A Widow And A Bad Judge
Preaching
Preaching the Parables
Series II, Cycle C
Object:
1Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray
always and not to lose heart. 2He said, "In a certain city there
was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people.
3In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and
saying, 'Grant me justice against my opponent.' 4For a while he
refused; but later he said to himself, 'Though I have no fear of
God and no respect for anyone, 5yet because this widow keeps
bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear
me out by continually coming.' " 6And the Lord said, "Listen to
what the unjust judge says. 7And will not God grant justice to
his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long
in helping them? 8I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to
them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on
earth?"
Recent news articles have reported accounts of judges who have misbehaved. One told of a judge who showed erratic actions on the bench. He scolded persons before him with abusive language and handed down peculiar sentences for those whom he found guilty. Another is suspended from his office and people have called for his impeachment. People charge that he engaged in sexual harassment of a court employee. A third changed the sentence, making it more harsh, after he conferred with the police about the case. Some think he made the change so that the police would support his wife, who was running for an office as a prosecuting attorney. An appeals court said the original sentence had to stand.
Corrupt judicial and law enforcement personnel are especially grievous because they are entrusted with responsibility for upholding the law. They are charged with assuring fair treatment of people according to the standards which the society has set. When the enforcement of laws and the administration of justice are capricious, people live with a high sense of insecurity. They have no way to seek redress for injustices. The abuse of the power of the court and of law enforcement happens in all cultures to some degree. It is more serious in some than in others. The parable Jesus tells in today's Gospel lesson could be repeated and should be well understood everywhere.
Context
Context of Luke 17
The parable is in the context of questions which arose about the coming of the kingdom. The Pharisees asked when it was coming. Jesus first responds to them in Luke 17:20-21. He then turns to the disciples and tells them that things will get so bad for them that they will long for the coming of the Son of Man. They will need to endure much suffering before they come to that time. They then ask Jesus where these events will occur. He responds with a saying that probably was common, "Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather" (Luke 17:37).
Jesus taught them to pray, "Thy kingdom come." The issue is how persistent the disciples can be in enduring faithfully when the coming in fullness is delayed. The parable addresses that question.
Context of the Lectionary
The First Lesson. (Jeremiah 31:27-34) God tells Israel and Judah that he has watched over their development. He has cared for them, but they have disobeyed. They see the consequences of social solidarity where the results of evil extend from one generation to the next. A time is coming, however, when the Lord will make a new covenant written on the heart instead of on stone. Then they will all know God's law. If Israel then ceases to follow God's order, the offspring of Israel will be rejected.
The Second Lesson. (2 Timothy 3:14-4:5) Timothy is admonished to continue to teach what he has learned and firmly believed. He is to use inspired scripture for instruction in the faith. He is to be persistent in the light of Jesus' appearance and God's kingdom. Even though people no longer want to hear sound doctrine, he should carry out his ministry as an evangelist.
Gospel. (Luke 18:1-5) Jesus tells the parable of the insistent widow who brings her case to an unprincipled judge. He uses it to illustrate the need for persistence in faith. Even though the cause may appear to be hopeless under the circumstances, the widow prevails. Jesus wonders if his followers will exercise a similar faithfulness in the face of adversity and delayed fulfillment of the kingdom.
Psalm. (Psalm 119:97-104) The theme of persistence continues in this psalm. The writer affirms his continued love of the law. He meditates on it constantly. Out of it he receives understanding. It leads to hate of every false way.
Context of Related Scripture
A twin parable is found earlier in Luke 11:5-8 where a man receives unexpected guests at midnight and prevails upon a reluctant neighbor to give him needed bread (see chapter 7).
See the following for references to a widow as symbolic of the innocent, powerless, and oppressed person:
Exodus 22:22-23 -- God will protect abused widows and orphans.
Deuteronomy 10:18 -- God administers justice for the orphan and widow.
Deuteronomy 24:17 -- Do not take a widow's garment in pledge.
Deuteronomy 27:19 -- A curse on anyone who deprives the orphans and widow of justice.
Job 10:9 -- Condemnation for sending widows away empty-handed.
Job 24:3 -- Job complains when people take a widow's ox in pledge.
Job 24:3 -- Job condemns those who do no good to the widow.
Psalm 68:5 -- God is the protector of widows.
Isaiah 1:17 -- A call to plead for the widow.
Isaiah 1:23 -- All people love a bribe and so the case of the widow does not come before them.
Isaiah 10:2 -- Condemnation of those who write decrees that widows might be their spoil.
Jeremiah 22:3 -- Jeremiah admonishes that no wrong or violence be done to the alien, the orphan, or the widow.
