HOW DO WE INTERPRET JESUS' PARABLE
TODAY? I GUESS THE OBVIOUS ANSWER IS THAT HE IS TELLING US THAT WE
SHOULD BE VERY PERSISTENT IN OUR PRAYER. JESUS GAVE MANY OTHER
TEACHINGS ABOUT PRAYER – HE GAVE US THE LORD'S PRAYER AS A MODEL;
HE TOLD US THAT WHATEVER WE ASKED FOR WOULD BE GIVEN TO US; HE TOLD
US ANOTHER PARABLE ABOUT A MAN WHO WENT TO HIS NEIGHBOR IN THE MIDDLE
OF THE NIGHT TO BORROW A LOAF OF BREAD, AND ENDED UP BANGING DOWN THE
DOOR UNTIL THE NEIGHBOR GOT UP. AND HE GAVE US THAT WONDERFUL
INSTRUCTION, “ASK AND IT WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU, SEEK AND YOU WILL
FIND, KNOCK AND IT WILL BE OPEN TO YOU.” THESE ARE ALL WONDERFUL
WORDS, BUT IF YOU ARE LIKE ME, YOU DON'T SEE THESE THINGS HAPPENING;
YOU KNOW OF A MOTHER WHO HAS PRAYED FOR HER CHILD'S LIFE – AND THE
CHILD DIED. WASN'T SHE PERSISTENT ENOUGH? IF YOU ARE LIKE ME, YOU
TAKE REFUGE IN TAGGING “THY WILL BE DONE” ONTO ALL YOUR PRAYERS,
EVEN IF YOU DON'T ACTUALLY SAY THE WORDS, BECAUSE THAT GIVES GOD AN
OUT. YOU SAY, “GOD ALWAYS ANSWERS PRAYERS, BUT SOMETIMES THE
ANSWER IS NO.” I'M ALWAYS TROUBLED BY WHAT JESUS SAYS ABOUT
PRAYER, AND MY OWN EXPERIENCE WITH PRAYER.
SURE, EVERY NOW AND THEN YOU SEE A
GLIMMER OF GOD BREAKING THROUGH. PEOPLE PRAY FOR A YOUNG PRIEST WHO
SEEMS TO BE DYING, AND HE TURNS THE CORNER! A MAN OUT OF WORK PRAYS
FOR A JOB TO TAKE CARE OF HIS FAMILY, AND THE VERY NEXT DAY GETS A
GREAT OFFER. I'VE HAD MOMENTS LIKE THAT; ONCE IN A BLUE MOON IT
SEEMS AS THOUGH GOD DOES HEAR MY PRAYER AND ANSWERS IT. BUT THOSE
MOMENTS ONLY EMPHASIZE THE MANY MANY TIMES I'VE PRAYER AND THE
ANSWER, IF ANY, IS VERY SUBTLE – OR MAYBE IT IS “NO”. AND YET,
JESUS PRAYERS WERE ALWAYS ANSWERED, ALWAYS EXCEPT THAT TIME IN THE
GARDEN WHEN HE PRAYED, “LET THIS CUP PASS FROM ME – BUT ADDED –
NOT MY WILL, BUT YOURS BE DONE.” BUT EVEN THERE, WE KNOW THAT
JESUS HAD KNOWN THAT WHEN HE WENT DOWN TO JERUSALEM HE WASN'T COMING
BACK; EVEN HIS APOSTLES KNEW THAT. AFTER TRYING TO PERSUADE HIM NOT
TO GO, THOMAS SAID, “LET US GO DOWN WITH HIM AND DIE WITH HIM.”
THAT PRAYER IN THE GARDEN JUST PROVED THAT JESUS WAS HUMAN, NOT THAT
HE WANTED TO AVOID WHAT HE WAS SENT TO EARTH FOR.
SOME PROTESTANTS TALK ABOUT “ASKING
PRAYER.” IT WORKS SOMETHING LIKE THIS. FIRST, YOU HAVE TO ASK.
THE WIDOW ASKED FOR A JUST DECISION AGAINST HER ADVERSARY. THE POINT
IS THAT SHE WAS OWED THIS DECISION; SHE WASN'T ASKING FOR A
GOLD-PLATED MULE OR AN IVORY PALACE. THE POINT OF ASKING PRAYER IS
THAT GOD HAS ALREADY SET EVERYTHING IN MOTION AND IS EAGER FOR YOU TO
ASK SO THAT IT CAN BE GIVEN TO YOU. AND GOD PROMPTS YOU TO ASK.
SOMETIMES WE PRAY ROTE PRAYERS, HARDLY KNOWING WHAT WE ARE SAYING;
SOMETIMES WE PRAY FOR STUFF, FOR FAVORS, OFTEN FOR GOOD THINGS; AND
SOMETIMES WE PRAY WITH NO EXPECTATION THAT OUR PRAYER WILL BE
ANSWERED, AND THAT'S NOT A PRAYER AT ALL. THE FIRST STEP IS TO
LISTEN TO WHAT GOD IS ASKING US TO PRAY FOR AND THEN ASK FOR IT.
