Season 3 - The Storyteller

Episode 08 - “The Parable of the Persistent Widow”

Pastor Josh McPherson, November 17, 2019

Text: Luke 18:1-8

Intro: This parable of Jesus is quite possibly the easiest to understand but the hardest to remember and yet gives us access to one of God’s greatest gifts for his children.
Right up front, Jesus tells us what the purpose of the parable is for…persistence in prayer.
Context: Courthouse, Judge, Widow
Contrast:
One is powerful, one is powerless.
One is prosperous, the other penniless.
One was in an exalted position, the other in a lowly position.
One was untouchable by the law, the other was totally vulnerable and exposed to the law.

What Jesus Wants Us To KNOW

This is not a correlation parable but a contrast parable.
This is a parable of contrasts…meaning it makes a lesser to greater argument. The point Jesus is making is…if this is true…how much more will it be true of God.
God is in contrast to the judge, & God’s children in contrast to the widow. God is not like the judge and we are nothing like the widow. A distressed bugging of God is NOT the point of the text.

The Father is better than the judge & you’re more loved than the widow.

What Jesus Wants You To FEEL:

If a powerless widow can get justice from a corrupt judge…HOW MUCH MORE??!! (as dearly loved children of God should we have confidence when going to God in prayer)…

What Jesus Wants You To DO:

Pray confidently, not timidly
Pray persistently, not haphazardly
Pray patiently, not anxiously
Pray faith-fully, not faithlessly

5 Practical Questions on Prayer:

What is Prayer?
A: Talking with God.

Why Doesn’t God Always Say Yes?
A: Because He’s a good Father who knows what’s best for his kids.
**Just because God doesn’t say yes doesn’t mean God hasn’t answered. God always responds to and answers the prayers of his children.

What is the Point of Prayer?
A: Prayer moves the hand of God and molds the heart of man.

How Should I Pray?
A:
pray normally, not eloquently
pray relationally, not transactionally
pray for substance, not distance (length)

Why Don’t We Pray?
A:
Forgetfulness
Faithlessness
Fatherlessness

Prayer is the antidote to losing heart.

“And Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.”

Discussion Questions:

Getting to Know Me
What do you find hard about prayer?
What keeps you from praying more? What causes you to “lose heart” in praying?
Would you say you view/use prayer more as a first response or a last resort?

Into the Bible
What is the stated purpose of this parable? Why would the author state the purpose up front?
What does it mean to not fear God? …to not respect man?
Why did the judge do what the widow kept asking him to do?
What parallels and contrasts does Jesus draw between the judge and God?
What is the conclusion Jesus reaches in v8?
Pastor Josh said we should pray confidently. Read Hebrews 4:15-16. From those verses, what is the basis for taking a confident approach to prayer?
Matthew 7:7-8 talks about how God responds to his children. What difference does it make to realize that in v7, ask, seek and knock could be translated as “keep asking”, “keep seeking” and “keep knocking”?

Application
What was your main takeaway from Pastor Josh’s sermon? How were you impacted/encouraged?
Pastor Josh finished with some practical questions worth considering. Do the answers make sense (see the notes above)? Which was most helpful to you and why?
What is prayer?
Why doesn’t God always say yes?
What is the point or purpose of prayer?
How should I pray?
Why don’t we pray?
What does Jesus intend for us to learn and do based on this parable? [see v1]
What will you do about it?
What was your biggest takeaway from the interview?
What is one thing God is asking you, one prayer God is calling you to pray or one action step God is inviting you to make as result of listening to this sermon & interview?