How are we supposed to deal with injustices and still be a person of Christlike character? The following illustration begins to answer that question. — During the Great Depression, my father moved to a farm as a tenant. He signed a contract stating that he and the owner would share equally in the proceeds from milk and crops. In the fall, however, the landlord wouldn’t give us our share of the money from the wheat crop. Dad’s appeals to him accomplished nothing, so he consulted a Christian lawyer. Reading the fine print in the contract, the lawyer advised my father that he could take no legal action.

The landowner was unethical, but he had been clever enough to keep out of trouble. Rather humorously, the lawyer said, “Mr. Vander Lught, you have three choices. You can kill the crook and get yourself in deep trouble. You can cheat him and become like him. Or you can take the wrong and let God take care of you and him.” —Herbert Vander Lught. ¹ One day Jesus gave us a parable along the lines of injustice. How did He say that we should respond? Let’s take a look at this in this week’s Light on Life.

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Why Doing the Word of God Is The Ticket to Success

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Each week’s podcast contains a call to action. The Word of God will not produce in your life unless you put into operation.
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Faith works the same in every area and every realm.  Today, decide to apply what you know about faith to the arena of injustice.

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Each week’s podcast also contains a question designed to encourage testimony. Testimony is vital to a believer’s life. We overcome by it (Rev. 12:11).
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Question: How have you learned to combat injustice? Please share your comments in the comments section below.

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1. #S6-047: Why Doing the Word of God Is The Ticket to Success [Podcast]

About Emery

Emery committed his life to the Lord Jesus Christ over 40 years ago and has served as both a full-time pastor and an itinerant minister. Both he and his wife Sharon of 37 years emphasize personal growth and development through the Word of God. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is both the focus and the hallmark of their mission. Read more about them here.

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Podcast Notes

A Jesus Parable about Praying about Injustice

Luke 18:1–8 (ESV) — 1 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.

• This parable of Jesus, sometimes known as the Parable of the Unjust Judge, is not about the judge at all.
• It begins with a declaration that men ought always to pray and not lose heart.
• So, the parable is about prayer.
• It starts with prayer and ends with faith; “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
• So, you need to understand that the primary purpose of this parable is to teach about faith and prayer.

Prayer Needs An Object of Focus

• Now, prayer needs subject matter.
• That is what are we praying about today; what are we exercising our faith for?
• You can know all about the principles of prayer and every fact about faith, but there comes the point of application.
• You have to apply what you know to a specific cause.
• Often in the past, when I’ve taught faith and prayer, I’ve used healing as the object of desire.
• For example, taking a healing story from the ministry of Jesus, and dissecting its faith and prayer elements.
• Now, know that faith works identically the same in every realm and every area.
• The principles of faith used to believe for healing are the same for finances, for instance.
• But in this parable, Jesus doesn’t use a healing story to admonish us on faith and prayer.
• He uses another area, the realm of justice.
• Jesus wants to encourage us in this area, specifically, when a child of God is facing injustice.
• He wants us to encourage both you and me that if we are on the wrong end of an unjust situation, and you’re talking to God about that area, you’re trusting God for deliverance, you’re leaning on the Lord to right the case, that help is on the way.
• So, don’t lose heart.
• The Greek word ‘lose heart’ means to become discouraged or disheartened; lose spirit.
• That’s Jesus’ message in this parable.

Parable Players: Here Comes the Judge!

Luke 18:2–3 (ESV) — 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man.

• Who are the players in this parable?
• They are first in order, a judge who had no fear of God, nor has respect for men who are made in the image of God and a widow.
• No fear of God is an absolute line-up identifier.
• Romans chapter 3 points out the guilty party.

Romans 3:10–18 (ESV) — 10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God. 12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” 13 “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” 14 “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” 15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 in their paths are ruin and misery, 17 and the way of peace they have not known.” 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

• The judge in Jesus’ parable is a God despising, ‘cold-hearted,’ ‘lost in his sins’ unrighteous heathen.
• To neither fear God and nor respect man is a double violation of the law of love.²
• We are supposed to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and our neighbor as ourselves.
• The judge is anything but a lover of God or man.

Parable Players: Here Comes the Widow!

Luke 18:3 (ESV) — 3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’

• The second person in this parable is a widow.
• The Bible has much to say about the subject of widowhood.
• Let’s take a look at some of it.

Don’t Mistreat Widows

Exodus 22:22 (ESV) — 22 You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child.

