 Fruitland United Methodist Church October 19, 2025 *(Please stand if you are comfortably able.) Prelude Welcoming the Light of Christ and inviting the neighborhood to worship. Welcome and Announcements *Call to Worship . *Sharing the peace of Christ. *Hymn Scripture Reading Time With Young Christians – Pastor Jorge Time of Community Expressions Hymn Thanksgiving and Celebration Prayers for Healing and Wholeness Our Community and World And now, we pray... *Hymn Invitation to Generosity- Pastor Jorge Offertory *Doxology Praise God, from whom all blessings flow . . . UMH 95 Sermon - Pastor Jorge “When God Knocks on the Door” Luke 18:1–8 Let’s imagine for a moment that we’re at a gathering of preachers. Someone suggests a game: “Let’s make a list of the parables we wish Jesus had never told.” Nervous laughter fills the room. Some mention the prodigal son—too scandalous. Others bring up the dishonest manager—too confusing. And someone, with a wry smile, says, “What about the unjust judge and the persistent widow?” Silence... Because that parable, the one in Luke 18, makes us uncomfortable. It confronts us. It leaves us with more questions than answers. Luke tells us that Jesus shared it “to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” And that sounds good. Perseverance. Not giving up. Keep praying. But when we look closer, something unsettles us. The judge doesn’t fear God or respect anyone. The widow has no power, no influence, but she has something the judge can’t ignore: persistence. Day after day, she knocks on his door. Day after day, she demands justice. Until the judge, worn out, gives in. Not out of compassion. Not out of conviction. Out of convenience. And then Jesus says, “Will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?” And here’s where many of us, if we’re honest, lower our gaze. because yes, sometimes God delays. Sometimes, painfully so. There are knees worn out from prayer. There are tears that have soaked the floors of our rooms. And there is no answer. No justice. Only silence. Was Jesus wrong? Or is there something more? “My ways are not your ways,” says Isaiah. “A thousand years are like a day,” says the psalmist. And we, trapped in time, want quick answers. But God is not bound by our clock. And it’s not our place to justify Him. Only to trust. So then, what do we do with this parable? Maybe we’ve understood it backwards. What if the widow isn’t us—but God? What if the unjust judge isn’t God—but us? What if God is the one knocking on our door, day after day, crying out for justice? What if we, out of fear, comfort, or prejudice, shut the door on Him? What if justice has already been declared, but we haven’t applied it? What if God has already answered, but we haven’t listened? This parable isn’t just about how to pray. It’s about how to live. Because prayer is action, and action is prayer. The widow prayed as she insisted. She prayed as she made others uncomfortable. She prayed as she demanded what was right. And we—how do we pray? Do we pray with our feet? With our hands? With our voice? With our heart? Persevering in prayer isn’t just repeating words. It’s knocking on doors. It’s advocating for the voiceless. It’s resisting injustice. It’s dismantling systems that sell justice to the highest bidder. And yes, we also need moments of silence. Of retreat. Of tears. But not to stay there. Rather, to emerge strengthened. To knock again. To insist again. Because we have a faith that does not give up. Amen. Hymn Pastoral Benediction Song of Blessing Postlude Rev. Jorge Rodriguez [email protected]
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