The Importunate Widow
A sermon
(No. 856)
Delivered on Lord's-day Morning, FEBRUARY 21, 1869, by
C.H.SPURGEON,
At the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington
"And He spoke a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to
pray and not to faint, saying, There was in a city a judge which feared
not God, neither regarded man: and there was a widow in that city; and
she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of my adversary. And he would not
for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not
God, nor regard man; yet because this widow troubles me, I will avenge
her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear
what the unjust judge says. And shall not God avenge His own elect,
which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them? I tell
you that He will avenge them speedily."- Luke 18:1-8.
REMEMBER that our Lord did not only inculcate prayer with great
earnestness, but He was Himself a brilliant example of it. It always
gives force to a teacher's words when his hearers know that he carries
out his own instructions. Jesus was a mighty Prophet both in deed and
in word, and we read of Him, "Jesus began both to do and to teach." In
the exercise of prayer, "cold mountains and the midnight air" witnessed
that He was as great a Doer as a Teacher. When He exhorted His
disciples to continue in prayer and to "pray without ceasing," He only
bade them follow in His steps. If any one of all the members of the
mystical body might have been supposed to need no prayer, it would
certainly have been our Covenant Head, but if our Head abounded in
supplication, much more ought we, the inferior members!
He was never defiled with the sins which have debased and weakened us
spiritually. He had no inbred lusts to struggle with. But if the
perfectly pure drew near so often unto God, how much more incessant in
supplication ought we to be! So mighty, so great and yet so prayerful!
O you weak ones of the flock, how forcibly does the lesson come home to
you! Imagine, therefore, the discourse of this morning is not preached
to you by me, but comes fresh from the lips of One who was the great
master of secret prayer, the highest paragon and pattern of private
supplication–and let every word have the force about it as coming from
such a One.
We turn at once to our text and in it we shall notice, first, the end
and design of the parable. Secondly, we shall have some words to say
upon the two actors in it, whose characters are intentionally so
described as to give force to the reasoning. And then, thirdly, we
shall dwell upon the power which in the parable is represented as
triumphant.
I. First, then, consider our LORD'S DESIGN IN THIS PARABLE–"Men ought
always to pray and not to faint." But can men pray always? There was a
sect in the earlier days of Christianity who were foolish enough to
read the passage literally and to attempt praying without ceasing by
continual repetition of prayers. They, of course, separated themselves
from all worldly concerns–and in order to fulfill one duty of life
neglected every other! Such madmen might well expect to reap the due
reward of their follies.
Happily there is no need in this age for us to duplicate such an error!
There is far more necessity to cry out against those who, under the
pretense of praying always, have no settled time for prayer at all and
so run to the opposite extreme. Our Lord meant, by saying men ought
always to pray, that they ought to be always in the spirit of
prayer–always ready to pray. Like the old knights, always in
warfare–not always on their steeds dashing forward with their lances
in position to unhorse an adversary–but always wearing their weapons
where they could readily reach them and always ready to encounter
wounds or death for the sake of the cause which they championed. Those
grim warriors often slept in their armor. So even when we sleep, we are
still to be in the spirit of prayer, so that if perhaps we wake in the
night we may still be with God.
Our soul, having received the Divine influence which makes it seek its
heavenly center, should be evermore naturally rising towards God
Himself. Our heart is to be like those beacons and watchtowers which
were prepared along the coast of England when the invasion of the
Armada was hourly expected, not always blazing, but with the wood
always dry and
the match always there–the whole pile being ready to blaze up at the
appointed moment. Our souls should be in such a condition that
ejaculatory prayer should be very frequent with us. No need to pause in
business and leave the counter and fall down upon our knees–the spirit
should send up its silent, short, swift petitions to the Throne of
Grace.
When Nehemiah would ask a favor of the king, you will remember that he
found an opportunity to do so through the king's asking him, "Why are
you sad?" But before he gave him an answer he says, "I prayed unto the
King of Heaven." Instinctively perceiving the occasion, he did not leap
forward to embrace it, but he halted just a moment to ask that he might
be enabled to embrace it wisely and fulfill his great design in it. So
you and I should often feel, "I cannot do this till I have asked a
blessing on it." However impulsively I may spring forward to gain an
advantage, yet my spirit, under the influence of Divine Grace, should
hesitate until it has said, "If Your Spirit goes not with me, carry me
not up."
