How does Luke dare to compare God with an ‘unjust judge’?
Is this not blasphemous in the extreme in scripture? How does that work?
Even so, thinking about it, the image of God as someone who neither fears God nor respects people is rather widespread. I believe God to be a just judge but that is a contested idea. Why is there so much suffering if God is just? Why would the supreme mystery “fear God and respect people”?
Luke seems to be saying that even if you have this image of a fierce and unjust God (not an image that the Gospel of Luke gives) still there will be justice. The Greek word used for ‘grant justice’ is ekdikeo which is the verb for ‘to avenge’ or ‘to vindicate’.
Do we cry day and night? Do we cry for justice for the poor and the oppressed? Do we believe we will be heard? What does it mean almost 2000 years after these words were written that God’s justice, God’s vindication of the poor will come quickly? Have we lost heart? Will the Son of Man, when he comes, find faith?
16 October 2016
Luke 18:1-8
This weekly blog on one of the lectionary readings is by Anne Claar Thomasson-Rosingh, Programme Leader for Lifelong Learning at Sarum College.
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