Introduction
What is this passage really about? It seems straight forward enough until you get to that last verse. Until then its simply an illustration of Praying – and never giving up until you get what you're asking for. That's easy – right?
But then we get the last part of verse 8 where Jesus says “However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
What does Jesus mean, and how does it relate to the parable?
Looking back to the Chapter before our reading today, Jesus is responding to a question about the Kingdom of God. He uses that question to talk about his return. From chapter 17 verse 30.
“It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day no one who is on the roof of his house, with his goods inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. Remember Lot’s wife! Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.”
The widow in the parable wants justice. We must ask ourselves why there would be a call for justice at the second coming. Christians across the world are hated by those they live among. As a result they are treated badly – persecuted. Sometimes that is simply a form of discrimination but at other times and in other places it is much worse. We are fortunate because we can worship without threat at the moment. There are many places in the world where just going to a Christian meeting would endanger your life. So we can see that there is a great need for justice.
Revelation 6:10 tells us why. 'They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?”' That is the same prayer as the prayer of the widow.
In the parable Jesus is saying that we should be praying for the Kingdom of God – for its establishment, its growth, and finally for justice for its members. He teaches the same thing in Matthew 6, where there is an outline for prayer. Its one of the scriptures that make up the “Lord's Prayer”.
Mt 6:9 “This, then, is how you should pray: “ 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
Mt 6:10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Mt 6:11 Give us today our daily bread.
Notice that praying for the Kingdom is something that is to be done before even asking God to provide for our most basic needs – our daily bread.'
Praying for the Kingdom includes anything that helps to build Gods Kingdom on Earth:
- For people to come to Christ
- For people to grow closer to Christ
- For strengthening and healing those who are already engaged in spreading the gospel.
Ernest Persistent Prayer
For these things we should pray and never give up. I was trying to think of an example of a time when Christ Church has prayed together for the same thing. A time when we had prayed with a similar sense of persistence as shown by the widow in the parable. That was when Warner was off work in 2008. We met together in the church room each week to pray. Not that many of us, it is true, but enough of us to make a difference. Perhaps, if I had held those times in the church, more people would have come. We prayed like this for about three months, if I remember correctly. Then one night we met for a half night of prayer, and stayed in church praying until midnight.
And it worked!
Looking back now, though, we weren't that committed to what we were doing.
Kefa Sempangi lead a church in Uganda during the Amin dictatorship. His church would call the leadership together to pray whenever there was a serious need in the church. They would pray right through the whole night, expecting an answer in the morning.
When was the last time that the leaders of our church were called together to pray?
A look at Prayer
Request
Lets take a look at what these prayers might be like.
First we must remember that we do not make demands of God.
Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
C. S. Lewis wrote: “Prayer is request. The essence of a request, as distinct from a demand, is that it may or may not be granted. And if an infinitely wise Being listens to the requests of finite and foolish creatures, of course He will sometimes grant them and sometimes refuse them.”
Sometimes we are not praying for the right thing, as Ruth Bell Graham, the wife of Billy Graham once said, “If God answered every prayer of mine, I would have married the wrong man seven times!”
Our prayers may not always be the best things for us, or for those we are praying for. We must be sure that we are close to God, so that we do not waste our efforts praying for things that are never going to happen.
John 15:7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.
We may have to wait what seems a very long time to us. Patience and faith are important.
Patience
2Pe 3:8-9 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
In a German prison camp in WWII, unknown to the guards, the American prisoners managed to build a makeshift radio. One day news came that the German high command had surrendered, ending the war—a fact that, because of a communications breakdown, the German guards did not yet know. As word spread, a loud celebration broke out. For three days, the prisoners were hardly recognizable. They sang, waved at guards, laughed at the German shepherd dogs, and shared jokes over meals. On the fourth day, they awoke to find that all the Germans had fled, leaving the gates unlocked.
God, of course doesn't suffer communications breakdowns, but has His reasons for not answering our prayers immediately. Our patience is required.
Faith
Faith is required too.
English preacher George Mueller wrote these words about praying: “The great point is never to give up until the answer comes. I have been praying for 63 years and 8 months for one man’s conversion. He is not saved yet, but he will be. How can it be otherwise? I am praying.” George Mueller died in 1897 and the man was still not saved. But as they lowered Muller’s casket into the ground, the man repented of his sins and trusted Jesus as his Saviour.
George was famous for his prayer life, and is reputed to have read through the Bible 4 times every year.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
Sometimes though our certainty in the things we do not see fails us and doubts begin. This is especially the case when we have been praying the same prayer for a long time, and the person that we are praying for seems completely unaffected by our prayers.
Doubt
When you walk into a room and switch on the light an nothing happens you don't say “Oh, that Thomas Edison had no idea what he was talking about. This electricity thing just doesn't work.”. No, you check that there isn't a power cut, then replace the bulb or the switch.
When doubts occur, don't assume that God isn't listening or isn't going to answer your prayer. There are many reasons why God hasn't answered the prayer right NOW.
Closeness to God
If we can stay close to God it will help us to trust Him, then we will be less likely to doubt. Regularly reading the Bible, (4 times through every year is great, but I don't think I will ever manage that!) and spending time just talking to God about your day will help. John 15:5 says “If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” We have to stay connected to God if our prayers are to be any use in building the Kingdom.
Faith on Earth
The parable was told to encourage the followers of Jesus to pray and to keep on praying for the Kingdom of God, and in this case for justice for each of its members. This call for justice is echoed John's vision in Revelation 6:10 where the martyrs question God about how long they have to wait for justice. They have been working for the Kingdom of God against the powers of the world and have made the ultimate sacrifice.
At the end of the parable Jesus wonders whether He will find any faithful followers on earth when he returns. Will He find anyone who can stand up the threats of the world and continue to pray for the Kingdom until it comes, or until their time on earth is complete.
Will that be us, or will we succumb to the world and its enchantments?
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