The Persistent Widow

The Persistent Widow

Lk 18: 1 – 8

29^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Introduction

Today’s reading is a parable about a widow who got her demands for justice from a judge because of her persistence. This parable teaches us how we should pray. Like the widow, we should be persistent and never lose hope.

The Gospel

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

Reflection

In today’s reading, Jesus narrates a parable that serves as a template for prayer. We all pray and we all have the need to pray. Very often, our prayers are in the form of a petition where we ask the Lord to help and grant us something we need. In today’s parable, we see a widow begging a judge to grant her the justice she demands against her opponents.

It is interesting that the main character of this parable is a widow. Widows, in Israel were considered to be some of the weakest members of society. First, they were women. In a patriarchal society such as Israel, women did not have equal status with men. Second, she was a widow. The absence of her husband made her vulnerable and poor. She could not have someone to defend herself; she also could not earn a living as women were left in the confines of the home.

In the parable, the case she brings to the judge somehow tells us that she had opponents who probably trampled on her basic rights; and so here, we see her addressing this issue to a judge. Her status as a widow immediately makes one imagine how difficult it would have been for her to get the justice she sought as she was an insignificant member of society who probably was poor and defenseless.

But behind her apparent weakness and vulnerability, the widow in the story showed some strength of character. This strength manifested itself in her persistence and temerity to face a judge who apparently was not too keen in dispensing swift justice to her appeal.  Her persistence must have been such that the judge in the parable began to weigh in on her persistence.

The judge in the parable, on the other hand,  was portrayed by Jesus as one who “ had no fear of God or had respect for people.” He must have been a stern and incorruptible judge, as he feared no one – including God. Apparently, he had already made up his mind regarding the widow’s case, as he had already refused to grant her request. But as Jesus points out, the widow’s perseverance and persistence changed all that. The incorruptible and immovable judge began to reconsider his decision. And as he began to muse over the widow’s persistence, he thought it best to change his mind and give in to her request. Even an incorruptible judge, Jesus says, could turn into a corrupt one because of the persistence of one single poor widow.

This simple parable tells us something about prayer.

First, Jesus points out that we must persevere and be persistent in prayer. We should not stop asking the Lord for what we ask for. We should not feel discouraged when we feel that our prayers are not immediately answered or granted. Persistence and perseverance mean that we do not cease praying.

Second, we must believe in the power of prayer. It is persistence that eventually changed the mind of the judge and made him relent. It will also be persistence in prayer that will eventually change the mind of God. Persistent prayer has the power to change the mind of God. Could we even imagine that we can change God’s mind? But this parable tells us so. When we beg the Lord unceasingly, he eventually grants the things we ask for, even if at first, he might have decided not to grant our request. Prayer has the power to change God’s mind – and we should remember that.

Third, at the end of the parable Jesus tells us: “And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? “ By saying this, Jesus wants to assure us, that God listens; that he hears our cry and will not delay in helping us. God listens to us and hears the cry of our hearts. We should have that calm confidence that whenever we pray, God always listens.

Prayer gives us this wonderful and immediate link to God. Whenever we pray, God listens. God listens to everyone; he chooses to listen not only to those who are good; he also listens to the bad and the evil; he listens to those who believe in him and perhaps even to those who doubt him. In whatever state we are in, prayer opens up a door to God’s heart. There is no prayer that is left unheard; no prayer that doesn’t touch the heart of God who listens to his children and wishes only what is best for them.

Prayer

Dear Lord, I do pray. But I am not persistent. I am not persistent enough perhaps because I do not feel that my prayers are immediately answered. I tend to give up immediately and want a quick response from you. Grant me dear Lord always the confidence to believe that you listen to me. Grant me the strength never to give up on asking you, knowing that you always listen to every prayer uttered by those who call on you. Amen.

“Rejoice always,  pray without ceasing,  give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” – 1 Thessalonians 5: 16 - 18