Sermon Manuscript: New Testament Parable Assignment
Paolino Curto
HOMI 675: Preaching from the New Testament (D01)
November 30, 2025
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Introduction
I would like to begin our time together today by asking you a question: How often do
you pray, and not receive back an answer? How often have you prayed, only to feel as though
the words left your mouth, moved upward only to hit the ceiling, never reaching the one to
whom you hoped it would reach? In other words, have you ever prayed and felt like God was
not listening? Or worse, have you felt as though God was completely disregarding your prayer?
If that describes you at all, I want to say, welcome to the club! Prayer seems to be one of the
most challenging aspects of the Christian faith. If I am being completely honest, prayer is a
spiritual discipline that has been a struggle and one I have really had to strive for in my own life.
I believe there are probably a lot of reasons why that may be the case for me, and might
be the case for you as well. You know, as I observe the world around us, as I examine the culture
we live in here in the United States, and even more specifically, the Capital Region of New York
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State, it is obvious to me that we live in an instant-gratification world. I mean think about the
fact that there are fast food restaurants on every street corner, and every mile or so in between.
We live in the day and time of same-day Amazon delivery. If just 10 to 15 years ago someone
told me that we could order something online and have it arrive the same day, I would’ve
ostracized that person as a lunatic! You can binge watch just about any show in the world at the
click of a button. Instant news, instant answers, instant satisfaction.
While all of these advances in technology and infrastructure can be wonderful and
advantageous, they can also lead to a significant problem for us spiritually. If we are being
objective, the world we live in today has cultivated an impatience in us that we may have never
saw coming. So because we have been trained to receive everything instantaneously, when
prayer does not work like Amazon Prime, we quit it all together. Many of us have given up on
prayer because we don’t see immediate results. But here is the good news, Jesus knows our
tendency to give up. He is aware of our impatience and not surprised by the age we live in, but
He encourages us to press on in prayer, and for good reason.
This morning we are going to see how Jesus teaches that believers should pray
persistently because God is faithful and delights to respond to His children who plead to Him.
We are going to see this most clearly in a famous parable often referred to as the parable of the
persistent widow. Let’s begin together by first addressing the purpose of this parable, and by
nature, the purpose of all parables.
The Purpose of this Parable and All Parables (Luke 18:1)
In verse 1 of Luke 18, Luke records the following words, “And he told them a parable
to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.” This parable is unlike many of
the parables we read in the gospels. In this parable, Luke tells us the purpose before we even
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hear it. Because Luke gives us the purpose, it is essential that we keep it at the forefront of our
minds when we study this parable. This premise is reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet. In the
prologue to Romeo and Juliet, Shakespear seemingly spoils the story when he writes “A pair of
star-crossed lovers take their life.” The crazy thing about the play Romeo and Juliet, is that
although you are given the ending before the story begins, you can become so engrossed in the
story that you forget the fate of the main characters. That should not be done here with this
parable. The purpose of the parable is clear from the onset, and the thrust is for us to always
pray and to not lose heart.
The phrase “lose heart” comes from the Greek ekkakeō, which means to be utterly
spiritless, to be wearied out, exhausted. So Jesus is providing a command by way of this parable
to not lose heart, be utterly spiritless, but to be persistent always praying. But why does Jesus
tell a parable if the purpose is already stated? Well one of the most significant reasons outside
of the fact that it was prophesied that the Messiah would speak in parables, is that stories have
a way of capturing our attention and bringing about change in a way that a command would
not.
For those of you who are parents, I want you to think about how effective giving your
child a command is. Maybe at times they are responsive and listen, but I am willing to bet that
often, they are either disobedient, or at the very least, question your command/instruction. If
you want a child to learn something crucial, lecturing them often does not work. One of the
most effective ways to inform a child is by telling them a story. We tell Children the story of the
tortoise and the hare to teach persistence, the boy who cried wolf to teach honesty, the ugly
duckling to teach that beauty comes from within. These stories are memorable, and teach
lessons that a simple command may instruct, but be forgotten. This happens because not only
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children, but us adults, plac ourselves in the story and therefore are applying the lesson of the
story to ourselves. Story telling is a highly effective method of teaching. Stories stick in our
minds far longer than a command does.
