Luke 18:1-14
Through the Knot Hole
Prayer is important.
I came across a tidbit that I wrote some years back that I still
think describes many—if not most—Christians when it comes to our
prayer condition.
What Is the Condition of Your Prayer Life?
If our prayers were an automobile, it wouldn’t run.
If our prayers were a dress for our wife, it wouldn’t be pressed.
If our prayers were our husband’s gun, it would be rusted.
If our prayers were our football team, they wouldn’t win.
If our prayers were our house, the roof would leak.
If our prayers were our checkbook balances, we’d be in the red.
If our prayers were our jobs, we’d be fired.
If our prayers were our religion, we’d be doubters.
If our prayers were our health, we’d be sickly.
If our prayers were our only means of help, we’d be in trouble.
Well, prayer is our only means of help, and we are in trouble. It is
possible that the world we are living in today is the by-product of
our lack of praying. I think we are safe in saying prayer is
important.
I think we can also say that prayer is hard. Let me explain.
We know the sufferings and problems on earth. We also have some idea
at the blessings and supply in heaven. Unfortunately, between these
two is the giant fence of sin and death. But that fence has two small
knot holes from which the two sides can pass things. Through one, we
can pass our problems, suffering, and worship to God. Through the
other, God can pass His supply, encouragement, love. The name of our
knot hole is prayer and the name of God’s is mercy.
These two are the only means of passing between the two worlds; but
presently, the holes are small so we must work at pushing our needs
through the knot hole of prayer.
This parable was given to help pray and not faint!
I. Consider that this parable might have end-time ramifications.
A. That does have some importance which I will share in a moment.
B. Let me share some reasons why I think that.
1. \\#1\\ "And" - That conjunction ties this parable in with
what Jesus WAS discussing at the end of chapter 17.
a. \\#Luke 17:22-37\\ Jesus was speaking of setting up
His earthly kingdom.
b. That is not only the end times, it is after the church
age and at the end of the tribulation.
c. So this parable was still part of THAT conversation.
d. When Jesus was speaking about "pray and don’t faint,"
He was still talking about and to the people that
would live during the very last days.
2. \\#8\\ Added to that, Jesus was speaking of His return!
Luke 14:8 ...Nevertheless when the Son of
man cometh...
3. Not only so, but look at the kind of prayer that Jesus
mentioned.
a. \\#3\\ A widow woman was asking God for revenge on her
adversary.
b. I understand that since Jesus had not died yet,
officially they were still under the Old Testament,
a dispensation where justice was emphasized.
c. I also understand that in every dispensation there are
evil people who do things against God’s people and
need to be dealt with.
d. I even understand that not all Christians are perfect
and sometimes we all get in the flesh and desire the
fire of God to fall and fall hard.
e. But even with all of that, I am compelled to say that
is not the type of praying that Jesus and the Bible
teaches us to pray in this Age of Grace.
f. However, I do believe there will be a lot of this
kind of praying during the tribulation.
4. \\#8\\ Notice that when God does answer, the answer will
come quickly.
Luke 18:8 I tell you that he will avenge them
speedily….
a. That may be somewhat confusing.
(1) If God has deliberately delayed answering a
prayer, how can the answer come quickly?
(2) The answer lies in how end time prophecy will be
fulfilled.
b. Let me give you some end-time examples:
Matt 23:36 Verily I say unto you, All these
things shall come upon this generation.
Matt 24:34 Verily I say unto you, This
generation shall not pass, till all these
things be fulfilled.
(1) In both of these passages, Jesus made some end-
time prophecies and then said "THIS" generation
would see it all.
(a) Well, THAT generation has been gone for
nearly 2,000 years!
(b) That has also confused good people.
(2) Jesus was speaking of the prophecy being
fulfilled quickly, within one generation.
(3) Often, when God speaks of the timing of end-time
prophecies and their speed, He is not speaking
of hour quickly they will begin, but how quickly
they will end.
(4) The idea in Matthew’s prophecies is that ONCE
those prophecies begin, the same generation that
saw them start will see them end.
c. I believe that is what Jesus was doing in Luke 18:8.
(1) He was saying that although we may have to pray
hard and wait a long time to get an answer,
once the answer starts, everything will happen
quickly.
