The Persistent Widow Pleads With the Unjust Judgeby Heloise
18:3Luke 18:3
And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.
A poor and friendless widow who has been wronged comes again and again to the city judge who is able to set her case right, asking him to vindicate her against her oppressor. The judge neither fears God nor regards man and cares nothing for right or for her suffering, delaying and roughly turning her away until at last he grants her justice only to be rid of her trouble and protect himself. Christ told this to teach that men ought always to pray and not lose heart, for God is wholly unlike that hard-hearted judge and hears the sincere, persistent cry of even the weakest with infinite compassion. The widow pictures God's elect, who by sin have lost connection with God and of themselves have no means of salvation, seeking the Father for deliverance from Satan their great adversary who accuses them day and night, relying on Christ their Advocate and the merits of His cross to silence the accuser. With special reference to the perils just before His second coming, when His followers can expect little justice from men in trust who fear not God neither regard man, He assures them that if they cry to Him day and night He will avenge them speedily.
Widow's Plea for Justice
The verse presents a widow in the city coming to the judge with a righteous claim, asking for justice and vindication against her adversary as one who has been wronged and defrauded and seeks relief from her oppressor. Though the judge is able to help her, he repeatedly rejects her, treats her with contempt and refuses to hear her. She does not give up or become discouraged, but continues pleading earnestly until he attends to her case, and her persistence illustrates the call to keep praying and not faint, especially through the perils before Christ's second coming. He ultimately grants her justice not from care for right but to protect his reputation and avoid public exposure of his partial, one-sided judgment and further trouble, since many complaints are made about his course. Her plea supports the lesson to turn to God and persist in prayer when afflicted or unjustly treated, trusting that God hears the prayer of faith, for members of His church are His property by creation and redemption and He has an interest in those who make Him their dependence, who should pray to Him as earnestly as the defrauded woman prayed to the judge.
Her request, Avenge me, means that the judge should set right the wrong done to her. Her repeated appeal illustrates persistent prayer for justice, in contrast to the unjust judge, for God hears His people who cry to Him and will bring them justice. The widow has lost her husband by death and is poor and friendless, with no means of retrieving her ruined fortunes.
The judge is responsible for deciding cases and is required to give special attention to widows. He is able to deliver her from her oppressors and restrain wrongdoing at once, yet he disregards her rights, delays acting, and even joins in bringing oppression upon her, failing in his duty to protect her. He refuses because he is selfish and wants to exercise arbitrary power, but she is determined to have her case heard, and at last her persistent, repeated appeals weary him and he agrees to give the justice he should have provided long before. The unjust judge who has no fear of God and no care for man is unlike the rich man in the parable of Lazarus, who claimed to be a son of Abraham, did not use violence against the beggar at his gate, did not drive him away because the sight of him was disagreeable, and even allowed him to remain.
Character of Unjust Judge
The judge has no regard for what is right and no pity for suffering, neither fearing God nor regarding man. He feels no pity or compassion, so that the widow's misery is nothing to him. He acts from selfishness and a desire to exercise arbitrary power, with self as his god. He represents judges who decide questions where human life hangs in the balance according to debased, perverted sentiments and degraded motives. Filled with satanic attributes, with appetite and passion destroying his powers of perception, he shows to what depths of degradation men sink when they yield their powers to Satan and the lower nature is fully developed.
Though able at once to relieve her and restrain wrongdoing, he repeatedly turns her away and refuses to hear her. He tears her from the judgment seat, repulses and roughly treats her, and meets her persevering patience with contempt. That rough treatment does not quench her determination, but she is found again at his feet asking for justice. Her perseverance and continual coming weary him until they gain the favor she asked and its reward.
He grants her justice at last not from compassion or love of what is right. He acts only to save himself from trouble and annoyance and to be relieved of her importunity. He acts to protect his reputation and to avoid public exposure and publicity for his partial, one-sided judgment, seeing that he is making his injustice conspicuous. Many complaints are being made about his course of action.
Parable's Call to Prayer
Christ told this parable to teach that men ought always to pray and not to faint or lose heart. Her importunate, persistent coming gives new force to the command to ask, seek, and knock, teaching day-and-night crying to God for justice and strengthening wavering faith with assurance of speedy justice for His elect. Her repeated appeal illustrates persistent prayer for justice, and her perseverance and continual coming gained the favor she asked. Her request to be avenged means that the judge should set right the wrong done to her.