• The Hebrew word ‘mistreat’ is a verb meaning to afflict or to cause great unhappiness for or distress.
• It means you do not add to the already heavy burden that a widow may be carrying.
• And with that ‘heavy burden’ idea, here’s the illustration of the day.

In his Treasury of Quotations, F. B. Proctor told the following story:

A man was trying to get financial help for a widow who was in dire need, but his efforts were meeting with very little success. Even so, most of the people he contacted did express their regret over the sad situation of the poverty-stricken woman. The concerned man, refusing to give up, had high hopes as he approached a wealthy acquaintance, but he too refused to offer help.

In declining the request, the rich man said, “I do want you to know, however, that I really feel sorry for that poor woman.” The one who was asking for the money responded, “I’m sure you do. But I’m afraid you don’t feel it in the right place.” “Oh, yes, I do,” the man replied, “I feel it very deeply in my heart.” The other responded, “That’s the problem. You feel it in the wrong place. I just wish those feelings were also in your pocket.”³

• You get the point, I’m sure.
• Look at what Jeremiah has to say about mistreating widows.

Jeremiah and Zechariah Chimne in on Mistreating Widows

Jeremiah 22:3 (ESV) — 3 Thus says the LORD: Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place.

• Zechariah adds his voice in chapter seven.

Zechariah 7:10 (ESV) — 10 do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.”

• What else does the Bible say about widows?

Don’t Pervert Justice Where Widows Are Concerned

Deuteronomy 27:19 (ESV) — 19 “ ‘Cursed be anyone who perverts the justice due to the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

• In other words, don’t take advantage of a widow because of her weakened financial state.
• Don’t cater to the rich in your legal judgments.
• You understand that this takes place in our day where powerful and high-priced lawyers rule the day at the expense of those who are unable to afford these same services.
• And so, justice is perverted.
• God is saying that a widow should get the same shake as the wealthy.
• He insists on this to the point that He will personally step in to defend the widow.

God Takes Abuses to Widows Personally

Deuteronomy 10:18 (ESV) — 18 He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing.

• Couple that now with this passage from Proverbs.

Proverbs 15:25 (ESV) — 25 The LORD tears down the house of the proud but maintains the widow’s boundaries.

• Spurgeon, the famous Baptist preacher of yesteryear, gave the following comment about justice.

Justice is the activity of God’s holiness.⁴

• Malachi three is especially a noteworthy reference to the care of widows.

Doing Injustice to Widows Puts One in Bad Company

Malachi 3:5 (ESV) — 5 “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts.

• Look at this negative list of evil people: sorcerers, adulterers, and liars are lumped together with oppressors of widows and orphans.
• It’s a bad thing to take advantage of widows.
• So far, we’ve only looked at Old Testament references, but it doesn’t stop there.
• Look at Jesus’ scathing remarks to those who abused widows.

Mark 12:38–40 (ESV) — 38 And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes… 40 who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

• Listen, you don’t want any of that greater condemnation business.
• Just saying.

The New Testament on Widows

1 Timothy 5:3–4 (ESV) — 3 Honor widows who are truly widows. 4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God.

• Did you hear the Word of the Lord here?
• What is proper and right regarding widows?
• Widows own children and or grandchildren are to make some return to their parents, for that is pleasing in God’s sight.
• So, you should have a pretty good feel now and get the dynamic here in Jesus parable; you have a mean spirited cuss of a judge and a poor defenseless widow.
• Now, let’s go to the story.

Jesus Prayer and Faith Parable: The Story Line

• Now, let’s look at the storyline of this parable so we can ascertain it’s meaning.

Luke 18:3–5 (ESV) — 3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’

• A poor defenseless widow makes an appeal to a mean spirited hater type judge asking that justice be served.
• For a while, he refuses.
• Automatically you know by this statement that this is not a picture of God.
• First of all, this was an out and out heathen, as we have seen.
• Second, the widow came to this judge for help, and he refused.

God’s Response to Your Cry

• God’s answer to real Bible faith is always yes.
• That’s God’s attitude.
• He wants to give you the answer to your request.

