Summary: I have personally struggled with this particular parable about an unjust judge. Every third year as this lectionary text rolls around I immediately feel inspired to look for another. It is, on the surface, a rather bothersome and strange story that challenges us to search not only for a possible meaning and application, but also for any sense of the presence of God. We much prefer cleaner and simpler parables from Jesus, stories that easily fit into our ways of thinking and acting. The passage itself moves in what seems to be disconnected ways. The context, Luke suggests, is about prayer and the importance of not giving up. The parable that follows revolves around a not-so-nice person and his indifference toward one who lived on the margins, barely getting by. The passage then ends with a question about faith. From prayer and callousness, to persistence and faithfulness. While it may seem disjointed on first reading, there is something significant here about who we are and how we are to order our lives in this complex and confusing world. The two main characters in this parable are drawn from the real world. Luke's Gospel is filled with stories like this where the surprise of grace is discovered not in holy, pious, religious, people but in seeing reality through the lens of God's Kingdom. These two people open that door. The judge in this story is not presented in any kind of favorable light. Whether a fictional character or a composite personality, this particular judge does not fulfill the role and responsibility assigned to him. Rather than being an advocate for others, like this widow, this judge at first ignores her, seems to act against her. As I try to flesh out who this judge is and how he behaves a string of words comes to mind: impious, contemptible, self-reliant, power-broker, corrupt. Instead of hearing her complaints in a fair and impartial way, this judge clearly has no time nor interest in the request of this widow.
