18 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’
4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”
6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 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? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
Gold Hill UMC
October 19,2025
Luke 18:1-8
When I read this story this week, I was reminded of an event that occurred some 69 years ago. When I first saw it, I knew I has to have it. It was what I had always wanted. And there it was, front and center in the window of Joe's Bike Shop. A bright green Schwinn American bicycle. It had two of the things I most wanted in a bicycle: First: It was a Boys bike! I had been riding a hand me down bike from my sister, and it was embarrassing! Anyplace I went I was teased about my Girl,'s bike. Secondly, it had TWO speeds...twice as many as most of my friends had. It was the bike of my dreams and I had to have it.
My 10th birthday was coming up, and I went on a mission. I let everyone know that that bike was what I wanted for my birthday. I told my parents(At least a thousand times). I told my brothers and sisters. It l told my aunts, uncles, and cousins. I told all my friends and their folks. I even told God. I really wanted that bicycle!
Then came the big day. I jumped out of bed, dressed for school, and bounced into the kitchen where my mother was busy making the famous October 6th Coffee Cake.
“Would you please set the table?” she asked. No”Good Morning.” No “Happy Birthday.” Just 'Please set the table. I grabbed the silverware and distributed it around the table. Then the plates, glasses, cups, and saucers. I finished with the pitcher of milk ad carafe of coffee.”
“The table is set”.
Any trouble?”
“Nope.”
Anything unusual?”
“No, just a bicycle on the table....A BICYCLE!” I ran back into the dining room and looked again. There it was! The bright green Schwinn American, 2 speed Boys bike! And a card wishing me a Happy Birthday! It sure was.
This parable is not about a birthday wish, The story concerns a widow who is seeking justice. Widows, especially widows without sons to stand up for them were among what I call the POP; the Poor, the Oppressed, and the Powerless.”
The judge—who was not a judge in the way we know judges, but one of the elders, possibly a rabbi,scribe,or Pharisee, who heard the cases of the people and dispensed justice—supposedly.
This judge did not. He had no respect for either God, nor people, and quite probably ruled in favor of the largest bribe. In any event, when the widow approached him seeking justice he ignored her. But she didn't give up, she kept coming to him asking for justice. Finally, the judge realized . And therethat if he didn't listen to her case she would just keep on hounding him. He said to himself: “I will grant her justice so that she will not wear me out by continually coming.” Jesus then compares the unjust judge to the God of Justice, telling his disciples: “Will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night? I tell you he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
This is not a story about nagging God, it is a story about constant, consistent faithfulness, even in the face of seeming impossibility. It is a challenge to remain faithful even in the face of seemingly impossible obstacles.
Over the course of my pastoring career I served mostly small churches, and almost all of them suffered from feelings of corporate inferiority. The “We're too small. We're too old. We're too tired” syndrome.
They would read in church publications, of the wonderful work being done by their larger sister churches, and feel less than faithful because they could not match those efforts. Because they don't have large buildings, big staffs, TV ministries, or a pastor who is always being interviewed about local events on the evening news they must not count for much.
But I would suggest that as we gather here every Sunday, every Christmas, every Easter, whether there be 6 or 60 of us, we are holding fast to our faith. We demonstrate that faithfulness in worship, offering ourselves, our prayers, our offerings our service to God as we celebrate God's faithfulness to us.
Today's gospel is a story about faithfulness through prayer and waiting. The widow in the story never gave up. No matter how many times she was put off, no matter how many times she was ignored, she kept coming back. Another week has gone by and I still don't know when my surgery will be. I am sometimes even tempted to feel like the woman in the story. But unlike the widow in the story I have no doubt that God hears my prayers. I have no doubt that my shoulder will be healed. I know God hears my prayers, and I know they will be answered
We had about three months left in Seminary. Then we would leave Ohio and return to the Oregon-Idaho annual conference. Fay and I sat down and went over our financial situation, how much money we had; how much we expected to earn in those last months; and how much we needed to live on and move. We came up $500 short. So we prayed about it, and we prayed about it, and we prayed about it some more. But we were still $500 short. So we decided to call my sister, who I was almost positive would lend us the money. “I'll call her tomorrow after I get home from school.” I told Fay. That day I checked my mail box at the school and there was a letter from the conference. I had been nominated for, and awarded a /scholarship I didn't even know existed. A check for $500 was included. I know God answers my prayer, and I know he will answer yours. Remember, prayer is like duct tape; if it doesn't work, you haven't used enough. AMEN.
