Jesus told a parable, or a teaching story, to his disciples in order to teach them to continuously pray without giving up. This story, recorded in Luke 18:1–8, features a corrupt judge and a widow. This judge “neither feared God nor respected man (Luke 18:2 ESV).” His lack of respect for man meant that he did not care about the opinions of other people; he just did as he pleased. Some measure of this attitude is not inherently wrong, since the Bible teaches that we should not fear what man can do to us (Matthew 10:28). Paired with his other attribute of not fearing God, however, this lack of respect for the opinions of others is dire. If, as the judge of God’s people, the judge neither cares what the judge nor the people think, he exists solely for his own pleasure and will.

The widow comes to the judge to seek justice against her adversary, someone that had wronged her. It appears that the judge regularly dismissed the poor woman’s case, but she constantly brought the case back to him. You may have heard a phrase something like, “The squeaky wheel gets the grease.” In this case, the annoying woman gets the judgement she was looking for. The corrupt judge was so bothered by her persistence that he gave in, so that she would not wear him out with her “continual coming (Luke 18:5 ESV).”

In this case, Jesus explains the teaching of his parable: “And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?’ (Luke 18:7–8 ESV)” Jesus does not compare God the Father with the corrupt judge; he contrasts them. If even a corrupt judge will dispense justice when he is pestered regularly, how much more will a righteous God—who wants us to pray to him—dispense justice if we petition him regularly? Have faith, don’t lose heart, and come to the Father regularly in prayer. He hears your requests and delights in granting justice.