God’s Care
Luke 18:1-8[1]
There is a question that has haunted the human family since the
beginning. We have wondered from ancient times whether there is a God, and
whether that God cares at all about us. When science and the church taught that
the earth was at the very center of the universe, it might have been a bit
easier to believe in a God who cares for us. When we began to finally
understand how small the earth is compared to the rest of creation, I think it
became more difficult. Even before that, there have always been catastrophes
and tragedies that made us question whether there is a God, and whether that
God cares at all about us.
It’s a dilemma that has been expressed in the centuries-old
question: If God is both loving and all-powerful, how can there be evil in the
world? The presence of tragedy in our lives suggests that God loves us but he’s
not powerful enough to stop these things from happening. Or it suggests that
God is powerful enough to stop them, but since he doesn’t he must not be loving.
This question was addressed in the Bible in various ways, most notably the book
of Job. It’s a question that allows no rational explanation, because the only
answer to the tragedies of life is to find a way to trust that God does indeed
care about us.
That’s one aspect of our Gospel lesson for today. In it, Jesus
tells a parable that Luke says was meant to encourage us “to pray and not to
lose heart” (Lk. 18:1). The parable is about a woman who was a widow, very
likely in danger of losing her livelihood because women could not inherit
property. This is an important matter because in the Bible widows were to be
the objects of special care and were to be protected from their oppressors.
Unfortunately, not everyone who was a leader in Israel was motivated by the
desire to follow God’s ways of compassion and true justice.
That is in fact the case in this parable. The woman is at the
mercy of a corrupt judge, who had no interest in protecting her. According to
the Bible, one who served in the role of a judge was to exercise their
authority with fairness and compassion in imitation of God’s character. But
this man is the opposite of what any judge was supposed to be. He doesn’t care
about God, and he doesn’t care about people, either. Apparently, like many in his
day, he had acquired this position by “pulling strings” or by bribing someone,
or perhaps both. It seems clear that the only reason he was a judge was to
enrich himself.
But this is no ordinary widow. She’s called the “importunate”
widow in the title that’s traditionally assigned to this parable. That’s a word
most of us don’t use, but it means “persistent,” “demanding” “unrelenting,” and
even “annoying.” And that’s precisely what she was. She persisted relentlessly
in demanding that this judge grant her what was rightfully hers, and she kept
doing so until she annoyed him! He confessed, “Though I have no fear of God and
no respect for anyone, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant
her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming” (Lk.
18:4-5)! She simply would not give up until he made things right.
At this point Jesus contrasts the unjust judge with the God whom
he has taught clearly is gracious, loving, and caring. Jesus asks a question:
“will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night?
Will he delay long in helping them?” (Lk. 18:7). Jesus answers his own
question: “I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them” (Lk. 18:8). The point of the parable is a contrast: if a godless, inhumane judge
will finally give in to a powerless widow’s unceasing requests for justice, how
much more will our merciful and loving God “grant justice to his chosen ones
who cry to him day and night.” God will make things right, ultimately if not
immediately.
But that’s precisely wherein lies the rub! We have lots of
affirmations in the Bible that God cares about us and will take care of us. We
have promises that God will set things right. But life doesn’t always confirm
those promises. Sometimes, bad things happen to good people. Sometimes bad
people do bad things to good people. And when that happens we can wonder where
God is. In fact, in the parable, instead of asking the question “Will he delay
long?” some translate that verse as a concession: “even if he delays long”!
That might just make more sense in the context. The problem with “praying and
not losing heart” is when we do that and it seems like God “delays long,” or
perhaps turns a deaf ear altogether! When life comes crashing down around us,
we come back to the age-old question whether there is a God, and whether that
God cares at all about us.
Unfortunately, I’m afraid that at times like those, our
perspective can get quite narrow. All we can see is the hardship or tragedy
we’re dealing with. And all we can ask is, “Why?” or, “How long?” stuck in our
pain and our fears. But in this parable, I think Jesus wants to help us focus
our attention elsewhere. He wants to remind us that we believe in a God who is
a loving Father who knows what we need, who wants what is best for us, and who
is working constantly for our good. And he does all of this despite our
inability to understand our circumstances. There are simply some questions we
may never be able to answer. But in this passage, Jesus redirects our questioning.
He reminds us that the crucial question is, “when the Son of Man comes, will he
find faith on earth?” In this way, Jesus points us to what really matters:
finding the faith to entrust ourselves to God’s care in all the circumstances
of our lives.
[1]
©2019 Alan
Brehm. A sermon delivered by Rev. Dr. Alan Brehm on 10/20/2019 at Hickman
Presbyterian Church, Hickman, NE.
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