Sermon Tone Analysis

When you or I have been wronged or we’ve experienced a terrible injustice, there is a natural desire for things to be made right.

But what can we do when we are in a totally helpless position?

Most likely, we will go talk to someone who can do something about it.

It may start about by talking to friends or family members or co-workers about your plight.

Eventually, I would hope that you would engage someone who can actually do something about it.

Yet, on this earth, justice often never happens.

What should we do?

First, remember that we are not citizens of an earthly kingdom, but rather citizens of God’s kingdom.

For it is God alone Who enacts perfect justice in His righteousness and holiness.

So, it would make sense if we would talk to the One Who can actually vindicate our cause.

We see David doing this multiple times in his lifetime.

We even see Paul and John talking with God about those who had wronged them.

My friends, what is talking to God but prayer?

So, once again, we come upon a section on prayer.

The teachings here must still be understood in the context in which we find it.

We’ve just been talking about the Kingdom of God.

In the context of the present and future Kingdom of God, there are often those who think they have an inside track because of bloodline, or religious background, or humanitarian activities, or merely because they think they are better than others, or at least, not as bad as some others.

Thus, what we will be studying today has as its theological background that of the Kingdom of God.

We will again see the reference to the Son of Man coming.

Again, later in the chapter, Jesus refers to the Kingdom of God and what is needed to enter into the Kingdom of God.

However, there are certainly some principles that we will be able to incorporate into all of life.

Yet, we dare not read into this section more than what the intent was originally.

It might lead to some warm, fuzzy teachings, that end up being in error; such as being able to force God’s hand to do what we want, or other strange ideas.

Instead of us becoming anxious or frustrated at the seeming inequities in life, we can be assured that God will only do that which is right, as we look forward in hope to His justice and glory being revealed.

Before we get into the message, let’s read the text we’ll be studying.

Pray and Persevere - 18:1

Luke introduces this section by reminding his readers that this is a parable designed to teach certain principles.

This is a fictional story to present a point.

We could break it down to these two simple principles:

. . .

at all times they ought to pray . . .

. . .

at all times they ought . . .

not to lose heart . . .

We could spend a great deal of time just dealing with the whole issue of prayer, but let me just touch lightly on these imperative statements.

First, you and I are reminded that regarding prayer, we ought to be doing it.

In addition, we ought to be doing it at all times; good times, bad times, giddy times, horrific times, etc. Plus, you and I recognize that sometimes we just feel like throwing in the towel and giving up on ourselves, the situation, even God.

We sometimes despair because it seems like God has abandoned us and the enemy has surrounded us.

Luke is telling us that in view of the horrific times that are going to be coming upon those who choose to follow God, we must remember that He is sovereign and that He will, on His perfect timetable, come back to establish His earthly kingdom.

All wrongs will be made right.

Justice will be meted out perfectly.

Again, this is helpful to us if we remember that the overarching picture is contained within the fact that Jesus is coming again to set up His rule and reign on this earth.

Just as His original coming to earth was for the purpose of His coming as fully God and fully man in order to offer His life as a sacrifice and payment for the sins of humanity, knowing that He would be raised from the dead on the third day to live forevermore was not to be deterred; so it will be with His second coming be.

Thus, in looking at this verse in the context of the whole chapter, it would seem that Jesus is encouraging prayer.

And the specific encouragement is for the return of Jesus in setting up His earthly kingdom.

It certainly seems as if forever has gone by and that the world is becoming increasingly wicked and ungodly.

So, we pray and don’t lose heart.

So, now we look at the next few verses to see how a judge, who was supposed to practice righteousness and justice behaved.

Unwilling, but Wearied - 18:2-5

This judge is introduced with less than stellar character references.

In fact, though he was a judge who was supposed to be upright, we see that he was not at all.

He did not fear God, and did not respect man.

He would do whatever he chose to do regardless if it was right or wrong.

Though he should have known what God says about uprightness, taking no bribes, turning no blind eye to injustice, watching out for the downtrodden, living justly, etc., this judge would have ignored that for he didn’t have a genuine fear of God.

Sadly, he had no respect or honor for any other human.

If you were to look up in a dictionary the word immoral, this judge would have his picture there.

This gives us an idea of what kind of character this judge was.

He was not upright in any way, whatsoever.

In fact, it would appear that judges like this were all about gaining extra money; even willing to turn a blind eye to justice.

In fact, one writer states: The Talmud … accuses them of ignorance, arbitrariness, and covetousness, so that for a dish of meat they would pervert justice.

In verse 3, we are introduced to a widow.

In Jewish culture, it was understood that the widow was to be protected and watched over.

In fact, the Old Testament speaks a great deal of watching out and caring for the widow and the orphan and the destitute.

Deuteronomy 27: 19 warns, “Cursed is he who distorts the justice due an alien, orphan, and widow.”

But it appears from this verse that this was not happening.

A just judge would have done everything possible to protect the widow as he would be to watch out for a wealthy individual.

Sadly, the system had become so corrupt that the widows of that time were often wronged and taken advantage of because they were so poor that they were unable to bribe the judges to get what they needed.

In fact, it seems here as though there is someone who is out to get her unjustly.

She pleads continually for the judge to provide for her the legal protection against her opponent.

This was her right under the Jewish laws.

However, according to verse four, the judge is said to have been unwilling.

In other words, he didn’t want to be bothered with something like this.

Maybe he felt it was too menial for him to concern himself.

Maybe there was no gain that the judge could see for himself.

At the end of verse four and in verse five, we see a bit more about the faulty character of this ungodly, unrighteous, unjust, judge.

He states what Jesus had already said in describing him in the fact that he [did] not fear God nor respect man.

In other words, honoring and obeying God, or simply doing what is right for other people wasn’t enough to get the judge to do what the widow had been begging for him to do.

However, to simply get her off his proverbial back, knowing that she would not relent, he decided to give her the legal protection she had been requesting.

It had nothing to do with him being in the least noble or upright.

It was all about getting rid of her.

Lest we misunderstand what this is about, let’s move on to the last few verses.

A Just Judge - 18:6-8

As we look at verse 6, we ought to experience a clearer understanding about what this passage is not teaching.

Jesus is now bringing clarity from His parable to the point He desires to make.

The story is not teaching about perseverance in prayer so as to wear God out so He does what we desire.

It is not about proving how serious we are about our request by badgering God.

This is not at all a comparison of the judge and God.

What kind of judge have we been talking about?

What kind of judge is described in verse 6?

The unrighteous judge, not the righteous, holy, just God.

There is no comparison.

In fact, this is a complete contrast.

That is what Jesus is basically saying to pay attention to what this judge said.

We know that the unrighteous judge basically gave in because the widow would not give up and she kept pleading her case before him.

In order to get her to allow him some peace, he gave her what she had requested; which is what she was supposed to provide anyway.

The contrast is seen in the fact that God, who is righteous, who keeps His promises, will bring about justice.

Thus, if someone who seems to not have a stick of goodness in him finally does that which is right, how much more we can expect that God, Who is altogether good, will do that which is right.

He will not turn a blind eye to the wrongs which His children suffer.

He will not wait until we wear Him out, if it were even possible.

R.C. Sproul expresses it this way: If an unscrupulous, unjust judge with no regard for men or God will heed the pleas of this pestering woman, how much more will the heavenly Father, who is just and caring, hear the cries of his people.

You see, the judge had no feelings whatsoever about the widow, much less about doing what is right.

However, God loves His children dearly and will always do what is right.