One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. “There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people. A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’ The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’” Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?” [Luke 18.1-8]
Prayer: an address (such as a petition) to God or a god in word or thought.
This story is not about the widow or those who are persistent in prayer! Jesus said, "Learn a lesson from this unjust judge."
Wait... what??
While our persistence may indeed play a role, we must be very careful to understand that God moves because He is just - not because we are persistent. God is not a genie in a bottle who responds simply because we rub the bottle a certain number of times!
The key word in this illustration is justice.
Nowhere in the Bible is God's justice more on display than in the Ten Commandments. In particular, the first three of those Ten Commandments showcase justice:
“I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. “You must not have any other god but me. “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands. “You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God. The LORD will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name. [Exodus 20.2-7]
Justice is defined by, and therefore reserved for use by, God ALONE.
We must understand that justice can be a "reward" to one and a "punishment" to another. It is the same justice, wielded by God, with different outcomes. The deciding factor in the outcome of justice is found in verse 8 above: "But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?"
Not just faith, but faith in God ALONE determines the outcome of God's justice. When God is not petitioned as God ALONE, the 2nd and 3rd Commandments reveal the problem and the just reward for that idolatry. Every sin known to mankind finds its root in the failure to observe the 1st Commandment - approaching God as God ALONE. Failure to comply with the 1st Commandment is idolatry (thus, the 2nd and 3rd Commandments become necessary).
There is a fine but critical line between persistence and God-pleasing faith. In fact, many define insanity as "repeating the same procedure over and over expecting different results." However, if immoveable, undeterred faith in God ALONE is repeated simply because there is no alternative (or, idol), God's just reward is assured. Why? Is it because of the petitioner's persistence? No! It is because of God's justice upon undivided faith!
The unjust judge, unjust as he was, realized one thing: the woman was fixated on him for the justice she required. She was "petitioning" nowhere else.
If the unjust judge could recognize singular focus by his petitioner - giving justice only to get her off his back, how much more does God recognize singular focus by His petitioners to ultimately enjoy eternal fellowship with them in His Kingdom?
Persistence with singular focus on God does not reveal insanity. Persistence with singular focus on God reveals God-pleasing faith that meets the full requirement of the first three Commandments.
The necessary persistence we should understand in Jesus' story was NOT about repeating the petition over and over insanely expecting a different result eventually... The necessary persistence Jesus pointed out was undivided (not-going-anywhere-else) faith - faith in God ALONE. Few are committed to this kind of faith even though Jesus demands it of anyone who would be His follower (as the only way to God):
If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24]
The story of Luke 18.1-8 is not about persistence by itself. It is instead about God's just reward for those with undivided faith revealed by their persistence to (avoid every idol and) petition (pray to) God ALONE. Otherwise, Jesus would have said, "But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have persistence?"
In the end, everyone gets justice for what they have persisted in: most will receive the justice of eternal damnation for persisting to petition idols, but a few will receive the justice of eternal life for persisting to petition God ALONE by Way of Jesus Christ.
“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. [Matthew 7.13-14]
Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. [John 10.9]
So, we should ask ourselves this pivotal question: "Am I persisting to petition idols (and maybe God too), or, am I persisting to petition God ALONE?" One is faith and the other is idolatry.
The interesting thing about this whole discussion is the first sentence of Luke 18.1-8: One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. To pray is to petition.
Are we petitioning (praying to) God? Or, are we petitioning (praying to) idols? Which one do we make petition of repeatedly?
Although we may indeed petition the "unjust judge" (any and every idolatrous alternative to God), the lesson from the "unjust judge" is that our prayer (petition) should be to God ALONE Who seeks faith (undivided faith is the only real faith): "But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?"
Father, help us to see that the "persistence" that petitions You ALONE can also be the same "persistence" but that insists on petitioning idols too. May we be found as those with singular faith in You when Jesus returns! May we be found giving up our own way, taking up our cross, and following Jesus as He leads us to You. So be it.
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