Text: Luke 18:1-8
Facebook live: Pray without ceasing
18 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.
If I asked the question: Is it easy to pray?
You might answer:
It’s easy to pray in the hour of need but hard in the hour of plenty.
It’s easy to pray in the hour of sickness but hard in the hour of health.
It’s easy to pray in the hour of distress but hard in the hour of peace.
It’s easy to pray in the hour of sadness but it is hard in the hour of joy.
It’s easy to pray in the hour of death but hard in the hour of life.
Prayer is not a switch we turn on in need and forget about at other times.
Prayer, is that talk with God which we need every single moment of our lives.
Jesus tells us this parable of the widow and the judge.
2 … “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man.
The parable is so simple. Yet the truth is profound. Jesus tells of a judge in a city who did not trust in God or did not even regard man.
He was a man who only cared for himself and not for the people.
He was a selfish man. He wanted to do his work the easiest way possible.
Jesus, also tells of another person in the city.
3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to this judge saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’
She was a poor widow.
She had no one to defend her and her husband was dead.
She seemingly had no family or loved ones that cared.
If she was like the other widows of her day, she would have depended on others for her support. Now, this widow had a problem, someone had placed a suit against her. She needed someone to defend her against the accuser.
She went to the judge for help.
And she pleads with him, defend me against my accuser.
The judge looked at her, she was poor she had nothing to offer him.
What would be the use of doing it? So, he refused the widow.
However, she would not take no for an answer.
She continually pleaded with him and it bothered him.
He did not want to be bothered with her, yet she continually did.
He finally, had enough and agreed to help her.
It was not because of love and concern for the woman.
It was only because he thought more of himself and did not want to be bothered by her.
He truly did not regard the God who had given him out of love the power to help this widow.
He truly did not regard the widow whom he should have loved as himself yet, he helped her because of her continual pleading.
Jesus then applies this for his hearers and you and me saying:
6 … “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you; he will give justice to them speedily.
Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?
The parable is so simple yet the truth is profound!
Notice the comparison that Christ is presenting to us.
The judge does not fear God or honor man.
The widow needs help and just keeps coming.
The widow in the parable is the Sinner.
That is, you and me, and she had nothing to offer to this unrighteous judge that would convince him to help her, but by her pleading, or prayers.
So too we sinners, before our God have nothing to offer him that should make him want to answer us and our prayers - we are sinners who have constantly disobeyed him and fallen short.
That should not make him want to hear us if we only pray in the hour of need or trouble or sickness or distress, instead of talking to him constantly, he could say to us:
“You think I am only good enough for you in the hour of need?
God away and don’t bother me!”
But he doesn’t do that; Why?
Because he is different than the unrighteous judge of the parable.
He is a God of love and mercy.
He is a God, who looks with compassion on all those who call on him.
He does not regard us according to our sins, but according to our faith in his son our Lord, Jesus Christ!
He says, call on me in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee and you shall glorify me.
He is the God who says to us even as sinners,
Keep on asking and it'll be given until you.
Keep knocking, and it'll be opened to you.
For he who asks will receive, and he who seeks will find, and to him who knocks the door will be opened unto him.
He's a God to defend us speedily as we pray.
Our wonderful God, whom we approach in the hour of need is such a marvelous God who reveals his concern for us that even while we were sinners, he died for you and me.
And just like the little children know we know too; Having made us his in the waters of Holy Baptism, he keeps us as his children through the hearing of his word and receiving his gifts.
He compels us to call on him:
Our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name …
He wants us to be dependent on him.
He wants us to call on him constantly.
He wants us, to be in constant prayer.
He wants to bring us closer to him!
So as dear children we need to come to our dear father often.
We need to pray as if each moment is our last.
If we only pray in the hour of need or distress or sickness or trouble, then we are only using God like medicine, that we run to in a time of need.
But he's a God who continually wants to be,
Our father - today tomorrow, and forever.
He wants us to realize that we need him every moment of our lives for we do not know when the last day will come.
Jesus says it so clearly:
Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
Faith is the gift! Our hope in him is his work in us!
So, as his dear children, call on him at all times,
Not only in bad times, but in good times as well.
Not only in times of sickness, but in times of health.
Not only in the hour of sin, but also in the hour of forgiveness.
Not only in youth but also in old age.
Not only in life but in death.
God calls us to pray continually and not to be weary because he wants us as his child, to ask without ceasing, and to be found full of faith so that we may know he hears and will answer us.
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
And just like the little children know we know too; Having made us his in the waters of Holy Baptism, he keeps us as his children through the hearing of his word and receiving his gifts.
He compels us to call on him:
Our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name …
He wants us to be dependent on him.
He wants us to call on him constantly.
He wants us, to be in constant prayer.
He wants to bring us closer to him!
So as dear children we need to come to our dear father often.
We need to pray as if each moment is our last.
If we only pray in the hour of need or distress or sickness or trouble, then we are only using God like medicine, that we run to in a time of need.
But he's a God who continually wants to be,
Our father - today tomorrow, and forever.
He wants us to realize that we need him every moment of our lives for we do not know when the last day will come.
Jesus says it so clearly:
Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
Faith is the gift! Our hope in him is his work in us!
So, as his dear children, call on him at all times,
Not only in bad times, but in good times as well.
Not only in times of sickness, but in times of health.
Not only in the hour of sin, but also in the hour of forgiveness.
Not only in youth but also in old age.
Not only in life but in death.
God calls us to pray continually and not to be weary because he wants us as his child, to ask without ceasing, and to be found full of faith so that we may know he hears and will answer us.
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
Concordia Pulpit Rev. Ralph F. Fischer 1976 Modified
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