A sermon on Luke 18:1-8

By Fr. Mike Paraniuk
HCP columnist

Jesus told his disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. (Luke 18:1.) 

How does Jesus want me to do this? Does it mean I have to talk to him all day long? Not at all. It means just the opposite. Jesus wants you to listen to him all day long. 

Constant prayer is constant awareness of God's presence speaking to you. God's presence surrounds you like the air. Constant prayer is you breathing His air which will sustain you. With every spiritual breath you "take in," God will speak to you. Sometimes, God simply says "I love you – no exceptions."

Other times, God speaks through my thoughts words of encouragement and hope so that I do not grow weary when life has me down. But at all times God says, "I am here. Do not lose heart." 

God's breath is a divine gift giving His Spirit. “Then he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.'” (John 20:22.) In prayer, we use our breath to worship God who said, “This is my Son, my Chosen One. Listen to him.” (Luke 9:35.)

God speaks most powerfully in the darkest moments of life. The years 1618 to 1648 found Germany in a very dark place. The country was ravaged by famine, disease and a war that lasted 30 years. God raised up Pastor Martin Rinkart, whose deep faith in God's presence saved the town of Eilenberg. He was the only pastor in the town. 

One pastor left for a safer area away from disease. Pastor Martin buried the other two pastors. He conducted between 40 to 50 funerals a day. One of those funerals brought him great sorrow. He performed the funeral of his beloved wife. Pastor Martin continued to minister to the people of Eilenberg at great risk of catching the disease himself. He gave away everything he owned to buy food for the poor, even though he could barely feed his own children.

As if his grief and suffering were not enough, war came to the walls of Eilenberg. The Swedish army surrounded the city. The general demanded a huge ransom to spare the city. The starving citizens had no money to pay it. Pastor Martin went to the Swedish army begging that they lower the ransom price. The general refused. He was going to ransack the city for what little valuables that were left.

Pastor Rinkart returned to the city, fell on his knees and said, "Come, my children, we can find no hearing, no mercy with men, let us take refuge with God." 

He and the entire town prayed so fervently that the sound of the people's prayers echoed off the walls of the city. The general was deeply moved as he heard them throughout the night. The next day the general met with Pastor Martin again. He mercifully lowered the ransom price to just 5 percent of the original price.

This heroic Pastor wanted his children to sing a song of thanks to God at the dinner table for sparing Eilenberg. Pastor Martin quickly composed a song that became one of the most well known hymns sung in churches around the world at Thanksgiving. He wrote, "Now Thank We All Our God." 

Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things has done, in Whom this world rejoices;
Who from our mothers’ arms has blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love, and still is ours today.
Oh, may this bounteous God through all our life be near us,
With ever joyful hearts and blessed peace to cheer us;
And keep us in His grace, and guide us when perplexed;
And guard us through all ills in this world, till the next!
 
The parable of the dishonest judge ends with Jesus asking the question, "But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" (Luke 8:18.)   

Will Jesus find faith in YOU?  

Blessings...Fr. Mike.