1 Then He
spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, 2 saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor
regard man. 3 Now
there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for
me from my adversary.’ 4 And
he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do
not fear God nor regard man, 5 yet
because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming
she weary me.’ ” 6 Then the
Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. 7 And
shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He
bears long with them? 8 I
tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man
comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”
Preamble
Having foretold us of the coming troubles before His Return for us, the Lord Jesus Christ now gives us a parable about a persistent widow, so that we do not lose heart during the times of our own tribulations and trials down here.
Commentary
Vs. 1 “Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart,”
And so to begin, Jesus even before He begins His parable, says that we ought to pray and not lose heart. Because there will be many things during our sojourn down here that will test and try our faith, that will even seek to openly or covertly destroy it, and us. All believers then everywhere, and in every generation, should not expect to be treated fairly or justly down here, for as Jesus has already said, “…If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!” Matt. 10:25 Thus if they think that Jesus and or all that He stands for is evil, how much more will they think that of those who truly are of His household! Therefore, given that we will be rejected and hated and even persecuted (and some of us unto death) by those of this world (who have the ruler of it by default, as their “lord”) we are not to lose heart. But rather as Jesus says here, we are to pray always and not lose heart, because only in prayer can we face and prevail against the overwhelming opposition that our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will face. Strength to stand for a believer then does not come by way of gathering of allies, or by force of arms, it comes by prayer.
Vs. 2-3 2 saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. 3 Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’
The Lord Jesus then begins His parable by introducing the two main people in it. First is a judge “who did not fear God nor regard man.” This judge then by all accounts was a rather cruel and unmovable man, who did not fear God, nor did he regard man. Thus, he had no concern for how his judgments affected those people involved in his cases. He just executed judgment and justice as he saw fit. If homes were broken, or lives were shattered he could care less, all he cared about was swinging the anvil and moving onto the next case. Now along with him, Jesus says there was a certain widow of the same city where he judged, and she came to him, pleading with him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ Now to be a widow in ancient times was basically to be powerless, for amongst the mighty and affluent who could basically buy, or secure judgment or “justice” for themselves, a widow was only one step above being a beggar, thus not someone who would be regarded or looked upon by the “mover and shakers” of this world. And so here she is appearing before the unjust judge trying to get justice for herself.
Vs. 4-5 4 And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 5 yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’ ”
And so, it was that the unjust judge just kept brushing her off, not hearing her case, nor regarding her person or plight. Yet the widow refused to go away, because she had nowhere else to go, and no one else to turn too, and so she just kept coming back to him, saying: ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ Now over the course of time the unjust judge began to say to himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 5 yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’
Vs. 6-8 Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. 7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”
Having then given us His parable the Lord Jesus Christ now brings forth the Spiritual truth contained within it, that is that if an earthly and unjust judge can be moved to intercede on behalf of a widows plight because of her persistence, how much more will God (who is the Judge, and who is Most Just) avenge His own elect, (that is His own children), who cry out day and night to Him, though he bears long with them, For our Father in heaven is not unaware of anything that has been done, or is being done, or has been, or is being plotted against us, and so He will get justice for us. Indeed, Jesus says, He will avenge us (His elect) speedily! Thus, it is not through the hand of man that we get justice for ourselves, it is only through the hand of God. Nevertheless, Jesus also says, “…when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” Again, returning to the Day of His return which precipitated His parable, when our deliverance from all our oppressors and all evil forces comes, Jesus now asks whether He will find faith on earth, that is will he finds us waiting for and looking for Him to do so? I certainly hope so, for as this world more and more degenerates, and thus inadvertently rushes to fulfill the Word of God as sinners reach their fulness, we as individual believers In Christ, as well as a collective Body of Christ, will more and more have to face the wrath, hatred, harassment, and even persecution of those of this godless world. And thus, more and more we will be committing ourselves and our causes to God in heaven who is the Most Just Judge, who will avenge us speedily, and so let us all have faith and trust in Him that He will do so, as we patiently wait upon the Lord Jesus Christ’s return!
