Twenty-Ninth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Lk 18:1-8) “Pursue Justice Forever”
Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Lk. 18:1-8)
“Pursue Justice Always”
When you tell a parable you usually don’t want to give a moral at the beginning of the story. Jesus doesn’t do that with any other parable, but he does do that with the parable of the dishonest judge. In any parable there are multiple meanings.
To say that this parable is about nagging God in prayer until God gives us what we want is to lose many other spiritual lessons we can learn from this story.
We could ask, is God the corrupt judge? God isn’t corrupt. No, God is just. In Psalm 89:15 it says that justice and righteousness are the foundation of God’s throne. God wants justice, but sometimes it takes a long time to achieve fairness.
God isn’t corrupt but there are judges that are. The judge in the parable is labeled as dishonest at the very beginning of the story. He then labels himself as corrupt as he thinks about how to respond to the woman who is petitioning him.
What is it that leads to corruption? Corruption of a public official is usually caused by three things. A judge can be influenced with a bribe. Judges have often been paid off in the course of history. Another thing that can sway a judge is political pressure. Judges are often appointed by those in power. Some get where they are by doing what they are told. Or they stay in their position by doing what is expedient. A judge can also be influenced by the opinions of people. Some judges are elected. And they can be recalled. All judges want it to appear that they are never persuaded by outside pressure, but it happens.
Probably the most famous judge in all history is Pontius Pilate. We are told in the Gospels that he tries Jesus and he doesn’t believe our Lord is guilty. He is influenced by the people who hold political power. It is doubtful the general population wanted Jesus executed, but it is the Sanhedrin who pressure Pilate. He holds a political appointment as procurator. If he loses control of the country, he will be removed. He is conflicted and he symbolically washes his hands as he forgoes justice for expediency. We know, however, that Jesus’ execution wasn’t the end of the story.
Justice often isn’t achieved quickly. In fact, if there is a quick decision about a controversial question it might not be the best decision. A wonderful movie that has this message is the film, “Twelve Angry Men.” The film is completely shot in one room, a jury room. Twelve men come into the room at the beginning of the story. The jury has just come from the courtroom where they have heard a murder case. Eleven of the men are ready for a quick vote to convict. One man feels that there should be a thorough review of the evidence. He believes that there is a reasonable doubt that the man accused isn’t guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
For a whole day the men argue. The man who stands alone is put under tremendous pressure to vote to convict, but he remains firm as he points out the injustice that is being perpetrated. Gradually, one man after another changes their vote. Several must admit the prejudices that they hold in their hearts. The room is hot. Tempers are short. The day is long. In the end justice is served.
One of the messages of the parable we read today is that sometimes justice is slow in coming, but in the end, justice will come. We have an expression that is quoted by many today that reflects the truth of this parable. “The arc of history is long, but it bends towards justice.” The line is like so many powerful quotes. It has been borrowed by several historical figures. If we look for who said this first, we will find that it was Thomas Parker.
Theodore Park was a Unitarian Minister. He was also an abolitionist. He first uttered these words in 1853 as he considered the injustice of slavery. The battle to end slavery and racism has been long. At times it seems like it is won, but usually we find that the struggle is ongoing. The battle for justice in this world will end when Jesus comes in glory.
Christian people along with others who believe in the ideal of fairness, must never give up. We must carry the torch that says true peace only comes through achieving justice. The widow in Jesus’ parable got justice through persistence. As Christians we need to pray over the big issues thst affect our world. If we don’t advocate for truth and justice, somehow, we have misunderstood the Gospel of Jesus.
Reflection Questions:
1. What is justice issue that seems to never get resolved? Why is this so?
2. Do I pray over big issues? Do my prayers center around my own personal wants and needs?
Dear Parishioners,
We got the first report regarding the Annual Diocesan Appeal for 2022. This appeal supports the various ministries of the Diocese of Peoria. You will recall that our goal this year went up $10,000 to $125,000.
You might also remember that the Diocese of Peoria is sending the letters and other correspondence this year. They sent the first appeal letter about six weeks ago at the end of August. The diocese is to report to us monthly about how much has been pledged.
The recent report says that the diocese has received 176 pledges so far from our parish totaling about $70,000. We usually receive about 300 pledges. Looking through the pledges it is gratifying that a number or people have increased their pledges, but at this point we are well short of the pledges we need.
A second letter will be sent by the diocese to those who pledged last year but have not done so this year. The letter should be arriving any day. I would ask that you look for this letter if you have not pledged yet. I would ask you to give generously. If we have the same number of people pledge this year as last year, we might yet achieve our goal or at least come close.
I would love to wrap up this appeal and move on to other things. I thank you in advance for whatever help you might give us.
May Our Lady watch over us this week.
Fr. Mark