Worship at Home

Message:

The gospel reading appointed for today is Luke 18:1-8.

The traditional interpretation of this parable is that we should be seen in the role of the widow and pray with the persistence that she showed when she continually petitioned the judge for justice. God should be seen in the role of the Judge, but more merciful – more quick to act – than the one in the story. ‘So what’s your problem John?’I hear you ask. A reading that assures us that God will grant the justice we seek is surely comforting. Well, my problem is..it just doesn’t seem to work that way! How many prayers were said during that long day of 9/11 and yet the buildings still fell in ashes? How many prayers were said the night Grenfell tower burnt? How many prayers have been said in Gaza and Israel over the last, long  two years? And there is a question of morality in this too. In a moving book called “Between living and dying” written by Ruth Scott during the period of intensive cancer treatment she was given – cancer treatment that ultimately proved ineffective - she writes: “I was grateful for all the people, known and unknown to me, that I knew were praying for me, and I was uplifted by the positive energy that I think prayer creates. But I cannot accept an image of a God who heals me because people pray for that, while leaving millions of others to suffer.” But there is something else we can take from this reading. “In that city” – said Jesus – “there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, `Grant me justice”Once again Jesus turns the normal upside down. The idea that a widow would continually pester a judge in this way was ridiculous.

Widows were powerless, voiceless people in Jewish society. Judges, on the other hand were powerful, often corrupt or insensitive. The idea that a powerless widow would continually pester a powerful judge in this way was preposterous. The idea that the judge would pay her any attention at all was even more preposterous!  

But the widow’s stubborn persistence won and justice was granted.

• This parable invites us to ask who are the powerless and the powerful in our society? … and who do (or should) we stand alongside ….. or stand against?
• This parable encourages the powerless to persist in their fight for justice.  
• This parable invites us to ask ourselves a question. What injustices are we passionate enough about to struggle against …. and to persist in struggling against even if our voices are ignored?

This parable invites us to ask ourselves what we, as followers of Christ, are called to get angry about?............For Love inspires the anger that curses poverty, preaches life’s enrichment, seeks equality.  

We’ll sing those words now.

StF 253: Love inspired the anger  

Prayer of Intercession:

Lord God, just as the widow persisted, we persist in our prayers of intercession. Hear our cries for justice, mercy and peace.  

We pray for all involved in our justice system, for police officers, judges, lawyers and all who uphold the law. We pray for all who work in our prisons and for all those serving prison sentences and for the victims struggling with the consequence of crime. Hear our cries for justice, mercy and peace.

We pray for the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and all places scarred by war and conflict. We pray for aid workers everywhere and for safe passage for lorries and workers to reach those in need. Hear our cries for justice, mercy and peace.

We pray for the Middle East, that the tenuous peace talks will continue to progress, bringing a brighter, fairer and prosperous future for all the people who live in and around the place of Christs birth Hear our cries for justice, mercy and peace.

We pray for all who preach your word, Lord. For all Christian leaders in our churches. You call us to pray, to work and not give up. We pray for stubborn persistence Hear our cries for justice, mercy and peace.

Amen.

StF 713: Show me how to stand for justice  

Blessing:

May the peace of God enfold us, the love of God uphold us and the wisdom of God direct us.

Amen