May 11th 2025: Luke 18:1-8

1. When I think of my mother, I remember how strong and brave she was. Even though my father did not take care of the family, my mother never lost hope and took on the responsibility of looking after us. She never stopped caring for her children, even though she was unsure how to raise them. This was because she had never learned how to love, having not received love from her own parents during her lifetime. But I know she loves me. She wanted to educate my sister and me, but she did not know how. So, she did not stop me when I began attending a church, even though she was a Buddhist. She thought the church might be able to educate me better than she could. Because of this, I came to know Jesus Christ and eventually became a pastor. Now, my mother serves as an elder at her church. Today, on Mother’s Day Sunday, I want to speak about a love that never gives up—the persistent, faithful love we often witness most clearly in a mother’s prayers. In Luke 18, Jesus shares a parable about persistence in prayer. It is a story not only about asking but about never giving up. I believe this story beautifully reflects the kind of prayers many mothers offer daily for their families. Let me read Luke 18:1-3. 

Luke 18:1–3 NASB 2020

Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not become discouraged, saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect any person. Now there was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me justice against my opponent.’

1. Summary of Luke 18:1-8

2. In this passage, Jesus tells His disciples a parable to teach them that they should always pray and never give up. He speaks of a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor cared about people. In the same town, there was a widow who kept coming to him with a request: “Grant me justice against my adversary.” At first, the judge refused. But because the widow kept coming and would not give up, he finally said to himself, “Even though I don’t fear God or care about people, I will see that she gets justice, so she won’t eventually wear me out with her constant requests.” Jesus explains that if even an unjust judge responds to persistence, how much more will God—who is just and loving—respond quickly to His chosen ones who cry out to Him day and night. However, Jesus ends with a challenging question: “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

3. Jesus begins the parable by introducing a widow who seeks justice from a judge. In the society of that time, widows were among the most vulnerable. They had no power, no voice. Yet this widow kept returning to the judge again and again. She refused to give up. Isn’t this the kind of love we see in many mothers?  Even when children face challenges, make mistakes, or even walk away from faith, mothers often continue to pray. They pray not just once or twice, but continually, because their love does not depend on circumstances.

Isaiah 49:15 NASB 2020

“Can a woman forget her nursing child And have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you.

4. I still cannot forget my friend’s mother and her prayer. When I graduated from high school, I often visited my friend’s home to study English. Although I was not particularly interested in English, he was eager to teach me. During that time, his mother would prepare supper, always inviting me to join and praying for me. Her prayers led me to reflect on the importance of a mother’s prayer for her children. Many of us are sitting here today because of the prayers of our mothers or grandmothers. Maybe they prayed when we were lost, or when we doubted God, or when life was too heavy. And their prayers carried us through.

2. A Mother’s Prayer May Seem Delayed, but God’s Timing Is Perfect (v.4-5)

5. In the parable, the unjust judge initially refuses the widow’s request. But eventually, he gives in—not because he cares, but because her persistence wears him down.

Luke 18:4–5 NLT

The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’ ”

6. I watched a video about a mother who was desperate for her child because they lacked both food and money. She tried to work to earn enough to buy food, but it was never sufficient. She was even bullied by her companions. Eventually, she lost her job, yet she never stopped trying to provide for her child. She went so far as to sell her hair and even her teeth. Later, she lost her health and was near death, but she still did not give up. In the end, she implored a gentleman to care for her child. This story is part of Les Misérables. Like this mother, the widow in the Bible did not stop pleading with the judge until he finally listened to her. This is the heart and love of a mother. It reflects the very heart and mind of God. God is not like the unjust judge. Our Lord is loving, merciful, and attentive to every cry of His people.

Hebrews 13:8 NIV

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

2 Timothy 2:13 NASB 2020

If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.

6. Sometimes a mother’s prayer may seem unanswered for years. Perhaps you’ve been praying for your child’s salvation, for healing, or for reconciliation. The waiting is hard. But God’s timing is never wrong. His delays are not His denials. He works behind the scenes, even when we can’t see it. We know a story of Augustine, one of the greatest church fathers, lived a reckless and sinful life as a young man. His mother, Monica, prayed for him faithfully for years—many, many years. Eventually, Augustine surrendered his life to Christ and became a pillar of Christian theology. Without Monica’s persistent prayers, history might have been very different. 

3. God Faithfully Answers the Faith-Filled Prayers of Mothers (v.6-8)

7. Even though no human love can fully represent God’s love, a mother’s love often reflects it. Through our mothers, we can glimpse the steadfast, enduring love of God. Jesus now ends the parable by reminding us that God will surely bring justice to His chosen ones who cry out to Him day and night.

