Luke 18:1-8 The Persistent Widow
“Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray at all times and not lose heart: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected men. And there was a widow in that town who kept appealing to him, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’
For a while he refused, but later he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God or respect men, yet because this widow keeps pestering me, I will give her justice. Then she will stop wearing me out with her perpetual requests.’”
And the Lord said, “Listen to the words of the unjust judge. Will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night? Will He continue to defer their help? I tell you, He will promptly carry out justice on their behalf. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”
It’s an age-old question: Why doesn’t God answer prayers immediately, or at least quickly? Why do we sometimes pray for years without seeing an answer? Is it really worth it to continue to pray? Evidently, somebody has asked Jesus those questions, and now Jesus is telling this story in answer.
As soon as judicial systems began developing, unjust judges began appearing. Some judges respond only to money while others respond to political influence. For Jesus’ listeners, unjust judges are a fact of life, as are widows. In a patriarchal society, widows without sons to protect them are among the most vulnerable group possible. Every village has a few widows living a bare existence on the fringe of society, and for women, finding themselves in such a marginalized group is a living nightmare that they hope never to experience. But here is Jesus telling a story in which a humble little widow lady gets the best of a haughty corrupt judge.
We don’t know the issue the widow is fighting but whatever it is, she refuses to give up or give in. Daily, this lady shows up at the court, reminding the judge of her need for assistance. The first few times, the judge scoffs at this woman and orders his servants to escort her out of the court. But this widow, sweet as she is, simply refuses to give up. Every morning, as soon as the judge arrives, this lady is at the court, greeting him and reminding him that she needs help. If the judge goes out on the street, the widow is there greeting him politely and asking when he is going to settle her case for her. If the judge’s wife goes out in public, the widow is there, greeting her respectfully and asking her to remind her husband to settle her case. The situation reaches the point that the judge’s friends are beginning to make fun of him, questioning why he doesn’t simply settle the widow’s case. Perhaps religious leaders are getting involved as well, asking similar questions.
Finally, the judge has had enough. While he doesn’t fear God or respect men, he wants this widow lady off his back. The judge calls the lady in and settles the case in her favor. What has led to this success? Persistence! This humble little lady has simply refused to give up or give in and has worn this wicked man out. But why does Jesus compare those who pray with this happy lady?
“Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray at all times and not lose heart..” Jesus wants his followers, including us, to realize that we NEED to pray at all times. Remember that this widow hasn’t simply shown up at the court every morning, but has also kept appearing anyplace she knows the judge will appear. There may have been days when this lady would have liked to stay home, but she has kept at it. There may have been times when this lady’s friends have mocked her or criticized her or even tried to discourage her. “Mariam,” they have asked, why are you still following that man? Don’t you know that he doesn’t care and he’s going to keep ignoring you?”
In the same fashion, we are to press our concerns to God in prayer regularly and repeatedly. “Why must I keep pestering God?” you might ask. “Is God deaf or indifferent to my pleas for help?” No. God is neither deaf nor indifferent; however, we are not praying in a spiritual vacuum. Satan is alive and well and working to destroy anything good and beautiful in the world, and he is the one who can hinder the answers to our prayers. The prophet Daniel, living in Babylon, interceded for his people. Daniel had studied the scriptures and realized that the time of exile should end soon; however, nothing was changing in Babylon. The Book of Daniel tells us that Daniel prayed three times a day for his people.
Late in Daniel’s life, he had a vision and prayed for three and fasted for three weeks without any explanations coming from God. Then an angel appeared and gave this explanation: “Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.” (Daniel 10:12-14)
Nothing was wrong with Daniel’s prayers. God was pleased with Daniel’s prayers; however, Satan was opposing those prayers. What if Daniel had quit after two weeks, or even after twenty days rather than persisting for twenty-one days? It was Daniel’s prayers that released heavenly power to overcome massive Satanic opposition.
George Mueller was a man of enormous faith who founded orphanages in Bristol, England that eventually served more than 10,000 orphans at a time. Mueller depended on God for provision and there were many stories of the orphans sitting at the breakfast table with no food, only for milkmen and bakers to suddenly turn up with sufficient supplies for their needs. One of Mueller’s friends had a son who rejected God and ran off to Canada to escape his father’s godly influence. Mueller prayed for that man’s salvation for many years. Long after Mueller’s friend had died, Mueller continued to pray for the son. Eventually, Mueller himself died, and it was when the son read of Mueller’s death in a Canadian paper that he came under conviction of sin and repented, giving his life to Christ.
What did George Mueller and Daniel have in common? They prayed and refused to lose heart, no matter how daunting the circumstances appeared to be. Perhaps you are in a situation like that of Daniel’s. You are in a place that is not of your choosing, longing for restoration and reconciliation. You have prayed for decades for the salvation of your loved ones but have seen little evidence of change. Don’t give up! For all you know, the answers to all your prayers may be right around the corner.
When I was a child, both my grandfathers were alive. One grandfather was a Christian while the other was a cynical unbeliever for whose salvation I prayed with childish faith. Eventually that grandfather walked out into a wintry night in his sleep, going outside his house and falling, fracturing a hip. My grandfather lingered ten days in hospital and then died. Later, God revealed to me that it was during that ten days that my grandfather finally repented, fulfilling those prayers I had prayed decades before.
No matter your circumstances, God knows your struggles and your trials. God is neither deaf nor sleeping. Hang on! Don’t give up and stop praying on day #20 when the spiritual battle might be won on day #21! This quote from Franklin D. Roosevelt advises to tie a knot at the end of your rope and hang on. I would add, “Tie a knot at the end of your rope, hang on, and PRAY!!!”
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to be constant in prayer and persistent in prayer. Help us never to give up or to lose heart, realizing that You are the One who will cause things to happen in Your time. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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