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- Analysis of each verse
v. 1 Jesus told them a story from life to say that they had to pray at all times and not be discouraged.
Literally: Then, he was saying a parable to them towards the (fact) to be necessary them always to pray and to not loose heart
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he was saying a parable |
Here is a typical way Jesus taught, by telling stories. Usually these stories are drawn from scenes from everyday life. The English translations of the gospels speak of parables, but this term is used today in all sorts of ways, including indirect and ambiguous language, which does not do justice to Jesus' intention. Parables are primarily comparisons drawn from ordinary life. In doing so, Jesus shows his pedagogical talent.
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to be necessary them always to pray |
From the beginning, we have the key to interpreting the story Jesus is about to tell: it is about persevering in prayer and being resilient.
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to not loose heart |
At the outset, one might ask: why do we want to talk about perseverance in prayer? What is the problem we want to address? What exactly is at stake? Is it an answer to people who doubt the value of prayer because they didn't get what they wanted? Then Jesus would tell them: you haven't prayed long enough. This seems unlikely to me; it would be like saying that God is like an old man who is a little deaf in the ear and who has to be told what he wants more and more. Or would God be someone who is not easy to bend and who can be worn down? This seems unlikely to me; it would be like saying first that God can change his mind, and then that he is like a human being who can be controlled by being persistent.
In order to go further in our effort to understand what is at stake here, we need to go deeper into the meaning of the word "not to be discouraged". The Greek word "egkakeō" means: to weaken. This is the only time we find this word in Luke. Otherwise, it is found only in the Pauline epistles:
- 2 Corinthians 4: 1 "Therefore, mercifully invested with this ministry, we do not weaken (egkakeō)"
- 2 Corinthians 4:16 "That is why we do not wane (egkakeō). On the contrary, even though our outer man goes to ruin, our inner man is renewed day by day."
- Galatians 6:9 "Let us not be weary (egkakeō) of doing good; in its time will come the harvest, if we do not slacken."
- Ephesians 3:13 "So, I beg you, do not faint (egkakeō) at the tribulations I endure for you; they are your glory!"
- 2 Thessalonians 3: 13 "For you, brothers, do not be weary (egkakeō) in doing good."
The expressions "don't be weary", "don't weaken", "don't faint", "don't wane" all express the same idea: it's a matter of not giving up, of having the courage to go on to the end, of continuing one's path in spite of the obstacles, of remaining firm and persisting.
So let's ask the question again: Why this insistence on praying at all times and the requirement not to grow weary, not to falter, to continue until the end? Let's rule out the assumption that God needs this perseverance in order to allow himself to be bent, because that would contradict other passages in the gospels (e.g., Matthew 6:8: "Do not go about like the Gentiles, who imagine that by speaking much they will be heard better; for your Father knows well what you need, before you ask him."). So why do we always pray and not get tired? If God knows what we need before we even open our mouths, wouldn't the problem be with the human being: if we get tired and give up the game, wouldn't it be because we don't see anything? Is it not because we do not have the eyes of faith to see the action of God? And to have the eyes of faith requires a deep inner transformation that lasts a lifetime.
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v. 2 "There was someone who was a judge in a city. He was not afraid of God and had no regard for any human being.
Literally: saying, a certain judge was in a certain city. The God he (was) not fearing and man not respecting.
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v. 3 And there was also a widow in that city who came to see him, saying, 'Do me justice against my adversary'.
Literally: Then, a widow there was in that city, and she was coming towards him saying, Avenge me from the adversary of me.
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The story features two characters. First, there is a judge who is presented as a tough man who is not easily intimidated. We also learn that he "does not fear God". What does this mean? A God-fearing person is in fact a religious person who is concerned with keeping his commandments. So the judge would be someone who doesn't care about religious laws and the duty of compassion. Then there is a widow who needs him to settle a dispute. The judge has no interest in the case, probably because she is both a woman, and therefore a minor according to the society of the time, and a poor woman, as one would expect from a woman without a husband. The situation would have been different if it had been a man of reputation and wealth: the judge would probably have intervened promptly.
