Parables on Prayer
Journey to Jerusalem • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 34:18
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· 135 viewsPersistent prayer must never be proud; and humble praye must never be hesitant.
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I told you last week that the kingdom here and now looks a lot different as we await the coming Son of Man as it will look when He returns. In light of this waiting (where we are right now in God’s plan), Jesus brings up the subject of how we talk to God.
I wonder if your prayer life ever looks like this:
Lennon could not make progress because he kept hitting the guardrails. If we were honest, many of us have been just this frustrated in our prayer lives.
Today’s parables keep us from getting stuck on either side of the track! On one side is the trap of being too passive, on the other side is the trap of being too presumptuous.
I have noticed that when I am watching something on either side of the road, I tend to drift towards it. You have probably noticed the rub marks that are on many roadside barricades. My goal this morning is NOT to cause you to drift toward the barriers, but by noticing the rub marks, we will know how important it is to make sure we don’t get too close.
Transition: Jesus’ first parable converges on the reality that …
Persistence, not Hesitance, makes prayer effective (vv.1-8)
Persistence, not Hesitance, makes prayer effective (vv.1-8)
Two words frame the boundaries of this parable: widow (v.3a) and adversary (v.3b)
Two words frame the boundaries of this parable: widow (v.3a) and adversary (v.3b)
1. As a widow, she would only appear on her own behalf before a judge if she had no other sons, relatives or male friends to serve as her advocate. The fact that she is representing herself indicates that, although she is disregarded in that culture, she has no other recourse.
· Her very survival depends upon finding justice in this matter so she kept coming to him.
2. This word for adversary normally indicates “one who brings a charge in a lawsuit, accuser, plaintiff[i]” so she was not the one who initiated this case before the judge.
· Of all the speculation in the commentaries, the one that make the most sense to me is where Arland Hiltgren speculates, “Perhaps she did not get her rightful share of her husband’s property or perhaps she was being evicted from her home”.[ii]
Her persistence is described as “this widow keeps bothering me” (v.5)
Her persistence is described as “this widow keeps bothering me” (v.5)
1. Her repeated coming was so frequent that it threatened to “beat down the judge”
· The term used by the judge literally means “to strike in the face as in boxing, but here it has a weakened sense of wearing him out or making him tired by her persistence”[iii] It specifically has the idea of leaving someone with a black eye!
· We don’t know if she carried a crow bar in her purse or if she just left him so haggard that he had circles under his eyes.
Persistence is NOT
Persistence is NOT
1. As we consider this little old lady who is threatening to leave this judge with a black eye, and we’re thinking about how the unrighteous judge is about to respond, Jesus quickly moves from the specifics of the parable to a contrast with the justice delivered by God.
2. As we draw a principle of persistence in our prayer, it is important that we clarify what persistence is NOT.
a. Persistence is not petulant whining. God does not respond well to whining. In Ex 16 the people whined about being hungry; God gave them manna. Later in the chapter they gripe about the manna, so God sends quail. Anybody who has lived in a city where pigeons multiply know what a mess birds make. In 1 Samuel the people whine for a King like the other nations; God gives them what they ask for, but they soon find out they didn’t know what they were demanding.
b. Persistence is not meaningless repetition. Mt 6:7 gives a pretty clear prohibition against “empty phrases”.
Persistence IS
Persistence IS
1. Repetition – kept coming (v.3) reminds me of “without ceasing” (Acts 12:5, Rom 1:9 1 Thes & 2 Tim). This doesn’t mean like a record with a skip. [Those of you who have never listened to a vinyl album ask your parents what I’m talking about]
All of us at one time or another had that tickle in our throat that would not go away. No matter how hard you tried to clear it, or suck on a lozenge or drink some water, that urge to cough just cannot be suppressed.
2. You remember that time when you coughed so frequently that your diaphragm hurt to take a deep breath? That is the type of persistence demonstrated by this widow.
She was not Persistent about personal pleasure
She was not Persistent about personal pleasure
This repetition was not like the hints that a spouse drops before a birthday, anniversary or beginning of hunting/fishing season.
· She was not like the child who wants the latest action figure or quarter for the game or vending machine.
She was Persistent in pursuit of Justice
She was Persistent in pursuit of Justice
1. Justice has earned a really bad reputation in recent years as some seek to blame systems.
· It is much easier to blame a corrupt system, industry, or company with deep pockets and a potential windfall, than it is to expect restoration by an individual who has committed and injustice.
2. Whenever you hear a cry for social or systemic justice, before dismissing too quickly as an immature rant, ask yourself if there is an absence of BIBLICAL justice—the justice that reflects the character of God.
[Biblical] Justice happens speedily, it is not delayed until the appearance of the Son of Man (v.8)
[Biblical] Justice happens speedily, it is not delayed until the appearance of the Son of Man (v.8)
1. Abraham Kuyper’s most famous quote was uttered in his inaugural address at the opening of Free University when he said, “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry: “Mine!”[iv]
2. Because this whole world belongs to God, as a reflection of His just character, He is able to speedily give justice when we cry out persistently.
