PARABLE OF THE UNJUST JUDGE

Pastor James J. Barker

Text: LUKE 18:1-8




INTRODUCTION:


  1. Oftentimes, we preachers will quote Luke 18:8 in reference to the horrible apostasy and unbelief that is so prevalent in these last days.
  2. And this rhetorical question from the lips of our Lord certainly coincides with the numerous other Scriptures that describe the apostasy of the last days.
  3. But oftentimes we forget that the immediate context is about prayerless-ness. In other words, things will be so bad in the last days that no one will be praying. Unbelief will have blinded men’s minds so that they will not believe that God can answer prayer.
  4. The apostasy will be so bad that most people will not even believe in a personal God. Their belly will be their god (cf. Phil.3:17-19).
  5. Others have different gods and idols – perhaps money, or a girlfriend or a boyfriend, or a job or a hobby, etc. Anything that comes between you and God is an idol and a false god.
  6. But if we truly believe in the true God of the Bible, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – then we should trust Him, and seek His face. Today, I would like to pick out a few principles on prayer from our Lord’s parable of the unjust judge.
  7. "Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance. It is laying hold of His willingness" (George Muller).

  1. MEN OUGHT ALWAYS TO PRAY (18:1)
  2. MEN OUGHT TO CONTINUALLY PRAY (18:5)
  3. MEN OUGHT TO PRAY DAY AND NIGHT (18:7)

 

I. MEN OUGHT ALWAYS TO PRAY (18:1).

    1. The apostle Paul put it a bit differently (I Thess.5:17). This indicates that prayer is an attitude of the life.
    2. In order to pray always, and without ceasing, one must know how to pray. To me, one of the most interesting verses in the Bible is Luke 11:1, where one of our Lord’s disciples said unto Him, "Lord teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples." Notice that he did not ask, "Teach us how to pray, but rather "teach us to pray."
    3. Then our Lord answers him by saying to the disciples, "When ye pray…" (11:2). Not "If ye pray" but "When ye pray…"
    4. Men ought always to pray, and not to faint" (Luke 18:1). This suggests that true prayer is hard work. The flesh does not like to pray.
    5. Reading the Bible and attending church is relatively easy compared to fervent prayer. And when I think of how lackadaisical most of our members are toward church attendance and Bible reading, I think: Oh Lord, how little they probably are praying for their church and their pastor and their missionaries, etc.
    6. "The prayer meeting is the thermometer of the church" (Vance Havner).

 

II. MEN OUGHT TO PRAY CONTINUALLY (18:2-6).

    1. This parable pictures a an unjust judge (18:6) who "feared not God" (18:2). He had no regard for his fellow man (18:4).
    2. Notice that this rascal lived "in a city" (18:2). Whenever you read about sin and wickedness in abundance, it is always in a city. The only favorable reference to a city is to the new Jerusalem, described so beautifully in the book of Revelation.
    3. In this parable, our Lord also describes a widow who was being oppressed by an adversary, and she came to the judge seeking justice (18:3).
    4. At first the judge put her off; he was unmoved by her pleadings (18:4). "But afterward" he decided to avenge her because of "her continual" and persistent coming before him (18:5).
    5. Notice the words "lest by her continual coming she weary me" (18:5). We ought to keep praying till we get through.
    6. When Jonathan Goforth was preparing to go into the province of Honan in China, Hudson Taylor of the China Inland Mission, wrote to him: "It is one of the most anti-foreign provinces in China…Brother, if you would enter that province, you must go forward on your knees."
    7. Our Lord wants us to take note of "what the unjust judge saith" (18:6).

 

III. MEN OUGHT TO PRAY DAY AND NIGHT (18:7).

    1. The Lord explained that if an unjust judge would act in behalf of a widow because of her importunity, how much more will God, our just and righteous and loving Creator and Redeemer, intervene in our behalf (18:7; cf. 11:5-10).
    2. This parable teaches by means of contrast or comparison – if this wicked judge will grant justice to a humble widow because of her persistence, how much more will a holy God hearken to His people when they call on Him.
    3. The unjust judge could not care less for this poor widow, but God is deeply interested in our trials and troubles. Therefore, if the unjust judge helped the widow, God will certainly move to help His own elect when we pray.
    4. The word "speedily" (18:8) could cause some confusion. It does not necessarily mean "immediately." The same word is translated "shortly" in Rom.16:20 and Rev.1:1. The idea here is that God will move quickly once the answer begins to come.
    5. Let us make sure that we are not doing anything to hinder God from answering our prayers (cf. Pro.28:9; John 15:7; I John 3:22).

CONCLUSION:

  1. I read that when the bombs were dropping on London during WWII, there was a sign in front of one of the churches that said: "If your knees knock together, kneel on them!"
  2. That is good advice. My knees are starting to knock together. I believe God is testing us.
  3. But I am not worrying, because I have faith in Him. If our church is faithful, He will give us the desires of our heart (cf. Psalm 37:4,5,23).


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