“Wearing Out The Judge”
Pastor Bob Leroe, Cliftondale Congregational Church, Saugus, Massachusetts
When the subject of prayer comes up, it raises some questions. First of all, since God already knows our needs, why even pray? Obviously God doesn’t need a briefing—He doesn’t need to be informed of our needs, yet He encourages us to present our needs to Him. If you think of it, prayer is a humbling act—it says that we don’t have all the answers, that we need outside help. Some people would rather die than admit they need help—like the lost driver who refuses to ask for directions. Pride/self-reliance keeps a lot of people from praying. Prayer is an act of submission to God’s will, not an attempt to force His hand. The widow realizes that she can’t resolve her situation on her own. She has nowhere to turn but to the judge. To him she pours out her heart and pleads her case. Prayer admits that only in God can our concerns be resolved. The very act of prayer proclaims that He is in charge—not us. In the parable, the judge has the authority to act, to effect change. But he is self-centered and lacks compassion. Jesus contrasts the worst in people to the best in God. Fortunately for us, God is a righteous, compassionate Judge, willing to “step in” and help us.
Courtrooms in the Middle East weren’t in buildings, but tents; they were mobile courts that moved as the circuit judge covered his district. The judge, not the law, set the agenda. Only those who were approved and accepted could have their cases tried. This usually meant bribing the judge or his assistant to get a case heard. The widow had several obstacles: she was a woman, with little standing before the law; since she was a widow, she had no husband to stand with her in court; and because she was poor, she couldn’t pay a bribe if she wanted to. It was a discouraging situation. Jesus tells this story to contrast our status before God. The widow was poor, yet we are rich/spiritually prosperous; the widow had limited access, yet we have an open door any time; the widow had to beg, plead, or offer a bribe, but we have free access; the widow was a stranger, but we are members of God’s family. The judge gets worn out, but God is attentive, never bothered or annoyed by our prayers. And Jesus is our Advocate.
If you look at the church bulletin, you’ll see our prayer list—some of the names on it have been there for a long, long time. Why do we need to pray over-and-over for the same thing? God only needs to hear our prayer once, doesn’t He? Yet prayer changes us, it causes us to keep on, to consistently submit our needs in faith—even after long periods of waiting, even when God appears silent. We don’t like being put on hold. Patience in prayer doesn’t come easy. Yet God wants us to keep on keeping on. This isn’t some game He’s playing. It’s simply God’s way of teaching us to be faithful in prayer. I admit there are some things I’m tired of praying for. Yet I am compelled to continue on, not knowing the outcome. God is telling us: Don’t give up on prayer. This spiritual discipline should be a continuous part of our relationship with God. The unjust judge grants the widow’s request to get rid of her…but God does not want our relationship with Him to end.
Unlike the judge in the parable, God doesn’t get worn out by our prayers. Some people misunderstand this parable. The point isn’t “If you pray enough, I’ll grant your request.” It’s just “keep on praying”, not knowing what will happen. That may not seem satisfying, but keep in mind that God alone knows the best possible outcome—His answers are wiser than our prayers. The widow in the parable was willing to be vulnerable, to fall upon the mercy of the court. We need that same quality when we pray.
In His parable, Jesus is touching upon a major recurring Old Testament theme, namely that of waiting patiently for God to vindicate the suffering of His people. Justice will come—perhaps not according to our timetable, but definitely according to God’s perfectly timed, providential plan.
Faith in the power of prayer gets stretched thin when we pray and nothing happens. We want to trust in God, yet we get discouraged when nothing happens. In Sunday School we’ve been studying the Fruit of the Spirit, and one of these character qualities is faithfulness. I see faithfulness as being consistent—when we feel like it, and even when we don’t. That means we continue to pray, even though we’re worn out! One day things will be clear and we’ll understand God’s purpose and timing. In the meantime, we need to pray with the caveat, “Not my will but Thine be done.” That’s not a prayer cop-out, but a prayer strategy, leaving the outcome to God, the only One who knows what’s truly best for us.
It isn’t easy to be faithful in prayer. Think of the disciples praying with Jesus. They became weary, and ended up falling asleep. The “flesh is weak.” When prayer becomes a burden, it may help to vary how we pray. There’s more than one way to pray. In the parable, the woman presents her needs to the unjust judge—there’s more than one to “approach the bench.”
