Parables regarding persistent Prayer

So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him to knocks, it will be opened.

—Luke 11:9-10

Prayer Parables

There are two powerful parables on prayer; both emphasise persistence in prayer despite adverse circumstances. As noted in the Introduction to the Parables, these brilliant stories convey one main point. These two prayer parables encourage us to pray to God despite the situation we are in. He is a good God who hears and acts.

The Parable of the Unrighteous Judge (Luke 18:1-8)

This parable is introduced by Luke the evangelist 'to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart' (v 1). This introductory note makes it unmistakably clear: persistent prayer is encouraged and will be rewarded eventually. The very parable was shared to inspire prayer that doesn't give up in adverse circumstances. Those of us who have prayed know the disappointment, or even frustration, of unanswered prayer. It can be discouraging and the temptation to give up, or think, 'what's the point?' is ever there. This is especially true when we pray in line with God's word or seek justice from Him who judges righteously. We do, however, live in a selfish, corrupt and wicked world and things sometimes simply don't work out the way we imagined, or at the time we wish something would happen. Sometimes we might even get resentful or perhaps angry when injustice prevails and evil triumphs. But can we, despite of all that, still have faith in God and continue in persistent prayer?

Jesus' parable to illustrate that we should 'not lose heart' in prayer (i.e., give up in despair), but rather pray 'at all times' (by faith in God), is about 'a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man' (v 2). This must have been shocking to the audience as it seems that this was the wrong man for the position, especially in a religious society where the righteous requirements with high standards of morality, justice and compassion are stipulated in the Torah. The other character in this story parable is 'a widow' (v 3), the most vulnerable in society. The judge is a person of power; a widow a person in a weak position. The contrast is purposefully strong in order to illustrate the point Jesus is making.

Widows, orphans and the stranger have a special place in God's Word, demanding fairness, responsibility and protection for them. The Torah and the prophets in line with the Law of God, have strong condemnations for kings, judges and priests (i.e., rulers, leaders) who do not grant justice but pervert it through corruption or nepotism. The widow in the parable wanted 'legal protection' from her opponent (v 3), presumably in a legal dispute that would have left her destitute. Everyting was at stake. It was a dramatic situation. Hearing these introductory remarks on what the scenario was, the audience would have been curious what would follow next: there is a desperate widow in dire need, yet a godless judge who didn't care about the well-being of people. Where would this story lead?

The audience could have related to this scenario as it reflects real life. People get into legal battles and seek help from the court. We expect the court to rule justly, but that is not always the case. The judge was 'unwilling' to help her, yet 'she kept coming to him.' This was an ongoing process, indicating the persistence of the widow. Eventually the judge would grant her 'legal protection,' but hear his reasons for doing so: 'Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out' (v 5; emphasis added). He gave her what she wanted ('legal protection') just to get rid of her, driven by selfish motives!

Jesus tells His audience, 'Hear what the unrighteous judged said' (v 6). Jesus places emphasis on the words of the unrighteous judge, He was 'unrighteous' because he was godless, careless and selfish—all of which disqualified him from a position that is required to execute justice. Nevertheless, he filled that role. The widow had a tough challenge: the judge was selfish and his very motivation to give the widow what she wanted was selfish. Yet despite of this—and that's the force of the parable regarding persistent prayer—the widow got what she asked for. Despite the adverse circumstances, her persistence brought about the desired results. She didn't become resentful or angry; she didn't give up and got frustrated; she persistent in what was right. She was patient in her persistence.

Jesus' conclusion of the parable is formulated in two questions and one statement: the first question and corresponding statement is regarding God's actions on behalf of His people (v 7-8a), the second question is about our faith in God (v 8b). Jesus contrasted the unrighteous judge with the righteous God of Israel who will bring justice 'quickly' to those who 'cry to Him day and night,' yet will 'He find faith on the earth'? The issue is a faith that perseveres and persists in prayer despite the adverse circumstances. With a genuine faith, we can continue to pray despite the set-backs and up-hill struggles we face. God is the opposite of this unrighteous judge. We can trust Him because He is righteous. Faith in God enables us to persevere without losing heart, giving up or becoming frustrated, resentful and cynical—do we quit or press on?

