PARABLES OF CHRIST
THE UNJUST JUDGE
DR. JIM DIXON
LUKE 18:1-8
DECEMBER 6, 1998
In the year 1722, Nichoras Ludwig von Zinzendorf, a German Count, began to be deeply concerned regarding the Christian exiles from Moravia. These Christian exiles from Moravia were being persecuted just as Christians in the Southern Sudan are being persecuted today as you saw in the video. Even as Jim and Meegan Avery and the Persecuted Christians Task Force are reaching out to those persecuted Christians, so Count Nichoras Ludwig von Zinzendorf decided to reach out to these persecuted Moravian Christians.
He made a generous offer. He invited the Moravian Christians to come and to establish a community on his vast German estate. And so, in 1722, the Moravians came, and they built a community on that German estate. They called the community Herrnhut which means “under the Lord’s watch.”
Now, on August 27, of 1727, the Moravian Christians at Herrnhut, on that German estate, had a prayer meeting. It was, I am certain, the most amazing prayer meeting this world has ever seen. They began to pray, and as they prayed, they realized they did not want the prayer to stop. They wanted the community of Herrnhut to be always bathed in prayer. They did not want the prayer to end, and so twenty-four of the men and 24 of the women entered into a covenant that each of them would pray an hour every day. They would do this sequentially by schedule so that two women or two men were praying at any one hour, and that every minute of every hour of every day prayers would be going up to God for the Herrnhut community and for whatever they chose to pray for around the world.
Well, the days passed, and the weeks passed, and the months passed, and the prayer continued. Once a week the Christians at Herrnhut would come together, with the exception of those who were on their vigil of prayer, and they would encourage one another, sharing letters from those they were praying for, seeing the power of God. Others volunteered to join in this vigil of prayer so that those involved were many in number. The prayer continued for months and months. A year passed and then another year, and a decade passed and another decade. I know this is hard to believe but that prayer meeting at Herrnhut continued for over one hundred years. That prayer meeting shook the foundations of the earth, and it launched Protestant World Missions.
You see, one day in 1727, von Zinzendorf came into the prayer meeting, and he told the Moravian Christians about the need for missionaries all over the earth, the need to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. That very day, 27 Moravian missionary volunteers to give their life in missionary service. They had a meeting that night to send them forth. They sang one hundred hymns together and those twenty-seven went forth. Two years later, twenty-two of the 27 had died martyr’s deaths. Two others were incarcerated. Others rose up from Herrnhut. Others came from that Moravian community and took the place of the missionaries who had died. The missionary movement continued. It continued year after year after year. By the time William Kerry came on the scene, who has been called the “father of modern missions,” by that time, three hundred Moravian missionaries had already gone to the ends of the earth. It was the Moravian missionaries who led John and Charles Wesley to Jesus Christ and to their conversion. Ultimately and directly it all led to the great awakening in Europe and in the Americas. ft was a one-hundred-year prayer meeting that had eternal effects.
This morning I want to talk to you about the subject of prayer. I feel led to talk to you on the subject of prayer. This little parable—that is what it is about. This little parable is about prayer. Luke says to us, “He told them a parable.” Jesus told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray. As we look at this little parable, we see two teachings regarding prayer. The first teaching concerns perseverance. You see, if you are a Christian, Christ wants you to persevere in prayer. He wants us to learn what it means to persevere.
This is December 6, and on this date, December 6, 1884, six men were standing on top of a wooden platform 550 feet above the nation’s capital of Washington, D.C. They were bracing themselves against the wind and they were placing a 100-ounce aluminum cone on the tip of the Washington Monument. December 6, 1884. That was the date the Washington Monument was completed. At the time it was the highest. the tallest, structure in the world.
The amazing thing is that the United States Congress, in the year 1783, made the decision and resolved to establish a monument for George Washington, but somehow it was not until 1848 that the cornerstone was laid. They had problems. They had problems in construction. They had problems with the architects. They had problems with weather, and of course the Civil War came and went. There were many delays, but they persevered and then finally on December 6, 1884, the Washington Monument was completed, One hundred and one years. That is what it took to build it. Today, when you go to this nation’s capital, and you go to Washington, D.C. and you see the Washington Monument, you should, think of the truth. Throughout history, most of the things that are significant and great required perseverance. Adam Clark took 40 years to write his is great commentary on the Holy scriptures. John Mitton rose up every morning at 4:00 AM day after day after day—4:00 AM every morning—to work on that great literary masterpiece called “Paradise Lost.”
