Bound Unto the End

Praise Reports:

• Vanessa's mother is doing okay, please keep praying for her. 
• David and his staff had a great auction the other day, praise God!
• Pam's sores are healing and her neuropathy is quieting down!
• No frozen pipes at Harbor House this week.
• David and Shirley have an offer on the blue house! Pray that God's will be done in this.
• Joyce and Aubrey had a safe trip to St. Louis to see family and do a few Heritage Makers workshops.
• Christin is busy in Little Rock and loving life. There's a possibility that she may be deployed in May, please pray for God's will to be done in that.

Prayer Requests:

• Pray for James's arm, that the Air Force would do what needs to be done and he will have wisdom.
• The Augustins are having a frustrating time with their bank, pray that that will go smoothly.
• The water froze up at Shiloh this past week.
• A co-worker of Julie's needs our prayer.
• Remember Vanessa's sister Dixie.
• Mary is struggling with terrible pain from her carpal tunnel.
• Pray for Sulphur Springs.
• Pam's son Tommy needs prayer.
• Pray for guidance for Sandra.
• Remember the Allen family.

the prayer continued, originally uploaded by वंपायर.

The parable of the widow and the unrighteous judge in Luke 18 is ultimately about faith. In verse 8 Jesus says, "when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” How does this statement relate to the parable? 

Faith has become such a cliché that we may need a word picture for it: imagine "faith" as "praying again, and again, and again, and again."

Let's back up and look deeper at this parable. In verse 7 we learn that God brings justice to His chosen ones who cry out "day and night". What does this phrase mean? Constantly? It might be interpreted that way, and sounds rather intimidating, but in light of the Jewish tradition of morning and evening prayers it probably meant twice daily. Pray once in the morning (when you work), pray once in the evening (when you rest). This is definitely doable. We can still "pray without ceasing" in a sense, but it's not imperative that we pray 5, 6, or 12 times a day. 

In verse 5 we hear the judge speak of the widow's "continual coming". Actually, this translation from the original falls far short of its original meaning. In the Greek it is two words. The first word is also found in Matthew 24:6, Revelation 1:8, Romans 10:4 and is always translated "end", as in "the end of all things". The other word means "unto, into, to". So the phrase "continual coming" is more accurately translated "unto the end". In other words, the judge is bemoaning the fact that the widow's petitions are never going to end. She will continue wearing him down until he gives in.

Jesus says that this is the way we should speak to God! And far from being an unrighteous judge, "how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" So are you being determined in your prayers? Are they that important to you? Let's get serious about praying or not pray at all! We can be like a child who is set on something, and we are so determined that our Father takes notice, realizes that this is not just a passing whimsy, and gets behind us 100%.

In verse 1 it says that Jesus told the parable to show his disciples that they should always pray and never give up. What is this word, "should"? It can be found in Matthew 16:19 and Mark 5:3, both times translated as "bind". We are bound to pray. This is a very strong word (it is used to describe marriage in 1 Corinthians 7). And not only that, but it is written it the infinitive form--meaning that this goes on and on eternally. 

So here it is, Jesus's charge to you and me: You are eternally bound to pray and not lose heart. Then He asks if He will find faith on earth when He returns. 

We are obligated and constrained to see our prayers to the end, just as we are obligated by our jobs to be there when called on. Will Jesus find you with this obligation when He returns? Will He find you crying out to Him day and night?