A just judge
2 Kgs 5:14-17; Ps 98:1, 2-3, 3-4; 2 Tim 2:8-13; Lk 17:11-19
I hope that when you hear this Sunday’s Gospel read in church, you give yourself permission to at least smile, if not actually laugh. Jesus’ parable of a self-absorbed, immoral judge who renders justice to a nagging widow because he fears her violent rebuke is quite humorous.
But Jesus uses this tale to drive home an important point: that God — a just judge — will be all the more attentive to our prayers when we call out to him.
Through the parable, Jesus provides us with a valuable teaching on what our prayer ought to look like. He illustrates how we should choose our words in prayer and how to deliver them to God.
The first point to notice is that the woman in the story is not shy about calling out her personal concerns. She doesn’t begin by demanding justice for all of the other plaintiffs coming before the judge. It is her own case that is on her mind and heart, and that is what she focuses on.
So, too, in our prayer we ought to begin with what is foremost on our mind and heart. That doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t pray for other causes and concerns beyond our own lives. But if we don’t first focus on ourselves, then we are unlikely to be fully present to whatever God may be saying to us. Failure to acknowledge our thoughts, feelings or desires at the beginning of prayer often leads to those things becoming background distractions while we try to be attentive to something else.
If you’re worried that it’s selfish or disrespectful to God to begin with your own concerns, remember that a simple definition of prayer is that it is a dialogue between ourselves and God. The way to truly honor the other in a conversation is to honestly acknowledge what we are bringing to the table at that time. If we suppress what we are feeling or thinking, we risk reducing authentic dialogue to the mere facade of a meaningful exchange.
While it’s true that it is sometimes prudent to hold back in our conversations with other people (for example, if we have news that might be too difficult for them hear at the moment), there should be no such concern in conversing with God. We will not “hurt God’s feelings” or offend him. He brings no baggage or vulnerability that we need to be protective of.
The second important point is closely related to the first: The woman in the parable speaks directly to the judge and she speaks in a tone that accurately reflects her feelings. When we pray to God, we should only use first- and second-person pronouns (I, me, you, etc.). Personal prayer is not the time to speak generically about God, or about humanity or creation, but rather to speak to God and to convey what we are feeling, thinking or desiring.
If you’re feeling angry with God, then bring that anger into your address to him. If you feel disappointed in God, or sad because of what God has allowed to happen in your life, then by all means bring those emotions front and center into your prayer. The Psalms offer countless examples of this type of prayer and we should never be shy about how we address God. Such direct speech opens our hearts to be more receptive to receive whatever God is communicating.
Finally, how do we discern what God is actually saying to us? The widow receives the judge’s decision clearly enough, but that’s a fictional tale. Our reception of God’s word is often more subtle. A key element is found in the widow’s persistence, which Jesus commends.
God is steady and consistent in his love for us, but we often fluctuate in our attentiveness from day to day. On good days, it might be easy for us to receive from God in prayer, while on difficult days, prayer can feel sterile and dry. By persevering in daily prayer, God’s presence becomes easier to recognize amidst the fluctuating distractions.
The tireless widow has a lesson for us all: Pray about what is on your heart, pray directly to God with brutal honesty and pray every day.