The story goes that the woman didn't give up, even though the odds of success were almost non-existent. She was resilient. It is this woman's attitude that is held up as a model. As for the heartless and unprincipled judge, he intervened to have peace and to regain his comfort. We can feel that there is something caricatural in the figure of the judge. But it is typical of a parable to exaggerate the features in order to make the point better. In this case, the fact of blackening the judge but more in value the strength of the widow.
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ekdikēson (avenge) |
The Greek term ekdikeō, which we have translated as doing justice, means literally: to avenge, to punish as we can see in other passages authored by Luke:
- Luke 21: 22 "For these will be days of vengeance (ekdikēsis), when all that has been written shall be fulfilled"
- Acts 7: 24 "Seeing one of them mistreated, Moses defended him and did vengeance (ekdikēsis) the oppressed by killing the Egyptian"
- Acts 28: 4 "When the natives saw the beast (a viper) hanging from his (Paul's) hand, they said among themselves, "For sure, this man is a murderer: he has just escaped from the sea, and the vengeance (dikē) divine does not allow him to live"
One can therefore assume that one has wronged the widow, and she demands some form of retribution or punishment.
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v. 4 But he did not want to do anything for a while. After which he said to himself: 'Although I do not fear God nor have regard for a human being,
Literally: And he did not want upon a time. Then after this things he said in himself, if even the God I do not fear nor a man I respect,
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v. 5 but because this widow keeps disturbing me, I will do her justice, so that in the end she does not always come to bother me'."
Literally: yet because the (fact) to present to me trouble this widow, I will avenge her in order that into end, coming, she would not wear me out.
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v. 6 Then the Lord (kyrios) said, "Hear what this unjust judge has just said.
Literally: Then, he said the Lord, listen what the judge of the unrighteous says.
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kyrios (lord) |
Most of the time the term is translated as: Master or sir. But in the Greek world the expression was also used to translate the Hebrew Adonai, to designate Yahweh, the divine name that could not be pronounced. Thus the Lord is spoken of as God in the Old Testament. But when a New Testament narrator uses Lord to speak of Jesus during his earthly ministry, he places us squarely after Easter, in the world of faith, because Jesus now belongs to the world of God. This way of speaking is unique to Luke:
- Luc 7, 13 "When the Lord (kyrios) saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, 'Do not weep.'"
- Luc 7, 18-19 "and sent them to the Lord (kyrios) to ask, 'Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?'"
- Luc 10, 1 "After this the Lord (kyrios) appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go."
- Luc 10, 39 "She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord (kyrios)'s feet and listened to what he was saying"
- Luc 10, 41 "But the Lord (kyrios) answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things"
- Luc 11, 39 "Then the Lord (kyrios) said to him, "Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness"
- Luc 12, 42 "And the Lord (kyrios) said, "Who then is the faithful and prudent manager whom his master will put in charge of his slaves, to give them their allowance of food at the proper time?"
- Luc 13, 15 "But the Lord (kyrios) answered him and said, "You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water?"
- Luc 17, 5 "The apostles said to the Lord (kyrios), 'Increase our faith!'"
- Luc 17, 6 "The Lord (kyrios) replied, "If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you"
- Luc 19, 8 "Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord (kyrios), 'Look, half of my possessions, Lord (kyrios), I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much'"
- Luc 22, 61 "The Lord (kyrios) turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord (kyrios), how he had said to him, 'Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times.'"
- Luc 24, 3 "but when they went in, they did not find the body of the Lord (kyrios) Jesus."
What does all this mean? We are before Luke the theologian who presents us with a catechesis drawn from the parable. Even though the whole thing is put in the mouth of Jesus, it is Luke who is speaking. Note that this does not detract from the value and inspiration of what is being said.
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v. 7 And God would not defend his elect who cry to him day and night, while he shows his patience with them?
Literally: Then the God would not do the avenging of the elects of him crying out to him day and night and he is being patient upon them?
