~ 04/06/2014 ~ LESSONS FROM THE PARABLES.....STAY WITH ME: THE PARABLE OF THE PERSISTENT WIDOW.... Faith is in the prayer we utter with our faint voice in the darkest moment of our lives. When our voice is weakest is when we hear Gods , the still small voice of hope. The seat of power changes anyone who sits upon its lofty height , whether by choice or by chance. Christ painted a picture of this in His parable of the persistent widow. There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man, it begins (Luke 18:2). Judges hold significant power over the lives of people who appear before them in court. Most judges run a tight ship. They command respect and order. People stand when they enter the courtroom and address them as your honor. All this is heady stuff. It can easily go to judges heads, and if theyre not careful it can impact their adjudication of the law in their courtroom. Because they are to render justice it is vital that they fear God and regard man. Christ describes a judge who seems to be weary of his job. Too many people with endless complaints and needs come to him for decisions, advice and assistance. After awhile it does become just a job rather than a calling or duty. The sense of purpose in the role can be lost. A judge fills a key role in a community , and one who judges cannot allow himself to become burned out or jaded... THE WIDOW... As Christs story goes, within this judges city lived a widow who had a problem. She loved God, but the problem was bigger than she could handle. This caused her great concern since she was self-reliant and able to look after herself. Someone took advantage of her condition and the result was an adversarial situation she was unable to rectify. Her only recourse under the law was to go to the judge and plead her case. She pleaded for justice, for the judge to listen and see that she was in the right and to intervene for her. It seems she made multiple trips to the judge to plead for help, but he wouldnt listen. Some time went by. The widows pleading was persistent and unending. She needed help. She needed relief. Would the judge , would someone, anyone, help her ? It seemed hopeless ! A CRACK IN THE FACADE..... Even the hardest heart that will not yield to sympathy at anothers plight can be worn down through sheer bother. There came a moment of exasperation when the judge realized he did not want to see this woman appear before him again.. He concluded he would fairly hear her case and dispense the needed justice. He had no desire to be exhausted or embarrassed by the lingering case. Maybe there was a twinge of guilt, but it was overridden by a desire to be finished with this woman and her case. The day came when the judge issued his ruling in favor of the widow. The case was over, and the woman returned to her home. She had learned a valuable lesson about human justice. Above all she had learned to stay with a cause, to not give up , to be persistent . In the end, right will prevail. WISDOM FROM AN UNJUST JUDGE..... Christ tells us to hear what the unjust judge said (Luke 18:6). In the judges conclusion there is a lesson. Not a lesson in the type of judge to be, one who is hard and arrogant, but a lesson in how we should approach our relationship with God. It isnt that God is unjust or uncaring. Jesus wants us to learn something about how He and the Father administer Their courtroom. God is the righteous judge of all the earth, and His judgment is always fair and impartial , and His timing is always appropriate. Jesus then gives His point: And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them ? (Luke 18:7). The elect are Gods people, called and chosen and faithful members of the body of Christ. For a moment Christ focuses on this group He calls His own. Not to exclude His prerogative to answer prayers at any time or place, but this statement has a message for those called by the Father to be part of His Church. There are moments when even the elect of God will question whether He hears their prayers and understands that they need immediate answers . They make their daily requests before the throne of God, pleading for justice, for healing, for peace of mind or for forgiveness and a clean heart. When sleep escapes them and they wake in the middle of night unable to sleep, they pray, seeking understanding and comfort. They yearn for the soft touch of Gods loving hand bringing them to a wide place or a green pasture where still water may be found. God hears it all. Christ said, He bears long with them (Luke 18:7). He knows instantly , before we appear in His presence, what we need. He hears every word of our prayer. His ear is not deaf. Then Christ says something we can find a bit hard to believe: I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes , will He really find faith on the earth ? (Luke 18:8). Speedily ? We might argue with that . We might even think that God doesnt hear or is very slow to respond. But we would be wrong. Because the real purpose for this parable is in the question, Will He really find faith on the earth ? Faith is what the persistent widow had. Faith that her cause was just and she was in the right. Faith that the law was on her side and the law was good and would ultimately serve those who are victims of injustice. Faith that even the hardest-hearted old judge could be reached with the plight of a widow like her and could , from the recesses of his heart, be induced to act as he ought to. Through this example of faith Christ is showing us to be persistent in our walk with God. Dont give up. Dont stop believing. Dont ever begin to think He is not there, or Hes distracted, or Hes uncaring. God is there, and He hears. What we may think is a delay is not so with God. Time with God is not the same as with us. Remember, Christ said God will avenge them speedily. God is always right on time.....His Time. Amen ~ Pastor Bryant ~
Posted on: Mon, 07 Apr 2014 00:03:34 +0000