The Friend at Midnight (Luke 11:5-8)

This short parable is set in the context of prayer: Jesus taught His disciples how to pray (Luke 11:1-4) and after the parable encouraged them to ask, seek and knock (vv 9-10) in view of God's goodness (vv 11-13). The emphasis is, again, on 'persistence' (v 8).

The introductory words by Jesus (v 5a) point to another real-life scenario: a need has to be met; it's urgent. In a society where you had to bake your own bread and couldn't just run to the next-door convenient store that works all night (24/7), the only chance to get bread was from a friend. The emphasis on 'friend' is striking: one friend asks his friend for bread because a friend came to visit (vv 5-6). The natural thing to do in such a situation is to help out and give him bread to meet his need. In a culture where hospitality was common, not to help was unacceptable; no excuse would do. The audience would have expected this outcome. But the story takes a twist: the friend refuses to help his friend in need—a shocking response!

The parable stops here and Jesus gives us the ending (v 8): although the friend didn't help out because he is his friend (the expected thing to do), he gives him what he asks for because of 'his persistence' (the actual reason). Not the relationship of friendship brought about the solution to the problem, but persistence in asking. The parable is followed by the encouragement to ask, seek and knock (vv 9-10), because God is good and gives good gifts to His children (vv 11-13). Luke and Matthew differ slightly in that Luke states that the Holy Spirit is God's gift, while Matthew has a more general statement: as a good Father, God gives 'what is good to those who ask Him!' (Matthew 7:11) Both authors contrast sinful human beings, who know to give good gifts to their children, with a perfect God as a heavenly Father who gives good gifts to His children who ask (Luke 11:13; Matthew 7:11). They both use two illustrations each to contrast what a child might ask and what a father gives, using a fish, an egg and a loaf of bread in contrast to a snake, scorpion and a stone (two examples are the same, two differ; presumably Jesus used different examples at different stages of His teaching the crowd, but the main point is the same).

God won't give bad things to His children because He is good and therefore gives what is good. God is the opposite of the indifferent friend. He cares. And He expects us to pray to Him and ask. God is more than 'a friend' (in the parable). He is our heavenly Father, who 'knows what you need before you ask Him' (Matthew 6:8; see D1). The parable encourages persistent prayer to a good God, who is contrasted by an unwilling friend. The parable doesn't encourage annoying behaviour in inconvenient circumstances, but rather it encourages persistent prayer despite adverse situations.

Conclusion

Jesus encourages us to pray to our heavenly Father who is good and wants to give good gifts to His children. We are to ask, seek and knock by faith in persistent prayer even if the circumstances look adverse or even impossible. Jesus used two striking parables to illustrate that despite the indifference of a friend or the selfishness of a judge—those who are supposed to help—we are to be persistent and not quit. God is the opposite of the unrighteous judge and careless friend. Even if others don't care, God does—and He hears our prayers! We are not to become resentful or despair, nor are we to give up and become frustrated, but rather trust God in prayer. Blessed are those who trust Him (see Jeremiah 17:7-8). We don't trust in the legal system or failing friends; we trust in God who won't fail us. Despite the corruption and injustice in our world, we can trust God to work out all things for our good. Faith in a good and just God who will act on our behalf is the key to persistent prayer.

Eschatological Interpretation

The eschatological interpretation of the parable of the unrighteous judge focuses on the last words of Jesus: will He find faith on the earth, referring to His return at the end of time. That is, ultimate justice won't come in this world, but only in the next. It is true, some cases of injustice remain unresolved or people are not vidicated in this life. We live in a sinful, selfish and evil world where justice is perverted. But the force of the parable is about persistent prayer to a God who does act in this world. We can expect justice despite the corruption around us. Perhaps not always the way we wish it to happen or at the time we wish things to happen, but we are encouraged to pray to God persistantly. The eschatological interpretation, that ultimate justice would only come in the great final judgment, misses the point of the parable and would discourage prayer rather than enncourage it, as Luke sets out in his introduction. While we must remain patient in prayer and, sadly, sometimes ultimate justice only comes in the world to come, we are nonetheless encouraged to pray to God for justice. We are to be patient in persistance and persistent in our patience, inspired by faith in the God who hears and acts!

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