Uniform Adult Sunday School Lesson for July 15, 2018

    The Widow and the Unjust Judge

Uniform Adult Sunday School Lesson for July 15, 2018

Purpose

To acknowledge our need to be persistent and faithful followers of Jesus Christ

Bible Lesson

Luke 18:1-8 (CEB)

1 Jesus was telling them a parable about their need to pray continuously and not to be discouraged. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected people. 3 In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him, asking, ‘Give me justice in this case against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused but finally said to himself, I don’t fear God or respect people, 5 but I will give this widow justice because she keeps bothering me. Otherwise, there will be no end to her coming here and embarrassing me.” 6 The Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 Won’t God provide justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he be slow to help them? 8 I tell you, he will give them justice quickly. But when the Human One comes, will he find faithfulness on earth?”

Key Verse

Won’t God provide justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? (Luke 18:7)

Some Thoughts

by

Burgess Walter

Today’s text is one that has somewhat puzzled me for many years. In the parable God can not be the unjust judge, so what is the point.

But maybe the parable is all about the widow, almost all of us can relate to her situation, in that we do not get what we think we deserve. Or maybe it is just about prayer.

It seems that Jesus is using this as a teaching moment for the disciples. Our text begins with this statement “Jesus was telling them a parable about their need to pray continuously and not to be discouraged.”

I think the challenge for us today is to be faithful in our prayer life. Prayer needs to be more than getting a parking place close to the door.  Since God wants to supply all of our needs, He needs us to share our needs and our desires. Not just a casual shout out, but a pleading prayer opening up as we would to our best friend.

I think Jesus is telling us and the disciples don’t be afraid to pester God with our petitions. When our petitions are brought before God, He wants us to be certain that what we are asking is really what we want. Unless we are persistent in our asking, it could be taken as today’s whim. God wants a relationship, there is no better way to establish that than sharing.

Sometimes we need to be more like Jacob and wrestle with God. Be in awe, but not afraid to ask for help.  Pray with vigor and clenched teeth sometime, it is okay. Friends understand when we become frustrated with our circumstance.

God wants to be involved in our lives, that means we consult with Him constantly about our lives our family, our needs and our desires.  Our prayers should be more than just a “sweet hour of prayer.” True friends share their hurts. More like “What a friend we have in Jesus, all our griefs and sorrows share. I think persistence is our duty, anything less seems like giving up.

My hymn for this week is “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.  What father does not long to be friends with his children.