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Sunday sermonDo not grow weary of praying always.
# Introduction The subject of today’s lesson is not included in the writings of the other three Evangelists; only Luke records it. Our topic today centers on the exhortation: "Do not grow weary in praying." These are the words of the Lord Jesus Christ. Before addressing this, and following His teaching to the disciples—at the end of Luke chapter 17—regarding His [future] coming, the Lord Jesus Christ uses the parable of the widow and the unrighteous judge to instruct them on the necessity of prayer and how they ought to pray. The reason the Lord Jesus Christ spoke about praying constantly without growing weary is that He was traveling toward Jerusalem; as the time He had left with His disciples was drawing to a close, He desired to connect them with God the Father. One of the ways He sought to foster this connection was by sharing a parable, urging them to pray continually—without ever losing heart—so that they might lead and experience a life connected to God. When we think about prayer, we realize that we pray about various matters at different times. Sometimes, we receive a swift answer from God regarding the things for which we pray; at other times, the answer is delayed. When we pray repeatedly and receive no answer, it may seem as though God has not heard us. Consequently, we begin to grow weary. We fail to wait upon God in prayer; instead, we become impatient. Our Lord Jesus offers a brief and clear lesson on this: He tells us—just as He told His disciples—that we ought to pray always and not lose heart. The parable Jesus presents teaches us that we should not stop praying simply because the answer to our prayers has not yet arrived. - The Judge: He was a very difficult man—one who neither feared God nor respected people (Luke 18:2). In modern terms, he was "highly corrupt"—a judge who did not render fair judgments, who judged based on personal bias or bribes, and who lacked moral integrity. - The Widow: A woman whose husband has died, who lacks support, and who may also be responsible for raising children. There was a widow living in the same city as this judge. She sought justice regarding a dispute with an adversary, repeatedly approaching the judge to request a fair ruling (Luke 18:3–4). Yet, despite her persistent appeals, she received no response; the judge remained entirely indifferent to her plea. Nevertheless, the widow continued to return, repeatedly seeking justice. - If one were to ask, "Why does this widow keep asking?" the answer is that she persisted because she possessed the "faith" that, one day, she would obtain justice. She kept coming forward; she kept asking. Even when rebuffed, she did not lose hope. In Psalm 40, the Psalmist David—describing the act of waiting upon the presence of God—writes: "I waited patiently for the Lord; He inclined toward me and heard my cry." Speaking about prayer in Matthew 7:7, our Lord says, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” Similarly, in Romans 12:12, the Apostle Paul writes regarding prayer: “Be constant in prayer.” - The widow persisted steadfastly until the end, eventually compelling the judge to take action. He remarked, “Because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by her continual coming” (Luke 18:5). This widow teaches us the importance of standing firm with determination during times of adversity.  >By contrasting the unjust judge with God, Jesus Christ reveals to us “the character of the righteous God.” (Luke 18:6–7) When Jesus illustrates the difference between an unjust judge and God: - The judge—who neither feared God nor respected man—responded only after being pestered. - God, our Father and our God: He is not cruel; He is a true and righteous Judge. Furthermore, out of His love, He listens to and answers those who bring their petitions before Him. The Bible instructs us to seek justice for the poor and the widow (Isaiah 1:17, 23). God is righteous and just. In Psalm 103:6, David declares, "The Lord works righteousness and justice." He is a God who hears the cries of His people. In Psalm 34:17, the Psalmist tells us, "When the righteous cry out, the Lord hears them." He reinforces this thought in Psalm 34:6, stating, "This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him; He saved him out of all his troubles." He is mindful of those who suffer. Yet, what we often desire is an immediate answer. Although God’s timing differs from our own, He remains faithful. He is a God who answers in His own time and in His own way. Even if we speak like Zion in Isaiah 49:14, or contend with God as Habakkuk did (Habakkuk 1:1–17), we ought to exercise patience, knowing that He will surely come, even if He tarries (Habakkuk 2:3). We are called to say, “I will wait quietly for the day of distress” (Habakkuk 3:16–17). While awaiting an answer to our prayers, it is essential to trust in God—in His character, His wisdom, and His presence. Even if an answer does not come, God remains a righteous Judge. - Jesus poses the question: “However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8). This is because remaining steadfast in faith during times of suffering is no simple matter. Throughout the Bible, we encounter individuals who, when God delayed in fulfilling His promises, lost hope, took matters into their own hands, and followed their own path. Abraham, for instance, serves as an example. In Genesis 12:1–3, God promised to bless Abraham; yet, some time later, Abraham faced a test. When Abraham said, “I have no heir,” God replied, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir—just wait” (Genesis 15:1–6). Yet, as we all know, Abraham could not wait; he heeded his wife’s counsel and went in to Hagar, the servant. He failed to persevere in faith. - This illustrates the importance of persevering not only by pleading for help during times of affliction but also by remaining steadfast in faith. We must be persistent in prayer—waiting until God responds—and we must wait in faith, trusting in God. This is why James tells us in James 1:12, “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial.”  # Conclusion Our lesson today encourages us not to cease praying or trusting in God, even while in the midst of suffering. Jesus urges us to continue awaiting His second coming with hope, saying: “And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly” (Luke 18:7). In 2 Kings 3:17, Elisha declared: “You will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water, and you and your cattle and your other animals will drink.” Let us, therefore, stand firm in faith and perseverance, for God answers our prayers—not according to our preferred timing or methods, but in His own time and way, and in the very circumstances where we find ourselves in distress. Let us wait for Him. Amen! Written by: Desalegn Daniel
Sunday sermonEverlasting Priest
>Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; 24 but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25 Therefore he is able to save completely[c] those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. 26 Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. 27 Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. 28 For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever. **Introduction** In this section, we will look at the New Covenant that God Almighty established through His Son, Jesus Christ, to save humanity. In this covenant, we also look at Jesus Christ, our great and eternal High Priest who serves. First, as we know, God Almighty Himself came to Adam to save humanity that had fallen into sin. He did this to reconcile humanity with Himself. Then, when God Almighty gave the Law to the people of Israel, He also provided various animal sacrifice rites meant for the atonement of sins. Thus, under the former covenant, the priests served in the tabernacle of meeting by offering various sacrifices daily and from time to time, while the high priest offered a sacrifice once a year for the forgiveness of sins for himself and for the people within that limited former covenant (Lev. 9:8–15). **However, all of this was merely a fleshly system that could not cleanse the conscience of the people or the priests, nor save them.** For this reason, God Almighty set aside this former covenant and willed His only Son, Jesus Christ, to become the true sacrificial Lamb; He came, lived as fully God and fully man, died, and inaugurated the New Covenant. This New Covenant took place at God's appointed time and successfully reconciled us with God. As we see in this section, through His Son Jesus Christ, this New Covenant provides us with: * One who lives forever to intercede for us (v. 25) * A High Priest who lives forever and possesses a permanent, unchangeable priesthood (v. 24) * One who is able to save completely those who come through Him (v. 25) * A perfect sacrificial Lamb—holy and innocent (v. 26) * One who does not need to offer sacrifices daily, having accomplished it once for all (v. 27) After saving completely those of us who have come to Him through this New Covenant in Jesus Christ, He also expects something from us: to make this great work of salvation known to others so that they, too, may be reconciled with God. *Written by:* **Blen Mulugeta**