Transition: There is a VERY thin line between Persistence and Pride. IF we are not careful, our persistence can easily become demanding and demanding anything is a sign of pride. This proud mindset is described in v.9. In contrast we find...
Humility, not Pride, makes prayer effective (vv.9-14)
Humility, not Pride, makes prayer effective (vv.9-14)
Two postures (vv. 11 & 13)
Two postures (vv. 11 & 13)
1. Standing by himself – in a way that people could gather around and hear him.
a. Sometimes “prayer” is not a prayer, but a speech!
I’ve heard some teachers, with good intention, reprimand those who repeat the Lord’s name in a prayer. Their thought is that once you have the Lord’s attention, you don’t have to keep calling for it.
But I find that using different titles for God remind me who I am talking with—is a particular comment asking the Father to do something? Am I thanking the Son for something He did for us? Am I submitting to the prompting of the Holy Spirit in some particular direction?.
b. V. 12 Bragging on his own accomplishments – he fasted more than required by the Law and he tithed on his gross, not his net income.
c. R.T France comments, “the smug self-congratulation is what stands out. It reminds one of the later rabbi who instructed Jewish men to thank God that they had not been born a heathen, a woman, or a slave. If, as was normal, he is praying aloud, the insensitivity is even greater, and an element of self-advertisement is added to his smugness.[v]”
d. To this day this area at the temple is divided into sections where a self-righteous person could pray “I’m grateful that I am not one of those [in another segment] people”
2. Standing far off – in a way that what he said was nobody’s business, he was speaking only to God.
Kenneth Baily describes the meaning of standing far off as “He stood at a distance because he did not feel worthy to stand along with the others who were standing before God’s altar.”[vi]
Transition: After the one man recites his speech about how he did what was expected of a Pharisee (but nothing that made him any better than any of the other Pharisees),
The Tax collector humbly, but passionately made one request: forgiveness! (v.13)
The Tax collector humbly, but passionately made one request: forgiveness! (v.13)
1. Have you ever witnessed someone who was so emotional that he or she physically trembled?
2. This gesture consisted of striking his chest with his fists in rapid succession which was a cultural expression indicating extreme anguish or intense anger
3. Of all my study this week, this one line rose to the top of things I want to explain, The revenue agents request for mercy “is not the usual word for being merciful, and here he was asking that his sin be expiated.”[vii]
4. This cry by the tax gatherer introduces an important theological principle: the dual blessing of expiation and propitiation.
a. One of the criticisms of the NIV is the way the translators handle Romans 3:25, Heb 2:17 and 1 Jn 4:10. The King James uses a word (propitiation) that the NIV translates as atoning sacrifice. The pushback was so strong that when other modern translations came to those verses they use propitiation, although most of us have no idea what that word means until it is explained.
b. Expiation is the idea of having a debt cancelled. The tax collector did not only ask God to cancel his debt, He asks God to be propitious—to look favorably upon him.
c. You may have heard the word justified explained as “just as if I’d never sinned.” And that is a good basic explanation for beginners, but God’s forgiveness is even greater than cancelling of debt.
d. He doesn’t only refuse to hold our debt against us, He also looks on us with favor!
I know a lot of marriages that have ended following an act of unfaithfulness. But I know a few that have worked through the betrayal and hurt and actually rebuilt the trust to have a stronger marriage than they had before.
e. The man in Jesus parable asks, “Lord, I know what a sinner I am, and You know what a sinner I am, but I am asking you to view me positively anyway.”
f. Without minimizing the guilt he deserved, he was asking, God, will You be for me? God, will You make me more than a conqueror? God, will You do for me Eph 3:20?
20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,
g. He doesn’t only refuse to hold our debt against us, He also looks on us with favor!
h. What that humble man received that day would later be described as
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Transition: And Jesus offers the same to all today who call upon the name of the Lord! But before we conclude I need to give you one other truth to remember…
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
Effective Prayer is not guaranteed by either persistence or Humility
Effective Prayer is not guaranteed by either persistence or Humility
Prayer’s effectiveness is not determined by practice. Prayer’s effectiveness is dependent upon a person.
Prayer’s effectiveness is not determined by practice. Prayer’s effectiveness is dependent upon a person.
Bad Ingredients can ruin a recipe, but good ingredients do NOT guarantee a good cake!
Effective prayer does not rely upon how, but who!
Effective prayer does not rely upon how, but who!
1. Answered prayer does not hinge upon a formula, it trusts in a Father.
2. The hanging question of the first parable is found at the end of v.8 Will the Son of Man find faith on earth when he returns?
3. The presence of faith is the result of a relationship with the God who views us favorably.
We can persist in our prayers because the God who knows us exactly as we are, is the God who chooses to show His favor in spite of what we’ve done.
[i] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature(Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 88.
[ii] Richard C. Blight, An Exegetical Summary of Luke 12–24, 2nd ed. (Dallas, TX: SIL International, 2008), 237.
[iii] Ibid., 239.
[iv] Abraham Kuyper: A Centennial Reader, ed. James D. Bratt (Eerdmans, 1998), 488)
[v] R. T. France, Luke, ed. Mark L. Strauss and John H. Walton, Teach the Text Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2013), 287.
[vi] Blight, 250.
[vii]Ibid., 251.