Date: Text: Luke 18:1-8
In my study Bible, the passage we just heard is given the title “The Parable of the Widow and the Unjust Judge.” I think we could also call it “Woman Behaving Badly.” Look at this woman—she was a widow, someone without any standing in the community, dependent on charity. Widows were expected simply to accept their fate, and not be a bother to society. And yet look at her—so sure that she has been wronged that she keeps on at the judge until he gives up in self-defense. “OK, OK, I’ll give you what you want, if that’s what it takes to get you out of my hair.”
It was a different world then… In our system, she would probably have a restraining order against her, and would never even get near the courtroom.
Most of us don’t like being nagged, and we get annoyed at the naggers. But history is full of people whom we honour precisely because they nagged society: they perceived something to be wrong, and didn’t quit until the wrong was righted.
A few examples come quickly to mind:
· William Wilberforce, the classic “single-issue” politician, argued in Parliament for the abolition of the slave trade for over 30 years.
· Desmond Tutu’s unrelenting life-long opposition to apartheid helped to change the course of South African history.
· Mother Teresa never stopped working and speaking out on behalf of the poor, even when she felt most alone.
Heroes of the faith such as these are people who look at the way of the world, and say “God intends better, and I will do whatever I can to help make it so.” They live lives of prayer, which in this sense “represents the whole of one’s commitment and behaviour.”[i] A prayer-filled life is a life given over to God’s purposes, and lived in intentional relationship with God. It is a life of yearning for the coming of God’s Kingdom in all its fullness.
Jesus hold up the nagging widow as just such a model of prayer—discerning what is just, seeking its fulfillment, and never giving up. The judge is no model of righteousness, but stands rather as a symbol of the world’s resistance to God’s justice. As Jesus suggests, this evil man will eventually do the right thing, but God will act without delay on behalf of his people.
Then the question:
And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?
The standard question is “When will God’s kingdom come?” Jesus has addressed this just a few verses earlier, telling some Pharisees that “the
Let us look at today’s world, from the war zones of Africa and
Sometimes the answer will be “Yes.” When that is so, let us rejoice and give thanks and co-operate with God in what God is already doing.
At time the answer will be unclear—for this is not a simple world, and many questions do not have simple answers. When that is so, let us continue to pray for insight and wisdom.
And inevitably, at other times the answer will be “No, this is not what God intends.” When we see that, let us not be afraid to speak up, to speak out, and to speak God’s truth as we have heard it.
Jesus calls us to persistence and faithfulness, in seeking justice where there is no justice, in building peace where there is no peace, in upholding the dignity of people whose dignity has been denied, in loving our neighbours as ourselves. Jesus calls us to prayer—both on our knees in seeking the way, and on our feet in walking the way.
The widow in Jesus’ parable behaved badly, stepping outside the social norms because she yearned for justice. She wasn’t a nice person—but she was faithful. Do we at times sacrifice our faith on the altar of “niceness?” Do we neglect the Church’s mission, turning the Body of Christ into a comfortable social club? Or are we instead prepared to “behave badly” in the service of God’s justice?
Our Primate reminded us four weeks ago of the “Five Marks of Mission” of the Anglican Communion:
· To proclaim the good news of the kingdom.
· To teach, baptise and nurture new believers.
· To respond to human need by loving service.
· To seek to transform the unjust structures of society.
· To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth.
These stand as a challenge to every congregation throughout the Anglican Communion—and to us here at St. Matthew’s Cathedral as we gather here on this morning.
God has gathered us in—called us here to feed us, to teach us and inspire us, and to send us forth in yearning for the coming of his kingdom, committed to working with God for the justice of his kingdom, committed to hearing the cry of those in need.
God is faithful, and God will hear the cry of his faithful people. May we keep faith with him.
Amen.