And his answer was straightforward. Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved. And it really is that uncomplicated. But let me illustrate what that belief means. In 1859, Charles Blondin completed a tight rope walk from one side of Niagara Falls to the other. And he did it whilst blindfolded and pushing a wheelbarrow out in front of him.

22:08 Now when he'd crossed from one side to the other, there were huge cheers from the crowd. And Blondin went up to one of the men watching and he asked him, Do you believe I can do that again? Yes, was the man's reply. Then get into the wheelbarrow, said Blondin. But the man refused. His actions revealed that he didn't really believe. See, when we talk about believing in the Lord Jesus, it doesn't mean some intellectual agreement or recognition of historical facts or even theological concepts. That is belief about the Lord Jesus.

22:49 And even the devil does that. Belief in the Lord Jesus goes beyond acknowledging facts about him. It is a personal, trusting surrender to him as Lord and Savior. it is entrusting our life to him that's how we're ready for when jesus returns or calls us home and just like with the illustration it is our actions that are the evidence of our faith but it would be wrong of me to finish this morning without pointing out a warning in Christ's story. See, when he says that God's chosen ones will get justice quickly, he is reminding us that there is an urgency to the gospel. In the passage just before the one we've been studying this morning, Jesus has been telling his disciples that the world will be surprised by his second coming. Yes, despite generations of Christian preaching, the second coming is going to take our world by surprise.

24:01 Jesus used two analogies to make his point. Men didn't believe Noah's preaching and were surprised by the flood that destroyed them. Similarly, the people of Sodom mocked Lot's testimony, and yet the judgment of God actually fell and destroyed them on the day Lot departed. But note carefully what left them unprepared for God's judgment. See, we might have expected it to be their indulgence in shocking sins, but even though those were, it wasn't that. Christ tells us in verses 27 and 28 that people were eating, drinking, marrying, and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. And it was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building.

24:59 In other words, people were totally preoccupied with life's normal activities and hadn't any concern for God's warnings and gospel. Men and women haven't changed. Young people here this morning, maybe you're putting off thinking about the gospel until you're older. You're going to live a little, have fun, find yourself, whatever that means, and while this Jesus stuff can wait. In the end, maybe you're only here this morning to keep your parents off your back. And when Stephen Kay talked about the prodigal son two weeks ago, maybe you kind of model yourself on the prodigal son. You're going to enjoy yourself and think about Christianity some other time. But be warned, you have no guarantee that God is going to send you your equivalent of a famine to bring you to your senses at some point in the future.

26:08 Or might some of the slightly older folk be here just to keep your spouse happy or for the sake of your children? After all, they need to learn about Jesus, but it's not for you. What about those of us who are getting on in years? Maybe we've grown up in a culture where going to church was the done thing. Wouldn't it be tragic if it was our pride that kept us from engaging with the gospel? Our pride that we've held out this long. You see, when the Bible tells us that there will be wars and rumors of wars, famines, earthquakes, persecution of Christians and so on, as signs of the end times, the purpose is not that we spend our time predicting exactly when the end of the world will be, trying to fit current events against biblical prophecy. No.

27:05 The purpose is to serve as a warning to the world, to be ready in case this is the end, meaning that people can't say that they weren't warned. You know, none of us knows what's coming when we walk out those doors today. So it's for good reason that the psalmist says today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts. You know, I hesitate at what I'm about to say because I don't want you to think that God only works in one way. But yet I know that my experience is shared by many here. 48 years ago, this month in fact, I sat as a young boy at a scripture union camp in Scotland. Oh, I'd grown up in church all my life, never known anything else. But somehow on that Tuesday night as the camp leader was speaking from the Bible, it was different.

28:08 It was as if someone had thrown a switch and I could see it all clearly. I was a sinner condemned before a holy God, unable to save myself, and in need of a savior. I realized that although I knew much about Jesus from Sunday school, my parents and church, I really didn't know Jesus, nor have a relationship with him. Oh, by the grace of God, everything changed that night, and I ended up in the wheelbarrow, so to speak. Could it be that Jesus is speaking to you in the same way this morning? Maybe for you too, the gospel now makes sense for the first time. As ever, light has been turned on. Well, it's not due to the eloquence of the speaker.

29:05 It's definitely not that this morning. It's God at work. And Jesus says to you this morning, Come to me and I will give you rest. And you see that unease within you that comes from knowing you aren't right with God. You'll find rest from that nowhere else but in Christ. And I can make you a promise this morning because Jesus says, Whoever comes to me, I will never drive away. But he also says that he is coming back soon, which means that I can't make you that promise for tomorrow. I think we should pray together.

29:54 Don't you? Let's pray. Our gracious and loving Heavenly Father, we thank you for these parables that give us an insight into your character. Oh, we thank you that justice and righteousness are part of your very being. We thank you for the hope that that gives us of an eternity with you, where what is right will prevail and where there will be no more corruption. We thank you that the Lord Jesus will return and herald in that age and that everyone will see him and that every knee will bow and every tongue confess that he is Lord. either gladly or because they are finally compelled to admit it. Oh, strengthen us as we wait for that day.

30:50 Encourage us to keep on praying and to watch for that glorious day. But if there's any here who haven't entrusted their lives to you this morning, oh, we pray, Holy Spirit, do your work now. Come and convict of sin. Show them the good news of the gospel. And bring them from darkness into light. For we ask it in the precious name of Jesus. Amen. Amen.