This document discusses the importance of perseverance in prayer based on a parable from Luke 18:1-8. It provides three key points: 1. The parable illustrates that believers should always pray and not lose heart, using the example of a widow who persistently asks an unjust judge for justice until he relents. If an unjust judge will grant a request, how much more will a righteous God answer the prayers of his people. 2. Though God may delay in answering prayers, this is not due to his absence or indifference, but for reasons that will become clear later and that are for the benefit of the believers. 3. Believers should continue praying without ceasing and not lose

1. JESUS WAS URGING US TO PRAY AND NEVER GIVE UP
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Luke 18:1-8 1Then Jesus told his disciplesa parableto
show them that they shouldalways pray and not give
up. 2He said:"In a certain town there was a judge
who neither feared God nor cared what people
thought. 3And there was a widow in that town who
kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice
againstmy adversary.' 4"Forsome time he refused.
But finallyhe saidto himself, 'Even though I don't
fear God or care what peoplethink, 5yet becausethis
widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets
justice, so that she won't eventuallycome and attack
me!'" 6And the LORD said, "Listen to what the
unjust judge says. 7And will not God bring about
justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and
night? Will he keep putting them off? 8I 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?"

2. BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Continuance In Prayer: Divine Delay
Luke 18:1-7
W. Clarkson
We have first to considerwhat is -
I. THE ARGUMENT IN THE TEXT. It is one from the less to the greater, or
rather from the unworthy to the worthy. If a bad man will, for a poor reason,
accede to the request of one for whom he cares nothing, how much more
certainly will the Righteous One himself, for a goodreason, espousethe cause
of those who are so dear to him! The reasons for confidence in God's
faithfulness and interposition are therefore threefold.
1. If an unprincipled judge amongstmen will finally do justice, assuredlythe
righteous Judge of all the earth will do so. His characteris something which
cannot fail; we may build on that as on the most solid rock.
2. If justice is granted by us for so poor a reasonas that of fearing vexatious
annoyance, surely God will listen and will respond to reverent and believing
prayer. He is far more certainto be won by that in us which pleases him than
is an unjust judge by that in his appellant which annoys him. And our
approachto him in prayer, our reverent attitude, our faith in his goodness,
our trust in his Word, - all this is very pleasing unto our Father.
3. If a man will yield a demand made by one to whom he does not feel himself
related, and in whom he is absolutely uninterested, how confident we may be
that God will interpose on behalf of those who, as his own sons and daughters,

3. are dear to his parental heart, and who, collectively, constitute "his own elect
" - those who are most tenderly and intimately related to him in Jesus Christ
his Son!
II. THE SERIOUS FACT OF THE DIVINE DELAY. "Thoughhe bear long
with them" (ver. 7), or, "and he delays [to interpose] in their cause" (Dr.
Bruce). It is certainthat, from our point of view, Goddoes delay to vindicate
his people;his answerdoes not come as soonas we expect it; it is held back so
long that we are ready "to faint" (Lose heart). Thus was it many times in the
history of Israel;thus has it been frequently in the history of the Church of
Christ. How many times have suffering bands of noble martyrs lookedup
piteously and despondently to heaven as they cried, "How long, O Lord, holy
and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood?" Thus has it been in
multitudes of individual instances;men have been oppressed, or they have
been embarrassed, orthey have been disappointed, or they have been
otherwise afflicted; they have appealedto God for his delivering grace;and
they have lookedlong in vain for the Divine response. Theysay, "O my God, I
cry,... but thou hearestnot" (Psalm22:2).
III. THE EXPLANATION THAT WILL BE FOUND. The time will come
when we shall understand why God did delay to answerus. But we may be
quite sure that when it comes it will be seen:
1. That it was not in him - not in his absence from us, nor his indifference to
us, nor his unreadiness to help us.
2. That it, was in us - in our unreadiness to receive his interposition, or in the
misuse we should make of it, or in the greaterand truer goodto be gained by
our patience than by our relief; and thus in the ultimate gain to our ownwell-
being by his withholding.

4. IV. THE BLESSED FACT THAT IT IS ONLY A DELAY. "I tell you that he
will avenge them speedily."
1. It is probable that when God does manifest his powerhe will work speedy
and overwhelming destructionto the guilty; he will avenge "speedily," i.e.
quickly, instantaneously. "How are they brought into desolation, as in a
moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors. As a dream when one
awaketh;so, O Lord, when thou awakest,thou shalt despise their image"
(Psalm 73:19, 20).
2. It is certain that in his own time and way God will defend his people, that he
will relieve his children, that he will redeem and bless his "ownelect." His
faithfulness to his Word; his love for them that love him; his intimacy of
relation to those who are "in Jesus Christ;" - this is a sure and absolute pledge
that the appeal to him cannot be and will not be in vain. Men ought
continuously, perseveringly, to pray, and never to lose heart. The day of
Divine appearing is entered in the books of God. - C.

5. Biblical Illustrator
Men ought always to pray, and not to faint.
Luke 18:1-8
The strange weapon-All-prayer
C. S. Robinson, D. D.
While Christian was in the Palace Beautiful, they showedhim all the
remarkable objects in the armory, from the ox-goadof Shamgarto the sword
of the Spirit. And amongstthe arms he saw, and with some of which he was
arrayed as be left the place, was a single weaponwith a strange, new name —
"All-prayer." When I was a child, I used to wonder much what this could
have been — its shape, its use. I imagine I know something more about it in
these later years. At any rate, I think Bunyan found his name for it in one of
the New TestamentEpistles:"Praying always with all prayer and supplication
in the Spirit" (Ephesians 6:18). It so happens, also, that we have two parables
of our Lord given us in the eighteenth chapter of Luke to one end, "that men
ought always to pray, and not to faint." One of these parables teaches the
lessonof importunity, the other teaches the lessonofsincerity. And it does not
need that we draw from this collocationthe subtle suggestionthat want of
importunity and want of sincerity are what weakenthe weaponof all-prayer,
and render faint the heart of the Christian who wields it. We know that we do
not pray always, and that we do not always pray.
I. Let us take up this matter of IMPORTUNITYin the outset. At first sight it
gives perplexity to some students of the Bible. We must notice that Christ does
not identify His Father, the "Hearerof Prayer," with this judge in the parable
in any sense whatsoever. The very point of the illustration turns upon his
superiority. Godis just, and this man was unjust. This petitioner was a lonely
widow and a stranger; God was dealing with His own elect. The woman came
uninvited; Christians are pressedwith invitations to ask, and knock, and seek.

6. The unjust judge never agreedto listen to the widow;God has promised, over
and over again, that it shall be granted to those that ask. The judge may have
had relations with this woman's adversarywhich would complicate, and, in
some way, commit him to an unnecessaryquarrel in her behalf, if his office
should be exercisedin defence;Godis in open and declaredconflict, on His
own account, with our adversary, and rejoices to defeat his machinations, and
avenge His own chosenspeedily. Hence, the whole teaching of the story is
directed towards our encouragementthus: If we would persist with a wicked
judge that regardednobody, God nor man, then surely we would press our
prayers with God. What is the duty then? Simply, go on praying.
II. Let us move on to consider, in the secondplace, this matter of SINCERITY
in prayer, suggestedby the other parable. To men of the world it must be a
subject of real wonder and surprise, to use no more disrespectful terms, why
so many petitions offeredby the people of God prove fruitless. To all this,
Christians ought to be able to reply that prayer follows laws and respects
intelligent conditions, just as every other part of God's plan of redemption
does. We are accustomedto say to eachother that God always hears prayer.
No, He does not. The wisestman that was everinspired says distinctly, "He
that turneth awayhis ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be
abomination." And in the New Testamentthe apostle explains the whole
anomaly of failure thus: "Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask amiss." For
one thing, self-conceitdestroys all sincerity in prayer. For another thing, spits
againstothers destroys all sincerity in prayer. Listen to the Pharisee's
preposterous comparisonof himself in the matter of money and merit with the
publican almost out of sight there in the corner. Inconsistenciesin life also
destroy sincerity in prayer. Purity from evil is a prime condition of success.
(C. S. Robinson, D. D.)
The duty of persevering in prayer

7. TheologicalSketch-book.
I. OUR DUTY. That which is here inculcatedimplies that we pray —
1. Statedly.
2. Occasionally. There are many particular occasionswhichrequire us to
pray.(1) Prosperity, that God may counteractits evil tendency (Proverbs
30:9).(2) Adversity, that we may be supported under it (James 5:13).(3) Times
of public distress or danger, to avert the calamity (2 Chronicles 7:14).
3. Habitually. We should maintain a spiritual frame of mind. To pray thus is
our duty; "We ought," etc.(1)It is a duty we owe to God. He, our Creator,
Preserver, and Redeemer, has commanded it.(2) We owe it also to our
neighbour. The edification of Christ's mystical body depends, not only on the
union of every part with the head, but on the whole being fitly framed
together, and on every joint supplying its proper nourishment (Ephesians
4:16: Colossians2:19). But if we be remiss in prayer, we shall be incapable of
administering that benefit, which other members have a right to expect from
us.(3) We owe it to ourselves. A "spirit of supplication" is as necessaryto the
soul, as food to the body. Nor can we feel any regardfor our souls, if we do not
cultivate it.
II. THE DIFFICULTIES THAT ATTEND IT. When we set ourselves to the
performance of it, we shall find difficulties —
1. Before we begin to pray. Worldly business may indispose our minds for this
employment. Family cares may distractand dissipate our thoughts. Lassitude
of body may unfit us for the necessaryexertions. We may be disabled by an
invincible hardness of heart. A want of utterance may also operate as a heavy
discouragement.

8. 2. While we are engagedin prayer. The world is never more troublesome than
at such seasons. The flesh also, with its vilest imaginations. will solicit our
attention. Nor will Satan be backwardto interrupt our devotions.
3. After we have concluded prayer. When we have prayed, we should expect
an answer. But worldliness may again induce a forgetfulness of God.
Impatience to receive the desired blessings may deject us. Ignorance ofthe
method in which God answers prayer may cause us to disquiet ourselves with
many ungrounded apprehensions. Unbelief may rob us of the benefits we
might have received(James 1:6, 7). Whatever obstructs God's answers to
prayer, disqualifies us for the future discharge of that duty.
(TheologicalSketch-book.)
The nature and duty of prayer
EssexRemembrancer.
I. THE NATURE OF PRAYER.
1. An expressionof our sense ofGod's infinite superiority.
2. An expressionof our dependence upon God.
3. A declarationof our obligation to God.

9. 4. A declarationof our faith in God's ability to grant us anything our
circumstances may require. There are severalthings necessaryto constitute
true prayer, and which form its constituent parts.
(1)Faith is one essential.
(2)Sincerity is another ingredient in true prayer.
(3)Humility.
II. We notice THE DUTY OF PRAYER. Prayer is a duty, if we considerit —
1. As a Divine injunction.
2. It appears a duty, if we considerGod as a prayer-hearing God.
3. It is a duty, if we considerthe beneficialeffects of prayer.
(1)Prayerbrings greatbenefits to ourselves. It brings us into closer
communion with Christ.
(2)Prayeris a powerful antidote to, and one of the most effectualsafeguards
against, worldly-mindedness.

10. (3)By prayer we get divinely enlightened.
(4)Prayerbrings with it advancementin personalholiness.
(5)Prayeris a powerful stimulant to every Christian grace. He who lives in the
habitual exercise ofsincere and earnestprayer cannot remain in a lukewarm,
inactive, lethargic state.
(EssexRemembrancer.)
Men ought always to pray
J. J. Wray.
Why?
1. Becausethe King wills it. Becauseit is an edict of eternal wisdomand truth,
the command of absolute righteousness and justice, the direction of infinite
goodness andlove.
2. Becauseit is an instinct and faculty of our nature, part and parcel of our
mental manhood; and as the all-wise Creatorhas endowed us with the power,
and not only the power, but the tendency to pray, we cannotand do not fulfil
His will, or rightly use our capabilities, unless we pray.
3. Becauseit is a privilege, a precious privilege conferred. The makerof the
machine can mend and manage it; and He who createdus — body, mind, and
spirit — invites us to bring our bodily needs, hunger, thirst, aches, pains, and
infirmities; our mental cares, griefs, doubts, perplexities, and depressions;our
spiritual wants, fears, forebodings, sins, and weakness — to Him in prayer.

11. 4. Becauseourstate and condition is one of perpetual peril, and weakness, and
need. The sin on our consciencecondemns us, and we cannotundo it. We all
get the heartache, and we cannot cure it. We can neither condone our
offences, norlighten our conscience,nor carry our sorrows, norhush our
complainings, nor dry our tears!
5. Becausein the infinite love and mercy of God to poor sinners a new and
living way hath been opened for us into the presence ofGod, so that not only
doth the sinner gain a hearing, but he has an infinite guarantee that his
prayers shall prosper, and his petitions shall be fulfilled.
6. Becauseourneeds, our perils, our personalinsufficiency, are "always" with
us; because the throne of prayer is always accessible, andthe Hearerof
prayer is always willing; and because the power and privilege of prayer has a
direct connectionwith the whole sphere of our daily life, and the whole circle
of our daily needs.
7. Becauseno really earnestand reliant prayers can possibly be in vain. We
are apt to faint in our petitionings if the gift we seek is long delayed.
(J. J. Wray.)
Prayer
A. H. Currier.
The "ought" of Christ outweighs all the objections of infidelity, and is
strongerthan the adverse conclusions ofa material science.

12. 1. Prayershould be constant. "Canwe, indeed," says , "without ceasing bend
the knee, bow the body, or lift up the hands?" If the attitude and the language
of prayer were essentialto its being truly offered, the command of Christ
would seem to be exaggerated. But understand it as the soul's attitude to God,
and it is no exaggeration. "Thatsoul," says Dr. Donne, "which is ever turned
toward God, prays sometimes whenit does not know that it prays." The
testimony of the Christian father accords with this. After admitting that
formal, oral prayer must have its pauses and intermissions, Augustine says,
"There is another interior prayer without intermission, and that is the longing
of the heart. Whateverelse thou mayest be doing, if thou longestafter the
Sabbath of God, thou dost not intermit to pray." Thus the whole life becomes,
what conceivedthe life of the Christian should be, "one greatconnected
prayer." The importance of constancyin it arises from the place it holds in
man's spiritual life. Prayeris to the soul what the nerves of the body are to the
mind — its medium of communication with a world that else were
unperceived and unrealized.
2. Prayershould be earnest. There is danger of our prayer degenerating into a
dead form, or perfunctory service — worse than no praying at all. The simple
remedy is to deepen the desire or sense of need which prompts to prayer, and
is the essence ofprayer. "If thou wishestnot to intermit to pray," says one of
the Christian fathers, "see that thou do not intermit to desire. The coldness of
love is the silence ofthe' heart; the fervency of love is the cry of the heart."
This warmth of desire is the product of a clearpersuasion of the value of
prayer as a means of help and strength.
3. Another quality of true prayer is, patient confidence in God. "Shall not God
avenge His own electwhich cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long
with them." There are two sure and solid grounds of confidence. One is found
in God's righteous character, by which He is constrained to rectify wrong and
establishthe right; and the other is found in His positive love for the
suppliant.

13. 4. One other quarry should mark true prayer, namely, humility.
(A. H. Currier.)
The necessityofpraying always, and not fainting
T. Boston, D. D.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, has kindly intimated to all that have business at the
court of heaven the necessityof so managing themselves that they still hang on
there, and not faint, whateverentertainment they meet with during the
dependence of their process.
I. The first thing to be considered, is, OUR LORD'S KIND INTIMATION OF
THIS WAY OF HIS FATHER'S COURT.
1. I shall show the import of Christ's making this intimation to petitioners at
His Father's court.(1)The darkness that is naturally on the minds of poor
sinners, with respectto heaven's management about them. We may say, as
Jeremiah5:4, "Surelythese are poor, they are foolish: for they know not the
way of the Lord, nor the judgment of their God."(2)Christ's good-willto the
sinner's business going right there (Exodus 28:29).(3)That our Lord sees
sinners are in hazard of fainting from the entertainment they may meet with
during the dependence of their process (Hebrews 12:3).(4)Thatthey that shall
hang on, and not faint, shall certainly come speedat length.
2. The weight and moment of this intimation. This will appear, if it is
consideredin a fourfold light.(1) Jesus Christ, who makes it, has experienced
it in His own case. Now,if this was the manner with the greatPetitioner, how
can we expect it should fare otherwise with us?(2) He is the greatProphet of

14. heaven, whose office it is to reveal the manner of the court to poor sinners.(3)
He is the only Intercessorthere, the Father's Secretary, the Solicitorfor poor
sinners there.
II. The secondthing to be considered, is, THE WAY OF THE COURT OF
HEAVEN, IN TRYSTING PETITIONERS WITHSOME HARDSHIPS,
DURING THE DEPENDENCEOF THEIR PROCESS. Here I shall give you
—
1. A swatchof that way; and —
2. Some reasons ofthat way, whereby to accountfor it in a suitableness to the
Divine perfections.
1. (1) Oft-times there is deep silence from the throne (Matthew 15:23).(2)Oft-
times they get a very angry-like answer. The woman of Canaangot a couple of
them, one on the back of another: "But He answeredand said, I am not sent
but unto the lost sheepof the house of Israel. It is not meet to take the
children's bread, and to castit to dogs" (Matthew 15:24, 26).(3)Disappointed
expectations are a piece of very ordinary entertainment there: "We lookedfor
peace, but no goodcame:and for a time of health, and behold trouble"
(Jeremiah 8:15).(4)Many a time, looking for an answer, Providence drives a
course apparently just contrary to the granting of their petition; so is fulfilled
that Psalm65:5, "By terrible things in righteousness wilt Thou answerus, O
God of our salvation."(5)Oft-times the Lord, insteadof easing the petitioner,
lays new burdens on him: "We lookedfor peace, but no goodcame; and for a
time of health, and behold trouble" (Jeremiah8:15). Instead of curing the old
wound, there are new ones given.

15. 2. (1) This way is takenwith petitioners in the court of heaven; for thereby
God is glorified, and His attributes more illustrated than otherwise they
would be. In this view of it, Paul welcomes it in his own case,though it was
hard to sense:"And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My
strength is made perfect in weakness. Mostgladly, therefore, will I rather
glory in my infirmities, that the powerof Christ may rest upon me" (2
Corinthians 12:9).(2) Hereby the state of petitioners is tried, and a plain
difference constitutedbetweenhypocrites and the sincere:"He that shall
endure unto the end, the same shall be saved" (Matthew 24:13).(3)Hereby the
graces ofbelieving petitioners are tried, both as to the reality and strength of
them; particularly their faith and patience (1 Peter1:6, 7).(4) Hereby
believers are humbled, and taught that they hold of free grace. The exalting of
grace is the greatdesign of the whole contrivance of the gospel.(5)This wayis
takenfor honour of the word: "Thouhast magnified Thy word above all Thy
name" (Psalm138:2).(6)It is taken to make them long to be home.
III. The third thing to be considered, is, THE DUTY OF THE PETITIONERS
TO HANG ON, AND NOT TO FAINT, WHATEVER THEY MEET WITH.
We may view it in these things following.
1. They must never lift their process from the court of heaven:"Lord, to
whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life" (John 6:67, 68).
2. They must never give over praying, but "pray always." And Satan
sometimes plies distressedsouls to give up with it, as what they may see they
will do no goodwith, for that Godwill not hear them. But that is a deceit of
hell which ye must never yield to.
3. They must carry all their incident needs in new petitions to the same throne
of grace, where the former petition may have been long lying, and still

16. unanswered;and so pursue all together. The latter must not drive out the
former, nor the former keepback the latter. It is one of the ways how the
Lord keeps His people hanging about His hand without fainting, by sending
them severalloads above their burden; which loads He takes off soonat their
request; and so makes them go under their burden the more easily. These
short incident processes, thatget a speedyanswer, confirm their faith and
hope in waiting on for the answerof the main.
4. They must continue in the faith of the promise, never quit the gripe of it;
but trust and believe that it shall certainly be accomplished, though the wheels
of providence should seemto drive out over it and in over it (Romans 4:19,
20).Consider—
1. If ye faint and give over, your suit is lost, ye have given up with it.
2. He is well worth the waiting on.(1) Though He is infinitely above us, He has
waited long on us.(2) The longer you are called to wait for a mercy, ye will
readily find it the more valuable when it comes.(3)His time will be found the
due time (Galatians 6:9); the best chosentime for the mercy's coming; witness
the time of Isaac's birth.(4) Ye shall be sure of some blessedof fallings, while
ye wait on (Psalm27:14).
3. They have waitedlong, that have lost all, by not having patience to waita
little longer(Exodus 32.;1 Samuel 13:8, 10). Therefore "let patience have her
perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing" (James
1:4); "for in due seasonye shall reap, if ye faint not" (Galatians 6:9).
(T. Boston, D. D.)

17. Petitioners at the court of heaven encouraged
I. First, I SHALL SHOW WHAT IS THAT TREATMENTPETITIONERS
MAY MEET WITH AT THE COURT OF HEAVEN, UNDER WHICH
THEY WILL BE IN HAZARD OF FAINTING. I mentioned several
particulars at another occasion;I offer now only three things in general.
1. The weight and pressure of their heavy case itself, whateverit is, may be
long continued, notwithstanding all their addresses forhelp.
2. There may be no appearance ofrelief (Psalm 74:9).
3. They may getincident weights laid on them, as a load above their burden
(Psalm 69:26). These are like drops poured into a full cup, ready to cause it
run over; like smart touches on a broken leg, inclining one readily to faint.
II. The secondthing to be spoke to, is, WHY PETITIONERSARE IN
HAZARD OF FAINTING FROM SUCH TREATMENT AT THE COURT
OF HEAVEN.
1. Natural weakness. "All flesh is grass, andall the goodliness thereofis as the
flowerof the field" (Isaiah40:6). On this very view the Lord "pities His
children" (Psalm 103:13, 14).
2. Conscienceofguilt: "My wounds stink, and are corrupt; because ofmy
foolishness" (Psalm38:5, 6). Guilt is a mother of fears, and fears cause
fainting.

18. 3. Unacquaintedness with the methods of sovereignty: "Thy way is in the sea,
and Thy path in the great waters, and Thy footsteps are not known" (Psalm
77:19).
4. A strong bias to unbelief and walking by sense, quite contrary to our duty
and interest (2 Corinthians 5:7). We are apt to be impressedmore with what
we see and feelin Providence, than what we hear from the Word.
III. The third thing to be consideredis, WHEREFORE THE LORD GIVES
SUCH TREATMENT TO ANY OF HIS PETITIONERS. Negatively.
1. It is not for mere will and pleasure. Satanwill be ready to suggestthis, and
pose the party with such questions as these, For what use is all this delay?
2. It is not because He has no pity on you, nor concernfor you under your
burden.
3. It is not to signify to you that you should give it over, and trouble Him no
more with your petition; as the hasty unbelieving heart is ready to take it, and
to give over duty because there is no sensible appearance ofsuccess:"I said I
will not make mention of Him nor speak any more in His name" (Jeremiah
20:9).
4. Lastly, It is not because He is resolvednot to hear you at any rate, cry as
long as ye will. But positively, in general, it is for holy, wise, becoming ends; it
is necessaryfor His glory and your case.Butparticularly —

19. 1. It is for the honour of the man Christ. It contributes to it —(1) In that
thereby the petitioners are conformed to His image, in the suffering part
thereof.(2)Thereby He gets the more employment as the greatIntercessor,
and is more earnestlyapplied to than otherwise He would be. Longsome pleas
give the advocates much ado; and longsome processesatthe court of heaven
bring much business to the Mediator, and so much honour.(3) It affords Him
the most signaloccasionofdisplaying His powerin combating with and
baffling the old serpent, next to that He had on the cross (2 Corinthians 12:9).
2. To magnify the promise.
3. To keepup the mercy, till that time come, that, all things considered, will be
the absolutelybest time for bestowing it (John 11:14, 15).
IV. The fourth thing to be spoke to is, WHAT IS THE IMPORT OF THIS
INTIMATION MADE FOR THIS END? It imports —
1. That sinners are ready to take delays at the court of heaven for denials.
2. That importunity and resolute hanging on, and repeatedaddressesfor the
supply of the same need, are very welcome and acceptable to Christ and His
Father. There is no fear of excess here;the oftener ye come, the more resolute
ye are in your hanging on, the more welcome.
3. That the faith of being heard at length, is necessaryto keepone hanging on
without fainting (Psalm27:13).

20. 4. That the hearing to be gotat length at the court of heaven is well worth the
waiting on, be it ever so long. It will more than counterbalance all the fatigue
of the process, thatis kept longestin dependence.
V. The fifth thing in the method is, THE CERTAINTYOF SUCH
PETITIONERS BEING HEARD AT LENGTH.
1. They are doubtless God's own children, electbelievers, whateverthey think
of themselves (Luke 17:7).
2. The nature, name, and promise of God, joins to insure it. He is goodand
gracious in His nature (Exodus 34:6-9).
3. Such prayers are the product of His own Spirit in them, and therefore He
cannot miss to be heard (James 5:16).
4. Our Lord Jesus has given His word on it, and so has impawned His honour
they shall be heard: "I tell you that He will avenge them speedily."
VI. Sixthly, How THEY SHALL BE HEARD TO THEIR HEART'S
CONTENT.
1. They shall at length see that their prayers have been accepted. I do not say
they shall at length be accepted, but they shall see they have been so.

21. 2. They shall getan answerof their petitions to their heart's satisfaction
(Matthew 15:28). "The needy shall not always be forgotten:the expectationof
the poor shall not perish for ever" (Psalm 9:18).
3. They shall be fully satisfiedas to the long delay, and the whole steps of the
procedure, howeverperplexing they were before (Revelation15:3).
4. They shall getit with increase according to the time they waitedon, and the
hardships they sustained during the dependence of the process. The fruit of
the promise, the longerit is a-ripening, the more bulky it is.
5. Lastly, their spiritual enemies that flew thick and strong about them in the
time of the darkness, shallbe scatteredat the appearance ofthis light (1
Samuel 2:5).
VII. Seventhly, How IT SHALL BE SPEEDILY, NOTWITHSTANDING
THE LONG DELAY.
1. It shall be speedily in respectof the weight and value of it when it comes:so
that the believer looking on the return of his petition, with an eye of faith
perceiving the worth of it, may wonder it is come upon so short onwaiting (2
Corinthians 4:17).
2. It shall come in the most seasonable nick of time it cancome in (Galatians
6:9), when it may come to the bestadvantage for the honour of God and their
good:and that which comes in the bestseason, comesspeedily. To everything
there is a season;so fools' haste is no speed.

22. 3. It shall come as soonas they are prepared for it (Psalm 10:17).
4. It shall not tarry one moment beyond the due and appointed time
(Habakkuk 2:3).
5. Lastly, it will be surprising, as a glaring light to one brought out of a
dungeon, though he was expecting it.
(T. Boston, D. D.)
The necessityofprayer
W. H. Hutchings, M. A.
I. With regardto the necessityof prayer, THE GERM OF THIS AS OF
OTHER REVEALED DOCTRINES,IS TO BE FOUND IN OUR NATURE,
and affords one illustration of the truth of that profound exclamation, "O
testimony of a soul, by nature Christian!" Of moral truth there is an inward
engraving, a light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. "The
virtues," says a modern writer, "were like plants half developed in some
gloomy shade, till Christ poured His sunshine upon them, and made them
flourish with luxuriance." It is important, then, to ground the necessityof
prayer on the dictates of nature as wellas on the teaching of Revelation,
thereby resting it on a double authority, eachof which lends support to the
other. For anything to be original in our nature, it must possess certain
properties; in looking back to the beginning of our race it 'will present itself
without any external origin, and it will continue to exist under conditions most
diverse and at all times. We examine, then, the history of the past, we take up
the book which contains the first records of our race in order to discover
whether this communing with God existedfrom the first — to see what the
first human souls did. All the elements of prayer were present in Adam's

23. intercourse with his Maker;man, rational and dependent; God, Almighty,
Omniscient, and Good; and — communications betweenthe two. We trace the
instinct of prayer continuing in fallen man, else it might have been supposed
that it was a part of his supernatural equipment, and had no foundation in his
natural life. In Adam's sons this instinct survived; Cain and Abel offered
sacrifices,and sacrificesare the outward expressionof prayer; there was an
ascentof the mind to God, a real ascentat leastin one case,for "by faith Abel
offered unto God a more excellentsacrifice than Cain." In an unfallen state,
the instinct of the soul was to turn to the Author of its life, with joy and
thankfulness; in a fallen state, the instinct of the soul is to turn to Him
through its need of pardon and its sense ofweakness;but in both states there
is the instinct to turn to Him, though the leading reasons fordoing so may be
different. Looking back, then, into the past by the light of the only record
which can safelyguide us, we find the practice of prayer from the first without
any external command or origin, and therefore it preserves one mark of an
instinct of nature. But an instinct to be acknowledgedmust not only be able to
claim antiquity on its side but also universality. That which is a genuine part
of human nature will always be a part of human nature. If that which marked
human life in its earlierstages, disappears in times of advancedcivilization
and culture, it may be doubted whether it was a pure instinct of our nature,
and be attributed either on the one side to an original revelation or on the
other to a defective or barbarous condition. It must, however, be admitted
that in matters of religion, the mark of antiquity in an instinct has a special
value; we can see in it "natural religion" before it has been tampered with. If
we want to learn the habits of an animal, we must see it in its native freedom,
and not only after it has been trained and domesticated. The instinct of
prayer, however, does not lack the secondproperty, universality; we find it
both in the highest and loweststates of civilization, in places and races widely
sundered both in position and circumstance. If we examine the practices of
barbarous nations; if we turn to the ancient religions of the East;if we look at
Greece andRome in the plenitude of their intellectual power, we find that in
some form or shape the necessityof prayer and homage to a superior Poweris
admitted, and in no nation is the instinct entirely obliterated. In the rootof
human nature there is a sense ofdependency, and a sense ofguilt; natural
religion is basedon these two, the correlatives ofwhich are prayer and

24. atonement — the actions respectivelyproper to the frail, and to the sinful. It is
useless to speak ofthe instinct of prayer as of something imported into our
nature: that which is simply imported does not make its home so fixed and
sure, that no lapse of time or change of circumstances has the power to
dislodge it. I have dwelt at some length on the instinctive characterof prayer,
because onit I first ground its obligation; we ought to pray out of deference to
an instinct with which Godhas endowedus, for by our higher intuitions and
instincts He expressesHis will, and to neglectto actin accordancewiththem,
is to disobey His voice within us. Moreover, this instinct of prayer is an
imperious one;it is one which will assertitself, evenwhen it has been set aside,
and its presence denied. There are moments in life when men are superior to
their own principles, and human systems fail to silence the deep cry of the
heart; when men pray who have denied the powerof prayer. "Thatmen
ought always to pray," then, is the teaching of nature, and prayer as a matter
of natural religion is an express duty.
II. We pass now from the sphere of the natural to the super-natural, from
nature to grace, TO FIND ANOTHER BASIS FOR THE NECESSITYOF
PRAYER. Prayer meets us with a two-fold claim in the domain of revealed
religion; it is necessaryas a means of grace, it is necessaryalso as a fulfilment
of an express command of God; these are two sides, the one objective, the
other subjective, of the same truth. It will be observed, that the necessityof
prayer viewedin this connectionis derived from the prior necessity ofgrace.
"Every man is held to pray in order to obtain spiritual goods, which are not
given, exceptfrom heaven; wherefore they are not able to be procured in any
other way but by being thus sought for." In the New Testament, that grace is
a necessityfor the supernatural life is an elementaltruth. Grace is to that life
what the wateris to the life of the fish, or the air to our natural life —
something absolutelyindispensable. "Being justified freely by His grace.""By
grace ye are saved." "Bythe grace ofGod I am what I am; and His grace
which was bestowedupon me was not in vain." "Grow in grace.""He which
hath begun a good work in you will perform it." In following the operations of
grace from the commencementof the spiritual life to its end, five effects have
been enumerated — it heals the soul, it produces a goodwill, it enables the
goodwhich was willed to be brought about in action, it makes perseverancein

25. goodpossible, it leads to glory. Thus grace is, from first to last, the invisible
nourishment of the soul's life, and prayer is the means in man's own powerof
gaining grace;it is through prayer that the different effects ofgrace are
wrought in us. We ask God for spiritual healing — "Heal my soul, for I have
sinned againstThee." "O cleanseThoume from my secretfaults." We need
Divine help for resisting temptations — "WhenChrist was baptized and
prayed, the heavens were opened, showing that after Baptism prayer is
necessaryto man in two ways, to overcome the inward proneness to evil, and
the outward enticements of the world and the devil." Temptations to be
resistedwith sanctifying effectmust be resistedin the powerof prayer; slight
temptations may perhaps be vanquished by natural effort, or overthrown by
an opposite vice, but such victories are not registeredin heaven. Again, in
order to advance in the spiritual life, in the development of virtues, prayer is a
necessity— the apostles prayed, "Lord, increase ourfaith." The increase of
the interior life simply consists in the growth of different virtues and graces,
and these virtues are formed by the combined action of grace and free-will;
these are the two factors, the raw material so to speak, from which the fabric
is manufactured. A continual supply of grace is needed for the increase of
eachvirtue, and therefore prayer is needed, not only in general, but also with
definite reference to the support of the virtue which we have to exercise, orin
which we are most conscious ofdefect. He says "prayerand grace are of the
same necessity;grace is necessaryfor salvation, hence it ought to follow that
prayer also is necessary;but why should prayer be ordained in relation to
eternity, unless it he for the sake ofobtaining grace?"There are, however,
two limits to the powerof prayer which we must not forgetin its relationto
grace. Prayeris itself dependent on grace in the spiritual life, and an act of
prayer for grace is a correspondence with a grace whichhas been already
given. "The Spirit," St. Paul says, "also helpeth our infirmities; for we know
not what we should pray for as we ought." "Grace," St. asserts, "precedesour
prayers always." The goodthought or desire is a touch from anotherworld;
the angels ofGod descendedas well as ascendedon "Bethel's Stair." The
beginnings of life, whether natural or supernatural, are from God; but the
continuation and increase oflife depend also on human co-operation. Again,
prayer as a means of grace must not take the place of Sacraments. The
revelation which proclaims the necessityof the one, also asserts the obligation

26. of the other. Prayeris the respiration of the soul; Sacraments, its medicine
and food; both alike necessary, though the one constantly, the other
occasionally.
III. The obligation to pray is NOT, however, TO BE VIEWED SIMPLY IN
REFERENCETO OUR OWN BENEFIT. Prayeris also an act of religion, an
act of obedience to a Divine precept which we should be bound to perform,
even if no grace came to us from its performance. This objective view of the
necessityofprayer is one less familiar, but hardly less important. Now from
this doctrine flow two results. The omission and neglectof prayer involve not
only a loss of grace, but constitute a distinct sin; it is a sin againstreligion, and
againstcharity. Religionis a moral virtue, whose province it is to show due
honour and reverence to Almighty God; to ceaseto pray therefore, is to fail to
exercise a moral virtue, and that the highest. What justice is towards the
creature, religion is towards God — that by which we seek to give Him His
due. To neglectprayer, is also to sin againstcharity. Charity presents three
objects — God, ourselves, others — all of whom are to be loved: but when
prayer is omitted we fail in the exercise of the love of God, for we desire to
hold converse with those whom we love; the love of our neighbour we fail in
also, for he needs our prayers; and the love of our soul we fail in, by the
neglectof a duty upon which our spiritual life depends. It remains for us to
notice when this precept of prayer is binding, so that the omission of it
becomes a sin. When Christ says, "men ought always to pray," it is evident
that He does not mean that no other duty should be fulfilled; but that at all
times, whateverwe are doing, the spirit of prayer should be preserved.
IV. We have now to view THE NECESSITYOF PRAYER AS A
TRANSFORMING INFLUENCE. Thosewho do not admit that prayer has
powerwith God, yet acknowledgethat it has power with us, and allow that it
possesses a reflex influence on those who use it. The soul by communing with
God becomes like God, receives from His perfections supplies of light, of
power, and love according to its needs. The subjective effects of prayer are as

27. manifold as the Divine perfections. It is said that constantintercourse between
creatures causesthem to resemble one another, not only in disposition and
habits, but even in features. Old painters always made St. John like unto his
Masterin face. They instinctively imagined, that closenessofcommunion
betweenthe beloveddisciple and his Lord had occasioneda likeness in
features and expression. The first basis of its obligation will remind us that we
must not regardour nature as entirely corrupt, and its voice as always
misleading, but that in it, fallen as it is, there are vestiges ofits original
greatness,and intuitions and instincts which are to us an inward revelationof
the mind and will of God. The secondreasonfor the necessityof prayer, will
explain perhaps the cause of weakness inthe hour of temptation — our lack of
grace. Further, we must be careful to regard prayer not only as a means of
grace but as a duty, and thus fulfil it without reference to our own delight or
profit in the act. If, again, we complain of our earthliness and worldliness, and
the difficulty which we have in fetching our motives of actionfrom a higher
sphere, may it not be that we have failed to realize the importance of prayer in
its subjective effectupon character, and have thought to gain a ray of
heavenly brightness without the habitual communing with Godupon the
Mount?
(W. H. Hutchings, M. A.)
Necessityof prayer
Bishop Boyd Carpenter.
Prayer is natural to men. The knowledge ofour own weaknessis soonforced
upon us, but with this convictionthere comes another, the sense of
dependence on One — great, loving, and wise. Out of these springs the
necessityofprayer, which is the language ofthe frail to the mighty — the
confessionofneed, and the instinct of trust. Every known religion attests this
irresistible impulse to pray. Men, indeed, will be found to deny, or to
undervalue the evidence of this instinct of prayer; but there are times which

28. wring prayer from prayerless lips; times of danger, when all classesfind
prayer the most appropriate and natural utterance of their lips; times of
heartfear, when the whole spirit sends up from the depths of confusionand
darkness an exceeding bitter cry, wherein terror and doubt mingle with the
unquenchable instinct of prayer; times when, perhaps, death is approaching,
and the dark, unexplored confines of the other world begin to loom vast and
vague upon an awakening conscience,and the firm citadel of stoutly
maintained unbelief is sweptaway, and prayer rushes forth in such a
despairing shriek as burst from the lips of Thistlewood — "O God, if there be
a God, save my soul, if I have a soul!" It is not the approachof danger or the
feeling of fear only which calls forth prayer. The irresistible disposition is
experiencedunder the influence of feelings widely different from fear. The
contemplation of the universe, and the incomprehensible Being who embraces
all things, so wrought upon the mind of Rousseauthat, in the restlessnessof
his transports, he would exclaim, "O greatBeing!O greatBeing!" The
majesty and splendour of nature, brightening and kindling under the beams
of the sun, rising upon the rocky heights of Jura, and circling the sky with
flame, filled the soulof Voltaire with such awe that he uncoveredhis head,
and, kneeling, he cried, "I believe — I believe in Thee! O mighty God, I
believe!" If the language ofprayer is thus natural to all men, and forcedat
times from reluctant lips, it is natural, with an inexpressible sweetness, to
hearts accustomedto communion with God. The cultivated instinct becomes a
rich enjoyment, and an unutterable relief. The high duty becomes the highest
privilege.
(Bishop Boyd Carpenter.)
Times unfavourable to prayer
Bishop Boyd Carpenter.
There are times when prayer is natural to the most careless;but there are also
times when all things tend to deaden the spirit of prayer in the most
thoughtful and prayerful of God's children. Such times are times of greatand
extensive activity, when pleasure is busy, and even enjoyments are full of toil.

29. In the ceaselessindustry of business and gaiety, amusement becomes hard
work. Hard work brings weariness,and wearinessis followedby an
indisposition for any exertion of the spirit. Such, too, are times of a
widespreadfeeling of uneasiness, whena vague apprehensionseems to have
seizedhold upon the minds of all classes, anda strange sense ofinsecurity
begets an unreasoning and universally felt fear. Such are times of noisy
religionism and demonstrative piety, when the minds of men are galvanized
into an unnatural activity through the spirit of an unwholesome rivalry; when
convictions are degraded into opinions, and toil dwindles into talk, and
organized Christian effort is strangled in discussion;when an impracticable
tenacity of trifles and a stupendous disregard of principles throws the
appearance ofvitality over a degenerate anddead pietism. In such times the
lulling influences of a strained activity, an undefined terror; and a
selfasserting, heart-distracting zealotismstealover the spirits of the most
watchful of Christ's servants, and often diminish insensibly their vigilance and
earnestnessin prayer. A convergenceofsuch times into one period Christ
described, and on the description He founded His warning that "men ought
always to pray."
(Bishop Boyd Carpenter.)
Patient prayer
J. G. Forbes.
One day, returning home from a morning meeting of the Holiness Convention,
I came across a little boy standing at a house door, and crying bitterly. I tried
to comfort him, but he only cried the more. Just then his mother came out,
and when I inquired what was wrong with him, I found he was crying because
his mother would not give him his breakfastbefore the right time. Similarly,
we, as God's children, often make bitter repinings, and have hard thoughts
about the Lord, because He does not answerour prayers at the time, and in
the waythat we expect. His ways are not as our ways, nor is His time always
our time; but that in some way or other, and in the right way, and at His own

30. time — not a moment too soon, not a moment too late — He will perform that
which is goodfor us and to His glory.
(J. G. Forbes.)
Constantexercise in prayer
When a pump is frequently used, but little pains are necessaryto obtain
water; the waterpours out at the first stroke, becauseit is high; but if the
pump has not been used for a long time the watergets low, and when you
want it you must pump a long while, and the watercomes only after great
efforts. It is so with prayer. If we are instant in prayer, every little
circumstance awakens the disposition to pray, and desire and words are
always ready. But if we neglectprayer it is difficult for us to pray.
Shall we pray, or shall we not
J. Kennedy, D. D.
? — A distinguished man of science, anEnglishman, was reported in the
newspapers the other day to have said to an assembly in the American capital,
"I am not a praying man." He was not bemoaning himself, or making
confessionofsin, or even uttering regret. If he did not speak boastfully, he
certainly spoke without any sense of shame, and apparently with some degree
of superiority over the commonplace and lag-behind people who still think it
right to pray. Another distinguished man, an Englishman likewise, nota man
of science, but a man of profound thought, was askedon his deathbed how he
felt, and his reply was, "Ican pray, and that's a greatthing." In his judgment
prayer was the highest service to which a whole man can give himself; not
something to be left to the ignorant and feeble, but to be risen to, and aspired
after by the greatestintellectand the most illumined mind. Which of the two
was right? Which of them possessedthe truest conceptionof the whole duty
and privilege of man?

31. I. Let us see WHAT MAY, JUSTIFIABLY OR UNJUSTIFIABLY, INDUCE
A MAN TO TAKE THE POSITION INVOLVED IN THE AVOWAL, "I am
not a praying man."
1. He may take this position who is consciousofno want which scientific study
and material goodcannot satisfy. But what shall we say of such a man as this?
Is he a true type of our common humanity, or of our most educated
humanity? Or, rather, is he not less than a man — only part of a man? The
intellect is not the soul, and intellectualpleasure cannot satisfy the soul, or, if
there be some souls which profess to be satisfiedwith it, it only proves how
untrue souls may be to their own highest capacities.
2. He may take this position who is separatedfrom mankind by the non-
possessionofanything of the nature of a religious faculty. An old Greek said,
"You may find peoples without cities, without arts, without theatres;but you
can find no people without an altar and a God." An Englishman, not a
believer in Christianity, said that upon accurate search, religionand faith
appear the only ultimate differences of man" — those which distinguish him
from a brute.
3. He who has ascertainedthatGod cannot, consistentlywith His own laws, or
will not, for some other reason, hearprayer, may take the position implied in
the saying, "I am not a praying man." But where is such a man to be found?
To know that Godcannot answerprayer consistentlywith His own laws,
implies a knowledge whichis properly Divine.
4. He who would justify his positionmust be conscious thathe has no sins to
be forgiven. And if any one should aver that his conscienceacquits him, we
should say(1 John 1:8, 10).

32. 5. The man who would justify himself in saying, "I am not a praying man,"
must have already attained all moral excellence,orbe consciousofpower to
attain it by his unaided efforts. In this matter we discernthe blindness that
has fallen on men. They can see very clearly the power that is neededto
produce physical results, but not that which is needed to produce moral. And
in this they only prove how much sense has acquired dominion over them.
II. THE REASONS FOR NOT PRAYING WHICH MEN, IF HONEST
ABOUT THEMSELVES, WOULD AVOW.
1. Prayeris distasteful to them. They have no heart for it. This is a sure sign of
being spiritually out of health. Seek the aid of the Healerof souls.
2. They feelthat prayer is inconsistentwith their habits of life. Then change
those habits. "Washyou, make you clean."
(J. Kennedy, D. D.)
Hindrances to prayer
E. W. Shalders, B. A.
1. There Is the objectionthat, God having infinite wisdom to determine what
is best, and almighty powerto accomplishHis decree, there is nothing for His
creatures to do but submit with reverence and trust. If prayer cannot change
His mind, it is useless,and, moreover, an impertinence; if it could, it would be
a loss, since it would involve a sacrifice ofgreaterwisdom to less — a result
which can only be conceivedof as a punishment. The answerto this is, that
God in giving human beings a real freedom, a power to choose whether
certain events shall be one way or the other, has really, so far as we can see,

33. for wise purposes, limited His own. In short, there is a margin of greateror
less good, of manageable error, of permissible evil, which Godcan set apart
for our freedom to exercise itselfin, without the world escaping His control.
The premise, therefore, from which this objectionstarts, that "whateveris, is
best," is not true in the large sense of those words. Whatever is best under all
the circumstances,under the circumstances ofour crime, negligence,orerror,
but not the best that might have been had we reachedforth our hand to take
what lay within our power. It may be better if we do not pray, that we should
miss some blessings Godhas in reserve for those who seek Him in love and
trust, but this is not the best that might have been. It is the will of God in
relation to our negligence;but our trust and importunity would have called
into actiona higher and more generous law of His loving nature.
2. The next objection is that of the imagination filled and overpoweredby the
thought of the vastness ofthe material universe. "Do you suppose," men ask,
"that a petty, individual life, a worm crawling on the surface of one of His
smallestplanets, can be an objectof particular considerationand interest to
the Almighty Creator?" Why not? Is the Almighty Ruler compelled to
distinguish betweenimperial and provincial cares like an earthly monarch?
BecauseHe is here with some suffering infant, taking its inarticulate moan
into His mighty and pitiful heart, is He less in the planet Neptune, or is His
powerwithdrawn from the glowing masses offuture worlds? There is no
egotismin thinking that man — any man — is more important in the Divine
regard than a mass of matter, howeverlong it has lain under the Creator's
eye, and howevermuch it may impose upon our imagination.
3. Practicalhindrances to prayer are found where the speculative barriers we
have been considering do not exist. Mentalindolence is one .of the greatestof
these hindrances, and mental indolence is a much more prevalent and serious
fault than bodily indolence. No one canreally pray without using his
understanding, engaging his affections, and making an effort of will. Prayer is
work, and hard work. We must go to the Saviour, and ask His aid. "Lord,
teachus to pray."

