Luke 18:1 - 8
Have you ever met someone who prayed very hard for something? Someone who led a blameless life, who was practically a living saint? And the prayer was not answered, at least the way he or she hoped it would be. And we say consoling words like, God will answer it when he is ready, or sometimes God’s answer is “no”, or God always answers prayers, but many times in ways we don’t realize. And surprisingly, our consoling words don’t help much. It seems like God does not respond to being nagged, contrary to what the parable seems to be telling us. So let’s take another look at the gospel for today.
Luke the evangelist was not really familiar with Jewish customs or even with Jewish history, because he is a gentile probably from somewhere in Turkey. He’s a skilled writer and concerned about accuracy, and while he travels with Paul he meets a lot of Christians who have probably heard Jesus speak. He also has Mark’s gospel at hand. And he has a purpose. He wants to show the world that Jesus is for all people, not just the Jews; that Jesus is the Messiah, that Jesus is greatly concerned about the poor and outcasts. Every historian has a purpose in mind when he or she writes; Luke is no different. I give you that background because it may help us to a deeper understanding of this short gospel reading. It’s probably not only meant to show the importance of praying without ceasing. I think that’s Luke’s interpretation.
Imagine Jesus telling this parable. Before this he’s been talking about the end of the world, the coming of the kingdom. And remember that Jesus has a sense of humor. Now when we look at the parable, it might be a little different.
Jesus paints a picture they all know -- Jew and Gentile alike. Everywhere there was a government, there were people who enforced the rules and everyone knew a judge that neither feared God nor respected any man. They were in it for the money. The widow didn’t have any, so the judge ignored her. Widows in Israel didn’t have a right to part of their husband’s estate, although in places Rome ruled, like Caparnum and the Galilee area, there were laws about this. So we have an arrogant, selfish judge who won’t rule as he is supposed to, and a widow who bothers him over and over again, until he finally gives up not just because he is being nagged, but because he is worried that she will strike him -- or in the Greek version, punch him on the nose.
Is this supposed to be how we are to approach God? Are we supposed to nag him until we get what we want? I don’t think that’s what the parable is about, even though Luke seems to. I think the key is in the words of Jesus after this. Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? He will see that justice is done for them speedily. And Jesus seems to imply that this will come about when the Son of Man comes. By the time Luke wrote his gospel, Christians pretty much believed that the return of Jesus wasn't going to happen any time soon, but when he did return, all the wrongs in the world would be made right, and Satan would be put in his place. And the words of Jesus point to this future -- and at that time, will the Son of Man find faith upon the earth?
So maybe the parable is partly about praying constantly as Luke says. Saint Augustine's interpretation was that the more we prayed, the more we increased our desire for what we prayed for; so that when God did answer our prayers, we would realize his goodness and love for us. But maybe there is more to it, and like all parables, should make us think, should make us examine ourselves. What if the judge is you and I, really not too concerned about justice, unless it has to do with me or my family. Why is that person pushing a shopping cart full of his belongings down main street? I don’t really care, do you? Is there something I could do about it? We give a fair amount of money away to various charities. But maybe that man needs something more than that, maybe justice needs to be done and I’m not doing it.
And maybe the widow is the voice of God, nagging at me to get out of my shell and do more to see that justice is done, to work to hasten the time when Jesus comes. Jesus seems to connect justice and faith. If we have faith, we work for justice. When we work for justice, we are doing God’s work.