Ernest Hemingway wrote the manuscript for “The Old Man and the Sea” and then he rewrote it and then he rewrote it again. He rewrote it eighty times before he even submitted it to a publisher for consideration. Noah Webster spent 36 years, and he traveled all over the world, in order that he might compete and write his famous dictionary. Of course, Gibbon took 26 years working on that historical masterpiece called “The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.” Leonardo de Vinci took 10 years to paint the Last Supper. Michelangelo took 8 years, with 2,000 sketches to paint “The Last Judgement,” today considered to be one of the twelve master paintings of world history. Plato, it is said, wrote and rewrote the first sentence to the Republic nine times, and he did that virtually with every tine in that great work of literature.
Of course, is it not true, throughout history, great things, significant things have almost always required perseverance. This morning, Christ speaks to us as His people and tells us He wants us to learn perseverance and prayer. Do you want your prayers to have significance? Do you want them to have power? Do you want them to have impact? Learn perseverance in prayer.
You come to this little parable, and you see this story on perseverance. Jesus speaks of a certain city in which there was a judge. Jesus tells us that judge was not righteous. He had neither fear or God nor regard for man. In the same city there was a widow. This widow kept, Jesus said “kept coming” to the judge with her prayer, kept coming to this judge with her need and with her appeal. She came again and again. For a while he refused her but then he decided that even though he was unjust, he would answer her prayer. He would answer her appeal because she troubled him by coming again and again, and he did not want her to wear him out by her continual coming.
Jesus said, “How much more with a righteous judge, how much more with God vindicate His elect? How much more will He answer His elect who cry out to Him day and night?” He wants us to persevere. This teaching is not unique to this parable. You can go to the Sermon on the Mount, and you see how Jesus said, “Ask and you will receive. Seek and you will find. Knock and it shall be open to you.”
Now, in the Greek language, the tense of the verbs is present imperative. That means “Keep on asking and you will receive. Keep on seeking and you will find. Keep on knocking and it will be open to you.” Perseverance and prayer.
In Luke, chapter 11, there is a little parable “A Friend at Midnight.” We are going to get to that parable a little bit down the road. It deals with many themes but one of its themes is also perseverance in prayer. You see, God wants us to learn perseverance in prayer and God wants to ask you this morning, “Are you persevering in your prayer life?”
In the year 354 AD, a man was born in the woods. He was born in the woods near a little town in northern Africa not far from the Mediterranean Sea. This man’s father was an unbeliever, but his mother was devout. She loved Jesus Christ, and her name was Monica. Now, Monica prayed for her newborn son. She prayed all the days of her. life for her son. She bathed her son’s life in prayer, but Monica’s son grew up to be like his father, an unbeliever and rebellious. He sought wealth and power and pleasure. He was promiscuous. He fathered at least one child out of wedlock, but Monica continued to pray. Her son was brilliant. He was educated at the finest schools. He became a Professor of Rhetoric and Oratory at Carthage which was one of the great cities of northern Africa, but still an unbeliever. And still Monica prayed, his mother prayed.
The opportunity came for Monica’s son to become a Professor of Rhetoric and Oratory in Rome. He took that opportunity even though Monica told him not to go. He went. She said, “Well, I’ll go with you. I will live there too.” But while she was praying in the chapel, he slipped away. He went to Rome, and he taught rhetoric and oratory. He was great. Then after a time, he moved to Milan. Monica came and she lived there too. She prayed for her son. He moved to Milan because Monica’s son was offered the Professorship of Rhetoric and Oratory there in Milan. Milan was the throne of the Roman Emperor at that time, and it was Monica’s son who delivered the address at the coronation of the Roman Emperor, so great he was, but not a Christian, stiff an unbeliever. Monica continued to pray.
One day Monica convinced her son to go with her to the Milan Cathedral to hear Ambrose, one of the great leaders of the Christian world. When Monica’s son listened to Ambrose, his message appealed to his mind, but it did not grab his heart, and he continued in unbelief. He refused to accept Christ as his Lord and Savior. Monica went to Ambrose and said, “What do I do?” She told Ambrose her story and how she had prayed for her son all these years. Ambrose rooked at her and said, “It is not possible for a child so bathed in prayer to be ultimately lost. Keep on praying. And she did.
One day it happened. Monica’s son was having lunch with a friend in a garden. Children were nearby and they were singing a little song called “Take up and Read.” Monica’s son heard that song. He looked over and he saw a book not far from him. it was a Bible. He picked it up and turned to Romans, chapter 13. He began to read and that is when it happened. Monica’s prayers were answered. The power of the Holy Spirit fell upon her son. He began to weep. He began to cry. He gave his heart to Jesus. Monica’s son was baptized on Easter eve in the year 387 in the Milan Cathedral by Ambrose with Monica looking on. She died one year later but not before she had seen her prayers answered.
