Have you ever prayed for something so long that you began to suspect you were in a hurry but God was not? This sermon leads into one of the most subversive parables Jesus told, about a widow whose voice counted for nothing and a judge who feared neither God nor people (Luke 18). It shows that God is nothing like that judge, and we are nothing like that helpless widow: we are chosen and known by name. Listen if the waiting has grown long and you need a reason to keep talking to God.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- Luke notes that Jesus told this parable so that His disciples would always pray and not lose heart. What about the widow's situation and the judge's attitude in Luke 18:1-8 makes this story so surprising for its first hearers?
- Jesus describes a judge who neither feared God nor cared about people. According to Jesus, how is God different from this judge, and why is this comparison meant to encourage us to pray?
- The sermon stressed that we are not like the nameless widow but like the chosen ones, known to God by name, like a bride waiting for Christ. How does this truth change the way you talk with God?
- The speaker reminded us that the parable sits within Jesus' teaching about His second coming. How does that shape our understanding of the promise that God will quickly bring justice for His chosen ones?
- Jesus asks: when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth? What do you think causes some people to stop waiting for Jesus and stop talking with Him?
- In what area of life do you feel right now that you are in a hurry but God is not, and how can you keep praying about it persistently this week instead of losing heart?
