The Politics of Heaven

Luke 18:1-8 Politics is the art of getting things done in a city or state. “Polis” is the Greek word for “city.” While “tics” refers to a skill or art. Politics The practice of politics varies from place to place. However, there are some general rules regarding politics. 1. Politics is about people. A politician swims in people like a fish swims in the sea. He realizes that everyone he meets may be useful in getting things done. 2. Politics is about flexibility. In order to get someone to do what you want them to do, you must give them something that they want in return. 3. Politicians do not take “no” as an answer. What is “no” today, may be “yes” tomorrow, so he is persistent in going after what he wants. 4. Politicians seek the friendship with those who can help them the most. As we have a new administration in Washington, we have seen that the people who know the president best enjoy the spoils of victory. Those who opposed him get little or nothing. This brings us to an interesting question. If politics is universal, does it also exist in heaven? Do the laws of politics also work in the kingdom of God? The rules of politics are certainly different in heaven. But politics exists in heaven as well as on earth. Those whom God favors receive the most from him. At this point, some people will object. Does God play favorites? I am aware of Peter’s statement in Acts 10:34 “God is not a respecter of persons.” But if we read the rest of what Peter says, we discover that He does favor some. Acts 10:34-35 Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right. Peter is not saying God does not have favorites. To the contrary, he is says that anyone who fears him and does what is right can be His favorite. It is not saying He does not pick and choose. He is merely saying by what criteria He chooses. He chooses the ones who fear him and does His word. But doesn’t Jesus say in the Sermon on the Mount that God “lets the rain to fall on the just and unjust, and the sun to shine on the good an the evil?” H Nevertheless. In the same chapter, he begins with this statement. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven, “Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. . . . “ We all may get the sun and the rain, but God’s favorites will have earth in the end. Those who are closest to God will enjoy the victory with Him. God chose Abel over Cain. He chose Isaac over Esau. He chose Joseph over his brothers. He chose Israel over all other nations. He chose David and his line to be kings. Jesus chose twelve disciples out of seventy. He chose three over twelve. He chose Peter over the three. At every step of Biblical history, God played favorites. So we had better do like politicians do. We had better be among His favorites. The more time we we spent with Him, the close we become to him. Luke 18:1-8 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.' "For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!'" And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. 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. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" Here is a woman who had to go to a crooked judge for help. He does not care about anyone. All he cares about is money and power. What chance does a widow, with no means or money, have of getting justice from this man? Yet she has to try. In Jesus included one extraneous detail in this story that is very important to us. She came for justice against her adversary. Why does he mention her adversary? There was someone in town who was no doubt petitioning the judge against the woman. Jesus is showing that a judge plays favorites. Half of the people who go before a judge go away disappointed. Is it proper to pray for something that will deprive someone else? Should a sports team pray to win a game? Should a job applicant pray to get a job, when there are a hundred other people who need it as desperately as he does? Should we pray that a hurricane divert from hitting our community, when that only means it will hit somewhere else? God does not discourage us from asking what we wish. In fact, he encourages us to ask. He says you may ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you—even over those who do not pray, or those who pray and do not seek. Not only does He not discourage prayers for selfish reasons, He encourages us to make our desires known. False modesty or phony protestations of selflessness do not become us. We are selfish creatures, and often pray for selfish reasons. So this widow prayed for justice from her adversary. At first, he petitions before this judge did no good. He would not even hear her case. She came to court and waited for her case to come up on the docket, but it never came. Instead, those who were rich were heard before her. Day after day she ame, and day after day she was overlooked. She could not bribe the judge enough to hear her case. Have you ever felt that way with God? Does it ever seem that your petitions are not being heard. Don’t give up. This is the point of the message. Keep asking. Here’s what this woman did. In the morning, when the judge was walking to work, she threw herself in front of him and begged him to hear her case. She threw herself on the ground. He stepped over her. In the evening, when he came home, she threw herself before him. ‘Judge, hear my case!” He walked around her. She was a nuisance. He locked her out of the court. She held up signs against the court window. He drove her off. Yet here she was again and again and again, pleading to be heard. At first, this woman was nothing to the judge. But she became something to him. He knew her face. When she showed up in court, he said, “I’ll hear her out, and I’ll be rid of her.” Jesus’ point is this--if the worst judge will hear your case when you keep getting in his face about it, what will the best of judges do when you do the same? How long will it take your own father to hear your case, if you persistently ask? God is not a bad judge. He is a very good judge, but like all judges, he favors those who will most persistently make their case before him. Think of it. Jesus is telling us that God wants us to be His favorite. He wants to shower us with blessings, but he asks us to be persistent in our asking. It is the relationship we have with Him which gives us the keys to the kingdom. That relationship is forged by time with Him. We must network with him to receive what He wants to give. “Ask and keep on asking, “Jesus said, “and it will be given. Seek and keep on seeking, and you will find. Knock and keep on knocking, and the door will be opened. For whoever asks receives, whoever seeks, finds, and to who knocks, the door will be opened. Do we always get what we want. No. There are some conditions on prayer we must know. First, we must know that God really is sovereign. Sometimes, he does not give to us, because it is actually not part of his plan. In some contests, we are better off getting second place than first. Other times, it is better that we do not place at all. Only God knows this. We must be willing to bow to his wishes. God is not our genie in the bottle who must do our bidding. He is a sovereign, free, and wild God who does what He wishes and appears as He will. We must not think that because we are persistent that we will always get our way. Te need to have respect for God’s choices. Second, we must be flexible. What we ask may not be what God wents, but God gives great consolation prizes. He does not allow any of us to go way empty handed. He will bless all who turn to him. Getting from God is not a matter of things but a matter of the heart. He satisfies our heart first, then our cravings. People are run by insatiable cravings for lust, food, money, power, revenge, and so forth. It is these very cravings from which God wishes to free us. If he gave us according to our cravings, it would disappoint us in the end. But he gives according to our heart, and then satisfies our cravings. He would no more fulfill all our cravings than he would give a drunkard a drink. Third, we must be persistent. The secret to getting from God is to cultivate a relationship with Him. Meet him morning and evening. Meet him through the day and pester him. Get everyone you can to join with you in this pursuit. Don’t let go until you get the answer that satisfies you. The Bible has a word for this kind of persistence. It’s called faith. Faith is the belief that if we pray to God, He is listening. It is the belief that God will fulfill his promises. “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” In other words, when Jesus comes again, will anyone be waiting? Can we believe in a hope deferred enough to keep asking? This woman was persistent, and got what she wanted. We should all be willing to wait and receive. \