34. (E. W. Shalders, B. A.)
Beliefin prayer the outcome of need realized
G. Macdonald, LL. D.
As to the so-calledscientific challenge to prove the efficacyof prayer by the
result of simultaneous petition. A God that should fail to hear, receive, attend
to one single prayer, the feeblestor worst, I cannot believe in; but a God that
would grant every request of every man or every company of men, would be
an evil God — that is no God, but a demon. That God should hang in the
thought-atmosphere, like a windmill, waiting till men enough should combine
and send out prayer in sufficient force to turn His outspread arms, is an idea
too absurd. God waits to be gracious, notto be tempted. "But if God is so
goodas you representHim, and if He knows all that we need, and better far
than we do ourselves, why should it be necessaryto ask Him for anything?" I
answer, What if He knows prayer to be the thing we need first and most?
What if the main objectin God's idea of prayer be the supplying of our great,
our endless need— the need of Himself? What if the goodof all our smaller
and lowerneeds lies in this, that they help to drive us to God? Hunger may
drive the runaway child home, and he may or may not be fed at once, but he
needs his mother more than his dinner. Communion with God is the one need
of the soul beyond all other need; prayer is the beginning of that communion,
and some need is the motive of that prayer. Our wants are for the sake of our
coming into communion with God, our eternal need. In regard, however, to
the high necessitiesofour nature, it is in order that He may be able to give
that God requires us to ask — requires by driving us to it — by shutting us up
to prayer. For how can He give into the soul of a man what it needs, while that
soul cannotreceive it? The ripeness for receiving is the asking. The blossom-
cup of the soul, to be filled with the heavenly dews, is its prayer. When the
soul is hungry for the light, for the truth — when its hunger has wakedits
higher energies, thoroughlyroused the will, and brought the soul into its
highest condition, that of action, its only fitness for receiving the things of

35. God, that action is prayer. Then God can give; then He canbe as He would
towards the man: for the glory of God is to give Himself. We thank thee, Lord
Christ, for by Thy pain alone do we rise towards the knowledge ofthis glory
of Thy Father and our Father.
(G. Macdonald, LL. D.)
The adaptability of nature to prayer
Prof. J. P. Gulliver.
A waterfallis a scientific objectonly in a very rude way. But when every drop
of its waters has been manipulated and controlled by the human will till the
mills of a Lowell or a Lawrence display from every spindle and shuttle the
presence ofhuman intelligence and power, then the untamed river begins to
sparkle with the brilliancy of science, andto murmur its praises from every
ripple. That is, the more mind-power is mingled with matter-power, the more
scientific is the compound result. The uniformity of the waterfallis far less
scientific, than the diversity of the waterwheel. Automatic mechanisms,
machines that adjust themselves to change, throwing themselves out of gearat
the leastobstacle orbreakage, ringing a bell as a signalof distress, increasing
or diminishing combustion, changing position, as in the case ofa lathe to meet
all the convolutions of a gun-stock, have a far higher scientific characterthan
a carpenter's drawing-knife, or a housewife's spinning-wheel, which display
less of diversity and more of uniformity. It was once supposedthat the solar
system is so balancedthat the loss of a grain of weight, or the slightestchange
of motion, would dislocate and destroy the whole system. It was a higher
science, nota lower, that has since taught us that exactuniformity is by no
means necessaryto the stability of the system, but that oscillationand change
are fully provided for in the original plan. The principle holds goodthat the
modifications of a mind powerintroduced into a material mechanism advance
its scientific rank, and increase rather than diminish the proof of the presence
of law and order in its working. I was riding, a few years since, about one of
the rural cities of the State of New York with one of the most distinguished
preachers at the metropolis. We were speaking of the curious fallacies

36. involved in Tyndall's famous prayer-gauge conundrum. Just then we drove up
to the city water-works. Itold him that if he would go in with me I thought we
could find a goodillustration of the manner in which God may answerprayer
without interfering with any of the laws of nature. The point, let us remember,
is, that the power of an intelligent will canbe so introduced among the forces
of matter as to have perfect uniformity in the working of those forces, while
diversity appears in their results. The building we entered was furnished with
a Holley engine. As we stoodby the steamgauge we observedconstantand
considerable changes in the amount of steam produced. As there was no cause
apparent in or about the engine itself, we askedfor an explanation. "That,"
said the engineer, "is done by the people in the city. As they open their faucets
to draw the waterthe draft upon our fires is increased. As they close them, it
is diminished. The smallestchild canchange the movements of our engine
according to his will. It was the design of the maker to adjust his engine so
that it should respond perfectly to the needs of the people, be they greator
small." Just then the bell rung, the furnace-drafts flew open, the steamrose
rapidly in the gauge, the engineerflew to his post, the ponderous machinery
acceleratedits movement. We heard a generalalarm of fire. "How is that?"
we asked. "That," he said, "was the opening of some greatfire-plug." "And
how about the bell? What did that ring for?" "That," he said, "was to put us
on the alert. You saw that the firemen beganto throw on coalat once. A
thousand things have to be lookedafter when there is a greatfire. It won't do
to leave the engine to itself at such times." In a moment there came a lull. The
greatpumps moved more deliberately. In anotherminute a roar of steam told
us the safety-valve had opened, and soonthe great engine had returned to its
ordinary, sleepymotion. "Wonderful," said my friend; "the whole thing
seems alive. I almost thought it would start and run to the fire itself." "I think
this one of the grandesttriumphs of science,"saidthe engineer, as he bade me
good-bye. The illustration is a goodone, but others of the same sort are at our
hand on every side. The uniformity of nature is, in fact, one of its lesser
attributes. Its greatglory is in its wonderful adaptability. Its greatestgloryis
its unlimited capacityto receive mind-forces, and to mingle them with its
matter-forces in perfectharmony, and in infinite variety of combination. If
human science has beenable to do so much to overcome the eventless
uniformity of nature in its wildness and crudeness, shallwe deny to the Divine

37. omniscience the powerto effect the slightestmodifications necessaryin
answering the prayers of His children? Nay, shall we deny to Him the power
so to adjust the originalmechanism of the universe that prayer with its
appropriate action may directly modify that mechanism, as the child's thirst
and his little hand can open a faucet and change the actionof the greatwater-
works miles away. Or, is it at all unscientific to believe that other intelligent
agents may, in answerto prayer, be "causedto fly swiftly," as the little bell
arousedthe engineer. Or canscience offerany valid objectionif we saythat
God Himself holds the forces ofnature in His own hand; waiting, for high
moral reasons, "to be inquired of by the house of Israelto do these things for
them "?
(Prof. J. P. Gulliver.)
Prayer answeredafterdeath
C. H. Spurgeon.
Let me tell you that if any of you should die with your prayers unanswered,
you need not conclude that God has disappointed you. I have heard that a
certain godly father bad the unhappiness to be the parent of some five or six
most graceless sons.All of them as they grew up imbibed infidel sentiments,
and led a libidinous life. The father who had been constantly praying for
them, and was a pattern of every virtue, hoped at leastthat in his death he
might be able to saya word that should move their hearts. He gatheredthem
to his bedside, but his unhappiness in dying was extreme, for be lostthe light
of God's countenance, andwas besetwith doubts and fears, and the lastblack
thought that haunted him was, "Insteadofmy death being a testimony for
God, which will win my dear sons, I die in such darkness and gloom that I
fear I shall confirm them in their infidelity, and lead them to think that there
is nothing in Christianity at all." The effectwas the reverse. The sons came
round the grave at the funeral, and when they returned to the house, the
eldestson thus addressedhis brothers: — "My brothers, throughout his
lifetime, our father often spoke to us about religion, and we have always
despisedit, but what a sermonhis deathbed has been to us! for if he who

38. served Godso well and lived so near to God found it so hard a thing to die,
what kind of death may we expectours to be who have lived without God and
without hope?" The same feeling possessedthem all, and thus the father's
death had strangelyansweredthe prayers of his life through the grace of God.
You cannot tell but what, when you are in glory, you should look down from
the windows of heaven and receive a double heavenin beholding your dear
sons and daughters converted by the words you left behind. I do not saythis
to make you cease pleading for their immediate conversion, but to encourage
you. Never give up prayer, never be tempted to cease fromit.
(C. H. Spurgeon.)
Prayer is manly
T. R. Stevenson.
"Menought to pray." Let none misunderstand us when we lay stress on the
word "men." Of course, Christ does not mean one sex merely; He
immediately afterwards speaks of"a certain widow." His reference is to the
human race at large. We are assuredby Paul that in Him there is "neither
male nor female." Nevertheless, we eagerlytake advantage ofthe word thus
used by our Saviour that we may affirm and maintain the manliness of
prayer. The assertionis far from unnecessary, and every one who is
acquainted with public opinion will, we think, agree with us. Is there not a
notion abroadthat prayer is a somewhatfeeble, sentimental, effeminate
pursuit? Are we not often reminded by travellers on the continent of the fact
that churches and cathedrals are chiefly filled by women? Sandy Mackaye, in
"Alton Locke,"describes a certaincongregationas made up of "babies and
bonnets," and we know what the inference is. Dr. J. Martineau felicitously
speaks ofthose who regardit "a fond superstition and womanly weaknessto
ask God anything." Don't we all recollectthe accountgiven of Tom Brown
when, on arriving at school, he was pelted, chaffed, and ridiculed, because he
kneeledbeside his bed? Perhaps the last-namedincident is more significant
than any or the whole of the preceding ones, since there is nothing about
which boys are so ambitious as to seemmanly. The occurrence is, therefore, a

39. feather which, as it flies, shows the wayof the wind. The idea that prayer is
unworthy of us as men is utterly unreasonable and untrue. Is it not manly to
do right? No one disputes it. We get our word virtue from the Latin vir, a
man; to be moral is to be manly. By parity of argument, to do right generally
must be manly; prayer is right, God would not will it were it not; therefore it
is manly.
(T. R. Stevenson.)
Universal prayer
J. D. Wray.
Remember, you can pray for any need — for lengthened life, as Hezekiah did;
for help, as Daniel did; for light, as Bartimeus did; for mercy, as David did;
for rain, as Elijah did; for a son, as Hannah did; for grace, as Pauldid. You
can pray, too, anywhere;in the deep, like Jonah;on the sea or the house-top,
like Peter;on your bed, like Hezekiah;in the mountain, like Jesus;in the
wilderness, like Hagar; in the street, like Jairus; in a cave, like David; on the
cross, like the dying thief. You can pray, too, anyhow; short, like Peterand the
publican; long, like Moses atthe consecrationof the Tabernacle, orSolomon
at the dedicationof the Temple. You canpray in silence, as Hannah did in the
Temple; in your secretthoughts, as Nehemiahdid before Darius; or aloud,
like the Syro-Phenicianwoman; in tears, like Magdalen;in groans, or songs,
as David did. You can pray any time. In the morning, like David; at noon, like
Daniel; at midnight, like Silas;in childhood, like Samuel; in youth, like
Timothy; in manhood, like the centurion; in age, like Simeon; in sickness,like
Job; or in death, like Jacoband the dying Christ. And all of them were heard
by the Hearer of prayer. I pray you, learn to pray! Link yourselves to the
throne of God. Prayer will stand you in goodsteadevery day of your mortal
life! will make you joyful in the hour of death; and by the power of prayer you
shall scale the mount of God! Pray!
(J. D. Wray.)

40. Perseverance in prayer: or, strike again
"God's seasons are not at your heel: If the first stroke ofthe flint doth not
bring forth the fire, you must strike again. That is to say, God will hear
prayer, but He may not answerit at the time which we in our own minds have
appointed; He will revealHimself to our seeking hearts, but not just when and
where we have settledin our own expectations. Hence the need of
perseverence andimportunity in supplication. In the days of flint and steel
and brimstone matches we had to strike and strike again, dozens of times,
before we could get a spark to live in the tinder; and we were thankful enough
if we succeededatlast. Shall we not be as persevering and hopeful as to
heavenly things? We have more certainty of successin this business than we
had with our flint and steel, for we have God's promise at our back. Neverlet
us despair. God's time for mercy will come;yea, it has come, if our time for
believing has arrived. Ask in faith, nothing wavering; but never ceasefrom
petitioning because the king delays to reply. Strike the steelagain. Make the
sparks fly and have your tinder ready: you will get a light before long.
Answers to prayer
In reply to the question, "What place has prayer for temporal blessings in
your system of natural law in the spiritual world?" ProfessorDrummond, as
reported, said, in one of his talks at Lakeview: — A large, splendidly equipped
steamship sailedout from Liverpool for New York. Among the passengers
were a little boy and girl, who were playing about the deck, when the boy lost
his ball overboard. He immediately ran to the captain and shouted, "Stopthe
ship; my ball is overboard!" The captainsmiled pleasantly, but said, "Oh no,
my boy; I cannot stop the ship, with all these people, just to geta rubber ball."
The boy went awaygrumbling, and confided to the little girl that it was his
opinion the captain didn't stop the ship because he couldn't. He believed the
ship was wound up some way in Liverpool, and she just had to run, day and
night, until she ran down. A day or so afterwardthe children were playing on
deck again, when the little girl dropped her doll down into the engine-room,
and she supposed it, too, had gone overboard. She said, "I'll run and ask the
captain to stop the ship and get my dolly." "It's no use," saidthe boy; "he
cannot do anything. I've tried him." But the little girl ran on to the captain

41. with her story and appeal. The captaincame and peekeddown into the
engine-room, and, seeing the doll, said, "Just wait here a minute." And, while
the ship went right on, he ran down the stairwayand brought up the little
girl's doll, to her delight, and to the boy's amazement. The next day the cry
rang out, "Man overboard!" and immediately the bell rang in the engine-
room, by orders from the lever in the hands of the captain; the greatship
stoodstill until boats were loweredand the life rescued. Then she steamedon
until she reachedher wharf in New York. As soonas the ship was tied up the
captain went up town and bought the boy a better ball than the one he had
lost. "Now," saidthe professor, "eachof the three prayers was answered. The
little girl receivedher request without stopping the ship; the little boy by a
little waiting receivedhis also;and yet for sufficient reason the ship was
stopped by a part of the machinery itself, not an afterthought, but something
put into the ship when it was made."
Hours spent in prayer
One is bowed down with shame to readof the long hours spent day by day in
prayer by many holy men whose lives are given to us. Nor is it less humiliating
to know of the extraordinary delight experiencedby some goodmen in these
long hours of prayer. It is related of St. Francis de Sales that in a day's
retreat, in which he continued most of the day in prayer, he was so
overwhelmed with the joy of this communion with God that he exclaimed,
"Withdraw Thyself, O Lord, for I am not able to bear the greatnessofThy
sweetness!" and the saintly Fletcher, of Madeley, on one occasionprayed for
less delight in prayer, fearing it would become more of an indulgence than of a
duty.
There was in a city a Judge which fearednot God, neither regarded man
The unjust judge and the importunate widow
T. Guthrie, D. D.
1. There are points of resemblance betweenGod's people and this widow. In
Satan, have not we also an adversary to be avengedon? Are not we also poor
and needy? She had known happy days; and so also had man. By death she

42. had losther husband; and by sin we have lostour God. Poorand friendless,
she had no means of avenging, of righting herself; no more have we — we
were without help when Christ died for the ungodly. "The sons of Zeruiah,"
cried David, "are too many for me"; and so are sin and its corruptions, the
world and its temptations, the devil and his wiles, for us.
2. There are likewise some points of resemblance betweenGod and this unjust
judge. Long had he stoodby and, without one effort on her behalf, seenthis
poor woman spurned and oppressed;and long also God seemedto stand by
when His people were ground to the dust in Egypt; in old Paganand in more
modern Popish times, when their cruel enemies shed the blood of His saints
like water, and, immured in dungeons, bleeding on scaffolds, hiding in the
caves ofour mountains, His electcried to Him day and night, and the Church,
helpless as a widow, implored Him, saying, "Avenge me of mine adversary!"
And this is true also of His dealings with individual believers. How long in
their corruption are the messengersofSatanleft to buffet them? Weary of the
struggle with some besetting sin, and hating it as a slave his cruel tyrant, they
cry, "How long, O Lord, how long?" how often, all but despairing, are they
ready to exclaimwith Paul, "Who shall deliver me from the body of this
death?"
3. But there are important points of disparity betweenthis judge and our
God: and in these I find assurance offinal victory, and the highest
encouragements to instant, constant, urgent prayer. A bad man, with a heart
cold as ice and hard as iron, was he moved by importunity to redress the
wrongs of one for whom he felt no regard, whose happiness or misery was
nothing to him? — how much more will God be importuned to grant our
prayers! Just, and more than just, He is merciful and gracious, long-suffering
and slow to wrath, abundant in goodnessand in truth.
(T. Guthrie, D. D.)

43. The importunate widow
C. H. Spurgeon.
I. First, then, considerour LORD'S DESIGN IN THIS PARABLE — "Men
ought always to pray, and not to faint."
1. Our Lord meant by saying men ought always to pray, that they ought to be
always in the spirit of prayer, always ready to pray. Like the old knights,
always in warfare, not always on their steeds dashing forward with their
lances in restto unhorse an adversary, but always wearing their weapons
where they could readily reach them, and always ready to encounter wounds
or death for the sake ofthe cause which they championed. Those grim
warriors often slept in their armour; so even when we sleep, we are still to be
in the spirit of prayer, so that if perchance we wake in the night we may still
be with God.
2. Our Lord may also have meant, that the whole life of the Christian should
be a life of devotion to God. Men ought always to pray. It means that when
they are using the lapstone, or the chisel, when the hands are on the plough-
handles, or on the spade, when they are measuring out the goods, when they
are dealing in stocks, whateverthey are doing, they are to turn all these things
into a part of the sacredpursuit of God's glory. Their common garments are
to be vestments, their meals are to be sacraments, their ordinary actions are to
be sacrifices, andthey themselves a royal priesthood, a peculiar people zealous
for goodworks.
3. A third meaning which I think our Lord intended to convey to us was this:
men ought always to pray, that is, they should persevere in prayer.
4. I cannotleave this part of the subject without observing that our Lord
would have us learn that men should be more frequent in prayer.

44. Prayerfulness will scarcelybe kept up long unless you set apart times and
seasonsforprayer.
5. Our Lord means, to sum up the whole, that believers should exercise a
universality of supplication — we ought to pray at all times.
II. In enforcing this precept, our Lord gives us a parable in which there are
TWO ACTORS, the characteristicsofthe two actors being such as to add
strength to His precept. In the first verse of the parable there is a judge. Now,
herein is the greatadvantage to us in prayer. Brethren, if this poor woman
prevailed with a judge whose office is stern, unbending, untender, how much
more ought you and I to be instant in prayer and hopeful of successwhenwe
have to supplicate a Father! We must, however, pass on now to notice the
other actorin the scene — the widow; and here everything tells again the
same way, to induce the Church of God to be importunate. She was
apparently a perfectstranger to the judge. She appearedbefore him as an
individual in whom he took no interest. He had possibly never seenher
before; who she was and what she wanted was no concernto him. But when
the Church appears before God she comes as Christ's own bride, she appears
before the Father as one whom He has loved with an everlasting love. And
shall He not avenge His own elect, His ownchosen, His own people? Shall not
their prayers prevail with Him, when a stranger's importunity won a suit of
an unwilling judge?
III. The third and last point: THE POWER WHICH, ACCORDING TO
THIS PARABLE, TRIUMPHED.
1. This powerwas not the woman's eloquence, "I pray thee avenge me of mine
adversary." These words are very few. Just eight words. Verbiage is generally

45. nothing better in prayer than a miserable fig-leafwith which to coverthe
nakedness ofan unawakenedsoul.
2. Another thing is quite certain, namely, that the woman did not prevail
through the merits of her case. He does not say, "She has a goodcase,and I
ought to listen to it." No, he was too bad a man to be moved by such a motive
— but "she worries me," that is all, "I will attend to it." So in our suit — in
the suit of a sinner with God, it is not the merit of his case that canever
prevail with God. If thou art to win, another's merit must stand instead of
thine, and on thy part it must not be merit but misery; it must not be thy
righteousness but thy importunity that is to prevail with God. However
unworthy you may be, continue in prayer.
(C. H. Spurgeon.)
Parable of the importunate widow
J. Thomson, D. D.
I. ConsiderTHE PARABLE ITSELF.
II. Inquire, WHAT IS MEANT BY IMPORTUNITYIN PRAYER.
1. Attention.
2. Ardour.
3. Frequency.

46. 4. Regularity.
III. Let us next considerWHY IMPORTUNITYIS SAID TO PREVAIL
WITH GOD.
1. Becauseit consists in the exercise of pious and amiable feelings.
2. Becausethe frequent exercise ofsuch feelings has a tendency to form pious
and virtuous habits; and such habits are qualifications for higher societyand
purer happiness than this world affords.
3. Becausethe frequent excitement of such feelings fits us for receiving the
blessings we ask.
IV. We may shortly observe, from what our Saviour has said in the seventh
and eighth verses, that HE SEEMS TO INSINUATE THAT SOMETHING
LIKE A STATE OF PERSECUTION WILL TAKE PLACE ABOUT THE
TIME OF HIS SECOND COMING. Forwhy should the electbe represented
as crying to God day and night, unless they were in a suffering state?
1. We may conclude that many will despond and cease to believe that God will
interfere in their favour.
2. It also necessarilyfollows that, after the secondcoming of Jesus, Godwill
avenge His elect, and that suddenly and completely.

47. (J. Thomson, D. D.)
Pray without ceasing
J. A. Alexander.
How can the conduct of this selfish tyrant to a helper sufferer be any
illustration of a just and merciful God's dealing with "His own elect?" One
thing, at least, is certain, that in this, and, by parity of reasoning, in all like
cases, it does not follow, because two things are compared in one point, that
they must be alike in every other. The only points of contactare the mutual
relation of the parties as petitioner and sovereign, the withholding of the thing
requestedand its subsequent bestowal. In all the restthere is, there can be no
resemblance;there is perfectcontrariety. Why, then, was this unsuitable
image choseneven for the sake ofillustration? Why was not the Hearer of
Prayer representedby a creature bearing more of His own image? Because
this would not have answeredour Lord's purpose, but would only have taught
feebly by comparisonwhat is now taught mightily by contrast. The ground of
confidence here furnished is not the similitude of God to man, but their
infinite disparity. If even such a character, governedby such motives, may be
rationally expected to take a certaincourse, however alien from his native
disposition and his habits, there can be no risk in counting on a like result
where all these adverse circumstances favourit. The three main points of the
antithesis are these — the character, the practice, and the motive of the judge
— his moral character, his officialpractice, and his motive for acting upon
this occasionin a manner contrary to both. His officialpractice is intimated
by the word "unjust" applied to him near the conclusionof the parable. The
interior source of this exterior conduct is then described in other terms. He
fearednot God. He neither reverencedHim as a sovereign, nor dreaded Him
as an avenger. Among the motives which may actupon this principle, not the
leastpotent is the fear of man. This may include the dread of his displeasure,
the desire of his applause, and an instinctive shrinking even from his scorn.
Shame, fear, ambition, all may contribute to produce an outward goodness
having no real counterpart within. This is particularly true of public and

48. official acts. Theycan consentto risk their souls, but not to jeopard their
respectability. There would thus seemto be three grounds for expecting
justice and fidelity in human society, and especiallyin public trusts. The first
and highest is the fear of God, including all religious motives — then the fear
of man or a regard to public sentiment — and last, the force of habit, the
authority of precedent, a disposition to do that which has been done before,
because it has been done before. These three impulsive forces do not utterly
exclude eachother. They may co-existin due subordination. The same is true
of a regard to settled usage, oreven to personalhabit, when correctlyformed.
Indeed, these latter motives never have so powerful an influence for good, as
when they act in due subordination to the fear of God. It is only when this is
wanting, and they undertake to fill its place, that they become unlawful or
objectionable. And even then, although they cannotmake goodthe deficiency
in God's sight, they may make it good in man's. Although the root of the
matter is not in them. a short-lived verdure may be brought out and
maintained by artificial means. The want of any one of these impulsive forces
may detract from the completeness ofthe ultimate effect. How much more the
absence ofthem all! In other words, how utterly unjust must that judge be
who neither fears God nor regards man. If this widow has not the means of
appealing to his avarice, how clearit seems that his refusal to avenge her is a
final one, and that continued importunity canonly waste time and provoke
him to new insult. I dwell on these particulars to show that, in their aggregate,
they are intended to convey the idea of a hopeless case. She hopes against
hope. An indomitable instinct triumphs over reason. She persists in her
entreaties. The conclusionwhich we have alreadyreached'is, that the widow
in the parable did right, acteda reasonable part, in hoping againsthope, and
still persisting in her suit when everything combined to prove it hopeless. She
would have had no right to sacrifice the comfortand tranquillity, much less
the life or the salvationof her children to her own despondencyor weariness
of effort. But let us suppose that he had been an upright, conscientious,
faithful judge, whose executionof his office was delayedby some mistake or
want of information. How much less excusable would she have then been in
relinquishing her rights or those of others in despair! Suppose that, insteadof
knowing that the judge was in principle and habit unjust, she had knownhim,
by experience, to be just and merciful, as well as eminently wise. Suppose that

49. she had been protected by him, and her wrongs redressedin many ether cases.
How easymust it then have been to trust! How doubly mad and wickedto
despair! There seems to be room for only one more supposition. Exclude all
chance of intellectual or moral wrong. Enlarge the attributes before supposed,
until they reachinfinity or absolute perfection. What, then, would be left as
the foundation or the pretext of a doubt? The bare factof delay? If she was
wise in hoping againsthope, what must we be in despairing againstevidence?
If she was right in trusting to the selfishlove of ease in such a man, how wrong
must we be in distrusting the benevolence, the faithfulness, the truth of such a
God! Every point of dissimilitude betweenthe casesdoes but serve to make
our own still worse and less excusable, by bringing into shocking contrast
men's dependence on the worst of their own species,with their want of
confidence in God.
(J. A. Alexander.)
Times adverse to prayer
Bishop Boyd Carpenter.
There is a rude sense ofright in most men's breasts;and the appeal of
outragedhelplessness is not often made in vain. But this judge was in his very
nature incapable of understanding or feeling the force of such an appeal: he
was an unjust judge. Again, even in caseswhere man have no natural and
conscientious sympathy with righteousness, the instinct of retribution
frequently arouses a fearof God, which impels them to acts of justice; but in
the case ofthe unjust judge there seemedno avenue for the approach of such
a feeling: he feared not God. Nor was he moved by that which, as a last
motive, is powerful in the most debasednatures, the regardfor the opinion of
other men. He was of that cold, hardened, and unaccommodating character
that he neither fearedGod nor regardedman. What did our Masterintend by
thus sketching the judge?... The unjust judge is not the portrait of what God
is, but of what, owing to circumstances oftrial, and misrepresentations of
unreasonable and wickedmen, the suffering, waiting people of Christ will be
almost tempted to think Him. All about them they hear a language which

50. haunts them with hideous dread; the voice of the enemy and the blasphemer
are heard whispering, "Is there knowledge in the MostHigh? He will never
regard it"; or deepening into the hoarse utterance of half wish, half fear —
"There is no God!" Harassedby doubts, wounded and terrified by the oft-
reiteratedassaults and assertions ofher enemies, driven to despair at the
seeming unbroken stillness of the unanswering heavens, the Church of Christ
is as the lone helpless widow, powerless andpovertystricken. But she is
mighty. Though this hideous portraiture of grim and impassive godhead is
thrust upon her, she will have none of it. She will not abandon her plea, or
acceptthe description. With this picture of hard, inexorable justice before
her, she will not abandon her plea. If it be so, that she is thus weak and poor,
and dealing with one whom no cries for pity, or claims for justice, canarouse,
and no aspectof misery touch and soften;then nothing remains for her but
the might of her weaknessin its unceasing supplications, which will take no
denial; nothing remains but to weary Him out into compliance.
(Bishop Boyd Carpenter.)
Oriental judges
Prof. Isaac H. Hall.
"A judge" in an Oriental city must not be regardedpreciselyas a judge
among us, nowadays, nor yet with all the peculiar powers and duties of the
ancient judges of Israel, whose powers somewhatresembledthat of a king.
Those ancientjudges, more like ancient kings than anything else, were yet
officers or rulers of such a peculiar sort, that the Romans transferred the
name of their dignity into Latin — at leastof their Carthaginian counterparts.
Out of the Shemitic shofetthey made suffetes. But in the time of Christ the
judge, where not a Roman official, had still some powerequivalent to that of
the sheriffs of our country. He was head judge and head executionerof his
sentences.Nevertill our owntimes, or those of two of three generations ago,
has the world workedout the problem of wholly separating the legislative, the
judicial, and the executive functions. Nor is it always accomplishedby a
nominal separation;nor canthat separationever be entirely actual, even as

51. much so as required by theory. As long as the legislative or judicial power has
anything to do, it must be gifted with some slight executive powers. But this is
only one instance in the physical and metaphysical universe of the failure of
human divisions to coverall that the one Spirit has made or is working. The
prayer of the widow to the unjust judge — and here "unrighteous" is better;
for attention is directed not very closelyto his merely judicial function —
regards rather his executive function than anything else. She does not call —
in words at least — for a hearing of her cause, but for an order of
enforcement. In modern times that would be by sending a zabtieh or two,
soldier police, to apply the necessaryforce. This might be done even without
hearing, or before hearing, the case. To this day, in the East, it is necessaryfor
poor suitors to be very importunate. It would be easyto give examples; but it
might be tedious. A woman will frequently beg and beg a judge to attend to
her case,orto execute a decree in a case he has passedupon and rendered
judgment, and generallypromise or ask to kiss the judge's feet. But a little
money from the other side will effectually stopthe judge's ears.
(Prof. Isaac H. Hall.)
A widow
The Church's widowhood
H. Bonar, D. D.
This parable sets before us, under the figure of a widow — a feeble and
injured widow — the true characterand standing of the Church of God on
earth, during the present age. In numbers she is few — a mere election, a
gathering out, no more; in power, slender; in honour, little setby; in alliances,
little courted. That such is the case, nay, that such must be the case, appears
from such things as these: —
1. The Father's purpose concerning her. That purpose has great things in
store for her, in the ages to come;but at present her lot is to be weakness,
poverty, hardship, and the endurance of wrong.

52. 2. Her conformity to her Lord. He is her pattern, not merely as to character,
but as to the whole course of life. In Him she learns what her lot on earth is to
be. He, the rejectedone, even among His own, she must be rejectedtoo.
3. Her standing by faith. It is the world's unbelief that so specially makes it the
world; so it is the Church's faith that makes her what she is, the Church. "We
have known and believed the love that God hath to us."
4. The condition of the world out of which she is called. It is an evil world.
5. Her prospects. She is an heir of God, and a joint heir with Christ Jesus. The
world loves not the faithful widow, and would fain seduce her to a second
marriage — a marriage with itself. Deckedin costlyarray, it would admire
her, and give her its willing fellowship. But dressedonly in the widow's
mournful garb, it cannot tolerate her. Her faithfulness to her Lord condemns
it. Her seclusionand separationrebuke it. Her continuing in supplication and
prayers night and day it cannotawaywith. The widow's cry sorely disturbs
the world's peace, and, ringing nightly through its glittering halls of pleasure,
turns all its music into discord. Norless does Satandislike the widow's weeds
and the widow's cry. Forthey remind him that his day is short, and that he
who is to bind him in chains, and casthim out of his dominions, will soonbe
here.
(H. Bonar, D. D.)
The importunate widow a type of God's electpeople
J. Stratten.

53. I. GOD HAS AN ELECT PEOPLE IN THE WORLD, scatteredup and down
among men found in various places, and in almost all communities, as his
chosenones. Menmay take this principle in a light which does not belong to it,
and affirm that they can deduce conclusions from it which in the Bible are
directly and distinctly denied. There are, I might observe, two things which
always make it appear to me, not only in a light that is harmless, but in a light
that is most beneficial.
1. The one is, that it is never separatedfrom its moral influences.
"Predestinedto be conformed to the image of His Son." "Chosenthat we may
be blameless and harmless, in the midst of a crookedand perverse
generation." And here, in the passagebefore us, it stands allied with a
devotional characterand with a praying habit of mind: and we are sure of
this, that, practically felt in the mind, it does humble, prostrate, purify,
inspire, and awakenwithin the lowestgratitude, and, at the same time, the
loftiest and the holiestjoy.
2. The other thing that I would wish to remark respecting it is, that it
interferes not in any degree with the universal invitations of the gospel.
II. THE ELECT OF GOD ARE DISTINGUISHED BY THEIR
DEVOTIONALCHARACTER — THEIR PRAYING FRAME OF MIND.
"Shall not God avenge His own electwho cry day and night before Him?"
The evidence that we are chosenof God, called into His Church, made
partakers of His mercy, is in this, that we recognize His providence; that we
live in daily dependence upon His bounty; that we lift up our hearts to Him in
supplication; that believing we pray, and that praying we confide. Then I
would add, that an electand praying people are beautiful in the eyes of God,
and His ears are ever open to their cry.
III. Their prayers particularly regard THE RETRIBUTION UPON THE
ENEMY, AND THE COMING OF THE KINGDOM. "Shall not God avenge

54. His own elect, who cry day and night unto Him?" There is emphasis on the
word "cry." "Abel's blood did cry; there was a shrill, piercing, importunate
voice in it." Just before God came down to deliver the Israelites in Egypt, on
accountof their bondage and oppression, it is said they did "sighand cry":
and we find the Church, when distressedand in anguish by reasonof the
enemy, is said to "cry." A widow, a desolate person, sustaining injury,
bleeding under injustice, cries, and asks the judge for justice; and preciselyin
the same way the Church is said to cry to God for justice. And againstwhom?
The answeris, againstSatan, the greatadversary, who has establisheda
tyranny and an usurpation in this world, who has built up his kingdom amidst
darkness, and violence, and blood. And we ask for justice upon him, and pray
God to bruise him under our feet, and to do it quickly. The Sonof God was
manifested that He might destroy the works of the devil; and we callon the
Son of God in the exercise ofHis supremacyto do His work.
IV. THE PRAYER OF THE ELECT CHURCH FOR JUSTICE SHALL BE
HEARD AND ANSWERED WHEN THE LORD COMETH. I am not sure
that the word "avenge"here is the right one: if the widow had asked
vengeance onher enemy, peradventure the judge would not have granted it;
but it means more properly "justice." "ThoughHe bear long with them," says
the text. A very learned critic, on the authority of many ancientmanuscripts,
observes it ought to be "though He compassionate them":that is, while they
cry, though God appearethnot to attend to them, yet He does hear them and
tenderly compassionates them. If we take it as being correctly"avenge," Ibeg
to remark that the world and the wickedhave had their time of vengeance.
Here is a picture! "All that pass by clap their hands at Thee;they hiss and
wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem." With ferocious face they
clapped their hands, and hissed, and waggedtheir heads, "saying, Is this the
city that men call the perfectionof beauty, the icy of the whole earth? All
Thine enemies have opened their mouth againstThee:they hiss and gnash the
teeth: they say, We have swallowedherup: certainly this is the day that we
lookedfor; we have found, we have seenit." Unholy vengeance!Revenge, in
the true and strict sense of the expression, awful to contemplate! That was
man's day; that was the day of the adversary: and Godstood silent by. But

55. God has His day: the day of the Lord cometh: and this is referred to in the
text.
V. We come to the last thing, when the Lord shall come to execute His justice,
FAITH WILL BE AT A LOW EBB ON THE EARTH. "Nevertheless when
the Sonof man comethshall He find faith on the earth?" when He cometh to
execute justice. It is very observable that in almost every greatand signal
instance in which God has remarkably come for a purpose specifiedin the
passage, it has been suddenly, in a moment, and when there is no belief of it.
(J. Stratten.)
God hears the prayers of His elect
I. Saunders.
I. GOD HAS AN ELECT PEOPLE IN THE WORLD, WHO ARE A
PRAYING PEOPLE. This characterofa praying people is confined to them.
II. "GOD WILT AVENGE HIS OWN ELECT, WHO CRY DAY AND
NIGHT UNTO HIM." Though men see not, He is in the world; though men
see Him not, He is not far from any one of us; though men see not His work,
He is carrying it on; He has been building up His Church, and establishing its
progress.
III. THE STRIKING REBUKE WHICH CHRIST UTTERS:"When the Son
of man cometh, shall He find faith upon the earth? " What a thought; how we
ought to humble ourselves!
(I. Saunders.)

56. God's response to the cry of the elect
Alexander Peden, one of the Scotchcovenanters, with some others, had been
at one time hard pursued by Claverhouse's troops for a considerable way. At
last, getting some little height betweenthem and their pursuers, he stoodstill
and said, "Let us pray here, for if the Lord hear not our prayer and save us,
we are all dead men." He then prayed, saying, "O Lord, this is the hour and
the powerof Thine enemies;they may not be idle. But hast Thou no other
work for them than to send them after us? Send them after them to whom
Thou wilt give strength to flee, for our strength is gone. Twine them about the
hill, O Lord, and castthe lap of Thy cloak overthe poor old folk and their
puir things, and save us this one time, and we will keepit in remembrance,
and tell to the commendation of Thy goodness,Thy pity and compassion, what
Thou didst for us at sic a time." And in this he was heard, for a cloud of mist
immediately intervened betweenthem and their persecutors, andin the
meantime orders came to go in quest of James Renwick, and a greatcompany
with him.
Shall He find faith on the earth?
The faith of the Church
James Owen.
I. THE IMPORTANCEATTACHED BY CHRIST TO THE FAITH OF HIS
PEOPLE. The faith of the Church is important, because it is at the root of all
Christian activity and zeal. What wonder is it, then, that Christ attaches such
importance to the faith of His people?
II. THOUGH THE FAITH OF THE CHURCH IS TRIED BY THE DELAY
OF THE DELIVERANCE, YET THERE ARE ABUNDANT REASONS
WHY IT SHOULD HOLD ON. There is nothing mere remarkable in the
history of Christ than the calm faith which He had in His own mission — in its
successand ultimate triumph. He stoodalone;and to be alone in any
enterprise or sorrow is to most men hard and trying. Truth is truth if only
embracedby one; truth is not a whir more true when ten thousand believe it.

57. But we like sympathy. No one in the wide world understood His mission; but
His faith never waveredfor a moment. He was not careful to engrave His
words on stone, or write them on parchment; He simply spoke. A spoken
word — it stirs the air, it is like a pebble thrown into the oceanofair, causing
a few ripples to spread, and it is soonlost like a pebble. Christ flung His words
into the air, spoke onthe mountain, by the sea-shore,in the Temple, in the
synagogue, in the village, by the grave; and He knew that His words were
living, and would continue to live, that they were not "like a snowflake onthe
river, a moment white, and then gone for ever," but that they were destined to
spread and to revolutionize the world. We learn, however, that
notwithstanding His unshaken faith, He could see clouds in the future,
persecution, corruption, iniquity, abound. ing, love waxing cold, eras of
apparent retrogressionand failure. And seeing all this, He asks, "Whenthe
Son of Man cometh, shall He find this faith on the earth?"
III. He supposes THAT THE CHURCH MAY BECOME WEARYOF THE
DELAY.
(James Owen.)
The searchfor faith
C. H. Spurgeon.
Faithfulness is establishedin the very heavens:but what of faithfulness upon
the earth?
I. I notice with regardto our text, first, that IT IS REMARKABLE IF WE
CONSIDER THE PERSONMENTIONEDAS SEARCHING FOR FAITH.
"When the Son of Man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?"

58. 1. When Jesus comes He will look for precious faith. He has more regard for
faith than for all else that earth canyield Him. Our returning Lord will care
nothing for the treasures of the rich or the honours of the great. He will not
look for the abilities we have manifested, nor the influence we have acquired;
but He will look for our faith. It is His glory that He is "believed on in the
world," and to that He will have respect. This is the jewel for which He is
searching.
2. When our Lord comes and looks for faith, He will do so in His most
sympathetic character. Our text saith not, When the Son of God cometh, but
"When the Son of Man cometh, will He find faith on the earth?" It is
peculiarly as the Son of Man that Jesus will sit as a refiner, to discover
whether we have true faith or not.
3. Further, I would have you note well that the Sonof Man is the most likely
person to discoverfaith if it is to be found. Not a grain of faith exists in all the
world except that which He has Himself created.
4. Besides,faith always looks to Christ. There is no faith in the world worth
having, but what looks to Him, and through Him to God, for everything. On
the other hand, Christ always looks to faith; there never yet was an eye of
faith but what it met the eye of Christ.
5. The Son of Man will give a wise and generous judgment in the matter. Some
brethren judge so harshly that they would tread out the sparks of faith; but it
is never so with our gracious Lord; He does not quench the smoking flax, nor
despise the most trembling faith. The tender and gentle Saviour, who never
judges too severely, when He comes, shall even He find faith on the earth?

59. 6. Once more, I want to put this question into a striking light by dwelling on
the time of the scrutiny. "When the Son of Man cometh," etc. I know not how
long this dispensationof longsuffering will last; but certainly the longerit
continues the more wantonly wickeddoes unbelief become.
7. "I want you to notice the breadth of the regionof search. He does not say,
shall He find faith among philosophers? When had they any? He does not
confine His scrutiny to an ordained ministry or a visible Church; but He takes
a wider sweep— "Shall He find faith on the earth?" As if He would search
from throne to cottage, among the learned and among the ignorant, among
public men and obscure individuals. Alas, poor earth, to be so void of faith!
II. Let us somewhatchange the run of our thoughts: having introduced the
question as a remarkable one, we will next notice that IT IS EXCEEDINGLY
INSTRUCTIVE IN CONNECTIONWITH THE PARABLE OF WHICH IT
IS PART. When the Son of Man cometh shall He find upon the earth the faith
which prays importunately, as this widow did? Now, the meaning is dawning
upon us. We have many upon the earth who pray; but where are those whose
continual coming is sure to prevail?
III. In the next place, our text seems to me to be SUGGESTIVE IN VIEW OF
ITS VERY FORM. It is put as a question: "When the Sonof Man cometh,
shall He find faith on the earth?"
1. I think it warns us not to dogmatize about what the latter days will be.
Jesus puts it as a question. Shall He find faith on the earth?
2. This question leads us to much holy fearas to the matter of faith. If our
gracious Lord raises the question, the question ought to be raised.

60. 3. As far as my observation goes,it is a question which might suggestitselfto
the most hopeful persons at this time; for many processesare in vigorous
actionwhich tend to destroy faith. The Scriptures are being criticized with a
familiarity which shocks allreverence, and their very foundation is being
assailedby persons who call themselves Christians. A chilling criticism has
takenthe place of a warm, childlike, loving confidence. As one has truly said,
"We have now a temple without a sanctuary." Mystery is discarded that
reasonmay reign.
4. Do you not think that this, put in a question as it is, invites us to intense
watchfulness overourselves? Do you not think it should setus scrutinizing
ourselves as our Lord will scrutinize us when He comes? Youhave been
looking for a greatmany things in yourself, my brother; let me entreatyou to
look to your faith. What if love grow cold!
IV. My text is very IMPRESSIVE IN RESPECTTO PERSONALDUTY.
"When the Son of Man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?" Let faith
have a home in our hearts, if it is denied a lodging everywhere else. If we do
not trust our Lord, and trust Him much more than we have ever done, we
shall deserve His gravestdispleasure.
(C. H. Spurgeon.)
Christ looking in vain for faith
J. Vaughan, M. A.
If I venture for a moment to look into the reasons ofthese things, perhaps I
might particularize the following: It is always in the indolent and grossser
nature of man to prefer the present and the visible, to the future and the

61. unseen. The heart gravitates to practicalmaterialism as a stone gravitates to
the ground. It is always a specialactto make a man feel the invisible, live in
the invisible. For in fact, all faith is miracle. And days of greatscience, suchas
these, are always likely to be days of proportionate un-belief-because the
powerof the habit of finding out more and more natural causes,is calculated,
unless a man be a religious man, to make him rest in the cause he sees, andnot
to go on to that higher cause ofwhich all the causes in this world, are, after
all, only effects. And familiarity, too, with Divine things — which is a
particular characteristicofour age, has in itself a tendency to sapthe
reverence, whichis at the root of all faith. But still more, the characterof the
age we live in is a rushing selfishness. The race for money is tremendous; men
are grownintensely secular;the facilities are increased, and with them, the
covetousness.You are living under higher and higher pressure, and
everything goes into extremes; all live fast. And the competition of business is
Overwhelming, and the excitement of fashion intoxicating. How can "faith,"
which breathes in the shade of prayer and meditation — live in such an
atmosphere as this? Let me just throw out one or two suggestionsto you about
faith. Remember "faith" is a moral grace, andnot an intellectual gift. It lives
among the affections;its seatis the heart. A softand tender conscience is the
cradle of faith; and it will live and die according to the life you lead. If you
would have "faith," you must settle with yourself the authority, the
supremacy, and the sufficiency of the Bible. Then, when you have done that,
you will be able to deal with promises. Feedupon promises. We take the
spiritual characterof what we receive into our minds, just as the body
assumes the nature of the food it eats. Act out the very little faith you have.
Faith is a series of continual progression, and eachfresh step is accompanied
by a moral effort which reacts to make another. Take care that you are a man
of meditative habit. There cannot be faith without daily, calm, quiet seasons of
thought.
(J. Vaughan, M. A.)
Loss of faith in the Christian verities

62. M. F. Sadler.
I cannot but think that this "faith" is the faith once delivered to the saints, the
faith of the gospel, and the creeds — the faith in Christ, the eternalSon of
God Incarnate, crucified, risen, ascended, andreturning. This faith will be in
the pages ofScripture, and in the creeds ofthe Church. It may not, perhaps,
be denied, but it will not be held. And yet without the realizationof these great
eternal verities there canbe no faith, in the New Testamentsense ofthe word.
Already this faith grows weakerand weaker. It has been said that faith is
"turned inward," and a miserable "turning" it is: for what is there within the
sinner to raise him up to God and unite him to the Supreme? It is the
exhibition of the love of God in His Son which breeds faith in the soul, It is the
same exhibition which sustains it, and the same which perfects it.
(M. F. Sadler.)
COMMENTARIES
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
XVIII.
(1) That men ought always to pray, and not to faint.—The latter of the two
verbs is noticeable as being used in the New Testamentby St. Luke and St.
Paul only (2Corinthians 4:1; 2Corinthians 4:16; Galatians 6:9;
2Thessalonians3:13). The whole verse is remarkable as being one of the few
instances (Luke 18:9 being another) in which a parable is introduced by a
distinct statementas to its drift and aim.
MacLaren's Expositions
Luke

63. THREE KINDS OF PRAYING
Luke 18:1 - Luke 18:14.
The two parables in this passageare eachprefacedby Luke’s explanation of
their purpose. They are also connectedby being both concernedwith aspects
of prayer. But the secondwas apparently not spokenat the same time as the
first, but is put here by Luke as in an appropriate place.
I. The wearisome widow and the unrighteous judge.
The similarities and dissimilarities betweenthis parable and that in Luke 11:5
- Luke 11:8 are equally instructive. Both take a very unlovely characteras
open to the influence of persistent entreaty; both strongly underscore the
unworthiness and selfishness ofthe motive for yielding. Both expectthe
hearers to use common-sense enoughto take the sleepyfriend and the worried
judge as contrasts to, not parables, of Him to whom Christians pray. But the
judge is a much worse man than the ownerof the loaves, and his denial of the
justice which it was his office to dispense is a crime; the widow’s need is
greaterthan the man’s, and the judge’s cynicalsoliloquy, in its unabashed
avowalof caring for neither God nor man, and being guided only by regardto
comfort, touches a deep depth of selfishness. The worse he was, the more
emphatic is the exhortation to persistence. If the continual dropping of the
widow’s plea could wearawaysuch a stone as that, its like could wearaway
anything. Yes, and suppose that the judge were as righteous and as full of love
and wish to help as this judge was of their opposites;suppose that insteadof
the cry being a weariness it was a delight; suppose, in short, that, to go back to
Luke 11:1 - Luke 11:54, we ‘callon Him as Father who, without respectof

64. persons, judgeth’: then our ‘continual coming’ will surely not be less effectual
than hers was.
But we must note the spiritual experience supposedby the parable to belong
to the Christian life. That forlorn figure of the widow, with all its suggestions
of helplessness andoppression, is Christ’s picture of His Church left on earth
without Him. And though of course it is a very incomplete representation, it is
a true presentationof one side and aspectofthe devout life on earth. ‘In the
world ye shall have tribulation,’ and the truer His servants are to Him, and
the more their hearts are with Christ in God, the more they will feel out of
touch with the world, and the more it will instinctively be their ‘adversary.’If
the widow does not feelthe world’s enmity, it will generallybe because she is
not a ‘widow indeed.’
And another notable factof Christian experience underlies the parable;
namely that the Church’s cry for protectionfrom the adversaryis often
apparently unheard. In Luke 11:1 - Luke 11:54 the prayer was for supply of
necessities, here it is for the specific blessing of protection from the adversary.
Whether that is referred to the needs of the Church or of the individual, it is
true that usually the help sought is long delayed. It is not only ‘souls under the
altar’ that have to cry ‘How long, O Lord, dost Thou not avenge?’One thinks
of years of persecutionfor whole communities, or of long, wearydays of
harassmentand suffering for individuals, of multitudes of prayers and groans
sent up into a heaven that, for all the answers sentdown, might as well be
empty, and one feels it hard to hold by the faith that ‘verily, there is a God
that’ heareth.
We have all had times when our faith has staggered, andwe have found no
answerto our heart’s question: ‘Why tarry the wheels ofHis chariot?’Many
of us have felt what Mary and Martha felt when ‘Jesus abode still two days in
the place where He was’after He had receivedtheir message, in which they

65. had been so sure of His coming at once when He heard that ‘he whom Thou
lovestis sick,’that they did not ask Him to come. The delays of God’s help are
a constantfeature in His providence, and, as Jesus says here, they are but too
likely to take the life out of faith.
But over againstthese we have to place Jesus’triumphant assurance here:
‘He will avenge them speedily.’ Yes, the longestdelay may yet be ‘right early,’
for heaven’s clock does notbeat at the same rate as our little chronometers.
God is ‘the God of patience,’and He has waitedfor millenniums for the
establishment of His kingdom on earth; His ‘own elect’ may learn long-
suffering from Him, and need to take to heart the old exhortation, ‘If the
vision tarry, wait for it, for it will surely come, and will not tarry.’ Yes, God’s
delays are not delays, but are for our profit that we may always pray and not
faint, and may keepalight the flame of the sure hope that the Sonof man
cometh, and that in His coming all adversaries shallbe destroyed, and the
widow, no longera widow, but the bride, go in to the feastand forgether foes,
and ‘the days of her mourning be ended.’
II. The Pharisee and the publican.
Luke’s label on this parable tells us that it was spokento a group of the very
people who were personatedin it by the Pharisee. One canfancy their faces as
they listened, and how they would love the speaker!Their two characteristics
are self-righteousness anddepreciationof every one else, whichis the natural
result of such trust in self. The self-adulation was absolute, the contempt was
all-embracing, for the RevisedVersion rightly renders ‘setall others at
nought.’ That may sound exaggerated, but the way to judge of moral
characteristicsis to take them in their fullest development and to see what
they lead to then. The two pictures heighten eachother. The one needs many
strokes to bring out the features, the other needs but one. Self-righteousness
takes many shapes, penitence has but one emotion to express, one cry to utter.

66. Every word in the Pharisee’s prayer is reeking with self-complacency. Even
the expression‘prayed with himself’ is significant, for it suggests thatthe
prayer was less addressedto God than to himself, and also that his words
could scarcelybe spokenin the hearing of others, both because oftheir
arrogantself-praise and of their insolent calumnies of ‘all the rest.’It was not
prayer to God, but soliloquy in his own praise, and it was in equal parts
adulation of himself and slander of other men. So it never went higher than
the inner roof of the temple court, and was, in a very fatal sense, ‘to himself.’
God is complimented with being named formally at first, and in the first two
words, ‘I thank thee,’but that is only formal introduction, and in all the rest
of his prayer there is not a trace of praying. Such a self-satisfiedgentleman
had no need to ask for anything, so he brought no petitions. He uses the
conventionallanguage of thanksgiving, but his real meaning is to praise
himself to God, not to thank God for himself. God is named once. All the rest
is I, I, I. He had no longing for communion, no aspiration, no emotion.
His conceptionof righteousness wasmeanand shallow. And as St. Bernard
notes, he was not so much thankful for being righteous as for being alone in
his goodness. No doubt he was warrantedin disclaiming gross sins, but he was
glad to be free from them, not because they were sins, but because theywere
vulgar. He had no right to fling mud either on ‘all the rest’ or on ‘this
publican,’ and if he had been really praying or giving thanks he would have
had enough to think of in Godand himself without casting sidelong and
depreciatoryglances athis neighbours. He who truly prays ‘sees no man any
more,’ or if he does, seesmen only as subjects for intercession, notfor
contempt. The Pharisee’s notionof righteousness was primarily negative, as
consisting in abstinence from flagrant sins, and, in so far as it was positive, it
dealt entirely with ceremonialacts. Sucha starved and surface conceptionof
righteousness is essentialto self-righteousness, forno man who sees the law of
duty in its depth and inwardness canflatter himself that he has kept it. To fast

67. twice a week and to give tithes of all that one acquired were acts of
supererogation, andare proudly recounted as if God should feel much
indebted to the doer for paying Him more than was required. The Pharisee
makes no petitions. He states his claims, and tacitly expects that God will meet
them.
Few words are needed to paint the publican; for his estimate of himself is
simple and one, and what he wants from God is one thing, and one only. His
attitude expresses his emotions, for he does not venture to go near the shining
example of all respectabilityand righteousness, norto lift his eyes to heaven.
Like the penitent psalmist, his iniquities have taken hold on him, so that he is
‘not able to look up.’ Keen consciousnessofsin, true sorrow for sin, earnest
desire to shake offthe burden of sin, lowly trust in God’s pardoning mercy,
are all crowdedinto his brief petition. The arrow thus feathered goes straight
up to the throne; the Pharisee’s prayercannotrise above his own lips.
Jesus does not leave His hearers to apply the ‘parable,’ but drives its
application home to them, since He knew how keena thrust was needed to
pierce the triple breastplate of self-righteousness. The publican was
‘justified’; that is, accountedas righteous. In the judgment of heaven, which is
the judgment of truth, sin forsakenis sin passedaway. The Pharisee
condensedhis contempt into ‘this publican’; Jesus takes up the ‘this’ and
turns it into a distinction, when He says, ‘this man went down to his house
justified.’ God’s condemnation of the Pharisee and acceptanceofthe publican
are no anomalous aberration of divine justice, for it is a universal law, which
has abundant exemplifications, that he that exalteth himself is likely to be
humbled, and he that humbles himself to be exalted. Daily life does not always
yield examples thereof, but in the inner life and as concerns our relations to
God, that law is absolutely and always true.
BensonCommentary

68. Luke 18:1. And he spake, &c. — Ελεγε δε και παραβοληναυτοις. He also
spake a parable to them. The particle δε, here used, plainly implies, that this
parable has a relationto the preceding discourse, ofwhich indeed it is a
continuation, but which is improperly interrupted by the division of the
chapters. There is in it, and in the following parable, a particular reference to
the distress and trouble they were soonto meet with from their persecutors,
which would render the duties of prayer, patience, and perseverance
peculiarly seasonable.Thatmen ought always to pray — At all times, on all
occasions,orfrequently, (as the word παντοτε, here rendered always, signifies,
John 18:20,)and not to faint — Under their trials, not to despond, or yield to
evils, as εκκακειν, here used, signifies, so as to be weariedout by them, and
ceasefrom prayer, as unavailing to procure relief. It frequently happens, that
after men have prayed for any particular blessing, they desist, because God
does not immediately grant them their petition. To show the evil of this, and to
recommend importunity and perseverance in prayer especiallywhen we are
in pursuit of any spiritual mercy or mercies, relating either to ourselves, our
friends, or the church of God, the present parable is introduced. As delivered
on this occasion, it seems to have been principally designed to inspire the
disciples with earnestnessand perseverance in their prayers for the coming of
the Sonof man to destroy the Jewishconstitution, notwithstanding God
should long defer the accomplishment of their desire. For this event is
represented, not only here, but in severalother passagesofScripture, as a
thing exceedinglyto be wishedfor in those days. The reasonwas, the Jews in
every country were their bitterest persecutors, and the chief opposers of
Christianity. See Luke 21:28;Hebrews 10:25; James 5:7; 1 Peter4:7.
Independent of this, however, in the course ofhis ministry, our Lord often
recommended frequency, earnestness, andperseverance in prayer, not
because Godis, or can be, evertired out with our importunity; but because it
is both an expressionand exercise ofour firm belief of, and confidence in, his
powerand goodness, withoutwhich it would not be fit for God to bestow his
blessings upon us, nor would we be capable of receiving and using them. See
on Matthew 7:7-11;Luke 11:5-8. Of continual praying, see on 1 Thessalonians
5:17.

69. Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
18:1-8 All God's people are praying people. Here earneststeadinessin prayer
for spiritual mercies is taught. The widow's earnestnessprevailedeven with
the unjust judge: she might fearlest it should sethim more againsther; but
our earnestprayer is pleasing to our God. Even to the end there will still be
ground for the same complaint of weaknessoffaith.
Barnes'Notes on the Bible
A parable - See the notes at Matthew 13:3.
To this end - To show this.
Always - At all times. That is, we must not neglectregular statedseasonsof
prayer; we must seize on occasionsofremarkable providences as afflictions or
signalblessings to seek Godin prayer; we must "always" maintain a spirit of
prayer, or be in a proper frame to lift up our hearts to God for his blessing,
and we must not grow wearythough our prayer seems not to be answered.
Not to faint - Not to grow wearyor give over. The parable is designedto teach
us that, though our prayers should long appearto be unanswered, we should
persevere, and not grow wearyin supplication to God.
Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBible Commentary
CHAPTER 18
Lu 18:1-8. Parable of the Importunate Widow.
1-5. always—Compare Lu 18:7, "night and day."

