The parable of the persistent widow is part of a section of the Gospel of Luke on how properly to live in anticipation of the coming of the Son of Man (Lk 17:20-18:8).
This isn't just a problem for modern-day Christians living 2000 years after Jesus' first advent. By Jesus' time, Jews had already been waiting for hundreds of years for the restoration of Israel foreseen by the prophets. Jesus knew it would be easy for his fellow Jews to "lose heart" and, for instance, join a zealot movement. While waiting for Jesus' return and the fullness of his Kingdom, we instead "ought always to pray" (v 1).
In the Bible, a widow is someone who is weak and vulnerable, a person who might be exploited. That seems to be the case in the parable, where the widow persistently seeks justice from an unjust judge. The parable makes clear that this judge is nothing like the God of Israel, who "executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing" (Dt 10:18).
The contrast between God and the judge in the parable is clearly brought out in Sirach 35:15b-25, a passage that commentators mention as helpful background for the parable, since it has a similar message.
In the parable, Jesus makes a "how much more" argument. If even the unjust judge is worn down by the widow's persistence, how much more will God, whose will it is to bring justice to the widow, answer her prayers.
The parable is highlighting a particular kind of prayer, what might be called a "thy kingdom come" prayer. There is much that is not right in the world, and God has promised to make things right. In the meantime, he wants us to pray continually for that to happen and not become discouraged. A good example of such a prayer is in Sirach 36:1-22.
No comments:
Post a Comment