The duties of judges:
2 Chronicles 6:7 -- Jehosaphat appoints judges and tells them their duties before the Lord.
2 Timothy 4:8 -- The Lord is a righteous judge.
The "long delay" (makrothumia) of God's help:
Romans 2:4; 9:22 -- Translated as patience.
1 Timothy 1:16 -- Jesus Christ displaying patience toward Paul.
1 Peter 3:20 -- God waited patiently in the days of Noah.
2 Peter 3:9, 15 -- God is patient with you; therefore regard the patience of the Lord.
Content
Precis of the Parable
Jesus tells a story to illustrate that his disciples should pray constantly without becoming discouraged. A city judge ignored both public opinion and religious principles. In the same city a widow came before him seeking justice. At first he refused to consider her case. Later, because of her repeatedly coming before him, he decided to grant her justice. He just wanted to be rid of her since she was giving him a headache.
Jesus proceeds to ask rhetorical questions about whether God would not be much more ready to grant justice. He wonders if his followers will have as much faith in being vindicated by God as the widow had in being vindicated by a bad judge.
Thesis: The disciples should be as persistent in prayer and faith as the widow was in seeking justice.
Theme: Despite delay in final justice, Christians should persist in faithfulness and prayer.
Key Words in the Passage
1. "Need to Pray." (v. 1) One of the characteristics of Luke is his interest in prayers. He often emphasizes it as a requirement. (See Luke 1:10, 13; 3:21; 5:16; 6:12, 28; 9:18; 11:1.) He calls attention to it more frequently than either Matthew or Mark.
2. "A Judge." (v. 2) It is not clear from the text but the judge probably refused to consider the case of the widow, both because she was a woman and poor. A woman without a man as her advocate would have had little influence in a public office. Also, she probably could not afford to bribe the judge, as was often customary in Middle East societies.
3. "Feared God." (v. 2) The judge was not religiously oriented. He apparently was a completely secularized man. It is possible that the case Jesus knew about was not in the Jewish community but in the Roman or Greek-dominated judicial system.
4. "Nor ... Respect for People." (v. 2) The judge was a very independent person. He apparently neither depended on his constituents for his office nor cared what people thought about him. So one could not appeal to his humanity.
5. "A Widow." (v. 3) As noted above, a woman without a man as her support or her advocate had little power in the male- dominated society. It showed not only persistence but considerable courage when she appeared in the court and insisted on justice.
6. "Grant Me Justice." (v. 3) Jesus does not elaborate on the nature of the injustice. We are to assume that she had a legitimate case that deserved rectification.
7. "Wear Me Out." (v. 5) Literally the Greek says that she would slap his head and blacken his eyes. This probably is not actually what she would do. It is doubtful that a widow would attack a judge with such violence. Probably it is a figurative way of saying that she would give him a headache. It also would shame him, which in that culture would be a loss of face. His reputation would be damaged and that would be worse than the physical damage she might do by slapping him.
8. "Delay Long." (v. 7) The word in Greek, as noted above, suggests the patience and long-suffering of God. He does not bring judgment and punishment immediately all the time. God allows opportunity for people to repent and change.
9. "Find Faith on Earth." (v. 8) Is the patience and long- suffering of God matched by the disciples? Will they be as persistent in seeking postponed justice and as faithful in beseeching God to grant them justice?
Contemplation
Issues and Insights
1. The Central Figure. It is not clear which of the characters is central to the parable. Is it the widow who is representative of the disciples? She is persistent in seeking justice and eventually is vindicated. Is her persistence the point that prayer that should be constant? Jesus in Gethsemane repeatedly petitioned God to remove the cup of suffering from him. Finally he accepted God's will and endured the cross in obedience to the will of God.
Is the central figure the judge? He receives more attention than the widow in the brief parable. The verses following the content of the parable itself would suggest that the argument of the parable is from the lesser to the greater. If a judge who is responsive neither to God nor to people can eventually vindicate the widow, how much more will a compassionate and caring God eventually vindicate those who persist in appealing for justice?
2. Assumptions. The parable requires that the hearers make several assumptions. They probably can assume that the judge is corrupt. He probably dispenses justice to the highest bidder. Those who want justice from him must offer a bribe. In some societies it is accepted that that is the way you do business with public officials.
We know nothing about the widow's opponent. We do not know if he or she was a person of influence or had already bribed the judge. The opponent is never described or appears to defend the actions against the widow.
We are to assume that the widow had a just cause. The righteousness of her grievance has no impact on the judge. He is self-centered and calloused. The logic of her case in no way moves him. He may have considered the claim of the widow too trivial to require his attention.
In treating the parable a person may want to elaborate the story on the basis of some incident of delayed justice which fleshes out details for the modern hearer.
