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Scripture |
Luke 18-1-8 18 Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. 3 In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Grant me justice against my opponent.’ 4 For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, ‘Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.’ ” 6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? 8 I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” |
Devotional |
The parable Jesus tells is a situation that his hearers would have found familiar in the real world. The Jewish tradition of special care for widows, orphans, and strangers with the rational that they were the most valuable members of the community and especially dear to God is the theme here. The people of Israel were to initiate God’s compassion. The judge who “fears neither God nor human beings” is refusing justice for the poor widow. This is a judge who should not have occupied this position. The initial image is of a judge who has been bribed to give a decision to a wealthier party, more likely a male. The NRSV’s “so that she may wear me out by continually coming” is a weak translation for “lest she continue coming and end up doing violence to me.” The point is that according to societal norms, the widow should simply have accepted her fate, by refusing to do so, she acts so out of character that the judge is astonished. In this way she becomes a model of faithfulness on earth (v. 8). One commentator says “lest she gives me a black eye.” Could fear have motivated the judge to make the correct response? Jesus reminds us that we should be persistent in prayer. To continue to pray for justice for all people should be a goal. “Keep on keeping on.” But we find this is difficult especially at times when things tend to be against us. The widow continues to struggle to receive justice from a system until she experiences the compassion of justice that she had diligently struggled to receive. Prayer: Lord, we know we are not as persistent in our prayer as we should be. Help us to be more like the widow who continues until she receives justice. May our persistence out weigh our wanting our desire to do violence. |