The Rev’d Jim Lam
Season: 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time (19 October, 2025. Year C)
Readings: Genesis 32:22-31, 2 Timothy 3:14–4:5, Luke 18:1-8
A young child was acting unruly during church service one Sunday. The parents did their best to maintain some order in the pew but were losing the battle. Finally, the father picked the little fellow up and walked sternly up the aisle on his way out. Just before reaching the safety of the foyer, the little one called loudly to the congregation, “Pray for me! Pray for me!”
What an urgent need for a prayer!
So, when would you pray? When you are feeling sad? When you are on top of the world? Or, when you think you are in desperate need for help?
For many of us, praying means that we recognise our own weaknesses and our need to depend on God for his mercy and grace. However, there are also those who refuse to pray. Some might think that if they could achieve what they want on their own, there’s no need to pray. Others might think that if God help those who help themselves, why not start helping themselves straight away, without first beseeching God’s help. And when they do resort to praying, and find that God does not grant their wish immediately, they might even come to the conclusion that if praying does not achieve anything, why pray!
Moreover, some might think that if praying cannot replace hard labour, why should one pray? Take for example, if a student cannot replace revising diligently with prayers for getting good grades, why pray? If a farmer cannot replace tilling and ploughing with prayers for an abundant harvest, why pray? In short, if on top of praying hard, we still have to work hard in order to get good results, why would we pray?
Like Rev. Ivica said last week, people often remember God most in times of need, but when things go well, they forget. And for some, God and other people are only a kind of “assistance”.
In today’s gospel, Jesus told a parable about people’s need to pray always and not to lose heart. Why would people lose heart? We need to go back a bit in the gospel. In the previous chapter, it was mentioned “just as it was in the days of Noah” and “in the days of Lot.” (Luke 17:26, 28) In Noah’s day, the wickedness of humankind was great in the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually (Genesis 6:5). And in Lot’s day, the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was very grave (Genesis 18:20).
This parable, which demonstrates the need to pray persistently, is a straight forward story that carries a message of profundity. There are only two characters: A widow who wanted to redress an injustice and a corrupt judge who couldn’t care less. The judge ignored the widow, but she kept coming to him and “bothering” him so much that he yielded to her demand and granted her justice.
In the patriarchal Jewish world of Jesus’ time, men played the public role, and women did not speak on their own behalf. Bereft of her husband, a widow had no say and low or no social status. And because widows were not included in Hebrew inheritance law, their constant concern was simply finding the means to live from day to day. In other words, they were easy prey for oppression and even destruction.
That’s why scriptures again and again urge the people of Israel not to mistreat widows. God is described as the “father of orphans and protector of widows” (Psalms 68:5) and the people are repeatedly reminded not to abuse or oppress them (Exodus 22:22; Zechariah 7:10). Not only does God execute justice for widows (Deuteronomy 10：18) and cares for them (Deuteronomy 14:29; 16:11), he also promises that “when widows and orphans pour out their prayers, he does not ignore them.” (Sirach 35:14).
When we consider this parable, it is easy to fall into the trap of drawing an analogy between the judge and God. This is a big misjudgement. While the judge is corrupt and indifferent, our God is righteous, and is willing to listen to prayers of the aggrieved and the wronged. He has even said that, “vengeance is mine, I will repay.” (Romans 12:19; Deuteronomy 32:35)
However, the widow did symbolize God’s “chosen ones”(Luke 18:7). She was destitute, but had righteousness on her side. What she sought was justice, and not revenge. And so, her pleadings represented the church’s appeal to God to grant her justice against her opponent. (Luke 18:3).
Who are the church’s opponents? We in New Zealand enjoy peace and religious freedom. But there are many who suffer, even lose their lives, simply because they follow Jesus. According to the World Watch List released by the Open Doors International early this year, more than 380 million, or one in seven Christians worldwide are under persecution and discrimination for their faith. We may note that across Sub-Saharan Africa, violence against Christians has been increasing. In the Middle East, Christians are driven underground. While the Israeli-Hamas war is ending and hostages are being exchanged, the conflict has meant that Christian communities in Gaza and the West Bank have come to the brink of extinction.
And so, what was Jesus’ point in this parable? Urging the church to keep going to the local government to voice their complaint when faced with oppression? Not necessarily. Come to think of it, the unjust judge might not be as bad as he sounds. Otherwise, he would have simply had the widow put away. But instead, he chose to act for her.
Jesus was reminding his church not to lose heart in times of difficulty. If even an unjust judge would grant justice to a helpless widow, although for a not so noble reason, will God not help his Church and listen to his people’s pleadings and prayers? Jesus says, “And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them.” (Luke 18:7-8a)
However, Jesus added at the end of the parable that “And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:8b) Let us pray that God will guard and guide us, so that no matter what our circumstances are, or what vicissitude of life we may face, we will not lose heart, but grow in Jesus our hope of salvation. And may we pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion, so that we can stay alert and be persistent in our prayers for all believers and non-believers everywhere. Amen.