3. Discrimination Against Women. It may be harder for contemporaries to appreciate the dire status of women reflected in the parable. Until World War I and shortly afterward women had very little status. They could not borrow money in their own names. They could not inherit property directly. They could not vote. They were dependent upon the status of a husband, father, or brother to represent their interests in public affairs.
Women still have to struggle for equal treatment in society. An equal rights amendment, which many women and some men supported, was intended to grant them justice. It failed for lack of ratification by the states, whose legislatures are still dominated by men.
Jesus did elevate the status of women by this parable. The widow is the model for persistence and courage. Disciples are to emulate her in their constancy of faith. Luke tells more about the role of women in other places, such as recording the presence of women, including prominent ones, in those who traveled with him (see Luke 8:2-3). Elsewhere Jesus' relationship to Mary, Martha, Mary of Magdala, the Syrophoenician woman, and Jesus' mother indicates his respect for and treatment of women.
4. Why Persistent Prayer? If God knows our need before we ask, why persist in prayer? Several possible reasons may be suggested.
The first is that we need to sort out what we want from what we need. Often our self-interest and desires obscure our sight. What we think we need is not always our true condition. As Jesus prayed in Gethsemane for the passing of the cup and came to submission to God's larger will, so too we need to search in prayer to discover how to do God's will, not ours.
The second is that the time may not be right. We tend to see time in chronological terms. Delayed actions seems to us as no action. God is not bound by chronological time. God acts when conditions are ripe, in the time of fulfillment. We need to wait in patient but persistent asking, so that we may discern the right time in God's larger plan.
The third reason is that the answer may not be the one we expect. God has surprises. We see the outcomes of prayer only dimly. Sometimes we discover that our prayer was answered, but not in the way we had thought it should be. It may take a look back and a maturing of our spiritual understanding to know that the prayer was answered. We were just not able to recognize it at the moment.
Homily Hints
1. The Insistent Widow. (v. 3) Use the character of the woman as a model for approaching prayer, not as a cantankerous person, but as steady seeking and searching for God's will.
A. A Righteous Cause
B. Persevering Against the Odds
C. Justice Vindicated
2. Two Judges. (vv. 2, 7-8) Contrast a human judge who grants justice grudgingly with a righteous, caring, and compassionate God.
A. An Unscrupulous Judge
B. A Relenting Judge
C. God the Caring Judge
D. God the Scrupulous Judge
3. Delayed Justice. (vv. 7-8) In a world where much injustice and evil is evident, where do we see God at work for good and justice?
A. A Patient God. God often works through processes of history and not with instantaneous intervention and solutions.
B. A Loving God. If God always acted immediately on our petitions, we would not assume responsibility for working together with God and developing character.
C. A Vindicating God. God cannot be defeated ultimately. Justice and good often come out of seeming evil and injustice, but it may take time.
4. Prayer: Answered or Unanswered? (v. 7)
A. Prayer Is not Magic. God directs actions as causes which take time to operate and bring results.
B. Not always as Wanted.
C. Unanticipated Answers. God's ways are not our ways. God brings surprises in history. Who would think of crucifixion leading to resurrection and a powerful movement that swept around the world?
5. Faith in the Future. (v. 8)
A. Evil Persists for a Time
B. God's Patience. No evil has enduring existence
C. Faith Eventually Triumphs
6. How to Pray. (vv. 3-8) What does the parable tell us about the nature of our praying?
A. Describe Need. Explore what is our real need from God's perspective.
B. Imbibe the Spirit's Strength. Let the Holy Spirit direct our will and enable us to be patient in waiting to understand God's response.
C. Let God Prescribe. Do not seek to impose our will on God. Let God impose his superior will on ours.
Contact
Points of Contact
1. The Power of Prayer. Prayer orients our lives to the basic forces of the universe. True prayer puts us in harmony with all of true being. Evil is self-defeating and leads ultimately to non-being, it has no final reality. By living in harmony with the good, the just, and the right we merge ourselves with all that is ultimately real. That is not a kind of losing ourselves in some pantheistic way, but it is finding the true power of life itself.
2. Caring for the Oppressed. The Bible is replete with instances where God intervened on behalf of the oppressed, the poor, and the victims of injustice. Does this not call Christians to identify with and care for the victims of discrimination, oppression, and injustice as co-workers with God on their behalf?
It does mean that we use only righteous means as we work to rectify injustices and discrimination. We do not seek merely to help the bottom dogs become the top dogs and thereby create new bottom dogs. We work patiently and in faith with God to serve the needs of all people.
Nevertheless, we need to look to see who are the people who are less likely to receive justice in our society. Are they the widows, the orphans, the alien immigrants -- legal or illegal -- and the victims of racism, religious intolerance, or gender bias?
