Persistence in Prayer Pays Off
Luke • Sermon • Submitted
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· 28 viewsFollowing a widow’s example, believers should be persistent in prayer, knowing God will act on their behalf.
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Read Luke 18:1-8 (ESV)
The Parable of the Persistent Widow
1 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. 3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’ ” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
Prayer
Introduction: One of the heartiest fish out there is the salmon, not to mention it sure does taste good too! About two years after its born, the salmon makes its way down the river to the open sea. It then spends roughly another two years there maturing to adulthood, and after growing considerably a chemical reaction takes in the salmon causing it to begin working its way back to the mouth of the very same river where it was born. Do you realize that God actually designed them to do this? After finding the river of its birth, the salmon will begin to fight against the current in order to move upriver where it will spawn and reproduce. You might have seen pictures of salmon trying to accomplish this by jumping upstream over a waterfall. There always seems to be a hungry bear in the picture trying to catch these fish for an easy meal! It’s both amazing and interesting that the salmon will completely wear itself out, risking life and limb to try to make its way back to the very same pool where it was born. Now, whatever else you want to say about the salmon, the one thing you have to admit is that it’s relentless! Did you that you and I can learn a lot from this unlikely example set by a simple fish? We can learn a good lesson about not giving up, about being persistent. (Pause) In Luke 18:1-8 Jesus finds an example in an unlikely place and he uses it to help us understand that by following a widow’s example, believers should be persistent in prayer, knowing God will act on their behalf. This evening I’d like to share a few insights with you from the parable of the persistent widow. First, in v.1, the purpose of the parable. Second, in vv.2-5, persistence pays off. Then, lastly in vv.6-8, I’d like to show you how Jesus says we can learn a lesson about the power of persistent prayer. So, let’s dive in!
18:1 “The Purpose of the Parable”
Explanation: In v.1 we’re given the purpose of the parable. Jesus told his disciples this to show them that they should always pray and not ever give up hope.” When things are looking bleak it’s easy to be like an ostrich and stick your head in the sand. You see, Jesus knew that, and he knew that when he ascended back to heaven things would, at times, get pretty tough for those who follow him. (Pause)
Argument: Now, in order to really understand the purpose of this parable you’ve got to set it against the background of Jesus’ teaching in Luke 17:20-37 about the coming of the kingdom. In those verses you read about how Jesus had been asked by a Pharisee when the kingdom of God would come (Lk.17:20). The answer he gave was probably a shocker to anyone who was listening because Jesus said that the coming of the kingdom of God wasn’t something, at least at the present time, you can see, but at the same time he said that the kingdom was in their midst (Lk. 17:20b-21). Now, I know some of you are wondering how on earth could the kingdom be in their midst and yet, at the same time, not be visible (*within you is not a good translation)? (Pause) The answer to that question would involve a whole other sermon, or series of sermons, but suffice it to say that wherever the king is, there is the kingdom. The kingdom is here now in that the resurrection of the age to come has broken into the present time in the resurrection of Jesus and the giving of the Spirit to believers as a down payment of what’s to come. However, there’s still more because in the future the kingdom will openly manifest itself at the return of our Savior. Sometimes you’ll hear this referred to as the “already but not yet. (Pause) Now, all of this would have come as shock because it was no secret that the people of Israel were expecting the Messiah to bring in the kingdom with fanfare and fireworks by giving Rome the boot. But Jesus had told his disciples, No, no, that’s not how it’s going to happen!” Instead, he told them that he was going to have to suffer (a reference to his work on the cross) and that after his suffering things would appear to simply go on as they were. You know, business as usual, that’s the point of Jesus making reference to the days of Noah and how people were so unexpectant when Sodom was destroyed. However, Jesus did say that when he returned it would be blatantly obvious, nobody is going to miss it! (Pause) Now, here’s the point in all of that, it’s kind of like that line in the John Mellencamp song Jack and Diane, “Oh yeah, life goes on, long after the thrill of living is gone.” You see friends, we’re still living in the period that Jesus is talking about here, in between his first and second comings, and while the king is away it’s easy for his subjects to get lulled to sleep by the world around them. That means it’s also easy to lose heart when you look at how jacked up this world is, and if you begin to lose heart it becomes easier and easier to neglect your prayer life. Jesus knows this, and that’s why he tells this little parable of a persistent widow.
Appeal: Maybe those last words describe situation right now in your prayer life. Maybe you’ve lost heart and it’s becoming harder and harder for you to call out. If that’s you, then what Jesus says in this parable is for you. (Pause) So, let’s take a look.
