We sometimes think that the great days
of preaching were in the past. We look back nostalgically to names such
as Harry Emerson Fosdick, Leslie Weatherhead, or any of a host of
evangelists from Billy Sunday to Billy Graham, saying "that was
preaching."
The pattern for the perfect speech was
declared by Cicero, the great Roman orator (106-43 BC). He said
that the perfect speech is an appeal to the mind, the heart and the
will; that is, what is it? what is of value to me? and what am I to do?
That is what came to be known as the three point sermon; it was the
methodology taught to all preachers until the late 1950’s or the early
60’s- incidentally, it is still the style taught in many seminaries.
In his great book "As One Without
Authority," Fred Craddock states that preaching today is the best it
has ever been. Instead of following the old three point system,
which tells people what to do, contemporary preaching (for those who
study it seriously) is exciting, because it gives people permission to
form their own voice and not to conform to a style or a system in an
effort to be original.
Craddock maintains that while there are still very popular preachers
who command audiences wherever they preach, pastors in local settings
do the best preaching. The style of preaching has changed from the
classical three point format to a pattern where people are allowed to
find their own position as they seek authenticity. What makes this new approach so
exciting is that it seeks to parallel the style of Jesus in the
gospels. As we have seen, when Jesus tells stories to drive home
his understanding, he does not interpret them for his hearers. In many
instances, the words of the scriptures say, “and they were astounded at
his teachings.”
Our scripture this morning is a
perfect example. It opens with these words: “Then Jesus told them a
parable about their need to pray always and not lose heart.” In this
instance, the writer has spelled out the reason for the story. In a certain city (it could be Squamish)
there was a judge who did not have reverence for God or respect for the
people (one wonders how such a person could become a judge). In any
case, in the same city there was a widow who kept coming to him saying:
"give me justice against my opponent." Notice there is no word as to
who the opponent is, nor are we told what is the injustice that is to
be determined by the hearer.
For a awhile, the judge simply ignores the request of the widow. Then
he says to himself “ I have no love of God, nor respect for anyone, but
this woman is driving me nuts. So, I will grant her request so
that she will stop wearing me out and cease from coming.” There is no
hint as to whether this is a good or a bad action. That is left for the
reader to decide.
Remarkably, Jesus stated that the listeners should hear what the unjust
judge said. Then Jesus ends the story with three questions to the
Pharisees. "Will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to
him day and night?" Notice, the Pharisees are not told who are the
chosen ones. That is a question they have to consider. "Will God delay
in helping them?" "I tell you" Jesus adds, "He will grant quick justice
to them." Jesus then ends with this kicker: "when the son of man comes,
will he find faith on the earth?"
There you have it. It reads like a
simple story, but it leaves you and me with many questions. just as it
did to the listeners back then. Why is it important the judge be noted
as one who did not fear God and had no respect for people? What
injustice did the widow have that required her to be so insistent? Was
the judge’s decision wise, even though his reasons were very selfish?
Why did Jesus say "listen to the judge?" Who are the "chosen ones"?
And, when he comes, will the son of man find faith on earth? That is where Jesus left it!
But I want you to notice that he followed up this story with the story
of the two men who went up to the temple to pray. One was arrogant and
pious, the other a poor sinner who came seeking repentance. Jesus says
in this instance that the humble sinner went home justified, as opposed
to the other. That is perhaps a
further clue that Jesus was directing his comments to the Pharisees who
had so heavily criticized him, not for doing good work, but for not
abiding by the rules of the system. The issue here, it seems to me, is
persistence. Jesus is extolling the virtue of sheer persistence;
the woman drives the judge mad with her persistence. Paul picks up that
same theme in his letter to Timothy “Continue in what you learned-
proclaim the message” and listen to this: “be persistent, whether the
times are favourable or unfavourable, convince, rebuke, and encourage
with the utmost patience in teaching.” Then Paul adds, as if he were
writing for our day “for the time is coming when people will not put up
with sound doctrine, but having itchy ears, they will accumulate for
themselves teachers to suit their own desires. They will turn away from
the truth and follow legends.” Paul then adds "endure, evangelize, and
carry out your ministry."
Paul is much more dogmatic than Jesus.
Paul was not content to leave conclusions to the minds of his
listeners. Paul demanded that they agree with him, and if they did not
he was harsh on them. That is one reason why, hero that he was, he was
unpopular with many. And that is also one reason why the Church,
throughout its history, has been much more comfortable with Paul than
with Jesus- it is hard work to arrive at our own conclusions.
Most people are more comfortable being told. That is also one of the reasons for the
popularity of conservative christian churches today.
In the main, we too are impatient. We
want things to happen quickly, and we want them to happen the way we
understand them. And we like those who agree with our conclusions. The truth is, however, that we also
know a great deal of life is just hanging on. Persistence is
required, and sometimes being persistent is dealing with
disappointments and inconveniences. “What do you mean she’s not in; I
have an appointment?” “I’m sorry, she is not here, would you like to
see another person?” “No, I came all the way from Paradise Valley, and
I had to take a day off of work and find a ride.” “I’m sorry, would you
like another appointment?” We know how it feels. That’s the way life
is often: hanging on, digging in; being faithful even when it is tough.