Her son became St. Augustine. Her son became St. Augustine. His name is pronounced both ways. St. Augustine was the greatest leader of the Christian world in his day, one of the great leaders of Christian history. St. Augustine’s book, “The City of God” shaped Christian theology. St. Augustine’s book, “Confessions” helped the whole Christian world understand the grace of God. The writings of Augustine so impacted Martin Luther and John Calvin that they literally read to the Protestant Reformation. All because of a mother’s prayers, a mother’s persevering prayers, persevering prayers.
I thank God today that I have a morn who perseveres in prayer. She is almost 86 years old, and she still perseveres in prayer. I know my brother Greg and my brother Gary feel the same way. We thank God that Mom has persevered in prayer. We know that part of the reason that we believe in Christ and love Christ and want to serve Christ is a mother’s prayers.
Barb and I, we have tried to bathe our children in prayer from the moment of their birth. We have sought to persevere in prayer, and we continue. We have seen those prayers answered and we are grateful. Barb and I, every night, we have a prayer time together. It does not matter where we are, whether we are in Denver or some other part of the world. I mean that is the neat thing. God is everywhere. We pray every night. We have a number of people we pray for. Some of you we pray for. We pray every night, and we seek to persevere. Some of you we have prayed for more than two years because the prayers have not been completely answered yet and we’re persevering. And, you see, that is what God wants us all to do. He wants us to persevere. He wants us to persevere in prayer.
Thank God… I was reminded between services that four women in this church have persevered in prayer for the church. They have met for 16 years every Wednesday to pray for this church. Faye Wolff, Vonnie Hill, Jean Marie Smith, and Betty Dare. Sixteen years. Do you know how powerful that is? Just maybe, surely, some of the blessing of Christ upon this church is because of those persevering prayers. You see, that is what Christ wants from you, perseverance in prayers.
There is a second teaching in this little parable. The second teaching concerns vindication. This is a very difficult subject with regard to prayer. Jesus Christ not only wants us to persevere in prayers, and not only wants our prayers to be characterized by perseverance, but He wants us to learn to pray prayers of vindication. Vindication.
Now, you look at this little parable and Jesus tells us how the widow kept coming to the unjust judge. She kept saying, “Vindicate me from my adversary. Vindicate me from my adversary.” Jesus said, “How much more will God vindicate His elect who cry out to him day and night? How much more with God vindicate them? Will he delay long over them? I tell you; He will vindicate them speedily.” Prayers of vindication. This is difficult for us, I think, to understand. What does it mean to pray prayers of vindication with regard to our adversaries?
Perhaps all of you, have heard of the religion called Voodoo. Voodoo is a combination of African tribal animism and certain elements of Christianity. The religion of Voodoo began on the island of Haiti, and it spread to other parts of the world. It is a deeply superstitious religion. Those who believe in Voodoo believe that a person’s soul and a person’s shadow are somehow joined, so high noon is a dangerous time when you have no shadow, and you may lose your soul.
The word voodoo comes from a West African word, vodun, which means spirit. That’s what those who subscribe to the religion of Voodoo are preoccupied with spirits. They think the entire world is just riddled with demons. Through their religion, through Voodoo, they seek to control the demons. They seek to control the spirits for the betterment of themselves and for the demise of their enemies. They seek to control demonic spirits in order to bless themselves and in order to curse their enemies. You know that many of those who practice Voodoo will get a doll that represents their adversary, that represents their enemy. They will stick pins in that doll. They will put the doll under water. They will light the doll on fire, trying to unleash demonic energy upon their enemy, their adversary, seeking the demise and destruction of their adversary. It is a religion of vindication.
Is Christianity like that? Certainly not and that is why this is so difficult to understand. What did Jesus say to us in the Sermon on the Mount? He said, “If someone slaps you on the cheek, offer him the other.” He said, “Love those who hate you.” Jesus said, “Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who abuse you.” You see, Christ does not want us to seek the demise or destruction of our enemies. He wants us to befriend our enemies. He wants us to pray for our enemies because God roves every person and God is not willing or wishing that any should perish but all should reach repentance. But, you see, we do have an adversary. We do have an adversary and we are to seek vindication from this adversary. We are to seek the demise of this adversary. I think you know already this adversary is the one the Bible calls the devil. He is our adversary.
In this tittle parable, when the widow says, “Vindicate me from my adversary, the Greek word for adversary is “antidikos.” Antidikos is exactly the same Greek word used in 1 Peter, chapter 5, where the Apostle Peter writes, “Behold your adversary… antidikos … your adversary, the devil, powers around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him firm in the faith, knowing that this same experience of suffering is required of your brothers and sisters around the world. When you have suffered for a little white, the God of all grace who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ Jesus will Himself restore, establish and strengthen you.” But the devil is the adversary. He is the adversary.