So as we examine this parable, though we are given the purpose outright at the onset,
we also must identify and therefore understand the people amid the parable and how they
relate to us on a practical and tangible level. Parables are meant for us to reflect on ourselves,
God, and the world. They are stories used to illustrate a significant truth that should bring about
profound change in us. And this parable is no different. Knowing that the parable will teach us
about persistence in prayer is important, but identifying the truth the parable will illustrate,
relating to where God wants us to place ourselves, at times in the parable, and the other
characters is essential.
Though I said commands are often less effective than a story in informing change
within us, what we gather from verse 1 of Luke 18 is that this parable is not mere advice from
Jesus, it represents a command. The parable is a direct command in that it illustrates a clear
purpose and truth: always pray and never give up. When we begin to read a passage of
scripture that there is a clear purpose statement, we need to have our eyes wide open and ears
attentive to be obedient to the text.
So now that we know the purpose, let’s examine the parable. Jesus introduces us to two
characters we might not expect for a keen lesson about God: an unjust judge and a persistent
widow. We are going to break up this parable in two sections, and the first section we will see
how “Persistent Petition Moves Even the Unrighteous Judge.”
Persistent Petition Moves Even an Unrighteous Judge (Luke 18:2-5)
Picking up the parable in Luke 18:2-5 we read, “He said, “In a certain city there was a
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judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept
coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but
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.’”
As with any parable one of the first tasks we have is to identify the characters or objects
of the parable and examine their significance. Jesus begins the parable by introducing a judge
who “neither feared God nor cared what people thought.” As we consider the judge in the story
we recognize that this is essentially a person in a position of power who is morally bankrupt
with no accountability. A judge is typically a person that we look to, and the people at this time
would look to, to be morally upstanding, care about justice, and defend those who are unable
to defend themselves. Yet this judge is seemingly the very opposite.
Then Jesus introduces a widow into the parable. In contrast to the judge, she would be
the most vulnerable person at this time in history: being a widow meant she had no husband,
which in this day and age would likely mean no income, and no real legal standing. This widow
had an adversary taking advantage of her, and though she was likely the most vulnerable, least
powerful person, she persistently pleaded for the judge to grant her justice. Greek tense shows
continuous action in her pleading, meaning that she kept coming, over and over. The judge
refused for a while but was basically worn down by the women and finally gave her justice. But
this was not due to the kindness, the moral standing, or compassion of the judge, it was simply
done so the judge would no longer have to deal with the persistent widow.
Rosa Parks is certainly not an unfamiliar name to any of us. Her refusal to give up her
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seat on a bus in Montgomery Alabama is one of the most famous and respected events of the
civil rights era. But did you know that she was not the only one to do this? Nine months earlier a
15-year-old girl named Claudette Colvin did the exact same thing. And before her, there were
others. Women who challenged the system and were unfortunately, ignored. You might say,
what does this story have to do with the parable of the persistent widow? Well, the
Montgomery bus segregation did not really end because of one act of defiance, it did not even
end solely because people in positions of power suddenly become morally upstanding. It ended
because of the persistence from courageous people who pleaded for injustice. The persistence
of ordinary people, walking miles to work, organizing carpools, refusing to quit, eventually
forced change.
As we have seen up to this point in the parable, the widow’s persistence has broken
down an unrighteous judge. And you know, persistence often leads to change even in a world
that neglects true justice and is self-focused. What can be said of this parable, and what we
examine in the world, is that giving up is not the way of change. If Rosa Parks had given up, if
Claudette Colvin and the courageous men, women and children had just folded the towel and
said “there is no use, nothing will ever change” they certainly would be right. The famous
expression goes “those who believe they can, and those who believe they cannot are both
usually right.” Persistence is a powerful vehicle to bring about change, even in the face of great
obstacles, unrighteousness, and evils.
But at the same time, it’s important to recognize what is NOT being said by this
parable: God is like an unjust judge who needs to be worn down. Here is the thrust of the first
portion of the parable: even an unjust judge responds to persistence. What Jesus is masterfully
doing in this parable is creating an argument from the lesser to the greater. If someone who
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does not care at all will eventually act, then by way of reason, someone who cares deeply will
certainly act. The widow’s persistence demonstrated her faith. She believed persistence would
move even the unjust to act, so she kept asking. Persistence is a demonstration of faith and
desire for change.