Some people write down their prayers in a notebook; others keep a rotating prayer list—which helps when your list gets too cumbersome. They have certain needs listed for each day of the week, so that by the end of the week, they’ve prayed for their entire prayer list. Some people put their list in categories: friends, family, church needs, ministries, world events, personal concerns. Keep your prayer list in a convenient place—your Bible, datebook, on a poster you hang in your office or home; I recently put my prayer list on my Palm Pilot. Some sing their prayers—many of the psalms have been set to music. Augustine said “He who sings once prays twice.” Some people take prayers written by others (eg. a prayer book) and make them their own—this works if you’re praying, not merely reading the prayers. You could even take the prayers of confession from the church bulletin, save them and pray them periodically. Sometimes starting with someone else’s prayer stimulates our own intercession. Changing the time we pray can also bring variety to prayer. Praying with someone else, a prayer partner may work. When we get too weary, that’s the time to enlist help—find others who will help us bear our burdens. The Bible tells us to pray for others, and it’s very appropriate to share requests with friends. I rely on those people who are praying for me and my family. I am glad to call or email them with updates so that we can pray intelligently for each other. I read this week how some busy people schedule conference calls in order to pray together for one another. We will never have enough time for prayer—we must make time.
The Lord says “be still and know that I am God.” It’s hard to quietly get in touch with God when we’re being bombarded by various stimuli and distractions—radio, TV, computers, stereos, etc. When I drive I like to listen to books on tape—but sometimes I need to shut off the tape player and pray.
A journalist assigned to Jerusalem was living in an apartment overlooking the Wailing (or Western) Wall. Every day she saw the same Jewish man praying vigorously. One day she went down and introduced herself to the man. She asked him how long he had been coming to the wall. He told her that he’d been praying there every day for 25 years. The reporter asked him how if felt to pray for such a long time. The man answered, “Like I’m talking to a wall.” If we’re being honest, we’ll have to admit that sometimes prayer seems like we’re talking to a wall. Yet the parable encourages us to not give up.
An Israeli internet company (www.virtual.co.il) now offers a unique way to pray. Simply email your prayers to them, and they will stuff them in the crevices of the Wailing Wall. It’s like sending an email to God! This is a common practice. During his recent visit, the Pope prayed at the wall and placed a written prayer in a crevice. I prayed at the wall during my visit to Israel, though I didn’t have anything written down. This past week I logged onto the website and sent in a prayer for the wall.
Sometimes our repetition in prayer comes from a lack of faith that God heard us the first time. On-going prayer should not come from a sense of insecurity, but from trust that there’s some reason for the delay. God wants us to be persistent in prayer because it builds our character. He welcomes our continuing prayers—unlike the unjust judge—even though he knows what we need before we ask. In Isaiah God says, “Before you call I will answer; while you are still speaking, I will hear” (65:24). This is not nagging; it’s faithfulness. It shows we’re relying on God to care for us. In John’s first epistle we’re told, “If we ask anything according to God’s will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of Him” (5:14-15). It may be according to God’s will that the answer will come after a long period of waiting.
Someone said to me, “I prayed and God didn’t answer.” I replied, “Yes He did—He said NO.” Sometimes God’s answer is “no.” You’ve heard me say this before—if God gave us the reason for saying no, there’s no assurance we would be able to understand it. God’s ways are above ours, and His thoughts are infinitely more complicated. For God to explain His purpose might be like someone attempting to explain calculus or trigonometry to a 4-year old (or to me!). Sometimes God’s “no” seems unjust. At times like these, we have to trust that His “no” comes from a compassionate understanding of what is best. It’s comforting and satisfying to at least know there IS a “why” for all things, that our sovereign God has a purpose for every life event. In the meantime, we see through a glass darkly.
Jesus ends His parable with a piercing question—“When the Son of Man returns, will He find faith on the earth?” Will there be a faith that perseveres?
Are you weary of praying? Don’t give up. Hang in there. When we’re convinced of how our welfare depends on prayer alone, we will continue on in prayer with a desperate sense of urgency, and a confident faith in God. The power of prayer (fortunately) is not in the one who prays but in the One who hears our prayers. May God’s power be the measure of our expectations.
Prayer: “Lord, we are grateful that You are compassionate, never weary of hearing about our concerns. You’re always willing to listen. Help us to be faithful in prayer. Help us to take advantage of the free, unlimited access we have. Help us to trust You for the resolution of our requests. Grant us confidence in Your purpose when we grow anxious and distressed. Replace our anxiety with Your peace, and increase our faith. This we ask, through Christ our Lord—Amen.
