Luke 18:1-8
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 18
The Parable of the Importunate Widow.[a] 1 Then Jesus told them a parable about the need for them to pray always and never to lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor had any respect for people. 3 In that same town there was a widow who kept coming to him and pleading, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’
4 “For a long time he refused her request, but finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I neither fear God nor have any respect for people, 5 yet because this widow keeps pestering me, I will see to it that she gets justice. Otherwise, she will keep coming and wear me out.’ ”
6 Then the Lord said, “You have heard what the unjust judge says. 7 Will not God, therefore, grant justice to his elect who cry out to him day and night? Will he delay in answering their pleas? 8 I tell you, he will grant them justice quickly. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
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- Luke 18:1 We might ask whether prayer is useless or whether it is unfitting to remain insistent in God’s presence. This parable recommends a tenacious persistence. If the Lord is tardy in coming or in responding, it is to allow time for conversion and for faith. But the prayer of believers is not a cry in the wind. It is especially necessary during the end times, which will be a great trial for the faith and for trust in the Lord.
