Theme: God will see justice done to those who cry to him
Text: Exodus 17:8-13, 2 Tim. 3:14-4:2; Lk. 18: 1-8
Today’s parable comes across as a very simple lesson about persistence. It teaches us that persistence achieves results. Looking back at our own childhood or at our children we will all realise the importance of persistence in learning to walk. The child does not just get up one morning and start walking. The child has to learn how to walk. He or she takes the first steps usually holding on to something and we have tried to make it easier by providing so-called walkers. After many failures they finally get the hang of it and they begin to walk. One inventor failed on many occasions but persisted. He persisted because in his own words he only viewed each failure as a lesson on how not to do it. It is really true that if at first you don’t succeed you should try and try again. One very important area in life where we should apply this principle is in prayer. This parable does not suggest, as some have mistakenly concluded, that God can be influenced or manipulated by stubborn, strong willed prayers. Through persistence in prayer we become more intimate with God. When we become more intimate with Him we will know His will and be obedient to Him. Then He can trust us with the answers to our prayers. If we ask God for an egg there is no point in Him giving it to us if we cannot take care of it and would let it to fall and break the moment we receive it. God knows what He is doing and He will see justice done to those who cry to Him.
God hears the cries of His people and He is not like the judge in today’s parable. In most parables depicting God, Christ uses the main character as a God-type. But here, the vain obnoxious Judge bears no resemblance to the compassionate and righteous God whom Christ taught us to call Father. By contrasting this man with God is to encourage us to trust the goodness and justice of God. If such a judge can see that justice is done, how can we doubt the willingness of God to see justice done to those who cry to Him? God truly is a righteous judge and does not need to be persuaded to bless. He cares for His people. The Scriptures declare that it is His good pleasure to give us the kingdom.
God is a just and righteous God who hears and cares for us. But He cannot just go ahead and do what He wants to do because He has decided to work with man concerning events on earth. In one of his book Paul Younggi Cho attributes the Churches’ conversion rate of 12,000 people per month to ceaseless prayer. When asked in an interview how he manages to head the biggest Church in the world his answer was very simple. "I pray, I listen, and I obey." To Paul Younggi Cho, prayer is what makes a difference. He understands and implements what the Scriptures teach about prayer and we can also learn from today’s parable. William Barclay commenting on this passage notes that the judge of this parable is clearly not a Jewish judge. This is because ordinary Jewish disputes were taken before the elders and not the public courts. The judge of this parable was probably one of the paid magistrates appointed either by Herod or by the Romans. Such judges were notorious and unless a plaintiff had influence and money to bribe he had no hope of ever getting his case settled. The widow in today’s story represents all those who are poor and defenceless. It was obvious that she, without resource of any kind, had no hope of ever getting justice from such a judge. But she had one weapon - persistence. God will see justice done to those who cry to Him. God will not do anything without man. We need to come to Him with our petitions and He will dispense justice.
God has given man authority concerning the affairs of earth. According to Genesis, God made man for a divine purpose and the whole earth was given over to man’s rule or dominion. Man was created to exercise dominion over all the works of God’s hand. He was to rule it, govern it and be head over it all. Nothing was left outside man’s dominion and God was bound for all time and eternity to honour His commitment. God does not change His mind. But man’s dominion was only possible when he walked in right fellowship and relationship with God. When Adam and Eve surrendered to Satan’s lie, they lost this dominion and instead came under Satan’s dominion. Under Satan’s dominion, they lost the right to rule. Satan took over their authority and power and now ruled man through the dominion of death. But God has restored this authority to man. In John 5:27, Jesus gives us an important revelation when He declares that the Father “has given Him authority to execute judgement also, because He is the Son of Man.” It was necessary for Jesus to be the Son of Man to receive this authority. God has invested so much in man. He gave him authority and dominion over all His creation. When Satan deceived man and he disobeyed God his dominion passed on to Satan. Christ however defeated him and restored man’s dominion. When man fell from his calling, the sceptre of dominion slipped from his hand and Satan picked it up and held it until Christ came to redeem it. The dominion of Satan was the dominion of death and Jesus had to die to gain access to that realm in order to subdue it. When Jesus triumphed over death, He was able to set free those held captives by death and hell. Through Christ’s triumph, God’s original intent and purpose for man was restored. God honours the dominion He has given to man and therefore waits for us to come to Him in prayer before He enters the earthly arena. God will not work on earth without someone who will work with Him. Let us through prayer discover God’s will and do what is necessary for it to be implemented on earth.
God’s desire is for justice and this can be achieved by exercising the authority God has given and restored to man. We can only exercise this authority by believing and obeying God’s will. God’s will is revealed in the Scriptures and through study of His word and through prayer we can know His will. He wants to fulfil His will through us and we can always come to Him with our prayers so that He can intervene in the affairs of men. He needs our prayers to be able to intercede on earth. God will not do anything on earth without someone to work with. In the words of John Wesley God does nothing on earth apart from believing prayer. As we fellowship with God in prayer, we come to know His will and what He wants done and through us He can fulfil His will.
Persistence is a powerful key that brings deliverance in our lives. The widow who wanted justice from an unjust judge had no other weapon with her except a persistent attitude. She kept on requesting the judge until finally he agreed to grant her request. In our own lives some problems do not go away easily. We must persist in our efforts and prayers and intercession until we get the deliverance. Moses had to send ten plagues before Pharaoh agreed to let the Israelites go from Egypt. Therefore we have to keep trying without giving up until we get deliverance. Through intercession we win spiritual battles. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. When Israel fought the Amalekites, the battle was won through prayer. When Moses held up his hands, Israel led by Joshua prevailed in battle. When Moses was tired and he let down his hand, the Amalekites prevailed against Israel. With the help of Aaron and Hur, holding and supporting Moses’ hands the Israelites won the battle. Prayer determines the outcome of physical battles and every believer should be able to use the weapon of prayer. The Lord Jesus Christ is the High Priest of our Confession and is constantly interceding on our behalf. He wants us to come to Him with our prayers so that He can intervene in the affairs of men. Intercession is asking or inviting God to do what we find out He wants to do on earth. Let us approach God with that same kind of bold endurance. He has promised that He will do whatever we ask according to His will.
Today’s parable teaches something about faith. How much faith do we have if we pray just once and stop? How much faith does it take to patiently wait for an answer and petition God again and again? Do we lose our faith or are we encouraged by our faith and sincere conviction that God will hear and answer our prayers and keep on praying. For many religions and cults, discipline through protracted meditation and "prayer" is to achieve detachment from all worldly entanglement to achieve enlightenment. The main purpose of prayer for such people is fundamentally self-preservation for the future. For the Christian, the perspective of prayer is quite different. They are at peace with themselves in the present and in the future. Their acceptance and submission to the Lordship of Jesus assure it. While their prayers may contain elements of legitimate self-interest, their primary goal is to worship God and to seek His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. In that God’s Kingdom exists in people, the prayers of God’s people ought to include those for an increase in the number of people confessing Jesus as Lord. Jesus Christ has taken form Satan what he has stolen from us. He has restored authority and dominion to us and the only way we can thank Him is to acknowledge Him as King over the whole earth. Is Jesus Christ your Lord and Saviour? Amen!