A Christian should carry the weapon of all-prayer like a drawn sword in
his hand. We should never sheathe our supplications. Never may our
hearts be like an unloaded gun, with everything to be done to it before
it can thunder on the foe! But it should be like a primed cannon,
loaded and ready, only requiring the fire that it may be discharged.
The soul should be not always in the exercise of prayer, but always in
the energy of prayer. Not always actually praying, but always
intentionally praying. Further, when our Lord says men ought always to
pray, He may also have meant that the whole life of the Christian
should be a life of devotion to God–
"Prayer and praise, with sins forgiven, Bring down to earth the bliss
of Heaven." To praise God for mercies received both with our voices and
with our actions, and then to pray to God for the mercies that we need,
devoutly acknowledging that they come from Him–these two exercises in
one form or other should make up the sum total of human life.
Our life psalm should be composed of alternating verses of praying and
of praising until we get into the next world, where the prayer may
cease and praise may swallow up the whole of our immortality. "But,"
says one, "we have our daily business to attend to." I know you have,
but there is a way of making business a part of praise and prayer. You
say, "Give us this day our daily bread," and that is a prayer as you
utter it. You go off to your work and as you toil, if you do so in a
devout spirit, you are actively praying the same prayer by your lawful
labor. You praise God for the mercies received in your morning hymn.
And when you go into the duties of life and there exhibit those Graces
which reflect honor upon God's name, you are continuing your praises in
the best manner.
Remember that with Christians to labor is to pray, and that there is
much truth in the verse of Coleridge–
"He prays best who loves best."
To desire my fellow creatures' good and to seek after it. To desire
God's Glory and so to live as to promote it is the truest of devotion.
The devotion of the cloisters is by no means equal to that of the man
who is engaged in the battle of life. The devotion of the nunnery and
the monastery is at best the heroism of a soldier who shuns the
battle–but the devotion of the man in business life who turns all to
the Glory of God, is the courage of one who seeks the thickest of the
fray and there bears aloft the grand old standard of Jehovah-Nissi! You
need not be afraid that there is anything in any lawful calling that
need make you desist from vital prayer!
But, oh, if your calling is such that you cannot pray in it–you had
better leave it! If it is a sinful calling, an unholy calling, of
course, you cannot present that to God! But any of the ordinary
avocations of life are such that if you cannot sanctify them, it is a
lack of sanctity in yourself and the fault lies with you. Men ought
always to pray. It means that when they are using the lap stone, or the
chisel. When the hands are on the plow handles, or on the spade. When
they are measuring out the goods. When they are dealing in
stocks–whatever they are doing–they are to turn all these things into
a part of the sacred pursuit of God's Glory. Their common garments are
to be vestments. Their meals are to be sacraments. Their ordinary
actions are to be sacrifices and they themselves a royal priesthood, a
peculiar people zealous for good works.
A third meaning which I think our Lord intended to convey to us was
this–men ought always to pray–that is, they should persevere in
prayer. This is probably His first meaning. When we ask God for a mercy
once, we are not to consider that now we are not further to trouble Him
with it, but we are to come to Him again and again. If we have asked of
Him seven times, we ought to continue until 70 times seven. In temporal
mercies there may be a limit and the Holy Spirit may bid us ask no
more. Then must we say, "the Lord's will be done." If it is anything
for our own personal
advantage, we must let the Spirit of submission rule us, so that after
having sought the Lord thrice, we shall be content with the promise,
"My Grace is sufficient for you," and no longer ask that the thorn in
the flesh should be removed.
But in spiritual mercies and especially in the united prayers of a
Church, there is no taking a no for an answer! Here, if we would
prevail, we must persist! We must continue incessantly and constantly
and know no pause to our prayer till we win the mercy to the fullest
possible extent. "Men ought always to pray." Week by week, month by
month, year by year–the conversion of that dear child is to be the
father's main plea. The bringing in of that unconverted husband is to
lie upon the wife's heart night and day till she gets it! She is not to
take even 10 or 20 years of unsuccessful prayer as a reason why she
should cease–she is to set God no times nor seasons–but so long as
there is life in her and life in the dear object of her solicitude, she
is to continue, still, to plead with the mighty God of Jacob.
