Musical Prelude and Service

Luke 18:1-8
What is Jesus trying to tell us in this parable?
Is the message really, if you pray for something over and over again and
never give up, God will eventually give you whatever it is you want? You
could find that message in the story if you really want to. It is certainly a
message that has been emphasized in other places over the years.
But, let’s face it, I struggle with that notion. I simply do not believe that lots
of prayer and devotion is going to land me in a palatial estate or driving a
luxury car. If I truly desired those things.
What is Jesus telling his followers in this particular story from the Gospel of
Luke?
I think it is important to consider the source of this gospel and what the
writer; Luke, is discussing throughout his telling of the life and teaching of
Jesus. It is speculated he wrote this Gospel in part for someone who was
at least reasonably well off; the most excellent Theopholis who was it
seems a recent convert.
As we have noted several times in the past, Luke focuses a great deal on
the injustice of wealth and power. He makes it clear Jesus comes to support
and offer good news to the poor. This is made explicit in the song of Mary
while she is pregnant with Jesus.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
It is repeated in the scripture Jesus reads in his first recorded sermon.
‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’
It is emphasized again in the story Luke tells of Lazarus, a poor man who
dies on the doorstep of a rich man. It is repeated again in the story of the
rich man unwilling to give up his wealth to follow Jesus and the words that
follow. It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for
a rich man to enter heaven.
Luke is not one bit shy about talking about the chasm that separates the
rich from the poor and the injustice and the exploitation of the poor by the
wealthy. It may make us uncomfortable, but Luke makes it pretty clear that
in his mind Jesus came to stand with and support the poor.
So, as I reflect on this parable of a widow; a nameless woman who likely
has few resources and little power to speak of demanding justice and
refusing to go away and be quiet, I can’t help but think that once again
Jesus is declaring that God stands with the poor. God hears the cries of
those who are exploited and God identifies with and offers strength to and
lifts the voice of those who are all too often silenced.
In his parables, Jesus offers lessons; although they are often difficult to
interpret or make sense out of. The phrase ‘let those with ears to hear,
hear,’ speaks to the idea that we will hear or understand what we are ready
to hear or comprehend.
I believe that in part Jesus offers us a vision of what the world truly looks
like to his listeners. In this case it is world where those with no compassion
or sense of justice are in control. It requires people of persistence and
courage and faith to work hard and long to achieve some sense of justice
by eventually wearing down the indifference of the powers that be.
By comparison Jesus offers a vision of the world God promises where our
cries for justice are heard. A world where we are known and loved and
where we assured our needs are met. Poverty, exploitation; the cruelty of
an occupying army were well known realities in the world in which Jesus
lived. I doubt very much anyone thought those circumstances would be
overturned simply by praying long enough or hard enough. But the promise
of something new; the promise of justice for the poor would carry real
resonance.
God is listening. God sees you and cares for you, and your prayers for a
new world and a new life are taken seriously and will be answered. Can we
be awake to see how those prayers are answered? Can we keep our eyes
open to see how we are called to be part of creating that new world of
justice, of compassion and of love?
What does this scripture offer those of us who lead lives of comfort and
stability? Where is the good news for us in this story? Well, I suspect for
some of us it may bring with it some unease. But I think it also encourages
us to look at the world with a fresh perspective. To see the world around us
from the eyes of someone else; to realize this world is experienced in
different ways.
Hopefully we are moved to empathize with those who are too often silenced
or robbed of their autonomy. We are guided to move through the world
with compassion and mercy and work with God towards that world of love
that we are promised where all are seen and valued and not just by God.

Music provided with permission through licensing with CCLI License number
2701258 and One License # A-731789