Luke 18:6–8 NASB 2020

And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge said; now, will God not bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night, and will He delay long for them? I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

8. After the parable, as usual, Jesus explained that just as the unrighteous judge eventually listened, God hears the prayers of His people. God hears every prayer. Not a single tear, not a single word of prayer, goes unnoticed.

Jeremiah 33:3 CSB

Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and incomprehensible things you do not know.

1 John 5:14–15 LBP

And we are sure of this, that he will listen to us whenever we ask him for anything in line with his will. And if we really know he is listening when we talk to him and make our requests, then we can be sure that he will answer us.

9. We also know a story of  Susanna Wesley, the mother of John and Charles Wesley. She raised 19 children, often teaching them the Scriptures herself. Despite hardship and loss, she prayed constantly for her children. And from those prayers came two men who led one of the greatest revivals in church history. God honours the prayers of mothers. Sometimes the answer comes quickly. Sometimes it takes a lifetime. But His faithfulness is sure.

Conclusion

10. A mother’s love is one of the most steadfast and enduring loves we experience in this world. Yet even this great love is but a shadow compared to the boundless love of God. Like the persistent widow in Jesus’ parable, and like so many praying mothers throughout history, we are called to be people who never give up in prayer. At times, it may feel as though our prayers go unheard. But Psalm 56:8 reminds us:

Psalm 56:8 NASB 2020

You have taken account of my miseries; Put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your book?

Galatians 6:9 encourages us:

Galatians 6:9 NASB 2020

Let’s not become discouraged in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not become weary.

Finally, James 5:16 assures us:

James 5:16 NASB 2020

Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. A prayer of a righteous person, when it is brought about, can accomplish much.

11. Today, as we give thanks for our mothers and their faithful prayers, let us also be inspired to become people of persistent prayer ourselves. Whether we are mothers, fathers, sons, or daughters, God is calling each of us to pray without ceasing and to trust in His justice and mercy. He hears every prayer and, in His perfect timing, He will answer. Let us continue to pray, believing that in His perfect time, God will answer and His glory will be revealed. Amen.

Podcast: https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/ee701b09-a20a-4d81-9b0d-47e0236c7444/audio

Quiz

• What specific characteristic of his mother does the author highlight as reflecting persistent, faithful love?

• According to the author, what was the primary reason the widow in the parable kept returning to the unjust judge?

• In the context of the sermon, how does the author use the story of the mother from Les Misérables?

• The author contrasts the unjust judge with God. What are the key differences highlighted?

• What significant figure in church history is mentioned as having a mother who prayed for him for many years?

• What does the author suggest about the timing of God's answers to prayer?

• How does the author connect a mother's love to God's love?

• What is the main lesson Jesus is teaching through the parable of the persistent widow in Luke 18:1-8?

• Besides Augustine, what other historical mother and her children are mentioned as an example of the power of persistent prayer?

• What is the final call to action for the readers/listeners based on the message of the sermon?

Quiz Answer Key

• The author highlights his mother's strong and brave nature, and how she never lost hope or stopped caring for her children despite difficulties, including not knowing how to raise them or having received love herself.

• The widow kept returning to the judge because she refused to give up in her request for justice against her opponent, demonstrating persistence despite her vulnerability.

• The author uses the story of the mother from Les Misérables as an example of a mother's desperate efforts and refusal to give up in providing for her child, drawing a parallel to the persistent widow and the heart of a mother.

• The author states that God is not like the unjust judge; God is loving, merciful, and attentive to every cry of His people, whereas the judge was indifferent and only responded out of weariness.

• Augustine, one of the greatest church fathers, is mentioned as having a mother, Monica, who prayed for him faithfully for many years before he surrendered his life to Christ.

• The author suggests that God's timing is perfect and His delays are not His denials, meaning that answers to prayer may seem delayed for years but God is working even when we cannot see it.

• The author suggests that while no human love can fully represent God's love, a mother's love often reflects the steadfast, enduring love of God, offering a glimpse of it.

• The main lesson Jesus is teaching is that people should always pray and never give up, demonstrating persistence in prayer as the widow did in seeking justice.

• Susanna Wesley, the mother of John and Charles Wesley, is mentioned as praying constantly for her 19 children, leading to two men who led a great revival in church history.

• The final call to action is for the readers/listeners to be inspired by the example of persistent prayer and to become people who never give up in prayer, trusting in God's justice and mercy.