WIDOWS AND WATCHERS

Luke 18: 1-8

Today’s passage tells us Jesus was teaching his inner circle of followers about prayer. On that particular day, it wasn’t about the format, style or model of prayer; it had nothing to do with whether or not prayer should be practiced privately, with family or in public; Jesus certainly wasn’t talking about obedience or submission to the Father. This day, Jesus was talking of widows and watchers.  So, he told the brothers and sisters a story. Let’s recap:

Jesus said, “In a certain town there was a judge” (v 2).

I believe He called the town, a “certain” town so those who were travelling with him could think of their home town- “back home, down-home, the hood, the block, their ‘ends’— whatever transported them to that jerk chicken, pone, Cou-Cou, barbeque, apple-pie familiar place. If you are not there already, I invite you to go back to what is familiar to you right now as we continue to explore the story.

In that certain place, ‘there was a judge’. We know he was a civil judge because he was dealing with a common, everyday dispute. The widow knew who he was and where he lived but she had a problem, this Judge had some unsavoury characteristics: He didn’t fear God and he had no respect for people (v 2). He was a “thick-skinned and godless man” who cared nothing for the opinions of others. He was a “hater”. Insensitive to criticism or insults of the community, he was a brick-wall who simply didn’t care.

This is perturbing because a judge is supposed to be someone who can impartially settle disputes between parties by applying the laws of the land. As it was then, so it is now, a Judge needs to do a level-headed, fair-minded person to ensure that all the parties involved are respected. How can this happen when the judge has no respect for anyone? 

Furthermore, except for criminal cases, at this level of the legal system, the primary purpose of a Judge is to get the parties to enter into a mutually beneficial agreement before the actual court appearance. During a pre-trial conference, the Judge encourages the parties to settle their dispute by painting for them a picture of all the possible outcomes that may transpire should they take the case to court and he has to preside over an actual trial. Decisions would be made that both parties would have to live with, for whether they liked it or not, justice would prevail.

The widow had a predicament. The sister was facing what seemed like a losing battle! While Jesus doesn’t say for how long this was going on, he alludes to the fact that she was in pursuit of justice for an extended period of time. She kept coming at him: “‘Grant me justice against my opponent’” (v 3, NIV). “‘Grant me justice and protect me against my oppressor!’“(v 3, TPT). 

She would show up and the Judge would refuse her. She would show up again and he would refuse again. It became a cycle of demand and refusal. So, she stalked him. Over and over, she demanded her divine rights! Girlfriend was not going to take no for an answer! She stalked him.

And then one day, after having a conversation with himself, Mr. Judge relented. ‘Self’, he said, “I know who I am; I don’t care what God thinks and I certainly don’t care what God thinks about me. But if I don’t give this woman the justice she demands, I am going to lose it! She has continually shown up wherever I am and I can’t take it anymore! Let me give her the justice she wants before she wears me out completely.’

I can just see Jesus’ disciple’s faces. I mean he had told some parables before but this one hit them right where they lived. The Passion Translation lays out the rest of the conversation this way:

“The Lord continued, ‘Did you hear what the ungodly judge said—that he would answer her persistent request? 7 Don’t you know that God, the true judge, will grant justice to all of his chosen ones who cry out to him night and day? He will pour out his Spirit upon them. He will not delay to answer you and give you what you ask for.  God will give swift justice to those who don’t give up. So be ever praying, ever expecting, just like the widow was with the judge. Yet when the Son of Man comes back, will he find this kind of persistent faithfulness in his people?’ (vv 6-8).

In sharing this experience with us, Brother Luke tells us upfront that Jesus told this story to teach his disciples an important lesson. He wanted them to learn that they should keep praying. 

In turn, His story tells us that we, his followers should be relentless, persistent, never stopping or losing hope as we pursue the Father in our pursuit for justice. We are invited to bombard Heaven with our prayers knowing our Heavenly Father is the true, perfect, and good judge of all.

This is the prophetic call of the watcher that Isaiah illustrates. The one placed at a vantage point of a certain place who observes with eyes wide open all that is going on and refuses to rest until God puts things in order:

O Jerusalem, I have posted watchmen on your walls;

    they will pray day and night, continually.

    Take no rest, all you who pray to the Lord.

7Give the Lord no rest until he completes his work,

    until he makes Jerusalem the pride of the earth.

-Isaiah 62: 6 -8

Like watchers and widows, when the people of God take up their posts in a chorus of continual, constant, unrelenting intercession that ignites just action, there is a divine exchange that cannot be denied: When we refuse to settle for less than the justice due to us, God refuses to settle until we are brought to completion. 

This is a powerful word for Black people and our allies; a powerful word for people suffering injustice everywhere. We will not relent! With prayer as our foundation, we will knock on doors that have been closed to us; will we stand in town halls and education centres; we will not be apathetic or apologetic but rather, we will take our rightful place and give evil no rest until the Lord completes his work in us. 

Happy Black History/African Heritage Month!

Bio: Rev Denise Gillard, MDiv

Combine authentic, collaborative, and “resource-full” and you have Rev Denise Gillard. Serving as Senior Leader of Denise Gillard Ministries, Founder and Executive Artistic Director of The HopeWorks Connection, CEO of My Divine Appointment, and Senior Pastor at Kingdom City Church, Rev Denise focuses on supporting and activating healthy, impactful and accountable leaders who serve as change agents in the world.

She is a master leader of leaders, professional coach, and entrepreneur. Her impressive commitment to empowering people of African descent motivates her to invest in the spiritual development, equipping and mobilization of Black Christian leaders and their allies, while remaining intentional about helping people of all faiths, creeds and cultures to reach beyond their perceived limitations. 

Born in Oakville, Ontario, Rev. Denise learned how to create opportunities for others from her Jamaican-born father and her Nova Scotian mother whose people settled in Canada by way of the Black Refugee and Loyalist movements.

Rev Denise received her undergraduate degree at Tyndale Bible College & Seminary (Toronto), and her post-graduate degree from the Divinity College of McMaster University (Hamilton). She was first ordained with the Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec in 1999 and now leads the flagship church of Partners in Missions and Outreach International, a Catch the Fire church.