(2) This will be especially true in the end-times and
for those who are wanting to see God avenge them
of their enemies.
(3) When God answers, everything asked for will
happen “speedily."
C. The reason I think this is important is because there are
times when the believers have to work harder to get their
prayers through the knot hole.
1. For example, in times of judgment.
2. God speaks of such time periods are spoken of in the
Bible.
Jer 15:1 Then said the LORD unto me, Though
Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind
could not be toward this people: cast them out
of my sight, and let them go forth.
Eze 14:20 Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in
it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall
deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but
deliver their own souls by their righteousness.
3. Indeed, you and I may be living in such a time as this.
a. Prayer is always hard, but it seems that many godly
people are not seeing what they would like in their
prayer time.
b. That is logical if we are nearing the end-times.
4. But that is also the reason why Jesus gave us this parable.
5. It was to encourage us to not faint and keep praying.
II. If that is so, what should we learn from this parable?
A. \\#1-7\\ We must pray with diligent consistency.
1. Some people mistakenly think this parable is teaching
us that God is not willing to answer our prayers
2. Their thinking goes something like….
a. Since God is obviously to be compared with the
unjust judge and…
b. since we are obviously to be compared to the widow…
c. then some see this as God telling us He doesn’t
really care!
d. That God has to be pestered to help us.
3. While I see how you could get that from the parable, I
do NOT think that is what this parable is teaching.
a. \\#7\\ One reason I think that is because God is not
unjust or uncaring.
(1) No one can charge that God is either unjust or
uncaring!
(2) God has never charged a sin that He didn’t first
warn us.
(3) Even so, God has not yet demanded the full
payment of any sin.
(4) In His great mercy, He has made a way for humans
to be redeemed.
b. What God is saying is that EVEN IF God was that type
of a God, He would STILL answer the prayers of those
who were consistent and diligent in asking.
Luke 18:7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which
cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?
c. How much more encouraging should it be to us that God
IS a just and caring God!
4. Get this straight about God.
a. God delights in our prayers and wants to answer them.
b. If He does not, there is just something else going
on and we need to stay at it.
5. Two truths are plainly taught.
a. We must pray and keep on praying!
b. God will powerfully answer one day.
B. \\#8\\ We must pray with faith.
1. This thought is only introduced to us through a single
rhetorical question.
Luke 14:8 …Nevertheless when the Son of man
cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
2. Our Lord was asking when He returns, will He find anyone
who has confidence in Him, anyone trusting Him, anyone
believing on Him.
a. It seems obvious that Jesus was hinting that there
will not be many.
(1) That is not to say that there will not be many
churches. They may be.
(2) That is not to say that there will not be many
who claim to be saved and right with God. They
may be.
(3) That is not to say that there will not be many
preaching. They may be.
b. What Jesus is indicating is that there will not be
many people who believe that Jesus is who the Bible
says that He is, that He will do what the Bible says
He will, and that are trusting Him to do so.
c. Question - When was the last time you had to trust
Jesus?
(1) We trust work, our money, our bank, our friends,
but when was the last time we realized it is God
we need?
(2) If it has been very long, maybe we are the people
that Jesus was talking about.
3. Without faith it is impossible to please God.
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible
to please him: for he that cometh to God must
believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of
them that diligently seek him.
a. It is not just that everything we do for Christ should
be in faith. It is that everything we do should be
done in faith!
b. We get saved, pray, tithe, grow, serve, and worship by
faith, but we also…
(1) …go to work in faith, believing the job we
have is where God wants us to work and that we
are to serve Him in that place.
(2) …live by faith, believing that our home, our
house, and all of our possessions are the
Lord’s and are at His disposal.
(3) …raise our family in faith, believing that our
marriage and our children are the Lord’s, just
lent to us for a short period of time so that
we can encourage and help them to be all that
they can be.
(4) …draw every breathe by faith, believing that
every day is given to us by God to be used for
God and that when God is finished with us here,
He has something bigger and better for us in
eternity.
4. Question - When Jesus comes back will there be anyone with
that kind of faith? I pray there will be at least one
and I pray that it will be me.
Friend, we need help and the only place that help is coming from is
the Lord. Let’s get word to Him! It may seem like we are pushing
our prayers through a knot hole but push we shall for there is no
help to be had if it does not come from the Lord.
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