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 about men. 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 about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!’”
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?” (Luke 18:1-8)
for some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!’”
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?” (Luke 18:1-8)
This is a teaching on prayer
that at first sight, seems more than a little strange. Why would Jesus compare the
Father to a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men? Doesn’t God want
justice? Doesn’t He know our needs? Why should we have to go back to Him
repeatedly be seek justice? How can our prayers wear the Omnipotent One out? The
whole parable gets a “Huh?” from me.
But let’s get real for a moment. Does God fear God? Does He have any reason to fear Himself? Is there some part of the Godhead that is more omnipotent than the rest? Does God have any reason to fear man? Is there some law that can be imposed on Him?
I think there are people who think God is afraid. That’s why He didn’t make man as powerful as He is. That’s why He doesn’t share His power with us as He should, everyone getting an equal share. That’s why He gave us the Law, to keep us down. Logically, that’s nonsense. If God creates more God, has He really created anything? Has He not just “grown”? A creation is an expression of the self, but it is not the self, itself. Logically, for God to create, the result must be something other than Himself, and to be other than Himself, it has to be less than Himself. As much less than God as we are, we still tend to think we could take His place, so it’s almost a favor to us that He makes us so much less than Himself. At least some of us can recognize the joke of our being His equal.
So God is like the judge. He does not fear Himself, and He doesn’t fear man. The judge ruled on the woman’s case just to get her out of his life. He didn’t care about her. God claims to care about us, so why did He suggest that we needed to be like the woman, repeatedly petitioning Him for justice?
I don’t think He does this. I don’t believe that He does this maliciously, capriciously, or carelessly. But there are those who claim He does. I believe that when He withholds justice, there is a good reason for it. We may never know what that good reason is, but that neither means that it does not exist nor that it is not good enough. Sometimes, what’s sought isn’t justice, it’s revenge. Sometimes, in making us wait, He is building character in us. Sometimes, there is a better justice involved and time is involved in bringing that better justice to pass. Sometimes, God shows us, or the one who has wronged us, mercy.
But let’s get real for a moment. Does God fear God? Does He have any reason to fear Himself? Is there some part of the Godhead that is more omnipotent than the rest? Does God have any reason to fear man? Is there some law that can be imposed on Him?
I think there are people who think God is afraid. That’s why He didn’t make man as powerful as He is. That’s why He doesn’t share His power with us as He should, everyone getting an equal share. That’s why He gave us the Law, to keep us down. Logically, that’s nonsense. If God creates more God, has He really created anything? Has He not just “grown”? A creation is an expression of the self, but it is not the self, itself. Logically, for God to create, the result must be something other than Himself, and to be other than Himself, it has to be less than Himself. As much less than God as we are, we still tend to think we could take His place, so it’s almost a favor to us that He makes us so much less than Himself. At least some of us can recognize the joke of our being His equal.
So God is like the judge. He does not fear Himself, and He doesn’t fear man. The judge ruled on the woman’s case just to get her out of his life. He didn’t care about her. God claims to care about us, so why did He suggest that we needed to be like the woman, repeatedly petitioning Him for justice?
I don’t think He does this. I don’t believe that He does this maliciously, capriciously, or carelessly. But there are those who claim He does. I believe that when He withholds justice, there is a good reason for it. We may never know what that good reason is, but that neither means that it does not exist nor that it is not good enough. Sometimes, what’s sought isn’t justice, it’s revenge. Sometimes, in making us wait, He is building character in us. Sometimes, there is a better justice involved and time is involved in bringing that better justice to pass. Sometimes, God shows us, or the one who has wronged us, mercy.
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