2 Corinthians 1:20 (ESV) — 20 For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.

• Here’s the next clue to what’s going on here.
• Listen to this unrighteous judge: “Afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’”
• This widow keeps bothering me.
• Trust this with all of your heart: You are never a bother to God, never.
• You can always come to Him: He is all love, full of grace, and absolute mercy.
• And, never, and I mean never a bother.
• Now, follow that up with this, the unjust judge caved in to the widow because he didn’t want to deal with the beat down of this woman continually crying out to him.
• After all, He was probably too busy taking in the sporting events at the Coliseum.
• Now, it is unfortunate that some of us in the church have used this ‘beat down’ method as their model for prayer.

Faith’s Persistence

• They think prayer is about the persistence of coming.
• It isn’t.
• Prayer is about the persistence of faith.
• It’s about unrelenting trust.
• Those using the ‘beat down’ model keep coming and keep asking and continue to request the same thing ‘broken record’ style, thinking that we are going to talk God into the notion of blessing us.
• That is not the lesson of this parable.
• The lesson of this parable is faith in the arena of injustice.

Luke 18:6–8 (ESV) — ” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

• Jesus said, ‘Hear, listen to what the unrighteous judge said, knowing that God is not anything like Him.
• The lesson?
• If an unrighteous man can grant the request of a widow in need, remembering that the widow represents all of those who are on the wrong end of injustice, how much more will your Father in heaven bless your socks off?

Luke 12:32 (ESV) — 32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

• Now, notice that this widow cries to God day and night.
• Here is the question, isn’t this opposite what you said about ‘wearing God down?’
• No, it isn’t.

Praying in Faith Tastefully

• There is a way to pray tastefully where you do not half doubt that God heard you.
• I say tastefully because I heard a man say that it is not in good taste to ask God twice about the same area of need.
• Now what he means by that is that our approach to God should respect, number one His foreknowledge, in the sense that when you told the Lord about your need, is not when God found out about it.
• Jesus alluded to this very thing.

Don’t Use Empty Phrases

Matthew 6:7–8 (ESV) — 7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

• So, we are informing God of our situation, we are believing God about our situation.
• What the Father wants from you is faith, not information.
• He desires confidence, not data.
• It’s right at times to tell Him precisely that like: “Lord, you already know what I am going to ask you because there is nothing hid from you. You are a great God and ultimate in knowledge. You understand all things.”
• This displays real confidence rather than a worried bombarding of heaven’s gates.
• Remember that you can refresh the Lord about any situation.

Put the Lord in Remembrance

Isaiah 43:26 (ESV) — 26 Put me in remembrance; let us argue together; set forth your case, that you may be proved right.

• Here’s what we shouldn’t do when we don’t have an answer as quickly as we would like.
• We should not act like delay means God didn’t hear us the first time we prayed.
• No, He heard you.
• And, hearing means He’s already sent the answer.
• Understand that your request never catches God off-guard.

The Lord Always Hears Faith

Daniel 10:12 (ESV) — 12 Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words.

• This is God’s M-O.
• He always hears the cry of faith.
• So trying to wear Him down, like a child does their mother, doesn’t work.
• He’s already heard and answered and set things in motion for you.
• That fact is what you can bring back to God both day and night.
• Maybe it could sound something like this.

“Lord, I thank you that you have already heard me about this injustice that’s take place. I praise you for your deliverance. Thank you that you are a good God. I know that you are not like any earthly judge let alone an unrighteousness one. So, I just want to take the time to give you all the glory. I want to pour out on you all of the honor and to you goes all the praise for the deliverance that you are already working on my behalf.”

• This is confidence, not badgering.
• There’s a difference.
• You can approach God like this anytime, day or night.

Faith Speak Should Be Your Speak

• Faith is the language of heaven.
• Your talking ‘God-speak’ when you come to Him this way.
• Do it as much as you desire.
• Here is the same concept in another Jesus passage.

Mark 11:24 (NKJV) — 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

• What is Jesus saying?
• Believe that you’ll receive your deliverance from your injustice situation, and you will have your rescue.
• Talk like you believe you receive.
• Instead of eroding your position of faith by acting in your prayer life like the Lord didn’t hear you, encourage yourself with believing declarations of worship.
• When you do this, you’ll get high on your praise, and the fruit of your lips will lift you to new heights.

Faith in Jesus and His Second Coming

• Listen to the Master as we get ready to close.

Luke 18:7–8 (NKJV) — 7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”

• “When the Son of man comes:” did you hear that?
• Jesus is declaring His Second Coming.
• When He comes the second time, will He find people praying or fainting, believing, or begging?
• That’s the challenge today; only you can answer this.
• You guys have a great God week, and we’ll see you again for another edition of Light on Life.

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