The Pastor's Corner
July 2026
Luke 18:1-8 The Parable of the Persistent Widow
Jesus frequently used parables to teach important spiritual truths. The message of the Parable of the Persistent Widow is to “always pray and never give up.” In this parable a widow kept coming to a judge asking for justice. 4“For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”
6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
Jesus highlights the persistence of this widow as an example of faithfulness for us. A reminder to not give up hope, a reminder to continue to trust God even when things seem bleak. A reminder to be encouraged by the promises of God’s provision for us.
God’s Word reminds us that we can turn to God in good times and in bad. Whether things are going well or not so well, we trust God to keep his promise to always be there, to always hear us when we pray.
That’s the lesson Jesus was trying to teach with the Parable of the Persistent Widow (Luke 18:1-8). This is a parable that we would do well to read again. There is so much around us that causes us to feel disappointed, frustrated, and sometimes causes us to lose hope. We can understand the plight of the widow in this parable. She keeps coming to the judge asking for justice. This image of a cycle of unanswered appeals is familiar to many of us.
Luke’s gospel is filled with encouragement for persistent prayer. Luke gives us several examples of Jesus modeling a life of prayer – at his baptism, before he calls the 12 disciples, before the transfiguration on the mountain. We find Jesus teaching the disciples to pray in the gospels of Luke and Matthew.
Persistent prayer is an expression of our faith. The widow in this parable badgered the judge until he relented, if only to get rid of her. This judge wasn’t interested in her wellbeing.
Persistent prayer isn’t about begging God or badgering God to get what we want. We persevere in prayer because we know that God cares about us. God loves us and we are his chosen ones, not nameless annoyances. Persistent prayer is a continual dialogue and expression of our trust in God to guide us and provide for us.
“Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16)
The prayer list which is printed in our bulletin weekly is quite long. Many people have trusted us to pray for them. I am sure you are doing this individually. Following the example of the Early Church, we are gathering for prayer on Thursday, July 16 at 4:00 pm. We will meet at the church and pray for those on our prayer list as well as for our congregation and community. If you would like to join us in this effort, please let me know.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Teresa
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)