TITLE: Always Pray, Never Give Up
Luke 18:1 (NLT), “One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.”
• Rule #1, #2, and #3 in Bible reading is, context, context, context. If we are to understand the story in chapter 18, we have to look at the context in chapter 17...
• The last half of Luke 17 is all about the End Times.
Luke 17:37 (NLT), “Where will this happen, Lord?” the disciples asked. Jesus replied, “Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near.”
• The end is near means judgement day is coming!
• Where will this happen?
• Watch the signs Jesus says. They indicate the where and when, like vultures circling a carcass.
• The imagery of death/vultures speak of moral evil and corruption coming to an abrupt end when the Son of Man returns to clean up His world.
• Keep this context in mind for this story.
Luke 18:2 (NLT), “There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people. 3 A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’ 4 The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, 5 but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’”
• What do we know about the judge?
• He is a corrupt judge, not fearing God or caring about people (2x).
• This judge has no personal accountability.
• He is a law unto himself and his court rulings are likely decided by bribes.
• This fits with what Scripture says about the end times. The end times will be lawlessness and lovelessness like this judge.
• What do we know about this widow?
• We know that her husband died and she is in danger. She needs a public defender.
• The widow cannot afford to bribe him, so she bugs him instead.
Luke 18:6 (NLT), Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. 7 Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly!”
• The lesson of this story is an argument from the lesser to the greater.
• If an unjust judge gives justice in the end...
• How much more will a just God grant justice in the end to His own chosen people?
• How much more will a loving God hear and answer those who cry out to Him day and night?
• Darroll Bock, “God longs to vindicate the saints, and he will do so. When he does, his justice will be swift and sure, and our suffering will seem short-lived compared to the glory to follow.”
• In 2 Chronicles 19, King Jehoshaphat appointed judges throughout the nation and he said to them, “Always think carefully before pronouncing judgment. Remember that you do not judge to please people but to please the LORD. He will be with you when you render the verdict in each case. 7 Fear the LORD and judge with integrity, for the LORD our God does not tolerate perverted justice, partiality, or the taking of bribes.”
• God is not like the unjust, uncaring judge. God hears. God will act. God is just. In the end, justice will prevail.
• Finally, a surprise ending!
Luke 18:8b (NLT), “But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?”
• This is a surprise ending but it shouldn’t be if we remembering the context.
• This is not just a parable about prayer, or about justice, or about persistence, but this is a parable about keeping the faith until the coming of Christ.
• The ones who stop praying, are losing faith.
• The ones who give up following Christ, are losing faith.
• “If you examined a hundred people who had lost their faith in Christianity, I wonder how many of them would turn out to have been reasoned out of it by honest argument? Do not most people simply drift away?” - C.S. Lewis
CONCLUSION
1. THE WORLD will grow spiritually dull and complacent in the last days.
• Spiritual Complacency – It’s the worst of all spiritual conditions – to be self-satisfied, self-righteous. Zephaniah 1:7
2. GOD is just and loving towards His people – eager to right every wrong in good time.
3. FOLLOWERS OF JESUS must persist in faith! This means always praying, never giving up, and looking forward to the return of Christ!
