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He also spoke a parable to them that they must always pray and not give up,
Verse 1. Always to pray, that is to pray daily, and frequently; ( Witham.) and also to walk always in the presence of God, by a spirit of prayer, love, and sorrow for sin.
saying, “There was a judge in a certain city who didn’t fear God and didn’t respect man.
Verse 2. This judge, who feared not God, nor cared for man, yet yielded to the importunity of the widow, represents the absolute and sovereign power of God. But we must not suppose the Almighty has any of the faults we see in this iniquitous judge. Comparisons are not meant to hold good in every particular. The only consequence to be drawn from the present parable, is this: if a man, who has neither piety nor tenderness for his fellow creatures, yield to the importunity of a widow, who is not wearied out with repeating her petitions; how much more will God, who is full of bounty and tenderness to man, and only seek occasions to grant him his gifts, hear the prayers of the fervent, and fill with benedictions the petitioner, who can continue like the widow to importune his interference, and can beg without languor or discouragement? Calmet.
A widow was in that city, and she often came to him, saying, ‘Defend me from my adversary!’
Verse 3. Avenge me; that is do me justice. It is a Hebraism. Witham.
He wouldn’t for a while; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man,
Verse 4. And he would not for a long time. The Almighty does not always hear us as soon as we could wish, nor in the manner that seems best to us; but if we are not always heard according to our desires, we always are as far as is conducive to our salvation. He sometimes delays, in order to exercise our patience, and increase our ardour: sometimes he grants, in his anger, what, in him mercy, he would refuse. Let us then pray always, desire always, love always. Desire always, and you pray always. This is the continual voice of prayer, which the Almighty demands of you. You are silent, when you cease to love. The cooling of charity, is the silence of the heart. Saint Augustine in Ps. xxxvii. Witham.
yet because this widow bothers me, I will defend her, or else she will wear me out by her continual coming.’”
Verse 5. She weary me out. [1] This, as much as I am able to find out, seems the literal signification both of the Latin and Greek text. Witham.
The Lord said, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge says.
Won’t God avenge his chosen ones who are crying out to him day and night, and yet he exercises patience with them?
I tell you that he will avenge them quickly. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
Verse 8. In the Greek, although he suffer for the present the elect to be oppressed. V.—Our divine Redeemer adds, this, to shew that faith must necessarily accompany our prayers. For whosoever prays for what he does not believe he shall obtain, will pray in vain; let us, therefore, entreat the Father of mercies to grant us the grace of prayer, and firmness in faith; for faith produces prayer, and prayer produces firmness of faith. Saint Augustine de verb. Dom. Serm 36.—But of this there is little left on the earth, and there will be still less at the second coming of the Son of God.