“The Fixer”
The “MASTER STORYTELLER” was at it again! He had this WAY of pulling you into the heart of his message.
We do not “get” the whole WIDOW thing in the time of Jesus. We are too far removed.
But I can tell you this:
Women’s behavior was extremely limited. Married women were not allowed to leave the home of their husband.
UNMARRIED women could not leave the home of their father.
They were normally restricted to roles of little or no authority. Fetch the water.
They could NOT testify in court.
They could NOT appear in public venues.
They could NOT talk to strangers.
When they did leave their homes they had to be “doubly veiled.”
The only clothes they could wear were the “WIDOWS WEEDS” – the black clothes worn by a-widow-in-mourning.
So, widow’s had NO rights…and they would HAVE NEVER had access to high ranking man of honor – such as a judge.
Because she had “NO MAN to speak for her” – she was effectively-permanently- silenced.
So, for her to “call after a prominent judge,” day-after-day-after-day would have caught everybody’s attention. It simply would NOT have happened.
The judge himself would have been headed for the city gates, there to hear the important cases and disputes of the day.
So perhaps she yelled out after him – every day as he passed her…as she sat and begged for a few coins from passersby.
People would have smiled at this one and taken great delight in her chutzpah – her gall, her brazen nerve, her effrontery, her incredible guts, plus her huge amount of personal arrogance. It was unheard of … a rather, humorous account, to be sure.
This is not about “nagging prayer” nor is it about an “unwilling God.” But “most of us” GO THERE…anyways and think about it just-the-same.
We all live in a world where WE everything NOW. NO ONE wants to wait for anything or anyone. NOW! Hurry up! MOVE! MOVE! MOVE! Get going! And the same goes for God, “THAT” greater “FIXER” of our plights, sad situations, difficulties, tight spots and corners that we work ourselves into…
We want everything “fixed” RIGHT NOW. THIS instant… This MOMENT… We want what we want – when WE want it.
I believe the key to the whole text is the final line: “WHEN THE SON OF MAN COMES, WILL HE FIND FAITH ON EARTH?” Good question!
We for our parts have to stop making God “the object” of OUR “HONEY DO LIST.” I want this, I want that…and while you’re at it could you take care of this?
When did God become “the GREAT FIXER” of all of our problems?
SO, Jesus tells THIS story.
The crowd is captivated by his story-telling abilities. A Judge and a poor widow…where does he come up with this stuff…?
No widow would cry out.
No widow would SPEAK to a man PUBLICLY.
No widow would HARASS a man of such prominence.
No widow would BADGER a Judge.
And certainly NO JUDGE would put up with the repeated OUT CRIES of a widow.
Nor would her cries INFLUENCE him.
But yet, in the end he DOES as she requests.
He relents.
He gives in…
This is NOT about God – perhaps it is saying something MORE about US.
Rather the heart of the story is: IF this old hard-hearted- Judge can be moved to action…
It is that “old rabbinical argument” again, from the lesser to the greater…
HOW MUCH MORE… will our heavenly father – freely and gladly respond to those who cry out to him, relentlessly, day and night?
God feels your pain. God knows your anguish. He knows everything you are going through…He sees. He is compassionate.
Things DO NOT always happen WHEN WE want them to happen. Sometimes there needs to be patience, trust, faith…resignation, tolerance, forbearance and tenacity…on our parts…
The time for faith is when faith is being tested or tried…then allow YOUR faith to carry you through…
“When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” I sure hope so!