Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. He said, ‘In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, “Grant me justice against my opponent.” For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, “Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.” ’ And the Lord said, ‘Listen to what the unjust judge 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. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?’I'm not too sure this parable works in today's culture. The reason I say that is because the point of this parable is that if we keep asking for something even the most cold-hearted person will eventually give in. Too often I see children and teenagers who "bug" their parents to a breaking point where they get what they want; and that's not always a good thing.
Maybe a better lesson we can take from this parable is that the widow was actually asking for something of importance beyond material things. She wanted justice to be done in her favor. She wasn't asking for new clothes, a bigger house, or more money; she just wanted things to be made right. Maybe this should be how we relay the message of this parable for today's society. It's not about what we can get, it's about how we can bring righteousness into the world.
If the message becomes how we can do the things that bring about justice then maybe this parable will have more meaning. It's ok to ask for things to make your life happier, but think about what real happiness is. I have come to understand that real happiness comes from good relationships and this is what the widow in our story really is seeking; an inner peace free from the anguish of being in a bad relationship with her accuser.
Pray constantly, ask for the things that will make your life better, be at peace with yourself and those around you. That's what I hope the message of this parable will be.
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