The pastor is not to seek a blessing on his people occasionally and
then in receiving a measure of it to desist from further
intercession–he is to continue vehemently without pause, without
restraining his energies–to cry aloud and spare not till the windows
of Heaven are opened and a blessing is given too large for him to
house! But, Brethren, how many times we ask of God and have not because
we do not wait long enough at the door? We knock a time or two at the
gate of Mercy and as no friendly messenger opens the door, we go our
ways. Too many prayers are like boys' runaway knocks–given and then
the giver is away before the door can be opened. O for Divine Grace to
stand foot to foot with the Angel of God–and never, never, never relax
our hold–feeling that the cause we plead is one in which we must be
successful, for souls depend on it, the Glory of God is connected with
it, the state of our fellow men is in jeopardy!
If we have given up in prayer our own lives and the lives of those
dearest to us, yet the souls of men we cannot give up! We must urge and
plead again and again until we obtain the answer–
"The humble suppliant cannot fail
To have his needs supplied, Since He for sinners intercedes Who once
for sinners died."
I cannot leave this part of the subject without observing that our Lord
would have us learn that men should be more frequent in prayer. Not
only should they always have the spirit of prayer and make their whole
lives a prayer and persevere in any one object which is dear to their
souls, but there should be a greater frequency of prayer among all the
saints. I gather that from the parable, "lest by her continual coming
she weary me."
Prayerfulness will scarcely be kept up long unless you set apart times
and seasons for prayer. There are no times laid down in Scripture
except by the example of holy men, for the Lord trusts much to the love
of His people and to the spontaneous motions of the inner life. He does
not say, "Pray at seven o'clock in the morning every day," or "pray at
night at eight, or nine, or 10, or eleven." He says, "Pray without
ceasing." Yet every Christian will find it exceedingly useful to have
his regular times for retirement, and I doubt whether any eminent piety
can be maintained without these seasons being very carefully and
scrupulously observed.
We read in the old traditions of James the Apostle, that he prayed so
much that his knees grew hard through his long kneeling. And it is
recorded by Fox, that Latimer, during the time of his imprisonment, was
so much upon his knees that frequently the poor old man could not rise
to his meals and had to be lifted up by his servants. When he could no
longer preach and was confined within stone walls, his prayers went up
to Heaven for his country, and we in these times are receiving the
blessing! Daniel prayed with his windows open daily and at regular
intervals. "Seven times a day," says one, "will I praise You." David
declared that at, "evening and morning, and at noon," would he wait
upon God. O that our intervals of prayer were not so distant, one from
the other! Pray that God will grant us Grace that on the pilgrimage of
life the wells at which we drink are more frequent!
Our Lord means, to sum up the whole, that Believers should exercise a
universality of supplication–we ought to pray at all times. There are
no canonical hours in the Christian's day or week. We should pray from
cockcrowing to midnight, at such times as the Spirit moves us. We
should pray in all circumstances–in our poverty and in our wealth, in
our health and in our sickness, in the bright days of festival and in
the dark nights of lamentation. We should pray at the birth and pray at
the funeral. We should pray when our soul is glad within us by reason
of abundant mercy and we should pray when our soul draws near unto the
gates of death by reason of heaviness. We should pray in all
transactions, whether secular or religious. Prayer should sanctify
everything.
The Word of God and prayer should come in over and above the common
things of daily life. Pray over a bargain. Pray over going into the
shop and coming out again. Remember in the days of Joshua how the
Gibeonites deceived Israel because Israel enquired not of the Lord. Be
you not deceived by a specious temptation, as you may well be if you do
not daily come to the Lord and say, "Guide me! Make straight a plain
path for my feet and lead me in the way everlasting." You shall never
err by praying too much! You shall never make a mistake by asking God's
guidance too often! But you shall find this to be the gracious
illumination of your eyes, if in the turning of the road where two
paths meet which seem to be equally right, you shall stay a moment and
cry unto God, "Guide me, O great Jehovah." "Men ought always to pray."
I have enlarged upon it from this pulpit–go and expound it in your
daily lives.
