If an unjust judge who couldn’t care less about his people can be pestered into doing the right thing, then so would a righteous and loving God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night. But the portrait of the judge caving in to the widow’s incessant nagging still doesn’t feel quite right. It’s easy to see the unjust judge not caving in, or even slapping her with a contempt of court charge. Why doesn’t he do that?

Luke 18:1–8 (ESV)

And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

This parable is pretty straightforward. Luke even gives us the interpretation up front. They (we) ought always to pray and not lose heart.

Read More