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Cecilia’s plight Don’t Cry Grandma Grandma Stopped Crying

Persistent Widow and the Unjust Judge (…she is so persistent in her demands)

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The Parable of the Unjust Judge (also known as the Parable of the Importunate Widow), is one of the parables of Jesus which appears in only one of the Canonical gospels of the New Testament. According to the Gospel of Luke 18:1-8, a judge who is both irreligious and lacking compassion eventually agrees to do justice to a poor widow because she is so persistent in her demands.

This important parable demonstrates the need to pray and never give up. It is found immediately prior to the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican (also on prayer) and is similar in to the parable of the Friend at Night.

Luke 18

The Parable of the Persistent Widow

¹ Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. ² He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. ³ And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’

⁴ “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, ⁵ yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”

⁶ And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. ⁷ 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? ⁸ 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?”

The framing material of the parable explains that it demonstrates the need to always pray and never give up, for if even an unjust judge will eventually listen, God is much quicker to do so. The parable of the Friend at Night has a similar meaning.

Joel B. Green sees in this parable an injunction not to lose heart, in the light of the eschatological tone of Luke 17:20-37, and also an echo of Sirach 35:

For he is a God of justice, who knows no favorites. Though not unduly partial toward the weak, yet he hears the cry of the oppressed. He is not deaf to the wail of the orphan, nor to the widow when she pours out her complaint; Do not the tears that stream down her cheek cry out against him that causes them to fall? He who serves God willingly is heard; his petition reaches the heavens. The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds; it does not rest till it reaches its goal, nor will it withdraw till the Most High responds, judges justly and affirms the right.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parable_of_the_Unjust_Judge

Parable of the Friend at Night (… to help his neighbor due to his persistent demands.)

The Parable of the Friend at Night (or of the Importunate Neighbour), is a parable of Jesus, which appears in only one of the Canonical gospels of the New Testament. According to the Luke 11:5-8, a friend eventually agrees to help his neighbor due to his persistent demands.

This parable demonstrates the need to pray and never give up. It is similar in to the Parable of the Unjust Judge and is depicted by several artists, including William Holman Hunt.

Luke 11:5-8

⁵ Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; ⁶ a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ ⁷ And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ ⁸ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.

Joel B. Green suggests that the question that opens the parable ("Which of you who has a friend...?" also expressible as "Can you imagine...?") is intended to be answered as an emphatic "No!", since no friend would refuse to help under such circumstances (the opening words in Greek occur elsewhere in Luke, but have no contemporary parallels, and I. Howard Marshall regards them as probably characteristic of Jesus himself). However, Jesus goes on to point out that even if friendship wasn't a big enough motivation, help would still be forthcoming. As with verses 9-13, the parable is therefore an incentive to pray. The parable of the Unjust Judge has a similar meaning.

This parable appears in the Gospel of Luke immediately after Jesus teaches the Lord's Prayer, and can therefore be viewed as a continuation of Jesus teaching his disciples how to pray, while the verses which follow help to explain the meaning of the parable:

"I tell you, keep asking, and it will be given you. Keep seeking, and you will find. Keep knocking, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who knocks it will be opened." — Luke 11:9-10, World English Bible

Parable_of_the_Friend_at_Night

Cecilia’s plight

Don’t Cry Grandma Grandma Stopped Crying

Am I A Neighbour

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