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The Gospel writers of the New Testament include many of Jesus' parables. These were simple stories to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson, which Jesus then explained to His disciples. One of the short parables is known as "The Widow and the Judge". It is in Luke chapter 18 verses 1 to 8. It was to encourage them - and us as believers - to pray and never give up. This judge in the story had no respect for God or people. He was a heartless judge. A widow kept coming back to him pleading for her rights against an adversary. The judge continually refused to act on her hehalf, but the widow was persistent. And so, eventually, he gave in and saw that she got justice. It was just too much trouble to keep ignoring her; he was worn out!
"Now," Jesus continued, "will God not judge in favour of His own people who cry to Him day and night for help?" He is a fair and compassionate judge, not like the one in the parable. He wants people to pray to Him about their concerns and problems. It is a mark of any disciple of Jesus that they practise constant contact with God. He always hears prayers, offered in faith and with a good heart. His answers, whether they be "of course!", "no, that isn't right for you", or "wait, I have something better in mind" are always the right ones. You don't need to "nag" God, but you should talk to Him each day. In 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 verses 17-18 we are told to pray "at all times" ("without ceasing") and "be thankful in all circumstances".
So Jesus intended a CONTRAST between, not a COMPARISON with, the human judge and His heavenly Father! Therefore it's not as puzzling as some people - including myself - have thought. If the unkind judge in the parable could hear the widow's plea and act, how much more quickly will the Lord help us!
For more on prayer, please check out my page entitled "God is not Deaf" in the Meaning of Life section.
