Persistence in Prayer

October 16, 2022
St. John’s United Church of Christ, Union, Illinois

Luke 18:1-8[1]

Those of you with children, even those of you who have only observed children, are familiar with the idea of persistence. A young person will ask over and over and over again for something that they want. They keep bothering you until you give in, or blow up. Now, there are times when I have given a firm no, and stood my ground, even though it may have resulted in tears. And there are also times when I have given in, recognizing that it is sometimes best to grant the request, if only so that I don’t get worn out by the continual asking.

Jesus tells this parable about the need to pray continually. The parable which begins, “there was a judge,” demonstrates the power of persistence. The widow only wants justice. The judge who refuses shows his character as he says to himself, “I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone.” He admits that he doesn’t really care. His disdain for God, for people, and for justice indicates that he probably shouldn’t be a judge, yet he has that power to grant or withhold justice. In the end, the judge gives the widow what she wants only because she keeps bothering him and he wants to be done with her.

By the time Luke wrote this Gospel, a generation had passed since Jesus’ death and resurrection. The early church expected Jesus to return, and they were beginning to feel discouraged. They faced persecution at the hands of Rome whose soldiers still sought the followers of that rebel who had been crucified. Their leaders encouraged them to remain faithful, to not give up hope. Luke frames this story as a message about waiting and about not being discouraged, not losing heart.

The judge in the story doesn’t seem like a good stand-in for God. When we think of God as a judge, we trust that judge to be fair, kind, caring. The judge in this story is the opposite of that. This judge can’t represent God. “The Lord your God… is not partial and takes no bribe. [God] executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving [them] food and clothing.”[2] We know that “The Lord reigns… righteousness and justice are the foundation of [God’s] throne.”[3] The judge in this story is like the sons of Samuel, who “did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after gain; they took bribes and perverted justice.”[4]

Jesus – the great Teacher – here uses reverse psychology, taking the opposite of something, or someone, in order to make a point. Look, he says, if an unjust, disrespectful judge who’s afraid of nothing and nobody will give justice to a poor widow just to avoid being bothered, how much more will God answer the prayers of God's own children who cry out day and night from their suffering and their need? How much more will the God of righteousness and justice, the God who loves us so much, grant justice to those who persist in prayer?

In the ancient Mediterranean world, it was only the men who were allowed to play a public role. Women did not speak on their own behalf; their husband or father was supposed to take care of her needs. A widow, one who has lost her husband, had no one to speak for her. So, this one without a voice acts outside the normal constraints when she finds her voice and speaks up for herself. And because of her persistence, because she kept coming to the judge to plead for justice, finally she was heard.

The great preacher, Barbara Brown Taylor, writes about the heart of this widow. Society is structured in a way that denies the widow a voice, but she knew otherwise, and her persistence helped her hold on to that confidence in herself. “She was willing to say what she wanted – out loud, day and night, over and over – whether she got it or not, because saying it was how she remembered who she was. It was how she remembered the shape of her heart.”[5]

There are people in our own time who normally don’t have a voice, no place at the table where decisions are made. We have seen in recent years how the voiceless, particularly children, have begun to speak out anyway, have cried out against injustice, and have been persistent in their call for a better world.

The young Swedish environmental activist, Greta Thunberg, is a good example of how one without a voice can push past the restraints of the powerful and speak up anyway. The powerful, like the judge in the parable, are bothered, and may even feel threatened by the protests of Greta, and others like her, who keep coming, keep crying out for justice.

The students from Parkland, outraged by school shootings, have marched and organized and spoken up about the risk young people take by simply going to school. People who live with disabilities have pestered lawmakers constantly for access and recognition. People who identify as LGBTQ continue to protest as progress made gets reversed. People of color continue to struggle with disrespect and violence long after the Civil Rights Movement shook the walls of power. The widows keep coming, trying to wear out the resistance of the powerful.

Jesus wants us to be this persistent, particularly in prayer. Can we be as persistent in prayer as the widow? Can we keep coming to God in prayer, not just on Sunday, but every day? Are we able to keep crying out for justice day and night? Is the shape of our hearts formed by prayer?

Our prayer life shapes us. Prayer helps us to remember who, and whose, we are. It helps to keep us connected with the intentions of God. It helps to strengthen our faith, build up our courage, and prepare us to face another day and whatever struggles may come our way.

The passage ends with a question of faith. “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” Do we trust that God hears our prayers? Do we have a relationship with God that is based on trust in God’s love for us, God’s love of justice, and God’s power to heal and to transform? Do we have enough faith to find our voice, to work for justice and healing, to persistently try to make the world a better place for our children and all of God’s children?

Prayer sustains us even in the worst of times. Prayer keeps us connected to God. Persistence in prayer builds up the strength of our faith, so that we don’t lose heart. The story of the judge and the widow is about Jesus returning to find people who have kept their faith, through all the struggles, and have persevered in trusting God. With the persistence of a widow, with the persistence of a child, we keep coming to God, knowing that God hears us, loves us, and will grant justice to and through us.  Amen.

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[1] The scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.

[2] Deuteronomy 10:17-18.

[3] Psalm 97:1-2.

[4] 1 Samuel 8:3.

[5] Barbara Brown Taylor, “Bothering God” in Home by Another Way (Cowley Publications, 1997).