Dear Friends,
I don’t know about you, but I’ve had to daily ward off the spirit of discouragement. Just when I think things in our world are going to start improving for the better, then a twist and turn for the weirder appears and I find myself baffled again. Between having to rely on the Spirit to discern whether the news I hear is truth, and having to re-educate myself as to our Constitutional due-processes, or dealing with things in my own personal life with faith and patience, I have to say that I am quite frankly worn out!
But just when we are at our whits end, our Friend and Comforter, the One Whom Jesus said would “disclose to you what is to come” (John 16:13b), arrives with a word in season. Praise the Lord!
“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.
He will glorify Me, for He will take from Mine and will disclose it to you.” - John 16:13-14 NASB
Thank you Holy Spirit for disclosing truth to us; truth that helps us at just the right time.
My heart was so comforted by what the Holy Spirit showed me from the Word today, that I want to share it with you this week and I hope it delivers the same comfort for you. Whether you are worried about current events or whether you have a seemingly unmet prayer need, let this powerful story that Jesus told reignite your faith to believe in our God Who has every desire and intention to help those who call upon Him and make a demand upon His grace.
This story is found in Luke 18...
“Now Jesus was telling the disciples a parable to make the point that at all times they ought to pray and not give up and lose heart,
saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and had no respect for man.
There was a [desperate] widow in that city and she kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice and legal protection from my adversary.’ - Luke 18:1-3 AMP
There are so many layers to this story, but let’s start with the entire reason that Jesus told this parable in the first place. Jesus wanted to encourage His disciples to pray. However, He did not just want them to pray, but to pray in faith, with the kind of faith that doesn’t give in or give up until there’s an answer. Yes, this is the kind of faith that doesn’t give up until there is a right answer, an answer that satisfies justice due to the one who is asking.
Now, some have assumed that this parable is about bombarding Heaven with our persistent prayers, begging and pleading and pummeling God with our prayers until we get a response. The reason I think this has been misinterpreted through the years is because Jesus said at the beginning of the parable that we are to pray always and not lose heart. Some have taken this parable as a sort of permission for pestering or manipulating God until there is an answer. But this assumes that God is no different than this unjust and careless judge that Jesus tells the story about.
So, while this parable is about prayer, it is actually about “faith” regarding prayer. In other words, we keep praying because we have grounds to believe that the expected answer is coming. We pray continually because God’s justice is due us. It’s prayer that is persistent in faith – faith that has the legal ground of His Word to stand on! This can clearly be seen as we come to the end of this entire passage of Scripture, so keep that in mind as we journey through the story.
Now, let’s look at the judge in the story. This man was Godless and lawless. He had no fear of God or God’s moral standards or of God’s laws, and he had no respect for people or the laws concerning the people. He clearly had more regard for the unlawful adversary to the widow, since he had no intention of upholding the laws of the land that were intended to protect her from her adversary. Yes, the Scriptures contain God’s laws concerning widows, and society at that time had laws concerning widows also. While the parable Jesus was telling was just a story, His disciples understood the principle of these laws and the point Jesus was making. For instance…
"You shall not afflict any widow or orphan.” - Exodus 22:22
“Cursed is he who distorts the justice due an alien, orphan, and widow.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.” - Deuteronomy 27:19 NASB
“A father of the fatherless and a judge and protector of the widows, is God in His holy habitation.” - Psalm 68:5 AMP
When we look at this widow, we see a person who knew her rights and the laws concerning it or she would not have consistently come before the judge to plead her case. This widow may have been weak in the eyes of the judge and her adversary, but she still had the law of the land and the laws of God on her side, and she was not going to give up until she received the justice and protection that belonged to her. Chances are good that her adversary was after the land of her deceased husband. Jesus even rebuked the scribes and Pharisees for devouring widow’s houses. (Mark 12:40; Luke 20:47) Let’s just assume that her adversary was after her land, prosperity, freedom, and well being. Obviously the careless judge may have had something he thought he might gain from ignoring her claim as well. What is interesting about this widow’s persistence comes out in this next part of the story.
Let’s continue...