3. Delayed Action (makrothuma). All of us rely on the grace of God's delayed reaction. If we always received the immediate consequences of our sinning, who could survive? Because the results of our sins do not always happen instantly, we may have opportunity before a loving God to delay or prevent the worst consequences of our wrong actions.
If I smoke, I do not get lung cancer right away. It may take years before the results of such abuse happen. If in the meantime I find the grace to cease smoking, I may delay the consequences and have a longer life, or even prevent the lung cancer from happening altogether. If I am greedy and pursue money at the expense of family, friends, and others, I may not be completely alienated from them. I may be able to repent and even use the wealth gained to gain true friendship.
If the consequences of our collective evil in society were not delayed by God's patience and grace, not even a Noah and his family would survive the disasters we would bring. Pray in gratitude and hope for the delayed actions of God against our evil and sin.
4. A Hardened Conscience. The judge described in the parable had developed a hardened conscience. He was not swayed by public opinion or religious response. When is it appropriate to respond to public opinion and when is it not? President Clinton is criticized when he listens to the opinion polls and changes his positions to accommodate what they show as the will of the people. We admire persons who have principles and act consistently with them despite the unpopularity of their actions.
Where is the line between a person of conscience who stands against the popular trends and a fanatic who has tunnel vision and does not respond to reality checks from other people? Conscientious objectors who opposed World Wars I and II were very unpopular. Some received brutal treatment and other penalties. They claimed to take the position on the basis of religious convictions. In the Vietnam War they were more accepted.
What issues would cause you to go against popular sentiments because of religious convictions? How much should you care about what people think of you? How does prayer help you to decide such issues?
5. More Than Human Power. The parable poses the question of whether we really believe that forces other than human action determine the outcomes of history. We had decades of fears that communism was going to overtake the world. Great amounts of money were spent in trying to fight it. It seemed that most people did not believe that it had to fail because God was at work in processes that would bring its collapse if it was a false system.
Today many people continue to fear Cuba because of its leader, Fidel Castro. Some believe a different course would be better by establishing contact and meeting the needs of the people cooperatively. God could use that better to bring justice to the island than by threatening the country with isolation and sanctions.
Where is God patiently at work through economics, through changing persons, through political forces, and in other ways that overrule the forces of evil in the world? As the spiritual forces that are beyond human control work, do we have faith that God is there patiently working through them? Does our praying reflect such faith?
Illustrative Materials
1. Women Buying Cars. Studies show that if women go to the typical automobile agency to buy a car, they often will be ignored and receive less attention than male customers. They are more likely than men to be charged higher prices for comparable automobiles. Do women have to be more persistent to get attention and to get a fair deal when buying a car?
2. Calling on Women in Class. Repeated studies of co-ed classes at all levels from the elementary grades through college find that boys are more frequently called upon to answer questions or to discuss issues than girls. It is even more true in math and science classes. Some schools are experimenting with single sex classes. It is especially true in the areas where it has traditionally been assumed that girls have less interest and aptitude. Such practices are running into anti-discrimination legislation which call for equal access. Which is more just in meeting the needs of both boys and girls?
3. The Mothers of the "Disappeared." In Argentina for several years opponents or even suspected dissidents of the government "disappeared." They were killed and disposed of without trial or trace. Many were flown over the ocean and dropped into the water. Finally the mothers and wives of such persons got up courage and banded together. They made public protest and eventually helped bring an end to the practice. They helped change the government.
4. Women Against the Nazis. In 1943 the Gestapo arrested every known Jew in Germany. Those with non-Jewish wives were detained at a prison in the Rosenstrasse in Berlin. About 6000 wives gathered the next day before the prison. The police tried to chase them away. They regrouped and marched toward the prison, calling to their husbands. Despite orders to stay away from the windows, many showed themselves. The wives clamored for their release.
The Nazis finally were scared by the size of the demonstration, even though the Gestapo headquarters was nearby and a machine gun could easily have killed the women. Instead the government agreed to negotiate. As a consequence the men were released.
5. Faithful Wives. Not far from Heilbronn, Germany, at the town of Weinsberg, is a place known as Weibertreu. It can be translated as "faithful wives." The story is told that the castle at the top of the hill was under siege. At one point the besiegers agreed that all the women could leave, but they could only take with them what they could carry on their backs. Every woman carried her husband down the hill on her back. Thus the men also gained their freedom.
6. Prayer and Illness. A recent study was carried out to see the effects of prayer on persons who had heart attacks. One group had persons praying for them. The other group did not. The heart attack victims did not know who was being prayed for. While the study is received with some skepticism about the methodology, it indicated that those prayed for had better recovery and fewer deaths later than did those who were not prayed for.
