The Persistence of Prayer Embodied in a Widow

Jeremiah 31:27-34, Psalm 119:97-104, 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5, Luke 18:1-8 

In today's Gospel we find an illustration of the relationship between the Christian person and prayer. In the story, the widow becomes a model of persistence in prayer. Let's analyze the situation presented in this parable of Jesus. We have a judge who "neither feared God nor respected men." He is in a position of power and most likely abuses his power. But something happens in the judge's interaction with the widow. The judge changes the way you think. 

He says: “I neither fear God nor respect men.  However, as this widow does not stop bothering me, I will defend her, so that she does not keep coming and trying my patience." Now let's look at the widow's position. In Jesus' time, widows had a very vulnerable and marginalized position. At that time, women were property and marriage ensured subsistence for the woman and the perpetuity of the husband's name. When she was a widow, she lost her life and was often helpless. The widow of the parable seems to be going through a great injustice on the part of her adversary that makes her dare to insist. Because of her persistence, she gets the unfair judge to listen to her, change his mind and decide to act in a surprising way.  And all of this happens in spite of the fact this man "neither feared God nor respected men." The widow becomes a symbol not only of persistence, but also of value. Jesus understood very well the power of prayer and that is why he uses this story to illustrate it.

The power of prayer does not lie in the superficiality of our individual power. We can be very successful people in the world, but if we don't have a true relationship with God we are weak in our spirit. It is as if we were taking a bucket, filling it with water, carrying it with one arm holding the base, moving the water from side to side, and then releasing the arm. The arm is strong but has weakened when loading the bucket.The widow's spirit of persistence shows us that we should always be alert and not faint in prayer, even if the circumstances of life want to leave us hopeless. 

The power of prayer shows us that its origin comes from God, from a transcendence that is above our human limitations. Jesus understood it, and that is why this story is created: to reinforce the faith relationship of the disciples with God.Notice, the widow is a marginalized woman in this society.  She is completely dis-empowered before the judge, but her faith leads her to insist until she gets the unjust judge to do justice for her and her case. God restores this woman in her persistence and faith.  What is more, there is an implicit argument in this parable.  If the judge, who is a bad human, eventually gives in to her pleading, all the more will God, who is far more righteous than even the most righteous human, heed our persistent pleas. 


This story helps us to understand that God is always with us in the moments that we believe God has abandoned us. That's when our courage and persistence in faith reveal to us the Christian character. The persistence of this widow and the revelation of her character shows us a way to stand firm in faith. Many times, we feel that it is worthless to pray because our prayers are not answered. We feel as if God does not listen to us. And, it's not that God doesn't listen to us because he doesn't respond immediately to our request. Let us be clear that although prayer does not solve our problems, it does change us. Another way of understanding it is that prayer does not necessarily solve the problem; on the contrary, it helps us see a new way to solve the problem. 


Prayer opens different options. And just as prayer changes the perspective of the problem, we also change in the process. We learn that prayer transforms us.  And we gain a new clarity that, on the one hand, might give us the vantage point from which to solve the problem, and on the other hand, might give us the perspective to see that the problem isn’t much of a problem after all.When we feel a deep anxiety, with a lot of stress, are going through a personal crisis or a problem for which we cannot find a solution, prayer helps us to surrender ourselves to the will of God and to his divine intervention. And, it is at that point of weakness and vulnerability that prayer helps us draw strength to move forward. 


Prayer helps us cling to our faith. We learn to accept in peace what we cannot change. So, prayer is the means by which we recognize how God's presence is revealed in times of anxiety, illness or crisis. Prayer also helps us to celebrate in gratitude being alive and offering God every day. Our faith helps us to live gratefully toward God and recognize his grace at all times. The widow also shows us her character through her persistence. The sum of her actions as her disposition, trust and persistence establishes her integrity as a brave woman.   


All of this points to a character guided by God. And the most important thing is to recognize the source from where that guide comes from, which is God. Remember that the purity of heart guaranteed by God is consistent with the purity of actions. The widow went to the judge seeking justice for her case. Therein lies the purity of your request. The widow wanted justice to be done. And the justice that comes from God makes God favor the widow. The widow's persistence is transformed into her prayer. To conclude, this story of the widow's persistence in prayer echoes the words of Jesus: “Ask, and it will be given to you. Search and you will find. Call, and it will be opened.”  This story teaches us never to fail in prayer, because in this process, we learn how important it is to strengthen ourselves in faith. We must always insist on prayer and be open before the grace of God to be constantly transformed to receive the hope that keeps us moving forward.