Learning How To Pray Pt. 13 Prayer & The Unjust Judge

Luke 18:1-3  And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; 2)  Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: 3)  And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. 

Luke recorded another parable of Jesus that touches upon the subject of prayer. His introduction gives us the proper interpretation of Jesus' parable. 

The purpose of this parable to teach us always to pray and not to faint when we pray during times of great distress.

Therefore the plain meaning and moral of the parable is evident, that when affliction and desolation happen, we must be patient and pray with courage. We must be instant in prayer and never cease praying for that  which God has promised. 

Verses two and three introduce the principle characters in the parable, a wicked judge and a widow seeking justice. 

This judge was a fool and lacked compassion. 

Proverbs 1:7  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 8:13  The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.

Proverbs 9:10  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. 

The judge did not fear God and the Bible teaches that only a fool fails to fear God. Fearing God is the beginning of true wisdom but a fool despises it. This is why the judge in this parable is a wicked judge. 

Having a right fear of the Lord helps us hate evil in all of its forms. Having a right fear of the Lord brings us to a knowledge of His holiness and a fresh understanding of our wonderful God and Savior. 

This judge did not regard man either. We are not talking about him treating a wealthy person better than a poor one. Rather, it is that he lacks compassion that all judges should have.

Ecclesiastes 3:16  And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there. 

One of the evil things King Solomon observed was that in the place of judgment, he saw wicked judges. In the place where a judge was appointed to make righteous judgments, iniquity was meted out. 

No person is worthy to be a judge if they do not fear God, and demonstrate respect for others. Since this judge did not fear God, he paid no attention to the widow's calls of justice. Since he lacked compassion for others, he was unmoved at the injustice suffered by the widow.

The widow sought justice and was turned away. 

Psalm 68:5  A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.

God has a special place in His heart for orphans and widows. He established laws to meet their needs and maintain them. He watches over them with special care and Israel's judges received specific instruction to care for widows and orphans.

God's provision for widows.

Exodus 22:22  Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child.

Deuteronomy 10:17,18  For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward: 18)  He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment. 

Deuteronomy 24:19-21  When thou cuttest down thine harvest in thy field, and hast forgot a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not go again to fetch it: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow: that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hands. 20)  When thou beatest thine olive tree, thou shalt not go over the boughs again: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow. 21)  When thou gatherest the grapes of thy vineyard, thou shalt not glean it afterward: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow. 

These are just some of the laws God put in place to protect widows and orphans. Judges were to hear widows and orphans to make sure that God's law was upheld and their needs were being met.

God gave specific instruction to farmers to leave grain, fruit and olives on the trees or in their fields, as they brought in the harvest. Thus, He provided for their food. 

The wicked judge gave in to the widow's persistent pleas. 

Luke 18:4,5  And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; 5)  Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. 

The widow in Jesus' parable was not having her needs met in the manner prescribed by God's law. Therefore, she sought relief from this judge.

This judge kept denying the widow's plea for justice. Yet, the widow came back every day, seeking a right judgment from this judge. He finally decided to rule in her favor, but not for the right reason.

He still was a fool who did not fear God and he still lacked compassion for others. The only reason he avenged the widow was because she "troubled" him. 

The word "troubled" means that she showed up at the gate each day, and expressed her sorrow because of being treated unjustly. 

It also means by the widow's constantly coming to the judge, she made extra work for him.  This fits very well with the old expression "The squeaky wheel gets oiled." 

This expression means that the person who complains about something the longest and loudest, will likely see their situation corrected. Thus, the judge was becoming wearied by her persistence. 

The words "weary me" is a boxing term. It refers to being hit until you are black and blue, and roughly handled by a boxer. This describes how the judge felt because of the widow's persistence in advocating for herself. 

Shall not God judge rightly and swiftly on behalf of His children?

Luke 18:6-8  And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. 7)  And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? 8)  I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? 

If an unjust judge could yield to the pressing cries of a poor widow, for whom he felt nothing but contempt, how much more ready God is, to give His utmost  to all who diligently seek it!

God graciously promised to give salvation to every soul that comes unto Him through his Son, and has put his Spirit in their hearts, so that we cry unto him incessantly for it. 

The goodness of His nature and the promise of His grace means that God will hear the prayers we offer unto him and He will answer them righteously and justly.

Remember, the purpose of this parable is to teach believers in Christ to always pray and not faint. Remember, that Jesus concluded the parable with the question "Shall the Son of Man find faith on the earth?"

This implies that we may grow weary of praying and become ineffective, or we may stop praying altogether. God will answer our prayers because His Fatherly eyes are upon each child of God. He will answer and we must keep praying. 

Thoughts to Ponder...

The children of God meet with much trouble and opposition in this world. There are many adversaries that fight against us and Satan is our great adversary. We pray and wait for God's preserving and protecting work, as He advances His church in the world and supplies grace for our heart.

God requires us to pray day and night to Him. He has made this our duty, and He has promised us mercy. We ought to be  praying against our spiritual enemies, like this importunate widow.  

We ought to pray for the persecuted and oppressed churches, so that God will do them justice, and set them in safety. We must be urgent, praying with earnestness: day and night, as those that believe prayer will be heard by our Father. 

May the Holy Spirit guide us as we pray, coming beside us to help us so that we pray aright.

Bob