Luke 18:1-8 (NRSV)
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Chapter 18Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. Verse 2He said, "In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. Verse 3In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, 'Grant me justice against my opponent.' Verse 4For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, 'Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, Verse 5yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.'" Verse 6And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. Verse 7And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? Verse 8I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"
Devotion
Some say that God answers prayer in one of three ways: Yes, No, or Wait. A bit simplistic, perhaps… after all, some prayers (such as “Why?”) are not of the yes/no variety. But the concept of “wait” is an intriguing one. What does it mean to wait? Can waiting in itself be an answer to prayer? Advent will be upon us in a few short weeks; a season that embraces waiting. Yet waiting remains one of the hardest things for us to do.
Perhaps that is why Jesus encouraged his disciples to pray with a heart that is open to persistence. Do not let the negative example of the unjust judge get in the way. Jesus is not advocating an attitude of fatalism. Rather, in this parable of the pesky plaintiff, Jesus wants us to know that, by repeatedly bringing our requests to God, we remind ourselves that we rely on a God who is constant and forever. Never will there be a time when God refuses to hear our plea.
Prayer
Lord, keep us steadfast in our pursuit of your blessing, and when we must wait for peace, help us to not lose faith in your unending justice. Amen.