70. faint—lose heart, or slacken.Luke18:1-8 The parable of the unjust judge and
the importunate widow.
Luke 18:9-14 The parable of the Pharisee and publican.
Luke 18:15-17 Christ’s tenderness to the little children that were
brought unto him.
Luke 18:18-23 He teachetha ruler how to attain eternal life.
Luke 18:24-27 He showethhow hard it is for the rich to enter into
the kingdom of God,
Luke 18:28-30 promises rewards to those who have foregone aught
for the gospel’s sake,
Luke 18:31-34 foretells his own death and resurrection,
Luke 18:35-43 and giveth sight to a blind man.

71. This duty of praying always is inculcated to us severaltimes in the Epistles, as
may appear from those texts quoted in the margin, which we must not
interpret as an obligationupon us to be always upon our knees praying; for
thus our obedience to it would be inconsistentwith our obedience to other
precepts of God, relating both to religious duties and civil actions, neither was
Christ himself always praying: but it either, first, lets us know, that there is no
time in which we may not pray; as we may pray in all places, everywhere
lifting up holy hands without doubting, ( as the apostle saith, 1 1 Timothy 2:8),
so we must pray at any time. Or, secondly, it is as much as, pray frequently
and ordinarily; as Solomon’s servants are said by the queen of Sheba to stand
always, that is, ordinarily and frequently, before him, 1 Kings 10:8; and the
Jews are saidalways to have resistedthe Spirit of God, Acts 7:51; that is, very
often, for they did it not in every individual actof their lives. Or else, in every
part of time; knitting the morning and evening (the generalparts of our time)
togetherby prayer. Thus the morning and evening sacrifice is called the
continual burnt offering, Exodus 29:42 Nehemiah 10:33. Or, as it is in
Ephesians 6:18, en panti cairw, in every season, wheneverthe providence of
God offers us a fair seasonand opportunity for prayer. Or mentally praying
always, intermixing goodand pious ejaculations with our most earthly and
sublunary occasions. Or, having our hearts at all times ready for prayer,
having the fire always on the altar, (as was required under the old law),
though the sacrifice be not always offering.
And not to faint, which is the same with that, Ephesians 6:18, watching
thereunto with all perseverance;and Colossians4:2, Continue in prayer, and
watchin the same. Not fainting either by reasonof God’s delay to give us the
things we ask of him, or through laziness, and remissionof our duty, before
our life doth determine. This is now what our Saviour designs to teachus in
this parable which followeth.
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

72. And he spoke a parable unto them,.... To his own disciples, as the Ethiopic
version reads, in order to encourage them to prayer, with perseverancein it;
since such sore times of trial and affliction were coming upon the Jews, of
which he had spokenin the preceding chapter; and such times more especially
call for prayer; see Psalm50:15
to this end, that men ought always to pray. This is opposedto them, who pray
not at all, or have left off prayer before God, or who pray only in distress;and
suggests, that a man should pray as often as he has an opportunity; should be
constantand assiduous at the throne of grace, and continue putting up his
requests to God, though he does not presently return an answer:
and not to faint; by reasonof afflictions, temptations, desertions, and delays in
answering prayer; and prayer itself is an admirable antidote againstfainting
under afflictive providences:it is with the Jews anaffirmative precept that a
man should pray, , "everyday" (k); it was usual with them to pray three times
a day; see Psalm55:17 there is no settime fixed by Christ; men should be
always praying. This is not to be understood, that a man should be always
actually engagedin the work of prayer; that he should be continually either in
his closet, in private devotion to God, or attending exercises ofmore public
prayer, with the saints;for there are other religious exercisesto be performed,
besides prayer; and besides, there are many civil affairs of life, it is every
man's indispensable duty to regard: nor does our Lord mean in the leastto
break in upon, or interrupt the natural and civil duties of life; but his meaning
is, that a man should persevere in prayer, and not leave off, or be dejected,
because he has not an immediate answer;and this is clearfrom the following
case.
(k) Maimon. Hilch. Tephilla, c. 1. sect. 1.
Geneva Study Bible

73. And {1} he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to
pray, and not to {a} faint;
(1) God will have us to continue in prayer, not to weary us, but to exercise us;
therefore we must fight againstimpatience so that a long delay does not cause
us to quit our praying.
(a) Yield to afflictions and adversities as those do who have lostheart.
EXEGETICAL(ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Meyer's NT Commentary
Luke 18:1. What Jesus has hitherto said of His Parousia was ofsuch weighty
and everlastinglydecisive concernfor His disciples, that it was calculatedto
stimulate them to unremitting prayer, that they might become partakers of
the ἐκδίκησις whichthe Parousia was to bring to them (Luke 18:7). Hence
(without the omissionof any intervening dialogue, Schleiermacher,
Olshausen)now follows the parable of the widow and the unjust judge,
peculiar to Luke, and its application (Luke 18:1-8). This parable is no
addition inserted without a motive (Köstlin, Holtzmann), nor is it takenfrom
the Logia;but it comes from the source of the accountof the journey.
Weizsäckerallegesthatit must have been a later growth, annexed by Luke to
his source ofthe narrative of the journey; that the judge is the heathen
magistracy;the widow, the church bereavedafter the departure of Christ; her
adversary, the hostile Judaism. Here also (comp. on Luke 15:11, Luke 16:1;
Luke 16:19) is a transferring of later relations to an early period without
sufficient reason.
πρός] in reference to.

74. πάντοτε]It is not the continual disposition of prayer (“as the breath of the
inner man,” Olshausen)that is meant, but the constant actualprayer, in
respectof which, however, πάντοτε is not to be pressed, but to be takenin a
popularly hyperbolical sense. Comp. Luke 18:7; 1 Thessalonians 1:10.
ἐκκακεῖν]to become discouraged, not:in their vocation(Schleiermacher), but,
according to the context: in their prayers. As to the form ἐκκ., for which
Lachm. has ἐγκ. (and Tischendorf: ἐνκ.), which, although here
preponderatingly attested, is to be regardedas an improvement, see on 2
Corinthians 4:1.
Expositor's Greek Testament
Luke 18:1-8. The unjust judge, in Lk. only.
Cambridge Bible for Schools andColleges
Luke 18:1-8. The Duty of Urgent Prayer. The Unjust Judge.
1. that men ought always to pray] Rather, that they ought always to pray,
since the true reading adds abrovs. It is only here and in Luke 18:9 that the
explanation or point of a parable is given before the parable itself. Both
parables are peculiar to St Luke. The duty inculcated is rather urgent prayer
(as in Luke 11:5-13)than that spirit of unflagging prayer which is elsewhere
enforced, Luke 21:36;1 Thessalonians 5:17;Ephesians 6:18. “Prayeris the
soid’s sincere desire Uttered, or unexpressed.”
and not to faint] The word used is a late word meaning to give in through
cowardice, orgive up from faint-heartedness. It is a Pauline word, 2
Corinthians 4:1; 2 Corinthians 4:16; Galatians 6:9.

75. Bengel's Gnomen
Luke 18:1. Δὲ καὶ, moreoveralso)as regards the preparation for those things
about to come to pass. Comp. Luke 18:8.—πρὸς τὸ)that is to say, as concerns
that all-important subject, prayer.—πάντοτε, always)night and day; Luke
18:7.—προσεύχεσθαι,to pray) Two parables treat of prayer: the one here, in
Luke 18:1, et seqq.; and the secondin Luke 18:9, et seqq. The first teaches us
to unlearn (overcome, lay aside)indolent faintness; the second, to unlearn
confidence in ourselves:two extremes deserving to be noted. For the words,
ἐγκακεῖν, to be faint or indolent, and πεποιθότας ἐφʼἑαυτοῖς, i.e. self-
confidence, in a bad sense, are mutually opposed, Luke 18:1; Luke 18:9; even
as confidence or trust, in a goodsense, 2 Corinthians 3:4 (πεποίθησιν ἔχομεν
διὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ πρὸς τὸν Θεόν), and to faint, 2 Corinthians 4:1 (οὐκ
ἐγκακοῦμεν), Eph. 3 12, 13, are mutually opposed.—μὴ ἐγκακεῖν,[195]not to
faint) The cry of the elect(τῶν βοώντων), Luke 18:7, is in consonance with
this not-fainting. An example in point occurs, Luke 18:39 [the blind man near
Jericho].
[195]ABDLΔ so write the word; and not ἐκκακεῖν, as Rec. Text.—E. andT.
Pulpit Commentary
Verses 1-14. - The Lord speaks the two parables on prayer - the importunate
widow, and the Pharisee andpublican. Verse 1. - And he spake a parable unto
them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint. The formnla
ἕλεγε δὲ καί, literally, "and he spake also,"calls attentionto the fact that the
parable-teaching immediately to follow was a continuation of what had
preceded. Indeed, the connectionbetweenthe first of the two parables, which
urges restless continued prayer, and the picture which the Lord had just
drawn of men's state of utter forgetfulness of God, is obvious. "The Sonof
man has been rejected;he has gone from view; the masses are plunged in
gross worldliness;men of God are become as rare as, in the days of Abraham,

76. they were in Sodom. What, then, is the position of the Church? That of a
widow whose only weaponis incessantprayer. It is only by means of this
intense concentrationthat faith will be preserved. But such is preciselythe
disposition which Jesus fears may not be found even in the Church at his
return" (Godet). Luke 18:1
Vincent's Word Studies
To the end that men ought (πρὸς τὸ δεῖν)
Lit., with reference to its being necessaryalways to pray, etc.
Faint (ἐγκακεῖν)
To turn cowardor lose heart.
PRECEPTAUSTIN RESOURCES
BRUCE HURT MD
Luke 18:1 Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they
ought to pray and not to lose heart,
that at all times they ought to pray: Lu 11:5-8 21:36 Ge 32:9-12,24-26Job
27:8-10 Ps 55:16,17 65:2 Ps 86:3 Ps 102:17 142:5-7 Jer29:12 Ro 12:12 Eph
6:18 Php 4:6 Col 4:2,12 1Th 5:17
not to lose heart: Ps 27:13 Jon2:7 Ga 6:9 Heb 12:3-5
Luke 18 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries

77. Luke 18:1-8 Persevering in Prayer - Steven Cole
Luke 18:1-8 - PersistentPrayerfor the Lord's Return - John MacArthur
PARABLE OF UNJUST JUDGE
AND HELPLESS WIDOW
We often read this passage andthink of it as a call to persevering, persistent
prayer in general, and that is certainly a valid application. But in the context
in which Jesus gives this parable, it is clear that this persistence in prayer
relates to the Lord's SecondComing and so John MacArthur entitles this
sectionLuke 18:1-8 - PersistentPrayerfor the Lord's Return. This important
aspectof this parable on prayer will be discussedin greaterdetail in Luke
18:8-note. Luke alone gives this parable.
J Vernon McGee gives us a helpful reminder so that we don't misinterpret the
meaning of this parable - Now, I have heard many Bible teachers saythat this
parable teaches the value of importunate (troublesomely urgent, overly
persistentin request or demand) prayer. Although I don’t like to disagree
with men who are greaterthan I, that isn’t so. This is not a parable on the
persistencyor the pertinacity of prayer—as though somehow God will hear if
you hold on long enough. This is a parable by contrast, not by comparison....If
this unjust judge would hear a poor widow because she keptcoming
continually, then (BY WAY OF CONTRAST)why do you getdiscouraged
going to God who is not an unjust judge, but who actually wants to hear and
answerprayer?
Wiersbe - This parable is not urging us to “pesterGod” until He acts;it is
saying that we do not need to “pester” Him because He is ready and willing to
answerour prayers. (Wiersbe's ExpositoryOutlines on the New Testament)

78. R Kent Hughes in a sense responds to McGee's comments asking "Doesthis
mean we must never engage in importunate prayer, fervently beseeching
God? Not at all. The teaching of the parable is that we must continue in our
prayers, even when there seems to be no answer, because God, unlike the
unjust judge, is loving, good, and gracious. We persistin prayer not because
we have not yet gottenGod’s attention, but because we know He cares and
will hear us....The Christian(actually sub-Christian) version of this parable is
to imagine that our fervent prayers will begin to accumulate a meritorious
critical mass that God cannotignore. Such a view is idolatrous because it
imagines that God is something like the unjust judge. C SamuelStorms poses
some relevant questions in his book Reaching God’s Ear that we can use to
evaluate our prayer lives.
Do we repeata request because we think that the quality of a prayer is
dependent on the quantity of words?
Do we repeata request because we think that God is ignorant and needs to be
informed, or if not ignorant at leasthe is unconcernedand therefore needs to
be aroused?
Do we repeatour prayers because we believe that God is unwilling to answer
and we must prevail upon him, somehow transforming a hard-hearted God
into a compassionateandloving one?
Do we repeata petition because we think that God will be swayedin his
decisionby our putting on a show of zealand piety, as if God cannot see
through the thin veil of hypocrisy? (Preaching the Word - Luke)
This parable is a clearcontrastbetweenthe worstof man, and the best of
God.
Hughes adds "This parable’s lessonhas often been greatlymisunderstood,
because mostpeople think it teaches thatfeverish importunity (troublesome
persistence)in prayer is a virtue. Untold numbers of sermons have wrongly

79. used this text to teachthat we must frantically beg God to answerour prayers.
This is not the idea at all.The parable of the unjust judge and the pestering
widow is a parable of contrast. The clearlessonof the parable is that God is
not like the judge, for God is goodand gracious. And we are not like the
nameless widow, for we are his chosenones. So a distressedbugging of God is
in fact inadequate prayer. (Preaching the Word - Luke) (Bolding added)
J Vernon McGee -This is a parable by contrast, not by comparison. Parables
were stories given by our Lord to illustrate truths. The word parable comes
from two Greek words. Para means “beside” and ballo is the verb, meaning
“to throw”—(we getour word ball from it). A parable means something that
is thrown beside something else to tell you something about it. For instance, a
yardstick placed beside a table is a parable to the table—it tells you how high
it is. A parable is a story our Lord told to illustrate divine truth. There are
two ways He did this. One is by comparison, but the other is by contrast. Our
Lord is saying, “When you come to God in prayer, do you think that God is
an unjust judge? When you come to Him in prayer, do you think He is a
cheappolitician? Do you think Godis doing things just for political reasons?”
My friend, if you think this, you are wrong. God is not an unjust judge. (Luke
18 Commentary) (See also F B Meyer's analysis of the contrasts in Luke 18:1-
8).
LUKE 18:1-8 A PARABLE OF CONTRASTS
Lk 18:1 Praying Losing heart
Lk 18:2-5 The WidowGod's Elect
Lk 18:6-8 Widow was a stranger We are God's children
Lk 18:6-8 Widow did not have open access(in that culture) God's
children have open access(Ep2:18+; Ep 3:12+;Heb 4:16+; Heb 10:19-22+)

80. Lk 18:6-8 Widow did not have an advocate We have an Advocate (1 Jn
2:1), a continual Intercessor(Ro 8:34+, Heb 7:25+), a High Priest(Heb 4:14-
15+)
Lk 18:6-8 Widow had no promises she could claim We have promises of
God in His Word to claim (Lk 11:9-10+)
Lk 18:6-8 Widow had no internal helperWe have the Spirit Who helps us
pray (Ro 8:26-27+)
Lk 18:6-8 Widow came to a court of lawWe come to a throne of grace (Heb
4:14-16+)
Lk 18:6-8 Widow pled out of her poverty We plead from perspective of
God's plenty (Php 4:19+)
Lk 18:6-8 The judge was unrighteous God is righteous
Lk 18:6-8 The judge could be bribed (common in that time) God cannot
be bribed
or argued with
Lk 18:6-8 Judge answeredfor fear of her forever wearying him God
answers for His glory and our good
Leon Morris introduces this parable pointing out that "Jesus is not, of course,
likening God to an unrighteous judge. The parable is of the ‘How much more
…’ variety. If a wickedman will sometimes do good, even if from bad motives,
how much more will God do right!" (TNTC-Luke)
Kistemaker- The two parables of 18:1-14 are closelyrelated. Prayer should
be both persevering (Lk 18:1-8) and humble (Lk 18:9-14). (BakerNew
TestamentCommentary – Exposition of the GospelAccording to Luke)
Now He was telling them a parable (literally "and He was saying" - cf Lk
5:36, 6:39, 21:29) - Who is them? NIV adds "His disciples" but is this correct?
We have to check the immediate context and when we do, we will find the

81. previous passagethat says "He saidto the disciples." (Lk 17:22). So the target
audience is the disciples of Jesus. Belovedby application that includes you and
me! So we need to listen up to our Master's voice.
Parable (3850)(parabolefrom para = beside, near + ballo = throw, cast;
English "parable")is literally a throwing beside or placing of one thing by the
side of another (juxtaposition as of ships in battle in classic Greek). The
metaphoricalmeaning is to place or lay something besides something else for
the purpose of comparison. (Mt 24:32, Mk 13:28, Mk 3:23, Lk 14:7). An
illustration (Mt 13:3). In Hebrews 9:9 the idea is of something (OT
Tabernacle)that serves as a model or example pointing beyond itself for later
realization and thus a type or a figure.
Luke's uses of parabole -
Lk. 4:23 = "proverb"; Lk. 5:36; Lk. 6:39; Lk. 8:4; Lk. 8:9; Lk. 8:10; Lk. 8:11;
Lk. 12:16; Lk. 12:41;Lk. 13:6; Lk. 14:7; Lk. 15:3; Lk. 18:1; Lk. 18:9; Lk.
19:11;Lk. 20:9; Lk. 20:19;Lk. 21:29
To show that - This is the translation of the preposition "pros" which
primarily means movement towardbut can speak ofa goal, the idea being
"for the purpose of." So here Jesus gives us the "key" to this parable before
we even walk in the "door!" The purpose of the parable is that they (we)
"ought to pray and not lose heart."
Matthew Henry - This parable has its key hanging at the door; the drift and
design of it are prefixed. Christ spoke it with this intent, to teachus that men
ought always to pray and not to faint.

82. Wiersbe on at all times - It certainly doesn’t mean that we should constantly
be repeating prayers, because Jesus warnedagainstthat kind of praying
(Matt. 6:5–15). Rather, it means to make prayer as natural to us as our
regular breathing. Unless we are sick or smothering, we rarely think about
our breathing; we just do it. Likewise with prayer—it should be the natural
habit of our lives, the “atmosphere” in which we constantly live. Prayer is
much more than the words of our lips; it is the desires of our hearts, and our
hearts are constantly “desiring” before Him, even if we never speak a word.
So, to “pray without ceasing”means to have such holy desires in our hearts, in
the will of God, that we are constantly in loving communion with the Father,
petitioning Him for His blessing. Take your choice:do you want to pray—or
faint? (Ibid)
In sum one might put it this way...
PRAY OR PASS OUT!
Or as someone else has saidif your knees are knocking, then kneelon them!
At all times - This answers the "when" of prayer. At all times which is a clear
statementthat we should pray whenever and wherever. On every occasion.
There are no exception clauses.Prayeris to be like breathing. We are to
breathe at all times or we suffocate. Similarly, we are to pray at all times lest
we "suffocate spiritually," and specificallyin contextso that we do not lose
heart. In this context it the idea is continual prayer(recurring frequently,
especiallyat regularintervals), not continuous ( continuing in time or space
without interruption), nonstop prayer.

83. Robert Stein - In light of the context in Luke 17:22–37-note, the content of this
prayer is no doubt “Your kingdom come” (Lk 11:2-note; cf. also Lk 21:36-
note). Becauseofthe delay in the consummation of the kingdom, it is
especiallyimportant for persistentprayer to characterize the Christian life.
This will insure that a community of faith will exist when the Sonof Man
comes (Lk 18:8-note). (New American Commentary)
Guzik on at all times - Jesus did not mean that we should always have our
knees bent and eyes closedin prayer; but we must always be in what is
sometimes calledthe spirit of prayer. Paul mentioned this idea in 1
Thessalonians 5:17 when he wrote, pray without ceasing. It’s hard to measure
how much goodsuch constantprayer would do, and how much bad it would
keepus from.
At all times - This is re-emphasized with the phrase "day and night" in Luke
18:7-note.
Constable on at all times - The reference to “all times” or “always”indicates
that the interval betweenJesus’present ministry and His future return is in
view (Lk 17:22–37-note;cf. Lk 18:8-note). This was, then, instruction
concerning what the disciples should do in the inter-advent period in view of
Jesus’secondcoming. When He returns, Jesus will balance the scales of
justice.
John Piper uses the illustration: Faith is the Furnace in your life. Fuel =
Grace;Shovel= Prayer. If you setdown your shovel…your burner goes out!
Keep shoveling! Shovelwithout stopping; pray without ceasing.

84. Brian Bell - How can we pray always? Whatis prayer? Not just uttering
words. It’s the urge of the life towards God & spiritual things. It’s the setting
of the mind on the things above. It’s every detail of every day being mastered
by that urge.
Be careful not to confuse Jesus'callto at all times pray with His
condemnation of the long, repetitious prayers He describedin (Mt 6:7-note).
The difference is one of "quality" not "quantity." Statedanother way God is
more concernedwith the strength of our prayers than the length of our
prayers. We are not heard for our “many words,” but for our sincere “cry.”
“Prayeris the soul’s sincere desire
Uttered, or unexpressed.”
All times (always)(3842)(pantote from pás = all, every + tóte = when, then) an
adverb which literally is "every when" means always, atall times, ever
(more), on all occasions.In English always is defined - invariably, forever,
perpetually, on every occasion, throughout all time, without variation.
Continually, regularly, repeatedlyor constantlyduring a certain period, or
regularly at statedintervals (eg Mephibosheth - 2Sa 9:10KJV = "alway");At
all convenient times. Without exception. Every time.
Richards writes that “Always” in the Bible does not link time with eternity. It
is a word that focuses attentionon experience within the world of time and
space. “Always” maydirect our attention to that which is stable over a period
of time or to that which is to be experiencedcontinually. When the issue is
God’s relationship with us, “always” reminds us powerfully that God is
present at every moment in time and thus is with us constantly. When the
issue is our relationship with God, “always”calls us to continual commitment
and to consistentholiness." (ExpositoryDictionaryof Bible Words: Regency)

85. In Luke 21:36-note Jesus gives a similar instruction clearly in the context of
the imminency of His SecondComing
“But keepon the alert (cf Lk 21:28)at all times, praying that you may have
strength to escape (cfJesus'words here "not to lose heart") all these things
that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
MacArthur comments - You need to pray that Christ will come. You need to
pray that you'll have the strength to endure to the end; the end of your life
and the end until the Lord Himself comes, shouldyou live until we are
gatheredto Him.
Pray at all times - This is a frequent Pauline exhortation...
Romans 12:12-note rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to
prayer,
Ephesians 6:18-note With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the
Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance andpetition
for all the saints,
Philippians 4:6-note Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made knownto God.
Colossians 4:2-note Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alertin it with an
attitude of thanksgiving;

86. Colossians 4:12-note (A GODLY EXAMPLE) Epaphras, who is one of your
number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring
earnestlyfor you in his prayers, that you may stand perfectand fully assured
in all the will of God.
1 Thessalonians 5:17-note pray without ceasing
Leon Morris on at all times they ought to pray - Jesus’teaching goes beyond
that of the Jews, who tended to limit the times of prayer lestthey weary God.
Three times a day (on the model of Dan. 6:10) was acceptedas the maximum.
Henry Morris on pray at all times - The context makes it clearthat such
commands refer, not to interminable prayer, but to persistentprayer (Luke
18:7). (Defender's Study Bible)
Kistemaker- Jesus tells them that during the lengthy and increasingly
difficult period of time before the Son of man returns (see Lk 17:22, 23-note),
His followers downthrough the ages, insteadoflosing heart, should persevere
in prayer. (Ibid)
They ought to pray - The verb "ought" is in the present tense calling for
prayer to be a lifestyle (cf "lifeline!"). Prayer is not "Plan B" but is God's
"PlanA!" This means we give prayer priority, which one dictionary defines as
"something important that must be done first." What's the first thing you do
in the morning? Brush your teeth? Do a mental checklistof your daytimer
and your appointments, etc? If so you've already depriortized prayer.

87. Steven Cole on ought - The word ought has the idea of necessity. Prayeris not
an optional activity for the more committed. It is a necessityfor every believer
because it acknowledgesourtotal dependence on God. Not to pray is
arrogance, becauseI am really saying, “Thanks, God, but I can handle this by
myself.” But the truth is, I can’t handle anything by myself apart from God’s
grace and power! (Luke 18:1-8 Persevering in Prayer)
Ought (1163)(dei from deo = to bind or tie objects together, put in prison and
also root of doulos, bond-servant) refers to what is not optional but needful
(binding) out of intrinsic necessityor inevitability. Deirefers to inward
constraint which is why it is often translated "must". Dei describes that which
is under the necessityof happening or which must necessarilytake place, and
as stated above, conveys a sense ofinevitability. To express the sense of
necessitydei is translated"one ought", "one should", "one has to" or "one
must".
To pray (4336)(proseuchomaifrom pros = toward, facing, before
[emphasizing the direct approach of the one who prays in seeking God’s face]
+ euchomai = originally to speak out, utter aloud, express a wish, then to pray
or to vow. Greek technicalterm for invoking a deity) in the NT is always used
of prayer addressedto God (to Him as the objectof faith and the One who
will answerone’s prayer) and means to speak consciously(with or without
vocalization)to Him, with a definite aim (See study of noun proseuche).
Proseuchomaiencompassesallthe aspects ofprayer -- submission, confession,
petition, supplication (may concernone's own need), intercession(concerned
with the needs of others), praise, and thanksgiving. Vine says that
proseuchomaicarries with it a notion of worship (but see the Greek word for
worship = proskuneo)which is not present in the other words for prayer (eg,
aiteo, deomai, both of which involve spokensupplication)

88. Wuest adds that the prefixed preposition pros "gives it the idea of definiteness
and directness in prayer, with the consciousnessonthe part of the one praying
that he is talking face to face with God...(thus proseuchomai)speaks also of
the consciousness onthe part of the one who prays, of the fact of God’s
presence and His listening ear."
RelatedResourcesonPrayer
Prayer Quotes, Devotionalsand Illustrations
Praying His Word
Praying in the Spirit
Colossians 1:9 Commentary
Colossians 4:12 Commentary
Devotionalon Prayer
Guide to Praying for Missionaries
Pithy Prayer Phrases
Prayer - Greek Words for Prayer
Prayer Devotionals andIllustrations
Prayer Hymns and Poems
Prayer Quotes
Spurgeon's Gems on Prayer
Warren Wiersbe on praying and losing heart (fainting) - If we don’t pray, we
will faint; it’s as simple as that! The word faint describes a believer who loses
heart and gets so discouragedthat he or she wants to quit. I can recalltwo
occasions whenI have fainted physically, and it is the most helpless feeling I

89. have ever experienced. I felt myself “going,” but I couldn’t seemto do a thing
about it! There is a connectionbetweenwhat our Lord said in Luke 18:1 and
His statementin Luke 17:37. If societyis like a rotting corpse, then the
“atmosphere” in which we live is being slowlypolluted, and this is bound to
affectour spiritual lives. But when we pray, we draw on the “pure air” of
heaven, and this keeps us from fainting.(Bible Exposition Commentary)
Not to lose heart - This is a common refrain in the NT. All believers are prone
to lose heart! The world, the flesh and the devil wearawayat us seeking to
curb our resolve to press on toward the goalfor the prize of the upward call in
Christ Jesus. This admonition is especiallyrelevant to losing heart in praying
(I speak from personalexperience). Here Jesus turns it around so that praying
precedes not losing heart. The practicalapplication is to pray at all times,
because the tendency of our fallen flesh is to cause us to lose heart in the
promises of God. We see ourselves in the "here and now" and His promises
many times in the "then and there" of the future kingdom. We forgetthat
faith is the assurance ofthings hoped for and the conviction of things not seen,
such as Messiah's glorious future earthly kingdom in the present context. In
short, persistentprayer is one of God's greatpreventatives and antidotes for
flagging faith and weakening ofour heart in this presentevil age (Gal 1:4-
note, Eph 5:16-note). So let us not lose heart or hope that Jesus is returning,
even though many mockingly said (I've actually even heard believers asking
"What's the big deal about His return?") "Where is the promise of His
coming?" (2 Peter3:4-note). Peterwarnedthe first century saints "Know this
first of all, that in the lastdays mockers will come with their mocking,
following after their own lusts." (2 Peter3:3-note). They will live lives of lust,
lifestyles that in effectdeny the SecondComing of Christ, the One "Who is to
judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom." (2 Ti
4:1-note). As followers of Jesus, we canrest assuredthat we will be ridiculed
for saying that Jesus is coming again(cf 2 Ti 3:12-note, Php 1:29-note), but we
are not to lose heart or become cowardly. Instead, we are to pray for His
return at all times!

90. Why would a disciple lose heart? Keeping the context in mind (the
immediately preceding sectionLk 17:20-37-note), theymight lose heart
because ofthe delay in the Lord's SecondComing. In the parable the widow is
praying for justice and we as Jesus'disciples are to pray persistently for
justice for God's people. One thinks immediately of all the Christians who are
martyred eachyear by godless Christhaters (see Voice of the Martyrs). We
are also tempted to lose heart because ofthe afflictions and hardships of life.
Guzik on not lose heart - Often we fail in praying because we lose heart. We
become discouraged, andthen no longerpray as we should. It is easyto lose
heart in prayer because prayer is hard work that we too often approach
lightly. In Colossians 4:12-note, Paulpraiseda man named Epaphras because
he was always laboring fervently…in prayers. Paul knew that prayer was
hard work that required fervent labor (ED: NOTE ALSO THAT EPAPHRAS
WAS A BONDSERVANT OR SLAVE OF JESUS. A SLAVE BELONGS TO
AND OBEYS HIS MASTER'S VOICE. JESUS TELLS US TO PRAY AT
ALL TIMES. WE ARE MOST LIKE HIS SLAVE WHEN WE OBEY HIM.
DO YOUR WORDS AND ACTIONS DEMONSTRATE YOU ARE A SLAVE
OF JESUS?).. Morrisontried to explain why prayer was difficult, because
three parts of the human being are engagedin prayer: “There is the
understanding, by which we work intelligently; there is the heart, but which
we labour willingly, there is the will by which we labour doggedly.”
(Morrison) It is easyto lose heart in prayer because the Devil hates prayer. If
prayer were powerless, it would be easy.. It is easyto lose heart in prayer
because we are not always convincedof the reality of the powerof prayer. Too
often, prayer becomes a last resort insteadof a first resource. Rememberthat
Jesus lived a prayerful life, and He lives on the pray for His people (Hebrews
7:25). We must therefore not lose heart in prayer. The womanof Canaankept
praying though she was first denied. Jacobrefusedto let go even when his leg
was crippled. Rachelsaidto Jacob, “Give me children, or else I die!” (Luke 18
Commentary)

91. Stein on not lose heart ("and not give up" = NIV) - The thought is not to give
up in light of the delay of the consummation (ED: of the Kingdom of God on
earth).
Spicq on egkakeo - It is not so much a matter of omissionas of relaxing one’s
efforts, losing heart in the midst of difficulties, letting go, interrupting one’s
perseverance before attaining one’s goal;giving up rather than continuing the
fight. Hence, on the moral level, the exhortation is to overcome lethargy,
boredom, duration, even distress in tribulation; one must not give in to the
apparent uselessnessofappeals to God and succumb to exhaustion, but on the
contrary overcome fatigue and continue without yielding or softening."
(TNLT)
Lose heart ("not to faint" = KJV)(1457)(egkakeo/enkakeofrom ek = out of or
an intensifier + kakos = bad, evil) means to grow weary (especiallyin the
spiritual sense), to become tired and it is interesting that it always is used in
the NT in a negative construction, to not grow weary or lose heart, which in
essenceis really a "positive" admonition to keepon keeping on, to endure, to
persevere despite obstacles,setbacksand adversaries. Some lexicons add it
means to become a coward, to lose courage orto lose the motivation to
accomplisha valid goalor to continue in a desirable pattern of conduct. To
become discouragedand give up. To give in to evil. Realcourage requires that
we leave the problem with God (J. M. Derrett, “Law in the New Testament:
The Unjust Judge,” NTS 18 [1972]:191). In the most desperate circumstances
they must continue to ask doggedlyand intensely and never desist. It is not so
much a matter of omissionas of relaxing one’s efforts, giving up rather than
continuing the fight (TLNT, 1:398-99).
Rieneckerwrites that this word "is also used in the papyri in the sense of
treating someone badly. It became a Christian technical term expressing the
unflagging pursuit of the goalof service to neighbor, or of apostolic ministry,

92. as well as the tautness (having no give or slack -- tightly drawn, chiefly a
nautical term signifying in proper order or condition) of the determined heart
that does not let up or lose courage. (Linguistic and ExegeticalKey to the
Greek New Testament)
Egkakeo conveysthe idea of becoming exhausted or fainthearted in view of a
trial or difficulty and therefore giving up ("throwing in the towel" to use a
modern expression). This attitude is the opposite of Paul's charge that we be
“steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing
(let this truth motivate you to keepon keeping on!) that your toil is not
(absolutely is not) in vain in the Lord” (1Co 15:58-note).
Friberg says egkakeomeans (1) strictly to actbadly in some circumstance;
with a participle following become wearyor tired of doing something (2 Th
3.13);(2) as failing to hold out successfullygive up, become discouraged, lose
heart (2Co 4.1)
Thayer says "“ to be utterly spiritless, to be weariedout, exhausted."
TDNT - This word has two senses,“to actof treat badly” and “(wrongly) to
cease.”In Luke 18:1, just after the apocalyptic discourse in Luke 17, the point
is obviously that, with a view to the end, the disciples should not grow slack in
prayer. The meaning is the same in 2 Cor. 4:1: Paul will not let any difficulties
cause him to fail or grow weary. In virtue of the eternal purpose of God, Paul
in Eph. 3:13 asks his readers not to be discouragedby the pressures of his
present situation, which are in fact their glory. Similarly, there is an
exhortation not to grow wearyin well-doing in 2 Th. 3:13; Gal. 6:9, with the
promise of an ultimate reaping of eternallife (Gal. 6:8). (Theological
Dictionary of the New Testament:Abridged in One Volume)

93. TLNT - The first usage is in Polybius in the sense ofdoing ill, being at fault,
committing culpable negligence:“The Macedonians neglectedto send the
prescribed help” (to pempein tas boētheias … enekakēsen). In the second
century AD, Didymarion writes to Paniskos thathis brother was not the
objectof any reproach, and he draws the conclusionthat he did not conduct
himself amiss (legō mē enkakēsē, P.Petaus 29, 12). Butwith respectto Gen
27:46, where Rebekahdeclares, “Iam tired of living (prosochthizō)because of
these Hittite women,” Symmachus uses the verb enkakeōto mean “lose
heart.” The first NT attestationis in St. Luke’s introduction of the parable of
the Widow and the Judge, which says that the lessonis “that they should
always pray kaimē enkakein” (presentinfinitive); that is, that in the most
desperate circumstances, they must continue to ask doggedlyand intensely
and never desist. But how should the verb be translated? The best equivalent
is “non segnescere” (Bengel), and better yet “not to slacken.”
In conclusion, the verb enkakeō in the NT is
(a) found exclusively in the writings of Luke and Paul;
(b) both made it a Christian technicalterm to express the unflagging pursuit
of the goalof service to neighbor or of apostolic ministry as well as the
“tautness” ofthe determined heart that does not let up, does not lose courage;
(c) this absence ofletting up is a precept of the new morality, a catechetical
rule that eachChristian must apply in his or her personallife;
(d) in almostall of these contexts, notably Luke 18:1; Gal 6:9, this moral
obligation is expressedas a function of eschatologicalpeirasmos (trial,
proving) and of the Parousia (coming, usually referring to SecondComing).

94. During the wait for deliverance, judgment, and glory, letting up and
weakening are not permitted. (TheologicalLexiconof the New Testament)
Egkakeo -6x in 6v - grow weary(2), lose heart(4).
Luke 18:1 Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they
ought to pray and not to lose heart,
2 Corinthians 4:1-note Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received
mercy, we do not lose heart,
2 Corinthians 4:16-note Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer
man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewedday by day.
Galatians 6:9-note Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will
reap if we do not grow weary.
Ephesians 3:13-note Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations
on your behalf, for they are your glory.
2 Thessalonians 3:13 But as for you, brethren, do not grow wearyof doing
good.
Matthew Henry - It supposes that all God’s people are praying people;all
God’s children keep up both a constantand an occasionalcorrespondence
with him, send to him statedly (in a regular or fixed manner. in a statedor

95. allegedmanner), and upon every emergency. It is our privilege and honor that
we may pray. It is our duty; we ought to pray, we sin if we neglectit. It is to be
our constantwork;we ought always to pray, it is that which the duty of every
day requires. We must pray, and never grow wearyof praying, nor think of
leaving it off till it comes to be swallowedup in everlasting praise. But that
which seems particularly designedhere is to teach us constancyand
perseverance in our requests for some spiritual mercies that we are in pursuit
of, relating either to ourselves or to the church of God. When we are praying
for strength againstour spiritual enemies, our lusts and corruptions (Mt 6:13-
note), which are our worst enemies, we must continue instant in prayer (Col
4:2KJV-note), must pray and not faint, for we shall not seek God’s face in
vain. So we must likewise in our prayers for the deliverance of the people of
God out of the hands of their persecutors and oppressors.
Steven Cole - One of the most difficult aspects ofprayer is persevering when it
seems that God is not answering. Jesus instructedus to pray that the Father’s
kingdom would come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. And yet
here we are, almost2,000 years later, and that prayer, prayed millions of
times by millions of Christians down through the centuries, is still not
answered.
In spite of years of prayer and missionary efforts, some of the Muslim,
Buddhist, and Hindu sections ofthe world seemas resistantto the gospelas
ever and so it is easyto become discouragedabout praying for world missions.
On a personallevel, all of us have requests that we have brought before God
for years—requeststhat would be to His glory to answer—andyet it seems
like God isn’t answering His phone and He doesn’teven have an answer
machine! In light of these problems, it is easyto lose hope and even to give up
praying.

96. The Lord Jesus knew the weakness ofour flesh and that we all are prone to
lose heart. In light of that, He graciouslygave His disciples and us this parable
“to show that at all times they [and we] ought to pray and not lose heart.”
This instruction fits in with the preceding contextwhere the Lord told the
disciples that the days would come when they would long to see one of the
days of the Son of Man, but they would not see it (Luke 17:22). During the
time betweenHis ascensionand His SecondComing, the world would go on in
its disregard of God, much as it had in the days of Noahand of Lot. The
church would be much like this widow, left without her heavenly Bridegroom,
much maligned and persecutedby the ungodly. During this time of waiting
and struggle, how can the saints persevere? Jesusshows thatwe will persevere
as we continue in believing prayer. (Luke 18:1-8 Persevering in Prayer)
In the following passages relatedto praying without ceasing, notice the
repetitive use of the present imperative and the presenttense.
Seek (Qalimperative) the LORD and His strength; Seek (Qalimperative) His
face continually. (1Chronicles 16:11)
Ask (present imperative = commands continual asking), and it shall be given
to you; seek (presentimperative = commands continual seeking), and you
shall find; knock (present imperative = commands continual knocking), and it
shall be opened to you. (see note Matthew 7:7)
Keep watching (present imperative = commands continual attention to) and
praying (present imperative = command to continue in an attitude of prayer),
that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is
weak. (Matthew 26:41)

97. Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray
(present tense = continually, as the habit of their life) and not to lose heart
(Luke 18:1-note)
But keepon the alert (present imperative = commands continual attention) at
all times, praying (present tense = continually, as the habit of their life) in
order that you may have strength to escape allthese things that are about to
take place, and to stand before the Son of Man. (Luke 21:36-note)
rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to (imperative sense,
present tense - always be prayerful) prayer (See note Romans 12:12)
With all prayer and petition pray (present tense = continually, as the habit of
their life) at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with
all perseverance and petition for all the saints (See note Ephesians 6:18)
Devote (present imperative = commands continual attention to) yourselves to
prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving (see note
Colossians 4:2)
Pray without ceasing. (1 Thes 5:17-note)
Comment: Adialeiptos is used to describe that which is continuously done -
uninterrupted necessarypayment of hard taxes, continual uninterrupted
cough, repeatedmilitary attacks, continualfailing of a military effort, regular
and consistentproduction of fruit. We've all had an unceasing, hacking cough.
What happens? When you geta tickle in your throat, you cough. Applying
this thought to unceasing prayer, when opportunity knocks orthe Spirit gives

98. you a "tickle" (a "burden" ~ Praying in the Spirit), then your reflex reaction
should be to pray. Keep the telephone receiveroff the hook so that you are
ready to speak to Heaven at moment's notice!
Therefore I want the men in every place to pray (present tense = continually,
as the habit of their life), lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension.
(1 Timothy 2:8)
The end of all things is at hand; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober
spirit (both verbs aoristimperative = do this now! don't delay!) for the
purpose of prayer. (see note 1 Peter4:7)
Pray without ceasing - Out of approximately 667 recordedprayers in the
Bible, there are about 454 recordedanswers. This should encourage and
motivate us to pray without ceasing!
Daniel "prayed without ceasing", in factmaking it a practice to pray three
times eachday, even when he knew it might well costhim his life in a lion’s
den
Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house
(now in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem);and he
continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks
before his God, as he had been doing previously. (Daniel6:10)
David "prayed without ceasing"...

99. Evening and morning and at noon, I will complain and murmur, And He will
hear my voice. (Ps 55:17).
Spurgeoncomments "Evening and morning, and at noon, will I pray. Often
but none too often. Seasonsofgreatneed call for frequent seasons ofdevotion.
The three periods chosenare most fitting; to begin, continue, and end the day
with God is supreme wisdom. Where time has naturally set up a boundary,
there let us setup an altar stone. The psalmist means that he will always pray;
he will run a line of prayer right along the day, and track the sun with his
petitions. Day and night he saw his enemies busy (Psalms 55:10), and
therefore he would meet their activity by continuous prayer.
And cry aloud. He would give a tongue to his complaint; he would be very
earnestin his pleas with heaven. Some cry aloud who never say a word. It is
the bell of the heart that rings loudest in heaven. Some read it, "I will nurse
and murmur;" deep heart thoughts should be attended with inarticulate but
vehement utterances of grief. Blessedbe God, moaning is translatable in
heaven. A father's heart reads a child's heart.
And he shall hear my voice. He is confident that he will prevail; he makes no
question that he would be heard, he speaks as if already he were answered.
When our window is opened towards heaven, the windows of heaven are open
to us. Have but a pleading heart and God will have a plenteous hand. (Ref)
W A Criswellquoted the following prayer from a source unknown...
When you are wearyin body and soul
Cumbered with many a care

100. When work is claiming its strength-taking toll
Make it a matter of prayer.
And when you're discouraged, distraughtor dismayed
Sinking almost in despair
Remember there's One who will come to your aid,
If you'll make it a matter of prayer.
And when you are lost in this world's tangled maze
When life seems a hopeless affair
Directionwill come for all of your ways
If you'll make it a matter of prayer.
Regular, daily prayer takes discipline and concertedeffort. It is sadly possible
for a believerto go through the whole day and not speak to God even once.
This should not be. Prayer is a vital aspectof man’s role as one who is beloved
of God the Father.
How many times have you told someone you would pray for them and then
you did not? We've all done that haven't we? But here's a little exercise that
dovetails nicely with Paul's command to pray without ceasing...
Stop saying you will pray about a thing.

101. Instead stop right there and pray about it.
The greatlyused preacher Charles Spurgeon(1834-1892)put greatemphasis
on prayer in preparation for preaching. He felt that ministers ought to pray
without ceasing andin factonce wrote that...
All our libraries and studies are mere emptiness compared with our closets
(Ed note: our "prayer closets" -Mt 6:6-note). We grow, we waxmighty, we
prevail in private prayer
When Spurgeon prepared to preach, he would pray at all times -- before
choosing his topic, as he was getting into the spirit of the text, as he sought
God’s help for deep truths and the lifting out of those truths, as he soughtto
receive fresh streams of thought regarding the application of the text, and of
course for his delivery of the message thus prepared. Spurgeon declaredthat...
nothing can so gloriouslyfit you to preachas descending fresh from the mount
of communion with God to speak with men. None are so able to plead with
men as those who have been wrestling with Godon their behalf.
Tony Evans speaking ofabiding in the Vine, Christ Jesus, asks...
How do you stay connectedto Jesus everymoment? One way is through
prayer. Remember the command, “Praywithout ceasing” (1Th5:17)? You
don’t have to be on your knees moving your lips to pray. Prayer canbe the
atmosphere in which you exist. You can bring the Lord to bear on every
aspectof your day by staying in touch with Him, communing with Him in
your spirit. Prayer is an expressionof your dependence on Christ. And

102. because He is also your Great High Priestas well as the vine, He can do
something about your situation. The Lord who is sitting at the right hand of
God in the place of authority wants to work in your life to bear spiritual fruit.
The keyto fruit bearing is abiding in Him, and the keyto abiding is
obedience. (Evans, A. T. Who is This King of Glory? Experiencing the
Fullness of Christ's Work in Our Lives. Chicago:Moody Press)
Jesus told His disciples to...
keepon the alert (present imperative) at all times, praying in order that you
may have strength to escape allthese things that are about to take place, and
to stand before the Sonof Man." (Luke 21:36-note)
Comment: Praying brings spiritual strength to maintain alertness. It enables
disciples to withstand their temptations to depart from God’s will. Disciples
are to watchand pray at all times, thus separating themselves from the
ungodly world which is doomed to experience the wrath of God.
(He also said) "Ask (present imperative = command to keepon asking), and it
shall be given to you; seek (presentimperative = command to keep on
seeking), andyou shall find; knock (present imperative = command to keepon
knocking), and it shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks (presenttense
= as their habitual practice)receives, andhe who seeks (presenttense = as
their habitual practice)finds, and to him who knocks (presenttense = as their
habitual practice)it shall be opened. (Mt 7:7-8-notes 7:7; 7:8)
Spurgeon's Morning and Evening -

103. “Menought always to pray.” —Luke 18:1
If men ought always to pray and not to faint, much more Christian men. Jesus
has senthis church into the world on the same errand upon which he himself
came, and this mission includes intercession. Whatif I say that the church is
the world’s priest? Creationis dumb, but the church is to find a mouth for it.
It is the church’s high privilege to pray with acceptance. The door of grace is
always open for her petitions, and they never return empty-handed. The veil
was rent for her, the blood was sprinkled upon the altar for her, God
constantly invites her to ask what she wills. Will she refuse the privilege which
angels might envy her? Is she not the bride of Christ? May she not go in unto
her King at every hour? Shall she allow the precious privilege to be unused?
The church always has need for prayer. There are always some in her midst
who are declining, or falling into open sin. There are lambs to be prayed for,
that they may be carried in Christ’s bosom? the strong, lestthey grow
presumptuous; and the weak, lestthey become despairing. If we kept up
prayer-meetings four-and-twenty hours in the day, all the days in the year, we
might never be without a specialsubjectfor supplication. Are we ever without
the sick and the poor, the afflicted and the wavering? Are we ever without
those who seek the conversionof relatives, the reclaiming of back-sliders, or
the salvationof the depraved? Nay, with congregations constantlygathering,
with ministers always preaching, with millions of sinners lying dead in
trespassesandsins; in a country over which the darkness of Romanism is
certainly descending;in a world full of idols, cruelties, devilries, if the church
doth not pray, how shall she excuse her base neglectof the commissionof her
loving Lord? Let the church be constantin supplication, let every private
believer casthis mite of prayer into the treasury.
OswaldChambers - What to pray for
Men ought always to pray, and not to faint. Luke 18:1.

104. You cannot intercede if you do not believe in the reality of the Redemption;
you will turn intercessioninto futile sympathy with human beings which will
only increase their submissive content to being out of touch with God. In
intercessionyou bring the person, or the circumstance that impinges on you,
before God until you are moved by His attitude towards that person or
circumstance. Intercessionmeans filling up “that which is behind of the
afflictions of Christ,” and that is why there are so few intercessors.
Intercessionis put on the line of—‘Put yourself in his place.’ Never!Try to
put yourself in God’s place.
As a worker, be careful to keeppace with the communications of reality from
God or you will be crushed. If you know too much, more than God has
engineeredfor you to know, you cannot pray, the condition of the people is so
crushing that you cannotget through to reality.
Our work lies in coming into definite contactwith God about everything, and
we shirk it by becoming active workers. We do the things that can be
tabulated, but we will not intercede. Intercessionis the one thing that has no
snares, becauseit keeps our relationship with God completely open.
The thing to watch in intercessionis that no soul is patched up, a soul must get
through into contactwith the life of God. Think of the number of souls God
has brought about our path and we have dropped them! When we pray on the
ground of Redemption, God creates something He cancreate in no other way
than through intercessoryprayer.
David Jeremiah - PRAY AT ALL TIMES
LUKE 18:1 He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and
not lose heart.

105. Here is something I have learned about prayer that I have not seenmentioned
in books on prayer I have read: Prayeris meant to be preventative more than
remedial. We usually treat prayer as remedial, meaning we pray when we
have a need or are in trouble. But in Luke 18:1 Jesus says that at all times we
“ought to pray … and not lose heart.” In other words, prayer isn’t the last
thought; it’s the first thought. It is preventative, not remedial. Also instead of
praying when we are tempted, Jesus says we should pray that we “may not
enter into temptation” (Matthew 26:41). When we are not under pressure and
stress, we should be praying so that we might be shoredup and defended
againstthe pressures that will come.
Until we come to the place of prayer, we will never find release from stress. If
we treat prayer as just a religious ritual or option, then we are not truly living
in dependence upon God. Prayer is the soul of man crying out in inadequacy
to a God who is adequate, a God who is able to do what man cannot.
John MacArthur (Drawing Near) - UNLIMITED PRAYER
“Men ought always to pray” (Luke 18:1, KJV).
Prayer should never be limited to certaintimes, places, or circumstances.
As a child I was taught to pray with my head bowed, eyes closed, and hands
folded. Even as a young man I thought that was the only acceptable mode of
prayer.
In my seminary days I sang in a quartet that traveled to various churches
throughout the United States. The first time I traveled with them we had a
prayer meeting in the car, and the driver prayed with his eyes open. All of us
were glad he did, but I wondered if God really heard his prayer.

106. I have since learned that praying with my eyes closedis a helpful way to avoid
distractions, but it isn’t mandated in Scripture—nor are most of the other
limitations people often place on prayer. For example, some people want to
limit prayer to a certain posture, but Scripture tells of people praying while
standing, sitting, kneeling, looking upward, bowing down, and lifting up their
hands.
Some try to limit prayer to certaintimes of the day, such as morning or
evening. But in the Bible people prayed at all times: morning, evening, three
times a day, before meals, after meals, at bedtime, at midnight, day and night,
in their youth, in their old age, when troubled, and when joyful.
Similarly, Scripture places no limits on the place or circumstances ofprayer.
It tells of people praying in a cave, in a closet, in a garden, on a mountainside,
by a river, by the sea, in the street, in the Temple, in bed, at home, in the
stomachof a fish, in battle, on a housetop, in a prison, in the wilderness, and
on a cross.
The point is clear:there is no specific correctmode or kind of prayer, and
prayer isn’t limited by your locationor circumstances. Youare to pray
always. Thatincludes any kind of prayer, on any subject, at any time of the
day or night.
Kenneth Osbeck - Amazing Grace - PRAYER IS THE SOUL’S SINCERE
DESIRE
James Montgomery, 1771–1854
Men ought always to pray, and not to faint. (Luke 18:1 KJV)
Living a life without prayer is like building a house without nails.
—Unknown
Prayer is releasing the energies ofGod. Forprayer is asking God to do what
we cannot do ourselves.
—Selected

107. Except for Charles Wesleyor Isaac Watts, no writer has made a greater
contribution to Englishhymnody than the author of this text, James
Montgomery. He wrote more than 400 hymns, many of which are still in
popular use: “Stand Up and Bless the Lord,” “AngelFrom the Realms of
Glory,” “In the Hour of Trial,” and “According to Thy Gracious Word.”
Though trained for the ministry, Montgomeryspent his lifetime as a
journalist and newspapereditor. He became widely known for his writings
and poetry, yet when once asked, “Whichof your poems will live?” he replied,
“None, sir, except a few of my hymns.” His words were prophetic. It is by his
hymns that Montgomery is remembered, rather than by his more classic
poetry.
Many have acclaimedthis hymn as one of the finest definitions and
descriptions of prayer to be found in short form. Such colorful metaphors as
“hidden fire,” “a sign,” “a falling tear,” “anupward glance,” “vitalbreath,”
and “native air” describe in poetic language the mystic meaning of prayer—
understood by experience, yet often difficult to express in words. Perhaps
those terms will lead you to a new appreciationfor the “soul’s sincere desire.”
(Listen to hymn or here).
Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire, uttered or unexpressed, the motion of a
hidden fire that trembles in the breast.
Prayer is the burden of a sigh, the falling of a tear, the upward glancing of an
eye when none but Godis near.
Prayer is the simplest form of speechthat infant lips can try; prayer, the
sublimest strains that reachthe Majestyon high.
Prayer is the Christian’s vital breath, the Christian’s native air; his
watchwordat the gates ofdeath: He enters heav’n with prayer.
O Thou by whom we come to God, the Life, the Truth, the Way! The path of
prayer Thyselfhast trod: Lord, teachus how to pray!

