Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not become discouraged. [Luke 18:1 (NASB)]
Jesus told two parables about persistence. In the first, a man went to his neighbor’s home at midnight. Waking him, he asked for three loaves of bread because a traveler just arrived and he had no food for his hungry guest. Initially, the neighbor refused to open the door but, after tiring of the man’s persistent knocking, he finally gave him the bread. In the second parable, a widow kept badgering a corrupt judge with her appeals for justice against a man who has harmed her. Finally, worn down by her persistent pleas, the exasperated judge granted her request.
When we focus on the two people’s annoying doggedness rather than their just causes, it’s easy to misinterpret these parables. Hospitality for a traveler was more than good manners; it was required and a matter of honor for the host and his village. The man had a legitimate need that he couldn’t fulfill. With an empty larder and no quick-marts, he had to depend on his neighbor’s generosity.
Although the law commanded that widows be protected, they often were exploited. The judge (who “neither feared God nor cared about people”) expected a bribe that she couldn’t pay. Wanting the fairness, protection, and justice the law promised, persistence was the widow’s only weapon against the corrupt man. Having just causes, both people persisted in their pleas because they were powerless on their own.
We also misinterpret these parables when, rather than contrasting God to the reluctant neighbor and vexed judge, we compare Him to those men. Neither man was responsive and both had to be hounded before they’d even listen. Neither man cared about friendship or justice; rather than granting the requests out of love or concern, their motives were self-serving. The heartless neighbor and the godless judge just wanted the bothersome pleas to stop so they could get back to their own lives.
In contrast, God is neither a sleepy, grouchy, uncaring neighbor nor an unresponsive, greedy, corrupt judge. Jesus’ point was this: if an unwilling man can be convinced to meet the needs of a troubled neighbor and a dishonest judge can be induced to give justice to a poor widow, consider how much more willing our loving Father is to meet the needs of his children! He always has time for us and He hears us the moment we speak to Him. While others may fail us, God never will.
Although several Bible translations use “persistence” in describing these people’s pleas, the original Greek words were egkakeó, meaning not to lose heart or grow weary, in the parable of the widow, and anaideia, meaning shamelessness, in that of the neighbor. Rather than telling us we must pester God until He acts, these parables tell us that pestering God is unnecessary. It’s not because we haven’t gotten God’s attention that we pray steadfastly; it’s because we have! These parables tell us to pray with the tenacity and shamelessness of a believer who refuses to be deterred or discouraged by fear, disappointment, or dissuasion.
There is a difference between a fleshly stubbornness and a godly perseverance. The former insists on getting one’s will done in heaven, and the latter determines to get God’s will done on earth. [William Thrasher]
Having quoted from Isaiah when proclaiming the Messiah’s arrival, we know John knew Isaiah’s prophecies. The Messiah would “bind up the brokenhearted [and] proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners,” [61:1] but, after spending more than a year confined to a dark cell, John had neither liberty nor freedom. It’s no wonder he doubted.
After pointing out Jesus as the “Lamb of God,” some of John the Baptizer’s disciples left John to follow Jesus. Later, John’s remaining disciples reported that Jesus was baptizing (it actually was His disciples) and wanted to know whose purification ritual of baptism was valid. With many turning from John to Jesus, the Baptizer’s disciples were confused, concerned, and probably a little envious. Apparently, they forgot that John’s original mission was that of forerunner—the one who would prepare the way for the Messiah and point the way to the Lamb of God. Knowing that he wasn’t the bridegroom but only His friend, the Baptizer humbly affirmed his position by telling his disciples that Jesus must become more prominent while he became less and less important. J.C. Ryle likened the Baptizer’s role to that of a star growing paler and paler as the sun rises until the star completely disappears in the light of the sun. John clearly understood that he was to fade in the light of the Son.
While browsing a bookstore (yes, they still exist), I came across a book offering more than 100 ways to say “Thank you.” It suggested ways to express one’s appreciation for milestone celebrations, business opportunities, assistance, social events, and assorted gifts. It even offered “damage control” for tardy thank you notes. There also were chapters devoted to topics like stationery, envelopes, and internet etiquette. One chapter offered a “thank you thesaurus” complete with several “glowing superlatives and energetic adjectives.”
One of the most disturbing stories in the Bible is found in Judges 11. Before leading the army into battle with the Ammonites, Jephthah made a rash vow to the Lord—if given victory, he’d make a burnt sacrifice of the first thing to come out of his house to meet him upon his return. God granted Israel victory but, when Jephthah returned home, it was his daughter who came out to greet him. When the anguished Jephthah told her of his vow, the girl willingly accepted her fate. She only asked for one thing—to go into the hills with her friends to mourn that she’d never marry or know the joy of motherhood. When she returned, “her father kept the vow he had made and she died a virgin.”
In the years following the exiles’ return to Judah and the rebuilding of the Temple, adherence to the Law grew lax. Knowing how to live a Jewish life depended on knowing the commandments of the Torah but the people had drifted away from God and His word and were committing the same sins that got them exiled! More than fifty years after the Temple’s rebuilding, Ezra arrived in Jerusalem. As a priest and teacher of the law, Ezra was shocked to find such disobedience. He tore his clothes and pulled his hair in sorrow before kneeling in prayer. He led the people in prayers of confession and repentance after which they swore a solemn oath to follow the Lord’s commands.
Devotions of the Heart 