Parable Of The Unjust Judge Series

Parable of the Unjust Judge

Luke 18:1-8

http://gbcdecatur.org/sermons/UnjustJudge.html

Bad judges have highlighted the news more than ever the last few months as investigations into rulings doled out to child predators have revealed so many judges exercising extreme lenience that is not helping our kids safety. It¡¦s one thing for a judge to be merciful, but quite another thing to give a slap on the wrist that means nothing, with no justice being accomplished.

Ill.-John Couey-who abducted, raped, and killed 9 year old Jessica Lunsford, buried alive in a trash bag, was sentenced to death a couple weeks ago. You may ask, where’s the injustice in that? The injustice was in the form of previous judges who gave him probation even though he was a repeat sex offender of little ones, and despite Couey stating in a recorded deposition his desire to be locked away because he would do it again if not! "Jessica’s Law" is saving lives in 40 states now, w/ a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years for first time offenders, and repeat offenders get mandatory life in prison. I’m sad to report that our state is one of the 10 not pursuing the law. Not only am I ashamed of this, but fearful because of my children and yours.

Other examples:

In Rhode Island, 18-year-old Josh Maciorski was convicted of having sex with a 13-year-old girl, but sentenced to probation. Two years later he molested a 14-year-old girl and served just one year. Then, when he got out, Maciorski raped a 16-year-old girl. His sentence after this third strike - an unbelievable three years in prison.

In Missouri, 19-year old Darrell Jackson pleaded guilty to repeatedly sexually abusing a little girl, beginning she was just eight. But when Jackson came up for sentencing, a soft judge gave him four months in prison and five years probation.

In Minnesota, Joseph Duncan stood in front of a judge, accused of molesting a young boy. Despite the fact that Duncan had previously served 16 years for raping another young boy at gunpoint, the judge released him on just $15,000 bail. Duncan promptly skipped bail and headed for Idaho, where he allegedly kidnapped, raped, and killed a 9-year old boy, molested his sister, and killed their family.

And just this week a man in Seattle, WA is in the news for his "how to" child predator website, teaching others how to abduct children, abuse them, and get away with it. Shockingly, he is breaking no laws, and in an interview said he would do what he writes about if not for the stiff laws now in place. Washington is this week trying to push thru a law making his website illegal as well.

The point of all of this is justice being done, for injustice is a travesty. And tonite’s parable is not about an unjust judge as it is about the Just Judge of the universe, Jehovah God. We’ll come back to that in a minute.

This parable is also all about prayer. Evidently the element of persistence in prayer was very important to Jesus...

v. 1 "men ought always to pray and not to faint"

In this parable we find a persistent widow, and we already studied the parable of the persistent friend [at midnight, Luke 11].

Are we persistent in our prayers? Or have we lost heart? Let’s see what we can glean about prayer and much more...

This poor widow woman had no clout or respect in her day, when you needed to know someone to get a judge to do anything. But she is persistent!

AT LAST THE JUDGE HEEDS HER COMPLAINT - Lk 18:4b-5

1. Not out of any sense for what was right in the sight of God or man

2. But only to avoid being wearied by her constant appeals

This parable is not comparing the judge to God, but contrasting the two. Jesus never is trying to teach that we have to pull blessings out of God, but that we should be persistent.

SHALL NOT GOD AVENGE HIS OWN ELECT?

1. This is an argument from the lesser to the greater

a. If an unjust judge will heed a persistent widow...

b. ...how much more then will a Just God heed His chosen people!

2. Our assurance is even stronger when we note the following contrasts:

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The Widow God’s People

a. A stranger a. His elect, 1 Pet 2:9-10

b. Only one b. We are many

c. At a distance c. We can come boldly, Heb 4:15-16

d. An unjust judge d. A righteous Father

e. On her own e. God is for us, Rom 8:31-32

f. Pleads her own case f. We have an Advocate, Rom 8:34

g. No promise of an answer g. Promise given, Lk 18:8a