Luke 18-21
One of my favorite phrases is “how much more…?” That phrase has helped me in so many areas, so many times, and in so many ways. It is a powerful and real reminder that God is in fact involved, intimately, in my life, and His plans for me are always good.
I was seventeen years old and had just graduated from high school when I accepted Christ. My life, my heart, my mind was changed at that moment. I was fortunate in that God, our Father, taught me a valuable lesson not long after.
One of my immediate needs was a full-time job, so I could start building a fund for college. A couple of new friends from my new church directed me to their employer, a large construction company. I will always remember my walk to the company door of that office. It was early in the morning, about 100 guys were in the yard loading up and getting into their company trucks for the day’s work. It seemed somewhat chaotic. As I approached the office I noticed a sign posted on the door. It said, in no uncertain terms, “We are not hiring, so don’t bother asking.” Ouch!
I went in anyway, and spoke with the foreman, and asked for a job. After some talk, I was handed an application, which I filled out and went on my way. Did I mention I had prayed and asked God to provide me with a job, then I prayed that morning and asked God for help in landing a job with this company, and I prayed on my way home that I would be hired.
I was home maybe an hour when the phone rang. It was the foreman. I was hired, and I started the following morning. I worked for that company for a year, then went off to Bible College. Every summer I received a call from someone at that company to return to work during the summer break.
The question, “how much more,” is raised by Jesus in many of his parables, including the first parable in this section of Luke, the parable of the persistent widow. (Luke 18: 1-8) It is real simple. Consider the unrighteous judge in the parable. He neither fears God, nor does he care about people. That is a violation of the two greatest commandments. The other person is a widow, one of the most vulnerable people of the time. So here it is. If an unrighteous, unjust, and uncaring judge will vindicate a widow who keeps coming to him, how much more will God, our Father, who is righteous, just, and loving, answer the prayers of His people.
Remember verse one. Jesus tells the parable to his disciples. That’s us. We’re His disciples. The purpose is to show that we, “should always pray and not give up.” Our heavenly Father does hear our prayers, through all the seasons of our lives, and he is good to us, all the time.
- Moses Mendoza is a Small Group Leader and Youth Ministry volunteer at Adventure Church