7. Widows Robbed. A number of elderly widows were robbed of their life savings in a telephone scam. They were called by persons posing as bank examiners. They said they were trying to trap bank employees who were embezzling money. They asked the women to send checks which could be used as deposits. They could then prove who was taking the money. In fact, the checks were cashed and the women lost the money, which represented their life savings.
Recent news articles have reported accounts of judges who have misbehaved. One told of a judge who showed erratic actions on the bench. He scolded persons before him with abusive language and handed down peculiar sentences for those whom he found guilty. Another is suspended from his office and people have called for his impeachment. People charge that he engaged in sexual harassment of a court employee. A third changed the sentence, making it more harsh, after he conferred with the police about the case. Some think he made the change so that the police would support his wife, who was running for an office as a prosecuting attorney. An appeals court said the original sentence had to stand.
Corrupt judicial and law enforcement personnel are especially grievous because they are entrusted with responsibility for upholding the law. They are charged with assuring fair treatment of people according to the standards which the society has set. When the enforcement of laws and the administration of justice are capricious, people live with a high sense of insecurity. They have no way to seek redress for injustices. The abuse of the power of the court and of law enforcement happens in all cultures to some degree. It is more serious in some than in others. The parable Jesus tells in today's Gospel lesson could be repeated and should be well understood everywhere.
Context
Context of Luke 17
The parable is in the context of questions which arose about the coming of the kingdom. The Pharisees asked when it was coming. Jesus first responds to them in Luke 17:20-21. He then turns to the disciples and tells them that things will get so bad for them that they will long for the coming of the Son of Man. They will need to endure much suffering before they come to that time. They then ask Jesus where these events will occur. He responds with a saying that probably was common, "Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather" (Luke 17:37).
Jesus taught them to pray, "Thy kingdom come." The issue is how persistent the disciples can be in enduring faithfully when the coming in fullness is delayed. The parable addresses that question.
Context of the Lectionary
The First Lesson. (Jeremiah 31:27-34) God tells Israel and Judah that he has watched over their development. He has cared for them, but they have disobeyed. They see the consequences of social solidarity where the results of evil extend from one generation to the next. A time is coming, however, when the Lord will make a new covenant written on the heart instead of on stone. Then they will all know God's law. If Israel then ceases to follow God's order, the offspring of Israel will be rejected.
The Second Lesson. (2 Timothy 3:14-4:5) Timothy is admonished to continue to teach what he has learned and firmly believed. He is to use inspired scripture for instruction in the faith. He is to be persistent in the light of Jesus' appearance and God's kingdom. Even though people no longer want to hear sound doctrine, he should carry out his ministry as an evangelist.
Gospel. (Luke 18:1-5) Jesus tells the parable of the insistent widow who brings her case to an unprincipled judge. He uses it to illustrate the need for persistence in faith. Even though the cause may appear to be hopeless under the circumstances, the widow prevails. Jesus wonders if his followers will exercise a similar faithfulness in the face of adversity and delayed fulfillment of the kingdom.
Psalm. (Psalm 119:97-104) The theme of persistence continues in this psalm. The writer affirms his continued love of the law. He meditates on it constantly. Out of it he receives understanding. It leads to hate of every false way.
Context of Related Scripture
A twin parable is found earlier in Luke 11:5-8 where a man receives unexpected guests at midnight and prevails upon a reluctant neighbor to give him needed bread (see chapter 7).
See the following for references to a widow as symbolic of the innocent, powerless, and oppressed person:
Exodus 22:22-23 -- God will protect abused widows and orphans.
Deuteronomy 10:18 -- God administers justice for the orphan and widow.
Deuteronomy 24:17 -- Do not take a widow's garment in pledge.
Deuteronomy 27:19 -- A curse on anyone who deprives the orphans and widow of justice.
Job 10:9 -- Condemnation for sending widows away empty-handed.
Job 24:3 -- Job complains when people take a widow's ox in pledge.
Job 24:3 -- Job condemns those who do no good to the widow.
Psalm 68:5 -- God is the protector of widows.
Isaiah 1:17 -- A call to plead for the widow.
Isaiah 1:23 -- All people love a bribe and so the case of the widow does not come before them.
Isaiah 10:2 -- Condemnation of those who write decrees that widows might be their spoil.
Jeremiah 22:3 -- Jeremiah admonishes that no wrong or violence be done to the alien, the orphan, or the widow.
The duties of judges:
2 Chronicles 6:7 -- Jehosaphat appoints judges and tells them their duties before the Lord.
2 Timothy 4:8 -- The Lord is a righteous judge.
The "long delay" (makrothumia) of God's help:
Romans 2:4; 9:22 -- Translated as patience.