108. We Don't Have Time Not To
Read:Luke 18:1-8
Men always ought to pray and not lose heart. —Luke 18:1
Things we ought to do, but we don’t take the time to do:
Balance our checkbook.
Change our car’s oil and filter.
Get a physical examination.
Pray.
That’s right, pray!
Jesus saidthat we “always ought to pray and not lose heart” (Lk. 18:1). And
the apostle Paulexhorted believers to “pray without ceasing” (1 Th. 5:17).
We know that our lives would be deeper and fuller, and that we would be
better prepared to face life’s challenges ifwe would talk to God. But so often
we do not take the time, and as a result we feel spiritually dry and weak.
In his book Prayer: A Holy Occupation, OswaldChambers wrote, “We can
hinder the time that should be spent with God by remembering we have other

109. things to do. ‘I haven’t time.’ Of course you have not time! Take time,
strangle some other interests and make time to realize that the center of
powerin your life is the Lord Jesus Christ and His atonement.”
If we fail to balance our checkbook, serviceour car, or get a physical exam,
we can run into serious problems. But if we neglectprayer, we will lose our
spiritual power.
We don’t have time not to pray.
I must tell Jesus allof my trials;
I cannot bear these burdens alone;
In my distress He kindly will help me;
He ever loves and cares for His own.
—Hoffman
If we are too busy to pray, we are too busy.
By David C. EgnerOur Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand
Rapids, MI. — Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved
Fight Or Pray?
Read:Luke 18:1-8

110. He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart.
—Luke 18:1
When my son Benwas 6 years old, he had a playground adversary. According
to Ben, this fellow had gone too far, and he thought the only solution was to
fight it out. So I talkedto him about the Christlike way to handle the situation.
I askedhim, “Did you pray to the Lord for understanding and help to avoid a
fight?” He didn’t answer, so I askedhim again. This time with childish candor
he blurted out, “No, I don’t want to pray. I’d rather beat him up.”
How revealing! The problem was that he didn’t feel weak enoughto seek
God’s help.
We often hesitate to pray for the Lord’s guidance in a tough situation because
we think we can work it out ourselves. Butif that’s our attitude, we are not
yet in the place where God will come to our assistance. He wants us to sense
that we really are helpless.
Jesus told the parable of the widow and the unjust judge to encourage us to
continue bringing our concerns to the Father. If we are not persistent in
seeking His help, we may “lose heart” (Lk. 18:1) because ourown efforts are
inadequate. And God, unlike an unjust judge, longs to come to our aid.
What problems are facing you? Are you going to fight or pray?

111. Pray, always pray, the Holy Spirit pleads,
Bring to thy God thy daily, hourly needs;
All earthly things with earth shall pass away;
Prayer grasps eternity; pray—always pray!
—Bickersteth
The best wayto stay on your feet is to getdown on your knees.
By Mart DeHaan Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand
Rapids, MI. — Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved
Always Pray and Don’t Give Up
Read:Luke 18:1-8
Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray
and not give up. Luke 18:1
Are you going through one of those times when it seems every attempt to
resolve a problem is met with a new difficulty? You thank the Lord at night
that it’s taken care of but awake to find that something else has gone wrong
and the problem remains.
During an experience like that, I was reading the gospelof Luke and was
astounded by the opening words of chapter 18: “Then Jesus told his disciples

112. a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up” (v. 1). I
had read the story of the persistent widow many times but never graspedwhy
Jesus told it (vv. 2-8). Now I connectedthose opening words with the story.
The lessonto His followers was very clear:“Always pray and never give up.”
Prayer is a process ofrecognizing God's power and plan for our lives.
Prayer is not a means of coercing Godto do what we want. It is a process of
recognizing His powerand plan for our lives. In prayer we yield our lives and
circumstances to the Lord and trust Him to actin His time and in His way.
As we rely on God’s grace not only for the outcome of our requests but for the
process as well, we can keepcoming to the Lord in prayer, trusting His
wisdom and care for us.
Our Lord’s encouragementto us is clear: Always pray and don’t give up!
Lord, in the difficulty I face today, guard my heart, guide my words, and
show Your grace. MayI always turn to You in prayer.
Prayer changes everything.
By David C. McCasland| Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand
Rapids, MI. — Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved

113. Luke 18:2 saying, "In a certain city there was a judge who did not fearGod
and did not respectman.
a judge who did not fear God: Lu 18:4 Ex 18:21,22 2Ch19:3-9 Job 29:7-17 Ps
8:1-4 Jer 22:16,17 Eze 22:6-8 Mic 3:1-3 Ro 3:14-18
did not respectman: Pr 29:7 Isa 33:8
Luke 18 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries
Luke 18:1-8 Persevering in Prayer - Steven Cole
Luke 18:1-8 - PersistentPrayerfor the Lord's Return - John MacArthur
NEITHER A GOD FEARER
NOR A MAN LOVER
In a certain city - Recallthat this is a parable so the Lord illustrates by giving
us the "Where?" It is a certain city, which could be any city, but it is a city as
that is where one would have need of a judge.
Who did not fear God - Jesus paints a clearpicture of the "blackness" ofthis
judge's heart, for here we see he lackedthe most fundamental requirement in
life, the fear of God (see Pr 1:7, 9:10 below)! As Luke continues his
description we see that this judge was not only anti-God but was also anti-
people! This has to be the basic definition of a completely wicked, despicable
heart! And so first Jesus says this judge lacks a basic attribute which is one of
the keys to life, for if one has no fear of God, He will have no desire to walk in
His ways, no desire to serve Him and no desire to keepHis commandments
(and in context clearly no desire to dispense justice). This begs the basic
question "Do you have have a healthy fearof God?"

114. HEALTHY, HOLY
FEAR OF THE LORD
Solomonwrites
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;Fools despise wisdom
and instruction. (Pr 1:7-note)
Comment: As an aside, according to Solomon, how would we characterize this
judge in Lk 18:1? How sad when a man who needs to make wise decisions that
can so radically impact people's lives lacks a fear of the LORD!Does this
sound like anything we are seeing take place in so many of the courts in
America? Clearly many of the judges in our nation today would sadly fit the
characterizationof this judge in Lk 18:1! Believers need to pray at all times
for their leaders, including their judges. Have you (I) ever prayed for the
Supreme Court justices (cf 1 Ti 2:1,2?
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge ofthe
Holy One is understanding. (Pr 9:10)
As Jon Coursonsays "Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Solomon says
the fearof the Lord is the foundation. The fear of the Lord is the single most
important essential. The fearof the Lord is where it all begins."
Moses gives us the basic formula for a godly life (and a godly judge)...

115. "And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require from you, but to
fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways (notice a holy fear precedes
a holy walk)and love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your
heart (or as we might saytoday totally "soldout" - Are you? Am I?) and with
all your soul, and to keep(shamar - guard) the LORD'S commandments and
His statutes which I am commanding you today (WHY?) for your good
(Septuagint has "in order that [purpose clause]it may be will with thee")? (Dt
10:12-13)
What made Jobsuch a godly man?
There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was
blameless, upright, fearing God and turning awayfrom evil. (Job1:1)
Comment: So why did Jobturn awayfrom evil? In context, the answeris
clearly because he fearedGod. A corollary thought is what is my mindset
when I commit evil? Clearly, I have at leasttemporarily effectivelyjettisoned
the "protective power" of a healthy fear of the Lord. Lord, by Thy Spirit
please teachus the fearof the LORD (Ps 34:11, cf Ps 86:11-seeGive Me An
Undivided Heart).
In light of the Old Testament's emphasis on the fear of God, many saints
today believe that the fear of God is relegatedto men and womenwho lived in
OT times, but this is clearly an aberrant belief, for the NT has many passages
that advocate a healthy fear of the Lord as a prerequisite for a "healthy"
Christian walk. For example, Paul spoke ofthe importance of godly fear in
addressing the at times somewhatlawlesssaints at Corinth...

116. Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselvesfrom all
defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. (2 Cor
7:1)
Comment: Saints are commanded to be holy as God is holy and to grow in the
grace and knowledge ofour Lord and SaviorJesus Christ (2 Peter3:18). In
short saints should be growing daily more like Christ (progressive
sanctification), and a key component of this increasinglyholy walk
("perfecting holiness")is a healthy fearof the Lord. Can you see how vital it
is that all saints have a healthy fearof God? This quality undergirds,
motivates and empowers ALL of our Christian behavior. That's how
important reverentialfear of the Lord is to a godly life. So let me ask you --
Do you have a genuine fear of the Lord? Or are you more like this "certain
judge" describedby Jesus?
Given the scriptural importance of the fear of the Lord, most of us must
confess that although we have been going to church for many years, we have
never heard a single sermon on the fear of God! When was the lasttime you
had a Sunday Schoollessononthe fearof God? Have you ever seena book
devoted solelyto this topic, the fear of God? The typical Christian today has
heard many sermons on the love of God, but absolutely nothing about the fear
of God. This is sad as well as thoroughly unbiblical. Of course we should love
God. That is not the issue. What we are saying is that we must relate to Godin
more than one way. Loving God is not enoughaccording to the Bible. We
must also FEAR Him. If we take the Bible seriously, the fundamental aspect
of our relationship to God should be the fear of the Lord! Feargoes hand in
hand with love: love is the positive side, fear the negative; love prompts one to
do what pleases God, fear prompts one to refrain from what displeases God.
But what is the fearof the Lord? It is that affectionate reverence;by which
the child of God bends himself humbly and carefully to his Father’s law

117. (enabled by His Spirit giving us the desire and the power - Php 2:13-note). His
wrath is so bitter, and His love so sweet;that hence springs an earnestdesire
to please Him, and—because ofthe dangerof coming short from his own
weakness andtemptations—a holy watchfulness and fear, “that he might not
sin againsthim” (Heb 12:28, 29).
So in summary, we all need to cultivate a healthy, holy fear of the Lord, for
this is clearlya key truth in the entire Bible which speaks of"fear" of the
Lord in some 295 verses!Scripture speaks ofmen fearing God, His name, His
Law or His Word. In the OT there are 235 references to the fear of God. In
the NT there are 43 references to the fearof God which, by the way, is the
same number of references that speak ofman’s love towardGod. From
Genesis to Revelation, the Bible proclaims that the fear of the Lord is a
fountain of life (Pr 14:27) and those who drink deeply of it shall have the
blessings ofGod in this life and in the life to come. However, those who reject
the fearof the Lord will end up in the ways of death. The fear of God is the
predominant response to and fundamental attitude toward God, His Word,
His Law and His name, and what God desires. This is why it is mentioned
more times than any other aspectof vital piety. If you are so inclined, let me
encourage youto do a simple study on the Fearof the Lord, which you can
find at this link.
RelatedResources:
In Depth Analysis of the Fearof the Lord
How is the fear of the Lord the beginning of wisdom?
What does the Bible say about fear?
What does it mean to work out salvationwith fear and trembling (Philippians
2:12)?

118. What does it mean to have the fear of God?
What does “perfectlove casts out fear” mean?
How can I overcome the fearof death? How can I stop being scaredof dying?
How does fearing God add length to a person's life (Proverbs 10:27)?
Guzik - Barclaypoints out that this would not have been a Jewishjudge,
because disputes in the Jewishworld were brought to the elders. “This judge
was one of the paid magistrates appointed either by Herod or the Romans.
Such judges were notorious.”
Jamiesonon did not fear God and did not respectman = defying the
vengeance ofGod and despising the opinion of men.
And did not respectman - Clearlythis negative attribute links closelywith the
former (no fear of God), for a low view of the Creatorwill lead to a low view
of men createdin His image (cf society's low view of the value of human lives
in the womb and rising cries for euthanasia, etc!). In other words, how we
view God, directly affects how we view our fellow human beings. If you are
having trouble loving men, it may be because youare faulty in your love of
God, which is the first of the two greatcommandments
AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR
HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND,
AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.’31 “The secondis this, ‘YOU SHALL
LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF (from Lev 19:18-note, most
quoted verse in the NT!).’ There is no other commandment greaterthan
these.”(Mark12:30, 31)

119. In Lk 18:6-note Jesus adds to his list of charactertraits that the judge is
unrighteous which means he is one who deceives, who suppresses the truth
and thus brings about injustice rather than justice. An unrighteousness
person loves sin more than they love God and His truth (cf those described by
Micah3:11-note, Mic 7:3-4-note).
Respect(1788)(entrepo)means to turn back or about. In the active sense it
means put to shame, make ashamed, reprove (1Cor4.14). In the passive it
means to be put to shame, be ashamed (Titus 2.8). Finally in the passive with
the middle sense, it means strictly to turn oneselftoward someone;hence
respect, reverence, have regardfor (Mt 21.37). The idea is to be shamed into
respect.
Gilbrant on entrepo - The verb entrepō was used from the time of Homer to
well into the post-Biblical era in two seemingly opposite ways. On the one
hand, the word means “I have shame,” while on the other, it means “I show
respector honor.” This difference of meaning is also reflectedin the use of the
noun form. Some scholars have thought Paul changedthe meaning of entrepō
from “to respect” to that of “to have shame.” Theyhave not noted, however,
that both meanings occur in the Septuagint and in early and late extra-
Biblical writings. In fact, depending upon the context three meanings may be
involved: “to have shame,” “to have respect,” and “to turn toward someone or
something.” In the Septuagint, entrepō translatedeight Hebrew words. Like
entrepō, the Hebrew words can be placedinto two broad categoriesas noted
above. Mostreferences in which “shame” is meant are in the Psalms. In the
Psalms themselves without exception, entrepō involves “shame.” There the
enemies of God will experience shame, while His people will not. In the New
Testamententrepō is used nine times. In its five occurrencesin the Synoptics,
the idea of “reverence”or“respect” is intended. However, in Paul’s epistles
entrepō means “to have shame”;in both the active and middle/ passive voices
the verb means “shame.” This is similar to the use of entrepō in the Psalms of
the Septuagint. (The Complete Biblical Library Greek-EnglishDictionary)

120. Entrepo - 9x in 9v - put to shame(2), respect(5), respected(1), shame(1).
Matt. 21:37;Mk. 12:6; Lk. 18:2; Lk. 18:4; Lk. 20:13; 1 Co. 4:14; 2 Thess.
3:14; Tit. 2:8; Heb. 12:9
Entrepo - 43x in 42v -
Exod. 10:3; Lev. 26:41; Num. 12:14;Jdg. 3:30; Jdg. 8:28; Jdg. 11:33;2 Ki.
22:19;2 Chr. 7:14; 2 Chr. 12:7; 2 Chr. 12:12; 2 Chr. 30:11; 2 Chr. 30:15; 2
Chr. 34:27;2 Chr. 36:12; Ezr. 9:6; Job 32:21;Ps. 35:4; Ps. 35:26; Ps. 40:14;
Ps. 69:6; Ps. 70:2; Ps. 71:24; Ps. 83:17;Isa. 16:7; Isa. 16:12;Isa. 41:11; Isa.
44:11;Isa. 45:16;Isa. 45:17; Isa. 50:7; Isa. 54:4; Ezek. 36:32;
John MacArthur observes that a judge who did not fear God and did not
respectman "is a very well chosencharacterizationbecauseyou find such
references to people in literature from ancient times outside the Bible and this
kind of description is used to describe the most wickedperson, someone who
has absolutelyno reverence for God and no interest in people, no concerns
regarding the law of God, the will of God and completely indifferent to the
needs of people and their just causes. This man is ultimately and finally
wicked. There is no way to penetrate this man's wickednessfrom the
viewpoint of the law of God or from the viewpoint of the need of man. He is
not moved by reverence orworship and he is not moved by compassionor
sympathy. He has no interest in the first commandment, loving God (Mk
12:29, Dt 6:4); no interestin the secondcommandment, loving his neighbor.
He is the most wickedman."
Kistemakeron the wickedcharacterofthis judge - He did whatever he
pleased, never asking himself, "Whatdoes God want me to do?" or even

121. "What do the people in general approve or disapprove?" He was nothing but
a hateful egotist. Here, then, is a judge without any love for justice. And as to
sympathy for the oppressedand satisfactionbecause, in his capacityas judge,
he might be able to help them, he did not know what sympathy was. Tender
feelings were completely foreignto him. (Ibid)
W A Criswell- The judge does not care for man, but in contrast, God does
care for man. The judge is "unrighteous" because he lacks an adequate sense
of justice. God has no such deficiency. (Believer's Study Bible)
The OT was clearon the requirements of how one was to function as a judge.
King Jehoshaphat(whose name fittingly means "Godhas judged!") gave a
goodjudicial plumb-line....
So Jehoshaphatlived in Jerusalemand went out againamong the people from
Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim and brought them back to the
LORD, the God of their fathers. 5 He appointed judges in the land in all the
fortified cities of Judah, city by city. 6 He said to the judges, “Considerwhat
you are doing, for you do not judge for man but for the LORD Who is with
you when you render judgment. 7 “Now then let the fearof the LORD be
upon you (See godly Nehemiah's powerful testimony - Neh 5:9,15);be very
careful what you do, for the LORD our God will have no part in
unrighteousness or partiality or the taking of a bribe.” (2 Chr 19:4-7)
Comment: Would it be that King Jehoshaphat's admonition and exhortation
would be written on a placard in plain sight on the desk and bench of every
sitting judge in the United States of America (and the world for that matter)!
One wonders if that would impact the issuing of unjust verdicts and/or
sentences by those judges who are unrighteous?

122. Luke 18:3 "There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him,
saying, 'Give me legalprotection from my opponent.'
a widow: Dt 27:19 2Sa 14:5-24 Job 22:9 29:13 Isa 1:17,21-23 Jer5:28
Give me legalprotection:Lu 18:7,8 Ro 13:3,4
Luke 18 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries
Luke 18:1-8 Persevering in Prayer - Steven Cole
Luke 18:1-8 - PersistentPrayerfor the Lord's Return - John MacArthur
There was a widow in that city - She was in a destitute situation, not only
because she had somehow been defrauded but because there was no man in
her life (father, brother, etc). How can we saythat? John MacArthur explains
we can deduce there was no man because in those days in Israel, the courts
did not belong "to women, but belonged exclusively to men." In other words,
for a womanto come to court would mean there was no man who could plead
her case. Men came to court. Women did not come to court. MacArthur
sums this widow up as "the destitute, the powerless, the helpless, the deprived,
the lowly, the unknown, the unloved, the uncared for, the desperate."Do any
of those negative attributes ever describe our situation? I am asking that as a
rhetoricalquestion because clearlythe answeris "yes" forall of us at one time
or another in our life.
NET Note - This widow was not necessarilyold, since many people lived only
into their thirties in the 1st century.
Constable - Widows (ESPECIALLY IN JESUS'DAY) were the
personificationof dependence, helplessness, and vulnerability in Israel(cf.
Exod. 22:22–24;Ps. 68:5; Lam. 1:1; James 1:27)....Inthe parable she
represents the disciples who were equally dependent on God for protection
from the non-disciples who opposedthem for their allegiance to Jesus.

123. Jamieson onwidow = weak, desolate, defenseless (1 Ti 5:5, which is taken
from this).
Widow (5503)(chera= feminine of cheros = bereft of one's spouse)means
bereavedas would be a widow whose husband had died. Figuratively chera
spoke of the city of Babylon stripped of her citizens and her wealth (Rev 18:7-
note). The idea of neediness is often associatedwith chera, and it is also often
linked with orphans (Mt 23:14; Mk 12:40, 42-44).
Chera - 27x in 25v - widow(13), widows(11), widows'(3). Noticethat Luke
mentions widows more than do all the other Gospelwriters combined (Luke
2:37–38;4:25–26;7:11–17;18:1–8;20:45–47;21:1–4).
Matt. 23:14;Mk. 12:40;Mk. 12:42; Mk. 12:43; Lk. 2:37; Lk. 4:25; Lk. 4:26;
Lk. 7:12; Lk. 18:3; Lk. 18:5; Lk. 20:47; Lk. 21:2; Lk. 21:3; Acts 6:1; Acts
9:39; Acts 9:41; 1 Co. 7:8; 1 Tim. 5:3; 1 Tim. 5:4; 1 Tim. 5:5; 1 Tim. 5:9; 1
Tim. 5:11; 1 Tim. 5:16; Jas. 1:27; Rev. 18:7
Chera - 66v in the Septuagint -
Gen. 38:11;Exod. 22:22;Exod. 22:24; Lev. 21:14; Lev. 22:13;Num. 30:9;
Deut. 10:18;Deut. 14:29;Deut. 16:11; Deut. 16:14; Deut. 24:17; Deut. 24:19;
Deut. 24:20;Deut. 24:21;Deut. 26:12; Deut. 26:13; Deut. 27:19; 2 Sam. 14:5;2
Sam. 20:3; 1 Ki. 7:14; 1 Ki. 11:26;1 Ki. 17:9; 1 Ki. 17:10;1 Ki. 17:20; Job
22:9; Job 24:3; Job 27:15;Job 29:13;Job 31:16; Ps. 68:5; Ps. 78:64;Ps. 94:6;
Ps. 109:9;Ps. 146:9; Prov. 15:25;Isa. 1:17; Isa. 1:23; Isa. 9:17; Isa. 10:2; Isa.
47:8; Isa. 49:21; Jer. 5:28; Jer. 7:6; Jer. 15:8; Jer. 18:21;Jer. 22:3; Jer. 49:11;

124. Lam. 1:1; Lam. 5:3; Ezek. 22:7; Ezek. 22:25;Ezek. 44:22;Zech. 7:10; Mal.
3:5
Gilbrant has a detailed discussionon widow, chera -
ClassicalGreek - In Greek literature as early as Homer (ca. Eighth Century
B.C.), chēra has denoted “a widow.” In many places it is linked with the word
orphanos, “orphan,” and conveys the idea of being destitute or needy. Chēra
is the feminine noun form of a related adjective chēros which means
“deprived” (e.g., the widow is a woman“deprived” of a husband). Stahlin
reports that in the pagan world the greatestfearamong women was that of
becoming a widow. Many women preferred to die at their spouse’s grave
rather than continue life without a husband (“chēra,” Kittel, 9:442). Losing a
husband to death meant that a woman often lost her sole sustainerand
protector. Also in the Roman Empire, women who remarried lost certain
rights and were generallyless respectedin the community (ibid., 9:443).
Septuagint Usage - The word chēra appears about 60 times in the Septuagint
and nearly always translates the Hebrew term ’almānāh. Occasionallythe
word describes a woman who was separatedfrom her husband or a woman
without a husband (e.g., 2 Samuel20:3 [ LXX 2 Kings 20:3]), but in the
majority of its occurrencesit simply means “a widow.”
In the Old Testament, widows were groupedtogetherwith other
disadvantagedclasses suchas strangers, orphans, and the poor (see Exodus
22:21f.;Isaiah 1:23; 10:2; Jeremiah5:28). In His mercy, God made special
provisions for their protection and preservation(Leviticus 22:13;
Deuteronomy 10:18). Forexample, a portion of tithes taken on the third year
were designatedfor helping the widow (Deuteronomy 14:28f.); field gleanings
were to be left for her (Deuteronomy 24:19ff.); and the levirate marriage was
to take effectwhen a widow was also without a male child (see Deuteronomy

125. 25:5-10). In addition, the Lord himself promised to uphold and defend her
(Deuteronomy 10:18;Proverbs 15:25).
Yet despite God’s injunctions that Israelshow compassiononthe widow and
maintain her rights, the Scriptures reveal that the plight of the widow was
particularly difficult. The Bible describes how widows were exploited and
generallyabused (Isaiah 1:23; Ezekiel22:7). It is not surprising, therefore,
that widowhoodwas seenby many to be a reproach(Isaiah 4:1). As a result,
the term “widow” was figuratively applied to the exiled nation of Israel
(Isaiah 54:4) and to Jerusalemat the time of her captivity (Lamentations 1:1).
New TestamentUsage - In the New Testamentthe widow remains a picture of
neediness, destitution, and poverty. The Gospelof Mark (12:42f.), for
example, describes a poor widow who castall she had, “two mites,” into the
treasury at the temple. Luke’s gospelin particular singles out the plight of
widows in the time of Jesus. Luke 7:11-15 relates the story of a grieving widow
whose only son had just died. The Lord recognizedher desperate situation
and out of His greatcompassionraisedthe young man from the dead.
Chapter 18 tells the parable of a persistentwidow seeking justice againstan
adversary. Luke also described the widow who casttwo mites into the
collectionbox (Lk 21:2f.). In addition, all three Synoptic Gospels recordone of
Jesus’strongestrebukes againstthe scribes and Pharisees who “devour
widows’houses, and for a show make long prayers: the same shall receive
greaterdamnation” (Luke 20:47; cf. Matthew 23:14;Mark 12:40).
God’s concernfor widows is recordedoutside the Gospels as well. Acts 6:1-6
shows how the Early Church took specialcare to solve a problem which
affectedwidows. The result was that both Jewishand Greek widows received
enough food to meet their needs. Elsewhere, James1:27 presents a clear
definition of what God views as “pure religion”:it includes visiting orphans
and widows in their affliction.

126. One final sectionof the New Testament, 1 Timothy 5:3-l6, provides significant
detail that relates to widows. These passagesspecifythe obligations that the
church and family have with respectto their care. Pauldifferentiates between
three categoriesofwidows:(1) those with children or grandchildren (verses
4,8,16);(2) those who are young and in a position to remarry (verses 11-15);
(3) those who are “widows indeed,” i.e., not having a family to support them
(verses 5-7,16). The first group is to be caredfor by their own family. In fact,
a believer who does not care for a widowedparent (or grandparent) has
“denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel” (verse 8). The secondgroup,
young widows, are encouragedto remarry so as not to “castoff their first
faith” and become “busybodies” (cf. verses 12,13;see also 1 Corinthians 7:8).
The third categorydefines “true” widows whose needs the Church must meet,
provided certain conditions exist: they have no family to support them, they
are over 60 years old, and they continue in goodworks (verses 9,10).
While widows throughout history have been a disadvantagedclass, the
Scriptures show that God has specialcompassionforthem. Both the Old and
New TestamentrevealHis love and concernfor them. It was not His intention
for the nation of Israelto neglecttheir needs, and it is not His will for the
Church to overlook their plight either. (Complete Biblical Library Greek-
English Dictionary)
Widows were to be caredfor and their needs were to be met. The Mosaic Law
was clearabout how a widow should be treatedby a God fearing judge, but of
course this judge had no fear of God and did not tremble at His Word...
“You shall not afflict any widow or orphan. “If you afflict him at all, and if he
does cry out to Me, I will surely hear his cry; and My anger will be kindled,
and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and
your children fatherless. (Ex 22:22-24)

127. ‘Cursed is he who distorts the justice due an alien, orphan, and widow.’ And
all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ (Dt 27:19)
She kept coming to him, saying (cf "by continually coming" - Lk 18:5) - This
widow was like the "EnergizerBunny" and just kept coming continually
pleading her case. Keptcoming is in the imperfect tense indicating that again
and again, over and over she was coming to the judge's chambers. In a word,
she was relentless!She was implacable and unflinching in her pleading!
Saying is in the presenttense which describes her continually presenting her
her case to the ungodly judge.
Give me legalprotectionfrom my opponent - The KJV has "avenge"but that
is not the best translation. "Do me justice against," "Vindicate me from." The
idea of avenge is retaliate while the idea of vindicate is to maintain, uphold, or
defend one's just cause. Vindicate is therefore more accurate for it better
conveys her requestto justify her complaint, render it a righteous complaint
and give her what was legally hers.
She is speaking this as a command (which indicates she had a clearlegalright
or otherwise she would not have been so demonstrative) using the aorist
imperative which also can conveya sense of urgency -- "Do this now!" "Do
not delay!"
In Luke 18:3 the sense ofekdikeo is to help secure justice or bring about
justice, grant a fair verdict. Ralph Earle adds "The verb ekdikeo does
sometimes mean "avenge."But here the verb is followedin the Greek by apo,
"from." So the idea is, "Give me legalprotection from my opponent" or
"Grant me justice againstmy adversary" (NIV). Plummer says that the
meaning is "preserve me againsthis attacks." (WordMeanings in the New
Testament)

128. Give...legalprotection(1556)(ekdikeofrom ek = out or from + dike = right,
justice; see cognates = ekdikesisand ekdikos)is literally that which proceeds
from justice. As discussedabove the idea is to vindicate one's right or to do
one justice.
Jamiesonon give legalprotectionhas "that is, rid me of the oppressionof."
MacArthur - This judge is utterly indifferent to her on a sympathetic side, on
the side of compassion, but apparently she had the law on her side as well
because she is asking for legalprotection. She has been defrauded. Property,
money which was life to her has been takenfrom her.
RelatedResourcesonwidow:
What does the Bible say about orphans and widows?
Nave TopicalBible Widow
Thompson Chain Reference Widow and Fatherless Widows
Torrey TopicalTextbook Widows
American Tract SocietyWidow
BridgewayBible Dictionary Widow
BakerEvangelicalDictionaryWidow
Easton's Bible Dictionary Widows
FaussetBible Dictionary Widow
Holman Bible Dictionary Poor, Orphan, Widow

129. Hastings'Dictionary of the Bible Widow
Hastings'Dictionary of the NT Widow Widows
Smith Bible DictionaryWidow
Watson's TheologicalDictionaryWidow
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Widow
McClintock and Strong's Bible Encyclopedia Widow
The JewishEncyclopedia Widow
What does the Bible say about charity?
What is a levirate marriage?
What does the Bible say about self-defense?
Luke 18:4 "Fora while he was unwilling; but afterwardhe saidto himself,
'Even though I do not fear God nor respectman,
he said: Lu 12:17 16:3 Heb 4:12,13
Luke 18 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries
Luke 18:1-8 Persevering in Prayer - Steven Cole
Luke 18:1-8 - PersistentPrayerfor the Lord's Return - John MacArthur
NAB Luke 18:4 For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he
thought, 'While it is true that I neither fear Godnor respect any human being,
NET Luke 18:4 For a while he refused, but later on he said to himself,
'Though I neither fear God nor have regard for people,

130. NLT Luke 18:4 The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to
himself, 'I don't fear Godor care about people,
NIV Luke 18:4 "Forsome time he refused. But finally he said to himself,
'Even though I don't fear God or care about men,
For a while he was unwilling - This judge is true to his characterand
demonstrates utter disdain for the commandments of God and any sense of
justice and his utter disinterest in showing compassionto anyone, evena lowly
widow, outright indifferent. the worstkind of human being who is then the
worstjudge imaginable.
Steven Cole on unwilling - The reasonfor the delay with the widow was that
the unjust judge was unwilling, but that is never the reasonwith our loving
Father in heaven. The unjust judge was acting out of selfishmotives, even
when he finally granted her request. But God always acts out of self-
sacrificing love, as seensupremely in the Cross ofChrist. This judge was only
concernedfor his own relief, but God acts out of wise concernfor the well-
being of His people. Four-year-old Caitlin was impatient for a sibling. One
morning she told her mother, “Maybe if we both prayed out loud, God would
hear us.” So they prayed together. As soonas they finished, Caitlin asked,
“What did He say?” Her mother explained that it doesn’t work that way;
sometimes it takes a long time to getan answer. Caitlin was indignant: “Do
you mean we were praying to an answering machine?” (Reader’s Digest
[12/94], p. 154.)Sometimes it seems like it, doesn’t it! God doesn’t usually
explain in advance why He is delaying the answers to our requests. But we
need to cling to the fact that His delays are always for our good, even if we
don’t understand the reasons why.

131. For a while - This time phrase leaves a "crack"in the door which Jesus goes
on to "open" fully.
Unwilling - not (absolute negationwith "ou") + willing (thelo) speaks ofdesire
or decision. In short he was absolutelynot willing to grant a needy widow
protection which was legallyjustified.
But afterward - ("but later," "but finally") - Here we see a combination of a
term of contrastand an expressionof time. The contrastmarks a "change in
direction," a "change of mind," while the time phrase "afterward" relates to
her relentless efforts to gethim to give her legalprotection.
He said to himself - The phrase "to himself" identifies this as a soliloquy, a
speechone makes to himself. He is like another "bad character," the
"prodigalson" who also spoke to himself when he had come to his senses.(Lk
15:17-19-note). The prodigalwas repentant while the judge was just irritated.
It is interesting that Luke has severalother soliloquies (identified by "to
himself") - Lk 7:39, Lk 12:17, Lk 16:3) and there are none ("to himself") in
all the other Gospels.
"Even though I do not fear God nor respectman" - This is an amazing
statement! He's a self-confessedwretch,He has no noble motive.
Respect(1788)See entrepo
While Lk 18:2 was Jesus'assessmentofHis character, the man himself readily
acknowledgeshis wickedestate!In other words, he agrees with Jesus in full!
He knew he was evil and even in a sense "glories"in it! That is surely one of

132. the basic aspects ofwhat it means to be totally depraved, and reminds us of
those unrighteous people in Romans 1:32-note who "although they know
(epiginosko = fully know) the ordinance of God, that those who practice such
things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty
approval to those who practice them."
Luke 18:5 yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legalprotection,
otherwise by continually coming she will wearme out.'"
yet because this widow bothers me: Lu 11:8 Jud 16:16 2Sa 13:24-27
she will wearme out: Lu 18:39 Mt 15:23 Mk 10:47,48
Luke 18 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries
Luke 18:1-8 Persevering in Prayer - Steven Cole
Luke 18:1-8 - PersistentPrayerfor the Lord's Return - John MacArthur
Yet because this widow bothers me - She was in his court every day pleading
her case andit had become very troublesome to the judge.
I will give her legalprotection - His change of heart only because ofhis regard
for himself. He still has no regard for God and no regard for man, as he has
just declared(Lk 18:4). He could care less about what pleases Godor what
pleases men. But he certainly did care for what pleases him. And this
woman's relentless pursuit of justice did not please him.
Otherwise by continually coming she will wearme out“ - He explains his
change of heart. The word continually is two eis telos, which literally means
"to the end," and is used 6 times in the NT (speaking of one who is genuinely
savedas he who endures "to the end" in Mt. 10:22; Mt. 24:13 and Mk. 13:13;
Lk. 18:5; Jn. 13:1 "loved them to the end"; 1 Thess. 2:16 = "to the utmost")

133. The idea of the idiom eis telos is “completely, perfectly, fully, or
comprehensively, to the uttermost.” The uses in Matthew and Mark in context
can refer to the end of one's life. Applying that to this widow, the judge is
reasoning to himself that she will keeppleading until she dies! (In as sense he
is actually inferring that she would be the "death of him" so to speak).
She will wear me out - This translationmisses the sense of the verb Jesus uses
(hupopiazo - see below)which is more intense, as it means beating someone or
punching them silly (so to speak), giving them a black eye, which figuratively
is exactly what she was doing to the judge for a "black eye" would be
equivalent of a damagedreputation. In fighting lingo, she had landed enough
blows to geta "verdict" from the judges of a "TKO," a technicalknock out!
Her relentless blows to his body (really his mind) causedhim to give up the
fight!
As MacArthur says this "powerful and impervious judge is defeatedby the
weak widow through her persistence.:
Wearme out (buffet, batter, beat my body black and blue) (5299)(hupopiazo
from hupo = under + ops = eye) means literally to strike under the eye a
description of an "uppercut" to use modern pugilistic parlance. To strike in
this manner was generallyconsideredto be a "knockout" punch by the
ancient Greek boxers. The idea then is to strike hard and heavy on one's face,
rendering it "black and blue." Recallthat (apparently not in the first rounds
but only in later rounds according to some sources)the boxers wore gloves
(the "cestus")made of leatherbands and tied into knots in addition to being
embedded with metallic objects composedoflead and iron! It is not surprising
that these gloves obtained the nickname of "limb-breakers!"

134. Steven Cole - This widow had no attorney, no advocate to plead her case, but
we have the Holy Spirit to help us pray as we ought (Ro 8:26,27-note)andthe
Lord Jesus Himself interceding at the right hand of the Father on our behalf
(Ro 8:34-note, Hebrews 7:25-note). She had no guarantee of getting what she
desired, but we have the Lord’s promise that whateverwe ask in His name,
He will do it (Jn 16:23-24 but see caveatin 1 Jn 5:14, 15-note). What made
this widow persist is that she knew her greatneed. Sometimes the Lord delays
to answerus because we do not see how needy we really are until He keeps us
waiting for a while. It is only when we sense our own insufficiency that we
begin to pray, as Calvin puts it, with “anearnest—nay, burning—desire to
attain it” (Institutes of the Christian Religion[Westminster], 3:20:6).
John Piper - ANOTHER PARADOX OF PRAYER: “VAIN REPETITIONS”
VERSUS “CONTINUAL COMING”
Pondering Matthew 6:7, Luke 11:8, and Luke 18:5
What’s the difference betweenthe “vain repetitions” of the Gentiles who want
their prayers to be “heard for their many words” (in Matthew 6:7), and the
“continual coming” of the widow to weardown the judge and get her legal
protection (in Luke 18:5), or the “persistence” ofthe man at midnight who
prevails on his friend to getup and give him bread (in Luke 11:8)?
In Matthew 6:7–8, Jesus introduces the Lord’s Prayerby saying, “And when
you are praying, do not use vain repetitions as the Gentiles do, for they
suppose that they will be heard for their many words” (emphasis added).
In Luke 11:5–8, Jesus follows the Lord’s Prayerwith a parable about a
persistentfriend at midnight: “I tell you, even though he will not get up and
give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he
will getup and give him as much as he needs” (verse 8, emphasis added).

135. In Luke 18:1–5, Jesus tells a parable about a widow pleading with an unjust
judge. He says that the point of the parable is “to show that at all times [we]
ought to pray and not to lose heart” (verse 1). The breakthroughcomes with
these words: “Becausethis widow bothers me, I will give her legalprotection,
otherwise by continually coming she will wearme out” (verse 5, emphasis
added).
Even though Matthew 6:7 warns against“vain repetitions,” all these texts
have at leastone thing in common: They all encourage praying to God over
and over and over again. In Matthew, after the warning about “vain
repetitions,” Jesus says, “Pray, then, in this way:… Give us this day our daily
bread” (Mt 6:9, 11, emphasis added). Notice the phrase “this day.” It means
that Jesus expects us to pray like this at leastdaily. He does not want us to
pray on January 1, “Give us this yearsufficient bread every day,” and then
not pray about bread anymore that year. No, he says ask for daily bread “this
day.” So, even though “vain repetitions” are bad, asking for daily bread at
least365 times a year is not bad.
And if the petition about bread is supposed to be repeateddaily, then
probably the same applies to the other petitions in the Lord’s Prayer. Every
day we should pray for the hallowing of God’s name, the coming of his
kingdom, the heaven-like doing of his will, and the forgiveness ofsins. So the
teaching in Matthew 6 agreeswith the teaching in Luke 11 and 18, to the
effectthat “continual” or “persistent” praying is a goodthing.
The keyquestion, then, is this: What danger does Matthew 6:7–8 warn us
againstin this continual, persistentkind of praying that does not give up but
keeps on asking and seeking and knocking (Matthew 7:7; Luke 11:9)? There
are two clauses that give us the clues in Matthew 6:7–8, “When you are
praying, do not use vain repetitions as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that
they will be heard for their many words. So do not be like them; for your
Father knows whatyou need before you ask Him” (emphasis added).

136. 1. “Theysuppose that they will be heard for their many words.”
The warning here seems to be againstthinking of our praying as impressive or
coercive to God. It is as if Jesus wants to say, “Yes, you could take the
parables about the persistent friend or tenacious widow to mean that God is
impressed with many words or other human resources. Butin fact, that is not
what I mean to callattention to. I mean to callattention to the absence of
human resourcesanywhere but in God.” Right praying feels destitute, not
resourceful. If we find ourselves reaching inside of us for more and better
phrases to tell God what we mean, we are in danger of “vain repetitions.” If
we grasp for more words with a view to showing God we are more worthy
than if we had one simple cry, we are in danger of “vain repetitions.”
2. “Foryour Fatherknows what you need before you ask Him.”
The warning here is that there is a kind of praying that makes Godlook
unaware and uncaring. Jesus says, “He knows whatyou need,” and so he is
not unaware, and “He is your Father,” so he is not uncaring. Therefore, don’t
pray in a way that makes him look ignorant or apathetic. Yes, but why does
the persistence andtenacity of continual prayer not make God look this way?
It might. And we are being called by Jesus to find the balance. There is a
reasonwhy Jesus not only calls us to simplicity and brevity, but also to
persistence and tenacity. The demand for prevailing prayer exposes those who
pray in a passing way, as if they are just trying to coverall their bases. They
are not looking to God as their only hope. They are trying God out alongside
other resources. Suchpraying does not prevail. In other words, there are
dangers on both sides; one danger needs the admonition to “always pray and
not lose heart” (Luke 18:1), and the other dangerneeds the admonition to
avoid “vain repetitions” (Matthew 6:7). Let us not be more fearful of
persistence than Jesus was, whenhe prayed all night (Luke 6:12), nor more

137. fearful of repetition than Jesus was, whenhe prayed three times the same
thing: “Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me” (Matthew 26:39, 42,
44). If we pray in the Spirit and feelthat God is our only hope, we will find
our way. (Taste and See)
Luke 18:6 And the Lord said, "Hear what the unrighteous judge said;
Luke 18 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries
Luke 18:1-8 Persevering in Prayer - Steven Cole
Luke 18:1-8 - PersistentPrayerfor the Lord's Return - John MacArthur
JESUS BEGINS TO EXPLAIN THE
INTENTION OF HIS ILLUSTRATION
And the Lord said, "Hear what the unrighteous judge said - Jesus gives His
disciples (the 12 and us) a command in the aoristimperative which conveys
the idea of "Hearthis now! Don't miss this!" First they are to focus on what
the unrighteous judge had just stated(Lk 18:5). This would prepare them to
hear what Jesus is about to say, because He is about to explain the point of the
parable. The story is finished and now it is time to apply the lessonof the
parable to real life.
Jamiesonsays Luke's use of the Lord is "a name expressive of the
authoritative style in which He interprets His own parable."
Lord (master, owner)(2962)(kurios fromkuros = might or power, relatedto
kuroo = to give authority) primarily means the possessor, owner, master, the
supreme one, one who is sovereign(used this wayof Romanemperors - Act

138. 25:26)and possessesabsolute authority, absolute ownershipand uncontested
power. Kurios is used of the one to whom a person or thing belonged, over
which he has the powerof deciding, the one who is the master or disposerof a
thing (Mk 7:28)
MacArthur comments that Jesus is saying in essence "Think aboutthe wicked
judge in the story. He was cruelly indifferent to God. He was cruelly
indifferent to people. But he finally did what was right for purely selfish
reasons. He did what was right for a woman for whom he had no feeling, no
emotion, and to whom he had no attachment. That is what we are going to
start with as we hear the interpretation of the Lord, for in verse 7 we see the
contrast."
Unrighteous (93)(adikia from a = not + dikê = right) is a condition of not being
right, whether with God, according to the standard of His holiness and
righteousness orwith man, according to the standard of what man knows to
be right by his conscience. Luke's only other uses of adika are - Lk 13:27,
16:8-9, Acts 1:18, Acts 8:23.
William Barclay's discussionofadikia perfectly describes the judge in this
parable - Adikia is the precise opposite of dikaiosune (righteousness), which
means justice;and the Greeks definedjustice as giving to God and to men
their due. The evil man is the man who robs both man and God of their rights.
He has so erectedan altar to himself in the centre of things that he worships
himself to the exclusionof God and man." (Daily Study Bible Online)
Bock explains that Jesus'statementthe judge is unrighteous "plays off this
portrait in a lesser-to-greaterargument(qal wahomer): if such an insensitive
characterresponds to repeatedpleas from someone he does not know or care
about, how much more will a righteous God respond to his children."

139. ESV Study Bible - The comparisonhere is betweenthe reluctant action of an
unjust judge (the lesser)and “how much more” just will be the action of a just
God (the greater).
J Vernon McGee has an excellentsummary of Jesus'parable - If this unjust
judge would hear a poor widow because she kept coming continually, then
why do you get discouragedgoing to God who is not an unjust judge, but who
actually wants to hear and answerprayer? Why are God’s people today so
discouragedin their prayer life? Don’t you know, my friend, He is not an
unjust judge? You don’t have to hang onto His coattailand beg Him and
plead with Him. God wants to act in your behalf! If we had that attitude, it
would change our prayer life—to come into His presence knowing He wants
to hear. We actas if He is an unjust judge, and we have to hold onto Him or
He will not hear us at all. God is not an unjust judge.
Guzik amplifies McGee'sthoughts commenting that "Our God is a righteous,
wonderful Judge:
• We come to a Judge of perfect, goodcharacter.
• We come to a Judge who loves to care for His children.
• We come to a Judge who is kind and gracious.
• We come to a Judge who knows us.
• We come to this Judge with an advocate, a friend who will plead our
case before the Judge .
• We come to the Judge with promises to encourage us.
• We come to the Judge with the right of constantaccess, to a Judge
who has a personal interest in our case.

140. Jon Coursonemphasizes the contrasts in this parable - Jesus uses the account
of the widow to teachwhat our attitude should be in prayer. But notice, He
gave this parable not so much as a parallel, but as a contrast—forour
situation is entirely different. First of all, we appearnot before an unjust
judge, but before a loving Father. When Jesus taught His disciples to pray,
“Our Father which art in heaven,” the conceptof God as a Fatherwas foreign
to the Jews. Paulwould go on to address God as “Abba” or “Papa” (Romans
8:15). Thus, far from being our judge, God is our loving Father, our Abba,
our Papa. Second, we appearbefore Godnot as strangers, but as His children.
A photographer captured on film Supreme Court Justice Anton Scalia in his
chambers at his massive desk when one of his grandchildren came bursting
into the room. The photograph shows Scalia looking up and smiling from ear
to ear. It’s amazing the access a personhas with his parents. No matter how
important a man might be, his son or daughter canburst into his presence
anytime. That is the privilege we have as children of the God of the universe.
Third, this woman was a widow. We are a bride (Revelation21:2). Big
difference. A widow feels all alone, not so a bride. Fourth, the widow went
alone, but we have an Advocate with the Father (1 John 2:1). Jesus stands
right beside us. Lastly, to gethelp the widow went to a court of law. We come
to a throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16). (Jon Courson's Application
Commentary)
F B Meyer - Our Daily Homily - Hear what the unjust judge saith.
The force of this parable lies in its successionofvivid contrasts, whichrise to
an irresistible climax.
The judge is unjust. — He neither fears God nor regards man. His one idea is
to extort as much money as he can from the prisoners who desire to getout of
gaol, and from those that want to keepthem in, or put others to share their

141. fate. But God is our Father, unimpeachable in his integrity, and only eagerto
promote our welfare.
The judge had no personalinterest in the claimant. — She had no personal
attractionfor him. Had she been possessedof property, he might have cared
more. But now he lookedon her as a pest that plagued and worried him. But
we are God’s elect, over whom his tender heart vearns. Did He not choose us
before all the worlds unto his glory?
The judge answeredthe widow’s cry just to save himself trouble. —
Whenever he went to his seat, there she was. Thoughhe had refused to hear
her a score oftimes, there was her voice again, as clearand penetrating as
ever. She had been forcibly hurried from his presence by his officials, and she
had been borne screaming and remonstrating into the rear; but she never
knew herself defeated. At last he could bear it no longer, and gave orders that
her patrimony should be restored.
And will not God do as much, as, generationafter generation, He sees his
Church, like a widowed soul, oppressedby the greatenemy and avenger? As
He hears the cries of martyrs and saints; the perpetual prayer, Come, Lord
Jesus;the insolent boastof the foe — will He not arse and avenge? Yes, verily,
speedily! But it may seemlong to us, because one thousand years with Him
are as one day.
Luke 18:7 now, will not God bring about justice for His electwho cry to Him
day and night, and will He delay long over them?
will not God: Lu 11:13 Mt 7:11

142. bring about justice for His elect:1Sa 24:12-15 26:10,11Ps 9:8 10:15-18 54:1-7
Jer 20:11-13 2Th1:6 Rev 6:10 18:20
who cry to Him day and night: Lu 2:37 Ps 88:1 1Th 3:10 1Ti 5:5 2Ti 1:3 Rev
7:15
will He delay long over them: Ps 13:1,2 Hab 2:3 Heb 10:35-37
Luke 18 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries
Luke 18:1-8 Persevering in Prayer - Steven Cole
Luke 18:1-8 - PersistentPrayerfor the Lord's Return - John MacArthur
NET Luke 18:7 Won't God give justice to his chosenones, who cry out to him
day and night? Will he delay long to help them?
NET Note - The issue of delay has produced a whole host of views for this
verse. (1) Does this assume provision to endure in the meantime? Or (2) does
it mean God restricts the level of persecutionuntil he comes? Either view is
possible.
KJV Luke 18:7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and
night unto him, though he bear long with them?
ESV Luke 18:7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day
and night? Will he delay long over them?
NLT Luke 18:7 Even he rendered a just decisionin the end. So don't you
think God will surely give justice to his chosenpeople who cry out to him day
and night? Will he keepputting them off?

143. CSB Luke 18:7 Will not God grant justice to His electwho cry out to Him
day and night? Will He delay to help them?
NIV Luke 18:7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosenones, who
cry out to him day and night? Will he keepputting them off?
NAB Luke 18:7 Will not God then secure the rights of his chosenones who
call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answerthem?
NKJ Luke 18:7 "And shall God not avenge His own electwho cry out day
and night to Him, though He bears long with them?
NJB Luke 18:7 Now, will not God see justice done to his electif they keep
calling to him day and night even though he still delays to help them?
GWN Luke 18:7 Won't God give his chosenpeople justice when they cry out
to him for help day and night? Is he slow to help them?
NRS Luke 18:7 And will not God grant justice to his chosenones who cry to
him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them?
YLT Luke 18:7 and shall not God execute the justice to His choice ones, who
are crying unto Him day and night -- bearing long in regardto them?
BBE Luke 18:7 And will not God do right in the cause of his saints, whose
cries come day and night to his ears, though he is long in doing it?

144. TWO RHETORICAL
QUESTIONS
Dearreader, you need to realize that Luke 18:7 is a very difficult passageand
there are a number of interpretations in the commentaries. Keepthat in mind
as you study this verse. And don't let the difficult obscure Jesus'main point of
the parable which was to encourage us to pray and not grow discouraged.
Now, will not God bring about justice for His electwho cry to Him day and
night - This first rhetoricalquestion expects an affirmative answer -- of course
He will bring about justice for His electwho cry to Him day and night.
Guzik - Jesus did not give this parable to say that God was like the unjust
judge, but unlike him. God loves to answerour prayers, and He even helps us
when we pray. God is on your side when you pray, not againstyou (as the
unjust judge was againstthe widow). The woman had to overcome the judge’s
reluctance to help. We often feel that we must do the same when we pray—use
our persistence to overcome God’s reluctance. This misses the point of the
parable entirely. Jesus did not saythat men always out to pray and not lose
heart because Godis reluctant, but because He isn’t, and that is our
encouragementto prayer. Sometimes it does seemto us that God is reluctant
to answerour prayers. Yet the delays in prayer are not needed to change God,
but to change us. Persistence in prayer brings a transforming element into our
lives, building into us the characterof God Himself. It is a way that God
builds into us a heart that cares aboutthings the same way He does. “Too
many prayers are like boy’s runaway knocks, given, and then the giver is
awaybefore the door can be opened.” (Spurgeon) There are severalcontrasts
betweenthis judge and the God who hears prayer.