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Then the God? |
In every parable, there is a comparison: as... then... Now, there is something a bit shocking in comparing God with a judge without justice, without scruples, without principles. But that is what we have here: just as an unjust judge ended up doing justice, so God, the judge of heaven, will do justice to you. It is clear that what is meant here is that if an unscrupulous judge could render justice, then the God of heaven, who is good, will render justice. When we read through the New Testament, we notice that very often Jesus' arguments to exhort people to change their behavior and to act well are not based on the highest value. It's as if Jesus considers it unnecessary to appeal to self-transcendence or any form of utopia, but appeals to common sense, our practical, down-to-earth side, and even our own self-interest to convince us of a new way of doing things. For example:
- If people can get what they want by being shameless and insolent, that's what you should do when you pray (Lk 11:5-8)
- Why is it useless to accumulate wealth? You will die and someone else will have these riches (Lk 12:15.16-21)
- You take precautions to keep thieves out of your house. Why don't you do anything about the judgment that is coming? (Lk 12: 39)
- Smart people manage to make a lot of friends with small gifts to plan well for the future and the unexpected. This is what you should do with your money to have good support in the afterlife (Lk 16, 1-8)
The parable itself reflects the pedagogy of Jesus who knows the human heart and does not presuppose that it is moved by noble motives. His art is to make us discover, through common experiences marked by our own interests, something greater, which is the world of God. This is what the evangelist Luke makes us feel.
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ekdikēsin (avenging) |
We have translated the Greek expression, which literally says "to avenge", by "to defend". For we can guess that it is not a question of presenting God as someone who applies "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth", but someone who comes to the rescue of believers in prayer.
In v. 7, Luke draws on this Old Testament text called Ecclesiasticus or Sirach 35:17-23 (I underline the common themes):
17 The prayer of the humble penetrates the clouds; until it has come he takes no comfort. 18 He does not cease until the Most High has cast his eyes upon him, until he has vindicated the righteous and restored equity. 19 And the Lord will not delay, he will not have patience with them, 20 until he has broken the backs of the violent and drawn vengeance from the nations, 21 cut off the multitude of the proud and broken the scepter of the unrighteous, 22 until he renders to every man according to his deeds and judges human actions according to the hearts, 23 until he vindicates his people and fills them with joy in his mercy.
The similar themes will have been noted: it is about the believer who persists in prayer until he receives an answer from God (while his prayer has not come he does not console himself... he does not cease until the Most High has cast his eyes upon him), and that answer will be the exercise of true justice on God's part (until he has vindicated the righteous and restored equity...drawn vengeance from the nations...broken the scepter of the unrighteous...until he has vindicated his people). The only point that Luke does not retain in Sirach concerns God's impatience; on the contrary, he will insist on God's patience as we shall see below. Nevertheless, this text from Sirach is important, because it helps us to understand what the praying man expects from God: he does not expect personal profit or any kind of healing, but a new world where justice reigns, where the proud, the violent and the unjust are eliminated. This is similar to the modern utopia of a new world.
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eklektōn (elects) |
Why dwell on the expression "the elected ones" or "the chosen ones? The word, used as a noun to designate believers, is unique in Luke and appears nowhere else. Of course, it will be used to designate Jesus: " this is my Son, the Chosen One" (Lk 9:35); " let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One" (Lk 23:35). But never in the plural to refer to believers. So we have to turn to the other gospels to see a little more clearly.
- Mark 13:20 "And if the Lord had not shortened those days, no one would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect whom he has chosen, he has shortened those days." (|| Matthew 24:22)
- Mark 13:22 "For there will arise false Christs and false prophets who will work signs and wonders to deceive, if it were possible, the elect." (|| Matthew 24:24)
- Mark 13:27 "And then he will send out the angels to gather his elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of heaven." (|| Matthew 24:31)
As we have seen, the term "elect" appears only in an apocalyptic context of the end times and designates those who will survive the final judgment to join God's world. The term was introduced by Mark, which Matthew simply repeated almost word for word. Also, the same meaning must be given to the word "elect" in Luke, and thus the chosen who pray day and night are those who await the final judgment and the restoration of all things to God's world.
