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“He told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 8:).

In the Name of Jesus. Amen.

Got that? Always pray… but what does this mean?

Well, as you know, parables can be tricky because there are so many nuances, so many angles—

so many ways to get them WRONG!

Case in point: Today we hear the tale of a woman who relentlessly pesters the judge until she gets what she wants. Punchline?

Pray hard enough, pray often enough –

be like this woman and “Take it to the Lord in prayer,” and you, too, will get what you want… right?

Wrong! In fact, even the historical account of Jacob wrestling with God until he finally gets what he wants could be misunderstood as a lesson in perseverance:

Be like Jacob, keep up the struggle, and you, too, will prevail.

But guess what? The Scriptures are not about you and what you must do to receive God’s blessings.

They are about what your gracious, ever-loving God is continually doing for you!

Which means today, like every Lord’s Day, is about what God is doing for you in Christ by His Holy Spirit.

Today, all three persons of the Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are working toward one purpose, and that is to save you, to love you,

and to gather you back into that everlasting communion with Them for which you were created.

So before we get lost in some dead-end alley trying to track down the meaning of today’s parable,

let’s make sure we start off on the right track – that we’re focusing on the right thing –

that we are, in fact, seeking Christ in the Scriptures, and not our own works, merits, or strengths.

For as Jesus has makes clear, the Scriptures really do testify about HIM.

They really are about God in Christ coming for you with His vindication and deliverance–

God “doing the verbs” – God “doing the doing” when it comes to your blessing, justice, and salvation.

And really, that should not surprise us, right? I mean,

God always goes first.

Creation itself begins with God.

And not only does He create and sustain all things from nothing,

but even after our fall into sin, HE reveals HIS salvation by giving us HIS promise of a Savior.

It is God who clothes those first sinners in bloody garments to cover their shame and nakedness.

It is God who remains faithful to His promise, revealing His faithfulness in many and various ways,

coming to His people again and again with His Word, His rescue, His promise that in the end,

He will restore all of us to that Paradise lost.

In fact, most of the OT is the history of God taking the initiative – “God going first” –

God coming to His people by grace, calling them out of the darkness of slavery and avenging them –

destroying their enemies and giving them the victory,

gathering them into His glorious, saving presence,

and ultimately delivering them to the Land of Promise where He would be their God and they would be His treasured people.

All of this, of course, is a picture that points to God’s promise of a Savior for ALL people in ALL times and ALL places –

a Savior fulfilled in Christ – a Savior who rescues us out of the darkness of sin and death and gathers us into His presence to commune with Him.

He locates Himself among US in His Glory and guides us every step of the way until we, too, arrive at the Land of Promise –

the heavenly realm where Christ, who has vindicated us and avenged us on the cross will shepherd us and remain God with us at the feast that never ends.

And I guess the question is, what shall we render to the Lord for all His benefits to us?

What is it that God wants from us?

The answer is clear: He wants you to follow Him in the way that leads to eternal life.

He wants you to turn from your sin and death to receive the new life He purchased for you on the cross.

And as you make your pilgrimage through this fallen and dying wasteland where the devil tempts and taunts and tortures you every step of the way,

He says, “not to lose heart” (Luke 18:1), but always pray –

always “Call on the Name of the Lord,” which is another way of saying, “Come to Me, all who labor – take your place in worship,”

take your place in the assembly, in the courts of the Lord’s house where you take the Cup of Salvation and receive the vindication and justice He has promised. (Psa 51:10-12)

“Pray always, and do not lose heart…”

Jesus is telling a parable of grace and deliverance, not law and works – which is exactly the lesson we need to hear over and over.

For we cannot save ourselves –

we have no righteousness, no merit, no nothing – not even OUR faith, OUR devotion, OUR efforts at prayer by which we can save ourselves.

And once you’ve moved past the delusion of your own omnipotence –

once you’ve experienced your own helplessness in the face of pain –

once you’ve discovered your utter inability to escape loss, injustice, and even the certainty of your own death,

then you know what kind of trouble you are in.  

And whether it is your inability to find peace in your own marriage or family –

your inability to get over the pain and weakness of your own failing body –

the inability to change this crazy world and the incredible injustice that surrounds you,

it is easy to lose heart… 

So what can you do? Nothing!

There is nothing you can do to change this!

Like the cheated, bankrupted widow of the parable, you are utterly powerless.

Like Jacob running from his angry, vengeful brother, you’re a sitting duck.

There is NOTHING you can do.

And this is where the wheels can so easily come off and everything go off the rails when it comes to understanding today’s parable.

For it is tempting to conclude that if we pray hard enough and wrestle with God, then we can get Him to do what needs to be done, right?

No… For that is not what prayer is about.

Prayer is nothing but faith receiving what God has promised.

Prayer is the open hand, the open ear, even the open mouth into which God pours His gifts.

Prayer is what faith fearing, loving, and trusting in God for His promise in every circumstance of our life looks like.

And so, these stories about fearful Jacob and the hard-pressed woman wrestling and pestering God are not examples of what YOU must do to be saved.

Rather, they reveal the love of God who comes for you in your fear and helplessness and pours out HIS blessing, HIS justice, HIS victory for you.

The wrestling, the pleading, which is to say, the “praying” that we find taking place here is nothing other than “Faith taking hold of the Promise.”

In fact, if you’ll notice, God comes to Jacob, right?

Jacob merely grasps hold of God and demands His blessing, holding God to His Promise of a Savior who would come from His line –

His Promise of a nation that would come forth from his lineage –

His Promise of a land and a kingdom that would be a blessing for ALL nations – things that God had promised that could never happen if Jacob was wiped out.

Likewise, in our parable of the destitute widow, even the “unrighteous judge” was present to be called upon, right?

He had located himself in a place he could be found.

He was there at a specified time so the widow could plead her cause and receive what she was unable to obtain for herself.

She knew exactly when to call, where to call, and who to call,

because she knew that’s what the judge had been sworn to provide.

The judge was there to uphold justice, and she simply insisted he fulfill his oath, his promise.

So I guess the question is, where can YOU turn in every time of trouble?

From where does YOUR help come?

The answer is given in today’s Psalm: “Your help comes from the LORD who made heaven and earth;

the LORD who keeps you from all evil;

the LORD who neither slumbers nor sleeps…” and who has promised His justice and salvation for you.

When the terrors come and you suffer the accusations of the devil and the terrors of this fallen world and the failures of your dying flesh,

call on Him who has come for you here again today – right here, right now – and every Lord’s Day.

For here, at this altar, God pours out His justice for you –

not reluctantly, not by being worn down by your prayers, not even by your wrestling,

but by His grace and mercy.

For He is no “unjust judge” like the lout in our parable, but is in fact far greater.

He is your faithful and loving Judge who gives His justice speedily – now – It is finished!

And when you come and throw yourself before Him like that helpless woman;

when you grasp hold of Him in His Body and Blood and demand He keep His promise as Jacob did,

then you may be assured of His blessing:

Your sins ARE forgiven. You ARE justified. Your enemy IS vanquished.

            Go in peace – in the Name of Jesus

Preached by Pastor Holowach

Sermon Texts: Gen 32:22-30; Luke 8:1-8