When you feel like giving up on prayer, when you are tempted to throw in the towel
because change feels impossible, you need to remember the power of persistence. Because
ultimately, persistence demonstrates faith. The widow had everything against her: no power, no
money, no influence, and a judge who didn’t care. But the one thing she did have was that she
would not stop asking. She would not quit. She would not give up. And that was enough to
move even an unrighteous judge. So when you are facing unrealistic expectations put on you at
work, when you are overwhelmed in your journey as a parent, when you have prayed for
spiritual break through and healing and have felt as though you’ve continued to come up short.
Don’t give up.
Persist and move forward in faith. The reality is that you have so much more than the widow:
you are praying to a God who loves you, not a judge who cares not for you.
And that brings us to the last section, and the most important section of the parable, and
that section is that “Persistent Petition Undoubtedly Moves the Heart of God the Father.”
Persistent Petition Undoubtedly Moves the Heart of God the Father (Luke 18:6-8)
Picking the parable back up in Luke 18:6-8 we read, “And the Lord said, “Hear what
the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and
night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily.
Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
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It is in this portion of the parable that we begin to see significant contrasts as Jesus tells
those who are listening to “hear what the unrighteous judge says.” In other words Jesus is again
exclaiming how the unrighteous judge responds to persistent pleading. But in contrast Jesus
points to the fact that God is nothing like the unjust judge. Jesus tells us that God will in fact
give justice to those who are crying out to him, day and night, which again shows persistence as
a key theme of the parable. But notice the contrasts: the widow dealt with an unjust judge; we
deal with a just God. The widow was a stranger to the unjust judge, we are God’s “elect.” The
unjust judge takes considerable time to respond and bring about justice; God brings justice
swiftly to
His own children. Why would God do this? Because unlike an unjust judge, He cares deeply for
His children. God’s response is not dependent on mere persistence, but on Hi character and
who He is.
On November 26, 2022, in Brookfield, Connecticut at 3:15 in the morning, Nicholas
Perri Jr., a firefighter from White Plains, New York, was driving home after his shift when he
spotted a car engulfed in flames. The vehicle had crashed into an embankment and burst into
flames, but the horrifying news was that a woman was trapped inside. Nicholas was off duty at
the time, which meant his firefighting equipment was not readily accessible, nor a clear
responsibility to act beyond calling 911. But that did not stop him from involving himself.
Nicholas quickly responded and assessed the situation. He broke the front passenger
window and did all he could to pull the woman trapped inside from the vehicle. Nicholas was
struggling to free one of her mangled legs. He was yelling to the woman, telling her to work
with him because time was running out. Nicholas used every bit of strength he had to pull her
through the window into safety. As local fire departments arrived on the scene, what they
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witnessed was not a fatal crash. As they arrived, they saw a heroic picture. Nicholas carrying the
woman away from the flame engulfed, mangled vehicle.
In a later interview, Nicholas said that “Instinct, training kicked in, and I ran in and did
the best I could do to get her out.” Nicholas did not have to be prompted. He was the right
person to help at the right time, and it was his instinct, or in other words, his natural disposition
to do so. One might ask the question: Did Nicholas Perri have to be convinced to help? Surely
the women trapped in the car might have cried out for help, but if she knew a firefighter was
nearby, would she assume that she would have to beg him over and over to save her? Did he
reluctantly respond after she wore him down? No! The moment he saw the fire; he was already
running toward it. He did not wait, he did not hesitate, he did not need to be persuaded.
Why should we always pray, and not give up, not lose heart? Because of whom God is.
It is God’s natural disposition, His instinct to save those who need him. To respond to those who
cry out to Him. To come near to the broken hearted and crushed in spirit. The unjust judge did
not care about people, and many people we interact with in this world may exemplify the unjust
judge. But God loves His chosen ones perfectly. The judge was unjust; God is the definition of
justice. The judge had to be worn down; God does not need convincing to come to our rescue.
