“…Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.”—Luke 18:4-5
Some people are persistent and unyielding in the pursuit of their objectives. Such determination is an admirable trait—unless they are coming to you for help. Impatient people may find such individuals an annoyance. The same concerns raised by the same people can get old. It is enough to make one give in simply to stop the barrage of calls, messages, or visits.
A certain judge could relate. He had been visited by the same widow so many times he had enough. We can imagine he moaned, “You again?!” each time she appeared. So, he relented and answered her plea simply to get her off his docket. In the end, both parties got what they wanted. The widow was awarded justice and the judge was allowed peace from the widow’s pleas.
But the judge wasn’t interested in real justice for the widow. His decision was rendered solely to secure his own freedom from annoyance. The widow’s persistence ensured she received justice. But she deserved more than simple justice—she deserved compassion, empathy and a decision rendered for the sake of righteousness, not for the sake of convenience.
Luke records this parable to emphasize the nature of prayer. Verse 1 encourages us to pray continually, faithfully, and hopefully. We are to maintain hope in the midst of adversity by carrying the desires of our heart to God without limitations in the number of times we pray, the scope of our prayers, or expectations of God’s response.
Further, the parable tells us if an unjust judge does the right thing to get a widow off his docket, what more can we expect of our God? Not only does God provide righteous vindication, God’s judgment is given with more than justice in mind. It provides what the unjust judge could never offer—a divine eagerness to intervene in our trials to grant us compassion, grace, and mercy in our vindication.
“You again?!” That refrain from the lips of the judge would have been spoken with annoyance and impatience. But the message Jesus gives here is that God sees us coming and proclaims, “You again?!” with joy in being part of the solution to the greatest challenges in life. Whatever you face today, God is standing ready to welcome you before the throne with a joyful, welcoming, and loving outburst, “You again?!”
Question to Ponder: Do you see prayer as an obligation or an opportunity? Whatever your answer, God sees it the same way!
“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”—Luke 11:9-10
