The Parable Of The Unjust Judge & The Friend At Night: Never Give Up Series

“In 1972, NASA launched the exploratory space probe Pioneer 10. According to Leon Jaroff in Time, the satellite's primary mission was to reach Jupiter, photograph the planet and its moons, and beam data to earth about Jupiter's magnetic field, radiation belts, and atmosphere.

Pioneer 10 accomplished its mission and much more. It made it to Jupiter, but in November 1973, Jupiter's immense gravity hurled Pioneer 10 at a higher rate of speed toward the edge of the solar system. It passed Saturn. At some two billion miles, it hurtled past Uranus; then Neptune; Pluto at almost four billion miles. Today in May 2022, Pioneer 10 is still going, 19.7 billion miles from Earth.

And despite that immense distance, Pioneer 10 continued to beam back radio signals to scientists on Earth. "Perhaps most remarkable," writes Jaroff, "those signals emanate from an 8-watt transmitter, which radiates about as much power as a bedroom night light…” Engineers designed Pioneer 10 with a useful life of just three years. But it kept going and going.

So it is when we offer ourselves to serve the Lord. God can work even through someone with 8-watt abilities. God cannot work, however, through someone who quits.” -Craig Brian Larson, Pastoral Grit: the Strength to Stand and to Stay

Today we consider two different parables that have an important uniting theme: Don’t give up. Be persistent. Keep praying. We consider the parables of the unjust judge and the friend at night. Both of these people, the friend at night, and the woman requesting justice are doggedly determined to achieve their goal.

The question I want you considering as we discuss the scriptures today is: Am I persistent and determined in my walk with God? Do I pray and never give up?

Let’s take a look at our first parable the unjust judge, also known as the parable of the persistent widow.

Luke 18:1-8 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’

4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”

Well, we don’t have to wonder at the meaning of this parable, Luke gives us the meaning at the very start, that this parable is to show that we should always pray and never give up.

And we get an additional explanation in verses 6-8: “And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

Jesus the Lord says, listen to what the unjust judge says, he said, I will see that she gets justice. Will God keep putting us off? No. He will see that we get justice, and quickly.

And then we get verse 8. What on Earth does Jesus mean when he asks the question in verse 8: When the son of man comes, will he find faith on the earth?

This one has puzzled theologians down through the ages. Is he questioning whether at his return there will be any Christians left at all? Perhaps that is part of it. But more, perhaps he is asking, will Jesus find that we’ve really trusted Him to deliver justice.

That is a question for each of us to ponder: Do I really trust Jesus to administer justice?

Now, the parable of the friend at night. First, let’s look at the context:

From Luke 11:1-13, “One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

He said to them, “When you pray, say:

“Father,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come.

3 Give us each day our daily bread.

4 Forgive us our sins,

for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.

And lead us not into temptation.’”

Jesus was praying, by himself, and his disciples saw him and asked him, ‘teach us to pray.” And Jesus gave them the famous prayer, the Our Father. A beautiful, perfect prayer. One we should pray everyday if you ask me. But don’t just repeat it like a mindless drone, think about the words as you say them, reflect on the beauty, let your heart mesh with the Holy Spirit as you declare the words. Declare them, not just say them.