For the past two weeks I have said at the beginning of my message that I am not currently in a series, and yet today makes three weeks in a row that I have turned to parables of Jesus. Hmmm…so I guess we are unofficially in a series about the parables. As I have also said each week, I love the parables. I really, really love the parables. Who doesn’t love a good story? The parables are not just good stories – they are great stories! And not only great stories; they are life-changing stories that speak of ultimate meaning, and I find that so very, very attractive.
I once read a rather surprising statistic. In this country, more people say they pray on a regular basis than believe in God. About 92 – 95% of people believe in God, and regular prayer is practiced by around 98% of people. Isn’t that an interesting statistic? I find it fascinating to see the incredibly powerful compulsion in almost every person to pray. Prayer is thegreat unifying spiritual practice in our world. It is a foundation of every spiritual tradition and depending on how we perceive those prayers to be answered – or not answered – a person’s relationship with God can be greatly affected.
In Luke chapter 18 we find this very interesting parable about prayer. Called either the Parable of the Persistent Widow or the Parable of the Unrighteous Judge (I like to refer to it as the Parable of the Persistent Widow), it is a parable in which Jesus speaks to a very important aspect of prayer – remaining faithful in our prayers and being patient with God. Follow along with me as I read that passage.
Luke 18:1-8 –
1 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!’”
6 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?”
What happens when it seems God does not respond to our prayers? What happens when it seems God answers in a way we do not want? Do we become discouraged and give up on prayer? Do we give up on God? Do we think that perhaps God doesn’t care about us or isn’t interested in us? Ted Turner, the founder of CNN, once said he became disenchanted with God after his sister became ill and died in spite of his fervent prayers asking that she be healed.
Every person, at some point, wonders why a prayer seems to have gone unanswered. What are we to think when we pour out our hearts to God and the prayer seems answered? What are we to think when we enlist many other people to pray for a matter or for a person and those prayers seems answered? Why do some prayers seem to be answered in the affirmative while others seem to have no answer?
The parable begins with a judge, a judge Jesus describes as someone who does not fear God and is not concerned about people. In his town was a widow who needed justice. We don’t know her circumstances but for some reason she has been denied justice so she persists in asking this judge to come to her aid. Though not interested in her or her troubles, the judge eventually relents because the woman finally wears him down and he is afraid of being embarrassed by not doing something to help her.
So let’s look closer at this parable to see what it teaches us about prayer and about God. First, I believe, it teaches us that –
God is Always Working for Our Benefit.
I was riding with a friend of mine one time, and I was in a hurry to get to our destination. A big hurry. A really, really big hurry. He told me he knew a way that would save us time and I wouldn’t have to worry about being late. Now, my friend is one of those who does not tend to get in a hurry, and he is more of a backroad kind of person while I’m more of an interstate kind of person. I was skeptical, to say the least, that he could get us to our destination on time. He took us down roads I didn’t know existed, and I was certain our journey would take at least twice as long as necessary. We were so far off the beaten path that I was sure at one point we passed the St. Louis arch. At several points along the way I took several opportunities to tell him what I thought about his choice of routes. I would shift my feet and look time and again at my watch as a reminder to him that we were running far behind schedule. But, amazingly, we arrived on time and sooner than we would have it we had taken my preferred route. I didn’t believe him, but he was right. I couldn’t see any sense to his route while we traveled, but he was right. I couldn’t see any of that on the journey, but I eventually did. What’s interesting about this passage is that it gives us no instruction about the content of our prayers and it doesn’t tell us how to pray. What we get is Jesus encouraging us to continue to pray even when it seems there are no answers. What Jesus tells is not so much how to pray, but of the nature and character of God. This is important because any question of prayer is, in essence, a question about the character of God. Does God care? Does God have the power to effect change? Does he?
You see, when we talk about prayer, when we think about prayer, when we pray, there is an underlying, unspoken question lurking in our minds and it is this – will God be faithful to not only hear my prayers but to act upon them?We believe God hears our prayers, but we can’t help but wonder at times – will God answer my prayer? That is no small question, especially in light of the fact that some people will walk away from their faith and walk away from God because they believe God did not answer their prayer or did not answer in the way they desired.
Just because we do not understand how God is working does not mean that he is not working on our behalf. Just because we cannot see how God is working, does not mean he is not working on our behalf. We don’t always know the greater purpose of God, but we can know this – God is always, always, working on our behalf. Always.
How many of you parents, before you became a parent, decided there were certain things you would not say or do once your children were born? How many of you, for instance, decided you would never, ever say, because I said so? It’s easy to be very high-minded and idealistic before we become parents, but in the crush of daily life sometimes we find it easier just to say this is how life is, you’ve got to listen me and just do as I say. Because I said so. Do our kids always understand why we give them certain answers, such as no, or, you have to trust me? Of course not. Does this mean we are not acting in their best interest? No. In fact, it might mean we are working very much in their best interest, even if they cannot see it. In the same way, God is always working for our benefit, even if we cannot see it or cannot believe it (but let’s not carry that analogy too far, because sometimes parents are “worn down” by the repeated requests of our children. God is not worn down by our repeated requests in prayer, so we should take care not to think we have to “wear God down” through our prayers).