1 Timothy 1:16 -- Jesus Christ displaying patience toward Paul.
1 Peter 3:20 -- God waited patiently in the days of Noah.
2 Peter 3:9, 15 -- God is patient with you; therefore regard the patience of the Lord.
Content
Precis of the Parable
Jesus tells a story to illustrate that his disciples should pray constantly without becoming discouraged. A city judge ignored both public opinion and religious principles. In the same city a widow came before him seeking justice. At first he refused to consider her case. Later, because of her repeatedly coming before him, he decided to grant her justice. He just wanted to be rid of her since she was giving him a headache.
Jesus proceeds to ask rhetorical questions about whether God would not be much more ready to grant justice. He wonders if his followers will have as much faith in being vindicated by God as the widow had in being vindicated by a bad judge.
Thesis: The disciples should be as persistent in prayer and faith as the widow was in seeking justice.
Theme: Despite delay in final justice, Christians should persist in faithfulness and prayer.
Key Words in the Passage
1. "Need to Pray." (v. 1) One of the characteristics of Luke is his interest in prayers. He often emphasizes it as a requirement. (See Luke 1:10, 13; 3:21; 5:16; 6:12, 28; 9:18; 11:1.) He calls attention to it more frequently than either Matthew or Mark.
2. "A Judge." (v. 2) It is not clear from the text but the judge probably refused to consider the case of the widow, both because she was a woman and poor. A woman without a man as her advocate would have had little influence in a public office. Also, she probably could not afford to bribe the judge, as was often customary in Middle East societies.
3. "Feared God." (v. 2) The judge was not religiously oriented. He apparently was a completely secularized man. It is possible that the case Jesus knew about was not in the Jewish community but in the Roman or Greek-dominated judicial system.
4. "Nor ... Respect for People." (v. 2) The judge was a very independent person. He apparently neither depended on his constituents for his office nor cared what people thought about him. So one could not appeal to his humanity.
5. "A Widow." (v. 3) As noted above, a woman without a man as her support or her advocate had little power in the male- dominated society. It showed not only persistence but considerable courage when she appeared in the court and insisted on justice.
6. "Grant Me Justice." (v. 3) Jesus does not elaborate on the nature of the injustice. We are to assume that she had a legitimate case that deserved rectification.
7. "Wear Me Out." (v. 5) Literally the Greek says that she would slap his head and blacken his eyes. This probably is not actually what she would do. It is doubtful that a widow would attack a judge with such violence. Probably it is a figurative way of saying that she would give him a headache. It also would shame him, which in that culture would be a loss of face. His reputation would be damaged and that would be worse than the physical damage she might do by slapping him.
8. "Delay Long." (v. 7) The word in Greek, as noted above, suggests the patience and long-suffering of God. He does not bring judgment and punishment immediately all the time. God allows opportunity for people to repent and change.
9. "Find Faith on Earth." (v. 8) Is the patience and long- suffering of God matched by the disciples? Will they be as persistent in seeking postponed justice and as faithful in beseeching God to grant them justice?
Contemplation
Issues and Insights
1. The Central Figure. It is not clear which of the characters is central to the parable. Is it the widow who is representative of the disciples? She is persistent in seeking justice and eventually is vindicated. Is her persistence the point that prayer that should be constant? Jesus in Gethsemane repeatedly petitioned God to remove the cup of suffering from him. Finally he accepted God's will and endured the cross in obedience to the will of God.
Is the central figure the judge? He receives more attention than the widow in the brief parable. The verses following the content of the parable itself would suggest that the argument of the parable is from the lesser to the greater. If a judge who is responsive neither to God nor to people can eventually vindicate the widow, how much more will a compassionate and caring God eventually vindicate those who persist in appealing for justice?
2. Assumptions. The parable requires that the hearers make several assumptions. They probably can assume that the judge is corrupt. He probably dispenses justice to the highest bidder. Those who want justice from him must offer a bribe. In some societies it is accepted that that is the way you do business with public officials.
We know nothing about the widow's opponent. We do not know if he or she was a person of influence or had already bribed the judge. The opponent is never described or appears to defend the actions against the widow.
We are to assume that the widow had a just cause. The righteousness of her grievance has no impact on the judge. He is self-centered and calloused. The logic of her case in no way moves him. He may have considered the claim of the widow too trivial to require his attention.
In treating the parable a person may want to elaborate the story on the basis of some incident of delayed justice which fleshes out details for the modern hearer.
3. Discrimination Against Women. It may be harder for contemporaries to appreciate the dire status of women reflected in the parable. Until World War I and shortly afterward women had very little status. They could not borrow money in their own names. They could not inherit property directly. They could not vote. They were dependent upon the status of a husband, father, or brother to represent their interests in public affairs.