God is wholly different from the indifferent, hard-hearted judge. The judge acted only from selfishness to be relieved of importunity, to save himself trouble and annoyance, to save his reputation and avoid publicity and public exposure for his partial, one-sided judgment, feeling no pity or compassion so that her misery was nothing to him. By contrast God is not indifferent to the prayers of His people but considers the appeals of the needy and distressed with infinite compassion, hearing them even though they may have to wait to bring them justice. Those who come to God in sincere, contrite prayer are not turned away, for He hears even the weakest person's cry and no sincere prayer is lost.
Persistent prayer is to be joined with good works and confidence in God. Conscious need does not license presumption or self-directed zeal, for prayer should be joined with heavenly wisdom and willingness to be led and shaped by the Holy Spirit. The parable teaches respect for the cause of the poor, whose pleas must be heard without partiality, and those who honor God show mercy to the needy person seeking justice against an oppressor.
Adversary and Advocate
The widow comes as a humble petitioner asking the judge to give her justice against her adversary, and her appeal pictures God's people seeking help from God while Satan accuses and opposes them. Her plea is the prayer of God's children for deliverance from Satan, their great adversary. He accuses them before God day and night and labors to misrepresent, deceive, tempt, and destroy them.
That cry for justice reaches beyond Satan himself to the agents he prompts and controls. Those adversaries are controlled by an evil power to misrepresent, tempt, and destroy God's people, and they continually oppose Christ and His disciples, so that like their Master the disciples face constant temptation. In that conflict God's people are to bring their case to God and entrust their cause to Him rather than condemn or accuse their opponents, use force, or try to deliver themselves.
The widow, left poor and friendless with no means of retrieving her ruined fortunes, pictures man who by sin has lost his connection with God and of himself has no means of salvation. Her entreating the judge for justice pictures God's elect seeking the Father, for in Christ they are brought nigh unto the Father. She stands for those dear to God's heart, whom He has called out of darkness into His marvelous light to show forth His praise and to shine as lights amid the darkness of the world. To Him the dearest object on earth is His church, which He loves with infinite love, and its members are His property by creation and by redemption, in whom He has an interest when they make Him their dependence.
Their plea meets the accusations Satan brings against them. Unable to answer those charges themselves, they rely on Christ, their divine Advocate, and the merits of His cross. Though they have sinned, He has taken their guilt upon Himself and silences the accuser, and God rebukes Satan and helps those who are perishing.
End-Time Persecution and Vindication
Christ told this parable with special reference to the period just before His second coming and the perils His followers must pass through, to teach that men ought always to pray and not to faint or lose heart. The widow coming to the judge asking for justice against her opponent pictures God's elect crying day and night to Him for vindication in that time, with the assurance that He will avenge them speedily.
The oppressed people of God pleading for deliverance in united, persistent cry belongs to the closing scenes of the church's history in this mortal state. The importunate widow pictures the position of the people of God in this world and the trials they will be called to endure because of the injustice of men placed in positions of trust who fear not God neither regard man. As the close of this earth's history nears, those who fear God and honor Him can hope for little justice and must expect injustice and oppression at the hand of those who regard neither God nor man. Her cause is righteous, but the judge repeatedly rejects her and treats her with contempt even though he could grant relief, yet she does not give up or become discouraged. Her persistence through those perils illustrates the call to keep praying and not faint, teaching perseverance and entreaty in prayer.
Christ gave her courage and determination to persist, and her example teaches the result of persevering prayer and faith. The confidence He inspires, He rewards, and her persistent, importunate coming gives new force to the command to ask, seek, and knock, teaching day-and-night crying to God for justice. The verse strengthens wavering faith with the assurance that God will do justice for His elect speedily.
The widow is a picture of Christ's people when they face injustice, adversity, and unjust earthly authorities, for like her they have adversaries and need a refuge. Christ is that refuge for His disciples, as He was for the importunate widow. The verse also points to the injustice Christ would face at His trial and to the little reliance His people can place on earthly judges who do not follow the Bible. Her appeal to the judge shows the need to seek justice when those in power do not follow God's Word.
Persistent Prayer in Practice
The widow's importunate coming is the pattern God invites in prayer for those in trouble, who are bidden to call upon Him at once with their perplexities and necessities and need of divine help, being instant in prayer with sincere, earnest petitions as soon as difficulties arise. Such importunate prayer gives evidence of strong confidence in God, is driven by the sense of need, and moves the heavenly Father by its supplications. She is the example of one who kept asking for justice against her adversary and would not let go until persistence obtained the request, teaching believers to ask God for greater blessings with firm, unwavering faith and not to give up.