God, I believe, is always working for our benefit and does not ever need to be convinced to act in our best interest. I say that because it is very important that we do not misunderstand this parable. Jesus is drawing a contrast between this judge and God, not making a comparison. Jesus is not saying it is necessary to wear God down with our repeated requests until he finally relinquishes and gives us what we ask. Jesus is saying that God already loves us and is already working for our good and he doesn’t have to be convinced by either the number of our prayers, the passion of our prayers, the frequency of our prayers, or by the number of people praying. In Matthew 6:7-8, part of our Call to Worship for today, Jesus tells us not to be as those who suppose that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them; for your father knows what you need, before you ask him.
It matters not if you are the only person praying for a matter or if there are a thousand people praying; God is working just as much on your behalf and is already on your side. Numbers aren’t necessary to convince God to act on your behalf as he is already doing so. The number of people praying are for our benefit, because there is a divine power that somehow enters into those prayers and provides strength and power to us. When someone tells me they pray for me, I can sense the power that comes from knowing someone cares enough about me to pray for me. To have many people praying for us and to continue praying ourselves creates an atmosphere of love and concern that is very important.
God’s Timetable is Different From Ours.
We live in a world obsessed with time. We are always saying, if I only had more time; I wish I had more time; there are not enough hours in the day. The time crunch under which we live makes us very impatient people, and sometimes, when God doesn’t act on our time schedule, we become impatient with God.
Part of our difficulty with understanding the ways in which God deals with our prayers, I believe, is that God works on such a different time frame. We aren’t used to waiting. We live in a 24/7 culture where you don’t have to wait. You can go online, place your order, and get it the next day. We are already, in some instances, at the point of thinking what do you mean wait until tomorrow? You mean I can’t order it this morning and have it delivered by this afternoon? But don’t they have drones to do that? I stopped at a place of business in Louisville recently and there was a long line that wasn’t moving very quickly and it was amazing to hear the comment. Some of them were quite unpleasant, and that was just me!
It is very clear, though, that God works on a timetable that is very different from ours. We schedule everything, putting appointments on our calendars, in our computers, in our phones – and then God goes and works on a timetable that doesn’t seem to take our schedule into consideration. Can you believe it? Our obsession with time then messes with our perception of how God appears to deal with our prayers. Just because God doesn’t work within our time frame and on our schedule does not mean he is ignoring our prayer or that he is not providing an answer to prayer.
I never imagined that one day I would quote Garth Brooks in a sermon, but this morning I will. I don’t listen to country music very often, so I’m not very well versed in that genre. I first heard the Garth Brooks song Unanswered Prayersat a funeral. Actually, that’s where I am first exposed to a number of songs, especially Garth Brooks songs. I’ve heard a lot of his songs at funerals – The Riveris one I’ve heard at a lot of funerals. I have not, however, ever heard Friends In Low Placesat a funeral (and I am grateful I have not). Unanswered Prayers has one particular line that I think is really great – some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers. I think there’s actually some pretty good theology in that line. Actually, that’s some pretty great theology. There are some prayers from my past – some of them very desperate and emotional – that I wanted answered so badly. When I look back, however, I am grateful God did not grant what I asked. Most of us, at some time in life, have offered a lot of tradeoffs in our prayers – God, if you will do this for me, I will do this and this and this for you. I promise. Please, please do this for me. Have you ever offered one of those prayers? Sure you have; we all have.
God exists outside of time, and that is difficult for us. While God does not work within our time frame, however, does not mean he is not working. God has a schedule that is different from ours, and we must never make the mistake of thinking that because he does not operate on our schedule he is not answering our prayers.
Prayer is a Reflection of our Faithfulness.
This morning’s text begins with this comment by Luke – Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. Why would he tell them such a parable? Why would they need to be encouraged to not lose heart and to not give up? Evidently, they had some of the same questions we have about prayer. This is an lesson from this parable – be faithful in prayer and never give up, even when it seems as though our prayers have little or no effect or receive no answer.
I was listening to a radio program once and a caller said they had given up on God because God did not seem to be answering his prayers. But what is really fascinating to me about this parable is how Jesus flips the question around. What we are often asking when we talk about prayer is whether or not God is faithful to us, based on how we perceive he answers our prayers. But Jesus asks about our faithfulness in verse 8 – when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?What Jesus is saying in this parable is don’t quit! Don’t give up! Don’t be discouraged! Don’t believe that God is ignoring you! Don’t worry that God has abandoned you! Be faithful! Trust!