145. • The judge was unfair; God is fair.
• The judge had no personalinterest in the widow;God loves and cares
for those who petition Him.
• The judge answeredthe widow’s cry out of pure self-interest;God
loves to bless His people for their goodalso.
Recallfrom Lk 18:1 Jesus gave the keyto parable in telling them (His
disciples - Lk 17:22)a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and
not to lose heart. And what has He been telling them in Luke 17? He has just
been giving them about His SecondComing - “Forjust like the lightning,
when it flashes out of one part of the sky, shines to the other part of the sky, so
will the Son of Man be in His day." (Lk 17:24). In other words the Son of
Man is going to come in a way that is visible so that the whole world will see
His coming. And His coming will in judgment as it was in the days of Noah, as
it was in the days of Lot when "it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and
destroyedthem all. It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is
revealed." (Lk 17:29-30). In sum, Jesus has been speaking aboutthe Second
Coming and how it will bring greatdevastationand judgment to many, and
this judgment must precede His establishmentof His rule of righteousness and
peace on the earth for 1000 years. And so in Luke 17:22 Jesus tells His
disciples "The days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the
Son of Man, and you will not see it." Why? Becausecontraryto their
understanding, there must be two comings. They were thinking there was only
one coming and that coming would establishthe long awaitedKingdom of the
Messiah. Butthey misunderstood His first coming and so He says "first He
must suffer many things and be rejectedby this generation." (Luke 17:25).
Jesus explains to His disciples that He first must come to die and pay the
penalty for sin, and then come a secondtime later to judge all the ungodly and
to establishHis glorious kingdom. In this context (which is "obscured" by the
chapter break from 17 to 18), Jesus tells them "a parable to show that at all
times they ought to pray and not to lose heart." (Lk 18:1)

146. "ESCHATOLOGICAL
PRAYING"
As John MacArthur explains "In the time betweenthe first and Second
Coming disciples are not to lose heartbut rather are to pray. We are living in
that period of time now. Yes there is the invisible kingdom the Lord is
building through salvationas He comes to take up His royal throne in the
hearts of those who put their trust in Christ. But the visible kingdom, the
kingdom of righteousness, the destruction of the ungodly, the binding of
Satan, the end of the reign of Satan and sin, the establishment of the glorious
kingdom of righteousness, joyand peace and finally the establishment of the
new heavens and the new earth are all associatedwith His SecondComing,
which will be triggered by the rapture of the church. That's all in the future.
And so He is saying you need to view that event with prayer and not to lose
heart. That's the key to unlocking the meaning of the story. The Lord knew
then that a long time would go by...and now it has been 2,000 years.And
during this time Christ is continually dishonored and denied His rightful
place. And the Word of Godis unappreciatedand assaultedand attacked.
And Christians are treated with rejectionand persecutionand hostility and
even martyrdom through these two millennia. We suffer at the hands of Satan
and the world and we suffer the persecutionof a hostile environment and we
long for Christ to come back (cf Lk 17:22 "The days will come when you will
long to see one of the days of the Son of Man") and destroy the ungodly and
sin and the reign of Satan and set up His kingdom. We long for that day , but
in the intervening time the message is very clearfrom our Lord: Don't lose
heart. Keep praying to that end...atall times, at all times...through all the
events and all the seasonsand all the eras and all the years that go by, we are
to pray and not lose heart. As Matthew 24:13 records, our Lord says “he that
endures to the end shall be saved." It's that enduring faith that marks the
true believer. So this is not a call to prayer in generallike, "Praywithout
ceasing." That's a call to unceasing prayer in general. This is a callto
eschatologicalprayer, pray that the Lord will come and pray for the strength
to endure until He arrives, to endure the flesh, the world, the devil, the

147. hostility againstthe gospel, persecution, rejection, and even martyrdom. This
is eschatologicalpraying....We needto pray that Christ will come. We need to
pray that we will have the strength to endure to the end; the end of our life or
the end when the Lord Himself comes, should we live until we are gatheredto
Him (in the Rapture). (PersistentPrayerfor the Lord's Return)
TDNT says that the verb lose heart in Luke 18:1 is spoken"just after the
apocalyptic discourse in Luke 17, the point is obviously that, with a view to
the end, the disciples should not grow slack in prayer. The meaning is the
same in 2 Cor. 4:1: Paul will not let any difficulties cause him to fail or grow
weary."
Jesus gave a similar admonition in Luke 21:36-note
“But keepon the alert (present imperative) at all times, praying (present tense
= continually) that you may have strength to escape allthese things that are
about to take place, and to stand before the Sonof Man.”
Comment: Clearly this is a call to remain faithful in looking for the Lord's
return. Are you looking for His return? If you are looking for His return, you
are far more likely to be living in light of His return, living for the eternal,
rather than for the temporal! In short, what you are looking for in life, will
determine what you are living for!
JUSTICE IS COMING BECAUSE
THE JUDGE IS COMING!

148. Now, will not God bring about justice for His electwho cry to Him day and
night - Keeping in mind what the unrighteous judge did in response to the
woman's persistent pleading for justice, Jesus now compares that response
with the response ofGod. This is what is knownas a “much more than” kind
of comparison, a lesser-to-greaterargument (qal wahomer). The point is that
if this unfeeling, incredibly wicked, unrighteous judge will do what is right for
someone for whom he has no affection, do you think that the perfectly just
Judge will not do what is right for those who are His pleading chosensons and
daughters, those who were loved by Him even before the foundation of the
world (Ephesians 1:4-note, cf 2 Ti 1:9ESV-note)? So when His electcry to
Him day and night pleading for Him to return in glory, do you think He will
not hear them and respond? Of course He will. This begs the question - Are
you crying out for Jesus to return and make all things right?
ESV Study Bible on justice for His elect - Justice to his electrefers primarily
to God rescuing his people from suffering and injustice in the world (cf. Luke
1:68–74-note).
Bring about justice - Accomplish justice. Render a just decision. To vindicate
(“to punish the offenders")
Bring (4160)(poieo)means to make or accomplish.
Justice (Vengeance)(1557)(ekdikesis fromek = out, from + dike = justice; see
also ekdikos)is literally that which proceeds "outof justice". Ekdikesismeans
to give justice to someone who has been wronged. It means to repay harm
with harm on assumption that initial harm was unjustified and that
retribution is therefore called for. W E Vine says ekdikesis describespay back
that is basedon justice and "not (as often with human vengeance)from a
sense ofinjury, or merely out of indignation. The judgments of God are holy

149. and right, and free from any element of self-gratification… There is thus no
element of vindictiveness, of “taking revenge,”…in the judgments of God;
they are both holy and right (cp Rev 16:7-note). The word indicates full,
complete punishment. Ekdikesis was a technicalterm for administrative
justice.
Cry out (present tense = as one's lifestyle, only possible by depending on the
Spirit)(994)(boao from boé 995)means raise a cry, call or shout of joy, pain,
etc, by using one’s voice with unusually high volume. In this context (and
many more of the Septuagint = LXX uses) this verb depicts crying out was for
help or assistance. Luke uses this verb 7x more than all other NT writers
combined = Lk. 3:4; Lk. 9:38; Lk. 18:7; Lk. 18:38;Acts 8:7; Acts 17:6; Acts
25:24. Matthew has the first NT use of boao describing John the Baptist
“THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS." (Mt3:3, Mk 1:3,
Lk 3:4, Jn 1:23) Can you picture him shouting out with considerable volume.
Of course in the contextof prayer to God, it is not the levelof volume that
counts, but the sincerity (faith, submission, brokenness, etc)of the heart that
counts (cf Ps 51:16,17). Boaois used of Jesus crying out on the cross (Mk
15:34).
Luke use of boao in chapter 9 gives us a sense ofthe passionwith which we
should petition God(as if the life of our only child were at stake!)...
And a man from the crowd shouted, saying, “Teacher, Ibeg You to look at
my son, for he is my only boy, (Lk. 9:38-note)
Luke uses this same verb againin Luke 18:38-note of the blind man who
"called(boao - loudly!) saying "Jesus, Sonof David (acknowledging Jesus'
Messianic claimwith this title), have mercy on me!" Sensing His need and
nearness ofthe Savior prompted a loud plea, a goodmodel for every child of

150. God in this present evil age (Gal 1:4-note, cf "days are evil" in Eph 5:16-note)
to practice with persistence and perseverance!What would this mindset do to
our praying? We need to see ourselves continually as people just as needy as
this blind man saw himself and that will surely motivate passionate pleading!
Wiersbe - Unless you see that Jesus is pointing out contrasts, youwill get the
idea that God must be “argued” or “bribed” into answering prayer! God is
not like this judge; for God is a loving Father, who is attentive to our every
cry, generous in His gifts, concernedabout our needs, and ready to answer
when we call. The only reasonthe judge helped the widow was because he was
afraid she would “weary” him, which literally means “give me a black eye”—
i.e., ruin his reputation. God answers prayerfor His glory and for our good,
and He is not vexed when we come. (Ibid)
We the electare like the widow in the parable, helpless in a sense and at the
mercy of the Judge, but praise God, in our case notan unrighteous judge, but
One Who is perfectly righteous, always "compassionateand gracious, slow to
anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth" (Ex 34:6) toward us. Our
righteous Judge Jesus will bring about justice, "forthe LORD loves justice,
and does not forsake His godly ones. (Ps 37:28, cf Question - Job 8:3; Answer -
Job 34:12). "The LORD longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits
on high to have compassiononyou. For the LORD is a God of justice. How
blessedare all those who long (Heb = chakah= to wait, connotes an attitude of
earnestexpectationand confident hope) for Him (So when we long for and
pray for Messiah'sreturn, what will be our present reward? We will be
blessed!)." (Isaiah 30:18 - To Israel but applicable to all the elect). He will
make vindication for His electsaints. Petersaid that even in the midst of
suffering (this widow was suffering and the electare suffering - either in a
trial, just out of one or standing on the edge of one!) Jesus left"an example
for you to follow in His steps. (1 Peter2:21-note). Even the Son "kept
entrusting (paradidomi in the imperfect tense = overand over, againand
again- this is OUR Example!) Himself to Him who judges righteously" (1

151. Peter2:23-note) He will bring about perfectvindication, even as Paul affirms
in Romans 12 exhorting us "Nevertake your own revenge, beloved, but leave
room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCEIS MINE, I
WILL REPAY,” says the Lord." (Romans 12:19-note)
John the apostle records the testimony of the greatmultitude in heaven (who
have seenmuch of the "end" of the eschatologicalstoryso to speak)writing
After these things (WHAT THINGS?)I heard something like a loud voice of a
greatmultitude in heaven, saying, “Hallelujah! Salvationand glory and power
belong to our God(WHY?); BECAUSE HIS JUDGMENTS ARE TRUE AND
RIGHTEOUS (Quoting Ps 19:9) for (EXPLAINS THE "WHAT THINGS?")
He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting (MAKING "MORALLY
ROTTEN")the earth with her immorality, and HE HAS AVENGED (ekdikeo
= the same verb used in Luke 18:3-note!) THE BLOOD OF HIS BOND-
SERVANTS ON HER.” (Rev 19:1-2-note)
In this passagein the Revelation, it is clearthat God has done what He
promised He would accomplishfor His elect. He is true to His Word.
Wiersbe on the lesser(the widow and her rights, etc) and the greater(children
of God) - Consider the contrasts. To begin with, the woman was a stranger,
but we are the children of God, and God cares for His children (Luke 11:13).
The widow had no accessto the judge, but God’s children have an open access
into His presence and may come at any time to getthe help they need (Eph.
2:18; 3:12; Heb. 4:14–16;10:19–22).The woman had no friend at court to
help gether case onthe docket. All she could do was walk around outside the
tent and make a nuisance of herself as she shouted at the judge. But when
Christian believers pray, they have in heaven a Saviour who is Advocate (1
John 2:1) and High Priest(Heb. 2:17–18), who constantlyrepresents them

152. before the throne of God. When we pray, we can open the Word and claim the
many promises of God, but the widow had no promises that she could claim as
she tried to convince the judge to hear her case. We not only have God’s
unfailing promises, but we also have the Holy Spirit, who assistsus in our
praying (Rom. 8:26–27). Perhaps the greatestcontrastis that the widow came
to a court of law, but God’s children come to a throne of grace (Heb. 4:14–16).
She pled out of her poverty, but we have all of God’s riches available to us to
meet our every need (Phil. 4:19). The point is clear:if we fail to pray, our
condition spiritually will be just like that of the poor widow. That should
encourage us to pray! (Ibid)
Jamiesonon cry day and night - Whose every cry enters into the ears of the
Lord of Sabaoth(James 5:4), and how much more their incessantand
persevering cries!
Brian Bell - Does Godwant us to keeprunning to him asking for the same
thing over & over? [Does that bless you when your kids do that?] Or, is it a
blessing that they continue to see they need to be connectedto you? [i.e. a
continual coming, but not nec for the same thing] I know it’s not arm
wrestling God in prayer for something, because he said in 12:32, “fearnot
little flock, it’s your Fathers goodpleasure to give you the kingdom.” He’s
liberal, quick, He loves to answer!!! (speedily) Don’t ever think you need to
“wearhim down” until he acts on our behalf. As a FatherHe is sensitive to
our every need and ready to answerour prayers, in His perfect timing.
His electwho cry to Him day and night - And so His electwho "long to see one
of the days of the Son of Man" (Lk 17:22)cry to Him to return and bring
about justice for all the evil that has been committed (including the evil words,
thoughts and deeds of evil men againstus, His elect).

153. We see a parallel cry in Revelation6
When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of
those who had been slain because ofthe word of God, and because of the
testimony which they had maintained; 10 and they cried out with a loud voice,
saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and
avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth (see earth dwellers)?”
(Revelation6:9-10-note)
MacArthur comments that "We are those like the Thessalonians who "wait
for His Son from heaven, Whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, Who
rescues us from the wrath to come." (1 Thes 1:10-note) I don't think you can
live your Christian life the way the Lord wants you to live it unless you live it
in the light of the SecondComing. You cannotremove the SecondComing
out of the daily discourse ofthe church, out of your vocabulary or out of your
life without having significant implications on how you live and view
everything in life."
Undoubtedly this is why the Spirit inspired the NT writers to mention the
SecondComing of Christ so often! It is estimated that about one in every 20-
25 verses in the New Testamentspeaksdirectly or indirectly about the Second
Coming of Christ. Clearly God wants us to be living our temporal lives with a
Spirit enabled future focus!When was the last time you heard a sermonon
the SecondComing? When was the last time you encouragedanothersaint
with the truth of the SecondComing when God will bring about justice for
His children who have been wronged? And to the point of Jesus'parable,
when was the lasttime you prayed for Jesus to return?
Steven Cole - Jesus refers to His people here as His elect. This means that you
do not follow Jesus because youfirst chose Him, but rather because He first

154. chose you. He chose you totally apart from anything that He saw in you. He
did not choose you because He saw a spark of goodness in you. He did not
choose youbecause He saw that you would choose Him. He chose you
unconditionally while you were a rebellious sinner, so that His unmerited
favor would shine forth through you. If you do not believe in the doctrine of
God’s sovereign, unconditional election, you don’t believe what Jesus believed
and you rob yourself of a source of greatcomfort. Even when God’s answers
to your prayers are delayed, you can trust Him knowing that you are one of
His elect. (Luke 18:1-8 Persevering in Prayer)
Constable on elect - The term “elect” is a reminder that He has chosenthose
who call to Him (cf. Matt. 22:14;24:22, 24, 31, Mark 13:20, 22, 27). This is
another reasonHe will respond to their call.
Don't get put off by Jesus'choice ofthe term elect, which often sets off an
emotional firestorm in many folks! Think of it as "sons" or"daughters" in
the family of God. Leave the mystery of electionto God. Enjoy the intimacy of
the family relationship because ofour justification by faith in Jesus "through
Whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in
which we stand." (Ro 5:2-note) We have entree into the Throne Room of the
Father through His Son (Heb 4:16-note) and we need to cry out day and night.
Wiersbe - Jesus did not say that God’s people are like this woman; in fact, He
said just the opposite. Becausewe are not like her, we should be encouragedin
our praying. He arguedfrom the lesserto the greater:“If a poor widow got
what she deservedfrom a selfishjudge, how much more will God’s children
receive what is right from a loving Heavenly Father!”
William MacDonaldhas an interesting thought - The electhere might refer in
a specialsense to the Jewishremnant during the Tribulation Period, but it is

155. also true of all oppressedbelievers in every age. (God's Word Translationhas
a similar thought "Won'tGod give his chosenpeople justice when they cry out
to him")
Elect(chosen)(1588)(eklektosfrom verb eklegowhich in middle voice
[eklegomai]means selectorpick out for one's self which is derived from ek
=out + lego =call)means literally the "calledout ones" or "chosenoutones".
The idea of eklektosis the ones who have been chosenfor one's self, selected
out of a largernumber. Luke uses ekletos only one other time to describe "the
Christ of God, His ChosenOne." (Lk 23:35). Jesus uses ekletos three times in
the eschatologicalsectionofMatthew, the Olivet Discourse -Mt 24:22, 24, 31-
note (cf Mark 13:20, 22, 27).
Ekletos - 22xin 22v- Matt. 22:14;Matt. 24:22; Matt. 24:24; Matt. 24:31;Mk.
13:20;Mk. 13:22;Mk. 13:27;Lk. 18:7; Lk. 23:35;Rom. 8:33; Rom. 16:13;
Col. 3:12; 1 Tim. 5:21; 2 Tim. 2:10; Tit. 1:1; 1 Pet. 1:1; 1 Pet. 2:4; 1 Pet. 2:6; 1
Pet. 2:9; 2 Jn. 1:1; 2 Jn. 1:13; Rev. 17:14
RelatedResourcesonELECTION:
Click here for many resources onelection(this list has many resources NOT
listed below)
Who are the electof God?
How can I know if I am one of the elect?
What is conditional election?
Unconditional election- is it biblical?
What does Petermean when he tells us to make our calling and electionsure
in 2 Peter1:10?

156. How are predestinationand electionconnectedwith foreknowledge?
Daniel Wallace -My Understanding of the Doctrine of Election
List of Multiple Topics on Election, Including Quesitons
Wayne Barber's sermon Chosenin Christ
Making Your Calling and ElectionSure - 2 Peter1:10-11
What is the Doctrine of Election - John MacArthur
The Doctrine of Election, Part 1 - John MacArthur
The Doctrine of Election, Part 2 - John MacArthur
What does the Bible teachabout election? - John MacArthur
Electionand Predestination:The Sovereigntyof God in Salvation - A Panel
Discussionwith John MacArthur
Is the Doctrine of ElectionBiblical - John MacArthur
Is the Doctrine of ElectionUnfair? - John MacArthur
Election- Bob Utley
Election/Predestinationand the Needfor A TheologicalBalance -Bob Utley
Day and night is a Jewishidiomatic expressionthat means "constantly," or
"all the time". Anna the prophetess "prayed without ceasing"
And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of
Asher. She was advancedin years and had lived with her husband sevenyears
after her marriage, 37 and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She
never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers. (Luke
2:36, 37-note, cf1 Ki 8:59, 2 Chr 6:20, Neh1:6, Ps 1:2, Ps 32:4, Rev 4:8, et al)

157. Comment: And for what do you think she was praying? Luke gives us a clue
that at leasta component of her prayers were for Messiah's coming and thus
she was engagedin "eschatologicalprayer" (now she may not have
understood the distinction betweenthe first and secondcomings)for Luke
records "At that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God,
and continued to speak ofHim to all those who were looking for the
redemption of Jerusalem." (Luke 2:38-note). She was one of the redeemed
remnant of Israel (God always had a portion of Israel which were genuine
believers)who was looking for their Redeemer. Ponderthis thought - if the
first century Jewishbelievers were looking for the Redeemer, should not
twenty-first century saints also be assiduouslylooking for the Redeemer?
That's clearlya rhetorical question which calls for a "Yes!"
Will He delay long overthem - This is the secondrhetoricalquestion, for
regardless ofthe "delay" in terms of years, such a "delay" pales in
comparisonto eternity! And as Peteradmonishes "do not let this one fact
escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years,
and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as
some count slowness."(2 Peter3:8-9-note) God will bring about justice for
His elect!
MacArthur says will He delay long over them is better translated"and be
patient over them." Yes, “Is not God exercising patience?”is what this
means. How do you know that? Makrothumeo is the word. It means to be
patient. Do not we expecta delay because Godis being patient over His
people? What does that mean? It's really a profoundly important word. The
long interval betweenthe first and the SecondComing of Jesus is a period in
which God is exercising patience, “patience overTHEM." THEM is goes back
to Lk 17:22, so "them" is the disciples, those who are His own. He is being
patient over them... But this is Makrothumeo...fromtwo Greek words.
Makros technicalmeaning is “far distant.” It means “long” with regardto
space, or“long” with regardto distance, remote. Thumos is anger. The word

158. makrothumeo means to be remote in anger, angerremoved far, far away. And
our Lord is saying He is coming, He will come, He will vindicate His own, He
will glorify Himself, He will judge sinners. But He has removed to a far
distance His wrath for a long, long time. This describes what Exodus 34 says
about God, that He is slow to anger. Godhas a right to judge, but He also has
a right to be merciful. God will judge in His own time. But Petertells us the
answerto this little dilemma, 2 Peter 3:9, "Godis not willing that any should
perish, but that all should come to repentance." So in 2 Peter3:15 Petersays
this, "The makrothumia of God is salvation." What's He waiting for? He's
waiting for the salvationof His elect. He's waiting until they're all gathered
in. You don't want Him here any soonerthan that. And when the lastof the
electare gatheredin, then the end will come. Yes, He will satisfyhis wrath,
but not until He has satisfiedHis grace. This, by the way, is the meaning of
makrothumia every time it is used with reference to God. It is used with
reference to Godin Romans 2:4, Romans 9:22, 1 Peter3:20, 2 Peter3:9,15, 1
Timothy 1:16. In eachof those cases itmeans that God withholds His wrath
at a distance. T.W. Mansontold a story that came from the old rabbis and this
is the story. There was a king who was a very compassionateking. He
wanted to rule his people with compassionand so he determined that his army
would be stationedmany miles from the city. And when he was askedby the
wise men of the city why he would station his army many miles from the city,
because they would be so far removed from civil disobedience that people
would get awaywith things and they wouldn't be able to getthere in time, he
said this, according to the rabbis. Thaton any occasionofsuch rebellion in
the city, it will take a long time to bring the soldiers here and this will be time
for the rebels to come to their senses. And so said the rabbis, it is argued that
God keeps His wrath at a distance in order for Israelto have time to repent.
And not just Israel, but Gentiles as well. That's again2 Peter3:15, "Consider
the makrothumia of the Lord as salvation." Godwill send Christ to judge
and setup His kingdom and vindicate His elect, but not until His mercy in
salvationis satisfiedin full and all the electare in.
Jamiesonon will He delay long over them - 1.) The verb makrothumeo means
to be long-suffering, or to endure patiently. Such is its usual rendering in the

159. New Testament. (2.)Them (autois) refers not to the persecutors of God’s elect,
but to the electthemselves. (3.) The secondarymeaning of restraining or
delaying may fairly be deduced from the verb, and explained either (a) of
delaying punishment, or (b) of delaying sympathy or help.
Robertson- Goddelays taking vengeance onbehalf of His people, not through
indifference, but through patient forbearance.
Leon Morris - More plausible is the view that the words render a Semitic
expressionmeaning ‘He postpones His wrath’, i.e. God’s delay in vindicating
the electis in order to give people the opportunity to repent. (TNTC-Luke)
Expositor's Bible Commentary - The point of the verse is that God patiently
listens to his electas they pray in their continuing distress, waiting for the
proper time to acton their behalf.
ESV Study Bible says will He delay long over them - probably means, “Will
God be patient much longer as he sees his electsuffer?” The implied answeris
no."
Delay(3114)(makrothumeo from makros = long, distant, far off, large +
thumos = temper, passion, emotionor thumoomai = to be furious or burn with
intense anger;See related word makrothumia) literally describes prolonged
restraint of thumos, of emotion, angeror agitation. It means one's temper is
long (as opposedto "shorttempered) and does not give way to a short or
quick temper toward those who fail. Luke's use in this context conveys more
of the simple meaning of delay or as one lexicon says "perhaps be slow to help
them or delay to help them." (UBS)

160. Other passagesspeakofthe truth that God will not delay...
Habakkuk 2:3-note “Forthe vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens
toward the goaland it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait (Lxx = hupomeno
in the aoristimperative = do this now!) for it; For it will certainly come, it will
not delay.
The Hebrew verb wait for is chakah. It is used in the following examples of
"eschatologicalwaiting." The book of Daniel closeswith a blessing for those
who would wait for the fulfillment of the prophecies (Dan 12:12-note). The
Lord declares, “Waitfor me” (Zeph 3:8-note). The expressions “to waitfor
the Lord” in Isa 8:17-note and “to waitfor him” in Isa 64:4, connote an
attitude of earnestexpectationand confident hope. In Isaiah 64:4 we read
"Forfrom of old they have not heard nor perceivedby ear, Neitherhas the
eye seena God besides Thee, Who acts in behalf of the one who waits for
Him."
Henry Morris - The fulfillment of God's promises (or warnings) may seemto
tarry by our reckoning. But God has an appointed time for their
accomplishment, and we can be sure it will come on time (Josh 23:14), for He
does not lie (Titus 1:2-note, Nu 23:19). In the New Testament, this truth which
Habakkuk applied to the coming Chaldean invasion is quoted in reference to
the promised return of Christ (Hebrews 10:36,37).To we who long for His
return, it may seemthat He is "tarrying." But we need to be patient, to
"occupytill [He] come[s]" (Luke 19:13-note), and to be ready. (Defender's
Study Bible)
Like a number of OT prophecies that have a dual fulfillment, Habakkuk's
words have a near fulfillment with Babylon's invasion but also a far future

161. fulfillment with the King of kings'"invasion," which the prophet did not
understand. See the near and far fulfillment schematic below...
Hebrews 10:35-37-note Therefore,do not throw away your confidence
(CONTEXT IS JEWISHBELIEVERS WHO WERE SUFFERING FOR
THEIR BELIEF IN MESSIAH), which has a greatreward. 36 For you have
need of endurance (CF WAITING ON JEHOVAH - PRAYING AT ALL
TIMES FOR HIS RETURN!), so that when you have done the will of God,
you may receive whatwas promised (AND LUKE 18:7 SAYS PART OF
THAT "PROMISE"IS VINDICATION, PERFECT JUSTICE!THIS
TRUTH SHOULD HELP RESTRAIN US FROM SEEKING OUR OWN
VENGEANCE!cf Ro 12:17-21-note). 37 FOR YET IN A VERY LITTLE
WHILE, HE WHO IS COMING WILL COME, AND WILL NOT DELAY.
Max Lucado - God’s GoodTiming
God will always give what is right to his people who cry to him night and day,
and he will not be slow to answerthem.LUKE 18:7
Why does God wait until the money is gone? Why does he wait until the
sicknesshas lingered? Why does he choose to wait until the other side of the
grave to answerthe prayers for healing? I don’t know. I only know his timing
is always right. I can only say he will do what is best.… Thoughyou hear
nothing, he is speaking. Thoughyou see nothing, he is acting. With God there
are no accidents. Everyincident is intended to bring us closerto him. (Grace
for the Moment)

162. Luke 18:8 "I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly.
However, when the Sonof Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?"
He will: Ps 46:5 143:7-9 2Pe 2:3 3:8,9
when the Son of Man comes:Mt 24:9-13,241Th5:1-3 Heb 10:23-26 Jas 5:1-8
Luke 18 Resources- Multiple Sermons and Commentaries
Luke 18:1-8 Persevering in Prayer - Steven Cole
Luke 18:1-8 - PersistentPrayerfor the Lord's Return - John MacArthur
SPEEDYJUSTICE
FOR THE ELECT
I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly - Jesus uses the
idiom en tacheiwhich means quickly, suddenly and so He is promising that
when it happens it will happen suddenly. His justice on behalf of the electwill
be sudden, sure and complete! But we are to keeppraying and persisting in
prayer and not lose heart because He is waiting to gatherin all His elect.
Darrell Bock - “Godlongs to vindicate the saints, and he will do so. When he
does, his justice will be swift and sure, and our suffering will seemshort-lived
compared to the glory to follow. In the meantime he protects us.”
He will bring about justice - see comments above on this same phrase in Lk
18:7.
Quickly (5034)(tachos)with speed, haste, swiftness;adverbially as in Lk 18:8
("en tachei")means without delay, at once, speedily. Tachos is used in the

163. first and lastchapter of the Revelationof Jesus Christ (Rev 1:1-note , Rev
22:6-note after which Jesus says "Iam coming quickly [related word
"tachu"]." Rev22:7) and in Romans 16:20, all of these uses being in an
eschatologicalsetting just as with Luke 18:8 and all refer directly or indirectly
to Christ's SecondComing, which makes it clearthat tachos translated as
quickly does not mean immediately. The idea of tachos is better understood as
meaning swiftly. In other words, when God acts it will be swift. So once God
begins to act(in presence contextbring about justice) He will move fast or do
it in a short time.
See Tony Garland's in depth analysis of the use of tachos in Revelation1:1-
note
Tachos - 7x in 7v - quickly(3), shortly(1), soon(3).
Luke 18:8 “I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly.
However, when the Sonof Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”
Acts 12:7 And behold, an angelof the Lord suddenly appearedand a light
shone in the cell; and he struck Peter’s side and woke him up, saying, “Getup
quickly.” And his chains fell off his hands.
Acts 22:18 and I saw Him saying to me, ‘Make haste, and get out of
Jerusalemquickly, because they will not acceptyour testimony about Me.’
Acts 25:4 Festus then answeredthat Paul was being kept in custody at
Caesarea andthat he himself was about to leave shortly.

164. Romans 16:20 The God of peace will sooncrush Satanunder your feet. The
grace ofour Lord Jesus be with you.
Revelation1:1-note The Revelationof Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to
show to His bond-servants, the things which must soontake place;and He
sent and communicated it by His angelto His bond-servant John,
Revelation22:6 And he said to me, “These words are faithful and true”; and
the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show to His
bond-servants the things which must soontake place.
Tachos - 36xin 35vin the Septuagint -
Ex. 32:7 = “Go down at once" (cfDt 9:12); Nu 16:46 = "bring it quickly to the
congregationand make atonement for them"; Deut. 7:4; Deut. 7:22; Deut.
9:12; Deut. 28:20;Jos. 8:18; Jos. 8:19 = "The men in ambush rose quickly
from their place";Jos. 10:6;Jdg. 2:23; Jdg. 7:9; Jdg. 9:54; 1 Sam. 23:22; 1 Ki.
22:9 = “Bring quickly Micaiahsonof Imlah.”; 1 Chr. 12:8; 2 Chr. 18:8; Est.
8:12; Ps. 2:12; Ps. 6:10; Ps. 147:15 ="His word runs very swiftly. "; Isa. 5:19;
Ezek. 29:5; Dan. 9:21;
Ryrie on quickly - Not necessarilyimmediately, but quickly when the answer
begins to come.
Steven Cole on quickly - What does Jesus meanwhen He says that justice will
come quickly? Here we are almost 2,000 years later, and Jesus has not
returned to rescue His needy people. We all know stories of faithful saints who
have prayed for something all their lives, but their prayers went unanswered.

165. What does quickly mean? We must understand it from God’s timetable, not
ours. With the Lord, a thousand years are like a day or as a watch in the night
(2 Pet. 3:8-note; Ps 90:4 "Fora thousand years in Your sight Are like
yesterdaywhen it passes by, Or as a watchin the night."). He told Noahthat
there would be a flood (cf Luke 17:26-27-note),but over 100 years went by
without a drop of rain while Noahendured his mocking neighbors (ED:
MOST GET THIS TIME OF >100 YEARS FROM Ge 6:3). He promised
Abraham a son, but he watchedSarahgo through menopause and 25 years
elapsedbefore Isaac was born. He promised Josephin his teenage years
through his dreams that his father and brothers would bow down to him, but
he spent his twenties in an Egyptian dungeon. He promised to deliver His
people from bondage in Egypt, but 400 long years went by before He raised
up Moses, andthat only after Moses spent 40 years in the desert after his
failure. He promised to send His Messiah, but His people had to wait400
years after the lastprophet before (cf Mal 3:1-note), in the fullness of time,
God sent His Son (Gal. 4:4). Quickly by God’s "calendar" is not quickly by
ours! One answerto the problem of delayed answers to our prayers is to geta
proper view of God. (Luke 18:1-8 Persevering in Prayer)
When the Son of Man comes refers not to the Rapture but His visible Second
Coming at the end of this present evil age. And remember that Jesus has just
describedwhat it will be like when He returns....
“And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of
the Sonof Man: 27 they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying,
they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noahentered the ark,
and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 “It was the same as happened
in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying,
they were selling, they were planting, they were building; 29 but on the day
that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heavenand
destroyedthem all. 30 “It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man
is revealed. 31“Onthat day, the one who is on the housetopand whose goods

166. are in the house must not go down to take them out; and likewise the one who
is in the field must not turn back. 32“RememberLot’s wife. (Luke 17:26-32)
So clearly from this passagein Luke 17 Jesus tells us “It will be just the same
on the day that the Son of Man is revealed." In other words, the earth will be
filled with people who lack faith in Him, just as they did in the days of Noah
and Lot, both in describing judgment, which will also be the case whenthe
Son of Man is revealed. And so He asks willHe find faith on earth?
When the Son of Man comes - The specific name Son of Man is found 6 times
in the concluding eschatologicalsectionofthe previous chapter (Lk. 17:22-
note; Lk. 17:24; Lk. 17:26;Lk. 17:30)which is further evidence that this
parable is closelylinked with that eschatologicalsection.
All of Luke's uses of Sonof Man -
Lk. 5:24; Lk. 6:5; Lk. 6:22; Lk. 7:34; Lk. 9:22; Lk. 9:26; Lk. 9:44; Lk. 9:56;
Lk. 9:58; Lk. 11:30; Lk. 12:8; Lk. 12:10; Lk. 12:40; Lk. 17:22;Lk. 17:24; Lk.
17:26;Lk. 17:30;Lk. 18:8; Lk. 18:31;Lk. 19:10; Lk. 21:27;Lk. 21:36;Lk.
22:22;Lk. 22:48;Lk. 22:69; Lk. 24:7
MacArthur assumes you may be asking "How do you know this is a Second
Coming section?" Verse 8 is the key for at the end of the verse Jesus asks
"when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?" Will He find
this kind of persevering faith? Will He find this kind of persevering prayer?
Will He find this kind of enduring confidence? This is definitely
eschatologicalpraying. We don't know when the events that are the Second
Coming will begin. We don't know when the day of the Lord is going to come,
but 2,000 years have passedby. Believers have been waiting and suffering at

167. the hand of sinners. And sin escalateswhile evil men grow worse and worse.
We see the pollution inside and outside Christendom. False teachers abound.
And followers ofChrist continue to endeavor to endure and remain true and
faithful, trusting in the Word of God. We have been promised that He will
come. We believe that He will come. And here He says, "Keeppraying for
that event." He will come but part of the means of His coming is our prayer
life. Prayer moves God to accomplishHis work and therefore having
accomplishedHis work, bringing it to its greatculmination in His Second
Coming. He will come. He promises He will come. He will be faithful to His
elect. He will bring judgment to the ungodly. He will vindicate the saints. He
will exalt Himself. He will establishHis throne on earth. He will reign in a
kingdom on earth and after that He will establishthe new heaven and the new
earth. And that is what we are to pray for relentlessly. This takes us back to
Matthew 6:10 and Luke 11:2. "Whenyou pray, pray like this: ‘Our Father
who art in heaven, Thy kingdom come.’" This is kingdom praying. This is
praying for the kingdom to come, for the Lord to punish the ungodly, reclaim
the earth, mete out righteous judgment, vindicate His elect, establishHis glory
on the earth, vanquish Satan, take His throne, and establishthe glorious
fulfillment of all His promises. So againI say: The keyto the parable hangs at
the front door. We know what this story is about. We are to be living our lives
saying, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus." (Luke 18:1-8 - PersistentPrayerfor the
Lord's Return)
Darrell Bock onwill He find faith - When Jesus returns, will He find faith on
earth—that is, will people persevere in looking for His return?
Ryrie on will He find faith on the earth - Does notargue for improved
spiritual conditions in the world before Christ's return.
MacArthur Study Bible - This suggests thatwhen He returns, the true faith
will be comparatively rare—as in the days of Noah(Lk 17:26), when only 8

168. souls were saved. The period before His return will be marked by persecution,
apostasy, and unbelief (Mt 24:9–13, 24).
Constable - Jesus’final question suggeststhat there will be few on the earth
who believe in Him when He returns (Lk 17:22–18:1-note).Rememberthat
the SecondComing is in view, not the Rapture....Prayernot only secures
God’s help during persecution, but it also demonstrates faith in God...The
parable is an exhortation to persevere in the faith rather than apostatizing
(i.e., turning awayfrom it). God will vindicate His electat the SecondComing
(cf. Ps. 25:2–3;Rev. 6:9–11-note). Thatwill be His ultimate answerto these
prayers of His people, but immediate help before that coming is primarily in
view in this parable.
Leon Morris - When he asks whetherthe Son of man will find faith on earth,
he is not suggesting that there will be no believers. He is saying that the
characteristic ofthe world’s people at that time will not be faith. (TNTC-
Luke)
Wiersbe on will He find faith - The question in Luke 18:8 ties in with what
Jesus taught in Luke 17:22–37:“ShallHe find [that kind of] faith on the
earth?” The end times will not be days of great faith. Eight people were saved
in Noah’s day, and only four out of Sodom (and one of them perished on the
way). Passageslike 1 Timothy 4 and 2 Timothy 3 paint a dark picture of the
last days. (Ibid)
Criswell- "Will He find faith on the earth?" underscores the concernof Jesus
that the disciples not be shakenin their faith and confidence in Him.
(Believer's Study Bible)

169. R Kent Hughes - As we live in the not yet, longing for the return of the Son of
Man, Jesus’closing questionhas the same force as it did in A.D. 33:
“However, whenthe Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” (v.
8b). Jesus’question implies that such faith will not be found on earth unless
his disciples learn to “always pray and not give up” (v. 1b). Jesus was saying
that continual prayer until he comes is not only the evidence of faith, but the
means of building faith until his return. The God to whom we pray is not like
the unjust judge who could only be badgeredinto responding, for our God is
loving and gracious. And we are not like the nameless widow, for we are his
chosenones. Because ofthis, he delights to hear and quickly answerour
prayers until he comes. “Whenthe Sonof Man comes, willhe find faith on the
earth?” Yes, he will, if we have learnedto live a life of prayer in the not yet.
(Preaching the Word - Luke)
MacArthur observes that Jesus "closeswith a question, "However, whenthe
Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?" What does that mean?
Jesus is just asking the question that when He does come, given that it's going
to be a long time, will there be anybody left who is persistent like this widow?
When He does come will He find people praying for His return? I think that if
He were to come now He would find many who callthemselves Christians
seldom praying for His coming....WhenHe comes, will He find His people still
crying day and night, eagerlywaiting for His return? Will we love His
appearing (2 Ti 4:8-note)? Will we be crying out “Maranatha”? (1 Cor16:22)
which means "Our Lord, come!" We live in hope, beloved (cf Titus 2:13-note).
We are true Christians and have been given a tremendous promise. This is
how it is going to end. In the meantime we suffer and we are rejectedand
persecutedand alienatedand the Gospelis resistedand Christ is dishonored
and sometimes we think it is going on too long. But we are to continue to pray
and plead for the glory and honor of Christ. And when we live and pray and
plead that way, it changes everything about our life. Yes it's been 2,000 years,
but our hope burns bright, and our love for Christ is still true and pure and
our confidence that He will keepHis Word is fastand firm. And so we pray
persistently, calling on Him to come, to glorify Himself, to vindicate Himself,
to punish sinners, dethrone Satan, establishHis righteous kingdom, bring

170. peace on the earth, reign as King of kings and Lord of lords and then to create
the eternalnew heaven and the new earth. We say, "Evenso, come, Lord
Jesus." This wordought to be on our lips day after day, says our Lord. Live in
that kind of anticipation until He comes. And watchhow it changes your life.
(PersistentPrayerfor the Lord's Return)
Darrell Bock sums up Luke 18:1-8 - So Jesus urges prayer and perseverance.
God will vindicate his saints. Trust him to do so and keeppraying for his
return, which is the vindication of the saints. We should pray because, unlike
the judge in the parable, God is not grudging about granting our desires for
justice. And we should keepasking for the vindication of the people of God;
our patience and willingness to make this requestshould never run out. By
continuing to make the request, we stay sensitive to the need for justice to
come. So like the nagging widow, just keepasking. (IVP NT Commentary -
Luke)
R Kent Hughes has some practicalpoints on what do you do when you pray
and God seems to be silent - But many are still discouragedby God’s seeming
silence. We need to learn that in the silence our loving God is answering,
whether we see his working or not, for he delights to answerhis children’s
prayers. Sometimes the silence means that God’s answeris a loving no.
Perhaps we askedamiss, or though the request was good, a better way is
coming. Far better for Paul than the removal of his thorn was God’s sufficient
grace, whichwas perfectedin his weakness. This is why he could write, “By
the grace ofGod I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect.
No, I workedharder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that
was with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10). Also, sometimes the silence means that
God has a biggeranswerin store than we could ever have dreamed of or
askedfor. As OswaldChambers explained, “Some prayers are followedby
silence because theyare wrong, others because theyare bigger than we can
understand. It will be a wonderful moment for some of us when we stand
before God and find that the prayers we clamouredfor in early days and

171. imagined were never answered, have been answeredin the most amazing way,
and that God’s silence has been the sign of the answer.” Further, sometimes
the silence ofGod is meant to instill dependence upon him. In the case ofPaul
he was left with his thorn so that he would lean entirely upon God. We are so
prone to independence that the granting of certain of our requests would lead
us to self-sufficiency, pride, and independence. There can be no better way to
cultivate a sense of dependence upon God than the need for persistentor
determined prayer. Sometimes the silence is a delay to allow our prayers to
mature. If Godhad answeredour prayers according to our schedule, our
prayers would not have been honed by the Spirit for our greatergoodand his
glory. (Preaching the Word - Luke)
Before the Face ofGod - A Haunting Question
“However, whenthe Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
[Luke 18:8b]
Jesus told of the persistentwidow to encourage his disciples to persevere in
faith. He knew how dark and bleak would be the days betweenthe ascension
and his return. His words were meant to invigorate the disciples for the
challenge, to regulate their thinking and actions in accordancewith priorities
of the kingdom They were to be consumedwith a passionfor justice before his
throne and to look for him to return to settle all accounts justly.
Jesus then tackedon an unexpectedquestion. He askedhis followers if, at his
return, he would find anyone on earth with true faith in God.
Imagine a question like that from the lips of Jesus. He is talking to his
disciples, but the Pharisees were listening. He asks, “WhenI come back, will I
find a faithful generation that has perseveredin prayer, or will I find another
generationlike these godless Phariseeswho have negotiatedawaytheir faith?”

172. Is it any wonder that the Pharisees incitedthe crowds to demand Jesus’
death? Their bowl of wrath was beginning to overflow.
This verse has always haunted me, and sometimes I have prayed, “Lord, if
you return in my lifetime, I promise that you will find faith on this planet,
because you will find it in me.” But we have to be carefulabout making glib
statements like this, because it is only by the grace ofGod that we can
persevere in any kind of faithfulness.
Jesus hints that when he returns it will not be to a generationmarkedby great
faithfulness, but rather it will be a time when he has to searchfor real,
persevering faith. Many have noted that our day seems to be such a time.
Accommodationto the world is all too common.
The parable is relevant, not only to the final coming of Jesus, but also to his
comings in history. Who canknow when Christ will come? It may be tonight.
And who canknow when Christ will come to judge a given nation? If our land
does not repent, surely her days are numbered. When he comes for you, what
will he find?
Will the Son of Man Find Faith on Earth?
This is a hard saying in the sense that no one canbe quite sure what it means,
especiallyin relation to its context. When a question is askedin Greek, it is
often possible to determine, from the presence of one particle or another,
whether the answerexpectedis yes or no. But no such help is given with this
one. Many commentators assume that the answerimplied here is no, but in
form at leastit is a completely open question.
Luke is the only Evangelistwho records the question, and he places it at the
end of the parable of the persistent widow—the widow who refused to take no
for an answer. Jesus toldthis parable, says Luke, to teachhis disciples that
“they should always pray and not give up” (Lk 18:1). But what has this
purpose to do with the Son of Man finding faith on earth when he comes?

173. The widow in the parable showedfaith of an unusually persevering quality—
not personalfaith in the unjust judge whom she pestered until he granted her
petition to keepher quiet, but faith in the efficacyof persistent “prayer.” The
point of the story seems to be this: if even a consciencelessjudge, who “neither
fearedGod nor caredabout men,” saw to it that a widow got her rights, not
for the sake ofseeing justice done but to get restfrom her importunity, how
much more will God, who is no unjust judge but a loving Father, listen to his
children’s plea for vindication! It is vindication that they seek, justas the
widow insistedon getting her rights, of which someone was trying to deprive
her.
Then comes the question: “Whenthe Son of Man comes, will he find faith on
earth?” It is possible indeed that it is Luke who attaches the question to the
parable, and that in Jesus’teaching it had some other context which is no
longerrecoverable. T. W. Mansonleant to the view that “the Sonof Man”
does not bear its specialmeaning here—thatthe sense is “Men and women
ought to have implicit faith that God will vindicate his electpeople, that
righteousness willtriumph over evil. But when one comes and looks for such
faith—when, for example, I come and look for it—is it anywhere to be
found?” The answerimplied by this interpretation is no—people in general, it
is suggested, do not really expectGod to vindicate his chosenones, nor do they
at heart desire the triumph of righteousness overevil.
But perhaps we should look at a wider context than this one parable. The
coming of the Sonof Man is a major theme in the preceding sectionof Luke’s
record, in the discourse of Jesus about“the day when the Sonof Man is
revealed” (Lk 17:22–37). The lessonimpressedby this discourse on the
hearers is that they must keepon the alert and be ready for that day when it
comes. Whenit comes, Godwill vindicate his righteous cause and therewith
the cause ofhis people who trust him. But they must trust him and not lose
heart; they must here and now continue faithfully in the work assignedto
them. (This is the lessonalso ofthe parable of the pounds in Lk 19:11–27.)
The Son of Man, whose revelationwill be like the lightning, illuminating “the
sky from one end to the other” (Lk 17:24), will be able to survey the earth to
see if there is any faith on it, any “faithful and wise steward” whom his master
when he comes will find loyally fulfilling his service (Lk 12:42–44 RSV).

174. So the question “Will he find faith on earth?” remains open in fact as in form:
its answerdepends on the faithfulness of those who wait to render accountof
their stewardshipwhen he calls for it. (Hard Sayings of the Bible)
WILLIAM BARCLAY
UNWEARIED IN PRAYER (Luke 18:1-8)
18:1-8 Jesus spoke a parable to them to show that it is necessaryalways to
pray and not to lose heart. "There was a judge," he said, "in a town who
neither fearedGod nor respectedman. There was a widow in the same town
who kept coming to him and saying, 'Vindicate me againstmy adversary.'For
some time he refused. But afterwards he said to himself, 'Even though I
neither fear Godnor respectman, because she bothers me, I will vindicate this
widow, lest by her constantcoming she exhausts me.'" The Lord said, "Listen
to what the unjust judge says. And shall God not vindicate his ownchosen
ones who cry to him day and night, even though he seemto wait for long? But
when the Son of Man comes will he find faith on earth?"
This parable tells of the kind of thing which could, and often did, happen.
There are two characters in it.
(i) The judge was clearly not a Jewishjudge. All ordinary Jewishdisputes
were takenbefore the elders, and not into the public courts at all. If, under
Jewishlaw, a matter was takento arbitration, one man could not constitute a

175. court. There were always three judges, one chosenby the plaintiff, one by the
defendant, and one independently appointed.
This judge was one of the paid magistrates appointed either by Herod or by
the Romans. Suchjudges were notorious. Unless a plaintiff had influence and
money to bribe his wayto a verdict he had no hope of ever getting his case
settled. These judges were said to pervert justice for a dish of meat. People
even punned on their title. Officially they were calledDayyaneh Gezeroth,
which means judges of prohibitions or punishments. Popularly they were
calledDayyaneh Gezeloth, which means robber judges.
(ii) The widow was the symbol of all who were poor and defenceless. It was
obvious that she, without resource ofany kind, had no hope of ever extracting
justice from such a judge. But she had one weapon--persistence. It is possible
that what the judge in the end feared was actualphysical violence. The word
translated, lest she exhausts me, can mean, lest she give me a black eye. It is
possible to close a person's eye in two ways--eitherby sleep or by assaultand
battery! In either event, in the end her persistence wonthe day.
This parable is like the parable of the Friend at Midnight. It does not liken
God to an unjust judge; it contrasts him to such a person. Jesus was saying,
"If, in the end, an unjust and rapacious judge can be weariedinto giving a
widow womanjustice, how much more will God, who is a loving Father, give
his children what they need?"
That is true, but it is no reasonwhy we should expectto get whateverwe pray
for. Often a father has to refuse the request of a child, because he knows that
what the child asks wouldhurt rather than help. God is like that. We do not
know what is to happen in the next hour, let alone the next week, ormonth, or
year. Only God sees time whole, and, therefore, only God knows whatis good

176. for us in the long run. That is why Jesus saidwe must never be discouragedin
prayer. That is why he wonderedif men's faith would stand the long delays
before the Son of Man should come. We will never grow weary in prayer and
our faith will never falter if, after we have offered to God our prayers and
requests, we add the perfectprayer, Thy will be done.
ALBERT BARNES
Verse 1
A parable - See the notes at Matthew 13:3.
To this end - To show this.
Always - At all times. That is, we must not neglectregular statedseasonsof
prayer; we must seize on occasionsofremarkable providences as afflictions or
signalblessings to seek Godin prayer; we must “always” maintain a spirit of
prayer, or be in a proper frame to lift up our hearts to God for his blessing,
and we must not grow wearythough our prayer seems not to be answered.
Not to faint - Not to grow wearyor give over. The parable is designedto teach
us that, though our prayers should long appearto be unanswered, we should
persevere, and not grow wearyin supplication to God.
Verse 2
A judge which fearednot God - One appointed by law to determine causes
brought before him. This judge had no reverence for God, and consequently
no regard for the rights of man. These two things go together. He that has no

177. regard for God can be expectedto have none for man; and our Lord has here
indirectly taught us what ought to be the characterof a judge that he
“should” fear God and regardthe rights of man. Compare Deuteronomy
1:16-17.
Regardedman - cared not for man. Had no respectfor the opinions or the
rights of man.
Verse 3
A widow - This is a circumstance that gives increasing interest to the parable.
Judges were bound to show specialattentionto widows, Isaiah1:17; Jeremiah
22:3. The reasonof this was that they were defenseless,were commonly poor,
and were liable to be oppressedby those in power.
Avenge me - This would have been better translated, “Do me justice against
my adversary, or vindicate me from him.” It does not denote vengeance or
revenge, but simply that she wished to have “justice” done her - a thing which
this judge was “bound” to do, but which it seems he had no disposition to do.
Adversary - One opposed in law. In this case it seems that the judge was
unwilling to do justice, and probably took advantage of her condition to
oppress her.
Verse 4-5
For a while - Probably this means for a “considerable”time. It was his duty to
attend to the claims of justice, but this was long delayed.