II. In enforcing this precept, our Lord gives us a parable in which
there are TWO ACTORS, the characteristics of the two actors being such
as to add strength to His precept. In the first verse of the parable
there is a judge. Now, here is the great advantage to us in prayer.
Brethren, if this poor woman prevailed with a judge whose office is
stern, unbending, untender, how much more ought you and I to be instant
in prayer and hopeful of success when we have to supplicate a Father!
Far other is a father than a judge. The judge must necessarily be
impartial, stern–but the father is necessarily partial to his child,
compassionate and tender to his own offspring. Does she prevail over a
judge, and shall not we prevail with our Father who is in Heaven? And
does she continue in her desperate need to weary him until she wins
what she desires– and shall not we continue in the agony of our
desires until we get from our heavenly Father whatever His Word has
promised? In addition to being a judge, he was devoid of all good
character. In both branches he failed. He "feared not God." Conscience
was seared in him–he had no thoughts of the great Judgment Seat before
which judges must appear.
Though possibly he had taken an oath before God to judge impartially,
yet he forgot his oath and trod justice under his feet. "Neither did he
regard man." The approbation of his fellow creatures, which is very
often a power, even with naturally bad men either to restrain them from
overt evil, or else to constrain them to righteousness–this principle
had no effect upon him. Now, if the widow prevailed over such a wretch
as this! If the iron of her importunity broke the iron and steel of
this man's stubbornness, how much more may we expect to be successful
with Him who is righteous and just and good–the Friend of the needy,
the Father of the fatherless, and the Avenger of all such as are
oppressed?!
O let the Character of God, as it rises before you in all its majesty
of truthfulness and faithfulness, blended with loving kindness and
tenderness and mercy, excite in you an indefatigable ardor of
supplication, making you resolve with this poor woman that you will
never cease to supplicate until you win your case! The judge was a man
so unutterably bad that he even confessed his badness to himself, with
great contentment, too. Without the slightest tinge of remorse, he said
within himself, "Though I fear not God, neither regard man." There are
few sinners who will go to this length. They may neither fear God nor
regard men, yet still they will indulge in their minds some semblance
of that which is virtuous and cheat themselves into the belief that, at
least, they are not worse than others.
But with this man there was no self-deception. He was as cool about
this avowal as the Pharisee was concerning the opposite, "God, I thank
You that I am not as other men are." To what a brazen impertinence must
this man have come! To what an extent must he have hardened his mind,
that knowing himself to be such, he yet climbed the judgment seat and
sat there to judge his fellow men! Yet the woman prevailed with this
monster in human form who had come to take pleasure in his own
wickedness and gloated in the badness of his own heart! Over this man
importunity prevailed–how much more over Him who spared not His own
Son, but freely delivered Him up for us all? How much more over Him
whose name is Love, whose Nature is everything that is attractive and
encouraging to such as seek His face? As we look at him, the more evil
this judge appears, and he could scarcely have been painted in blacker
colors, the more does the voice of the Savior seem to say to us, "Men
ought always to pray and not to faint."
Note with regard to the character of this judge that he was one who
consciously cared for nothing but his own ease. When at last he
consented to do justice, the only motive which moved him was, "lest by
her continual coming she weary me. "She stun me," might be the Greek
word–a kind of slang, I suppose, of that period, meaning lest "she
batter me," "she bruise me," and as some translate it, "blacken my face
with her incessant constant battering." That was the kind of language
he used–a short quick sentence of indignation at being bothered, as we
should say, by such a case as this! The only thing that moved him was a
desire to be at ease and to take things comfortably.
O Brothers and Sisters, if she could prevail over such a one, how much
more shall we speed with God whose delight it is to take care of His
children? Who loves them even as the apple of His eye! This judge was
practically unkind and cruel to her, yet the widow continued. For
awhile he would not listen to her–though her household, her life, her
children's comfort–were all hanging upon his will. He left her by a
passive injustice to suffer. But our God has been practically kind and
gracious to us–up to this moment He has heard us and granted our
requests. Set this against the character of the judge, and surely every
loving heart that knows the power of prayer will be moved to incessant
importunity!
