Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’ ” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
--Parallel verses:
Psalms 94:1-13
The Lord is a God who avenges. O God who avenges, shine forth. Rise up, Judge of the earth; pay back to the proud what they deserve. How long, Lord, will the wicked, how long will the wicked be jubilant? They pour out arrogant words; all the evildoers are full of boasting. They crush your people, Lord; they oppress your inheritance. They slay the widow and the foreigner; they murder the fatherless. They say, “The Lord does not see; the God of Jacob takes no notice.” Take notice, you senseless ones among the people; you fools, when will you become wise? Does he who fashioned the ear not hear? Does he who formed the eye not see? Does he who disciplines nations not punish? Does he who teaches mankind lack knowledge? The Lord knows all human plans; he knows that they are futile. Blessed is the one you discipline, Lord, the one you teach from your law; you grant them relief from days of trouble, till a pit is dug for the wicked.
Does it sometimes seem to you as though wicked people flourish? I see it at times — in the courthouses, in the schools, in the public square, in the workplace, and in the home. The pain and hurt I feel, when I or others have been wronged, IS REAL!
I think of the reactions to the taking of innocent life in Israel, where terrorists slaughtered men, women, and children indiscriminately. I think of those being kept in jail without a fair trial. I think of those who are not treated as their crimes deserve. I think of the attacks on the innocence of our children and the push to legalize the killing of children inside and outside the womb.
I love this passage in Luke, because it encourages us to persistently ask for justice. And though this woman had to petition an unjust judge, she did prevail. In this world, God calls us to be persistent and continue to petition, and at times stand and fight for justice. And we also can petition our loving Father. When we petition him, in contrast to the unjust judge, we are petitioning a just God!
We can have confidence that God will always act justly, and his righteous justice will be carried out on this earth at the final judgment day. We do not need to live in bitterness or anger because of the ways that others seem to get away with injustice.
This is a lesson I have had to learn over and over again in my life. God cares about our hearts to love and serve those who are lost and bring them to salvation, too! And so we must balance our approach to life. Yes, we are to fight for justice issues, but we are also to acknowledge that God is all powerful and he will fight our battles for us. We are to focus on doing his will and serving to spread the gospel to a lost world.
David, in this psalm, gives us a great model of this. He petitions God for justice; he cries out against the unjust. But then he acknowledges that God is mighty and just and promises to dispense justice.
Lord, help me to not sit back and allow injustice to happen around me. May I stand for the truth, but also, while standing, look for those who are lost that I can lead to Jesus.