178. Within himself - He thought, or came to a conclusion.
Though I fear not … - This contains the reasonwhy he attended to the case at
all. It was not from any regard to justice, or to the duties of his office. It was
simply to avoid “trouble.” And yet his conduct in this case might have
appearedvery upright, and possibly might have been strictly according to law
and to justice. How many actions are performed that “appearwell,” when the
doers of those actions know that they are mere hypocrisy! and how many
actions are performed from the basestand lowestmotives of “selfishness,”
that have the appearance of external propriety and even of goodness!
She wearyme - The word used here, in the original, is that which was
employed to denote the wounds and bruises causedby “boxers,” who beat
eachother, and blackentheir eyes, and disable them. See the notes at 1
Corinthians 9:27. Hence, it means any vexatious and troublesome importunity
that takes the time, and disables from other employment.
Verse 6
Hear … - Give attention to this, and derive from it practicalinstruction.
sa40
Verse 7
Shall not God avenge … - We are not to suppose that the characterof God is
at all representedby this judge, or that “his” principles of conduct are at all
like those of the judge. This parable shows us conclusivelythat many
“circumstances” ofa parable are not to be interpreted closely:they are mere
appendages to the narrative. The greattruth which our Saviour “designed” to

179. teachis what we ought to endeavor to find. In this case there canbe no doubt
what that truth is. He has himself told us that it is, that “men ought always to
pray and not to faint.” This he teaches by the example in the parable; and the
argument which it implies is this:
1.A poor widow, by her perseverance only, obtained from an unjust man what
otherwise she would “not” have obtained.
2.Godis not unjust. He is good, and disposedto do justice and to bestow
mercy.
If, therefore, this “wickedman” by persevering prayer was induced to do
justice, how much more shall “God,” who is good, and who is not actuatedby
any such selfishand base principles, do justice to them who apply to him!
Avenge - Do justice to or vindicate them. This may have a twofold reference.
1. To the disciples in the time of Jesus, who were about to be oppressedand
persecuted, and over whom calamities were aboutto come, “as if” Goddid not
regard their cries and had forsakenthem. To them Jesus gives the assurance
that God “would” hear their petitions and come forth to vindicate them; and
that, notwithstanding all these calamities, he would yet appear for their
deliverance.
2. It may have a more “general” meaning. The people of God are often
oppressed, calumniated, persecuted. They are few in number and feeble. They
seemto be almostforsakenand castdown, and their enemies triumph. Yet in
due time God will hear their prayers, and will come forth for their

180. vindication. And evenif it should not be “in this life,” yet he will do it in the
day of judgment, when he will pronounce them blessed, and receive them
forever to himself.
His own elect - People of God, saints, Christians; so calledbecause Godhas
“chosen” themto be his. The term is usually given in the Scriptures to the true
followers of God, and is a term of affection, denoting his greatand speciallove
in choosing them out of a world of sinners, and conferring on them grace, and
mercy, and eternal life. See 1 Thessalonians 1:4;Colossians 3:12;1 Peter1:2;
Ephesians 1:4. It signifies here that they are especiallydear to him; that he
feels a deep interest in their welfare, and that he will, therefore, be ready to
come forth to their aid. The judge felt no specialinterestin that widow, yet he
heard her; God feels a particular regard, a tender love for his elect, and,
therefore, he will hear and save.
Which cry day and night - This expressesone striking characteristic ofthe
electof God; they pray, and pray constantly. No one can have evidence that he
is chosenof God who is not a man of prayer. One of the bestmarks by which
the electing love of God is knownis that it disposes us to pray. This passage
supposes that when the electof God are in trouble and presseddown with
calamities, they “will” cry unto him; and it affirms that if they do, he will hear
their cries and answertheir requests.
Though he bear long with them - This passagehas been variously interpreted,
and there is some variety of reading in the manuscripts. Some read, “Will not
God avenge his elect? Will he linger in their cause?”But the most natural
meaning is, “Although he defers long to avenge them, and greatlytries their
patience, yet he will avenge them.” He tries their faith; he suffers their
persecutions and trials to continue a long time; and it almost“appears” as if
he would not interpose. Yet he will do it, and will save them.

181. Verse 8
Speedily - Suddenly, unexpectedly. He will surely vindicate them, and that at a
time, perhaps, when they were nearly ready to give over and to sink into
despair. This may refer to the deliverance of the disciples from their
approaching trials and persecutions among the Jews;or, in general, to the fact
that God will interpose and aid his people.
Nevertheless -But. Notwithstanding this. Though this is true that God will
avenge his elect, yet will he find his elect“faithful?” The danger is not that
“God” will be unfaithful - he will surely be true to his promises;but the
danger is that his elect - his afflicted people - will be discouraged;will not
persevere in prayer; will not continue to have confidence in him; and will,
under heavy trials, sink into despondency. The sole meaning of this phrase,
therefore, is, that “there is more danger that his people would grow weary,
than that God would be found unfaithful and fail to avenge his elect.” Forthis
cause Christ spoke the parable, and by the “design” ofthe parable this
passageis to be interpreted.
Son of man cometh - This probably refers to the approaching destruction of
Jerusalem- the coming of the Messiah, by his mighty power, to abolish the
ancient dispensationand to set up the new.
Faith - The word “faith” is sometimes takento denote the “whole” ofreligion,
and it has been understoodin this sense here; but there is a close connectionin
what Christ says, and it should be understood as referring to what he said
before. The truth that he had been teaching was, that God would deliver his
people from their calamities and save them, though he suffered them to be
long tried. He asks them here whether, when he came, he should find “this
faith,” or a belief of “this truth,” among his followers? Wouldthey be found
persevering in prayer, and “believing” that God would yet avenge them; or
would they cease to pray “always, andfaint?” This is not to be understood,

182. therefore, as affirming that when Christ comes to judgment there will be few
Christians on the earth, and that the world will be overrun with wickedness.
That “may be” true, but it is not the truth taught here.
The earth - The land referring particularly to the land of Judea. The
discussionhad particular reference to their trials and persecutions in that
land. This question implies that “in” those trials many professeddisciples
might faint and turn back, and many of his “real” followers almostlose sight
of this greattruth, and begin to inquire whether God would interpose to save
them. The same question may be askedrespecting any other remarkable
visitation of the Son of God in affliction. When tried and persecuted, do “we”
believe that God will avenge us? Do “we” pray always and not faint? Have
“we” faith to believe that, though clouds and darkness are round about him,
yet righteousnessand judgment are the habitation of his throne? And when
storms of persecutionassailus, can “we” go to God and confidently commit
our cause to him, and believe that he will bring forth our righteousness as the
light, and our judgment as the noon-day?
BRIAN BELL
Intro:
Announce Amazing Grace Movie:Quotes on slavery.
Outline: 2 Parables on Prayer!(2 Prayerables)
(1-8) A parable to the disciples, to pray & not lose heart.
(9-14)A parable to those who trust in themselves, will walk awayunjustified.
PERSISTENCE PRAYER!(1-8)
PRAY OR PASS OUT! (1-5)

183. Your choice Pray or Pass-out(pale, faint, loose heart)!
3 or 4 years ago I was having trouble with passing out at the gym.
Scaryfeeling.
Q: Ever feel like your spiritually fainting?
Q: Ever lose heart in praying for something?
This king reminds me of the TV commercialwhere young kids are asking
their dads for a cellphone. It is inferred the kids have askedbefore:
One asks his dad while fishing, “Dad, I think its time for me to get a cell
phone!” Father answers, “Son, I think its time for you to geta job!”
Another asks his father for a cell phone while standing in the garage,(dad
with buffer in his hand) when his son starts to ask the question the dad fires
up the buffer, “what, I can’t hear you!”
He sent her home with…“Next case please!”
Judges were often unscrupulous. Most, as is the case todayin 3rd world
countries, make there living off bribes. (GospelLight; pg.294, 295.)
Bribes were normally sent a few days ahead of their visit, to getthem audience
& a fair shake, orto encourage it to “go their way”.
Thus if someone showedup “unannounced” w/o a bribe before them, this
meant they must be poor.
His servantwould say the judge was busy, or could not be seen.
The judge knew it would be a “waste oftime” hearing their case
Her only weapon…persistentpestering![And she did it well] ☺
She wearyme – to annoy, or (Lit.) “to give a black eye”.
He finally reaches a stage where he would do anything to get her out of his
hair.

184. KEEP SHOVELING! (6-8)
(6) Many have misunderstood this parable.
Understand the bible uses comparisons (we are like sheep!); & also it uses
contrasts (sheep& goats). [Which is this parable?]
This is a clearcontrastbetweenthis earthly king & the heavenly King.
This is a contrastto the worstof man, & the best of God.
(7,8a)Day & night – That’s praying w/o ceasing.
If an unjust judge helps a poor widow, how much more will a loving Father
meet the needs of His children? (www)
God also rewards persistencyby his children, not because ofweariness but
rather due to His faithfulness!
John Piper uses the illustration: Faith is the Furnace in your life.
Fuel = Grace;Shovel= Prayer.
If you setdown your shovel…yourburner goes out!
Keep shoveling! [Shovel w/o stopping; pray w/o ceasing]
Q: Persistentin prayer in general, or being persistentin the same prayer?
Does Godwant us to keeprunning to him asking for the same thing over &
over? [Does that bless you when your kids do that?]
Or, is it a blessing that they continue to see they need to be connectedto you?
[i.e. a continual coming, but not nec for the same thing]
I know it’s not arm wrestling Godin prayer for something, because he said in
12:32, “fearnot little flock, it’s your Fathers goodpleasure to give you the
kingdom.”
He’s liberal, quick, He loves to answer!!! (speedily)
Don’t ever think you need to “wearhim down” until he acts on our behalf.

185. As a Father He is sensitive to our every need & ready to answerour prayers,
in His perfect timing.
God vindicates His kids who come to Him “all the time”!
How can we pray always?
What is prayer? Not just uttering words.
It’s the urge of the life towards God& spiritual things.
It’s the setting of the mind on the things above.
It’s every detail of every day being masteredby that urge.
(8b) When the Son of man comes – i.e. 2nd Coming He spoke ofin the last
chapter.
Go back to the context 17:26,30. [Things will be “business as usual”]
Find faith on the earth? – Jesus tells His followers to persevere in faith in the
difficult times ahead.
Will you believe(have faith, vs.8)or lose heart(1)?
Christian…“it’s prayer or fainting! Which will it be?”
Will The SonOf Man Find Faith Series
Contributed by Brian Bill on Nov 11, 2007
based on 3 ratings (rate this sermon) | 11,369views
Scripture: Luke 18:1-8
Denomination: Baptist

186. Summary: On this Intrernational Day of Prayer for the PersecutedChurch,
when Jesus comes, willHe find faith on the earth?
1 2 3 4 5
Next
When the Son of Man Comes,
Will He Find Faith on the Earth?
Luke 18:8
Rev. Brian Bill
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11/11/07

187. Today is Veteran’s Day. Could I ask those of you who have servedour
country to please stand? Some of you have a son or daughter or spouse or
parent in the service right now. Could you please stand as well so we can
express our gratitude? I came across a very sadstatistic this week. Didyou
know that one in four homeless people in the U.S. are vets, even though they
make up only 11% of the population? By the way, one way to increase your
awarenessis by visiting the War Museum here in Pontiac.
Information like this is unsettling, and we’ve certainly been unsettled by some
of things that the Savior has said in the Gospels during this series called,
“What Jesus Wants to Know: Questions Christ Asked.” Here’s where we’ve
been so far:
* Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of
God?
* How many loaves do you have?
* Has it not been written, ‘My house shall be calleda house of prayer?’
* Do you want to getwell?
And today the question we’re going to ponder is a bit perplexing and certainly
unsettling. Turn in your Bibles to Luke 18:8: “Whenthe Son of Man comes,
will He find faith on the earth?”

188. When Jesus looks atthe church in America, what does He see right now?
Have you ever wonderedabout the state of the church in our country today?
[Play “State of Church” video]
I read a study this week from SermonCentral.comin which this question was
asked:“Do you think the church in America is appropriately reflecting the
characterof God?” Only 13% of the respondents said “yes.”
“When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” Three truths
stand out to me from this question.
1. Christ is coming. Note that it doesn’tsay “if” He comes, but “when” He
comes. The Bible indicates that He will come “like a thief in the night,” when
we leastexpect Him. If we back up a bit to Luke 17:26-28, while people are
partying and thinking only of themselves, just like in the days of Noah, the
Son of Man will come. It’s way too easyto play and not pray.
Friends, while we don’t know when Jesus is coming, we know He can come at
any time. Having said that, Matthew 24:14 indicates that His return is
somehow contingenton our obedience to the Great Commission:“And this
gospelof the kingdom will be preachedin the whole world as a testimony to
all nations, and then the end will come.”
2. The faithful will be few. The question Jesus asksexpects a negative answer.
When Jesus returns will he find faith on the earth? He will find more people
faltering than faithful. This reminds me of Psalm 12:1: “Help, Lord, for the
godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men.”

189. 3. Persecutionwillbe prevalent. We know from other passagesthat
persecutionwill become prevalent the closerwe get to Christ’s coming. Some
of us have bought into the belief that once we have Jesus in our life,
everything will go great. Maybe we’ve even thought that we should be
successfuland financially well off. Actually, the Bible says that the exact
opposite will happen for those who honor and obey Christ. Listen to Acts
14:22:“We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.”
Jesus nevertaught the “prosperity gospel,”but He did preach the
“persecutiongospel.”Matthew 5:10:“Blessedare those who are persecuted
because ofrighteousness, fortheirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
John Stott suggests thatwe should not be surprised if anti-Christian hostility
increases,but rather be surprised if it does not. In John 15:20, Jesus said, “If
they persecutedme, they will persecute you also.” In John 16:33 He adds,
“…In this world you will have trouble…” The Augsburg Confessiondefines
the church as the community of those “who are persecutedand martyred for
the gospel’s sake.” Speaking oftheir futures, in Matthew 24:9, Jesus told the
disciples that they would face incredible struggles:“Then you will be handed
over to be persecutedand put to death, and you will be hated by all nations
because ofme.”
2 Timothy 3:12 says, “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ
Jesus will be persecuted.” Could it be that the American church in general,
does not face persecutionlike believers in other countries do, because we are
not living godly lives? Philippians 1:29: “Forit has been granted to you on
behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him.” When
Paul wrote to the young church in Thessalonica, he reminded them that
Timothy was sent to them, “so that no one would be unsettled by these trials.
You know quite well that we were destined for them. In fact, when we were
with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out
that way, as you well know” (1 Thessalonians 3:3-4). Peter, after witnessing all

190. that Jesus wentthrough, wrote in 1 Peter4:12: “Dearfriends, do not be
surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange
were happening to you.”
Today is the International Day of Prayerfor the PersecutedChurch. Since
Christ is coming again, how can we help the faithful few who are being
persecutedfor their faith around the world? Actually, there’s more than just
a few who are being persecuted. Many estimate that there are up to 200
million suffering Christians around the world today.
On behalf of the other pastors and their families, we want to say thanks for
the amazing pastorappreciationgift. In commenting on this, Beth mentioned
that it’s humbling to have a whole month for pastorappreciationin our
country when in other countries there is “pastorassassination.” Like our vets
who often get ignored, we canno longerignore the plight of the persecuted.
“When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”
Part of our problem as American believers is that we’ve become so spiritually
soft that we don’t take what is happening to other believers seriously. As we
saw in the opening video, church is not all that important to a lot of people
here. PastorJefftold me about a PBC teenagerwho, afterviewing a DVD
with the other students about the underground church in Vietnam, said
something like this: “Nobody really cares. Were they really listening?” I
believe that this church cares…wejustneed to be informed, reminded and
mobilized.
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191. Full name
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In light of that, we’re going to watcha reenactmentproduced by the Voice of
the Martyrs called“Sarah’s Blood.” I want to warn you aheadof time that
because this is basedon a true story, it is intense and quite graphic. I strongly
encourage parents with young children to step out. You may want to just go
into the old kitchen so you canstill hear the words and then come back in
when it’s over in sevenminutes.
Video: “Sarah’s Blood”
Application/Testimony (Beth Bill)
Watching that DVD bothers me. For one, it confronts me with my greatest
fear: that of denying Christ. It pushes me to wrestle with the inequity of life. I
don’t get it. Here in the US we are free to worship Christ, read and distribute
Bibles and share Christ with anyone. Why do I getto live here? I am
confronted with my angry feelings towardthose who persecute believers, and
yet I’m challengedto obey Jesus’words to pray for and love our enemies. And
then there is a part of me that would like to ignore this information, or just
deny its reality.
I struggle reconciling my freedom with the severe consequencesChristians
face in other countries. But God doesn’t struggle with reconciling. In fact,

192. please listen to 2 Corinthians 5, starting in v.18:“All this is from God, who
reconciledus to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of
reconciliation:that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not
counting men’s sins againstthem. And he has committed to us the messageof
reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors,as though God were
making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be
reconciledto God.”
I love these verses!They tell us that God gave us the messageofChrist’s love
and that as His ambassadors;we are to tell the world! And in August of 1988 I
wrote here in the margin, “This is my life purpose!” Actually about 10 years
earlier at age 16, I dedicated myself to God’s missionary work. I had always
loved hearing missionary stories and about people coming to Christ and was
fascinatedby God’s work around the world. Finally in 1996 whenI was 33,
our family left for Mexico City to be missionaries. I could not have been
happier and more fulfilled. However, shortly before completing 3 years there,
it was necessaryfor us to come back to the U.S. During these years of living in
Pontiac, I have often wonderedif I could somehow be a small part of God’s
globalministry again. It has just been in the past year or so that God has
shown me that “Yes!” I could still be His ambassador.
So back to this DVD about persecution…Do Ireally need to know about it?
Do I really need to respond? Yes, I need to know…Ineed to respond. The
Bible says that Christians worldwide belong to the same Father. We belong to
Him and to eachother. We are sisters and brothers because we are in the
same family! When one part suffers, the whole suffers. Hebrews says that we
are to remember those being mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
So what can I do? Pray! This last year, I’ve been receiving a prayer bulletin
from Open Doors USA. (Show and explain). They need for us to care about
them, to pray for their strength, to pray that they continue to be loving and

193. strong witnessesin their countries. Paul said in Philippians that he hoped his
chains would serve to advance the gospel. Whata great prayer request: that
suffering would be used to actually spread the goodnews of Jesus Christ and
that more people would become Christians! What about praying that they
would be able to forgive and love their persecutors? Whatabout praying for
the salvationof persecutors? Icount it a greatprivilege to pray for these
saints. I beg you to pray more for them. The believers “overthere” are asking
us “over here” to pray for them. Let’s pray that their lives would be a strong
witness of God’s amazing love. Let’s love them with prayer.
Another way to respond is to learn! There is a great big world out there and
that world matters to God and it should matter to me and to you. It is so
exciting and interesting to learn about what God is doing around the globe.
*Look at your brochure: you can send in this card to receive a free book and
learn more. What a thrill to learn firsthand from our own missionaries about
God’s loving work in people. For more information, check out this website:
www.persecution.com.
And speaking ofmissionaries, we have the opportunity to pray for them as
well. They often minister in the midst of strong oppositiontoo. Let’s pray that
they don’t get wearyand keepsharing Christ. What a privilege to intercede
for our own missionaries. How amazing to be here in central Illinois and pray
to God Almighty on behalf of Christians on the other side of the globe and
then to hear how God is working things out for His glory.
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The third way to respond is to get involved. There are so many things we can
do. Our family learned about a projectcalled Bibles Unbound. The purpose of
BiblesUnbound is to send Bibles to specific recipients in countries where the
Bible is restricted, confiscatedand even destroyed. Eachmonth we receive 5
new testaments, envelopes andaddresses of5 recipients. We packagethem up,
pray over them and send them back to a distribution center that sends them
off to China. It is then our privilege to pray that God would get these Bibles
into the hands of the intended recipients. I can’t even describe the measure of
joy I have sending the Bibles, praying for these people I’ll probably never
know who Lord-willing will read God’s truth and become Christians and
grow in their faith. In our struggle againstthe evil one, who wants to eliminate
God’s truth and His people, it’s humbling and a delight to send Bibles to those
who desperatelyneed His love and life-changing truth. For more information,
here’s a website: www.biblesunbound.com.
I know that reading about persecutedbelievers is overwhelming and breaks
our hearts. I cry frequently for them. But we can’t let that stop us from caring
and praying for them. Let’s use our religious freedom and resources for
others and to glorify God in His church.
“When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”
The context in which today’s question comes relates to an accountof a widow
who practicedpersistent prayer in Luke 18:1-8:“Then Jesus told his disciples
a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said:
‘In a certaintown there was a judge who neither feared God nor caredabout

195. men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the
plea, ‘Grant me justice againstmy adversary.’For some time he refused. But
finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fearGod or care about men,
yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so
that she won’t eventually wearme out with her coming!’ And the Lord said,
‘Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for
his chosenones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keepputting 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?”
Let me quickly share some principles from this passage.
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1. The purpose behind this parable is for us to be persistent in our praying. Its
statedright at the beginning: “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show
them that they should always pray and not give up.” Notice that “she kept
coming” and “bothering” and was starting to “wearhim out.”
2. We will become persistentwhen we realize there are no other solutions. She
had no other recourse. Friends, we won’t pray until we recognize our

196. desperate need. Some of us don’t pray simply because we don’t think we need
to.
3. God is never bothered by believers and will not put off persistent prayers.
He is not at all like this unjust judge.
4. Persistenceshowshow much we love those who are persecuted. We are to
“cry out to Him day and night.” I heard someone saythat we should practice
P.U.S.H. prayers – Pray Until Something Happens.
5. Delaydoesn’t mean denial. Jesus will come and bring justice. Don’t become
wearyin your waiting.
6. Persistentprayer honors God because it expresses ourcomplete dependence
on Him. When we’re relentless in our requests we demonstrate our reliance
on God.
7. The main thing Jesus looks foris faith. Rememberthat we don’t need a lot.
All we need is a little faith in a big God. The question really is this: Am I
fervent or am I faint in prayer?
Prayer Time
We’re going to spend some time praying right now. You’ll see nine different
slides appear on the screen, with eachone highlighting a prayer request from
a specific country. Hebrews 13:3: “Rememberthose in prison as if you were
their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were

197. suffering.” Let’s pray…and then determine to persist in our praying every
day.
We honored vets at the beginning. I wonder how many of you are ready to
serve in the spiritual battle. Are you ready to be counted? “Whenthe Son of
Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” The keyissue is not whether we
can wait until Jesus returns; the real question is whether or not He will find us
faithful when He comes back.
There are really three questions to ponder in this passage.
* Will not Godbring about justice? The answeris yes.
* Will God keepputting us off? The answeris no.
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* Will the Son of Man find faith on the earth? This answeris yet to be
determined.

198. Here’s a probing question. If Jesus were to come back today, would he find
you living out your faith? Are you a born againbeliever? If you’re saved, have
you been baptized? If not, why not? Our next baptism service will be held on
Sunday, December2nd. Baptism is a biblical wayto express your obedience.
In many countries to be baptized is the equivalent of signing a warrant for
your death. Are you ready to die to selfand live for the Savior?
Listen to the words of Jesus to the church of Sardis in Revelation3:2-3:
“Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found
your deeds complete in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you
have receivedand heard; obey it and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will
come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.” If
you’re ready to remember the persecutedand you’re committed to live out
your faith with fervor as you pray with persistence, wouldyou please stand
right now? We’re going to conclude our service by singing this chorus:“I
Pledge Allegiance to the Lamb.”
Closing Chorus: “I Pledge Allegiance to the Lamb”
Luke 18:1-17: “The Importunate Widow / A Pharisee And A Tax Gatherer
Pray At Temple / People Bring Their Children To Jesus”
By
Jim Bomkamp

199. Back Bible Studies Home Page
1. INTRO:
1.1. In our last study, we lookedat verses 20-37 ofchapter 17.
1.1.1. Jesus respondedto the question askedof Him of when God’s kingdom
would come.
1.1.2. Jesus toldHis disciples about the fact that one day they would find
themselves longing for His return, and then He began to teachthem about the
events of His SecondAdvent (SecondComing).

200. 1.2. In our study today, we are going to look at verses 1-17 of
chapter 18.
1.2.1. We will see that Jesus teachesaboutthe importance of persevering in
prayer as He teaches the parable of the Importunate Widow And The
Unrighteous Judge.
1.2.2. Jesus willteachabout a Pharisee and a tax gathererwho both went up
to the temple to pray, howeverit was the tax gatherer’s prayer that was heard
and who had his sins pardoned for he was humble and contrite in heart and
seeking God’s mercy.
1.2.3. Jesus’disciples are rebuked by Him for disallowing some people from
bringing their children to Him.
2. VS 18:1-8 - “1 Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all
times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, 2 saying, “In a certaincity
there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respectman. 3 “There

201. was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me legal
protection from my opponent.’ 4 “Fora while he was unwilling; but afterward
he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respectman, 5 yet
because this widow bothers me, I will give her legalprotection, otherwise by
continually coming she will wearme out.’ ” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what
the unrighteous judge said; 7 now, will not God bring about justice for His
electwho cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? 8 “I
tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the
Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”” - Jesus tells His disciples
a parable about a widow who kept coming to a judge to persuade him to give
her legalprotectionfrom her opponent and the judge was finally moved to
help her out because ofher continually coming to him
2.1. In a style unusual to him, Luke introduces this parable by
telling what it was meant to communicate, namely that Jesus’disciples ought
‘at all times to pray and not to lose heart.’
2.2. We Christians need to understand how that prayer is meant to
occupy such a centraland vital part of our lives in this world. Those who
know Christ are always those who also must grow in their understanding and
practice of praying for their own needs as well as the needs of others.

202. 2.3. In this parable, we first of all see that there was a ‘a judge.’
He was a worldly man and is referred to by Jesus as being an ‘unrighteous
judge.’ He was a man who did ‘not fear God’ and who also did not ‘respect
man.’ This judge was probably a worldly Israelite living in Israel and taking
for grantedthe fact that he had a judicial appointment in which he was
supposedto defend and protect God’s people as a representative of God.
2.4. Secondly, we see that there was ‘a widow’ who was in a
quandary because ofthe fact that someone was taking advantage ofher.
Perhaps a man in town who realized that this womanhaving no husband was
vulnerable was trying to take awayher property. This widow desperately
needed this judge to actjustly on her behalf concerning her adversary.
2.5. There are many passagesin the scriptures that teachthat it is
the responsibility of God’s leaders to defend and protect widows, orphans,
and all of those who are helpless and vulnerable, including:
2.5.1. Deuteronomy 27:19, “19 ‘Cursedis he who distorts the justice due an
alien, orphan, and widow.’And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’”

203. 2.5.2. Isaiah1:17, “17 Learnto do good;Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless,
Defend the orphan, Pleadfor the widow.”
2.5.3. Isaiah1:21-23, “21How the faithful city has become a harlot, She who
was full of justice!Righteousness oncelodgedin her, But now murderers. 22
Your silver has become dross, Your drink diluted with water. 23 Your rulers
are rebels And companions of thieves; Everyone loves a bribe And chases
after rewards. They do not defend the orphan, Nordoes the widow’s plea
come before them.”
2.5.4. James1:27, “27 Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and
Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep
oneselfunstained by the world.”
2.6. This widow has been called the “importunate widow” and
Miriam Webster’s Dictionaryhas the following entry for this word
“importunate” :

204. im•por•tu•nate im-ˈpȯr-chə-nət, -tyu
̇ -nət adjective (1529)
1 : troublesomely urgent : overly persistentin request or demand
2 : troublesome
2.7. As an example of how we ought to pray, this woman was
“importunate” in her coming to this judge and Easton’s Bible Dictionary says
the following about acceptable prayer, “Acceptable prayer must be sincere
(Heb. 10:22), offered with reverence and godly fear, with a humble sense of
our own insignificance as creatures and of our own unworthiness as sinners,
with earnestimportunity, and with unhesitating submissionto the divine will.
Prayer must also be offered in the faith that God is, and is the hearer and
answererof prayer, and that he will fulfill his word, “Ask, and ye shall
receive” (Matt. 7:7, 8; 21:22; Mark 11:24; John 14:13, 14), and in the name of
Christ (16:23, 24;15:16; Eph. 2:18; 5:20; Col. 3:17; 1 Pet. 2:5).”
2.8. Jesus’argument is yet another one that He makes going from
the lesserto the greater. He is saying that if a man who is an unrighteous
judge on this earth will finally give in and grant a woman’s request because
she is continually coming to him and driving him crazy, how much more shall
our heavenly father who loves us so greatly as His children grant the requests
that we bring to Him.

205. GENE BROOKS
Luke 18:1-17 - The Secretto Prayer
Key Truth: Luke wrote Luke 18:1-17 to teachbelievers that the secretto
prayer is persistence, humility, and simplicity.
Key Application: Today I want to show you what God’s Word says about the
secretto prayer.
Key Verse:Luke 18:14
Pray and Read: Luke 18:1-17
Contextual Notes:
Throughout his Gospel, Luke emphasizes the importance of walking in faith
and avoiding unbelief. He has made it clearthat every individual who meets
Jesus Christ must make a decisionabout Him. Christ must be receivedor
rejected. His claims must be believed or denied. When the Gospelshifts gears
at Luke 9:51, Luke urges us to prioritize faith over unbelief (Luke 9:57-11:36)
and warning us to trust the Lord rather than ourselves (Luke 11:37-12:59).
Christ then calls us to a Kingdom marked by grace (Luke 13:1-21),
repentance (Luke 13:22-35), provision (Luke 14), redemption of the lost (Luke
15), and warns us to prepare for the next world by responding to God’s Word
with repentance (Luke 16) and to guard againstsin with faithful obedience to
forgiveness resulting in thankfulness (Luke 17:1-19), and to wait for His
Return with a steadfastcommitment to serve (Luke 17:20-37).
In the chapter before us today, Luke teaches thatwhat enables this kind of
faith is that God does respond to those who appeal to Him in prayer (Luke
18:1-8). He res responds to sinners in mercy (Luke 18:9-14), as any adult
responds to a helpless child (Luke 18:15-17). The story of the persistentwidow

206. illustrates the perseverance andpatience in prayer (Luke 18:1-8). The story of
the tax collectorand the Pharisee teachesthatonly those who acknowledge
they are sinners will rely on God’s mercy and find forgiveness (Luke 18:9-14).
Jesus’interactionwith children emphasizes that necessaryattitude of
complete reliance on God(Luke 18:15-17).
Sermon Points:
1. The secretto prayer is persistence and patience (Luke 18:1-8).
2. The secretto prayer is humility and forgiveness (Luke 18:9-14).
3. The secretto prayer is simplicity and dependence (Luke 18:15-17).
Exposition: Note well,
1. THE SECRET TO PRAYER IS PERSISTENCE AND PATIENCE (Luke
18:1-8)
a. Jesus’discussionofthe end times and the coming judgment (Luke 17:20-
37) raises the question of enduring through trials. How does one do that,
exactly? How does one make it through tough times? Luke clearly tells us that
we should always pray and not give up (Luke 18:1). Jesus tells the parable of a
widow who by perseverance finally receives justice from an uncaring and
unjust judge. Jesus is using the “lesserto greater” (qal wahomer) teaching
style of the rabbis. If this woman’s persistence with an evil judge resulted in
justice, then how much more will our persistentprayers be answeredby our
loving Father.
b. Luke 18:2 – Judge who neither feared God: Judges in Israelwere
supposedto be God’s representatives, interpreting His Law, administering
justice to those in need. King Jehoshaphathad long before commanded the
judges he appointed, “Considercarefully what you do, because you are not
judging for man but for the LORD . . . for with the LORD our God there is no

207. injustice or partiality or bribery (2 Chron 19:6-7). Since Jewishjudges tried
casesin a tribunal, Jesus must be referring to a localmunicipal magistrate.[1]
c. Luke 18:3 – widow: Widows in ancient times and in Scripture are the most
vulnerable and helpless members of society. Godhas specialconcernfor them
(Exod 22:22-24;Deut 10:18;24:17; 27:19;Job 22:9; 24:3; Psalm 146:9;Isaiah
1:17, 23;Jer 7:6-7; 22:3; Ezek 22:7). The OT warns that God will avenge
those who withhold justice from the widow and the fatherless. This widow in
Jesus’story may be under pressure from a creditor trying to take her land or
property (cf. 2 Kings 4:1). The law evidently is on her side since she only asks
for justice.
d. Luke 18:5 – wearme out with her coming: or literally, she “strikes the
eye,” or gives him a black eye, figuratively wearing him down with her
persistence like a boxer.
e. Luke 18:6-8 – The godless judge granted the widow justice only to rid
himself of her constant appeals. The SovereignJudge and loving Father
rewards persistence, notout of weariness,but rather due to His faithfulness!
f. APPLICATION:“Prayeris our best defense againstevery form of
opposition and trial. Prayer is our best weaponin our warfare of work for
God and men. The church needs to learn afresh the power of united prayer
and prayer as a realbusiness that takes hold of God and expects Him to do
real things for us.”[2]The Psalms are filled with cries to God from suffering
believers (e.g., Psalm35:17; 74:10). Often when we face difficult times, we
pray desperately, and yet heaven seems shut up and God indifferent, perhaps
even uncaring, we wonder. This story teaches that while human beings may be
indifferent to others suffering, we cannotcharge God with the same thing.
God does care about His chosenones. We cankeepon praying with
confidence during that time of waiting, and we can be sure that God will see to
it that we “getjustice and quickly.” Why does Jesus saythat we are to “cry
out to Him day and night” (Luke 18:7)? Becausethere is a sense ofurgency
that drives us to Him with our requests. When your sense ofneed is so
overwhelming that you are driven to God day and night, you canbe assured
He will answer, and quickly. Yes, it seems long in coming at the time. Time

208. passes forus at a different pace for certain things. We are stunned at how
quickly our children grow up. On the other hand, we are frustrated at how
slowlytime moves until vacation – or even until 5 o’clock!God knows that
when something painful or greatly neededis going on, that it often hurts to
wait. This story encouragesus to realize that deliverance is closerthan it
seems. In fact, God is already acting, and quickly, to bring us to the place and
blessing He desires for us to be and know
g. ILLUSTRATION: We see the truth and the promise of Godacting quickly
after a delay in Acts 12:7 - 7 Now behold, an angelof the Lord stoodby him,
and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peteron the side and raisedhim
up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands.; Acts 22:18 - 18
and saw Him saying to me, ‘Make haste and getout of Jerusalemquickly, for
they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.’ Rom 16:20 - 20 And the
God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. 1 Tim 3:4; Rev 1:1 -
The Revelationof Jesus Christ, which Godgave Him to show His servants—
things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His
angelto His servant John,; Rev 22:6 - 6 Then he said to me, “These words are
faithful and true.” And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to
show His servants the things which must shortly take place.).
h. Luke 18:8 – Will he find faith on earth? The time just before the coming of
the messianic age as one of lawlessnessand apostasy, orfalling awayfrom the
faith. Jesus here connects this story with the end times theme of Luke 17:20-
37, which points to what was on His mind in telling it – perhaps that in light of
the postponementof the Kingdom. He had taught the disciples to pray, “Your
kingdom come,” (Matt 6:10), yet the Kingdom had not yet come and would
not fully come in their day. Still they were to persevere (Luke 21:8-19, 34-36;
22:31-32, 40, 46)in prayer. The Kingdom would come one day (2 Peter3:8-9;
Psalm90:4; Rom 2:4-6). This story therefore gives us an idea of the kind of
persistentand patient prayer needednow as we move toward the end-time.
When the Bridegroomcomes for the Bride, then all the wrongs will be
righted. That gives us hope “as we look forward to the day of God and speed
its coming” (2 Peter3:12).

209. i. ILLUSTRATION: What is it that gets a personto roll out of bed before
dawn on a Saturday morning, drive miles out of town, sit for hours in a little
boat on a chilly lake, holding a fishing pole, eating warm bologna sandwiches,
and watching for a cork to twitch? Persistence.That’s what. What makes
someone stayup all night after Thanksgiving, brave crazy traffic and take
one’s life into her hands in a multitude of parking lots, flip through envelopes
full of coupons, walk aisles and aisles ofmerchandise, just to find the perfect
item? Perseverance. Are you a persevering fisherman in your prayers? Or do
you give up after a few casts and go watchBill Dance? Are you learning to be
as persistent in prayer as a Black Friday shopper, to pray till you drop, or do
you give up and go for a cappuccino?
j. APPLICATION:Why do we not receive more frequent and valuable
answers to our prayers? The Lord Himself gives the reason in verse 8. It is the
lack of faith. It is the lack of trust. It is the spirit of unbelief. Prayer is not a
hundred yard dash. It is a marathon of slow and steadypacing. He wants us to
“bother” Him with our requests, to ask and keepon asking, to keepseeking,
to keepknocking (Matt 7:7), to pray without ceasing (1 Thess 5:17).
Persistencein prayer demonstrates faith, not unbelief. Faith is not something
we generate by screwing up our eyes and concentrating really hard on
“believing.” That might work for the people on the PolarExpress, but it is not
Biblical faith. Biblicalfaith is simply our response to God as He reveals
Himself to us. Stop running to everyone else and bothering other people with
your complaining and start “bothering” the Lord with your concerns. He can
get your heart straight and the situation, too. We are not to stop until we
receive our petition. We are not to stop because ofthe extreme conditions of
our case, but we are to “approachthe throne of grace with confidence” (Heb
4:16) and always keepon praying (Eph 6:18).
Expositor's Bible Commentary
We have the same lessontaught in the parable of the Unjust Judge [Luke
18:1], that "men ought always to pray, and not to faint." Here, however, the

210. characters are reversed. The suppliant is a poor and a wrongedwidow, while
the personaddressedis a hard, selfish, godless man, who boasts of his atheism.
She asks, notfor a favour, but for her rights that she may have due protection
from some extortionate adversary, who somehow has got her in his power; for
justice rather than vengeance is her demand. But "he would not for awhile,"
and all her cries for pity and for help beat upon that callous heart only as the
surf upon a rockyshore, to be thrown back upon itself. But after wards he
said within himself, "ThoughI fear not God, nor regardman, yet because this
widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lestshe wearme out by her continual
coming." And so he is moved to take her part againsther adversary, not for
any motive of compassionorsense ofjustice, but through mere selfishness,
that he may escape the annoyance of her frequent visits lest her continual
coming "worry" me, as the colloquialexpressionmight be rendered. Here the
comparison, or contrastrather, is expressed, at any rate in part. It is, "If an
unjust and abandoned judge grants a just petition at last, out of base motives,
when it is often urged, to a defenselesspersonfor whom he cares nothing, how
much more shall a just and merciful God hear the cry and avenge the cause of
those whom He loves?"* (*Farrar.)
It is a resolute persistence in prayer the parable urges, the continued asking,
and seeking, andknocking that Jesus both commended and commanded
[Luke 11:9], and which has the promise of such certainanswers, and not the
tantalizing mockeries ofstones forbread, or scorpions for fish. Some blessings
lie near at hand; we have only to ask, and we receive - receive evenwhile we
ask. But other blessings lie farther off, and they can only be ours by a
continuance in prayer, by a persistent importunity. Not that our heavenly
Father needs any wearying into mercy; but the blessing may not be ripe, or we
ourselves may not be fully prepared to receive it. A blessing for which we are
unprepared would only be an untimely blessing, and like a Decemberswallow,
it would soondie, without nestor brood. And sometimes the long delay is but
a test of faith, whetting and sharpening the desire, until our very life seems to
depend upon the granting of our prayer. So long as our prayers are among the
"maybes" and "mights" there are fears and doubts alternating with our hope
and faith. But when the desires are intensified, and our prayers rise into the

211. "must-be's," then the answers are near at hand; for that "must be" is the
soul's Mahanaim, where the angels meetus, and God Himself says "I will."
Delays in our prayers are by no means denials; they are often but the
lengthened summer for the ripening of our blessings, making them largerand
more sweet.
And now we have only to consider, which we must do briefly, the practice of
Jesus, the place of prayer in His own life; and we shall find that in every point
it coincides exactlywith His teaching. To us of the clouded vision heaven is
sometimes a hope more than a reality. It is an unseengoal, luring us across the
wilderness, and which one of these days we may possess;but it is not to us as
the wide-reaching, encircling sky, throwing its sunshine into eachday, and
lighting up our nights with its thousand lamps. To Jesus, heavenwas more
and nearerthan it is to us. He had left it behind; and yet He had not left it, for
He speaks ofHimself, the Son of man, as being now in heaven. And so He was.
His feetwere upon earth, at home amid its dust; but His heart, His truer life,
were all above. And how constantHis correspondence,orrather communion,
with heaven! At first sight it appears strange to us that Jesus should need the
sustenance ofprayer, or that He could even adopt its language. Butwhen He
became the Son of man He voluntarily assumedthe needs of humanity; He
"emptied Himself," as the Apostle expresses a greatmystery, as if for the time
divesting Himself of all Divine prerogatives, choosing to live as man amongst
men. And so Jesus prayed. He was wont, even as we are, to refresha wasted
strength by draughts from the celestialsprings;and as Antaeus, in his
wresting, recoveredhimself as he touched the ground, so we find Jesus, in the
greatcrises of His life, falling back upon Heaven.
St. Luke, in his narrative of the Baptism, inserts one factthe other Synoptists
omit that Jesus was in the actof prayer when the heavens were opened, and
the Holy Ghostdescended, in the semblance of a dove, upon Him. It is as if the
opened heavens, the descending dove, and the audible voice were but the
answerto His prayer. And why not? Standing on the threshold of His mission,

212. would He not naturally ask that a double portion of the Spirit might be His
that Heaven might put its manifest sealupon that mission, if not for the
confirmation of His own faith, yet for that of His fore runner? At any rate, the
fact is plain that it was while He was in the actof prayer that He receivedthat
secondand higher baptism, even the baptism of the Spirit.
A secondepochin that Divine life was when Jesus formally instituted the
Apostleship, calling and initiating the Twelve into the closerbrotherhood. It
was, so to speak, the appointment of a regency, who should exercise authority
and rule in the new kingdom, sitting, as Jesus figuratively expressesit [Luke
22:30], "on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." It is easyto see what
tremendous issues were involved in this appointment; for were these
foundation-stones untrue, warped by jealousies and vain ambitions, the whole
superstructure would have been weakened, thrownout of the square. And so
before the selectionis made, a selectiondemanding such insight and foresight,
such a balancing of complementary gifts, Jesus devotes the whole night to
prayer, seeking the solitude of the mountain-height, and in the early dawn
coming down, with the dews of night upon His garment and with the dews of
heaven upon His soul, which, like crystals or lenses of light, made the invisible
visible and the distant near.
A third crisis in that Divine life was at the Transfiguration, when the summit
was reached, the border line betweenearth and heaven, where, amid celestial
greetings and overshadowing clouds of glory, that sinless life would have had
its natural transition into heaven. And here againwe find the same
coincidence ofprayer. Both St. Mark and St. Luke state that the "high
mountain" was climbed for the express purpose of communion with Heaven;
they "wentup into the mountain to pray." It is only St. Luke, however, who
states that it was "as He was praying" the fashionof His countenance was
altered, thus making the vision an answer, or at leasta corollary, to the
prayer. He is at a point where two ways meet: the one passes into heaven at
once, from that high levelto which by a sinless life He has attained; the other

213. path sweeps suddenly downward to a valley of agony, a cross ofshame, a
tomb of death; and after this wide detour the heavenly heights are reached
again. Which path will He choose?If He takes the one He passes solitaryinto
heaven; if He takes the other He brings with Him a redeemed humanity. And
does not this give us, in a sort of echo, the burden of His prayer? He finds the
shadow of the cross thrown overthis heaven-lighted summit for when Moses
and Elias appear they would not introduce a subject altogethernew;they
would in their conversationstrike in with the theme with which His mind is
already preoccupied, that is the deceaseHe should accomplishat Jerusalem
and as the chill of that shadow settles upon Him, causing the flesh to shrink
and quiver for a while, would He not seek for the strength He needs? Would
He not ask, as later, in the garden, that the cup might pass from Him; or if
that should not be possible, that His will might not conflict with the Father's
will, even for a passing moment? At any rate we may suppose that the vision
was, in some way, Heaven's answerto His prayer, giving Him the solace and
strengthening that He sought, as the Father's voice attestedHis Sonship, and
celestials came forthto salute the Well-beloved, and to hearten Him on
towards His dark goal.
Just so was it when Jesus keptHis fourth watchin Gethsemane. What
Gethsemane was, andwhat its fearful agony meant, we shall consider in a
later chapter. It is enough for our present purpose to see how Jesus
consecratedthat deep valley, as before He had consecratedthe
Transfigurationheight, to prayer. Leaving the three outside the veil of the
darkness, He passes into Gethsemane, as into another Holy of holies, there to
offer up for His own and for Himself the sacrifice of prayer; while as our High
PriestHe sprinkles with His own blood, that blood of the everlasting
covenant, the sacredground. And what prayer was that! how intensely
fervent! That if it were possible the dread cup might pass from Him, but that
either way the Father's will might be done! And that prayer was the prelude
to victory; for as the first Adam fell by the assertionof self, the clashing of his
will with God s, the secondAdam conquers by the total surrender of His will
to the will of the Father. The agony was lostin the acquiescence.

214. But it was not alone in the greatcrises of His life that Jesus fell back upon
Heaven. Prayerwith Him was habitual, the fragrant atmosphere in which He
lived, and moved, and spoke. His words glide as by a natural transition into its
language, as a bird whose feethave lightly touched the ground suddenly takes
to its wings;and againand againwe find Him pausing in the weaving of His
speech, to throw across the earthward warp the heavenward woofof prayer.
It was a necessityofHis life; and if the intrusive crowds allowedHim no time
for its exercise, He was wont to elude them, to find upon the mountain or in
the desertHis prayer-chamber beneath the stars. And how frequently we read
of His "looking up to heaven" amid the pauses ofHis daily task!stopping
before He breaks the bread, and on the mirror of His upturned glance leading
the thoughts and thanks of the multitude to the All-Father, who giveth to all
His creatures their meat in due season;or pausing as He works some
impromptu miracle, before speaking the omnipotent "Ephphatha," that on
His upward look He may signalto the skies!And what a light is turned upon
His life and His relation to His disciples by a simple incident that occurs on
the night of the betrayal! Reading the sign of the times, in His forecastofthe
dark tomorrow, He sees the terrible strain that will be put upon Peter's faith,
and which He likens to a Satanic sifting. With prescient eye He sees the
temporary collapse;how, in the fierce heat of the trial, the "rock" will be
thrown into a state of flux; so weak and pliant, it will be all rippled by
agitationand unrest, or driven back at the mere breath of a servant-girl. He
says mournfully, "Simon, Simon, behold. Satanaskedto have you, that he
might sift you as wheat: but I made supplication for thee, that thy faith fail
not" [Luke 22:31]. So completely does Jesus identify Himself with His own,
making their separate needs His care (for this doubtless was no solitary case);
but just as the High Priest carriedon his breastplate the twelve tribal names,
thus bringing all Israel within the light of Urim and Thummim, so Jesus
carries within His heart both the name and the need of eachseparate disciple,
asking for them in prayer what, perhaps, they have failed to ask for
themselves. Norare the prayers of Jesus limited by any such narrow circle;
they compassedthe world, lighting up all horizons; and even upon the cross,
amid the jeers and laughter of the crowd, He forgets His own agonies, as with

215. parched lips He prays for His murderers, "Father, forgive them; for they
know not what they do."
Thus, more than any sonof man, did Jesus "praywithout ceasing,""in
everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving" making request
unto God. Shall we not copy His bright example? shall we not, too, live,
labour, and endure, as "seeing Him who is invisible"? He who lives a life of
prayer will never question its reality. He who sees Godin everything, and
everything in God, will turn his life into a south land, with upper and nether
springs of blessing in ceaseless flow;for the life that lies full heavenwardlies
in perpetual summer, in the eternal noon.
ALAN CARR
Luke 18:1 THE PLACE OF PRAYER
Intro: From the beginning of time, men have prayed, Gen. 4:26. In all types of
places, atall times and in every conceivable situation, men have prayed.
Christian and heathen alike have spent massive amounts of time in the pursuit
of prayer. However, few people have made prayer their supreme priority.
Those who have, stand out as bright lights in a dark world. Many have chosen
to pray when it was convenient, or when the were undergoing a time of great
stress and trial, (Ill. Geneva Aviation Codes and prayer on a strickenairliner.)
Yet, it is clearfrom this verse that Jesus wants prayer to hold a preeminent

216. place in our lives. Tonight, we are going to considerthe Place OfPrayer. We
are going to see that God expects us to be in constantcontactwith Him.
Before we begin to talk about the place prayer ought to hold in our lives, we
need to understand exactly what prayer is. Knowing what prayer is will help
us to see that it deserves anelevatedplace in eachof our lives. What is
prayer?
1. PrayerIs An Invitation To God - Not coercion, notcoaxing, but simply
inviting God to take over. It is me admitting my weaknessand His power. (Ill.
Jairus - Mark 5: 22-23)
2. PrayerIs Work - True praying is not for the lazy. You see, true prayer may
require you to getup early, or stay up late. A prayer is never really finished
until it has grownfeet and gone to work. (Ill. Widow who raised15 children!)
(Ill. The Cities of Refuge - Deut. 4:41-42)
3. PrayerIs A Battle - Satandoes not fear nor withstand our prayerlessness,
but he will bitterly oppose our prayer efforts. Prayeris our greatestweaponin
the battle betweengoodand evil.
4. PrayerIs Power - (Ill. Moses, Daniel, 3 Hebrews, Elijah, Paul and Silas,
Edwards, Mueller, Etc.)Prayer is the greatestpowerwe have upon this earth.
5. PrayerIs A Developer - Prayer is that essentialingredientthat completes
the character. It is impossible to grow in grace without the aid of prayer!

217. 6. PrayerIs The Christian’s Wardrobe - While dwelling in the cold world, the
praying Christian need never fearbecoming cold. The praying church will
never become a museum for frozen saints.
7. PrayerIs The Fragrance In Christian Activity - (Ill. Artificial flowers)True
prayer envelopes allthat we do in the breath of Heaven.
8. PrayerIs Communication With Heaven - There is an unbroken line
betweenearth and the Father. When we pray, we are brought into His
presence, we are in touch with God Himself. (Ill. Tin Can Telephones)
With these facts in mind, let’s look togetherat the place of prayer.
I. PRAYER MUST BE A PRIORITY
A. This theme is repeatedthroughout the Bible - Luke 18:1, Rom. 12:12;1
Thes. 5:17. (We are to remain in a constant spirit of prayer. Ill. Fisherman
and storm)
B. Many in the bible have placed a high priority on prayer:
1. Job- Job 1:5
2. Abraham - Gen. 12:7, 8; 13:4, 18;22:9

218. 3. Moses- Ex. 33:11; Exodus 17:11
4. David - Ill. The Psalms are filled with many references to David’s prayer
life. Ill. 2 Sam. 12:22-23. Prayeris also the secretofDavid’s fearlessness.
5. Elijah - 1 Kings 17:1; 18:36-38
6. Daniel- Daniel 6:10
7. Jesus - Matt. 14:23, 26:36-39;Mk. 1:35; Lk. 6:12, 9:18, 29, Etc. Jesus relied
on prayer. Ill. If the Son of God had to pray, how much more people like us?
C. Jesus takes itfor granted that His people are going to pray - Matt. 6:5
D. Is prayer a priority in your life? It should be, for it is your lifeline to the
Father - Ill. Jesus Matt. 11:25-26.
II. PRAYER MUST BE A PREREQUISITE
A. We should do nothing in any area of life without first taking the time to
saturate the matter in prayer.
B. Even Jesus precededHis activity with prayer.

219. 1. Before feeding the 5,000 -John 6:11
2. Before raising Lazarus from the dead - John 11:41
3. Before His trial and crucifixion - Luke 22:41-45
4. Before becoming sin on the cross for us - Luke 23:34
C. Especiallyin the realm of spiritual activity is prayer important! When we
attempt to perform spiritual work in the power of the flesh, we are doomed to
failure, or self-glorification. However, if we will carry out God’s work in the
powerof prayer, we will certainly succeedand He will get all the glory! (Ill. J.
Wilbur Chapman and his prayer warriors; Ill. D.L. Moodyand his pray-ers)
D. The Preparationgainedin the closetof secretprayer is far more valuable
than that gainedin the study!
III. PRAYER MUST BE PRACTICED
A. It isn’t enough to know prayer formulas, rules and promises. To make
prayer truly effective, we must practice prayer. We must getourselves busy in
the business of prayer! (Ill. There are too may needs and too little time!)
B. When we are not in the customof praying, we may need to pray
desperatelyand not know how - (Ill. 2 men and mad bull!)