We must, however, pass on, now, to notice the other actor in the
scene–the widow, and here everything tells again the same way–to
induce the Church of God to be importunate. She was apparently a
perfect stranger to the judge. She appeared before him as an individual
in whom he took no interest. He had possibly never seen her before. Who
she was and what she wanted was no concern to him. But when the Church
appears before God she comes as Christ's own bride. She appears before
the Father as one whom He has loved with an everlasting love. And shall
He not avenge His own elect, His own chosen, His own people? Shall not
their prayers prevail with Him, when a stranger's importunity won a
suit of an unwilling judge?
The widow appeared at the judgment seat without a friend. According to
the parable, she had no advocate, no powerful pleader to stand up in
the court and say, "I am the patron of this humble woman." If she
prevailed, she must prevail by her own ardor and her own intensity of
purpose. But when you and I come before our Father, we come not alone,
for–
"He is at the Father's side, The Man of love, the Crucified."
We have a Friend who ever lives to make intercession for us! O
Christian, urge your suit with holy boldness! Press your case, for the
blood of Jesus speaks with a voice that must be heard! Be not,
therefore, faint in your spirit, but continue instant in your
supplication. This poor woman came without a promise to encourage her,
no, with the reverse–with much to discourage! But when you and I come
before God, we are commanded to pray by God Himself, and we are
promised that if we ask it shall be given us, if we seek we shall find!
Does she win without the sacred weapon of the promise and shall not we
win who can set the battering rams of God's own Word against the gates
of Heaven–a battering ram that shall make every timber in those gates
quiver? O Brethren, we must not pause nor cease a moment while we have
God's promise to back our plea! The widow, in addition to having no
promise whatever, was even without the right of constant access. She
had, I suppose, a right to clamor to be heard at ordinary times when
judgment was administered, but what right had she to dog the judge's
footsteps–to waylay him in the streets, to hammer at his private
door–to be heard calling at nightfall, so that he, sleeping at the top
of his house, was awakened by her cries?
She had no permission so to importune, but we may come to God at all
times and all seasons! We may cry day and night unto Him, for He has
bid us pray without ceasing! What? Without a permit is this woman so
incessant? And with the sacred permissions which God has given us and
the encouragement of abounding loving kindness, shall we cease to
plead? She, poor soul, every time she prayed, provoked the judge! Lines
of anger were on his face. I doubt not he foamed at the mouth to think
he should be wearied by a person so insignificant! But with Jesus,
every time we plead we please Him rather than provoke Him! The prayers
of the saints are the music of God's ears–
"To Him there's music in a groan, And beauty in a tear."
We, speaking after the manner of men, bring a gratification to God when
we intercede with Him. He is vexed with us if we restrain our
supplications. He is pleased with us when we draw near constantly. Oh,
then, as you see the smile upon the Father's face, children of His
love, I beseech you faint not, but continue, still, without ceasing to
entreat the blessing!
Once more, this woman had a suit in which the judge could not be
himself personally interested. But ours is a case in which the God we
plead with is more interested than we are! For when a Church asks for
the conversion of souls, she may justly say, "Arise, O God, plead Your
own cause." It is for the honor of Christ that souls should be
converted! It brings Glory to the mercy and power of God when great
sinners are turned from the error of their ways! Consequently we are
pleading for the Judge with the Judge–for God we are pleading with
God! Our prayer is virtually for Christ as through Christ, that His
kingdom may come and His will may be done.
I must not forget to mention that in this woman's case she was only
one. She prevailed though she was only one! And shall not God avenge
His own elect, who are not one, but tens of thousands? If there is a
promise that if two or three are agreed it shall be done, how much more
if in any Church hundreds meet together with unanimous souls anxiously
desiring that God would fulfill His promise? These pleas cast chains
around the Throne of God! How they, as it were, hem in Omnipotence! How
they constrain the Almighty to arise out of His place and come in
answer to His people, and do the great deed which shall bless His
Church and glorify Himself!
You see, then, whether we consider the judge, or consider the widow,
each character has points about it which tend to make us see our duty
and our privilege to pray without ceasing.
III. The third and last point–THE POWER WHICH, ACCORDING TO THIS
PARABLE, TRIUMPHED. This power was not the woman's eloquence, "I pray
you avenge me of my adversary." These words are very few. They have the
merit of being very expressive, but he that would study oratory will
not gather many lessons from them. "I pray you avenge me of my
adversary."