Women still have to struggle for equal treatment in society. An equal rights amendment, which many women and some men supported, was intended to grant them justice. It failed for lack of ratification by the states, whose legislatures are still dominated by men.
Jesus did elevate the status of women by this parable. The widow is the model for persistence and courage. Disciples are to emulate her in their constancy of faith. Luke tells more about the role of women in other places, such as recording the presence of women, including prominent ones, in those who traveled with him (see Luke 8:2-3). Elsewhere Jesus' relationship to Mary, Martha, Mary of Magdala, the Syrophoenician woman, and Jesus' mother indicates his respect for and treatment of women.
4. Why Persistent Prayer? If God knows our need before we ask, why persist in prayer? Several possible reasons may be suggested.
The first is that we need to sort out what we want from what we need. Often our self-interest and desires obscure our sight. What we think we need is not always our true condition. As Jesus prayed in Gethsemane for the passing of the cup and came to submission to God's larger will, so too we need to search in prayer to discover how to do God's will, not ours.
The second is that the time may not be right. We tend to see time in chronological terms. Delayed actions seems to us as no action. God is not bound by chronological time. God acts when conditions are ripe, in the time of fulfillment. We need to wait in patient but persistent asking, so that we may discern the right time in God's larger plan.
The third reason is that the answer may not be the one we expect. God has surprises. We see the outcomes of prayer only dimly. Sometimes we discover that our prayer was answered, but not in the way we had thought it should be. It may take a look back and a maturing of our spiritual understanding to know that the prayer was answered. We were just not able to recognize it at the moment.
Homily Hints
1. The Insistent Widow. (v. 3) Use the character of the woman as a model for approaching prayer, not as a cantankerous person, but as steady seeking and searching for God's will.
A. A Righteous Cause
B. Persevering Against the Odds
C. Justice Vindicated
2. Two Judges. (vv. 2, 7-8) Contrast a human judge who grants justice grudgingly with a righteous, caring, and compassionate God.
A. An Unscrupulous Judge
B. A Relenting Judge
C. God the Caring Judge
D. God the Scrupulous Judge
3. Delayed Justice. (vv. 7-8) In a world where much injustice and evil is evident, where do we see God at work for good and justice?
A. A Patient God. God often works through processes of history and not with instantaneous intervention and solutions.
B. A Loving God. If God always acted immediately on our petitions, we would not assume responsibility for working together with God and developing character.
C. A Vindicating God. God cannot be defeated ultimately. Justice and good often come out of seeming evil and injustice, but it may take time.
4. Prayer: Answered or Unanswered? (v. 7)
A. Prayer Is not Magic. God directs actions as causes which take time to operate and bring results.
B. Not always as Wanted.
C. Unanticipated Answers. God's ways are not our ways. God brings surprises in history. Who would think of crucifixion leading to resurrection and a powerful movement that swept around the world?
5. Faith in the Future. (v. 8)
A. Evil Persists for a Time
B. God's Patience. No evil has enduring existence
C. Faith Eventually Triumphs
6. How to Pray. (vv. 3-8) What does the parable tell us about the nature of our praying?
A. Describe Need. Explore what is our real need from God's perspective.
B. Imbibe the Spirit's Strength. Let the Holy Spirit direct our will and enable us to be patient in waiting to understand God's response.
C. Let God Prescribe. Do not seek to impose our will on God. Let God impose his superior will on ours.
Contact
Points of Contact
1. The Power of Prayer. Prayer orients our lives to the basic forces of the universe. True prayer puts us in harmony with all of true being. Evil is self-defeating and leads ultimately to non-being, it has no final reality. By living in harmony with the good, the just, and the right we merge ourselves with all that is ultimately real. That is not a kind of losing ourselves in some pantheistic way, but it is finding the true power of life itself.
2. Caring for the Oppressed. The Bible is replete with instances where God intervened on behalf of the oppressed, the poor, and the victims of injustice. Does this not call Christians to identify with and care for the victims of discrimination, oppression, and injustice as co-workers with God on their behalf?
It does mean that we use only righteous means as we work to rectify injustices and discrimination. We do not seek merely to help the bottom dogs become the top dogs and thereby create new bottom dogs. We work patiently and in faith with God to serve the needs of all people.
Nevertheless, we need to look to see who are the people who are less likely to receive justice in our society. Are they the widows, the orphans, the alien immigrants -- legal or illegal -- and the victims of racism, religious intolerance, or gender bias?
3. Delayed Action (makrothuma). All of us rely on the grace of God's delayed reaction. If we always received the immediate consequences of our sinning, who could survive? Because the results of our sins do not always happen instantly, we may have opportunity before a loving God to delay or prevent the worst consequences of our wrong actions.
