There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. – Luke 18:2-5″
In Luke Chapter 18, Jesus tells this parable to his disciples about a widow who seeks justice from her adversaries from a corrupt judge who doesn’t care about the woman or her problems. He repeatedly refuses to do anything to help her, until eventually he gives in and does the right thing because the woman continues to knock on his door every night. It is also sometimes called “The Parable of the Unjust Judge,” but I prefer “Persistent Widow,” because it puts emphasis on the righteous actions of the widow.
Like many of Jesus’ parables, there are multiple lessons and meanings for our everyday lives that can be gleaned from the story.
Never Give Up
The first lesson is that we should never give up on a righteous cause. If the persistent widow had simply declared defeat immediately and walked away, she never would have received the justice she had been seeking. It can be very tempting to take the path of least resistance and not stand up for ourselves in our daily lives.
If you ask your boss for a raise and he says that it’s not in the budget and the company can’t afford it, it would be easy to never bring it up again, even if you worked there for another 10 years. If you try to talk about your faith to a friend and they aren’t immediately receptive, it can be very easy to never bring it up again – but is it the right thing to do?
Money Isn’t Everything
Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God. – Matthew 19:24
The second lesson is often overlooked but is also important: the woman in the story is a persistent widow, which is significant because, during Biblical times, most widows had very little money. Simply put, the helpless old woman could not immediately receive justice because she did not have any money to bribe the corrupt judge. However, she eventually gets what she needs anyway because she refused to give up.
Money can be a great thing and is often very useful in our lives, but there is one important thing that it can never buy: spiritual fulfillment. No amount of money will bring you closer to God, as Jesus told the rich man in Matthew 19. That’s not to say that having a lot of money is bad or immoral, but simply that the money should be used for God’s purpose.
The Power of Prayer
And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? – Luke 18:7-8
Immediately after the parable, Jesus explains its spiritual meaning: if the persistent widow in the story can receive justice from her adversaries from a corrupt judge, how much quicker and easier must it be to receive justice from Our Heavenly Father, who is perfect and incorruptible? Just as the persistent widow knocked on the judge’s door every night to plead her case, we should bring our troubles to The Lord in prayer every day. As the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, “Pray without ceasing.”
The next time you encounter a problem, no matter how big or how small, remember the persistent widow. Take that problem to The Lord in prayer and allow Him to guide your path. Whenever you receive a “no” from someone and your cause is righteous, lift your head up high and try again in the future, especially if that “no” comes while sharing the Gospel with others.
Dear Lord, we praise You and thank You for this day, and thank you for the many blessing that you have given to us. We pray that we might not be afraid to share the Gospel of Christ, that we might receive the justice we need, and that You might continue to watch over us, bless us and protect us. We pray these things in the name of Jesus, our Lord, and Savior who gave Himself up for our sins, Amen.