Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Grant me justice against my accuser.’ For a while he refused, but later he said to himself, ‘Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.’ ” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” Luke 18:1-8
“Let us not busy ourselves about monuments, not about memorials. This is the greatest memorial: set widows to stand around him. Tell them his name: bid them all make for him their prayers, their supplications: this will overcome God: though it have not been done by the man himself, yet because of him another is the author of the almsgiving. Even this pertains to the mercy of God: widows standing around and weeping know how to rescue, not indeed from the present death, but from that which is to come. Many have profited even by the alms done by others on their behalf: for even if they have not got perfect (deliverance), at least they have found some comfort thence. If it be not so, how are children saved? And yet there, the children themselves contribute nothing, but their parents do all: and often have women had their children given them, though the children themselves contributed nothing. Many are the ways God gives us to be saved, only let us not be negligent.”
John Chrysostom (347-407) in Homily 21 on the Acts of the Apostles.
We made it safely home. Grilled some vegetables and sausage last night (pictured above).
Each month GTP sends out a Prayer Journal. You can subscribe to it here.
One of the reasons we send it out relates to widows. Few people pray more faithfully. Seriously, I can count on them to tell me that they pray. Some even print it and use it as a guide to pray.
As I ponder this further, especially in light of today’s Scripture, I come to this conclusion.
The widow persevered in prayer and did not lose heart. Widows have no other recourse than to trust in God. And they have seen him come through so their trust is both firm and faithful.
I can think of many widows reading this right now that may concur What about your trust?
Lent is the season where we focus on fasting, giving, and prayer. God help us pray like widows and surround ourselves with them. They “overcome” God and move Him to act by persevering in prayer.