Jesus taught that we should keep praying until an answer
comes. We have learned to be persistent in getting help from lesser powers. Why
not appeal to Heaven?
Luke 18:
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to
show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: “In a
certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people
thought. 3 And
there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me
justice against my adversary.’
4 “For some time he refused. But finally he
said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow
keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t
eventually come and attack me!’”
This is a parable. It was not an actual widow and judge, but
a fictitious story designed to teach a universal truth to those who heard it.
There’s no doubt that we should be people of social justice.
Jesus’ teachings about loving our neighbouring, healing the sick, visiting
prisoners, releasing slaves and sharing our food with the hungry exemplify
Christian living.
We are to live oppositely to whatever injustice is
happening.
Paul added that all the good ways we try to help must flow
out of sincere love for the people. Otherwise, social justice is just pompous
attitude and noise pollution.
I am always intrigued by Jesus’ apparent lack of retaliation
against the Roman government. Instead, his correction was used with laser aim
against heartless religion. Perhaps the story of the Widow and the Unjust Judge
point us in the direction of Godless government.
One other bit of
cultural background helps us understand the account. In a civil dispute the
judge would be responsible for dealing with the woman's claims. Since she is
alone, if she is to find justice, the judge must supply it. Although the judge
is not known for his compassion—he neither
feared God nor cared about men—he still is responsible to hear her case.[1]
In Corinth, Paul advised against taking a spiritual brother
to court. It’s better if the church can work out a peaceful solution.
Apparently the civil justice system is not as merciful or redemptive. There is
not the same commitment to love that we should find in God’s Kingdom.
But, instead of writing off earthly government, Paul says we
are to do two things. First, we are to submit to those who rule in these
matters and secondly, we are to pray for the powerbrokers and decision makers.
1 Timothy 2:
I urge, then, first of all, that petitions,
prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those
in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all
godliness and holiness.
In this parable of the Unjust Judge, we get a glimpse into
politics. The Judge finally gives the woman justice because she kept coming
back requesting it. The heartless Judge finally helps to save face and to get
her off his back. All the while, she was truly vulnerable in society and had no
one else to resolve her matter.
In the parable of the Widow we are reminded that we need a
better system than the world provides. If you are healthy and secure in life,
you may not see yourself as a widow or orphan. But chances are you will find
yourself alone without support at some point in your life. If I die before my
wife, she will be a widow. When my parents die, I will be an orphan. When I am
vulnerable and helpless, where will I turn? You are never too young or old to
be a widow or an orphan.
It would be a mistake
to assume that the woman in this story is old. In the ancient culture, women
married in the early to mid teens, and the life expectancy for men who reached
adulthood often did not exceed "thirty-something" (Jeremias
1972:153). Yet being a widow, she was among the most vulnerable people in her
society. [2]
Governments often fail to care for the most vulnerable
members of society. The Kingdom of God is called to seek out and love the ones
who have no justice. In so doing, we are the countercultural family constantly
adopting helpless citizens into our house.
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