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Always Pray
Always Pray
As you study this parable, try to see it in its Eastern setting. The “courtroom” was not a fine building but a tent that was moved from place to place as the judge covered his circuit. The judge, not the law, set the agenda; and he sat regally in the tent, surrounded by his assistants. Anybody could watch the proceedings from the outside, but only those who were approved and accepted could have their cases tried. This usually meant bribing one of the assistants so that he would call the judge’s attention to the case.
The widow had three obstacles to overcome. First, being a woman she, therefore, had little standing before the law. In the Palestinian society of our Lord’s day, women did not go to court. Since she was a widow, she had no husband to stand with her in court. Finally, she was poor and could not pay a bribe even if she wanted to. No wonder poor widows did not always get the protection the law was supposed to afford them!
Now that we understand something of the setting of this parable, we can better understand what Jesus was teaching. Basically, He was encouraging His disciples to pray, and He did this by presenting three contrasts.
1. And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.
Praying contrasted with fainting (v. 1). If we don’t pray, we will faint; it’s as simple as that! The word faint describes a believer who loses heart and gets so discouraged that he or she wants to quit.
But what does it mean “always to pray” or to “pray without ceasing”? () It certainly doesn’t mean that we should constantly be repeating prayers, because Jesus warned against that kind of praying (). Rather, it means to make prayer as natural to us as our regular breathing.
Prayer is much more than the words of our lips; it is the desires of our hearts, and our hearts are constantly “desiring” before Him, even if we never speak a word. So, to “pray without ceasing” means to have such holy desires in our hearts, in the will of God, that we are constantly in loving communion with the Father, petitioning Him for His blessing.
2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: 3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. 4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; 5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.
Jesus does not specify the amount of time that passes before the judge tires of the woman’s persistent nagging. His decision to hear her out is not based on any change in his personal character; he still neither fears God nor has any concern for people. His reasoning is purely pragmatic: “If I help her, I’ll get her off my back, and she’ll quit bothering me!”
Consider the contrasts. To begin with, the woman was a stranger, but we are the children of God, and God cares for His children (). The widow had no access to the judge, but God’s children have an open access into His presence and may come at any time to get the help they need (; ; ; ).
The woman had no friend at court to help get her case on the docket. All she could do was walk around outside the tent and make a nuisance of herself as she shouted at the judge. But when Christian believers pray, they have in heaven a Saviour who is Advocate () and High Priest (), who constantly represents them before the throne of God.
When we pray, we can open the Word and claim the many promises of God, but the widow had no promises that she could claim as she tried to convince the judge to hear her case. We not only have God’s unfailing promises, but we also have the Holy Spirit, who assists us in our praying ().
Perhaps the greatest contrast is that the widow came to a court of law, but God’s children come to a throne of grace (). She pled out of her poverty, but we have all of God’s riches available to us to meet our every need (). The point is clear: if we fail to pray, our condition spiritually will be just like that of the poor widow. That should encourage us to pray!