The Unjust Judge (Luke18:1-8)

When I asked Julian for the notes to this sermon he replied:

Hi Ben,
All these good comments - that is a great encouragement to me.
My notes, well as I said they were on the back of a fag packet.
When I do a sermon I use bullet points only, that are hand written, don't know why but it works for me.

These are the bullet points used, I think...

- these parables, all those used so far contain much more than can read on the first reading.
- on the face of it the parable says all that there is to say - keep praying and don't give up. - but pray about what?
- review the story - judge and woman. Excellent judge not influenced by God or Man. - perfect. yet he gives into the woman. - thus making someone else lose. We have no idea of the events, if they ever occured - Christ doesn't need the detail.
- after the campaign, the judge gives in - link to "George Davis is innocent campaign".
- can we chivvy God like the woman? Would he be a God worth worshipping if we could?
- what if we pay for justice?
- Jesus does promise in the text to give justice, but do WE want to receive justice from God - I don't!!! I know what I've done.
- so God takes on the role of the judge and gives us what we want - freedom from judgement, then somebody has to pay - Christ.
- Jesus says - God will give them justice soon enough - when he is on the cross, then he loses, and we like the woman win, whether we deserve it or not.
- in OT - Judges (good link) Israel did what they wanted and God raised up a local superpower to sort them out.
- in NT - God puts himself on the cross for us - giving justice at the expense of someone else. (himself)
- Jesus finishes by asking will the Son of God on his return find faith - earlier chapter was talking about the end days.
- aside judgement day - no list of wrongs will be published, however big or small because Christ has already paid the bill.
- the justice we seek is to be in God's Book of Life - Luke 10 - v20
- we live in a time when faith is under pressure - big time - we need to focus and not be drawn into unimportant matters - including the WFC/RFC issues - lets get on with what is needed.
- we have a message of grace which no other faith has - let's use it and show the world what it means.

There - I think that covers it - sure to have missed something, but these are the main bits.

See you - regards, Julian.

Thanks Julian!

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