In writing this blog
preparing for Easter, 2015, it has been my privilege to reacquaint myself with
the life and work of A. T. Robertson,
the notable Greek Scholar and New Testament professor at Southern Seminary in
Louisville KY. Born in 1863,
Robertson remains a treasure for any student of God’s word.
One of his books I have used
is, A HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS FOR STUDENTS OF THE LIFE OF CHRIST, Based on
the Broadus Harmony in the Revised Version, the title of which sheds some
light upon the influences of this scholar. Robertson was a gifted teacher and preacher, but he was also blessed to marry into a family of equal gifts and notoriety. His wife was Elsa Broadus, the daughter of John
Broadus (famous Baptist Preacher) and sister of Eliza Broadus (great WMU leader of Kentucky), and this book, one
based upon his father-in-laws great work, Harmony of the Gospels, was
dedicated to her, no doubt, because of her influence on her generation to
support the work of the gospel the world over. Robertson greatly loved and admired his in-laws as their
lives, work, and dedication to Christ mirrored his own and in the preface to
his book he writes this… ‘There was a time when men hung in wonder
upon the words of Jesus, listening with awe and rapture as he spoke’ and no
better illustration of this statement can be more clear than of the following
parable Christ spoke to His disciples while traveling south along Samaria and
Galilee on His way towards Jerusalem.
And he told them a parable to the effect that
they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there
was a 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.’ Luke 18: 1-5
Yes, it is not surprising to
me that Jesus would teach concerning prayer. Jesus made continual use of prayer
– praying daily to His Father, and teaching often to His disciples concerning the
nature and import of this privilege.
‘Lord, teach us to pray’ they once had asked Him, and Jesus did – in
word and by everyday example.
So here, on His way to
Jerusalem and before those final days, there was one thing more to teach. It was a word given for
encouragement. A word taught by comparison
and contrast using a parable – a story – of a widow who would not be silenced
till she got what she asked for.
In short, Christ said – if this is true of this widow, how much more
would their heavenly father hear, answer and bless a prayer from one of His elect. This parabolic example was not meant to
teach the disciples that begging God was necessary, but that if persistence
works in everyday life, it surely will be blessed in their prayer to God too –
adding…
“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? 8 I tell you, he
will give justice to them speedily.
(Vv. 6 – 8a)
I confess that persistence
in prayer is a needed area of growth for me. Like many of my generation, I
favor ‘quick fixes’, and ‘instant response.’ The discipline of continual prayer
does not come easily. So
that I must be oft reminded of the admonition by the Apostle Paul to the
Thessalonians to ‘pray
without ceasing’ (1 Thess.
5:17), and of the life of Christ, himself, described early on in the first
gospel penned, saying… Very early in the morning, while it was still
dark, He got up, went out, and made His way to a deserted place. And He was
praying there. (Mark 1:35)
So how about you? Would God
consider you an importunate (meaning, persistent, especially to the point of
annoyance or intrusion) person of prayer?
Of course God’s Word never teaches that He sees our prayers to Him as
intrusive. The opposite is so. God
wants to hear from us, and tells us this over and over in His Word. But… I would like to think – in my
prayers to Him – He might consider me persistent.
Let’s take these days before
Easter 2015 and seek the face of God, lifting our petitions before Him –
persistently. What is it that you want accomplished? What mighty work for His Kingdom’s
sake might you most desire to see?
Whatever it might be, pray for it now, and ‘keep praying' till you
see it so for the glory of God.
Pastor Sam
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