Years ago, when I was a basketball coach, I learned that when the team
was in a losing streak, that was the time when you had to be
persistent. That was the time when, instead of trying new ideas and
different plays, you had to practice the basics over and over
again, until they became known and followed. Persistence may be
boring at times, but it pays off.
These are his words; he said them to
me. “I am damn mad at God that I have cancer. What did I do to deserve
this?” I asked him, “are you going for treatment?” He answered "yes,
even though it makes me sick and miserable for a time, it’s all I can
do”- persistence.
Perhaps some of you have heard of the
commencement address given many years ago by Sir Winston Churchill. He
was speaking to the graduates and the audience at Westminster College,
a small liberal Arts college in the eastern part of the United States.
After being properly introduced, this tall, now slouching man rose,
went to the lectern and said: “Don’t give up! Do not give up! Don’t
ever give up!” and he sat down. They never forgot that speech, because
they were the ones who had to determine just what are facts of life
required such persistence.
We hear people say, “I never have seen
anyone so lucky as she is. She always seems to win, and everything
always seems to turn out correctly.” Chris and I have a friend
who lives in eastern Ontario, who is a faithful and serving Christian.
He has been a key lay leader in his United Church for years. He has
held many Presbytery leadership positions. He’s a leader in his
community- so much so that last year he was cited and presented with an
award by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario. John is confined to a
wheelchair, the victim of multiple sclerosis- but he perseveres and
goes on; no excuses, no feeling sorry for himself, no lamenting the
good luck of others, just persistence. Sometimes, that’s the way life
is.
Some come to worship week after week.
Their week has been tough, or business has been slow, or relations have
been strained, and life is difficult and depressing. They sit there,
and silently they say, "is there any hope? Do you have any words for me
today pastor?" And the answer is "yes I do. Hang on. Be steady. Live
your faith. Don’t give up- persevere!" It’s not very glamorous, but
that is what Jesus asked, and he said "God will grant justice."
What if Churches are experiencing hard
times, as many are? Some
are opting out of traditional churches and going to assemblies where
they can share in a weekly pep rally for Jesus. Some are joining meditative groups,
where they can practice under the teaching or leadership of some
aesthetic guru. Some
simply say “we’re no longer interested, please remove our name from the
rolls.” Others simply stop coming, and seemingly vanish from the
Church. It’s so sad and so discouraging. What do we do when such things
happen? We hang on. We pray more. We work a bit harder. We serve
longer. We exhort patience and loyalty, we dig deeper, until the tide
changes, and we think of others who have persevered and conquered.
Fred Craddock tells of preaching on
the topic of “Knock and it shall be opened unto you.” At the conclusion
of the service, an elderly black man said to him “thank you for those
words, but until you have stood before a locked door for seventy years,
and knocked until your knuckles are bloody, you don’t know what Jesus
was talking about.”
Sometimes I hear complaints about this
Church and I think about my friend in India. Kenaz took Chris and me to
his Church in Palliyadi, and I preached to a thousand people sitting
under a huge tree, sitting on backless benches or on the ground. Their
beautiful Church was just 10 yards or so away, yet they could not use
it because the government had shut it down. Another group said they
should have the Church, so the decision was made that none would. Those
Indian Christians folks are persevering, and they are growing.
I hear some say, we are so small, and
we are not growing. Over 50% of the churches in North America
have 50 or fewer people in worship on a Sunday morning- 50%. We
persist, and we hang on, because we believe our persistence will result
in growth. Why doesn’t it
happen faster, you may ask. That’s what Abraham said when he left Ur of
the Caldes- today’s Iran- and went out not knowing where he was going,
but going believing that God wanted him. Eventually, late in life, he
became the Father of a great nation. Persist, that’s what Noah did-
building that boat in the middle of the desert. What are you doing,
Noah? Expecting a flood? Persist, that’s what Jeremiah did, preaching
about the return of Israel and the restoration of the temple while the
people of Israel were away in captivity.
It took a while, but that is what the
disciples did after Jesus was crucified. They didn’t understand. Why
were they doing this to our Lord? But they persevered, and the message
continued, and still continues.
Perhaps it takes time for us to lay
aside praying for a trip to Hawaii, or special favours for our families
or ourselves. It takes time to learn that we don’t equate
faithfulness with our health or our wealth. Maybe it takes time
to get beyond worrying about beautiful facilities, public favour and
growth. It takes time to be able to say "not my will but yours."
When the early Christians were being
persecuted- bait for lions, games for the emperors and hiding in
catacombs- they stayed firm, and prayed "Come Lord Jesus." Now it is our turn. When the door is
closed, knock, knock, knock and knock again: keep knocking until your
knuckles are bloody, and God will reward your persistence.