“For a time he would not; but later he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man,
yet because this widow continues to bother me, I will give her justice and legal protection; otherwise by continually coming she [will be an intolerable annoyance and she] will wear me out.’” - Luke 18:4-5 AMP
What is so fantastic about this widow’s persistence is that she had made such an impact on this judge and was causing him enough grief that he finally caved in to uphold the law that he should have been upholding anyway. Perhaps he determined the payoff wasn’t worth the consistent annoyance and burden this woman was posing to his position. Perhaps he discerned that her continual coming to present her case would eventually expose him for the unjust judge that he was. Persistence has a way of breaking down that which is only perceived to be stronger. What is even more interesting, in this story that Jesus tells, is that the judge was concerned that this widow woman would “wear him out.” The word used here in the Greek is hupōpiazō. It means to beat black and blue or to give someone a black eye. For this judge, this woman had so worn him out that it was like receiving a black eye. Everyone would notice a black eye. This was one tough lady who had no intention of giving up or losing heart. However, even though this judge claimed to care less about God or His laws that were set to protect and govern the people, he had enough knowledge about the character of God as it involves justice for His own who believe in His willingness and ability to act speedily when their faith persists. Look at what he says...
“Then the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says!
And will not [our just] God defend and avenge His elect [His chosen ones] who cry out to Him day and night? Will He delay [in providing justice] on their behalf?
I tell you that He will defend and avenge them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find [this kind of persistent] faith on the earth?” - Luke 18:1-8 AMP
This revelation just sends chills up my spine! This whole story was meant to show us the huge contrast between our great and merciful God and those who act unjustly. It is also to encourage us to continue to pray for justice and protection, because we have a God and Father Who will defend and avenge injustice and He will do so “speedily or quickly.”
I must speak a word to the final phrase in this Scripture account before I close this article. “However, when the Son of Man comes…” The unjust judge in this story is looking ahead into the future, and asks this critical question, “When the Son of Man comes, will He find [this kind of persistent] faith on the earth?” Let’s remember that Jesus started out this conversation with an exhortation to His disciples “that at all times they ought to pray and not give up and lose heart.” (Luke 18:1). This is the kind of persistent faith that Jesus is looking for...the kind of faith that never gives in or gives up on the promises that God has made.
Friends, no matter how tempted we may be to allow discouragement to set in, let us resist by following Jesus’ command to pray at all times and not give up or lose heart. If the widow woman in Jesus’ story had turned coward at any point in her pursuit for justice and protection, she would not have won the battle in the end. That is the entire point...don’t you think!
So, if you are concerned for the protection of your family and of our nation, or if you are outside of the USA and you are concerned for your own nation and protection...find the promises in God’s Word so you have a legitimate basis for your prayer and legal grounds to stand on, and then just keep praying the prayer of faith persistently, knowing that your God and Father will defend and avenge that Word of His, speedily.
If your concern is health related or financial...find the promises in God’s Word so you have a legitimate basis for your prayer and legal grounds to stand on, and then just keep praying the prayer of faith persistently, knowing that your God and Father will defend and avenge that Word of His, speedily.
If you are concerned about the Rapture of the Church or the Second coming of Christ...find the promises in God’s Word so you have a legitimate basis for your prayer and legal grounds to stand on, and then just keep praying the prayer of faith persistently, knowing that your God and Father will defend and avenge that Word of His, speedily.
If you are concerned about your life for eternity and you have never received Jesus Christ as your Savior, you are promised eternal life in God’s Word if you will simply believe the good news that Jesus died on the cross for your sins and was raised to life for your justification. (Romans 4:25; John 3:16-17) We encourage you to read the article Get Saved Now...Ask Questions Later. You’ll be glad that you did!
I hope this small exegesis of Luke 18:1-8 has given you hope in these perilous times, that our God has not forgotten us. When I see so many believers coming together in persistent, faith-filled prayer for our nation, I am encouraged that Jesus is still witnessing faith on the earth, and He is interceding on behalf of all of His faithful brothers and sisters who are praying faithfully in His mighty Name. Keep praying in faith...we really are wearing the faithless and unjust down with our persistent prayers of faith, and we are giving God permission to act in this earth, to defend and avenge speedily, all of His believing ones. Hallelujah!
written by
Eileen R. Jacobs (December 2020)
Copyright © 2020 Eileen Jacobs Ministries. All rights reserved.
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