A helpless widow

Read > Luke 18:1-8

Jesus told His disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up (v. 1).

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote, “Perseverance is a great element of success. If you knock long enough and loud enough at the gate, you are sure to wake up somebody.” I don’t know if Longfellow had in mind the parable of the persistent widow (Luke 18), but I can certainly say that he is right on. In Singapore, where I live, 85 percentage of the population lives in close proximity in high-rise apartment blocks or flats. If you knock long enough and loud enough at a door, you are sure to wake up not just somebody – but everybody in the neighbourhood!

A judge for sale? That’s unthinkable and unacceptable! We abhor an unjust judge (Luke 18:6). For we expect a judge to have integrity, regard for justice, and compassion for people (2 Chronicles 19:6-7). But this judge “neither feared God nor cared about people” (Luke 18:2).

Widows were the epitome of the destitute and desperate of ancient Jewish society. Though the widow had a valid claim (v. 3), the judge refused to attend to her because she had not offered him a bribe. Too poor to pay, her only recourse was her persistence – until she drove the judge nuts (v. 5). Jesus wants us to learn a good lesson from a bad example (v. 6).

The parable consists of a “lesser to greater” argument (for example, Luke 12:24, 28). If a poor widow who goes to a court of law got what she deserved from an uncaring and unjust judge, how much more will God’s children who go to a throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16) receive good gifts from a heavenly Father (Matthew 7:11) who loves both justice and people! The question is not if God will answer prayer, for He most certainly will do so quickly. The question is will we be faithful in prayer, even in the unfair circumstances and harsh realities of life (Luke 18:8). – K. T. Sim

More >

·         Luke 11:5-12

·         Romans 12:12

·         Colossians 4:2

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What prayer of yours has remained unanswered for a long time? If God is eager to give us good gifts, why hasn’t God given you what you asked for?