Those who ask God for something important are not to waver or grow weary while waiting for an answer, but to hold firmly to the promise and continue in earnest faith, firmly urging the case without giving up. Her plea illustrates continuing to pray when an answer is delayed and patiently trusting God and waiting, trusting His wisdom rather than trying to secure the desired result by one's own plans or strength. Believers should not stop praying when an answer is delayed, but wait and keep bringing earnest requests to God, laying plans before Christ and trusting that when a request serves God's glory He will answer.
Such prayer is offered in Jesus' name and with the Holy Spirit's help, in faith and confidence that God will answer, and believers are urged not to grow weary in bringing earnest petitions. They are to ask earnestly and confidently for God's blessing and for power to live as His children, pleading persistently and trusting His promises rather than fearing that they weary Him. The appeal supports the call to wrestle with God and supplicate day and night for power to overcome evil. It illustrates persistent pleading for help against an adversary, reflected in the earnest, persevering cries of people calling on God as they struggle against evil.
From this account is drawn the lesson to be importunate in prayer and to hold fast to those for whom one prays. The parable belongs to seeking the Lord earnestly and with faith that will not be denied. Christ's ministers must not be at ease when people are perishing, but must work and pray without ceasing, for persistent, prevailing faith is necessary.
Trembling faith grasps the strong promises of God and, like the importunate widow agonizing until the petition is answered, sends up united cries for the restoration of an afflicted brother to health. The widow pictures faith that keeps asking again and again until the full answer is realized and claims restoration for an afflicted sick person, holding that what is hoped for though unseen shall be done, sending up humble requests many times a day for healing power to come, weeping and rejoicing while refusing to stop asking. Her importunate plea illustrates the perseverance parents are urged to show, keeping on praying for their children until help, grace, and salvation come.
The passage applies to the church of God at this time, meaning that when troubles assail members are to unite in persevering prayer to God for deliverance and agree together about the thing desired instead of taking church difficulties to lawyers not of their faith. God would not have church difficulties opened before those who do not fear Him and do not obey His requirements, because they lack the wisdom from above, and appealing to unbelievers to settle difficulties in the church dishonors God and shows lack of faith in Him. When afflicted or unjustly treated, believers are to turn to God and persist in prayer, trusting that God hears the prayer of faith.
A poor and friendless widow who has been wronged comes again and again to the city judge who is able to set her case right, asking him to vindicate her against her oppressor. The judge neither fears God nor regards man and cares nothing for right or for her suffering, delaying and roughly turning her away until at last he grants her justice only to be rid of her trouble and protect himself. Christ told this to teach that men ought always to pray and not lose heart, for God is wholly unlike that hard-hearted judge and hears the sincere, persistent cry of even the weakest with infinite compassion. The widow pictures God's elect, who by sin have lost connection with God and of themselves have no means of salvation, seeking the Father for deliverance from Satan their great adversary who accuses them day and night, relying on Christ their Advocate and the merits of His cross to silence the accuser. With special reference to the perils just before His second coming, when His followers can expect little justice from men in trust who fear not God neither regard man, He assures them that if they cry to Him day and night He will avenge them speedily.
Widow's Plea for Justice
The verse presents a widow in the city coming to the judge with a righteous claim, asking for justice and vindication against her adversary as one who has been wronged and defrauded and seeks relief from her oppressor. Though the judge is able to help her, he repeatedly rejects her, treats her with contempt and refuses to hear her. She does not give up or become discouraged, but continues pleading earnestly until he attends to her case, and her persistence illustrates the call to keep praying and not faint, especially through the perils before Christ's second coming. He ultimately grants her justice not from care for right but to protect his reputation and avoid public exposure of his partial, one-sided judgment and further trouble, since many complaints are made about his course. Her plea supports the lesson to turn to God and persist in prayer when afflicted or unjustly treated, trusting that God hears the prayer of faith, for members of His church are His property by creation and redemption and He has an interest in those who make Him their dependence, who should pray to Him as earnestly as the defrauded woman prayed to the judge.
Her request, Avenge me, means that the judge should set right the wrong done to her. Her repeated appeal illustrates persistent prayer for justice, in contrast to the unjust judge, for God hears His people who cry to Him and will bring them justice. The widow has lost her husband by death and is poor and friendless, with no means of retrieving her ruined fortunes.