220. C. Weak praying begets weak living! We must be diligent in our praying if we
want to be effective for the Lord.
D. On a scale of 1 - 10, how would you rate your prayer life?
Conc:Ill. African villagers and "You have grass in your path." What place
does prayer hold in your life tonight? Let’s agree togetherright here that we
will make praying our top priority!
ALAN CARR
THE POWER OF PERSISTENTPRAYER
Intro: Most of us are familiar with TedTurner, the cable television
millionaire. Turner, at the American Humanist Associationbanquet, where he
receivedan award for his work on the environment and world peace, openly
criticized fundamental Christianity. He said, "Jesus would be sick at his
stomachover the wayhis ideas have been twisted." He went on to say, "I’ve
been savedseven or eight times. But, I gave up on it, when, despite my
prayers, my sisterdied. The more I strayed from my faith, the better I felt!"
Ted Turner is dead wrong, but he is perfectly reflecting the attitude many
hold concerning God and the matter of prayer. Many people will pray about
something for a while and when the answerdoesn’tcome when they think it

221. should, they just throw up their hands in defeatand say, “What’s the use?”
Many of us wouldn’t admit that tonight, but we have done the same thing!
This passageis a challenge to that notion!
In these verses, the Lord Jesus tells His disciples a parable that is designed
to teachthem the importance of remaining persistentin prayer. I would like
for us to examine this parable togetherthis evening because we need to hear
the truths that are taught here. Why? Becausein the church and in the work
of the Lord, everything rises or falls on prayer! That is why we take the first
part of our Wednesdayservice and devote it to prayer. I pray the Lord will
give us such a spirit of prayer around here that the entire service is devoted to
praying! (Note: By the way, it is a sad commentary that many people stay
awayfrom the Wednesdayservice because ofthe extended prayer time!) That
is why we have prayer rooms before every service. That is why a small, ever
decreasing handful of people gather on Friday evenings. We need to pray and
we must be persistentin our praying.
Let’s take a look into this parable today and see the truths that are
containedhere. It is these truths that teachus about The PowerOf Persistent
Prayer.
I. THE CRY OF THE WIDOW
A. V. 3 Her Demand - We do not know the nature of this woman’s burden,
but she had a grievance againstsomeone thatwas lying very heavily upon her
heart.

222. B. V. 3 Her Disadvantages -This poor soul had severalthings working
againsther, when it came to seeking redress before a court of law. 1.)She was
a woman and womenwere not allowedto speak in court.
2.) She was a widow and she had no husband to speak for her.
3.) She was a widow and they were a segmentof societythat was oppressed
and often takenadvantage of.
4.) She was a widow and being a widow was synonymous with being poor. She
had no money with which to grease the wheels of justice. She could not have
paid a bribe had she wantedtoo.
C. V. 5b Her Determination - The Bible refers to her “continualcoming”. This
phrase has the idea that she was begging this judge for help every day. When
he would show up for court, there she was. Whenhe went into the
marketplace, there she was. She pleaded with him in front of his friends. She
stalkedhim at home. Everywhere he went, there she was, constantlyasking
him to give her satisfaction.
D. Her Desperation- Becauseofher socialstanding and because ofher
financial standing, she had no other hope but to gethelp from this judge.
Therefore, she made a nuisance of herself before him, everyday, until she
receivedthe very thing she was after!

223. (Note:This widow represents us. There are times when we too are burdened
down with cares, worries, fears andtroubles. During those times, it may seem
that every circumstance of life is stackedagainstus. There may be the
temptation to say, “What’s the use?”, especiallyafterwe have prayed and
prayed and prayed about some matter. Yet, if we canlearn anything from this
poor woman, let us learn the lessonthat persistence in prayer pays off in
God’s time! So, keeppraying, despite all the obstaclesyou face and despite all
the signs that sayyou should just give up!)
II. THE COLDNESSOF THE JUDGE
A. V. 2 He Was Corrupt - This man did not care anything about God or man.
All he caredabout was himself and his own life. To put is simply, he was a
wickedman! To understand this judge, we need to understand something of
what the judicial systemwas like in those days. Wiersbe describes it this way,
“The courtroom was not a fine building but a tent that was moved from place
to place as the judge coveredhis circuit. The judge, not the law, set the
agenda;and he sat regallyin the tent, surrounded by his assistants. Anybody
could watch the proceeding from outside, but only those who were approved
and acceptedcouldhave their cases tried. This usually meant bribing one of
the assistants so that he could callthe judges attention to the case.This is still
true in much of the third world countries today.” [Warren Weirsbe. Be
CourageousLuke 14-24. (Wheaton, ILL.: Victor Books, 1989)p. 62]
B. V. 4a He Was Calloused - Even though he had heard this widow’s petition
and saw she had a case, he would not do as she asked. He simply turned a deaf

224. ear to her pleas for help. He was hard hearted and close minded to the needs
of others.
C. V. 4b-5 He Was Condescending - In spite of his spiritual condition and in
spite of the fact that he did not care for this widow in the least, in the end, he
helped her! Why? The answerlies in verse 5. There are two words there that
are of specialinterest.
1.) Troubleth - This word comes from two words that mean, “to reach forth to
beat another or to cause anothertrouble.”
2.) Weary- This word means “to beatdown, to blackenthe eye”. It is a word
used to describe the effects of being beatenseverelyabout the head. Evidently
this means that her continually coming before him and her constantcrying
was hurting this man’s reputation. She was giving him a “black eye” in the
community!
(Note:For us, the lessonhere is this: We may not get the answerwe want
immediately, but we must keepasking and keepbelieving. God will answerin
His time!)
(Ill. John Wesley, the greatMethodistpreacher, encounteredmany times

225. of refusal, and denial, during his early years in the ministry. He loggeda few
of these instances in his diary:
Sunday A.M., May 5:Preachedin St. Anne’s. Asked not to come back. Sunday
P.M., May 5:Preachedin St. John’s. Deaconssaid, "Getout, and stay out!"
Sunday A.M., May 12:Preachedin St. Jude’s. Can’t go back there either.
Sunday P.M., May 19:Preachedin St. Somebody Else’s. Deacons calledspecial
meeting, and said I couldn’t return.
Sunday A.M., May 26:Preachedon street. Kickedoff street.
Sunday A.M., June 2:Preachedat the edge of town. Kicked off highway.
Sunday P.M., June 2:Preachedin a pasture. Ten thousand came.
If you and I are to get an answer, it may take some action. Consistent, and
persistentaction! I believe that George Mueller, the great prayer warrior said
it well, when he said, "The greatfault of the children of God is, they do not
continue in prayer; they do not go on praying; they do not persevere!")
III. THE CONTRAST WITHOUR FATHER

226. (Note:Jesus now turns from the characterin this parable to the Father up in
Heaven. He shows us that God, Who is nothing like the unjust judge, delights
in answering the prayers of His elect.)
A. V. 7 He Hears His People - We need never fearthat God doesn’t hear us,
because His earis ever open to the cry of His children, Isa. 65:24; Jer. 33:3; 1
John 5:14-15.
B. V. 7 He Honors Their Persistence - “though He bear long with them”.
Sometimes prayer is answeredimmediately, at other times, the answeris
delayed for some time. The key is not giving up! God isn’t just making us
wait, He is working out the answers we seek. Ourpersistence in prayer
demonstrates the depth of our burden. If you canpray about an item once or
twice and then give up, you weren’t really burdened over it. A genuine burden
will put you before God and keepyou there until He answers!
C. V. 8a He Handles Their Petitions - He doesn’t turn a deaf ear to our
petitions, but He begins the process ofworking them out speedily. In truth,
real prayer is the evidence of God’s impending answer. Why? Because real
prayer always begins with God. The Spirit burdens our hearts and we offer
the burden back to God, Who is already busily engagedin bringing about the
answer, Rom. 8:26-27. What greatconfidence that ought to give us in prayer!
What a desire that should put within us to seek Hid face more consistently
and persistently in prayer!
(Ill. This story illustrates the value of persistence in prayer: RogerSimms,
hitchhiking his wayhome, would never forgetthe date--May 7. His heavy

227. suitcase made Rogertired. He was anxious to take off his army uniform once
and for all. Flashing the hitchhiking sign to the oncoming car, he lost hope
when he saw it was a black, sleek, new Cadillac. To his surprise the car
stopped. The passengerdooropened. He ran towardthe car, tossedhis
suitcase in the back, and thanked the handsome, well-dressedman as he slid
into the front seat. "Going home for keeps?" "Sure am," Rogerresponded.
"Well, you’re in luck if you’re going to Chicago.""Notquite that far. Do you
live in Chicago?""Ihave a business there. My name is Hanover." After
talking about many things, Roger, a Christian, felt a compulsion to witness to
this fifty-ish, apparently successfulbusinessmanabout Christ. But he kept
putting it off, till he realized he was just thirty minutes from his home. It was
now or never. So, Rogerclearedhis throat, "Mr. Hanover, I would like to talk
to you about something very important." He then proceededto explain the
way of salvation, ultimately asking Mr. Hanover if he would like to receive
Christ as his Savior. To Roger’s astonishmentthe Cadillac pulled overto the
side of the road. Rogerthought he was going to be ejectedfrom the car. But
the businessmanbowed his head and receivedChrist, then thanked Roger.
"This is the greatestthing that has ever happened to me."
Five years went by, Rogermarried, had a two-year-oldboy, and a business of
his own. Packing his suitcase fora business trip to Chicago, he found the
small, white business card Hanover had given him five years before. In
Chicago he lookedup Hanover Enterprises. A receptionisttold him it was
impossible to see Mr. Hanover, but he could see Mrs. Hanover. A little
confusedas to what was going on, he was ushered into a lovely office and
found himself facing a keen-eyedwomanin her fifties. She extended her hand.
"You knew my husband?" Rogertold how her husband had given him a ride
when hitchhiking home after the war. "Canyou tell me when that was?" "It
was May 7, five years ago, the day I was dischargedfrom the army."
"Anything specialabout that day?" Rogerhesitated. Should he mention
giving his witness? Since he had come so far, he might as well take the plunge.
"Mrs. Hanover, I explained the gospel. He pulled over to the side of the road
and wept againstthe steering wheel. He gave his life to Christ that day."
Explosive sobs shook her body. Getting a grip on herself, she sobbed, "I had

228. prayed for my husband’s salvation for years. I believed God would save him."
"And," said Roger, "Where is your husband, Mrs. Hanover?" "He’s dead,"
she wept, struggling with words. "He was in a carcrash after he let you out of
the car. He never gothome. You see--Ithought God had not kept His
promise." Sobbing uncontrollably, she added, "I stopped living for Godfive
years ago because I thought He had not keptHis word!" [J. Kirk Johnston,
Why Christians Sin, DiscoveryHouse, 1992, pp. 39-41.
www.christianglobe.com/illustrations/prayer])
IV. THE CHALLENGE TO THE SAINTS
(Note:What are we to do with this message? Ithink the answercan be
summed up by three simple challenges thatwill make all the difference in our
prayer lives.)
A. V. 1 Be Committed To Prayer - Jesus says that we “ought always to pray”.
This is the idea that we find in 1 Thes. 5:17, where the Bible says, “Pray
without ceasing.”“Withoutceasing” has the idea of “no intermission”. It can
refer to a nagging cough, a tickle at the back of the throat that says a cough is
always about to happen. Jesus is telling us to “to ready. To be on guard, to be
watchful” It is the idea of “being in the attitude and atmosphere of prayer all
the time.” You see, prayer is more than an obligation. It is also an
opportunity. It is an opportunity for us to be in touch with our heavenly
Father any time the need arises!
B. V. 1 Be ConsistentIn Prayer - “Notto faint” - This phrase means “to lose
heart, to become slothful, to grow weary”. Jesus challengesHis people not to
lose heart during the times when answerto prayer is delayed. Don’t give up,

229. keeppraying and don’t lose heart! God will move in His time! This is
illustrated by the Lord’s promise in Galatians 6:9!
C. V. 8 Be Comforted By Prayer - The lastquestion in verse 8 wonders if
Jesus will find faith when He returns. That is, “will He find His people
persisting in prayer before the Father over the things that really matter?” The
answerto that question depends upon you and me! We may be faithful and we
may not. We might persist and we might not. You say, where is the comfort in
this? It lies in what Jesus said!Notice that He said, “When the Son of Man
cometh...” The comfort in prayer is this: God’s people may not always do
what they are supposedto do, but they cancount on the Lord to keepevery
promise He had ever made. He will be faithful to honor His Word to us. You
may feel like giving up, but you keepon praying and He will answerin His
time! That is His promise, John 15:7; John 16:23;Matt. 21:22; ***Matt. 7:7-
8***.
Conc:While crossing the Atlantic, on an oceanliner, F.B. Meyerwas askedto
address the passengers onthe subject of answeredprayer. An agnostic, who
was present at the service was asked, "Whatdid you think of Dr. Meyer’s
sermon?" To which he replied, "I didn’t believe a word of it."
Later that afternoon, the agnostic was onhis way to another service, just to
hear, as he put it, what the "babbler had to say." He put two oranges in his
pocket, and as he walkedtowardthe meeting place, he passedan elderly
woman, who was sitting in her chair, fast asleep. In the spirit of fun, the man
slipped those two oranges into her outstretchedpalms.
After the meeting, he saw the old lady happily eating one of those oranges.
He remarked, "You seemto be enjoying those oranges ma’am!"

230. To which she replied, "Yes sir, my Fatheris very goodto me!" He said, "Your
Father? Surely you father can’t still be alive!" She exclaimed, "Praise God,
He’s very much alive!" She then went on to explain it to the agnostic, and
said, "You see, I’ve been sea sick for days. I was asking Godto somehow send
me an orange to help ease my sickness. I suppose I fell asleepwhile I was
praying. However, when I woke up, I found that He had not only sent me one
orange, but two!" To this response, the agnostic was speechless.Lateron that
same cruise, he was convertedto Christ, and was made a believer that God
answers prayer!
Keep on praying saints!The answeris on the way!
ADAM CLARKE
Introduction
The parable of the importunate widow, Luke 18:1-8. Of the Pharisee and the
publican, Luke 18:9-14. Infants brought to Christ, Luke 18:15-17. The ruler
who wished to know how he might inherit eternal life, Luke 18:18-23. Our
Lord's reflections on his case, Luke 18:24-27. Whatthey shall receive who
follow Christ, Luke 18:28-30. He foretells his approaching passionand death,
Luke 18:31-34. He restores a blind man to sight at Jericho, Luke 18:35-43.
Verse 1
Men ought always to pray - Therefore the plain meaning and moral of the
parable are evident; viz. that as afflictions and desolations were coming on the

231. land, and they should have need of much patience and continual fortitude,
and the constantinfluence and protectionof the Almighty, therefore they
should be instant in prayer. It states, farther, that men should never cease
praying for that the necessityofwhich God has given them to feel, till they
receive a full answerto their prayers. No other meaning need be searchedfor
in this parable: St. Luke, who perfectly knew his Master's meaning, has
explained it as above.
Verse 2
A judge, which fearednot God, neither regardedman - It is no wonder that
our Lord calls this person an unrighteous judge, Luke 18:6. No personis
worthy to be put in the sacredoffice of a judge who does not deeply fear God,
and tenderly respecthis fellow creatures. Because this person fearednot God,
he paid no attention to the calls of justice; and because he respectednot man,
he was unmoved at the complaint of the widow. Even among the heathens this
was the characterof a man totally abandoned to all evil. So Dion Cassius says
of Vitellius, that he neither regardedgods nor men - ουτε των ανθρωπων, ουτε
των θεων εφροντιζεν.
Verse 3
Avenge me of mine adversary - The original, εκδικησονμε απο του αντιδικου
μου, had better be translated, Do me justice against, or vindicate me from, my
adversary. If the woman had come to getrevenge, as our common translation
intimates, I think our blessedLord would never have permitted her to have
the honor of a place in the sacredrecords. She desired to have justice, and
that only; and by her importunity she gotthat which the unrighteous judge
had no inclination to give, but merely for his own ease.
Verse 4

232. He said within himself - How many actions which appear goodhave neither
the love of God, nor that of our neighbor, but only self-love of the basestkind,
for their principle and motive!
Verse 5
She wearyme - Ὑπωπιαζῃ με, Stun me. A metaphor takenfrom boxers, who
bruise eachother, and by beating eachother about the face blackenthe eyes.
See 1 Corinthians 9:27.
Verse 6
Hear what the unjust judge saith - Our blessedLord intimates that we should
reasonthus with ourselves:"If a personof such an infamous characteras this
judge was could yield to the pressing and continual solicitations of a poor
widow, for whom he felt nothing but contempt, how much more ready must
God be, who is infinitely goodand merciful, and who loves his creatures in the
tenderestmanner, to give his utmost salvationto all them who diligently seek
it!"
Verse 7
And shall not God avenge his own elect - And will not God the righteous
Judge do justice for his chosen? Probably this may refer to the cruel usage
which his disciples had met with, and were still receiving, from the
disobedient and unbelieving Jews;and which should be finally visited upon
them in the destruction of their city, and the calamities which should follow.
But we may considerthe text as having a more extensive meaning. As God has
graciouslypromised to give salvationto every soul that comes unto him
through his Son, and has put his Spirit in their hearts, inducing them to cry
unto him incessantlyfor it; the goodness ofhis nature and the promise of his
grace bind him to hear the prayers they offer unto him, and to grant them all
that salvationwhich he has led them by his promise and Spirit to request.

233. Which cry day and night unto him, etc. - This is a genuine characteristic ofthe
true elector disciples of Christ. They feelthey have neither light, power, nor
goodness,but as they receive them from him; and, as he is the desire of their
soul, they incessantlyseek that they may be upheld and savedby him.
Though he bear long with them? - Rather, and He is compassionatetowards
Them, and consequentlynot at all like to the unrighteous judge. Instead of
μακροθυμων, and be long-suffering, as in our translation, I read μακροθυμει,
he is compassionate,whichreading is supported by ABDLQ, and several
others. The reasonwhich our Lord gives for the successofhis chosen, is,
They cry unto him day and night.
He is compassionate towards Them.
In consequence ofthe first, they might expect justice even from an
unrighteous judge; and, in consequence ofthe second, they are sure of
salvation, because they ask it from that God who is towards them a Father of
eternal love and compassion. There was little reasonto expectjustice from the
unrighteous judge.
Becausehe was unrighteous; and
Becausehe had no respectfor man: no, not even for a poor desolate widow.
But there is all the reasonunder heaven to expectmercy from God:
Becausehe is righteous, and he has promised it; and
Becausehe is compassionate towards his creatures;being ever prone to give
more than the most enlargedheart can request of him.
Every reader must perceive that the common translationis so embarrassedas
to be almostunintelligible; while that in this note, from the above authorities,

234. is as plain as possible, and shows this beautiful parable to be one of the most
invaluable pieces in the word of God.
Verse 8
He will avenge them speedily - Or, He will do them justice speedily - εν ταχει,
instantly, in a trice.
Becausehe has promised it; and
Becausehe is inclined to do it.
When the Son of man cometh - To require the produce of the seedof the
kingdom sownamong this people.
Shall he find faith on the earth? - Or rather, Shall he find fidelity in this land?
Shall he find that the soilhas brought forth a harvest proportioned to the
culture bestowedonit? No! And therefore he destroyed that land.
THOMAS CONSTABLE
Verse 1
The audience for this parable was the disciples ( Luke 17:22). Luke identified
Jesus" reasonfor giving it clearly. He wanted to encourage them to continue
praying and not to grow discouraged. The reference to "all times" or
"always" (notcontinuously, but in all circumstances)indicates that the
interval betweenJesus" presentministry and His future return is in view (
Luke 17:22-37;cf. Luke 18:8). This was, then, instruction concerning what the
disciples should do in the inter-advent period in view of Jesus" secondcoming.
When He returns, Jesus will balance the scalesofjustice. In the meantime
disciples need to continue expressing their faith in Godby requesting His
grace.

235. "Jesus"teaching goesbeyond that of the Jews, who tended to limit the times
of prayer lestthey weary God. Three times a day (on the model of Daniel
6:10) was acceptedas the maximum." [Note:Morris, p262.]
Verses 1-8
3. The parable of the persistent widow18:1-8
Jesus continued His instruction to the disciples about His return. He told them
a parable designedto encourage them to continue praying while they lived in
the interval before His secondcoming. Luke mentioned widows more than all
the other Gospelevangelists combined( Luke 2:37-38;Luke 4:25-26;Luke
7:11-17;Luke 18:1-8; Luke 20:45-47;Luke 21:1-4;cf. Exodus 22:22-24;
Deuteronomy 14:28-29;Deuteronomy 16:9-15;Psalm146:9;Isaiah 1:17;
Isaiah1:23; Jeremiah7:6; Acts 6:1; 1 Timothy 5:3-10;James 1:27).
Verse 2-3
Jesus pictured this judge as failing to do what the Mosaic Law required of
Israel"s judges. In the Old Testamentfearof Godwas primarily fearof Him
as judge. This judge was a man of the world (cf. Luke 16:8). Luke"s Gentile
readers undoubtedly knew of judges who were similar to him. [Note: Danker,
p184.]Whether this judge was a Jewishor a Roman judge is unclear and
irrelevant. In view of the accessthatthe widow enjoyed to his presence he
seems to have been a lowerofficial rather than a judge in Israel"s supreme
court. [Note:See J. D. M. Derrett, "Law in the New Testament:The Unjust
Judges," New TestamentStudies18 (1971-72):178-91.]In first-century
Palestine a single judge often handled the type of monetary case that this
widow presentedto this judge. [Note:Jeremias, The Parables . . ., p153.]Jesus
contrastedGod with him rather than comparing God to him (cf. Luke 11:5-8).

236. Widows were the personificationof dependence, helplessness, and
vulnerability in Israel(cf. Exodus 22:22-24;Psalm 68:5; Lamentations 1:1;
James 1:27). This widow kept asking the judge repeatedly for protection from
those who opposedher, not for their punishment. [Note: Plummer, p412.]In
the parable she represents the disciples who were equally dependent on God
for protectionfrom the non-disciples who opposedthem for their allegiance to
Jesus.
Verse 4-5
The judge granted the widow"s petition solelybecause ofher persistence.
Jesus was not teaching that Godtakes the same attitude toward disciples that
this judge took toward this widow. Again, the judge contrasts with God. His
point was that persistence is effective with unjust judges. How much more will
it be effective with the righteous Judge.
The phrase "wearme out" translates an idiom that literally means "strike
under the eye" (Gr. hypopiaze me, cf. 1 Corinthians 9:27). We could translate
this idiom "lestshe give me a black eye." Figuratively a black eye represents a
damagedreputation, shame. Consequentlythe judge apparently feared that
by refusing to respond to the widow his reputation would suffer (cf. Luke
11:8). [Note:Derrett, "Law in . . .," p191.]He granted her request for selfish
reasons.
Verses 6-8
Jesus proceededto apply the parable for His disciples. Listening carefully to
the judge"s words was important because only then could the disciples see
that Jesus was teaching by contrast. God would never respond to a cry for
help as this judge did. In view of His characterdisciples cancount on Him
giving them the protection they need. The term "elect" is a reminder that He

237. has chosenthose who call to Him (cf. Matthew 22:14; Mark 13:20; Mark
13:22;Mark 13:27). This is another reasonHe will respond to their call. The
widow was a strangerto the unjust judge. MoreoverJesus saidHe would not
delay to give the protectionHis disciples need.
Though God has allowedsome disciples who callon Him for help during
persecutionto die, He nevertheless gives added grace to them (cf. 2
Corinthians 12:9). The justice He will provide speedily is protection from the
attacks ofspiritual opponents ( Luke 18:3). It is justice because the disciple is
suffering unjustly when he or she stands for Jesus and consequently
experiences persecution.
"Godlongs to vindicate the saints, and he will do so. When he does, his justice
will be swift and sure, and our suffering will seemshort-lived comparedto the
glory to follow. In the meantime he protects us." [Note:Bock, Luke, p455.]
Jesus" final question suggeststhat there will be comparatively few on the
earth who have remained faithful and who believe that He will return ( Luke
17:22 to Luke 18:1). [Note: See David A. Mappes, "WhatIs the Meaning of
"Faith" in Luke 18:8?" Bibliotheca Sacra167:667 (July-September2010):292-
306.]The SecondComing is in view, not the Rapture. The phrase "Son of
Man" links this question with Jesus" former teaching about His return ( Luke
17:22;Luke 17:24;Luke 17:26; Luke 17:30). This is all the more reason
disciples need to keeppraying. Prayer not only secures God"s helpduring
persecution, but it also demonstrates faith in God.
This parable then is an encouragementfor disciples who experience
opposition for their faith during the inter-advent age. We should continue to
ask God for protection from those who oppose us for our commitment to
Jesus Christ. God will respond speedily by giving us the help that we need.

238. This will result in the continuing demonstrationof faith in God when He is
visibly absentfrom the world during this period. The parable is an
exhortation to persevere in the faith rather than apostatizing (i.e, turning
awayfrom it). God will vindicate His electat the SecondComing (cf. Psalm
125:2-3;Revelation6:9-11). That will be His ultimate answerto these prayers
of His people, but immediate help before that coming is primarily in view in
this parable.
IMPORTUNATE PRAYER
Dr. W. A. Criswell
Luke 18:1-8
2-16-69 7:30 p.m.
Well, believe it or not, on the radio you are sharing the services ofthe First
Baptist Church in Dallas. And we are praising God, we are loving the Lord,
we are preaching His Word. And tonight it is going to be on something that is
dear to the heart of any saint: how to geta hold of heaven, how to bow down
God’s ear to hear you when you pray. The title of the sermonis Importunate
Prayer, and this is the preacher delivering it, the pastorof the church in the
First Church here in Dallas, out of the eighteenthchapter of the Book of
Luke. Now if you would like to turn to the place and follow, you can, because
we are going to readout loud togetherthe first eight verses. Luke chapter18,
the first eight verses, andas we read it, you will easily see how it lies as a

239. wonderful backgroundfor the subject delivered tonight, Importunate Prayer.
Luke chapter 18, the first 8 verses, now all of us reading out loud together:
And He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray,
and not to faint;
Saying, There was in a city a judge, which fearednot God, neither regarded
man:
And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge
me of mine adversary.
And he would not for a while: but afterwardhe said within himself, Though I
fear not God, nor regardman;
Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual
coming she weary me.
And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.
And shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him,
though He bear long with them?
I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Neverthelesswhenthe Son of
Man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?

240. [Luke 18:1-8]
Now the Lord is always surprising; and not the leastof the surprises that we
find in our Lord are these illustrations that He uses. He just overwhelms us
by the illustrations that He will use in illustrating some tremendous spiritual
fact. For example, I could not think of anything more common than barnyard
chickens. If you grew up in a country on the farm or in a little town, you
know what that is, barnyard chickens. And yet the Lord, when He would
illustrate the providential care of God to those who would respond to His
overtures of grace and mercy, He will illustrate it by using a hen: and when a
hawk flies over or some unaccounted sound is heard, they all run to the mama
hen and getunder her feathers, under her wings. I’ve seenold hens spread
out, trying to coverall those chickens. And I could never think of anything
more quietly, soothingly blessedthan to hear the “peep-peep, peep-peep, peep-
peep” out of those chickens. Well, that’s what they are; that’s what the Lord
uses.
Now this one here is a humdinger. I just cannot imagine the Lord using an
illustration like this; but as we go along in the sermon, you’re going to see how
apropos it is because He is putting side by side a comparisonbetween
somebody here in the earth who is as wretchedand as vile and as ungodly as
he could be, and He compares him with our Fatherwho is in heaven. Well,
this is the story that He tells. There is a judge, there was a judge, and this
judge was anything but a man given to righteous judgment. He was a piece of
proud flesh; he was a deaf, dumb adder. He was an ungodly charlatan. He
did dishonor to his office and dishonor to his appointment to that judgeship.
Now that was the kind of a man that he was. And that’s not peculiar, for in
that Oriental day—and I presume somewhatto this day—you will find judges
like that.

241. For example, in the eleventh chapter of the Book ofIsaiah, in speaking ofthe
Lord, the great prophet says, “He shall not judge after the sight of His eyes,
neither reprove after the hearing of His ears” [Isaiah11:3]. What he meant
by that, there were judges, and they’d be there behind the bar and seatedon
the bench, and as they continued in the trial, why, he’d catchthe eye of some
man of political or financial importance, then he wouldn’t render a verdict
exceptaccording to the eye of that man. Either that man threatened him by
looking at him, or that man winking at him that such and such is to be
delivered in verdict. But the Lord will not be that way: He will not judge
after somebody’s winking of an eye or somebody’s looking at Him with a sign.
“Neitherwill He reprove after the hearing of His ears” [Isaiah11:3]; that was
referring to those judges, who up there trying or seeking orsupposing to
dispense justice, somebody will come up to him and whisper in his earand say
things to him, either threatening or bribery, that would unbalance the scales
of justice.
Well, this rascalwas both: he was full of affinities for bribes, and he judged
by the looks ofthose who might be able to recompense whathe, the verdict
that he delivered. He was a rascal. And Jesus describes him as a man that
fearednot God, nor regarded man [Luke 18:2]; just about as lowdowna
critter as you could find in the city or in the country.
Now, there’s another thing that He says:There was a widow in that city: and
she was oppressedby somebody who was wronging her [Luke 18:3]. And that
is a most descriptive life of the widow in all of these pagancountries and in
ancient days. No one had as difficult a time as a widow. When Careywent to
India, they burned her when her husband died. If he was a young fellow and
she was young, that was the practice in India: when they built the fire, the
funeral fire, in which they placedthe husband, they put the widow also, and
she was burned up with him, just one way to getrid of her. When I was in
India, I visited in the home of a widow, a Baptist widow. And I listened all
over againto the sorrows that afflict a widow in India today. She has no

242. rights, she has no open doors, she is to live a certain kind of a life, and it is one
of poverty and penury and want and misery, without hope, without any light
or encouragement. It is a tragic thing. Well, this widow not only fell into that
sorrowfullife, but she had somebodywho was oppressing her. The Lord
doesn’t go into detail, but there was someone who was doing her wrong,
oppressing her; and she came to the judge about it [Luke 18:3]. And that
judge would pay no attention to her at all, not any relief, not any hope in him.
Now that part of the story could be duplicated ten thousand times in the
ancient world and in the pagan world today. But the rest of this story is
unique. That woman, that widow, when she came to this rascalofa judge,
and could find no hope of justice or judgment in him, she did not give up: she
met him at the door of the courtroom and spoke to him; she waylaid him on
the wayhome and spoke to him. When he gotup in the morning, when he laid
down at night, when he went out walking, whenhe satdown for the meals,
when he went to his courtroom, whereverhe was, there was that woman. And
finally he said, “I don’t know what this critter may do.” He uses a word here
that is translated very innocuously in the King James Version. He says, “Now
I do not regard God, and I do not regardman; but because this widow
troubleth me, I will avenge her of her adversary, lestby her continual coming
she,” and you have it translated “lestshe weary me” [Luke 18:4-5]. Well,
that’s about the most innocent kind of a way to translate that word I ever saw.
The Greek wordis hupopiaze, “Lestshe hit me under the eye, lest she blacken
my eye;why, the critter can scratch,” he said, “she can fight, she can claw, she
can hit me with her fist. I don’t know what this woman might do.” The Lord
is bringing out the grotesquenessofthat situation.
So he says, “ThoughI care nothing for justice, and though I care nothing for
man, and I don’t even regardGod, yet because this woman is everlastinglyat
me, and pestering me, and talking to me, and she may bounce me, and hit me,
and I don’t know what she may do, I’m going to avenge her of her adversary.”
Now, the Lord says, “I want you to look at that woman. She has no clever

243. lawyers, not one. She has no wealth; she’s a poor widow. And she has nobody
to defend her case in court. But she got what she wanted, even from a rascal
of a judge, because ofher importunity.” That’s the illustration He uses.
Now look how the Lord applies it. “If that woman because ofher
importunity, gotwhat she pled for from a rascalofa judge,” then the Lord
sits by the side of that judge, the greatJudge of all the earth, “If she by her
ceaseless, unwearying importunity got what she wanted, how much more will
the saints of the Lord receive from God’s hands what they want, if they will
just stay with the Lord pleading their case?”[Luke 18:6-7]. So He puts the
two side by side, an unjust judge and our heavenly Father; and this poor
widow and we who are God’s children today. And how much more will He,
the Judge of all the earth who does right, who lives in a habitation of justice
and truth, before whom love and mercy and righteousness always precede,
how much more will He do for us what we ask, if we just stay with the Lord
and plead with the Lord? [Luke 18:7-8].
Now, I submit to you that is about as hard an assignmentthat a Christian ever
faces: how do you endure the unendurable? And how do you consistently
persist in an appeal that is denied and seemingly is never answered? ButGod
teaches us that we are not to cease, we’re notto stop, we’re not to be
discouraged. “He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought
always to pray and not to faint” [Luke 18:1], not to give up, not to fall by the
wayside. We’re always to pray and not to faint. And life is like that. First
there is the seedsown, then the blade, then the earof corn; there is first the
ten thousand seeds sownby the plowman and ten thousand steps he takes
before there is a harvest. And before there is powerin the dam, there has to
be backedup and backedup and backedup those millions and millions of
tons of waterpressure, before it canturn any wheelof power. We are taught
that truth by the example of the people of the Lord.

244. Abraham was a hundred years old, and his wife Sarahwas [ninety] years old,
and they had no child [Genesis 17:16-17]. YetGod said, “Out of thy loins, out
of thy body shall he be born, who shall be the heir of all of the blessings that I
promise to mankind through the Savior of the earth” [Genesis 15:4]. And
Abraham was a hundred years old, and Sarahwas ninety years old; and there
was no fulfillment of that promise. And when Abraham complained to God
about it, and said, “We are getting old; we are like dry sticks. There is no life,
there is no birth. Yet You sayout of our loins is he to be born who shall be the
inheritor of all of these promises that shall bless the earth.” And the Lord
God took Abraham out under the chalice of the sky, and said, “Abraham,
count those stars for Me, just count them” [Genesis 15:5]. Thousands and
thousands and thousands of them shining up there in God’s blue heaven.
Abraham said, “Lord, I cannot count those stars;they are too many for me.”
And the Lord said, “So shall it be with thy children that I will multiply out of
this land, born out of thy loins.” Then the Bible says one of the greatestverses
in the Book: “And Abraham believed God; and the Lord accountedit to him
for righteousness” [Genesis 15:6]. And Paul, in speaking ofit in the Book of
Romans, says, “And he staggerednot at the promise of God” [Romans 4:20].
I don’t care what problem you face, there never will be one in your life as
apparently impossible a fulfillment as when Abraham was a hundred years
old and Sarah was ninety years old, and God says, “Out of your loins,” when
they were dead, “out of your loins will he be born, who will bless the families
of the earth” [Genesis 15:4], importunate prayer, believe in God, staying with
the Lord [Luke 18:1].
I haven’t time to pursue that. It is just God does not honor perfunctory
praying, at the fag end of a day. The kind of a praying that most of us do is
almost like an insult to the Lord. In realprayer, there is—like the figure of
the Old Testament—there is clinging to the horns of the altar [1 Kings 1:51];
or like the story of Jacobat Peniel, “Lord, I will not let You go till You bless
me” [Genesis 32:26], praying, agonizing, all night long. That is the kind of

245. prayer the Lord is speaking of here in this parable, when He says, “Men
[ought] always to pray, and not to faint” [Luke 18:1].
Now, I want to exegete a minute. Looking at the passage,this belongs—Iwish
we were around a table, and we could look at it—this is a passagefrom there
to there; it’s in a context, it’s just not something stuck off out here by itself
even though you have a chapter heading there. It starts with a question, the
passagedoes, andit ends with a question. And the question was this: “And
when He was demanded of the Pharisees,whenthe kingdom of God should
come, He answeredthem and said” [Luke 17:20-21]. Thenyou have His
apocalyptic discourse here [Luke 17:22-18:8]. Theywere asking Him, as we
learn in the apocalyptic discourse in Matthew and in Mark [Matthew 24;
Mark 13], and they were asking Him, “Now when are these things going to
come to pass? When will be the end of this world, the consummation of this
age, the denouement of time and history? And when are You coming back to
earth again, and when shall all of these prophecies be fulfilled that are written
in that blessedBook? Nowwhen?”[Matthew 24:3;Mark 13:4]. So the Lord
delivers this apocalyptic discourse [Matthew 24:4-51;Mark 13:5-37;Luke
17:22-18:1], and He closesit with this word that we’re preaching about
tonight. And He is talking about staying with the Lord and believing the Lord
in spite of insuperable contradictions and interdictions and interventions
[Luke 18:1-7]. So He closes it when He says, “Verily I sayunto you, truly I
say unto you, verily, when the Son of Man cometh, shall He find faith on the
earth?” [Luke 18:8].
Now, what the Lord is talking about here, the long delay in His coming brings
discouragementto God’s people. “Will He ever come? Will He?” Think of
the generations thathave lookedfor Him, and they’ve died. Think of the
people I have buried here in this church who believed in their deepesthearts
that they were going to live to see Jesus come again, Godbless them. Now you
look at our world, you look at our world. Does it move heavenward? Is it

246. increasinglyspiritual, godly, expectant? It’s just the opposite: our world is
increasinglypagan and rapidly increasinglyso now.
For example, beside the inroads of communism and blasphemous atheism and
apostasy;beside these things that we are so familiar with, you look at this a
moment: our ForeignMissionBoard—andwe have more missionaries than
any other denomination in the earth. Our ForeignMissionBoardlast year
baptized, won and baptized less than sixty thousand in the whole earth, in the
whole earth. At the same time, at the same time that our ForeignMission
Board, with all of its efforts and all of its missionaries, baptized less than sixty
thousand, there were sixty-five million and more born into the world last year.
Now, I don’t have the mathematical genius to geometricallyprogress thatout
to its ultimate, but our minds can imagine it. You multiply sixty thousand,
and the next year what that sixty thousand might mean, and in the following
year what that sixty-five thousand might mean, and do that for a few years.
Then you go on the other side, and you mathematically, geometrically—not
arithmetical ratio, because we double, double, double, it’s two, four, six, eight,
sixteen—youtake a slide rule and mathematically follow that progressionout.
Sixty-five million and sixty-five million, and that million million, and that
million million, and I don’t need to point out to you but that in a few
generations, youhave the Christian faith an infinitesimal minority in the vast
billions that inhabit this earth; that, I say, beside the colossaldiscouragements
that face God’s saints who live in this present generation.
Now that’s what the Lord is referring to in this passage: “Neverthelesswhen
the Sonof Man cometh, shall He find faith in the earth?” [Luke 18:8]. Will it
have died out? Will men have given up? It is so long, it is so long, and we’ve
waited, and we’ve prayed, and we’ve expected, and God doesn’t intervene,
Jesus doesn’tcome [2 Peter 3:4]; and these die and are buried, and we
apparently are expecting death, and the Lord hasn’t come. Will it be, could it
be, are we mistakenin it, in the promise of God? Did the Lord not know
Himself? What of the coming of Jesus?

247. Well, another thing I need not remind you, practicallyall of Christendom has
given it up, has given it up: they don’t look for Jesus. They’re not looking for
the personalcoming of our Lord from heavenand the intervention of Christ
in human history; they have given it up. And that’s what the Lord is saying:
in this long period of time, “When the Sonof Man cometh, shall He find faith
in the earth?” [Luke 18:8]. Will there be those still loving, and watching, and
waiting, and expecting, and believing? Will there be? By God’s grace, and
according to the revelation in the Book, there will be; there will be. But I
think the truth of the Book in another way: they will not be many. They will
not be many. Mostof them shall have given it up. “A hundred years old and
ninety years old, even God couldn’t do that” [Genesis 17:17];and they’ve
given up the promise.
Well, what of us? What of us? Dearsweetandprecious friends in Jesus, oh
how the Bible would encourage us to stay with the Lord and to believe the
promises of God; whateverthe vicissitudes and fortunes of life and however
the turn or course of history, we still look to Jesus. If I had an hour, we’d go
over here to the Book ofHabakkuk. Habakkuk lived in a tragic time: he
lived in the face of the Babylonian captivity. And as he saw the hordes of those
Chaldeans pouring towardPalestine and Judea and Jerusalem, and the holy
temple of God, he said, “Lord, I do not understand. Thou art of purer eyes
than to look upon evil; and yet these come, uncircumcised, blaspheming
pagans to destroy Thy temple, and take awayThy people. Lord, how is it, and
how could it be” [Habakkuk 1:13]? And the Lord replys, “You write the
vision, make it plain, that even the man that runs can read it” [Habakkuk
2:2]. Then His answercloses, “Forthe just shall live by his faith” [Habakkuk
2:4]. That’s a greattext of the Book of Romans, “Forthe just shall live by his
faith” [Romans 1:17].
No matter what the course ofhistory, or what the developments in life, or how
dark or foreboding the outlook, God’s people are to live by the promises of the

248. Lord. “The just shall live by faith” [Romans 1:17]. And some day, some
glorious day, it says over here in the Book ofthe Revelation, “Behold, I come
quickly,” that’s in the third chapter [Revelation3:11]. And when I turn to the
last chapter, He will repeat that three times, “Behold, I come en tachei”
[Revelation22:7]. And again, “Behold, I come en tachei” [Revelation22:12].
And then last, “He which testifieth these things, saith, Surely, surely, I come
en tachei” [Revelation22:20]. Now there are two ways you could say that,
translate that. One is that He is coming right then, right then. But the other
is that when the day comes, when the hour strikes and when Jesus returns,
these things that are prophesied in the Bible are going to come to pass
immediately, quickly, speedily, one after another. When the final time does
come, it will come immediately and quickly.
And by the learning of two thousand years of Christian history, I know that
that’s what tachu means: that when this day comes, whenthe final hour
comes, that these things that are prophesied in this Book are coming to pass
rapidly, speedily, one right after another. And when I look at time, and tide,
and life, and experience, and history, all of it is that way, all of it. Look for
just a moment. The children of Israel stayedslaves in bondage in Egypt four
hundred years [Genesis 15:13;Exodus 12:40]. But when they were delivered,
they were delivered in one night, one night! God took them out in one night
[Exodus 14:30]. In the Babylonian captivity, Jeremiahsent them word and
said, “The captivity is going to be a long time, it’s going to be a long time.
Now you plant vineyards, you build houses, and you rear your children in that
land, far awayland, a heathen land” [Jeremiah 29:4-6]. And that’s why it
says that they hung their harps upon the willows, and they sat down by the
rivers of Babylon, and wept [Psalm 137:1-2]. Theireyes would never see a
home, never. They would die, and their bones would be left in that land.
Jeremiahthe prophet told them so. But when they were delivered, how were
they delivered? In one night, in one night. When Belshazzarthe king of
Babylon was drinking and feasting in a wild orgy, God wrote his doom on the
plaster of the wall of the palace;and he was slain that night! [Daniel 5:1-30].
And the next day, [Darius] was crownedking of the civilized world [Daniel

249. 5:31]. And Cyrus sent the captives back home, in one night, in one night
[Ezra 1:3].
He to whom a thousand years is as a day, a thousand years is as a day [2 Peter
3:8], to Him the time is brief; it passesso rapidly. To us it is long and
wearisome. Willit ever come? Will we ever see His face? Are these who die
in the Lord, are they dead forever? Is this the end of Christian life, a grave,
and a funeral service, and a benediction, and ashes to ashes, anddust to dust,
and then nothing beyond? Is that it? No! The Lord God in heaven marks the
place, and the Lord God in glory writes it in His book;our names are up there
[Luke 10:20], and He knows us [John 10:3]. And some day, some triumphant
and heavenly and glorious and resurrectionday, the Lord shall come;and
these things that He has promised in the blessedBook willhappen
immediately. “In the twinkling of an eye, in the length of the sounding of a
trumpet” [1 Corinthians 15:50-53], just like that, just like that. And He may
be long in His coming, as the Lord speaks ofhere in the passage, but when He
comes, may He find us faithful, watching, waiting, ready, loving, adoring,
praising [Titus 2:13].
And you know what I think will absolutely be true? When the Lord comes
and the victory is ours, we’re going to say to one another, “Why did we ever
doubt it? Why did we grow discouraged? We knew the Lord was faithful and
would keepHis word.”
Oh, bless us, as we cling to the horns of the altar [1 Kings 1:51], as we pray
importunately [Luke 18:1], as we treasure the promise in our hearts, as we
keepthe faith! [James 1:6].
Now Lee Roy, we must sing our song of appeal. And while we sing it, you to
give yourself, all of you, your heart, your soul, your mind, your life, to give

250. your whole self to the blessedJesus, youcome and stand by me. A family you
to put your life in the fellowship of our dear church, you come. Or a couple
you, as the Spirit shall speak the word to your heart, shall make the appeal,
come, decide now, do it now. And on the first note of the first stanza, stand up
coming. God be with you in the way as you respond, while we stand and while
we sing.
IMPORTUNATE PRAYER
Dr. W. A. Criswell
Luke 18:1-8
2-16-69 7:30 p.m.
Well, believe it or not, on the radio you are sharing the services ofthe First
Baptist Church in Dallas. And we are praising God, we are loving the Lord,
we are preaching His Word. And tonight it is going to be on something that is
dear to the heart of any saint: how to geta hold of heaven, how to bow down
God’s ear to hear you when you pray. The title of the sermonis Importunate
Prayer, and this is the preacher delivering it, the pastorof the church in the
First Church here in Dallas, out of the eighteenthchapter of the Book of
Luke. Now if you would like to turn to the place and follow, you can, because
we are going to readout loud togetherthe first eight verses. Luke chapter18,
the first eight verses, andas we read it, you will easily see how it lies as a

251. wonderful backgroundfor the subject delivered tonight, Importunate Prayer.
Luke chapter 18, the first 8 verses, now all of us reading out loud together:
And He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray,
and not to faint;
Saying, There was in a city a judge, which fearednot God, neither regarded
man:
And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge
me of mine adversary.
And he would not for a while: but afterwardhe said within himself, Though I
fear not God, nor regardman;
Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual
coming she weary me.
And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.
And shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him,
though He bear long with them?
I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Neverthelesswhenthe Son of
Man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?

252. [Luke 18:1-8]
Now the Lord is always surprising; and not the leastof the surprises that we
find in our Lord are these illustrations that He uses. He just overwhelms us
by the illustrations that He will use in illustrating some tremendous spiritual
fact. For example, I could not think of anything more common than barnyard
chickens. If you grew up in a country on the farm or in a little town, you
know what that is, barnyard chickens. And yet the Lord, when He would
illustrate the providential care of God to those who would respond to His
overtures of grace and mercy, He will illustrate it by using a hen: and when a
hawk flies over or some unaccounted sound is heard, they all run to the mama
hen and getunder her feathers, under her wings. I’ve seenold hens spread
out, trying to coverall those chickens. And I could never think of anything
more quietly, soothingly blessedthan to hear the “peep-peep, peep-peep, peep-
peep” out of those chickens. Well, that’s what they are; that’s what the Lord
uses.
Now this one here is a humdinger. I just cannot imagine the Lord using an
illustration like this; but as we go along in the sermon, you’re going to see how
apropos it is because He is putting side by side a comparisonbetween
somebody here in the earth who is as wretchedand as vile and as ungodly as
he could be, and He compares him with our Fatherwho is in heaven. Well,
this is the story that He tells. There is a judge, there was a judge, and this
judge was anything but a man given to righteous judgment. He was a piece of
proud flesh; he was a deaf, dumb adder. He was an ungodly charlatan. He
did dishonor to his office and dishonor to his appointment to that judgeship.
Now that was the kind of a man that he was. And that’s not peculiar, for in
that Oriental day—and I presume somewhatto this day—you will find judges
like that.

253. For example, in the eleventh chapter of the Book of Isaiah, in speaking ofthe
Lord, the great prophet says, “He shall not judge after the sight of His eyes,
neither reprove after the hearing of His ears” [Isaiah11:3]. What he meant
by that, there were judges, and they’d be there behind the bar and seated on
the bench, and as they continued in the trial, why, he’d catchthe eye of some
man of political or financial importance, then he wouldn’t render a verdict
exceptaccording to the eye of that man. Either that man threatened him by
looking at him, or that man winking at him that such and such is to be
delivered in verdict. But the Lord will not be that way: He will not judge
after somebody’s winking of an eye or somebody’s looking at Him with a sign.
“Neitherwill He reprove after the hearing of His ears” [Isaiah11:3]; that was
referring to those judges, who up there trying or seeking orsupposing to
dispense justice, somebody will come up to him and whisper in his earand say
things to him, either threatening or bribery, that would unbalance the scales
of justice.
Well, this rascalwas both: he was full of affinities for bribes, and he judged
by the looks ofthose who might be able to recompense whathe, the verdict
that he delivered. He was a rascal. And Jesus describes him as a man that
fearednot God, nor regarded man [Luke 18:2]; just about as lowdowna
critter as you could find in the city or in the country.
Now, there’s another thing that He says:There was a widow in that city: and
she was oppressedby somebody who was wronging her [Luke 18:3]. And that
is a most descriptive life of the widow in all of these pagancountries and in
ancient days. No one had as difficult a time as a widow. When Careywent to
India, they burned her when her husband died. If he was a young fellow and
she was young, that was the practice in India: when they built the fire, the
funeral fire, in which they placedthe husband, they put the widow also, and
she was burned up with him, just one way to getrid of her. When I was in
India, I visited in the home of a widow, a Baptist widow. And I listened all
over againto the sorrows that afflict a widow in India today. She has no

254. rights, she has no open doors, she is to live a certain kind of a life, and it is one
of poverty and penury and want and misery, without hope, without any light
or encouragement. It is a tragic thing. Well, this widow not only fell into that
sorrowfullife, but she had somebodywho was oppressing her. The Lord
doesn’t go into detail, but there was someone who was doing her wrong,
oppressing her; and she came to the judge about it [Luke 18:3]. And that
judge would pay no attention to her at all, not any relief, not any hope in him.
Now that part of the story could be duplicated ten thousand times in the
ancient world and in the paganworld today. But the rest of this story is
unique. That woman, that widow, when she came to this rascalofa judge,
and could find no hope of justice or judgment in him, she did not give up: she
met him at the door of the courtroom and spoke to him; she waylaid him on
the wayhome and spoke to him. When he gotup in the morning, when he laid
down at night, when he went out walking, whenhe satdown for the meals,
when he went to his courtroom, whereverhe was, there was that woman. And
finally he said, “I don’t know what this critter may do.” He uses a word here
that is translated very innocuously in the King James Version. He says, “Now
I do not regard God, and I do not regardman; but because this widow
troubleth me, I will avenge her of her adversary, lestby her continual coming
she,” and you have it translated “lestshe weary me” [Luke 18:4-5]. Well,
that’s about the most innocent kind of a way to translate that word I ever saw.
The Greek wordis hupopiaze, “Lestshe hit me under the eye, lest she blacken
my eye;why, the critter can scratch,” he said, “she can fight, she can claw, she
can hit me with her fist. I don’t know what this woman might do.” The Lord
is bringing out the grotesquenessofthat situation.
So he says, “ThoughI care nothing for justice, and though I care nothing for
man, and I don’t even regardGod, yet because this woman is everlastinglyat
me, and pestering me, and talking to me, and she may bounce me, and hit me,
and I don’t know what she may do, I’m going to avenge her of her adversary.”
Now, the Lord says, “I want you to look at that woman. She has no clever

255. lawyers, not one. She has no wealth; she’s a poor widow. And she has nobody
to defend her case in court. But she got what she wanted, even from a rascal
of a judge, because ofher importunity.” That’s the illustration He uses.
Now look how the Lord applies it. “If that woman because ofher
importunity, gotwhat she pled for from a rascalofa judge,” then the Lord
sits by the side of that judge, the greatJudge of all the earth, “If she by her
ceaseless, unwearying importunity got what she wanted, how much more will
the saints of the Lord receive from God’s hands what they want, if they will
just stay with the Lord pleading their case?”[Luke 18:6-7]. So He puts the
two side by side, an unjust judge and our heavenly Father; and this poor
widow and we who are God’s children today. And how much more will He,
the Judge of all the earth who does right, who lives in a habitation of justice
and truth, before whom love and mercy and righteousness always precede,
how much more will He do for us what we ask, if we just stay with the Lord
and plead with the Lord? [Luke 18:7-8].
Now, I submit to you that is about as hard an assignmentthat a Christian ever
faces: how do you endure the unendurable? And how do you consistently
persist in an appeal that is denied and seemingly is never answered? ButGod
teaches us that we are not to cease, we’re notto stop, we’re not to be
discouraged. “He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought
always to pray and not to faint” [Luke 18:1], not to give up, not to fall by the
wayside. We’re always to pray and not to faint. And life is like that. First
there is the seedsown, then the blade, then the earof corn; there is first the
ten thousand seeds sownby the plowman and ten thousand steps he takes
before there is a harvest. And before there is powerin the dam, there has to
be backedup and backedup and backedup those millions and millions of
tons of waterpressure, before it canturn any wheelof power. We are taught
that truth by the example of the people of the Lord.