In the Bible, one of the names given to the devil is Satan and that is from the Hebrew. That’s from the Aramaic word “satanas,” which means “adversary.” We need to learn to pray for vindication with regard to our adversary, the devil. He hates you. He hates all people. He hates rife. He seeks your destruction and mine. If you are a Christian, I promise you he has come against you already. Know it or not. If you are not a Christian, he desperately seeks to keep you from the faith. Christian or non-Christian, he is your adversary. He is THE adversary.
Satan comes against the church. He hates the ministry of the church worldwide. He comes against the church at all times and in all places. I have no doubt that he has at times come against this church. We are building a ministry center to the south. Of course, you are a part of that, and you see it every time you come here. Perhaps you are thinking, “Well, you know, the ministry center is just going up great.” I want you to know we have really had a hard time.
I was talking with Dutch Franz this past week. Dutch was just reminding me of all the hassles we have had, and we continue to have with regard to building the ministry center. I mean multiple Douglas County permitting requirements delayed the issuing of our building permit so that the start of construction was delayed by eight weeks. Then spring rains were sufficient to delay work on the foundation for three weeks. Then there was a broken kiln at the brick manufacturing plant. That delayed delivery of our brick for another two weeks. Then we had fall rains and that delayed the construction of our south parking lots for an aggregate three weeks.
These are just a few of the problems we have had. We really do not have the money to complete the building. Some of you I have talked to think we have the money to complete the building. We are not even going to be able to finish the top floor, and we do not have sufficient funds to complete the bottom floor. We need to be faithful in our capital stewardship campaign. As we come to the end of this year, we need to pray about making a special gift to the building campaign and to the general operating budget.
You are thinking, “Isn’t all this normal? Isn’t frustration normal? Isn’t it really just called ‘life’?” I think it is called life. Life is sometimes frustrating but understand, one of the reasons that life is frustrating is because of the adversary. I promise you he does not want that building to go up. Why is that? It is because, in that building, we are going to minister to children. In that building, we are going to minister to youth. We are going to seek to give life and Satan hates that. ‘We’re going to seek to help children love Jesus and serve Jesus and Satan hates that.
You know, the Barna Research institute tells us that 63% of people who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior do so before the age of eighteen. Did you know that? Sixty-three percent of the people in this world who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior do so before the age of eighteen when their hearts are open and there hasn’t come a hardening of the heart. That is why Jesus said to adults, “If anyone would enter the kingdom of heaven, they must humble themselves as little children.”
We have minister to 2,000 children in our Sunday school, more than a thousand each Sunday. We have almost a thousand children a day that we minister to in our ECLC and in our elementary school and middle school. What an opportunity and how Satan hates it. I promise you he does not want that building built. He does not want us to serve kids. He does not want us to serve your kids. He does not want us to serve kids and children of those who may come in future years.
The Bible tells us that “Since, therefore, the children share in flesh and blood, Jesus also partook of the same nature, that by His death He might destroy him who has the power of death, that is the devil.” You see, the Bible tells us the devil has the power of death. What does that mean? The Greek word “thanatos.” Sometimes it refers to physical death, and there is no question Satan would love to destroy each of us physically. But many times, and most times in the Bible, the word thanatos refers to spiritual death, the death of the sour, the separation of the soul from God. He has the power of death. The primary emphasis is spiritual death. He seeks the spiritual death of everyone.
You know, as Christians, we have been told to love sinners and to hate sin. Hate sin, love the sinner. That is biblical. I hope you understand, Satan loves sin, and he hates sinners. He hates sinners, not because they are sinners, but because they are people. He hates people. He wants to bring all people to ruin and destruction. If you are not a Christian, he does not want you to become a Christian. If you are a Christian, he wants to diminish your life. He wants to move you towards some measure of spiritual death. He tempts in order that we might sin. He afflicts in order that we might lose faith. We desperately need to be women and men of prayer.
This is the call of Christ this morning upon us, that we would be men and women of prayer. It is Satan who would destroy the faith. That is why, at the conclusion of this little parable, Jesus says, “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” Even though the Father is wining to vindicate His people, will people be willing to pray? Will people be willing to pray, and will they be willing to pray with perseverance and are they willing to pray for vindication against their adversary?
I hope that you pray every day for vindication with regard to your adversary, the devil, that God would bind him, that Christ would bind him from your life, from the lives of those you love and from the life of this church. Jesus Christ has all power in heaven and on earth. Satan has no power over Him, and the devil fears Him. When we come to Christ and we pray for the protection of Christ, if we do this with perseverance, He will vindicate us in our lives individually and in our life corporately as a church, so let us be faithful in prayer. Let us conclude with a word of prayer.