Daily Reflection

Reflection for November 15, 2025

The Justice of the Unjust Judge

The Gospel of Luke opens this passage with a rare and precious gift: a clear explanation of Jesus’ intent. "Then he told them a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary." (Luke 18:1). In a world that often feels chaotic, unjust, and deaf to our cries, Jesus anticipates our deepest struggle with prayer: the temptation to give up. He offers us not a simplistic answer, but an invitation into a mystery—the mystery of persistent prayer.

The parable presents us with two starkly different characters. First, there is the judge who "neither feared God nor respected any human being." He is a portrait of corruption, indifference, and self-interest. He is the world’s injustice personified. Then, there is the widow. In the ancient world, a widow was among the most vulnerable, lacking a husband to advocate for her rights. She is a symbol of powerlessness, yet also of relentless determination.

Her weapon is not force, but persistence. She wears the judge down not with the justice of her cause alone, but with her unwavering, bothersome, and faithful insistence. The original Greek carries a sense of coming again and again, even to the point of giving the judge a "black eye" with her pestering. And the unjust judge, who acts for no noble reason, finally grants her justice simply to get a moment's peace.

Then comes the pivotal "how much more" moment, a classic device of Jesus’ teaching. If a corrupt, self-serving human judge will eventually respond to persistent pleas, "Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night?" (Luke 18:7).

This is the heart of the reflection for us. Our God is not the Unjust Judge. He is not indifferent, corrupt, or reluctant. He is our loving Father. He is already disposed to give us what is good. So why the need for persistence? The widow’s persistence did not change the judge’s character, but our persistence, offered in faith, changes us.

1. Persistence Purifies Our Desires.
When we bring a need to God once, it can be a passing whim. When we bring it day after day, week after week, we are forced to ask: "Do I truly trust God with this? Is this aligned with His will? Is this for my good and His glory?" Persistent prayer sifts our motives, moving us from demanding our will to seeking His.

2. Persistence Builds Relationship.
A child who only speaks to a parent when they want something has a shallow relationship. The child who comes constantly, with joys, fears, needs, and simple chatter, builds a deep, abiding bond. So it is with God. Our "day and night" calling out is not to inform a distant God, but to abide with a present one. It is in the constant turning of our hearts to Him that we come to know His heart.

3. Persistence is an Act of Faith.
To pray persistently in the face of silence or a "not yet" is a profound act of faith. It is a declaration that we believe God is who He says He is—good, faithful, and just—even when our circumstances suggest otherwise. It is the lived expression of the virtue of hope.

Jesus ends with a haunting question: "But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" (Luke 18:8). He is not questioning the existence of believers, but the existence of this particular, persistent, widow-like faith. Will he find a people who, despite all evidence to the contrary, still trust in the Father’s justice and love? Will he find us, on our knees, continuing to pray, not because we are trying to control God, but because we trust in Him?

In our own lives, we all have those "widow's pleas"—the situations that seem hopeless, the injustices that anger us, the loved ones we fear are lost, the personal struggles that never seem to end. It is in these very places that we are called to imitate the widow. Do not give up. Do not grow weary. Bring your need, again and again, to the throne of the Just Judge, our Heavenly Father, who hears you, who loves you, and who, in His perfect wisdom and timing, will surely grant you what you need for your salvation.

Let us pray:

Heavenly Father, in the face of delay and silence, my heart grows weak. Teach me the faith of the persistent widow. Grant me the grace to pray always and not to lose heart, trusting that you are not an unjust judge, but a loving Father who hears the cries of your children. Purify my desires in the furnace of persistent prayer, and deepen my relationship with you, that I may have the faith you hope to find when you come in glory. I ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.