The judge was reluctant; God is eager. The judge acted out of irritation; God acts out of love. If
persistence worked on someone with no conscience, how much more with the One who cares
most?
So what does this mean for you? Well it is essential for us to recognize that this parable
ends with a question that brings us back to the main point. The point is not whether God is a
just judge, or even that He answers prayer, the point is whether we will persistently come to
God in prayer and in faith: Jesus ends the parable saying, “However, when the Son of Man
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comes, will he find faith on the earth?” (v. 8). So I ask you, when you are navigating a difficult
season of life, will Jesus find you to be faithfully persistent? When you feel as though God is not
seeing your pain or struggle, will Jesus find you faithfully persistent?
Maybe your earnest desire is that He would, but when it comes to being practical and
living out that desire, if you’re honest, you don’t know what to do. If that describes you, I want
to get real practical today. The first thing you can practically do is to keep praying. God hears
every word of your prayers as a genuine believer. You need to remind yourself not to confuse
His timing with indifference if you feel as though he is not hearing you.
Second, keep trusting God’s character, because it guarantees His response. When you
are feeling that God will not respond, you need to bring to mind scriptures that promise you He
will. Psalm 145:18 (ESV) says “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in
truth.” The prophet Micah in declared his dependence on God despite incredible evil and
corruption around him saying in Micah 7:7 (ESV) “But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait
for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.”
Third, keep believing God will bring justice to those who cry out to Him. Your
persistent prayer is not an annoyance to God; it is faith that pleases Him. The writer of Hebrews
in Chapter 11 verse 6 (ESV) writes “Without faith it is impossible to please him [God], for
whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who
seek him.” What have you stopped seeking God for? Start again today. When Jesus returns, He
is looking for faith. The kind that keeps praying when answers seem delayed. Will He find that
faith in you?
Conclusion
As we close our time together today, I want you to picture the place you most often
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pray, or maybe the place you most often used to pray. Maybe this is the place where you used
to spend significant quality time with God. Maybe there is a chair where you used to sit or a
pillow beside your bed you used to kneel on. And maybe that chair has been empty for weeks,
the pillow on the ground has collected dust. The prayers stopped because the answers did not
seem to come. Now imagine Jesus’ was once walking beside that spot watching you pray. He
heard the desperate prayers, the faithful prayers, the hopeful prayers. But now as He examines
this spot its empty. But here is the deal. As Jesus walks by the empty space where you used to
pray, He is not angry or upset, and more than that He is not concerned that you are not praying
in that specific spot, but He is saddened that you have given up. He is saddened because it is His
desire to respond, to find you faithful and answer you, provide for you, guide you in your life.
God calls His children to pray persistently because He is faithful and delights to answer
those who cry out to Him. The purpose of the parable is clear, always pray and never give up. He
showed us a widow who kept asking an unjust judge, and even he responded. Then He made it
clear: if an unjust judge responds to persistent petition, how much more will your just, loving
God respond to His beloved children? God is not reluctant; He is eager. God is not indifferent;
He is deeply invested. So keep praying, keep asking, keep crying out.
This week, I want you to identify a prayer or request or petition you have given up on.
One situation where you stopped going to God. Maybe it’s a broken relationship, a financial
need, a health crisis, a prodigal child. Start praying for it again, daily, persistently, and faithfully.
Not to manipulate God, but to express your dependence on Him. And I want you to commit to
praying about it every morning or evening for 30 days. But here is the important thing, you need
to trust God’s timing, because His delays are not denials; they are opportunities for deeper
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faith. The reality is that as God’s children, you have a special relationship with Him where you
can pray and He hears you.
It is because Jesus was willing to go to the cross, pay the full penalty for sin, and rise
victoriously that we have this kind of access to God through prayer. As believers, we should
never neglect that. Those of you who are listening today that are unsure whether God hears
your prayers or not, but have never responded to the free gift of salvation offered through a
belief and faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, I want to encourage you to
respond in faith for the first time to that very reality. When you come to a saving faith in Jesus,
you come into a relationship with. When you have a relationship with the God of the universe, it
means you are one of His children, you become a child who the Father desires to respond to. Do
not leave here today without responding if God is prompting your heart.