Just eight words. You observe there is no plea, there is nothing about
her widowhood, nothing urged about her children, nothing said about the
wickedness of her adversary, nothing concerning the judgment of God
upon unjust judges, nor about the wrath of God upon unjust men who
devour widows' houses–nothing of the kind. "I pray you avenge me of my
adversary." Her success, therefore, did not depend upon her power in
rhetoric, and we learn from this that the prevalence of a soul or of a
Church with God does not rest upon the elocution of its words, or upon
the eloquence of its language!
The prayer which mounts to Heaven may have but very few of the tail
feathers of adornment about it, but it must have the strong wing
feathers of intense desire! It must not be as the peacock, gorgeous for
beauty, but it must be as the eagle, for soaring aloft, if it would
ascend up to the seventh heavens. As a rule, when you pray in public,
the shorter the better. Words are cumbersome to prayer. It often
happens that an abundance of words reveals a scarcity of desires.
Verbiage is generally nothing better in prayer than a miserable fig
leaf with which to cover the nakedness of an unawakened soul.
Another thing is quite certain, namely, that the woman did not prevail
through the merits of her case. It may have been a very good
case–there is nothing said about that. I do not doubt the rightness of
it, but still, the judge did not know nor care whether it was right or
wrong. All he cared about was that this woman troubled him. He does not
say, "She has a good case and I ought to listen to it." No, he was too
bad a man to be moved by such a motive–but, "she worries me"–that is
all. "I will attend to it." So in our suit–in the suit of a sinner
with God, it is not the merit of his case that can ever prevail with
God. You have no merit! If you are to win, Another's merit must stand
instead of yours and on your part it must not be merit but misery. It
must not be your righteousness but your importunity that is to prevail
with
God!
How this ought to encourage those of you who are laboring under a sense
of unworthiness! However unworthy you may be, continue in prayer. Black
may be the hand, but if it can but lift the knocker, the gate will
open! Yes, though you have a palsy in that hand. Though, in addition to
that palsy, you are leprous and the white leprosy is on your forehead,
yet if you can but tremblingly lift up that knocker and let it fall by
its own weight upon that sacred promise, you shall surely get an
audience with the King of kings! It is NOT eloquence! It is NOT merit
that wins with God–it is nothing
but IMPORUNITY!
Note with regard to this woman, that the judge said first she troubled
him. Next he said, she came continually and then he added his fear,
"lest she weary me." I think the case was somewhat after this fashion.
The judge was sitting one morning on his bench and many were the
persons coming before him asking for justice–which he was dealing out
with the impartiality of a villain–giving always his best word to him
who brought the heaviest bribes. When presently a poor woman uttered
her complaint. She had tried to be heard several times, but her voice
had been drowned by others. But this time it was more shrill and sharp
and she caught the judge's eye. "My lord, avenge me of my adversary!"
He no sooner sees from her poverty-stricken dress that there are no
bribes to be had, than he replies, "Hold your tongue! I have other
business to attend to." He goes on with another suit in which the fees
were more attractive. Still he hears the cry again, "My lord, I am a
widow, avenge me of my adversary." Vexed with the renewed disturbance,
he bade the usher put her out because she interrupted the silence of
the court and stopped the public business. "Take care she does
not get in again tomorrow," he says, "she is a troublesome woman." Long
before the morrow had come, he found out the truth of his opinion.
She waited till he left the court, dogged his footsteps and followed
him through the streets, until he was glad to get through his door, and
bade the servants fasten it lest that noisy widow should come in, for
she had constantly assailed him with the cry, "Avenge me of my
adversary." He is now safely within doors and bids the servants bring
in his meal. They are pouring water on his hands and feet. His Lordship
is about to enjoy his repast, when a heavy knock is heard at the door,
followed by a clamor, pushing and a scuffle. "What is it?" he asks. "It
is a woman outside, a widow woman, who wants your Lordship to see
justice done her." "Tell her I cannot attend to her, she must be gone."
