Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 2836
“And shall not God avenge His own elect, who cry day and night unto Him, though He bears long with them?” Luke 18:7.
YOU remember this is the conclusion of the parable of the importunate widow. Her husband was dead. He had left her, perhaps, a little property, but some adversary, very probably a lawyer, seized hold of it and took from her all that she had. What was she to do? She went straightway to the judge, the appointed minister of justice in the city. The first time she went, she met with a cold repulse. She went a second time—her poverty drove her, her necessity compelled her to face the man again. Now the judge “neither feared God, nor regarded man,” but at last, seeing the vehemence of the woman, feeling that he should be exceedingly troubled by her constant importunity, he granted her request and he did avenge her of her adversary. Jesus used this to show the power of importunity—“Hear what the unjust judge said”— “And if the unjust judge did this, shall not God avenge His own elect, who cry day and night unto Him?”
Now, in trying to discuss this text this evening, I shall first show what I believe to be the primary application of it And, secondly, I shall try to enlarge upon the general principle involved in it—that importunity is very prevalent with God.
I. To begin, then, WHAT WAS THE ABSOLUTE AND CLEAREST MEANING THAT OUR SAVIOR WOULD CONVEY TO HIS DISCIPLES BY THE PARABLE?
Well, now, I think the whole sense of the parable, as far as we can make any special application of it, hinges upon the meaning of that word, “avenge.” What is it that Christ’s Church is always praying for? The answer is they are praying spiritually for that which the poor widow prayed for actually—they are praying to be avenged of their adversary. Now what did this mean in the poor woman’s case? For, in some degree, it means just the same in the Church’s case. I do not believe that that poor widow, when she went to the judge, went for mere vengeance’s sake. I cannot conceive that our Savior would have exhibited the perseverance of malice as an example to His people. I do not think that when she applied day after day to the court of the judge, to be avenged, she applied to have her adversary punished for the mere sake of his being punished. It strikes me there was no revenge whatever in the poor woman’s spirit and that what she went for was simply this—her husband was dead, he had left her a little property, it was all she had to bring his babes up and support herself—someone had seized this property and what she needed was that the property might be restored to her.
Her request was that that which had been unlawfully taken from the weak by the mighty, might at once be taken from the clutches of the strong and restored unto the rightful owner. I think any intelligent person reading the passage would at once conceive that that was what she was seeking. Now the Church of Christ is seeking the very same thing. Those that can cry day and night in Heaven before the Throne of God do not cry out of a spirit of revenge. The saints, when they pray to God on earth and girdle the globe with supplication, do not pray against the wicked out of a spirit of hatred. God forbid that any of us should ever fall on our knees and ask God to avenge us of our adversary in the common acceptation of that phrase! I am sure there is no Christian actuated by the Spirit of Christ who would ever ask for vengeance, even on the head of the bloodiest persecutor. For if he should do so, I think the lips of Jesus might rebuke him, for we know what Jesus said when He was dying—He did not wish to be avenged, for He said—“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
Christ’s Church is seeking after just what the poor widow was seeking and we are to understand our text, “Shall not God avenge His own elect?” in that modified sense which the parable would convey to us. The fact is, Christ’s Church is a widow. It is true her Husband is alive but she is in a widowed state because He has departed from her. Our Lord Jesus Christ who is the Bridegroom, was once with His people and the Church could not mourn or fast when the Bridegroom was with her. But He said, “The day shall come when the Bridegroom shall be taken away, and then she shall fast.” These are the days—“Our Jesus has gone up on high”—He is not with us in Person, now—He has left His Church in the wilderness. It is true He has left the Comforter with her, but His own absolute, personal Presence is not vouchsafed to her. He is not yet come a second time without a Sin-Offering unto salvation. Well, then, taking advantage of the absence of Christ, the Church’s Husband, the kings, the princes, the rulers and spiritual wickedness in high places have sought to rob the Church of her rights and her privileges! And what the Church is always crying for is that God would restore her, her rights—that He would give to her the portion which her Husband left her in His last legacy and which, in due time, when God shall have answered her prayers, He shall restore unto her. And what is that legacy?