The Parables of Jesus
March 29, 2022
“The Unrelenting Widow”
Luke 18:1-8
When I think of unrelenting people, three names come to mind. One was a living person; the other two were fictional.
The first fictional person is Captain America. If you have seen any of the Marvel movies he appeared in, you’d know he was unrelenting. He never gave up. And whenever he got beaten down, Cap would just look at his opponent and say, “I could do this all day.”
The second person is not fictional. His name was Winston Churchill. He was the Prime Minister of England during WWII. Here is a portion of one of his best speeches:
“Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never–in nothing, great or small, large or petty–never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”
(Winston Churchill’s address to Harrow School, October 29, 1941
That’s the type of person Churchill was. Unrelenting.
Finally, the third person is the main character of today’s Parable. She is fictional. But, Jesus brings her to life in our eyes and heart.
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The Unrelenting Widow
“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 what people thought. 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 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!’”
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?” Luke 18:1-8
The bottom line of this Parable is that God wants us to be persistent in prayer. But there’s more.
As seen from his demeanor, the woman repeatedly goes to this judge, who obviously should not be a judge. Her unrelenting persistence finally gets through to Him. The reason the judge decides to give the woman justice is actually pretty humorous. In the NIV Bible, it says, “I will see that she gets justice so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”
But the literal Greek interpretation is “Lest by coming she, in the end, give me a black eye.” 🙂
I guess the judge was afraid he might run into the woman in a dark alley some night and get beaten up.
Here’s the point. If a horrible judge finally listens to this woman and gives her justice, imagine how quickly God will bring justice if we keep coming to Him in prayer.
Like the disciples, God wants us to be persistent and unrelenting in our prayers about our problems, suffering, and anguish. Especially when we can no longer endure the difficulties that surround and weigh us down.
Jesus ends this story with this question.
“However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
It’s an interesting question, isn’t it? When Christ returns, will His church be faithful? Will they be a people of unrelenting prayer? Or will they have given up because of all the adversity the world throws at them/us?
Once again, we come back to sharing the message of the Gospel with the world. I believe upon His return Christ, our Savior, will find a community of prayer warriors who are faith-filled with love and hope.
Dear Jesus. Let us always come to you in prayer with every problem and suffering we are enduring. As faithful followers, we know you will hear our prayers and answer them. Amen.
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