Weekly Bulletin – March 20, 2022

“He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.” Luke 18:1

C. H. Spurgeon said that the key to the meaning of the parable of the widow who kept crying to the unjust judge until he finally responded to her is found hanging at the door. Here is a parable that teaches us the benefit of persistent prayer.

First of all, we have the plight of the widow. This woman had been wronged by an adversary. Having no one to avenge her, she turned to the judge, even though he was known to be unjust, caring neither for God nor man. What a picture of the bride of Christ on earth! The world sees the church without a husband, and as the widow, she is the object of Satan’s attacks and is often treated unjustly.

Second, we have the fight of the widow. She was determined to fight her case and demand justice from the judge who was so callous and heartless. In verse 5 we read why the judge eventually conceded and decided to help her: he was “weary” of her frequent appeals. Weary is an interesting word. It literally means “to strike someone under the eyes” or to “beat black and blue.” This tells us how determined this woman really was to win her case—and how equally determined we should be in prayer.

Finally, we have the delight of the widow. What delight must have filled her heart when she eventually received the justice she had persistently demanded. There is a great contrast between this judge and the One to whom we come in prayer. If the unjust judge avenged the widow for whom he had no concern just because she would not give up pleading with him, “shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him?” The Lord Jesus says, “He will avenge them speedily.” Pray on, believer; God answers prayer.

Quote: “There is no realm of the Christian life in which we weary so quickly as in prayer.” Arthur Wallis