SECOND YOU HAVE TO SEEK. THE WIDOW
KEEPS COMING TO THE JUDGE. SHE DOESN'T CONDEMN HIM, DOESN'T GO OFF
AND DESPAIR; PRETTY SOON THE JUDGE KNOWS THIS WIDOW; SHE BECOMES REAL
TO HIM, NOT JUST ANOTHER STREET PERSON. A RELATIONSHIP IS FORMED;
TWO HUMAN BEINGS OPEN UP A LITTLE TO EACH OTHER. JESUS TELLS US TO
PRAY “IN HIS NAME” THIS MEANS WE ARE TO PRAY IN THE MIND OF
CHRIST. WE DON'T SAY, “LORD, PLEASE FIND ME A JOB.” WE SAY,
“LORD, HERE IS A NEED. HOW DO YOU WANT ME TO PRAY ABOUT IT?”
SAINT PAUL SAID THAT HE PRAYED THREE TIMES THAT AN ILLNESS WOULD BE
LIFTED, AND THE LORD FINALLY REPLIED, “MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR
YOU, FOR POWER IS PERFECTED IN WEAKNESS.” PAUL THEN GLORIED IN THE
WEAKNESS HE HAD, BECAUSE HE HAD COME TO KNOW THE MIND OF CHRIST.
THIRD, YOU HAVE TO KNOCK. THE WIDOW'S
PERSISTENCE MAKES THE JUDGE FEARFUL THAT SHE MIGHT DO VIOLENCE TO
HIM, AND HE FINALLY RELENTS. WHAT IS THE POINT OF PRAYING OVER AND
OVER AGAIN FOR THE SAME THING? DOESN'T GOD HEAR US THE FIRST TIME?
BUT WE SEE THROUGHOUT SCRIPTURE THAT THE GREAT FIGURES OFTEN PRAY
REPEATEDLY; THE STORY OF MOSES HOLDING UP HIS STAFF WITH THE HELP OF
HIS AIDS SHOWS US ABOUT THIS KNOCKING. WHEN HE HELD THE STAFF UP,
THE ISRAELITES GOT THE BETTER OF THE FIGHT, BUT WHEN HE COULDN'T HOLD
IT UP ANYMORE, THEY BEGAN TO LOSE. PERSISTENT PRAYER DOESN'T CHANGE
GOD'S MIND. BUT IT DOES RELEASE SPIRITUAL ENERGY. EVEN THOUGH GOD
MIGHT WISH TO ANSWER OUR PRAYERS, THERE ARE BARRIERS. WE MAY PRAY
FOR THE RECOVERY OF A CHILD FROM A LIFE-THREATENING ILLNESS; BUT THE
CHILD AT SOME LEVEL MIGHT BE PRAYING TO BE UNITED TO GOD. WE MIGHT
PRAY THAT A FRIEND RETURNS TO THE CHURCH. BUT GOD WOULD NEVER STAND
IN THE WAY OF THE FREE WILL HE'S GIVEN THAT FRIEND. SOMETIMES THESE
BARRIERS CAN BE OVERCOME, AND PERHAPS THE KNOCKING, THE REPETITIOUS
PRAYER, RELEASES THAT KIND OF ENERGY. IT WORKED FOR THE WIDOW; SHE
STARTED WITH A JUDGE THAT DID NOT FEAR GOD OR MAN, BUT ENDED UP WITH
A JUDGE WHO COULD NO LONGER DENY HER JUSTICE. WHAT HAPPENED? THE
JUDGE WAS CHANGED. WE CAN'T CHANGE GOD, BUT WE CAN CHANGE WHAT IS
KEEPING GOD FROM ACTING – BECAUSE INDEED GOD LIMITS HIMSELF OUT OF
LOVE FOR US.
JESUS SAYS THAT OUR PERSISTENCE WILL
PAY OFF. WE WHO ARE GOD'S CHOSEN ONES WILL RECEIVE WHAT IS RIGHT FOR
US. NOTICE THAT JESUS REFERS TO OUR RIGHTS, AND THAT'S WHAT HE IS
GUARANTEEING. HE IS THE ONE WHO GUARANTEES, WHO IS ALWAYS THERE WHEN
WE ARE PRAYING, HAS DONE ALL THAT HE POSSIBLY CAN FOR US TO HAVE OUR
“RIGHTS” AS CHILDREN OF THE FATHER.
BUT THEN WE HEAR THAT LAST SENTENCE
ECHOING DOWN OVER 2000 YEARS – WHEN THE SON OF MAN COMES, WILL HE
FIND FAITH ON EARTH? AND I LOOK AT MY OWN PRAYER LIFE, AND I REALIZE
THAT I'VE STILL GOT A LONG WAY TO GO TO PRAY THE WAY HE WANTS ME TO
PRAY. AND I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME TO LEARN HOW TO DO IT. AND
MAYBE YOU FEEL THE SAME WAY, SO LET'S GET STARTED.
