Luke chapter 18

vs 1

I'm sorry, what was that Luke? Did you just tell us what this parable is all about? You're a saint!

vs 2

So this guy is the very height of selfish. And he happens to be a judge. There is no justice there.

vs 3

Widows are poor. So she can't bribe him, and if we assume she's old, she can't offer him any hanky-panky either. Not that all widows are old, I'm just trying to narrow the variables.

vs 4

Poor guy talks to himself. But don't we all? Go on, admit it!

vs 5

So even the most selfish and inward looking judge is going to eventually cave in to your demands if you keep bugging them for justice, even though they have no desire for justice to be done. Of course, if the widow had been asking "Make a false judgement against my adversary" then you could argue that the judge would have also given in eventually - he doesn't care about God or men, after all. But then, this isn't a picture of God - it's a picture of a selfish judge.

vs 6

Even when he talks to himself!

vs 7

Jesus does this a fair bit, comparing sinful humans with God, and then highlighting a logical argument that if God is omnibenevolent, then surely he will do better than men in loving his people.

But apparently, sometimes God will "keep putting them off". But then, we've got to remember the lessons of verse 5. Firstly, God is a just judge, not a selfish judge, so you are not actually going to annoy him into doing something. Secondly, God is just, and will therefore not do something unjust because you ask for it day in and day out.

vs 8

Jesus reckons that God will ensure justice occurs, and quickly. But then, we know that's not true. The write of Ecclesiastes knew that wasn't true. So we fall back on the "God's timing" argument, that a day is like a thousand years. It's not that I don't believe this, obviously I do, but it just gets old, applying it to every verse like this. We evangelicals really have attempted to neuter the gospel a little, by saying that "The only thing that Jesus promises is that in the end, evil is punished and good rejoices. Anything beyond the end times, any temporal promises, are not promises".

The thing is, I know that's not true through experience! And yes, I know that my experiences are not empirical. But come on, what Christian out there has not seen immediate temporal answers to prayer?

Sometimes I think that prayer is like the Force - we know that God can do anything, that he can move the object no matter how big. I mean, sure, the Force is an uncaring unemotional unfeeling force which you shape to do good or evil, whereas God is a person with that power who actually works towards good. But my point is the same - we pray for a carparking spot, or for a job application to go well, or for someone to get better through the treatment of excellent doctors, and hey, they do. Praise God. But if we get on our knees and pray for justice in a bad situation, and pray for it over and over again, according to Jesus we will get it, and quickly.

His rhetorical question to the disciples is, though, "Will the Son of Man find faith on this earth?" The presence of the future tense question may be suggesting that this is a question Jesus is asking about his return. Of course, that somewhat strengthens the evangelical end-times position (but less so the pre-mil eschatology). But I don't know - I mean, he is teaching his disciples this lesson right then and there. I think he's as much asking the question in the third person, and the future tense is because I guess it just sounds more natural to talk about the messiah coming than him being here. Yeah, I know, that's a little weak. But I'm not a translation scholar, so I can't say that it's a typo :P

vs 9

Look! Luke does it again! So Luke is recording a series of discourses, that may not be all chronological, but they are like a series of parables which are pre-empted with their subject. Like a little parable textbook.

vs 10

The two characters in our story are a Pharisee and a tax collector (KJV calls him a 'publican', and the NASB interestingly translates as 'tax collector', but calls him 'publican' in the sub-headings!), both of which are going to the temple to pray. Will their prayers be answered? Will justice come swiftly? Tune in tomorrow!