September 3, 2023

He Taught Them Many Things in Parables

The Parable of the Unjust Judge

 Luke 18:1-8 “18 Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. 2 Jesus 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 the judge and saying, ‘Grant me justice against my accuser.’ 4 For a while the judge refused, but later 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 returning.’ ” 6 And the Lord said, ‘Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God grant justice to the chosen ones who cry to God day and night? Will God delay long in helping them? 8 I tell you, God will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will faith be found on earth?’"

Pray and don’t lose heart; God will answer the prayers of the faithful.  Let’s reflect on the thorny notion of “unanswered prayer” and God’s seeming unresponsiveness to our petitions.  What if God is not an unjust judge, but rather a fully just and faithful one? A further question:  Are we responsive to God’s prayers for justice?  Is God the unjust judge or the persistent widow?  Who are we?