Scripture Quotations
Preamble
Having foretold us of the coming troubles before His Return for us, the Lord Jesus Christ now gives us a parable about a persistent widow, so that we do not lose heart during the times of our own tribulations and trials down here.
Commentary
Vs. 1 “Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart,”
And so to begin, Jesus even before He begins His parable, says that we ought to pray and not lose heart. Because there will be many things during our sojourn down here that will test and try our faith, that will even seek to openly or covertly destroy it, and us. All believers then everywhere, and in every generation, should not expect to be treated fairly or justly down here, for as Jesus has already said, “…If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!” Matt. 10:25 Thus if they think that Jesus and or all that He stands for is evil, how much more will they think that of those who truly are of His household! Therefore, given that we will be rejected and hated and even persecuted (and some of us unto death) by those of this world (who have the ruler of it by default, as their “lord”) we are not to lose heart. But rather as Jesus says here, we are to pray always and not lose heart, because only in prayer can we face and prevail against the overwhelming opposition that our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will face. Strength to stand for a believer then does not come by way of gathering of allies, or by force of arms, it comes by prayer.
Vs. 2-3 2 saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. 3 Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’
The Lord Jesus then begins His parable by introducing the two main people in it. First is a judge “who did not fear God nor regard man.” This judge then by all accounts was a rather cruel and unmovable man, who did not fear God, nor did he regard man. Thus, he had no concern for how his judgments affected those people involved in his cases. He just executed judgment and justice as he saw fit. If homes were broken, or lives were shattered he could care less, all he cared about was swinging the anvil and moving onto the next case. Now along with him, Jesus says there was a certain widow of the same city where he judged, and she came to him, pleading with him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ Now to be a widow in ancient times was basically to be powerless, for amongst the mighty and affluent who could basically buy, or secure judgment or “justice” for themselves, a widow was only one step above being a beggar, thus not someone who would be regarded or looked upon by the “mover and shakers” of this world. And so here she is appearing before the unjust judge trying to get justice for herself.
Vs. 4-5 4 And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 5 yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’ ”
And so, it was that the unjust judge just kept brushing her off, not hearing her case, nor regarding her person or plight. Yet the widow refused to go away, because she had nowhere else to go, and no one else to turn too, and so she just kept coming back to him, saying: ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ Now over the course of time the unjust judge began to say to himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 5 yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’
Vs. 6-8 Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. 7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”
Having then given us His parable the Lord Jesus Christ now brings forth the Spiritual truth contained within it, that is that if an earthly and unjust judge can be moved to intercede on behalf of a widows plight because of her persistence, how much more will God (who is the Judge, and who is Most Just) avenge His own elect, (that is His own children), who cry out day and night to Him, though he bears long with them, For our Father in heaven is not unaware of anything that has been done, or is being done, or has been, or is being plotted against us, and so He will get justice for us. Indeed, Jesus says, He will avenge us (His elect) speedily! Thus, it is not through the hand of man that we get justice for ourselves, it is only through the hand of God. Nevertheless, Jesus also says, “…when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” Again, returning to the Day of His return which precipitated His parable, when our deliverance from all our oppressors and all evil forces comes, Jesus now asks whether He will find faith on earth, that is will he finds us waiting for and looking for Him to do so? I certainly hope so, for as this world more and more degenerates, and thus inadvertently rushes to fulfill the Word of God as sinners reach their fulness, we as individual believers In Christ, as well as a collective Body of Christ, will more and more have to face the wrath, hatred, harassment, and even persecution of those of this godless world. And thus, more and more we will be committing ourselves and our causes to God in heaven who is the Most Just Judge, who will avenge us speedily, and so let us all have faith and trust in Him that He will do so, as we patiently wait upon the Lord Jesus Christ’s return!
Scripture Quotations
New King James Version (1982): Thomas Nelson
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