Parables

The widow and the judge

From the Gospel of Luke Chapter 18, Verses 2.8

He told them a parable about the need to pray always, without ever getting tired: "In a city lived a judge, who did not fear God nor had respect for anyone. In that city there was also a widow who came to him and said to him: "Give me justice against my adversary". For a while he did not want to, but then he said to himself: "Even if I do not fear God and have no regard for anyone, since this widow bothers me so much, I will do her justice so that he does not continually come to bother me. "And the Lord added:" Listen to what the dishonest judge says. And will God not do justice to his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will it make them wait long? I tell you that he will do them justice promptly. But will the Son of man, when he comes, find faith on earth?".

Parable of Luke exegesis

The parable concerns the prescription of praying always, without ever getting tired, and the importance of a persevering prayer especially in moments of danger and in afflictions, in which the just will be exposed especially in recent times. The widow, like the orphan, is often present in the Holy Scriptures as a symbol of a weak creature, without protection, abandoned to injustice and the violence of the powerful.

In the parable of Luke a widow, who was going to the authority to ask her to do her justice against one of her adversaries, runs into this judge who did not fear God, nor did he have any regard for anyone: he was probably a pagan, a skeptic with no conscience, without morals, which respected nothing; but the widow never tires of claiming the justice she deserves. For a while he did not want to give in to the constant requests, but after so much insistence, since this widow was really bothering him, he does her justice so as not to see her constantly bother him again.

Evidently the tenacious perseverance of that woman, in presenting herself before him whenever he sat in court, irritated him and flattened him to the point that he finally yielded only to get rid of that harassment. And Jesus, in explaining the reaction of this unjust judge, overcome by the insistence of a poor widow, asks whether, because of the insistence, God in His Holiness would not be moved by the persevering prayer of His faithful who constantly ask Him for justice to be freed from their enemies.

Will God be slow to rescue them in the dangers they find themselves in? At the opportune moment, without delay, God will do justice; therefore the righteous, in the time of persecution, will desire that the day of the Lord come and hasten it with their prayers; but unfortunately they will be few, because most of the men will be occupied on their earthly matters, and they will certainly not think of God.

Jesus had already asked the question of his disciples: when the Son of man comes, do you believe that he will still find the living faith above the earth that makes prayer persevering and effective? That is, will he find those who will have the courage to hope, to have patience, even if God is late in doing what we ask of him? The question is rhetorical because it is clear that the answer can only be negative.

It is the second time that Luke reports words of Jesus addressed to the teaching of prayer. The first time Jesus proclaims the "Our Father". (Lk 11: 1-13) and, by means of comparisons and parables, he suggests us to pray insistently, without getting tired.

The recommendation to pray without getting tired appears many times in the New Testament (1 Thes 5,17; Rm 12,12; Eph 6,18; etc.) and is also a central topic in this parable: pray without interruption, make your requests to God with the prayer of request, but also with the prayer of thanks, in the certainty that, at the moment considered opportune by God for your good, you will certainly be heard; do not worry about anything, but in every need, with supplication and thanksgiving, manifest your requests to God, who is above all human concern.

However, ask with faith, without hesitation, otherwise the supplication will resemble a wave of the sea pushed and beaten by the wind, instead of a boat conducted with courage, even against the current, towards the predestined half.