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boōntōn (crying out) |
The word "cry out" is very infrequent. It is used on two occasions in the other gospels, when Isaiah is quoted, a voice crying out in the wilderness, to describe the preaching of John the Baptist (Mk 1:3 || Mt 3:3 || Lk 3:4 || Jn 1:23), and at the cross when Jesus lets out a loud cry with the words, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me" (Mk 15:34 || Mt 27:46). The exception is in Luke, who uses it three other times, in the scene where a man cries out to Jesus to take care of his only child who is epileptic (Lk 9:38), in the story of the blind man of Jericho who cries out to Jesus to have mercy on him, and finally here in this pericope that we are analyzing. Two points emerge from our analysis. First, there is a form of violence in this type of cry; it is no longer a simple prayer of request, but rather an immense scream. This intensity is extended by the mention that this prayer is expressed day and night. Secondly, the frequency of its use by Luke gives us a clue that we are dealing with a composition by the third evangelist. We mentioned it at the beginning with his use of the expression Lord, but other clues lead us in the same direction.
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makrothymei (he is being patient) |
In what sense should we interpret this patience of God? In all the gospels, this is the only time we have this verb with God as subject. The key is given to us by the 2nd letter of Peter: "The Lord does not delay the fulfillment of what he has promised, as some accuse him of delaying, but he uses patience (macrothymeō) toward you, willing that no one should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (3:9). Here we have an echo of a problem encountered by the first Christian communities: Jesus had promised the coming of the Son of Man soon, and now things are delayed and Christians are impatient with the delay of the Parousia; the epistle of Peter explicitly says that "some accuse him of delay ». And how is this delay justified? This delay, Peter tells us, is a time of "patience" on God's part to give people time to "repent" or be converted. He goes on to say, "It will come, the Day of the Lord, as a thief...what should you not be by holy conduct and by prayers, waiting and hastening the coming of the Day of God... These are new heavens and a new earth that we are waiting for according to his promise, where righteousness will dwell" (10-13). We will have the same perception in Paul (see Rom 2:4; 9:22; 1 Tim 1:16). Thus, Luke's v.7 must be interpreted in the same context: the delay of the Parousia, therefore of this new world full of justice, is explained by God's desire to give people the time they need to evolve and let themselves be transformed.
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v. 8 I assure you, he will take their defense promptly. However, when He comes, will the New Adam find faith on earth?"
Literally: I say to you that he will do the avenging to them in quickness (tachei). Except the son of man having come, will he find indeed the faith upon the earth?
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tachei (quickness) |
Luke here repeats the text from Sirach, presented earlier, which said, "And the Lord will not delay...until he has vindicated his people" (Sir 35:19-23). In the New Testament, the expression "quickly" as applied to an explicit or implicit action of God, is always situated in an apocalyptic context of the coming of the Parousia: "The God of peace will quickly (taxos) crush Satan under your feet" (Rom 16:20); "Revelation of Jesus Christ: God gave it to him to show his servants what must happen quickly (taxos)" (Rev 1:1); "the Lord God, who inspires the prophets, sent his Angel to show his servants what must happen quickly (taxos)" (Rev 22:6). All this confirms that the answer to the believers' prayer concerns the coming of this new world at the end of time.
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will he find indeed the faith upon the earth? |
We finally have the issue of Jesus' teaching. What would happen if people would loose faith? Of course, there would be no change on God's side: he has promised to intervene to bring about the new world and he is faithful to his promises. The problem is on man's side. By no longer believing that this world will come, human beings would not only be unable to recognize the almost imperceptible arrival of this world, but would also stop working for it. As it seems that God only acts through human beings, this new world might not come anymore. Now we understand the meaning of prayer: prayer is what transforms us from day to day so that we may espouse God's aims; prayer is what allows us to continue to believe in this new world and to work in it. In short, prayer is less about asking for things outside of ourselves, but rather asking for a transformation of our being to work for a world as God intended. Every day we are called to become the new man, like the New Adam. Prayer plays a fundamental role in this.
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- Analysis of the narrative's structure
The structure of the story is very simple.
