Persistence in Faith

A pastor was preaching on today’s parable of The Poor Widow and the Corrupt Judge, and he was on a roll. He dissected the parable with lots of cross references, and his homily went unusually long. After Mass, the pastor was greeting the parishioners at the door of the church. A man walked up and said: “Father, your homily this morning was simply wonderful — so invigorating and refreshing.” The priest, of course, broke out in a huge smile. And then the man continued, “I felt like a new man when I finally woke up!” // I’ll try not to take you there this evening.

Our Gospel today is the parable of the nagging widow and the uncaring judge. Like most of Jesus’ parables, this one’s pretty simple and straightforward, right? God is the uncaring judge. We need to nag and nag and nag until he gives us what we ask for. Simple and straightforward — so we’re done, right? NO and NO. It’s the last question Jesus asks that gives us the clue: “But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” This story isn’t about nagging and an uncaring God at all. This is a parable about having faith, and keeping that faith, even when things don’t work out like we think they should. It’s about persistence in faith, and trusting in God.

Stories about persistent faith and prayer are found throughout the Bible. Abraham coming back to God again and again to speak up for the people of Sodom. Moses asking the Lord time after time to spare the wayward people of Israel in their stubbornness. And, of course, Jesus throughout His ministry, reaching out to the scribes and Pharisees to repent and return to God. Or patiently preparing His disciples to become His Church on earth. The call to persistence in faith, constancy in prayer, and trust in God is throughout Sacred Scripture — and it’s the focus of our readings today.

We are, by our nature, impatient. We want everything NOW, on our own timetable. When we don’t get what we ask for or expect, we tend to lose faith and move on to other things. In that regard, we’re not so different from the ancients of the early Church. St. Paul is writing to Timothy, one of the first Church leaders, calling on him to stay strong in his faith, to not lose heart, and to stay the course. Because his local community is pressuring him and backsliding in their faith. St. Luke is probably the first author of scripture to acknowledge that he and his readers probably won’t see Christ’s second coming, the Parousia, in their lifetime. That’s a major mind shift for the early Church. Luke is reminding us that God moves at HIS pace, not ours. It’s evident throughout his Gospel, and it’s the point of this parable.

The parable of the Nagging Widow and the Corrupt Judge is a story about persistence and faith in a just outcome, even when it doesn’t happen immediately. Day after day, the widow comes before the judge, firm in her faith that if she is persistent her request will be granted. And ultimately it is. That’s the takeaway for us.

Jesus knows us. He knows our nature. We’re weak petitioners. When we don’t see the results we seek, we tend to lose heart and fall away. We lose faith and trust in God’s promises. And that knowledge causes Jesus sadness. A tinge of that sadness comes out in His last question in our Gospel reading: “But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” In his love for us, Jesus wonders if we can stay strong in faith like the widow, or if we’ll fall away and lose heart when we don’t see quick answers to our prayers.

But God answers ALL our prayers, even if sometimes that answer’s No. Think of it as a father with a young child. Would a loving father give a five-year old a rifle or a sharp knife just because child asks for it? We are beloved children of God. Here’s a simple way to think about it. When we come to God in prayer, we’ll get one of four responses. If our request is simply wrong, God answers, “NO.” If the timing of our request is wrong, God answers, “SLOW.” If we simply aren’t ready, God answers, “GROW.” But when our request is right, our timing is right, and we are right, God says, “GO!” (Adapted from Bill Hybels: Too Busy to Pray, p. 74)

“But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” That is the question put to us. We are called to be people of faith and prayer. It’s in our nature, who we are, and who we strive to be. In the words of St. Augustine: “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” That faith is alive within us. The signs are all around us, embedded in our very being. Tens of thousands gather to pray in St. Peter’s Square at the Easter Vigil. A mother quietly baptizes her newborn child at their first bath. A NICU nurse silently prays over a struggling preemie in the ICU in the early hours of the morning. These are signs of a faith alive within us.

We ARE people of faith. It’s how we’re made. But we need to stay the course, persistent in our faith, constant in our prayers, and trusting in God’s promises, even (and maybe especially) when we don’t understand. We need to lift each other up, relying on our community and other people of faith to keep us strong when we waver. It’s who we’re called to be, a people persistent and unwavering in our faith, no matter what comes. Because when we are, we can be confident that when Christ DOES come, He surely WILL find faith on earth.