Sunday 16 October

Twenty Ninth Week of Ordinary Time

Exodus 17:8-13; Psalm 121:1-8; 2Timothy 3:14-4:2; Luke 18:1-8

The judge and the widow

The Greek translates, ‘lest she give me a black eye’. Figuratively it would mean, ‘lest she besmirch my reputation.’ Yet we know he does not care about public opinion. The story is potentially comic: perhaps a frustrated widow of the time really had taken a swing at a bad judge. The point is that if this wicked judge will eventually act from fear of violence, how much more and faster will God (who is not like this crook) respond to our heartfelt prayers. God is clearly for the widow: hence the sharp criticism of this all too common abuse of power.