The judge is responsible for deciding cases and is required to give special attention to widows. He is able to deliver her from her oppressors and restrain wrongdoing at once, yet he disregards her rights, delays acting, and even joins in bringing oppression upon her, failing in his duty to protect her. He refuses because he is selfish and wants to exercise arbitrary power, but she is determined to have her case heard, and at last her persistent, repeated appeals weary him and he agrees to give the justice he should have provided long before. The unjust judge who has no fear of God and no care for man is unlike the rich man in the parable of Lazarus, who claimed to be a son of Abraham, did not use violence against the beggar at his gate, did not drive him away because the sight of him was disagreeable, and even allowed him to remain.
Character of Unjust Judge
The judge has no regard for what is right and no pity for suffering, neither fearing God nor regarding man. He feels no pity or compassion, so that the widow's misery is nothing to him. He acts from selfishness and a desire to exercise arbitrary power, with self as his god. He represents judges who decide questions where human life hangs in the balance according to debased, perverted sentiments and degraded motives. Filled with satanic attributes, with appetite and passion destroying his powers of perception, he shows to what depths of degradation men sink when they yield their powers to Satan and the lower nature is fully developed.
Though able at once to relieve her and restrain wrongdoing, he repeatedly turns her away and refuses to hear her. He tears her from the judgment seat, repulses and roughly treats her, and meets her persevering patience with contempt. That rough treatment does not quench her determination, but she is found again at his feet asking for justice. Her perseverance and continual coming weary him until they gain the favor she asked and its reward.
He grants her justice at last not from compassion or love of what is right. He acts only to save himself from trouble and annoyance and to be relieved of her importunity. He acts to protect his reputation and to avoid public exposure and publicity for his partial, one-sided judgment, seeing that he is making his injustice conspicuous. Many complaints are being made about his course of action.
Parable's Call to Prayer
Christ told this parable to teach that men ought always to pray and not to faint or lose heart. Her importunate, persistent coming gives new force to the command to ask, seek, and knock, teaching day-and-night crying to God for justice and strengthening wavering faith with assurance of speedy justice for His elect. Her repeated appeal illustrates persistent prayer for justice, and her perseverance and continual coming gained the favor she asked. Her request to be avenged means that the judge should set right the wrong done to her.
God is wholly different from the indifferent, hard-hearted judge. The judge acted only from selfishness to be relieved of importunity, to save himself trouble and annoyance, to save his reputation and avoid publicity and public exposure for his partial, one-sided judgment, feeling no pity or compassion so that her misery was nothing to him. By contrast God is not indifferent to the prayers of His people but considers the appeals of the needy and distressed with infinite compassion, hearing them even though they may have to wait to bring them justice. Those who come to God in sincere, contrite prayer are not turned away, for He hears even the weakest person's cry and no sincere prayer is lost.
Persistent prayer is to be joined with good works and confidence in God. Conscious need does not license presumption or self-directed zeal, for prayer should be joined with heavenly wisdom and willingness to be led and shaped by the Holy Spirit. The parable teaches respect for the cause of the poor, whose pleas must be heard without partiality, and those who honor God show mercy to the needy person seeking justice against an oppressor.
Adversary and Advocate
The widow comes as a humble petitioner asking the judge to give her justice against her adversary, and her appeal pictures God's people seeking help from God while Satan accuses and opposes them. Her plea is the prayer of God's children for deliverance from Satan, their great adversary. He accuses them before God day and night and labors to misrepresent, deceive, tempt, and destroy them.
That cry for justice reaches beyond Satan himself to the agents he prompts and controls. Those adversaries are controlled by an evil power to misrepresent, tempt, and destroy God's people, and they continually oppose Christ and His disciples, so that like their Master the disciples face constant temptation. In that conflict God's people are to bring their case to God and entrust their cause to Him rather than condemn or accuse their opponents, use force, or try to deliver themselves.
The widow, left poor and friendless with no means of retrieving her ruined fortunes, pictures man who by sin has lost his connection with God and of himself has no means of salvation. Her entreating the judge for justice pictures God's elect seeking the Father, for in Christ they are brought nigh unto the Father. She stands for those dear to God's heart, whom He has called out of darkness into His marvelous light to show forth His praise and to shine as lights amid the darkness of the world. To Him the dearest object on earth is His church, which He loves with infinite love, and its members are His property by creation and by redemption, in whom He has an interest when they make Him their dependence.
Their plea meets the accusations Satan brings against them. Unable to answer those charges themselves, they rely on Christ, their divine Advocate, and the merits of His cross. Though they have sinned, He has taken their guilt upon Himself and silences the accuser, and God rebukes Satan and helps those who are perishing.
