What can we learn from a widow who was treated very unfairly by
a judge? Jesus used her story to teach us a very important
lesson.
"In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor
cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming
to him with the plea, `Grant me justice against my adversary.'"
1*.
Although this judge seemed uninterested in helping her she did not
give up. She knew he could help, and continued to
believe that he would.
God is looking for faith like that towards Him. "Without faith it
is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him
must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly
seek Him." 2*.
So, a sinner wanting God's forgiveness must first believe that God
has paid for all our sins by His death on the cross "once for all".
3*. Then the
sinner must ask for salvation through Jesus as the only
Saviour. All who ask God in faith for forgiveness in Jesus'
name know that they have offered prayers that
succeed. 4*.
Although many today say in the Lord's prayer - "Father… forgive us
our sins," 5*. often
their prayers DO NOT succeed! Why? Because some obviously don't
really believe God is willing or able to do it! They show they
have no faith in the request they made to God when they then go
to someone else in their church and say to him, "Bless me
father, I have sinned". Instead of trusting in God they are now
putting their trust in someone else's intentions and his claim to
be able to forgiven them! As well as that many will then go on to
do many other things hoping that by their own best efforts they
might earn forgiveness! But, because they turned away
from really believing that God would give them the forgiveness they
asked Him for they will not receive God's forgiveness!
6*.
Those who pray to God for forgiveness having true faith in Jesus
as their Saviour do not then go off asking it of
other people or think they have to earn it! 7*.
God looks for faith that is like the woman's in Jesus' story; she
persisted in asking the judge because she knew he could meet her
need. The judge "finally said to himself, `because this widow keeps
bothering me, I will see that she gets justice.'"
Jesus said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God
bring about justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and
night? Will He keep putting them off? I tell you, He will see that
they get justice, and quickly." 8*.
Jesus used this parable to teach His disciples that they should
always pray and not give up. 9*. The only prayers that
succeed are those offered to God through Jesus Christ in
true faith.4*.
Jesus went on to say that by the time He would return there would
be very little evidence of true faith. I think Jesus' return must
be very close because so few today show true faith in Jesus as
their only Saviour! 10*.
Read Jesus' teaching about true prayer in Luke's Gospel chapter 18,
verses 1-8.
Bye for now,
John Nixon, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland. P31HD98. Contact: jnixonj@gmail.com
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Bible quotations from N.I.V.
1Luke 18:2-3.
2 Hebrews 11:6.
3 Hebrews 7:26-27. 1st
Peter 3:18.
4 Romans 10:13-15. John
14:6. 1st Timothy 2:5-6.
5 Luke 11:4.
6 James 1:6-8. Matthew
15:8-9.
7 Ephesians 2:8-9.
8 Luke 18:6-8.
9 Luke 18:1.
10 Luke 18:8. 2nd Peter
3:3-15.