- Introduction
-The narrator explains the reason why he tells the story that comes: it is an exhortation to pray unceasingly without being discouraged v. 1
- Story of the widow and the judge
-Presentation of the judge: a man who doesn't care about anyone v. 2
-Presentation of the widow: a woman who regularly goes to the judge to win her case v. 3
-Reaction of the judge: exasperated by the constancy of the widow, he decides to settle the case v. 4-5
- Application of this story
-If an unjust judge finally listened to the widow, all the more reason will God support those who are chosen for the world to come, during this period of preparation v. 6-7
- Questionning
-v.8 Even if God's support is assured, will the chosen ones believe it until the end?
- Context analysis
Our text belongs to the second part of the ministry of Jesus in Luke, which goes from 9:51 to 19:28. This part is characterized by the fact that Jesus sets out for Jerusalem and, during this journey, he gives a series of teachings to his disciples before dying. There is a lot of Luke's own material that is absent in the other evangelists.
It is very difficult to break down the immediate context, since Luke artificially groups together certain scenes whose logical sequence is not obvious. Nevertheless, we propose the following grouping, framed by the mention that Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem: Luke 17:11 – 18:34. We have put some common themes in bold type.
"Now when Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, he passed through Samaria..." Luke 17: 11
- Healing of the ten lepers 17: 11-19
- Prayer of the ten lepers for Jesus to have mercy on them
- Lepers are healed on their way to Jerusalem
- Only one recognizes the action of God and returns to Jesus
- For Jesus, it was faith that transformed him
- The coming of the Kingdom of God 17: 20-21
- The Pharisees ask Jesus a question about the timing of the coming of the Reign of God
- Jesus' answer: this Reign is already at work
- The Day of the Son of Man 17: 22-37
- The coming period promises to be a difficult one as the Son of Man prepares to suffer and be absent
- His return will be unpredictable as were the events surrounding Noah and Lot
- At the time of this return, it is useless to try to go somewhere, or to cling to one's business and even to one's life: God will find his chosen ones
Parable of the judge and the widow 18: 1-8
- Announcing a story about the importance of persevering in the prayer.
- Story of an unjust judge and a widow
- Questioning on faith at the coming of the Son of Man
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- Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector 18: 9-14
- The parable is addressed to those who imagine themselves to be righteous and despise others
- Account of two types of prayer, that of the Pharisee and that of the tax collector
- Result of both types of prayer according to Jesus: only the tax collector's prayer had its full effect before God
- The example of children 18: 15-17
- The disciples object to the people who bring their babies for Jesus to touch
- Jesus rebukes them, for children represent the only way to welcome the Reign of God
- Renounce riches to enter the Kingdom 18: 18-30
- A notable asks Jesus about the action required to enter the Kingdom.
- Jesus summarizes the commandments of the Decalogue
- Then Jesus invites him to leave all these riches to follow him
- Addressing the disciples, he reminds them that whoever forsakes riches for the sake of the Kingdom will inherit eternal life
- Last announcement of the passion 18: 31-34
- As he approaches Jerusalem, Jesus reminds us of what awaits him: outrages, death and resurrection
"And as he drew near to Jericho..." Luke 18: 35
- The block we have cut out touches on some of the themes addressed in the parable of the widow and the judge: we are in a context of the Reign of God and the return of the Son of Man, and there is discussion about the right attitude to prepare for it and to welcome this Reign, and in particular about prayer in faith.
- Our parable of the widow and the judge shares a common theme with the story of the Pharisee and the tax collector that follows, that of prayer, i.e. the right way to pray.
- So what light does the context shed on our parable? It confirms us in the idea that we must read this account of Luke in the context of Jesus' imminent departure. He is on his way to Jerusalem. Through his teaching along the way, he invites his disciples to take a journey of their own and to prepare themselves for his absence in faith. If they really have faith, they will continue to wait for the coming of the Kingdom of God without becoming discouraged. If they truly have faith, they will know that they need to reorient their lives every day like the tax collector, that they must let go of their possessions, and that they can count on God's constant and free support, like children, and must never become discouraged like the widow.