End-Time Persecution and Vindication
Christ told this parable with special reference to the period just before His second coming and the perils His followers must pass through, to teach that men ought always to pray and not to faint or lose heart. The widow coming to the judge asking for justice against her opponent pictures God's elect crying day and night to Him for vindication in that time, with the assurance that He will avenge them speedily.
The oppressed people of God pleading for deliverance in united, persistent cry belongs to the closing scenes of the church's history in this mortal state. The importunate widow pictures the position of the people of God in this world and the trials they will be called to endure because of the injustice of men placed in positions of trust who fear not God neither regard man. As the close of this earth's history nears, those who fear God and honor Him can hope for little justice and must expect injustice and oppression at the hand of those who regard neither God nor man. Her cause is righteous, but the judge repeatedly rejects her and treats her with contempt even though he could grant relief, yet she does not give up or become discouraged. Her persistence through those perils illustrates the call to keep praying and not faint, teaching perseverance and entreaty in prayer.
Christ gave her courage and determination to persist, and her example teaches the result of persevering prayer and faith. The confidence He inspires, He rewards, and her persistent, importunate coming gives new force to the command to ask, seek, and knock, teaching day-and-night crying to God for justice. The verse strengthens wavering faith with the assurance that God will do justice for His elect speedily.
The widow is a picture of Christ's people when they face injustice, adversity, and unjust earthly authorities, for like her they have adversaries and need a refuge. Christ is that refuge for His disciples, as He was for the importunate widow. The verse also points to the injustice Christ would face at His trial and to the little reliance His people can place on earthly judges who do not follow the Bible. Her appeal to the judge shows the need to seek justice when those in power do not follow God's Word.
Persistent Prayer in Practice
The widow's importunate coming is the pattern God invites in prayer for those in trouble, who are bidden to call upon Him at once with their perplexities and necessities and need of divine help, being instant in prayer with sincere, earnest petitions as soon as difficulties arise. Such importunate prayer gives evidence of strong confidence in God, is driven by the sense of need, and moves the heavenly Father by its supplications. She is the example of one who kept asking for justice against her adversary and would not let go until persistence obtained the request, teaching believers to ask God for greater blessings with firm, unwavering faith and not to give up.
Those who ask God for something important are not to waver or grow weary while waiting for an answer, but to hold firmly to the promise and continue in earnest faith, firmly urging the case without giving up. Her plea illustrates continuing to pray when an answer is delayed and patiently trusting God and waiting, trusting His wisdom rather than trying to secure the desired result by one's own plans or strength. Believers should not stop praying when an answer is delayed, but wait and keep bringing earnest requests to God, laying plans before Christ and trusting that when a request serves God's glory He will answer.
Such prayer is offered in Jesus' name and with the Holy Spirit's help, in faith and confidence that God will answer, and believers are urged not to grow weary in bringing earnest petitions. They are to ask earnestly and confidently for God's blessing and for power to live as His children, pleading persistently and trusting His promises rather than fearing that they weary Him. The appeal supports the call to wrestle with God and supplicate day and night for power to overcome evil. It illustrates persistent pleading for help against an adversary, reflected in the earnest, persevering cries of people calling on God as they struggle against evil.
From this account is drawn the lesson to be importunate in prayer and to hold fast to those for whom one prays. The parable belongs to seeking the Lord earnestly and with faith that will not be denied. Christ's ministers must not be at ease when people are perishing, but must work and pray without ceasing, for persistent, prevailing faith is necessary.
Trembling faith grasps the strong promises of God and, like the importunate widow agonizing until the petition is answered, sends up united cries for the restoration of an afflicted brother to health. The widow pictures faith that keeps asking again and again until the full answer is realized and claims restoration for an afflicted sick person, holding that what is hoped for though unseen shall be done, sending up humble requests many times a day for healing power to come, weeping and rejoicing while refusing to stop asking. Her importunate plea illustrates the perseverance parents are urged to show, keeping on praying for their children until help, grace, and salvation come.
The passage applies to the church of God at this time, meaning that when troubles assail members are to unite in persevering prayer to God for deliverance and agree together about the thing desired instead of taking church difficulties to lawyers not of their faith. God would not have church difficulties opened before those who do not fear Him and do not obey His requirements, because they lack the wisdom from above, and appealing to unbelievers to settle difficulties in the church dishonors God and shows lack of faith in Him. When afflicted or unjustly treated, believers are to turn to God and persist in prayer, trusting that God hears the prayer of faith.