The Gospel for this Sunday is from Luke 18:9-14 in which Jesus tells a parable about those who depend upon their own compliance with religious regulation for righteousness: “The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, ‘O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity—greedy, dishonest, adulterous—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.”
This Sunday is the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Lectionary Cycle C. Today is the final post on the parable of the unjust judge and the persistent widow. Today we hear Jesus: 7 Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? 8 I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” Continue reading
This Sunday is the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Lectionary Cycle C. In yesterday’s post we looked in detail at the judge. Today we turn our attention to the persistent widow. The entire parable rings with the echo of Sir 35:14-24 (note: depending on translation you find verse numbering slightly different – also, this is part of the OT reading for the 30th Sunday in Year C) Continue reading
This Sunday is the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Lectionary Cycle C. Today we consider the Judge:
2 “There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being. 3 And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, ‘Render a just decision for me against my adversary.’ 4 For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, ‘While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, 5 because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.’”
This Sunday is the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Lectionary Cycle C. After several days of important context, today we move into the heart of the parable. This parable is a twin of the parable of the neighbor in need (Luke 11:5-8). Both are used to illustrate the importance of persistence in prayer. Both present a person in need persistently pressing a request, and both parables call for reasoning from the lesser to the greater: If a neighbor or an unjust judge will respond to the urgent need and repeated request, then will not God also respond? It is an argument from lesser to the greater by which Jesus affirms the faithfulness of God – He will assuredly act on behalf of the righteous. Continue reading
This Sunday is the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Lectionary Cycle C. In yesterday’s two posts, we explored the content and setting of our upcoming gospel. Today will serve as a reminder that the importance of prayer is not appearing for the first time here in this gospel. Continue reading
This Sunday is the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Lectionary Cycle C. Earlier today we considered the larger textual placement of this parable in the flow of Luke’s writing, noting that there is an apocalyptic tone skipped over in the Sunday sequence of gospels, that lends a tone and content to the parable of the unjust judge/persistent widow. Now, we’ll continue to explore the context of the gospel reading. (note: two posts just to break up the long introductory material… interesting, but still long) Continue reading
This Sunday is the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Lectionary Cycle C. The gospel is the well known Lucan parable of the persistent widow encountering the dishonest judge. We do not arrive at this gospel directly from the gospel of last week telling of the 10 lepers who were cured and the one who returned to give thanks to Jesus. There is a portion of Luke’s gospel that is passed over in the Ordinary Time sequence – Luke 17:20-37. You can find the reading here. Continue reading
I am partial to the Gospel according to Luke. I think his writing is good at telling the story and leaving room for the hearer to work though the implications of it all. Some of the most memorable parables – the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, Lazarus and the Rich Man, and more are all unique to Luke’s gospel. Also, Luke is particular about his choice of words and phrases – the small nuances of language find their place in his telling of Jesus’ story.
Today we have one of those small curiosities of language: But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth? (Luke 18:8). What the Greek actually says is not “find faith” but “find the faith.” It is the only place in all of Luke’s gospel he uses this phrase. In fact it is the only place in all the New Testament. Maybe it’s nothing, but then again, as he often does, maybe Luke is trying to tell us something in this small parable of the persistent widow and the unjust judge. Continue reading
Jesus’ Commentary on the Petition. 7 Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? 8 I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
Jesus comments make clear the intended parallels: from an unjust judge to God; from the widow to God’s elect. The term “his chosen ones” (hoi eklektoi), used in Luke-Acts only here, echoes texts such as Isa. 42:1; 43:20; 65:9, 15, 22; Ps. 105:6, 43 (cf. Sir. 47:22), which use the term “chosen” in a context that emphasizes election to serve Yahweh (also refers to Deut. 4:37; 7:7; 1 Chron. 16:13; Ps. 77:31; 88:3). Continue reading
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