Jesus often taught in analogies, especially in his parables. It is helpful to use analogies – or parables – to help us to understand complicated topics. This parable, however, is not an analogy, but one that draws a very strong contrast. The judge in this parable, in contrast to God, did not listen, and Jesus makes that comparison in an interesting way, because the parable mostly describes what God is not. Most of the time, when we offer a description, we talk about a person’s attributes – they are really nice, they are funny, they care about people, etc. Jesus doesn’t offer a list of attributes about God, but instead makes a comparison between God and the unrighteous judge, and it’s a powerful set-up that he uses. A corrupt judge and a poor widow. Can there be any greater contrast? I get the image of Snidely Whiplash in my mind; does anyone remember that cartoon character? I think he was on the Rocky and Bullwinkle show (how often do you come to church and hear about the Rocky and Bullwinkle show?). Snidely Whiplash tied Nell Fenwick to the railroad tracks and Dudley Do-Right would come along in time to rescue her. When I think of this judge, I can’t help but have the image of Snidely Whiplash enter my mind. In the words of Jesus, this judge was one who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. Who could not be moved to sympathy for this widow who is ignored by this low-down, corrupt, good-for-nothing, rotten judge? A judge should be one who will seek justice for the oppressed, a judge should be one who demonstrates compassion for those who struggle, and a judge should not be cold and indifferent to the sufferings of those he is commissioned to serve. But this judge was not interested in any of those positive attributes. The characteristics demonstrated by the judge are all the things that God is not – the judge is cold, uncaring, indifferent, and lacking in compassion. God, in comparison, is caring, compassionate, sympathetic, and an advocate for justice.
It is interesting, however, that it is prayer that makes God look bad to some people. It is the perceived inaction on the part of God that causes some people to simply give up on prayer, on faith, and on God. In this parable, Jesus does not answer this challenge or any of the questions we have about prayer; he simply encourages us not to become weary and not to fall prey to the temptation of giving up on prayer or God.
There are those who would mock the very idea of believing in prayer. There are those who believe prayer is a fool’s errand. They would have us to believe we are wasting our time and that our prayers fade away into nothingness as quickly as the breath that carries our prayers from our lips. We must, however, trust that our prayers are an affirmation of the faithfulness of God, and affirmation of our faithfulness to him. Faithfulness is not contingent upon our getting what we want. Faithfulness is not dependent upon life being always good. Faithfulness does not require that every prayer be answered in the way we desire.
Let’s acknowledge that life is tough, and there are many times we simply want to give up on many things. We become overwhelmed with the stresses and the pressures of life and we often wonder how we will manage to get through them. We open the mailbox and discover a stack of bills to add to a big stack of bills on our desk that demands attention, and we wonder how we will ever get ahead. We have strained relationships, maybe with parents, or children, or a spouse, and we wonder if the relationship will ever be what it once was. We go to work, where we’ve been a hardworking and faithful employee, and suddenly learn of the possibility of relocating, or worse yet, downsizing, and we worry about how we will take care of our families.
One of the functions of prayer is that we are given an opportunity to pour out everything on our hearts and minds to God. It’s like a pressure valve where we can pour out all of our worries and concerns, and in that way is a bit like getting on the counselor’s couch. Most people, when they are going through struggle, want some answers, but what is also needed is the opportunity to talk and to know that someone is listening. Have you ever had the experience of a friend talking to you about their problems; they talk and talk and you say very little, but at the end of the conversation they remark, you’ve helped me so much! And you wonder how you helped them when you said almost nothing, but it is the act of listening that is so important. Pray away, talk away – God is listening.
If you haven’t received the answers you desire, don’t give up; don’t quit. If you look and yet fail to find any logic to what God is doing in your life, don’t give up; don’t quit. If your life is not going the way you had hoped, don’t give up; don’t quit.
A good deal of my theology about prayer was formed – or transformed – just over 29 years ago. My father had suffered a massive stroke and was in a coma. His doctors said there was no hope of recovery and that his survival would be only a matter of days or even hours. I spent a lot of hours at his bedside praying. I did ask God for some kind of miracle, and nothing would have pleased me more than to see my dad have a miraculous recovery. But the day soon came when our phone rang early in the morning, and it was my older brother, who simply said, Dad’s gone. And it was okay. It was not what I wanted, but it was all right. Through prayer God had been, I believe, shaping my heart and readying me for that moment. Prayer has confirmed to me my hope and belief in resurrection, and my prayers now are mostly centered on asking God to help me to be faithful to him, whatever life may bring.
Some of you have also sat at the bedsides of loved ones and prayed passionately for a miracle. Some of you have prayed through great tears for a loved one whose life desperately needs to change. Some of you have prayed with great emotion for help from God. God has heard those prayers, of that I am fully convinced, and in some way that may yet be unknown to us, he is working on our behalf. Don’t ever give up believing and hoping.
Soren Kierkegaard once said that the function of payer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays. I like that statement, and I believe it is correct, and I hold to that truth, and I will continue to pray. Always.
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