In brief
The unjust judge and the persistent widow are the two characters of a parable Jesus tells in Luke 18:1-8. A judge who does not fear God refuses for a long time to give justice to a widow, then finally yields to her persistence. Jesus draws a lesson about prayer: if even an unjust judge ends up answering, how much more will God give justice to his chosen ones who cry out to him. The aim is clear: to always pray and not give up.
What does the name The Unjust Judge and the Persistent Widow mean?
Unjust means not just: Jesus himself calls him the unjust judge (Luke 18:6). Persistent describes the one who keeps coming back and troubles him: the judge says that this widow keeps bothering him (Luke 18:5). Neither has a name, because they are characters in a parable.
The story of The Unjust Judge and the Persistent Widow
The purpose of the parable
Luke 18:1Luke gives the key to the account from the start: Jesus tells this parable to show that they should always pray and not give up. He is speaking to his disciples on the road to Jerusalem, after talking about his return and the hard days that will come before it (Luke 17:22-37).
A judge who does not fear God
Luke 18:2-3In a certain town lives a judge who neither fears God nor cares about anyone. In the same town, a widow comes to him and asks him to grant her justice against her adversary. With no husband and no protection, she has no recourse but this judge, who ought to defend the weak.
Persistence that finally wins
Luke 18:4-5For a long time the judge refuses. Then he tells himself he will give her justice, not out of fear of God or love of the law, but because this widow keeps bothering him and he does not want her wearing him out by coming again and again. The widow's constancy obtains what justice should have granted her.
How much more will God give justice
Luke 18:6-8Jesus reasons from the lesser to the greater: if an unjust judge yields, will God not give justice to his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night? He will see that they get justice quickly. Then Jesus asks a question that searches the heart: when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?
Test your knowledge
What The Unjust Judge and the Persistent Widow teaches us
- God is not like the unjust judge: he is the righteous judge who hears those who cry out to him.
- Persevering prayer is an expression of faith, especially when the answer seems slow in coming.
- Facing injustice, the believer can place his cause in God's hands rather than lose heart.
- To pray without giving up is to live in active expectation of the return of Jesus Christ.
Key verses
Jesus gives the meaning of the parable himself before telling it: they should always pray and not give up. The point is perseverance in prayer.
God hears his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night. The parable contrasts the indifferent judge with the attentive Father who takes up the cause of his own.
Jesus asks whether the Son of Man will find faith on the earth when he comes. He ties persevering prayer to the faith that holds firm until his return.
Bible verses to meditate on
Sermons about The Unjust Judge and the Persistent Widow
Frequently asked questions
Is God compared to the unjust judge in this parable?
No, he is contrasted with him. Jesus reasons from the lesser to the greater: if even a judge who does not fear God ends up giving justice to a widow who bothers him, how much more will God, who is just and good, give justice to his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night (Luke 18:7-8).
What does the persistent widow teach us about prayer?
She shows a prayer that does not lose heart despite refusals and the passing of time. Jesus presents this perseverance as the sign of the faith he hopes to find at his return. The point is not to wring an answer out of God, but to keep trusting him.
Where can I find the parable of the unjust judge in the Bible?
It appears in Luke 18:1-8, only in the Gospel of Luke. It follows Jesus' teaching on the coming of the kingdom and his return (Luke 17:20-37), and comes before the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9-14), which is also about prayer.