If I smoke, I do not get lung cancer right away. It may take years before the results of such abuse happen. If in the meantime I find the grace to cease smoking, I may delay the consequences and have a longer life, or even prevent the lung cancer from happening altogether. If I am greedy and pursue money at the expense of family, friends, and others, I may not be completely alienated from them. I may be able to repent and even use the wealth gained to gain true friendship.
If the consequences of our collective evil in society were not delayed by God's patience and grace, not even a Noah and his family would survive the disasters we would bring. Pray in gratitude and hope for the delayed actions of God against our evil and sin.
4. A Hardened Conscience. The judge described in the parable had developed a hardened conscience. He was not swayed by public opinion or religious response. When is it appropriate to respond to public opinion and when is it not? President Clinton is criticized when he listens to the opinion polls and changes his positions to accommodate what they show as the will of the people. We admire persons who have principles and act consistently with them despite the unpopularity of their actions.
Where is the line between a person of conscience who stands against the popular trends and a fanatic who has tunnel vision and does not respond to reality checks from other people? Conscientious objectors who opposed World Wars I and II were very unpopular. Some received brutal treatment and other penalties. They claimed to take the position on the basis of religious convictions. In the Vietnam War they were more accepted.
What issues would cause you to go against popular sentiments because of religious convictions? How much should you care about what people think of you? How does prayer help you to decide such issues?
5. More Than Human Power. The parable poses the question of whether we really believe that forces other than human action determine the outcomes of history. We had decades of fears that communism was going to overtake the world. Great amounts of money were spent in trying to fight it. It seemed that most people did not believe that it had to fail because God was at work in processes that would bring its collapse if it was a false system.
Today many people continue to fear Cuba because of its leader, Fidel Castro. Some believe a different course would be better by establishing contact and meeting the needs of the people cooperatively. God could use that better to bring justice to the island than by threatening the country with isolation and sanctions.
Where is God patiently at work through economics, through changing persons, through political forces, and in other ways that overrule the forces of evil in the world? As the spiritual forces that are beyond human control work, do we have faith that God is there patiently working through them? Does our praying reflect such faith?
Illustrative Materials
1. Women Buying Cars. Studies show that if women go to the typical automobile agency to buy a car, they often will be ignored and receive less attention than male customers. They are more likely than men to be charged higher prices for comparable automobiles. Do women have to be more persistent to get attention and to get a fair deal when buying a car?
2. Calling on Women in Class. Repeated studies of co-ed classes at all levels from the elementary grades through college find that boys are more frequently called upon to answer questions or to discuss issues than girls. It is even more true in math and science classes. Some schools are experimenting with single sex classes. It is especially true in the areas where it has traditionally been assumed that girls have less interest and aptitude. Such practices are running into anti-discrimination legislation which call for equal access. Which is more just in meeting the needs of both boys and girls?
3. The Mothers of the "Disappeared." In Argentina for several years opponents or even suspected dissidents of the government "disappeared." They were killed and disposed of without trial or trace. Many were flown over the ocean and dropped into the water. Finally the mothers and wives of such persons got up courage and banded together. They made public protest and eventually helped bring an end to the practice. They helped change the government.
4. Women Against the Nazis. In 1943 the Gestapo arrested every known Jew in Germany. Those with non-Jewish wives were detained at a prison in the Rosenstrasse in Berlin. About 6000 wives gathered the next day before the prison. The police tried to chase them away. They regrouped and marched toward the prison, calling to their husbands. Despite orders to stay away from the windows, many showed themselves. The wives clamored for their release.
The Nazis finally were scared by the size of the demonstration, even though the Gestapo headquarters was nearby and a machine gun could easily have killed the women. Instead the government agreed to negotiate. As a consequence the men were released.
5. Faithful Wives. Not far from Heilbronn, Germany, at the town of Weinsberg, is a place known as Weibertreu. It can be translated as "faithful wives." The story is told that the castle at the top of the hill was under siege. At one point the besiegers agreed that all the women could leave, but they could only take with them what they could carry on their backs. Every woman carried her husband down the hill on her back. Thus the men also gained their freedom.
6. Prayer and Illness. A recent study was carried out to see the effects of prayer on persons who had heart attacks. One group had persons praying for them. The other group did not. The heart attack victims did not know who was being prayed for. While the study is received with some skepticism about the methodology, it indicated that those prayed for had better recovery and fewer deaths later than did those who were not prayed for.
7. Widows Robbed. A number of elderly widows were robbed of their life savings in a telephone scam. They were called by persons posing as bank examiners. They said they were trying to trap bank employees who were embezzling money. They asked the women to send checks which could be used as deposits. They could then prove who was taking the money. In fact, the checks were cashed and the women lost the money, which represented their life savings.