- Analysis of Parallels
There is no parallel to this parable in the other gospels. But within the gospel according to Luke, there is another parable which is similar to it, i.e. which is about prayer and involves someone who insists on getting what he wants: the story of the shameless man. There are even three identical expressions that have been underlined.
| Luke 11 | Luke 18 |
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| [setting] 5 And he said towards them, someone out of you will have a friend and will go towards him at midnight and would say to him, Friend, lend me three breads, 6 since a friend of me arrive out of road towards me and I do not have what I will set before him. | [setting] 2 saying, a certain judge was in a certain city. The God he (was) not fearing and man not respecting. 3 Then, a widow there was in that city, and she was coming towards him saying, Avenge me from the adversary of me. |
| [behavior] 7 And this one from within having answered, would say, do not present to me trouble (Greek : parechein moi kopon); already the door has been shut and the children of me with me into the bed are; I am not able, having risen up, to give you. 8 I say to you, if even (Greek: ei kai) he will not give to him, having risen up, because to be friend of him, yet because (Greek: dia ge) of the shamelessness of him, having woken up, he will give to him as much as he needs. | [behavior] 4 And he did not want upon a time. Then after this things he said in himself, if even (Greek: ei kai) the God I do not fear nor a man I respect, 5 yet because (Greek: dia ge) the (fact) to present to me trouble (Greek: parechein moi kopon) this widow, I will avenge her in order that into end, coming, she would not wear me out. |
- Apart from the three identical expressions, both parables contain a similar reality: a person wants to obtain something under difficult circumstances (in the middle of the night from someone asleep with his family in the first case, from a judge who has no interest in justice in the second case). Both parables are used by Jesus to establish an argument a fortiori: if human beings end up succumbing to the request, how much more will God answer believers in prayer.
- These two similar parables of Luke's probably come from the same source. Both support the importance of praying, and praying boldly, without becoming weary. The evangelist has inserted these two parables at two different points in Jesus' journey to Jerusalem. In the first case (11: 5-8), the emphasis is on prayer as listening to the word of God (scene of Martha and Mary that precedes, beatitude "Blessed rather are those who listen to the word of God and observe it!" that follows), in the second case (18: 1-8) the emphasis is on prayer as a support in the expectation of the return of the Son of Man and in the reorientation of one's life in preparation for the coming Reign of God.
- Intention of the author when writing this passage
- The gospel according to Luke was probably written around the year 80 or 85, in the first century. This date is important for understanding our passage. In the first case, Paul expects the Lord's return soon (see 1 Cor 15:51-53), in the second case the author of Peter's second letter echoes the Christians who are impatient with the delay of the Parousia (2 Pet 3:9). Thus, during this period when Luke writes his gospel, the expectation of the Lord's return is still present, but there are already signs of weariness. Thus, he must challenge the Christians who despair of this return of the Lord (And he told them a parable about praying without ceasing and not being discouraged 18: 1; But will the Son of Man, when he comes, find faith on earth? 18: 8). He must explain the significance of such a long wait by speaking of a period of patience on God's part to give people time to reorient their lives and embrace the gospel with their whole being (And God would not do justice to his elect who cry out to him day and night, while he waits on them! 18: 7). This is the framework within which we must read our passage from Luke to understand its intent.
- This passage, as we have underlined, is part of the long journey of Jesus towards Jerusalem, where he delivers his testament and prepares his disciples for his imminent death, and therefore for his absence. How should they behave when he is no longer there? And one of the points Luke wants to make is that God continues to act during this period of absence, and that this is a unique moment for Christians to see their lives transformed by the gospel, and thus prepare for this new world announced by Jesus. But there is a condition to all this: Christians must continue to believe in the coming of this new world, and pray for the support needed for this personal transformation. And to support his point, Luke appeals to a version of a story that may go back to Jesus where a widow wins her case because of her perseverance. The point is to assure Christians that God wants this new world, and that he will support all who prepare for it. But building this world takes time, and only faith allows us to persevere in the face of adversity.