18:2-5 “Persistence Pays Off”
Explanation: Jesus begins in vv.2-5 by giving us an example of how persistence pays off, and he does it by using an example that we might not expect, that of a widow and an unwilling judge.
Argument: The first thing he says about the judge is that this man didn’t fear God or care anything about what people thought. As for the widow, Jesus says that she kept coming to the judge and pestering him in order that he might give her justice. We’re not told what her dispute was over, maybe it was some kind of civil case, or maybe it was concerning a false accusation. Either way, this judge had the responsibility to listen to her case because of the position he was in. You know, sometimes we need to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes in order to see things from their perspective.
Illustration: (The Prince and the Pauper) One of my favorite all-time stories is The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain? Maybe some of you have read it too. As the story goes there were two boys born in London on the same day and they had an uncanny resemblance to one another. The difference, however, is that one was a prince and the other is a pauper, born into poverty. One day they happened to meet and later they trade clothing and as a result, they also trade lives as well. Throughout the rest of the story, you get a good picture of the contrast between the lifestyles of the two boys as each gets a good taste of what it’s like to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes. At the end of the day the prince learns a good lesson; the way you treat other people matters, especially those who are less fortunate, and friends let me tell you, the widow in this parable Jesus tells, compared to the judge, doesn’t have much, but the one thing she does have is persistence.
Argument: Take a look at v.4 because it’s there we get a clear picture of the fact that this widow has made it her consistent habit to pestering this judge. She’s like a good defensive lineman on the football field who, play after play keeps driving those feet and rushing the quarterback. She keeps coming and coming and the only thing this judge can do to get her off his case is render a verdict in her favor. And that’s exactly what v.5 says he does. (Pause) Even though he was unwilling in the beginning, he ain’t stupid. He knows that if he doesn’t hand down a verdict, she’s going to drive him insane! Church, the point in this unexpected example of a widow and an unwilling judge is that being persistent pays off. No, it doesn’t mean you’re going to get your way every time, but it does teach you to never ever give up hope!
Appeal: Let me pause right here and ask you, have you given up hope? Maybe you’ve found yourself in a position that feels like four walls are closing in on you, maybe you’re struggling with depression. If that’s you then let the example Jesus uses here of a persistent widow encourage you to never give up! Keep praying; keep calling out to God because he will answer! Persistence pays off!
18:6-8 “The Power of Persistent Prayer”
Explanation: Let’s look at vv.6-8 because it’s here that Jesus drives home the main point of this parable and teaches a lesson about the power of persistent prayer.
Argument: You’ll notice there in v.6 that Jesus says we need to hear what the unjust judge says. That word hear means to listen and understand, or in other words to learn from what you’ve heard. Jesus used this same word in Matthew’s Gospel to answer the disciples’ question about why he taught in parables. In Mt. 13:13 Jesus said, “This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.” In fact, he went on to say that this was actually a fulfilment of a prophecy given by Isaiah. Jesus knew that those who didn’t follow him wouldn’t listen to what he was saying, but here in Luke 18:6 Jesus goes as far as to command us to hear what he’s said and learn from the example of a persistent widow and an unjust judge! But the question is what are we supposed to learn? (Pause) The answer to that question comes in vv.7 and 8 where Jesus moves in for the knockout punch.
Illustration: Now, if you’ve ever watched a champion boxer, you’ll know that they understand how to work their opponent to get them in just the right spot to deliver that killer blow that wins the fight.
Argument: Do you remember earlier that I told you what Jesus teaches in this parable is dependent on Lk. 17:20-37 and his teaching concerning the coming of the kingdom? Recall, if you will, that the Pharisees had asked Jesus when the kingdom of God would come (Lk. 17:20), and remember that Jesus, in his answer, pointed out that after he after he left some people would follow after false teachers making the claim that the kingdom had come. Jesus also made it crystal clear that his followers should be wise stewards of his words and not run after garbage like that. Instead, even though it might seem like he’s NEVER going to return, believers need to be faithful in prayer. And here’s the knockout punch that Jesus delivers this parable, if an unjust and crooked judge can be moved by the persistence of poor widow to render a just decision, how much more so will God! So, be persistent, keep calling out to God in prayer because no matter how bad it gets a day will come when he will act on behalf of those who are his!
Appeal/Conclusion: The question is are you faithful? That’s the point of v.8, “… when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” If Jesus returned tonight what would he say about you; what would he say about me? Are we faithful to pray; do we believe that being persistent in prayer will pay off?
Invitation: call the congregation to be faithful in prayer
Closing Prayer