Salvation comes with the faith of those who rely not on their own merits but on the loving compassion of God, revealed in Jesus Christ who is the friend of the least and the humble, the sinners and the lost. The parable of the unjust judge and the persistent widow (Luke 18:1-8) illustrates Jesus’ teaching to His followers that it is necessary to pray always and without losing heart, for prayer is never in vain.
Pray always
The judge in the story is the
unsympathetic potentate of a place, who respects neither God nor man. Set
against this powerful if unappealing figure is a widow, the picture of
powerlessness, who is pleading for justice against some opponent in a lawsuit.
The judge who enjoys making other people feel the weight of his authority
completely disregards the widow. Because of her lowly status, is the poor widow
being denied justice though she is right, or is the corrupt judge hoping
through the delay to get some bribe from whomever? Yet, the point of the story
is reached when the judge gives in and renders justice to the widow, if only to
escape her pestering and
importuning. He cares little for God or man, but there is a limit to the risk
to himself, he is willing to take against a determined, unyielding widow.
If an unjust judge can be made to listen to the pleas of a widow, how much more God the most just judge? How much more will God listen to anyone who calls to Him with persistence? But the parable is understood by Luke to mean something much deeper than simply the need to pray without losing heart. This is indicated when he referred to Jesus solemnly as the Lord, the Risen One who brings salvation to the world and who asks, “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on Earth?”
Faith in salvation
“Will not God secure the rights of His chosen ones who call out to Him day and night?…I tell you, He will see to it that justice is done for them speedily.” The rights of the chosen ones and the justice God does for them are all about the salvation and justification God gives to His people. Hence, the ultimate object of praying without losing heart is the promised salvation. It is the goal of the faith that animates persistent praying. We must pray day and night without losing heart, so that we can be justified and saved. In our faith we are assured that God will speedily fulfill His commitment to our deliverance, a share in His kingdom. Weakness of faith may lead us to doubt about God’s final reign.
The stark question of Jesus addressed to us now is: “When the Son of Man comes, will He find any faith on Earth?” It gives focus to the issue of our persevering prayer. The point is faith: faith in God who saves; faith in the Son of Man who will come again in glory to bring to fulfillment the recreation of humanity; our faith which must hold fast to the end, for without it there is no salvation for us. Praying without losing heart is an act of faith in God, and in Jesus Christ. Like the indomitable widow who did not surrender her case even in the face of great odds, the followers of Jesus in this world must remain faithful in prayer. The widow and the other poor in society (the anawim) are considered to have God’s special protection. Their dependency on God and their hunger and thirst for justice is an example for all disciples of Jesus. The necessity of persevering prayer is in conjunction with the confident faith that God will truly give us His justice.
Alálaong bagá, the oppressed and the poor today may have reasons to doubt and to lose heart. The followers of Jesus today may be hard put to it to maintain a vital faith as they are surrounded by so much secularism and weakened by widespread indifference within. The early Christians were plagued too with doubts during the persecutions when their situation appeared futile and no better future was in the offing. The answer: pray, pray persistently with an indomitable confidence in God, who will surely vindicate His people; do not lose heart, nor give up hope. God’s final action in glory (the Parousia), His divine justice, will come.
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