Luke 18:1-8
In this parable, we are invited to consider the persistence or, depending on how you look at it, the boldness of a woman who has intentionally and relentlessly come before a judge with a request: “Grant me justice against my adversary”. We are not told what the specifics of her request was – Had someone hurt her? Stolen from her? The text does not go into detail about her concern, and all that we know is that she is a widow and in a position where she must be her own advocate.
The scripture goes on to say that her request before the judge seemed to fall on deaf ears because initially the judge refused. We can only imagine how the widow must have felt. However, the plot changes! In verse 4 we find these words: “But finally he said to himself, even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!”
What happened?
It appears that the widow’s unwillingness to give up caused the judge to have a change of heart. What does this parable mean for us today?
In the very beginning of this narrative, we are told the importance of this story; not just for the time that it was heard in “real time” but for us even now: “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.”
That’s it!
The lesson is clear – we are being reminded to pray and never give up. It sounds quite simple and maybe even too easy. How many of us have prayed for something and when it did not happen, we gave up? It is so easy to become disillusioned when our prayers seem to go unanswered, but we are being encouraged through this passage to consistently make our requests known to God.
Many of us, including myself, struggle with this issue of remaining faithful even through challenging times. I recently became a widow and found hope in the determination that was evident in the woman who refused to stop asking for what she needed.
Her story is a reminder that God does hear, and answer prayer and it is okay not to give up hope! Our heavenly Father is not like a judge that has no time or patience to hear from us. When we pray and feel like we have not heard the answer we want to hear we cannot give up.
PRAYER: Loving Creator, thank you for hearing and answering our prayers. Help us to understand we should never give up hope even when it looks like all hope is gone. Amen.
PROMPT: What prayer have you kept from God because you fear God may not answer in your favor?