Monday, August 17, 2015
Persistent Widow
GOD ANSWERS PRAYER
Luke 18:7 "And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? "
LUKE 18:1-8
The Parable of the Persistent Widow.
1* Then he told them a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary.a He said,
1* Then he told them a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary.a He said,
5* b because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.’”
Rather, Jesus is contrasting His willingness to answer our prayers with this unjust judge's unwillingness. The parable is a contrast, not a representation.
Not only do we have God who is a just judge who will avenge His elect speedily, but we also have Jesus as our advocate or attorney who is always making intercession for us.
However, we have an adversary (the devil) who is constantly accusing us and misrepresenting God (the judge). This causes men to give up (faint) and not even plead their case with God because they doubt that He will answer them anyway.
Jesus is saying that our Father is not an unjust judge that we have to pressure into doing what is right. Many times we put more faith in people and their willingness to do what is right than we do in God. Satan has deceived us about the willingness of God to answer our prayers and Jesus is countering that deception with this parable.
Jesus is encouraging us to pray (petition God) and not doubt His willingness to grant our requests.
*** Teaches that we are not to just pester God until He gives in to our pressure - which is not good theology. Because He hears all- knows all and will respond in due course and time! We can not know what is best for use or when the time is right! But God does!