256. Abraham was a hundred years old, and his wife Sarahwas [ninety] years old,
and they had no child [Genesis 17:16-17]. YetGod said, “Out of thy loins, out
of thy body shall he be born, who shall be the heir of all of the blessings that I
promise to mankind through the Savior of the earth” [Genesis 15:4]. And
Abraham was a hundred years old, and Sarahwas ninety years old; and there
was no fulfillment of that promise. And when Abraham complained to God
about it, and said, “We are getting old; we are like dry sticks. There is no life,
there is no birth. Yet You sayout of our loins is he to be born who shall be the
inheritor of all of these promises that shall bless the earth.” And the Lord
God took Abraham out under the chalice of the sky, and said, “Abraham,
count those stars for Me, just count them” [Genesis 15:5]. Thousands and
thousands and thousands of them shining up there in God’s blue heaven.
Abraham said, “Lord, I cannot count those stars;they are too many for me.”
And the Lord said, “So shall it be with thy children that I will multiply out of
this land, born out of thy loins.” Then the Bible says one of the greatestverses
in the Book: “And Abraham believed God; and the Lord accountedit to him
for righteousness” [Genesis 15:6]. And Paul, in speaking ofit in the Book of
Romans, says, “And he staggerednot at the promise of God” [Romans 4:20].
I don’t care what problem you face, there never will be one in your life as
apparently impossible a fulfillment as when Abraham was a hundred years
old and Sarah was ninety years old, and God says, “Out of your loins,” when
they were dead, “out of your loins will he be born, who will bless the families
of the earth” [Genesis 15:4], importunate prayer, believe in God, staying with
the Lord [Luke 18:1].
I haven’t time to pursue that. It is just God does not honor perfunctory
praying, at the fag end of a day. The kind of a praying that most of us do is
almost like an insult to the Lord. In realprayer, there is—like the figure of
the Old Testament—there is clinging to the horns of the altar [1 Kings 1:51];
or like the story of Jacobat Peniel, “Lord, I will not let You go till You bless
me” [Genesis 32:26], praying, agonizing, all night long. That is the kind of

257. prayer the Lord is speaking of here in this parable, when He says, “Men
[ought] always to pray, and not to faint” [Luke 18:1].
Now, I want to exegete a minute. Looking at the passage,this belongs—Iwish
we were around a table, and we could look at it—this is a passagefrom there
to there; it’s in a context, it’s just not something stuck off out here by itself
even though you have a chapter heading there. It starts with a question, the
passagedoes, andit ends with a question. And the question was this: “And
when He was demanded of the Pharisees,whenthe kingdom of God should
come, He answeredthem and said” [Luke 17:20-21]. Thenyou have His
apocalyptic discourse here [Luke 17:22-18:8]. Theywere asking Him, as we
learn in the apocalyptic discourse in Matthew and in Mark [Matthew 24;
Mark 13], and they were asking Him, “Now when are these things going to
come to pass? When will be the end of this world, the consummation of this
age, the denouement of time and history? And when are You coming back to
earth again, and when shall all of these prophecies be fulfilled that are written
in that blessedBook? Nowwhen?”[Matthew 24:3;Mark 13:4]. So the Lord
delivers this apocalyptic discourse [Matthew 24:4-51;Mark 13:5-37;Luke
17:22-18:1], and He closesit with this word that we’re preaching about
tonight. And He is talking about staying with the Lord and believing the Lord
in spite of insuperable contradictions and interdictions and interventions
[Luke 18:1-7]. So He closes it when He says, “Verily I sayunto you, truly I
say unto you, verily, when the Son of Man cometh, shall He find faith on the
earth?” [Luke 18:8].
Now, what the Lord is talking about here, the long delay in His coming brings
discouragementto God’s people. “Will He ever come? Will He?” Think of
the generations thathave lookedfor Him, and they’ve died. Think of the
people I have buried here in this church who believed in their deepesthearts
that they were going to live to see Jesus come again, Godbless them. Now you
look at our world, you look at our world. Does it move heavenward? Is it

258. increasinglyspiritual, godly, expectant? It’s just the opposite: our world is
increasinglypagan and rapidly increasinglyso now.
For example, beside the inroads of communism and blasphemous atheism and
apostasy;beside these things that we are so familiar with, you look at this a
moment: our ForeignMissionBoard—andwe have more missionaries than
any other denomination in the earth. Our ForeignMissionBoardlast year
baptized, won and baptized less than sixty thousand in the whole earth, in the
whole earth. At the same time, at the same time that our ForeignMission
Board, with all of its efforts and all of its missionaries, baptized less than sixty
thousand, there were sixty-five million and more born into the world last year.
Now, I don’t have the mathematical genius to geometricallyprogress thatout
to its ultimate, but our minds can imagine it. You multiply sixty thousand,
and the next year what that sixty thousand might mean, and in the following
year what that sixty-five thousand might mean, and do that for a few years.
Then you go on the other side, and you mathematically, geometrically—not
arithmetical ratio, because we double, double, double, it’s two, four, six, eight,
sixteen—youtake a slide rule and mathematically follow that progressionout.
Sixty-five million and sixty-five million, and that million million, and that
million million, and I don’t need to point out to you but that in a few
generations, youhave the Christian faith an infinitesimal minority in the vast
billions that inhabit this earth; that, I say, beside the colossaldiscouragements
that face God’s saints who live in this present generation.
Now that’s what the Lord is referring to in this passage: “Neverthelesswhen
the Sonof Man cometh, shall He find faith in the earth?” [Luke 18:8]. Will it
have died out? Will men have given up? It is so long, it is so long, and we’ve
waited, and we’ve prayed, and we’ve expected, and God doesn’t intervene,
Jesus doesn’tcome [2 Peter 3:4]; and these die and are buried, and we
apparently are expecting death, and the Lord hasn’t come. Will it be, could it
be, are we mistakenin it, in the promise of God? Did the Lord not know
Himself? What of the coming of Jesus?

259. Well, another thing I need not remind you, practicallyall of Christendom has
given it up, has given it up: they don’t look for Jesus. They’re not looking for
the personalcoming of our Lord from heavenand the intervention of Christ
in human history; they have given it up. And that’s what the Lord is saying:
in this long period of time, “When the Sonof Man cometh, shall He find faith
in the earth?” [Luke 18:8]. Will there be those still loving, and watching, and
waiting, and expecting, and believing? Will there be? By God’s grace, and
according to the revelation in the Book, there will be; there will be. But I
think the truth of the Book in another way: they will not be many. They will
not be many. Mostof them shall have given it up. “A hundred years old and
ninety years old, even God couldn’t do that” [Genesis 17:17];and they’ve
given up the promise.
Well, what of us? What of us? Dearsweetandprecious friends in Jesus, oh
how the Bible would encourage us to stay with the Lord and to believe the
promises of God; whateverthe vicissitudes and fortunes of life and however
the turn or course of history, we still look to Jesus. If I had an hour, we’d go
over here to the Book ofHabakkuk. Habakkuk lived in a tragic time: he
lived in the face of the Babylonian captivity. And as he saw the hordes of those
Chaldeans pouring towardPalestine and Judea and Jerusalem, and the holy
temple of God, he said, “Lord, I do not understand. Thou art of purer eyes
than to look upon evil; and yet these come, uncircumcised, blaspheming
pagans to destroy Thy temple, and take awayThy people. Lord, how is it, and
how could it be” [Habakkuk 1:13]? And the Lord replys, “You write the
vision, make it plain, that even the man that runs can read it” [Habakkuk
2:2]. Then His answercloses, “Forthe just shall live by his faith” [Habakkuk
2:4]. That’s a greattext of the Book of Romans, “Forthe just shall live by his
faith” [Romans 1:17].
No matter what the course ofhistory, or what the developments in life, or how
dark or foreboding the outlook, God’s people are to live by the promises of the

260. Lord. “The just shall live by faith” [Romans 1:17]. And some day, some
glorious day, it says over here in the Book ofthe Revelation, “Behold, I come
quickly,” that’s in the third chapter [Revelation3:11]. And when I turn to the
last chapter, He will repeat that three times, “Behold, I come en tachei”
[Revelation22:7]. And again, “Behold, I come en tachei” [Revelation22:12].
And then last, “He which testifieth these things, saith, Surely, surely, I come
en tachei” [Revelation22:20]. Now there are two ways you could say that,
translate that. One is that He is coming right then, right then. But the other
is that when the day comes, when the hour strikes and when Jesus returns,
these things that are prophesied in the Bible are going to come to pass
immediately, quickly, speedily, one after another. When the final time does
come, it will come immediately and quickly.
And by the learning of two thousand years of Christian history, I know that
that’s what tachu means: that when this day comes, whenthe final hour
comes, that these things that are prophesied in this Book are coming to pass
rapidly, speedily, one right after another. And when I look at time, and tide,
and life, and experience, and history, all of it is that way, all of it. Look for
just a moment. The children of Israel stayedslaves in bondage in Egypt four
hundred years [Genesis 15:13;Exodus 12:40]. But when they were delivered,
they were delivered in one night, one night! God took them out in one night
[Exodus 14:30]. In the Babylonian captivity, Jeremiahsent them word and
said, “The captivity is going to be a long time, it’s going to be a long time.
Now you plant vineyards, you build houses, and you rear your children in that
land, far awayland, a heathen land” [Jeremiah 29:4-6]. And that’s why it
says that they hung their harps upon the willows, and they sat down by the
rivers of Babylon, and wept [Psalm 137:1-2]. Theireyes would never see a
home, never. They would die, and their bones would be left in that land.
Jeremiahthe prophet told them so. But when they were delivered, how were
they delivered? In one night, in one night. When Belshazzarthe king of
Babylon was drinking and feasting in a wild orgy, God wrote his doom on the
plaster of the wall of the palace;and he was slain that night! [Daniel 5:1-30].
And the next day, [Darius] was crownedking of the civilized world [Daniel

261. 5:31]. And Cyrus sent the captives back home, in one night, in one night
[Ezra 1:3].
He to whom a thousand years is as a day, a thousand years is as a day [2 Peter
3:8], to Him the time is brief; it passesso rapidly. To us it is long and
wearisome. Willit ever come? Will we ever see His face? Are these who die
in the Lord, are they dead forever? Is this the end of Christian life, a grave,
and a funeral service, and a benediction, and ashes to ashes, anddust to dust,
and then nothing beyond? Is that it? No! The Lord God in heaven marks the
place, and the Lord God in glory writes it in His book;our names are up there
[Luke 10:20], and He knows us [John 10:3]. And some day, some triumphant
and heavenly and glorious and resurrectionday, the Lord shall come;and
these things that He has promised in the blessedBook willhappen
immediately. “In the twinkling of an eye, in the length of the sounding of a
trumpet” [1 Corinthians 15:50-53], just like that, just like that. And He may
be long in His coming, as the Lord speaks ofhere in the passage, but when He
comes, may He find us faithful, watching, waiting, ready, loving, adoring,
praising [Titus 2:13].
And you know what I think will absolutely be true? When the Lord comes
and the victory is ours, we’re going to say to one another, “Why did we ever
doubt it? Why did we grow discouraged? We knew the Lord was faithful and
would keepHis word.”
Oh, bless us, as we cling to the horns of the altar [1 Kings 1:51], as we pray
importunately [Luke 18:1], as we treasure the promise in our hearts, as we
keepthe faith! [James 1:6].
Now Lee Roy, we must sing our song of appeal. And while we sing it, you to
give yourself, all of you, your heart, your soul, your mind, your life, to give

262. your whole self to the blessedJesus, youcome and stand by me. A family you
to put your life in the fellowship of our dear church, you come. Or a couple
you, as the Spirit shall speak the word to your heart, shall make the appeal,
come, decide now, do it now. And on the first note of the first stanza, stand up
coming. God be with you in the way as you respond, while we stand and while
we sing.
STEVEN COLE
Persevering in Prayer (Luke 18:1-8)
RelatedMedia
One of the most difficult aspects ofprayer is persevering when it seems that
God is not answering. Jesus instructedus to pray that the Father’s kingdom
would come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. And yet here we
are, almost 2,000 years later, and that prayer, prayed millions of times by
millions of Christians down through the centuries, is still not answered.
In spite of years of prayer and missionary efforts, some of the Muslim,
Buddhist, and Hindu sections ofthe world seemas resistantto the gospelas
ever and so it is easyto become discouragedabout praying for world missions.
On a personallevel, all of us have requests that we have brought before God
for years—requeststhat would be to His glory to answer—andyet it seems
like God isn’t answering His phone and He doesn’teven have an answer
machine! In light of these problems, it is easyto lose hope and even to give up
praying.

263. The Lord Jesus knew the weakness ofour flesh and that we all are prone to
lose heart. In light of that, He graciouslygave His disciples and us this parable
“to show that at all times they [and we] ought to pray and not lose heart.”
This instruction fits in with the preceding contextwhere the Lord told the
disciples that the days would come when they would long to see one of the
days of the Son of Man, but they would not see it (17:22). During the time
betweenHis ascensionand His SecondComing, the world would go on in its
disregardof God, much as it had in the days of Noahand of Lot. The church
would be much like this widow, left without her heavenly Bridegroom, much
maligned and persecutedby the ungodly. During this time of waiting and
struggle, how canthe saints persevere? Jesusshows thatwe will persevere as
we continue in believing prayer. And, to persevere in prayer,
To pray always and not lose heart, we must properly understand both God
and ourselves.
God has promised that His Messiah, the Sonof Man, will return one day in
powerand glory. He will judge the earth and vindicate His people. But in the
interim, as we wait for His promises to be fulfilled, if we want not to lose
heart, we must pray always.
1. At all times we ought to pray.
As the apostle Paul instructs us, we should “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess.
5:17). Right away—be honest—mostofus think, “That’s impossible! I’ve got
to go to work for at leasteight hours every day. I’ve gotto pay bills, to eatmy
meals, to talk with my spouse and others, to take care of my house and lawn
and car, and a hundred other things to do eachweek. How can I possibly pray
without ceasing?Whatam I supposedto do, join a monastery or something?”

264. Jesus modeledfor us the kind of life that we are to live in dependence on the
Father. As we look at His life, He did not live in the desert as a hermit so that
He could pray around the clock. Rather, prayer was something that Jesus
frequently engagedin, even though in one sense of all people who ever lived on
this earth, Jesus had the leastneed to pray! He did not have to wrestle with
the inner lusts of the flesh as we do, since He was born without sin. And, yet
He often prayed.
He prayed as the Holy Spirit descendedon Him at His baptism (Luke 3:21).
He often would slip awayfrom the crowds into the wilderness where He would
pray (5:16). He spent the whole night in prayer before He calledthe twelve
(6:12). It was while He was praying that Petergave his well-knownconfession
that Jesus is the Christ (9:18). It was while He was on the mountain praying
that He was transfigured before Peter, James, and John (9:28, 29). And, on
the night before the cross, Jesus notonly prayed for Peter, that his faith would
not fail, but He also agonizedfervently in prayer, sweating greatdrops of
blood, as He wrestledwith becoming our sin-bearer (22:32, 40-46).
When the apostle Paul tells us to pray without ceasing, the word he used was
also used of repeatedmilitary assaults. The army would attack and then
withdraw and regroup. Then they would attack againand againuntil they
achievedvictory. That is how we are to pray. The word was also usedof a
hacking cough. A person with a hacking coughdoesn’t usually coughwithout
coming up for a breath. Rather, they cough frequently and repeatedly. That is
how we should pray. While we should be in a spirit of communion with God at
all times, there should be a number of times every day when we stop and
bring our specific requests or burdens or praises to God in prayer.
Sometimes, especiallyin times of greatneed, we ought to set aside longertimes
to devote ourselves to prayer. But whatever else we do, at all times we ought to
pray.

265. The word ought has the idea of necessity. Prayeris not an optional activity for
the more committed. It is a necessityfor every believer because it
acknowledgesourtotal dependence on God. Not to pray is arrogance, because
I am really saying, “Thanks, God, but I can handle this by myself.” But the
truth is, I can’t handle anything by myself apart from God’s grace and power!
And so, at all times we ought to pray. But, …
1. We are prone to lose heart and to give up on prayer.
Jesus knew that and that’s why He told this parable (18:1). This parable and
the one that follows are the only ones where the purpose of the parable is
given up front. Jesus knew that we are weak and that in the face of His
delayed return, when we may be laughed at by the world because ofour faith,
we would be prone to lose heart and quit praying.
There are a number of reasons that we are prone to lose heart and quit
praying. Sometimes we assume that we are competent to handle things in our
own strength. This is especiallya danger when it is a task that we do
repeatedly. We hop in the carand head off on a trip without a thought of
prayer, because we’ve driven safelyfor many years. We forgetthat we depend
on the Lord for protection. We go to work every day and do our jobs without
prayer because we know how to do our jobs. We forgetthat we are dependent
on God to do our jobs competently. This can even be true of spiritual tasks,
such as preaching or leading in worship or anything else that you do so often
that it becomes routine.
Or, if God has given you a strong natural ability, it is easyto do it without
prayer because youknow how to do it and you do it well. I’m thankful that I
have always felt incompetent when it comes to preaching, because Icannot do
it without consciouslydepending on God. And, thank God, almost every week
as I prepare sermons, I hit a wall where I feeloverwhelmed and I despair as to
how I’m going to get the message together. Ofcourse that’s right where the

266. Lord wants me, because then I have to trust in Him for the message. But,
there is another major reasonthat we are prone to lose heart and quit
praying:
2. A main reasonwe lose heart in prayer is the delays in God’s answers.
In the context, this is the source ofdiscouragementthat Jesus is addressing.
He knew that His coming would be delayed to the point that the disciples
would long to see Him come, but He would not come (17:22). During His
absence, theywould be mockedand rejectedjust as Noahand Lot were
(17:26-30). Some would be persecutedto the point of death. Others would go
through awful hardships. And, He knew that from our limited human
perspective, it often seems that God is not answering or even listening when
we pray because we do not see things from His eternalperspective. And so He
told this parable to show that at all times we ought to pray and not lose heart.
There are two characters in the parable. The first is a wicked, judge who
cares aboutno one but himself. He even knows that he is a scoundrel, because
when he thinks about this peskywoman, he admits in his own mind that he
does not fearGod nor respectman, but he just wants to getrid of her to gain
some relief. She was annoying him to the point that he says (literally in the
Greek), “she is going to give me a black eye.” He didn’t mean that she was
literally hitting him, but rather that he felt emotionally beat up by her non-
stop nagging.
The secondcharacteris this needy widow. In that society, widows were
especiallyvulnerable, in that there were not many vocationalopportunities for
women. Life insurance was non-existent. She was dependent on whateverher
husband had left her. But now some scoundrelhad cheatedher out of what
little she had to live on. So she comes to the judge and asks forjustice. He
takes one look at her and figures, she’s not going to give me much of a bribe,
and I’ve gotmany others who canreward me handsomely if I take their cases.

267. So he refuses to give her any help. He tells his bailiff to escorther out of the
courtroom and he thinks, “That’s the last I’ll see ofher.”
Wrong! He no soonerleaves the courtroom to go home for lunch, than this
woman dogs his steps all the way to his house. When he comes out to go back
to work, there she is. When he goes home at night, she’s there again. Every
morning she is parked at the door of the courthouse, waiting for him to show
up. Every day he tells her to get lost, but she keeps coming back. He can’t get
rid of her! She’s beginning to dominate his life. He begins to hate going to
work, because he’s going to be confronted by this nagging woman!
Finally, after weeks ofgoing on like this, he says to himself, “Eventhough I
don’t fear God and I don’t care about his woman, I’m going to grant her
request just to gether off my back!” Jesus says, “Hearwhatthe unrighteous
judge said.” There’s a lessonto be learned from this situation about
persevering in prayer when God seems to delay the answer.
3. The answerto the problem of delays is to have a proper view of God and a
proper view of ourselves.
A. WE NEED A PROPER VIEW OF GOD.
We would be greatly mistakenif we thought that Jesus was teaching that God
is like this self-centered, callous judge. Thatwould run counter to the entire
biblical revelationof the characterof God as a loving and tender Fatherin
relation to His children. Jesus uses this humorous example as an argument
from the lesserto the greater, takento absurd lengths. If this widow could get
justice from this hardened, crusty, uncaring old judge, doesn’t it follow that
the loving, tender, gracious HeavenlyFather will hear and answerHis own
children whom He has chosenwhen they cry out to Him for relief? There are
four things here that we need to know about God:

268. (1). GOD CARES FOR US.
“Justas a Father has compassiononhis children, so the Lord has compassion
on those who fear Him” (Ps. 103:13). “Zion has said, ‘The Lord has forsaken
me, and the Lord has forgotten me.’ Can a woman forgether nursing child,
and have no compassionon the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I
will not forget you. Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands;
…” (Isa. 49:14-16). To a persecutedchurch, some of whose members Nero had
coveredwith pitch and used to light up his garden parties, Peterwrote,
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may
exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He
cares for you” (1 Pet. 5:6-7).
Even when you are suffering terribly, keepin mind that God is totally unlike
this uncaring judge! Godcares for you!
(2). GOD NEVER DELAYS ANSWERS BECAUSE OF A LACK OF CARE
OR A LACK OF POWER.
Although even in this lifetime we may not understand the reasons whyGod
delays to answerour cries of agony, we can know for certain that He never
delays to answerbecause He does not care for us or because He is unable to do
what we need. He is able to do far more than we can ask or even think, even if
it seems impossible to us. Because He is omniscient, God knows even the needs
that we do not bring to Him in prayer. Because He is omnipresent, He can
deal with your needs in Flagstaffat the same moment that He is dealing with
some needy saint in Bangladesh. BecauseHe is omnipotent, He has plenty of
powerto go around. Meeting your need won’t drain His supply!
(3). GOD’S DELAYS ARE ALWAYS FOR OUR GOOD, EVEN IF THE
REASONS ARE HIDDEN FROM US.

269. The reasonfor the delay with the widow was that the unjust judge was
unwilling (18:4), but that is never the reasonwith our loving Fatherin heaven.
The unjust judge was acting out of selfishmotives all the way, even when he
finally grantedher request. But God always acts out of self-sacrificing love, as
seensupremely in the cross of Christ. This judge was only concernedfor his
own relief, but God acts out of wise concernfor the well-being of His people.
Four-year-old Caitlin was impatient for a sibling. One morning she told her
mother, “Maybe if we both prayed out loud, God would hear us.” So they
prayed together. As soonas they finished, Caitlin asked, “Whatdid he say?”
Her mother explained that it doesn’t work that way; sometimes it takes a long
time to get an answer. Caitlin was indignant: “Do you mean we were praying
to an answering machine?” (Reader’s Digest[12/94], p. 154.)
Sometimes it seems like it, doesn’tit! God doesn’tusually explain in advance
why He is delaying the answers to our requests. But we need to cling to the
fact that His delays are always for our good, even if we don’t understand the
reasons why.
(4). GOD ULTIMATELY WILL BRING SWIFT AND CERTAIN JUSTICE
FOR HIS ELECT.
Jesus asks, “WillHe delay long over them?” and then answers emphatically,
“I tell you that He will bring about justice for them speedily” (18:7b-8a). The
first question is difficult to interpret. It can mean, as translated, that God will
not delay in bringing justice. Or, it canmean that He will be patient in the
sense ofnot becoming irritated with His children’s frequent requests (as the
judge did), and He will honor their requests by vindicating them in due time.
But what does Jesus meanwhen He says that justice will come speedily? Here
we are almost 2,000 years later, and Jesus has not returned to rescue His

270. needy people. We all know stories of faithful saints who have prayed for
something all their lives, but their prayers went unanswered. What does
speedily mean?
We must understand it from God’s timetable, not ours. With the Lord, a
thousand years are like a day or as a watch in the night (2 Pet. 3:8; Ps. 90:4).
He told Noah that there would be a flood, but 100 years went by without a
drop of rain while Noah endured his mocking neighbors. He promised
Abraham a son, but he watchedSarahgo through menopause and 25 years
elapsedbefore Isaac was born. He promised Josephin his teenage years
through his dreams that his father and brothers would bow down to him, but
he spent his twenties in an Egyptian dungeon. He promised to deliver His
people from bondage in Egypt, but 400 long years went by before He raised
up Moses, andthat only after Moses spent40 years in the desert after his
failure. He promised to send His Messiah, but His people had to wait400
years after the lastprophet before, in the fulness of time, God sent His Son
(Gal. 4:4). Speedily by God’s calendaris not speedily by ours! One answerto
the problem of delayed answers to our prayers is to geta proper view of God.
B. WE NEED A PROPER VIEW OF OURSELVES.
I can only give a sketchyoutline here for sake oftime. Note these four things
about ourselves:
(1). WE ARE OFTEN GRIEVED BYMISTREATMENTAND DIFFICULT
TRIALS.
The church is like this widow, who not only losther husband, but then she had
to contend with someone who was taking unfair advantage of her. Somewhere
we have gotten the silly notion that if we follow the Lord, everything in life
will work out neatly with a storybook ending. But the Bible shows us plenty of
saints who were tortured, mocked, scourged, put in chains and imprisonment,

271. stoned, sawnin two, and put to death with the sword. They went about in
animal skins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated, wandering in deserts and
mountains and caves andholes in the ground. “And all these, having gained
approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised (Heb. 11:35-
39).
(2). WE SHOULD PERSISTENTLYBRING OUR HEARTFELT NEEDS TO
GOD.
Like this widow, we should cry out day and night to our Fatherin heaven. She
had no attorney, no advocate to plead her case,but we have the Holy Spirit to
help us pray as we ought and the Lord Jesus Himself interceding at the right
hand of the Father on our behalf. She had no guarantee ofgetting what she
desired, but we have the Lord’s promise that whateverwe ask in His name,
He will do it. What made this widow persist is that she knew her greatneed.
Sometimes the Lord delays to answerus because we do not see how needy we
really are until He keeps us waiting for a while. It is only when we sense our
own insufficiency that we begin to pray, as Calvin puts it, with “an earnest—
nay, burning—desire to attain it” (Institutes of the Christian Religion
[Westminster], 3:20:6).
(3). WE MUST TRUST HIM EVEN WHEN THE ANSWERS ARE
DELAYED.
Sometimes He is waiting, like a patient farmer, until the fruits of godliness,
faith, and humility in our hearts is ripe before He grants the answers (Andrew
Murray, With Christ in the School of Prayer [Spire Books], pp. 88-89). Jesus
says that when He returns, He will be looking for faith on the earth, but the
implication is that it will be a scarce commodity(the Greek expects a negative
answer). While the world may scoffbecause Godseeminglyneglects His
saints, surely we ought to cling to Him in faith!

272. (4). WE CAN TRUST HIM BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT WE ARE HIS
ELECT.
Jesus refers to His people here as His elect(18:7). This means that you do not
follow Jesus because youfirst chose Him, but rather because He first chose
you. He chose you totally apart from anything that He saw in you. He did not
choose youbecause He saw a spark of goodness in you. He did not choose you
because He saw that you would choose Him. He chose you unconditionally
while you were a rebellious sinner, so that His unmerited favor would shine
forth through you. If you do not believe in the doctrine of God’s sovereign,
unconditional election, you don’t believe what Jesus believedand you rob
yourself of a source of greatcomfort. Even when God’s answers to your
prayers are delayed, you cantrust Him knowing that you are one of His elect.
Conclusion
I have not had time to deal with the problem of when to stop praying for
something that God isn’t granting. It’s not an easyquestion. Sometimes the
Holy Spirit may say, “Stopasking;My grace is sufficient for you.” Sometimes
He gives us an inner assurancethat the request will be granted, and so we can
shift from praying to praising Him for the answer. Sometimes He removes the
burden from our hearts and we move on to other requests. The Lord told
Jeremiahto stoppraying for disobedient Israel, because He had determined
judgment for them (Jer. 11:14).
But often, He wants us, like this nagging widow, to keepon asking until we
receive what we need. God isn’t like this reluctant judge. He cares for us and
is more than ready to grant our requests when He knows that we are ready to
receive the answer. So keepon praying and don’t lose heart. He will bring
about justice for you speedily, according to His timetable, not yours!
DiscussionQuestions

273. Have you ever felt that God is like this crusty old judge? Why is a proper view
of God essential(see Gen. 3:1-7)?
Is it right to pray once in faith and drop the matter, knowing that Godwill
answer? Do we need to keepbringing it to Him?
How can someone who has gone through awful trials maintain his or her faith
in God’s loving care?
How is the doctrine of electionan important practicaltruth in times of
delayed answers to prayer?
What does Jesus mean by His lastquestion (18:8b)? Is it directed toward His
disciples, toward the world, or both?
Copyright, Steven J. Cole, 1999,All Rights Reserved.
Undiminished Faith - Luke 18:1-8
Rev. Bruce Goettsche
Union Church of La Harpe Illinois
Luke • Sermon • Submitted 7 months ago • Presented10 years ago
Matthew 6:31–32Hebrews13:8James 5:16Luke 18:1–8Numbers
23:19FaithParablesPrayer
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Notes
Transcript

274. There are many parables of Jesus that cause us to scratchour head. I think
some of that is by design. Parables are supposedto make us think, but in all
honesty, some make us think more than others.
This morning we look at one of those parables. In Luke 18:1-8 Jesus tells a
story about an unrelenting widow. In the very first verse Luke tells us the
point of the story. However, we still find ourselves confused.
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always
pray and not give up. 2 He said: “In a certaintown there was a judge who
neither fearedGod nor caredabout men. 3 And there was a widow in that
town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice againstmy
adversary.’
4 “Forsome time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I
don’t fear God or care about men, 5 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!’ ”
The story is that there was a widow who apparently had been ripped off. Most
likely this left her destitute. The Judge paid no realattention to her because he
saw no advantage (like a payoff) in helping her.
The problem was that this woman would not give up. Every morning when
the doors opened the first woman in line was this widow. Day after day she
showedup. Finally he decided that he would make sure she got justice (he
addressedthe wrong committed againsther) for no other reasonthan to get
rid of her. He addressedher case (apparently to her satisfaction)and she was
satisfied(and left him alone).

275. Jesus concludes with the words
“Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice
for his chosenones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keepputting
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 Prayer is Not
On first read the parable sounds like Jesus is saying, “If you just keeppraying
you will bug God enough that He will give you what you want.” Some may
come awaythinking that if they become obnoxious in their praying God will
give them what they want. I am sure that is not the message ofthe parable! In
order to understand any Biblical teaching there are three basic rules (there
are other guidelines but these are key)
Readthe Bible in context. We must observe how the passagefits with what
goes before and after the text in question and considerwhat the words would
have meant to the original listeners.
Compare Scripture with Scripture. If the conclusionwe draw from a
particular text contradicts another passageofScripture then one (or both) of
those interpretations is wrong.
Interpret less clearpassages by passagesthat are clear.

276. Using these principles we can better understand what Jesus is urging us to do.
Think about three simple statements about prayer that come from the clear
teaching of Scripture: First, prayer is not about motivating God to do
something. The Bible affirms that God is good, He is compassionate, and He
defends those who are afflicted. In 2 Peter3:19 Peterexplains that the reason
the SecondComing of Christ is delayed is because Goddoes not want people
to perish but to come to repentance. Godis not reluctant to bless, He is eager
to bless.
Our text is not saying God is like the unjust Judge. In fact, just the opposite is
the case.The point of the parable is that if a persistentwidow can gain
satisfactionfrom an unjust and reluctant Judge, then how much more
confident and diligent we should be since Goddesires to bless us?
Second, prayer is not about telling Godabout needs that need to be met. God
does not need us to inform Him. He knows all things. Jesus said,
do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’or ‘What shall we drink?’ or
‘What shall we wear?’32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your
heavenly Father knows that you need them. [Matthew 6:31-32]
Third, prayer is not about getting God to change His mind. In at leastthree
places in the Bible we read words similar to these:
God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a sonof man, that he should change
his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?
[Numbers 23:19]

277. In Hebrews 13:8 we read the Lord is “the same yesterday, today, and
forever.” However, let’s admit that there are times in the Bible when it does
seemthat God determined to do one thing and then “changedHis mind”. For
example God told the prophet Jonah to go to Nineveh and announce his
judgment. When the people of Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah,
God withheld judgment. Did God change His mind?
To understand this better think about the way you relate to your own
children. Let’s sayyou say to them, “You will not be able to do a certain
activity because youhave not cleanedyour room or made your bed.” In a
sense you have declaredjudgment on your child. You do not hate your child;
you give punishment to help them learn responsibility and learn that there are
consequencesforevery action (or inaction).
Let’s say that insteadof moping and whining your child says they are sorry
and they go into their room and actually does what they were required to do.
Let’s suppose they even do it with the right attitude (we are imagining!). Will
you now be inclined to allow them to do the activity? Very possibly. In one
sense you have changedyour mind because you are letting them attend rather
than keeping them home. However, your will, your plan, your heart, has not
changed. Your plan to teachthem responsibility has never wavered. What has
changedwas not your plan, but your response to the changedactions of the
child.
I think this is the same with God. He desires to teachus and lead us into a
relationship with Him. When we rebel, He erects roadblocksand barriers and
sometimes allows difficulty in our lives to turn us from the wrong way. When
we trust and follow Him we experience His blessing (that is sometimes
something hard for our good). God’s will and purpose do not change.

278. We have a tendency to look at prayer like an opinion poll . . . the more people
we can get on our “side” the greaterour leverage. We think the more people
we can marshal to prayer, the more likely God is to be swayedand give us
what we want. But considerthe implications of this mindset. Such a belief
implies that Godis wrong and needs to be convincedto turn in a different
direction. But God always does whatis right. His plan is perfect He does not
need our advice on how to make it better.
So What is the Purpose of Prayer?
So why pray? Why have times of intercessionin worship? Why have prayer
meetings or prayer chains? The simple answeris: because Godhas told us to
do so. Since Jesus saw value in prayer we should also. In James 5:16 we read
“the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective”.
Perhaps it is more about what we are praying for. If we are merely praying to
get what we want, prayer will seemempty and ineffective. If we are praying to
understand the mind and the heart of Godand for strength to do what He has
calledus to do, we will see that prayer has power.
Philip Yancey, in his book “Searching forthe Invisible God” suggests that
some of our confusionin prayer may be the result of the way we pray.
A friend in Japanwrote that he has understood the proper spirit of prayer
more by listening to Japanese Christians than from the teaching of American
missionaries. “We know how to come to God as humble servants with
boldness,” he says. “Youdon’t have to tell Japanese people about hierarchy.
When they learn that God is the Lord they immediately know all the
implications of that. They know who’s boss and that is never questioned.

279. When they pray they use language that combines the highest forms of speech
and the most intimate phrases of love and devotion. When they ask for
something they ask with true humility, knowing they have no right to what
they’re asking exceptthat God gives them the very right to ask and promises
to answer.”[i]
We must remember that prayer is the means by which we develop our
relationship with God. We do not come into prayer as equals. We come to
God as the one who alone canmeet our needs. He is the One who gives
strength. He is the One that breaks the powerof sin. He is the One who can
turn the darkness into light. It is He who turns death into life. We need a
relationship with Him more than we need anything else.
Let me confess that much of the time I pray only when I need or want
something. Imagine a marriage where the only conversationyou had with
your mate was when they needed you to do something for you. Would you
considerthis a real relationship? Would you feel truly valued and loved? Of
course not! Yet we act as if God should be pleasedthat we take time now and
againto ask Him to do stuff for us!
Jesus challengesus to develop an intimate, deep, and personalrelationship
with God. The way we do that is to continue to talk to and with God in prayer.
Let’s do a quiz,
When was the lasttime you simply enjoyed God’s company in the time of
prayer? Have you ever spent your time just praising Him and thanking Him?
When was the lasttime you askedGoda question in prayer and then actually
waited for an answerwith a willingness to take action?

280. When was the lasttime you askedGodto bend your heart to His will instead
of attempting to convince Him to agree with you?
When was the lasttime you spent time with God reviewing the day and your
behavior before Him during that day?
If you don’t have any of these times then you may be viewing God as your
“genie” ratherthan your Lord.
If we seek a relationship with God it will mean,
We will ask God to help us to honor Him in our infirmity rather than just
asking Him to take the infirmity away.
We will ask God to build a relationship rather than simply eliminating a
conflict.
We will ask God to teachus contentment and trust rather than just asking for
more money.
We will pray for wisdom and patience to trust His timing rather than
demanding that God act“right this second” (as if He served us).

281. True prayer is concernedprimarily with our relationship to God. Our goal
will be to honor Him in every area of life because we know that HE is what we
really need.
Second, perseverancein prayer builds characterand faithfulness. Mostof us
are pretty short-sighted. We live in an immediate gratificationculture. Our
goalis to get what we want immediately and eliminate any discomfort we now
experience. When Paul faceda “thorn in the flesh” (whateverit was)he asked
God to remove it. God did not. Paul learned God was teaching him this simple
truth: “My grace is sufficient for you.” Paul came to proclaim “whenI am
weak, then I am strong.” Paul learned that when He was trusting God He was
strongerthan when things were going well.
In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus didn’t tell the disciples to simply “saya
prayer”, he told them to “watchand pray”. He said, “the spirit is willing but
the flesh is weak”.I think the point is that prayer, like any communication,
involves diligence. We must wait upon the Lord. We must do more than
simply pray we must keeppraying until our hearts are aligned with the heart
of God. That’s exactly what we see Jesus doing in the Garden. He prayed
fervently and did so three different times. He kept praying until He could
embrace the will of God about the cross. He finally reachedthe point where
He could say, “Notmy will but Yours be done.” We must learn to watchand
pray.
Third, persistent prayer keeps us from drifting away. Jesus warnedhis
disciples that tough days were coming. He warned there would be false
teachers and fierce persecution. Prayergives us a chance to check our lives
and make sure they remain “ontrack”. When we spend quality time in
prayer God will alert us to danger.

282. For some reasonwe seemto think that we canlive our lives howeverwe want,
and then, when we “needHim”, we canturn back to the Lord. The married
couple that never really talks to eachother may think that they will talk when
they have something important to talk about. Howeverwhen that time comes
they don’t know how to talk to each. Theyhave drifted apart and can no
longerfind eachother. We will only be sensitive to the whispers of God’s
Spirit when we talk with Him regularly.
The Big Question?
Note the concluding question in verse 8: “when the Son of Man comes, will he
find faith on the earth?” The question is not whether or not the Lord will
return or whether justice will be done. He will and it will. The question is
whether or not Christ’s followers will “give up” before that time comes.Jesus
wonders,
Will we be faithfully and diligently pursuing a relationship with Him?
Will we be working to establishHis kingdom?
Will we be pursuing justice and extending compassion?
Will we be doing what He told us to do?
Will we truly love God or will we turn to Him only when we have exhausted
all other possibilities?

283. It’s a haunting question isn’t it? Are we growing weary? Is our passion
waning? Are we becoming seducedby the world? The only way to combat this
is to hear what Jesus is saying about passionatelypursuing a relationship with
God.
Conclusions
So what do we do? First, we need to work at prayer. By this we mean more
than just setting aside a time and place for prayer (even though that is a good
start). We must pursue the right heart and attitude in prayer. We must learn
to pursue prayer for relationship with God rather than for stuff from God.
We must bow before Him as Lord rather than bark orders at Him. We need
to learn to watchand pray.
Practically, insteadof praying that God make a certain boy or girl like us . . .
we should ask God to help us to wait on that one that He has prepared for us.
Rather than ask for the covetedpromotion, we should ask Godto help us to
be faithful in whatever He gives us to do. Rather than pray that our problems
disappear we should pray that we will be faithful even in the midst of the trial.
Even as we pray for healing we should also pray that we glorify God in our
infirmity. We must seek His will not ours.
Second, we should pray honestly. Rather than trying to sound pious, we
should pursue genuineness and honesty before the Father. It is OK to tell God
that you are uncertain, that you are scared, that you are frustrated, that you
are having trouble doing what He wants you to do and that you don’t know
what to do. If you can’t trust God with the truth, you don’t trust Him at all.
Honesty is the keyto realintimacy in any relationship.

284. Third, when we pray for others, though we should certainly pray for healing
and deliverance, we should do so with the understanding that sometimes God
is doing something more wonderful than we understand and something
different than what we expect. Partof our frustration in prayer is that we, in
our arrogance,assume that what we think is right is undoubtedly correctand
that God should do what we ask Him to do in the way we want Him to do it.
This is the realreasonfor our frustration at “unansweredprayer”. The
problem is that we decide what the answershould be. We are trusting our
own understanding rather than trusting the Lord of life. Then when God
doesn’t do what we want or doesn’t do it when we want it, we impugn His
characterby saying He did not answerour prayer. Often God is doing
something much greaterthan our feeble minds can grasp. His answeris more
profound (and wonderful) than we canpresently grasp.
Finally, we must never give up. In World War II Winston Churchill uttered
those famous words that rallied a country and the world,
We shall not flag or fail. We shall fight in France, we shallfight on the seas
and oceans,we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in
the air, we shall defend our island, whateverthe costmay be, we shall fight on
the beaches,we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields
and in the streets, we shallfight in the hills. We shall never surrender.
This is the attitude Jesus wants from us. He wants us to see that the battle for
the Kingdom of God is a battle worth fighting. He calls us to never, ever, ever,
give up. We are to enter into relationship with God in prayer and hold on
tight, confident that God is a judge who is eagerto do what is good, right, and
excellent. Though we may struggle with prayer we must keepworking.
Though it seems we’re not getting anywhere we must not give up. We need to

285. keeppraying. We don’t need to fear Him, bug Him, or convince Him to help
us . . . He loves us. Our job is to hang on and never let Him go. And if we do
this we will be among those who will be found faithful when He comes.
MATTHEW HENRY
Verses 1-8
The Unjust Judge.
1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to
pray, and not to faint 2Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not
God, neither regarded man: 3And there was a widow in that city and she
came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. 4And he would not for
a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fearnot God, nor
regard man 5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lestby
her continual coming she weary me. 6 And the Lord said, Hear what the
unjust judge saith. 7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day
and night unto him, though he bearlong with them? 8 I tell you that he will
avenge them speedily. Nevertheless whenthe Son of man cometh, shall he find
faith on the earth?
This parable has its key hanging at the door the drift and designof it are
prefixed. Christ spoke it with this intent, to teachus that men ought always to
pray and not to faint, Luke 18:1. It supposes that all God's people are praying
people all God's children keepup both a constantand an occasional
correspondence withhim, send to him statedly, and upon every emergency. It
is our privilege and honour that we may pray. It is our duty we ought to pray,
we sin if we neglectit. It is to be our constant work we ought always to pray, it

286. is that which the duty of every day requires. We must pray, and never grow
wearyof praying, nor think of leaving it off till it comes to be swallowed up in
everlasting praise. But that which seems particularly designed here is to teach
us constancyand perseverancein our requests for some spiritual mercies that
we are in pursuit of, relating either to ourselves or to the church of God.
When we are praying for strength againstour spiritual enemies, our lusts and
corruptions, which are our worst enemies, we must continue instant in prayer,
must pray and not faint, for we shall not seek God's face in vain. So we must
likewise in our prayers for the deliverance of the people of God out of the
hands of their persecutors andoppressors.
I. Christ shows, by a parable, the powerof importunity among men, who will
be swayedby that, when nothing else will influence, to do what is just and
right. He gives you an instance of an honest cause that succeededbefore an
unjust judge, not by the equity or compassionableness ofit, but purely by dint
of importunity. Observe here, 1. The bad characterof the judge that was in a
certain city. He neither feared God nor regarded man he had no manner of
concerneither for his conscienceorfor his reputation he stood in no awe
either of the wrath of God againsthim or of the censures of men concerning
him: or, he took no care to do his duty either to God or man he was a perfect
strangerboth to godliness and honour, and had no notion of either. It is not
strange if those that have castoff the fearof their Creatorbe altogether
regardless oftheir fellow-creatureswhere no fear of God is no goodis to be
expected. Such a prevalency of irreligion and inhumanity is bad in any, but
very bad in a judge, who has power in his hand, in the use of which he ought
to be guided by the principles of religion and justice, and, if he be not, instead
of doing goodwith his power he will be in danger of doing hurt. Wickedness
in the place of judgment was one of the sorestevils Solomonsaw under the
sun, Ecclesiastes 3:16. 2. The distressedcase ofa poor widow that was
necessitatedto make her appeal to him, being wrongedby some one that
thought to bear her down with powerand terror. She had manifestly right on
her side but, it should seem, in soliciting to have right done her, she tied not
herself to the formalities of the law, but made personalapplication to the
judge from day to day at his own house, still crying, Avenge me of mine

287. adversary that is, Do me justice againstmine adversarynot that she desired to
be revenged on him for any thing he had done againsther, but that he might
be obliged to restore what effects he had of hers in his hands, and might be
disabled any more to oppress her. Note, Poorwidows have often many
adversaries, who barbarously take advantage oftheir weak andhelpless state
to invade their rights, and defraud them of what little they have and
magistrates are particularly charged, not only not to do violence to the widow
(Jeremiah 21:3), but to judge the fatherless, and plead for the widow (Isaiah
1:17), to be their patrons and protectors then they are as gods, for Godis so,
Psalm68:5. 3. The difficulty and discouragementshe met with in her cause:
He would not for awhile. According to his usual practice, he frowned upon
her, took no notice of her cause, but connived at all the wrong her adversary
did her for she had no bribe to give him, no greatman whom he stoodin any
awe of to speak for her, so that he did not at all incline to redress her
grievances andhe himself was conscienceofthe reasonof his dilatoriness, and
could not but ownwithin himself that he neither fearedGod nor regarded
man. It is sad that a man should know so much amiss of himself, and be in no
care to amend it. 4. The gaining of her point by continually dunning this
unjust judge (Luke 18:5): "Becausethis widow troubleth me, gives me a
continual toil, I will hear her cause, and do her justice not so much lest by her
clamour againstme she bring me into an ill name, as lest by her clamour to
me she weary me for she is resolvedthat she will give me no rest till it is done,
and therefore I will do it, to save myself further trouble as goodat first as at
last." Thus she got justice done her by continual craving she beggedit at his
door, followedhim in the streets, solicitedhim in open court, and still her cry
was, Avenge me of mine adversary, which he was forcedto do, to getrid of
her for his conscience,bad as he was, would not suffer him to send her to
prison for an affront upon the court.
II. He applies this for the encouragementofGod's praying people to pray with
faith and fervency, and to persevere therein.

288. 1. He assures them that God will at length be gracious to them (Luke 18:6):
Hear what the unjust judge saith, how he owns himself quite overcome by a
constantimportunity, and shall not God avenge his own elect? Observe,
(1.) What it is that they desire and expect: that God would avenge his own
elect. Note, [1.]There are a people in the world that are God's people, his
elect, his own elect, a choice people, a chosenpeople. And this he has an eye to
in all he does for them it is because they are his chosen, and in pursuance of
the choice he has made of them. [2.] God's own electmeet with a greatdeal of
trouble and oppositionin this world there are many adversaries thatfight
againstthem Satanis their great adversary. [3.] That which is wanted and
waited for is God's preserving and protecting them, and the work of his hands
in them his securing the interestof the church in the world and his grace in
the heart.
(2.) What it is that is required of God's people in order to the obtaining of
this: they must cry day and night to him not that he needs their
remonstrances, orcan be moved by their pleadings, but this he has made their
duty, and to this he has promised mercy. We ought to be particular in praying
againstour spiritual enemies, as St. Paul was:For this thing I besoughtthe
Lord thrice, that it might depart from me like this importunate widow. Lord,
mortify this corruption. Lord, arm me againstthis temptation. We ought to
concernourselves for the persecutedand oppressedchurches, and to pray
that God would do them justice, and setthem in safety. And herein we must
be very urgent we must cry with earnestness:we must cry day and night, as
those that believe prayer will be heard at last we must wrestle with God, as
those that know how to value the blessing, and will have no nay. God's
praying people are told to give him no rest, Isaiah62:6,7.
(3.) What discouragements they may perhaps meet with in their prayers and
expectations. He may bear long with them, and may not presently appearfor

289. them, in answerto their prayers. He is makrothymon ep autois--he exercises
patience towards the adversaries ofhis people, and does not take vengeance
on them and he exercisesthe patience of his people, and does not plead for
them. He bore long with the cry of the sin of the Egyptians that oppressed
Israel, and with the cry of the sorrows ofthose that were oppressed.
(4.) What assurance they have that mercy will come at last, though it be
delayed, and how it is supported by what the unjust judge saith: If this widow
prevail by being importunate, much more shall God's electprevail. For, [1.]
This widow was a stranger, nothing related to the judge but God's praying
people are his own elect, whom he knows, and loves, and delights in, and has
always concernedhimself for. [2.] She was but one, but the praying people of
God are many, all of whom come to him on the same errand, and agree to ask
what they need, Matthew 18:19. As the saints of heaven surround the throne
of glory with their united praises, so saints on earth besiege the throne of
grace with their united prayers. [3.] She came to a judge that bade her keep
her distance we come to a Father that bids us come boldly to him, and teaches
us to cry, Abba, Father. [4.] She came to an unjust judge we come to a
righteous Father (John 17:25), one that regards his own glory and the
comforts of his poor creatures, especiallythose in distress, as widows and
fatherless. [5.]She came to this judge purely upon her own accountbut God is
himself engagedin the cause whichwe are soliciting and we cansay, Arise, O
Lord, plead thine own cause and what wilt thou do to thy greatname? [6.] She
had no friend to speak for her, to add force to her petition, and to use interest
for her more than her own but we have an Advocate with the Father, his own
Son, who ever lives to make intercessionforus, and has a powerful prevailing
interest in heaven. [7.] She had no promise off speeding, no, nor any
encouragementgivenher to ask but we have the golden sceptre held out to us,
are told to ask, with a promise that it shall be given to us. [8.] She could have
access to the judge only at some certaintimes but we may cry to God day and
night, at all hours, and therefore may the rather hope to prevail by
importunity. [9.] Her importunity was provoking to the judge, and she might
fear lestit should set him more againsther but our importunity is pleasing to

290. God the prayer of the upright is his delight, and therefore, we may hope, shall
avail much, if it be an effectualfervent prayer.
2. He intimates to them that, notwithstanding this, they will begin to be weary
of waiting for him (Luke 18:8): "Nevertheless, thoughsuch assurancesare
given that God will avenge his own elect, yet, when the Son of man cometh,
shall he find faith on the earth?" The Son of man will come to avenge his own
elect, to plead the cause ofpersecutedChristians againstthe persecuting Jews
he will come in his providence to plead the cause ofhis injured people in every
age, and at the greatday he will come finally to determine the controversies of
Zion. Now, when he comes, will he find faith on the earth? The question
implies a strong negation: No, he will not he himself foreseesit.
(1.) This supposes that it is on earth only that there is occasionfor faith for
sinners in hell are feeling that which they would not believe, and saints in
heaven are enjoying that which they did believe.
(2.) It supposes that faith is the greatthing that Jesus Christ looks for. He
looks downupon the children of men, and does not ask, Is there innocency?
but, Is there faith? He enquired concerning the faith of those who applied
themselves to him for cures.
(3.) It supposes that if there were faith, though ever so little, he would discover
it, and find it out. His eye is upon the weakestand most obscure believer.
(4.) It is foretold that, when Christ comes to plead his people's cause, he will
find but little faith in comparisonwith what one might expect. That is, [1.] In
general, he will find but few goodpeople, few that are really and truly good.
Many that have the form and fashionof godliness, but few that have faith,

291. that are sincere and honest: nay, he will find little fidelity among men the
faithful fail, Psalm 12:1,2. Evento the end of time there will still be occasion
for the same complaint. The world will grow no better, no, not when it is
drawing towards its period. Badit is, and bad it will be, and worstof all just
before Christ's coming the lasttimes will be the most perilous. [2.] In
particular, he will find few that have faith concerning his coming. When he
comes to avenge his own electhe looks if there be any faith to help and to
uphold, and wonders that there is none, Isaiah 59:16,63:5. It intimates that
Christ, both in his particular comings for the relief of his people, and in his
generalcoming at the end of time, may, and will, delay his coming so long as
that, First, Wickedpeople will begin to defy it, and to say, Where is the
promise of his coming? 2 Peter3:4. They will challenge him to come (Isaiah
5:10; Amos 5:19) and his delay will harden them in their wickedness, Matthew
24:48. Secondly, Even his ownpeople will begin to despair of it, and to
conclude he will never come, because he has passedtheir reckoning. God's
time to appear for his people is when things are brought to the lastextremity,
and when Zion begins to say, The Lord has forsakenme. See Isaiah49:14;
Isaiah40:27. But this is our comfort, that, when the time appointed comes, it
will appearthat the unbelief of man has not made the promise of God of no
effect.