Another parable. I've enjoyed the studying the parables in Sunday school and preaching them in worship, but it means I have a lot of material for the sermon. Each week, I have been challenged to decide what to emphasize in the sermon and what material to leave on the cutting floor, so to speak.
the illustration about the computer was a late addition to the sermon. It occurred to me as we were starting worship, so I added it during the Anthem. I think it worked!
“A Judge in the City”; July 27, 2025; St. Andrew Presbyterian Church; Luke 18: 1-8
18 Then Jesus[a] told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. 3 In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Grant me justice against my accuser.’ 4 For a while he refused, but later he said to himself, ‘Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.’ ”[b] 6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? 8 I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
Introduction: in Chapter 17, just before Jesus tells this parable, Jesus was asked by the Pharisees, “when is the kingdom coming?”
Jesus answered their question with this cryptic remark: “The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed, 21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There it is!’ For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among[h] you.” (Luke 17: 20-21).
Keep that answer in mind as we explore this parable today and look for clues about the kingdom that is already among us and still yet to come.
Move 1: The kingdom of God will defy expectations and go against the norms as defined by the world.
a. the parable Jesus tells has known entities as its characters.
1. When Jesus says a judge and a widow, the listeners know whom he is talking about, at least in a generic sense.
2. The judge and widow have known places in the religious hierarchy.
b. the judge up high: Stereotypically, the judge carries out God’s purposes and executes Torah.
2. WE are reminded of Jehoshaphat’s charge when we appointed judges:“Consider what you are doing, for you judge not on behalf of humans but on the Lord’s behalf; he is with you in giving judgment. 7 Now, let the fear of the Lord be upon you; take care what you do, for there is no perversion of justice with the Lord our God or partiality or taking of bribes.” (2 Chronicles 19:6-7).
3. In relationship to widows, The psalmist in 68:5 refers to God as the defender of widows.
4. And the judge is in the city, which also gives him status as part of the urban elite.
5.The listeners know that a judge in the city plays an important role in the justice system and is supposed to be protect widows on God’s behalf.
b. widows are a known entity as well.
1. Stereotypically, widows are low on the class status
3. Widows did not inherit their husband’s estate or station in society.
4. There are provisions made for how the widow was to be taken care of, but there is great vulnerability in being reliant on others.
in many ways, widows are on their own.
5. The widow is a special class with orphans and foreigners who need protection.
6.The widow would be expected to passively accept what the world has dealt her
c. But the judge and the widow in this story defy expectations.
1. The judge does not fear God nor respect people, which makes him without honor or shame, and means he will not fulfill his role
2. The widow will defy the societal standards and advocate for herself, demanding justice.
3. Neither character acts like he or she should.
4. once again, Jesus tells those listening that their stereotypes and expectations based on the values of the world may not be aligned with the values of the kingdom of God.
5. Perhaps the greatest sign of the upending of expectations is that the judge, who does not fear God, gives in to the widow, who has no authority, no standing, no power in the world.
6. From a kingdom of God perspective, this parable puts the listeners on notice that the kingdom being revealed is going to look differently than the world and its values that they see round the.
Move 2: This parable also points us to an aspect of the kingdom of God we might not always recognize persistence.
a. We see the persistence of the widow on full display.
1. In some ways, the parable at a macro level does what the reader would expect it to do - the judge saves the widow.
if we told the parable, that is how we would have it end, isn’t it?
the judge took care of the widow As he should have.
3. But, the judge will not let his actions speak for themselves.
He has to interpret what he has done to make sure everyone understands why he acted the way he did.
4. Do you ever find yourself in an discussion, maybe even an argument with someone - a friend, a child, a parent, maybe a spouse
and you get your way.
the other person agrees to do what you have urged them to do,
and instead of graciously accepting the fact that the things have worked out exactly how you wanted, you have to comment on it,
make sure everyone knows not only that the person should do what you made them do, but also know exactly why you are absolutely correct?
5. That’s what the judge does.
He cannot let his actions stand without comment.
he has to make the point
he did not agree to save this widow because of his responsibility as one who is supposed to act on God’s half.
he did not save the widow because she deserved justice;
he did not save her because he feared God;
no, the judge acted to protect the widow because she was annoying him with her persistence.
b. If you are looking for attributes of a disciple working in the kingdom of God, look for persistence.
1. Jesus connects this story with persistence in prayer.
1. The parable is not a step-by-step outline of how to pray:
or an analysis of what style of prayer is best
or the exact words to pray
Jesus will do some of that elsewhere, like when he teaches the disciples to pray what we know as the Lord’s Prayer.
2. But the widow reveals the call to keep praying.
3. When we wonder if God is still in our midst, keep praying.
when those glimpses of the kingdom of God are hard for us to see, keep praying.
when the values of the world and their emphasis on power and might seem to overwhelm, keep praying.
when the world feels hopeless and we feel helpless, keep praying.
when we are not sure how to respond as disciples of Christ, keep praying.
4. Keep praying persistently and somehow the kingdom will be revealed, maybe even by the judge who does not fear God or care about people.
Jesus tells this story as a call for his followers to persistently seek out God and persistently connect themselves to God as they look for the kingdom of God in their midst.
Move 3: The parable also points to persistence as an attribute of the kingdom of God.
a. Vs. 7 has a textual conundrum that has challenged scholars for centuries.
1. The Greek word the NRSV translates as “Delay” can also be translated as patience.
2. If patience is used, it changes the verse from a question, “will God delay in helping them?” To an affirmation that God is patiently working among them.
b. he people to whom jesus told this parable wondered if Jesus’ presence among them meant that the kingdom of God was in their midst and how soon would the ways of the world be completely replaced with the kingdom of God.
1. It is easy for them to
as Jesus might describe it, “lose heart
2. It is easy for us to lose heart.
We look at our world and wonder when things are going to change,
when will peace reign,
when the kingdom of God will come fully into place.
3. the parable does not answer the question fully, but it assures us that God is still at work.
4. The world, like the judge may resist, but God will not stop working in our midst.
5. Like the widow, God persistently keeps coming to us.
6. Computer story - first computer in college. What grand and glorious thing should we do with it?
Wall mate talked really loudly. Asked him to stop.
Put computer on a never ending loop of calling him. He answered, then unplugged phone.
it kept calling.
finally, he unplugged his phone.
Not sure we changed his behavior forever, but for a moment.
God keeps calling
god keeps showing up
we can unplug, or turn away, but god keeps coming
c. Notice that is it not through power structures of the world like the judge that God works, but through the widow.
1. The widow, with very little power given her by the world, persistently works until we all see a glimpse of the kingdom that comes when her persistence forces the judge to act as he should.
2. The parable suggests that if we are looking for the powers of the world to show forth the kingdom of God, we might never see the kingdom.
3. Sort of like the God whose power shows up hanging on a cross.
Conclusion: Jesus tells a story about the kingdom of God that comes like a persistent widow who has no power in the world, but still changes the world.
He finishes the story with this question: when the son of man comes, will he find faith on earth?
Will he?
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