He seeks his rest at nightfall on the housetop, when he hears a heavy
knock at the door and a voice comes up from the street beneath his
residence, "My lord, avenge me of my adversary." The next morning his
court is open, and, though she is forbidden to enter, like a dog that
will enter somehow, she finds her way in and she interrupts the court
continually with her plea, "My lord, avenge me of my adversary." Ask
her why she is thus importunate and she will tell you her husband is
dead and he left a little plot of land–it was all they had and a cruel
neighbor who looked with greedy eyes upon that little plot, has taken
it as Ahab took Naboth's vineyard. And now she is without any meal or
any oil for the little ones and they are crying for food.
Oh, if their father had been alive, how he would have guarded their
interests but she has no helper and the case is a glaring one. And what
is a judge for if he is not to protect the injured? She has no other
chance, for the creditor is about to take away her children to sell
them into bondage. She cannot bear that. "No," she says, "I have but
one chance. It is that this man should speak up for me and do me
justice. And I have made up my mind he shall never rest till he does
so. I am resolved that if I perish, the last words on my lips shall be,
'Avenge me of my adversary.'" So the court is continually interrupted.
Again the judge shouts, "Put her out! Put her out! I cannot conduct the
business at all with this crazy woman here continually dinning in my
ears a shriek of, 'Avenge me of my adversary.'" And it is no sooner
said than done.
But she lays hold of the pillars of the court so as not to be dragged
out and when at last they get her in the street, she does but wait her
chance to enter again. She pursues the judge along the highways. She
never lets him have a minute's peace. "Well," says the judge, "I am
worried out of my very life. I care not for the widow, nor her
property, nor her children. Let them starve, what are they to me? But I
cannot stand this, it will weary me beyond measure. I will see to it."
It is done and she goes her way. Nothing but her importunity prevailed.
Now, Brothers and Sisters, you have many other weapons to use with God
in prayer, but our Savior bids you not neglect this master,
all-conquering, instrument of importunity! God will be more easily
moved than this unjust judge if only you are as importunate as this
widow was. If you are sure it is a right thing for which you are
asking, plead now! Plead at noon! Plead at night! Plead on–with cries
and tears spread out your case! Put your arguments in order! Back up
your pleas with reasons! Urge the precious blood of Jesus! Set the
wounds of Christ before the Father's eyes! Bring out the atoning
sacrifice–point to Calvary–enlist the crowned Prince, the Priest who
stands at the right hand of God! And resolve in your very soul that if
Zion does not flourish, if souls are not saved, if your family is not
blessed, if your own zeal is not revived, you will die with the plea
upon your lips and with the importunate wish upon your spirits!
Let me tell you that if any of you should die with your prayers
unanswered, you need not conclude that God has disappointed you. With
one story I will finish. I have heard that a certain godly father had
the unhappiness to be the parent of some five or six most graceless
sons. All of them, as they grew up, imbibed infidel sentiments and led
an evil life. The father, who had been constantly praying for them and
was a pattern of every virtue, hoped at least that in his death he
might be able to say a word that should move their hearts. He gathered
them to his bedside, but his unhappiness in dying was extreme, for he
had lost the light of God's Countenance and was beset with doubts and
fears. And the last black thought that haunted him was, "Instead of my
death being a testimony for God, which will win my dear sons, what if I
die in such darkness and gloom that I shall confirm them in their
infidelity and lead them to think that there is nothing in Christianity
after all?"
The effect was the reverse. The sons came round the grave at the
funeral and when they returned to the house, the eldest son thus
addressed his brothers–"My brothers, throughout his lifetime our
father often spoke to us about religion and we have always despised it.
But what a sermon his deathbed has been to us! For if he, who served
God so well
and lived so near to God found it so hard a thing to die, what kind of
death may we expect ours to be who have lived without God and without
hope?" The same feeling possessed them all, and thus the father's death
had strangely answered the prayers of his life through the Grace of
God.
You cannot tell but what, when you are in Glory, you should look down
from the windows of Heaven and receive a double Heaven in beholding
your dear sons and daughters converted by the words you left behind. I
do not say this to make you cease pleading for their immediate
conversion, but to encourage you. Never give up prayer, never be
tempted to cease from it. So long as there is breath in your body and
breath in their bodies, continue to pray, for I tell you that He will
avenge you speedily though He bear long with you. God bless these words
for Jesus' sake. Amen.
PORTION OF SCRIPTURE READ BEFORE SERMON–Luke 18:1-30.