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Read and reflect on the parable of the widow and the corrupt judge in Luke 18:1-8.
The purpose of Jesus’ parable is clearly stated in the first sentence of this passage: the need to pray always. No matter how grim our circumstances, we should never give up praying. Whether we have prayed once, twice, or countless times, and even if we find ourselves disheartened, we need an attitude of persistence, girded by obedience, to pray again and again.
The woman in this parable had three major liabilities that hindered her from obtaining justice. First, she was poor and could not afford to pay a bribe to the corrupt judge. Second, she was a woman. Women in first-century Palestine were second-class citizens, little better off than slaves, and had no power, authority, or influence. Third, she was a widow. In legal or public matters, a married woman’s husband would have to speak for her; a widow could…
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