P.U.S.H.

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!’” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 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? 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? " (Luke 18:1-8)

Pray Until Something Happens

I recently received the following letter from “a faithful member.” Dear Pastor, You often stress attendance at worship as being very important for a Christian, but I think a person has a right to miss now and then. I think every person ought to be excused from attendance for the following reasons and the number of times indicated:

Sunday after Thanksgiving (start Christmas shopping) 1
Christmas Holiday (need family time at home) 1
New Years (the party lasted too long) 1
Easter (preparing Easter dinner at our house) 1
July 4th (it’s a national holiday) 1
Labor Day (need to get away from it all) 1
Memorial Day (get away to visit hometown folk) 1
School closing (kids need a break) 1
School reopens (one last get away before school) 1
Family reunions (mine & wife’s) 2
Kid’s sports programs (It’s not my fault they schedule games on Sunday) 6
Deaths in family (just in case) 2
Anniversary (second honeymoon) 1
Sickness (one per family member) 5
Business trip (a must) 1
Summer (enjoy the sunshine) 3
Winter (ice-snow-rain-angry looking clouds) 3
Potential bad weather during the year (can’t jeopardize the new wax job on the car) 2
Sleep in (occasionally need the rest) 4
Baseball games (I’m a Sox fan) 2
Races (I’m also a NASCAR fan) 2
Football (Don’t forget the Patriots) 2
Fishing Trip (opening of trout season) 1
Work day at home (“honey-do-list”) 1
Unexpected company (can’t walk out on them) 1
Time changes (spring & fall) 2
Specials on TV (superbowl, etc) 3

Pastor, that leaves two Sundays per year. So, you can potentially count on us to be in church on the 4th Sunday in February and the 3rd Sunday in September - unless we are providentially hindered. Sincerely, A Faithful Member

OK, I admit I didn’t actually receive this ridiculous letter from anyone in the church. It’s an old sermon illustration that gets recycled every once in awhile. But it does convey an important point - We are often all too willing to compromise when our personal agendas conflict with our faith.

In the passage above, Jesus asks the question, “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” The question comes at the end of a parable in which Jesus uses a very persistent widow and an unjust judge to demonstrate an important truth. During Jesus’ time on earth a courtroom was not a building but a tent that was moved from place to place as the judge covered his circuit. The judge, not the law, set the agenda of what cases would be heard. Often it took a well placed bribe in order to bring your case before him, particularly when the judge was unprincipled – which was the case in this illustration. The widow in Jesus’ story was likely poor - probably even more so after being taken advantaged by some scoundrel. She didn’t have the extra money to pay a bribe even if she wanted to. But she what she lacked in finances she made up by her persistence in demanding that her case be heard. Finally the judge wearies of her relentless determination and grants her a hearing just to get her out of his hair.

What’s the point of the story? At first the comparison between an unjust judge and our Gracious Heavenly Father might seem an unlikely association for Jesus to use. But the emphasis in this story is not on similarities but differences.

We Are Not Like the Widow: We should be faithful in prayer because we do not have to force ourselves to be heard by God. Our Heavenly Father loves when we seek His face. The widow was a stranger to the judge, but we are the children of God. We have open access to His presence and can come anytime to get the help we need. The widow had no friend in court to get her on the docket. Her best hope was to make herself such a nuisance that the judge would give in to her out of exasperation. When Christian believers pray we have a Savior who is at the right hand of the Father interceding on our behalf. We also have the Holy Spirit who intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. The widow went to a court of law with the outside hope of receiving justice. Because of Jesus, we come to a throne of grace where God makes His riches available to us to meet our every need.

Our Heavenly Father Is Not Like the Judge: The unjust judge neither feared God nor cared about men. Our God is a loving Father who is attentive to our every cry, generous in His gifts, concerned about our needs, and ready to answer when we cry out to Him. The unjust judge was only concerned about the widow’s intrusion upon Him. Our Heavenly Father is constantly watching over our lives, looking for ways to bring His blessing to us. The unjust judge gave in out of annoyance with the widow. Our Heavenly Father invites us into His presence because of His unconditional love.

Now there is one similarity in this story which Jesus wants to see in each of our lives. It’s the persistence of the widow. She pushed beyond what others might do in her desire to meet with the judge. She kept at it until something happened. The unjust judge realized she was totally committed to her cause and that she would not give up – so he gave in. Our Heavenly Father is not like that at all. He responds to our prayers and needs immediately, but always according to His timing and will. He is looking for His children to demonstrate persevering faith as he works all things together according to His divine plan. In the meantime the way we express our faithfulness is to P.U.S.H. Pray Until Something Happens.

So my advice is to get a little “pushy” with your faith. Be Faithful. Persevere in your prayers and don’t give up. Trust in His power and His wisdom. God has something great in store for you and will absolutely bring it about according to His plan and timing.

Live the Victorious Life,
PT