- To understand Luke's perspective, we must read again this passage from the first epistle to the Corinthians (15) when Paul speaks of the end times. Let us emphasize what interests us here:
21 For as death came by a man, so by a man comes the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all live again. 23 But each in his own place: Christ as the firstfruits, then those who will be Christ's at his coming. 24 Then will be the end, when he will hand over the kingship to God the Father, after he has destroyed all Principality, Dominion, and Power. 25 For he must reign until he has placed all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy destroyed is Death; 27 for he has put all under his feet. But when he shall say, "All is subjected henceforth," it is evidently to the exclusion of Him who subjected all things to him. 28 And when all things have been subjected to him, then the Son himself will submit to Him who subjected all things to him, that God may be all in all.
- We must remember that Luke was Paul's companion. Now, for Paul, the period we are living in is one of struggle against the forces of evil. Of course, in the passage quoted, it is God who leads this struggle from heaven, but we must understand that he does so through us. By quoting Psalm 110:1 (Oracle of Yahweh to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand, while I make your enemies the stool of your feet."), Paul intends to describe the significance of the present world as we await the Parousia. We can think that Luke shares the same perspective of a colossal battle against evil, and it is in this sense that we must interpret this time of God's patience of which he speaks.
- If we had to summarize Luke's intention in one sentence, we could say that he is addressing the Christian community by saying: why do you hesitate to pray and work with perseverance for this new world despite the obstacles and the fact that it is slow in coming, when you know that God is the first to want it?
- Current situations or events in which we could read this text
- Suggestions from the different symbols in the story
- The first symbol is that of persevering prayer. We can tap into the idea that there are people who are capable of perseverance and never giving up, what we call today resilient people who have the ability to bounce back from hardship. Why do some people give up at the first hurdle or when the going gets tough, while others stay the course without flinching? What are the factors involved?
- The parable presents us with two interesting figures in that of the judge who is not interested in justice and a widow who fights without giving up. Behind the figure of the judge we can see the phenomenon of corruption in our world. Behind the widow we can see people without financial means and social support who have only their courage and faith to fight. It seems that time is on their side, as long as they are persistent.
- The comparison of God with the parable raises a crucial question: how can we imagine that God does not come to our rescue? What prevents us from believing or makes it difficult to believe? This raises another question: is what we desire adjusted to what God wants to give us? Do we not experience the terrible difficulty of seeing the world and our life as God sees it? Don't we risk being very disappointed as long as our prayer does not reflect His way of seeing things?
- The gospel speaks of the time of God's patience. What is our perception of the present world? What meaning do we give to the human adventure? What exactly is our role? For Luke, it is a time of constant reorientation of our lives to adjust to the new world that God is preparing.
- The gospel ends with a challenge to our faith. By definition, to believe is to see the invisible, i.e. to see the world through the eyes of Jesus of Nazareth and to have complete confidence in what he has said. Where do we stand in all this?
- Current situations or events in which we could read this text
- Few weeks go by when corruption in federal or municipal politics is not discovered. It seems to be a phenomenon as old as prostitution. What should we do about it? Since it will always be there, should we give up? Why should we fight to make things right? Can today's gospel shed some light?
- The phenomenon of immigration is universal. Many countries are faced with the integration of different cultures and religions. How to respect diversity and human rights? How to ensure national identity and integrity at the same time? Without providing an answer, can today's gospel provide a framework for reflection?
- How can we intervene in front of the catastrophic state of a country like Syria where the risk of civil war is constant, where the state massacres its people, but where the rebels want to impose the sharia with all that this means. The Gospel speaks of praying without being discouraged? Is this the solution?
- Couples around us have started separation proceedings, which paves the way for divorce later on. For the time being, there are no reasonable solutions other than distancing oneself, even if all partners are willing. Does our gospel passage have anything to say?
- The United States is in a moment of crisis because of the clash between supporters of a government that takes care of the poorest and those for whom government is a monster that must be minimized. Of course, today's passage does not offer an answer. But can it offer a framework for how to approach the issue?
-André Gilbert, Gatineau, October 2013
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