The Parable of the Persistent Widow

March 30, 2016

First Thoughts – Discuss with your Life Group

  • Think of a time that you or someone you know has needed to persevere, to persist.
  • What was the end result? Was it worth it? Why or Why not?

What do we learn about the widow, the judge, God.

Widow / Judge / God

Fill in the Blanks

Persistence Defined:
To ______ doing something or trying to do something ______it is ______or ______by other people. (Merriam-Webster)

What God says about widows and justice

Exodus 22:22–24 ESV “You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. If you do ______, and ______I will surely ______,and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.”

Deuteronomy 24: 17- 18 ESV “You shall not pervert the ______due to the sojourner or to the fatherless,or take a ______garment in pledge,butyou shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt and theLordyour God redeemed you from there…”

Isaiah 1:16-17 ESV “Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek ______, correct oppression; bring ______to the fatherless, plead the ______cause.”

Why might we be tempted to “lose heart” and give up when praying?

Look up and read the following verses out loud

  • Hebrews 4:16
  • James 5:16
  • Matthew 7:7-11
  • Matthew 21:22
  • 1 John 5:14-15
  • Colossians 4:2

In light of the passages above, answer the questions below:

  1. How does it benefit us to have to keep praying with persistence and passion instead of getting answers to our prayers right away?
  2. What is something you have been praying about for a long time without receiving what you’ve been asking for?
  3. Are you willing to die in faith, not having yet received what God has promised you? Why or why not?

LifeGroup Discussion – Deconstructing Prayer!

Read Matthew 6:5-13

  1. What is a good motivation for prayer? What is not good motivation for prayer?
  2. Why is private prayer so important in addition to the praying we do in groups?
  3. Do you pray on your own on a daily basis? What motivates you? What gets in the way? Who can you connect with as a prayer partner who will keep you accountable? Make a commitment to connect with the person you have in mind by Friday if you have not done so already!
  4. Do you have a habit of praying for Christ to return? Why or why not?
  5. What would help you persist in prayer for God’s kingdom to come?
  6. Why do we pray for God’s kingdom to come Matthew 6:10? How is this related to what we learned from Luke 18:1–8?
  7. Are there any topics in this prayer (Matthew 6:5-13) for which you don’t consistently pray? If so, which ones? How can Jesus’ words in this passage enrich your prayer life?

Read John 15:5-10

  1. What does it mean to “abide” in Christ?
  2. How is abiding linked to answered prayer in John 15:7?

PERSONAL REFLECTION AND PRAYER – This is done on your own at your tables

Take some time to write out a prayer to God

  • Thank Him for wanting to be in a relationship with us
  • Thank Him for hearing our prayers and that He wants to!
  • Ask Him to teach you to pray for those things that matter to Him and His coming Kingdom
  • Pray for His will to be done
  • Teach us to abide in Him and rest in His presence in our persistence

Parables – Homework March 30, 2016 –

The Unmerciful ServantMatthew 18:21-35

  1. Pray
  2. Observation
  • Ask the 5 Ws and H: Who is asking the question? Why would he ask it? What is Jesus’ response? Where are they? (see Matt. 17:24 and 19:1)
  • Mark the key words and phrases and make lists: What do you learn about the king? About the slave?
  • Watch for contrasts and comparisons: What is the kingdom of God compared to? How do the actions and the king and slave compare?
  • Watch for expressions of time and geographic locations
  • What do you learn from marking terms of conclusion in this passage?
  • What is the theme of this parable?
  1. Interpretation
  • How much would 10 000 talents be today? How much would 100 denarii be today?
  • See if you can find out what the rabbis in Jesus day would have taught about how many times you are to forgive others.
  • What else does the Bible teach about forgiveness? Use cross-references or a concordance to find other verses about forgiving others.
  1. Application
  • Put yourself in this story. How would you have felt before and after the king cancelled your debt? Why do you think the king decided to cancel the entire debt?
  • What have you been forgiven?
  • How do other’s “debts” to you compare with your debt before God?
  • What situation in your life has God brought to mind through your study? Is there someone you need to forgive? What is stopping you from forgiving that person from “your heart”?

Matthew 18:21-35New American Standard Bible (NASB)

21Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” 22Jesus *said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

23“For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. 24When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. 25But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. 26So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’ 27And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt. 28But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ 29So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ 30But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. 31So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. 32Then summoning him, his lord *said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’ 34And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. 35My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”