‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ Luke 18:3
In the parable of the persistent widow (Luke 18:1-8), the unjust judge is a perfect metaphor of the entity known as a large corporation—having authority to render judgment of a person’s experiential worth—the corporation neither fears God, nor does it respect people. Neither does it acknowledge that all authority is from above.
Jesus told Pilate he would have no power unless it had been given from above (John 19:11). Scripture says God raised up Pharaoh in order to demonstrate His power and proclaim His Name in all the earth (Romans 9:17). So even the unjust judge, aka large corporation, must receive its authority ultimately from God.
At different times and places, Pilate, Pharaoh, and the unjust judge, were given authority over people, both those who were God followers and those who were not. Though Scripture provides only glimpses into the lives of these men, it is pretty safe to say that none were overly concerned with the lives of the individuals under their rule. Their concern centered on self. Greed. Power. Ease. Exaltation. And the laborer’s labor, however intense, mundane, unchallenging, or mindless, needed to acquire these commodities was of no consequence to them.
If the parable’s widow lived today, and worked within a large corporate structure, wouldn’t her prayer be the same? “Give me justice against my adversary!” “Do the right thing in my relationship with this entity that cares nothing about me!”
Couldn’t that be your prayer too? Couldn’t you ask God, a just judge, to administer what is right and just in regard to your way of earning an income? To render a verdict on your behalf against being an undervalued pawn in a senseless system?
The constant battle is oppressing your heart, crushing your soul, killing you a little more every day, ripping away every shred of dignity, shouting to you day in and day out—“You are worthless! You have no purpose! You are a cog in the bowels of a corporate intestinal track!” No movement. No change. No hope. Stuck.
Not a pretty picture.
Enemies oppose what is good in you—you as an individual, as someone who has ideas, a mind, who likes a challenge, who is capable of making decisions. And pretty soon the ongoing battles leave nothing but a pile of rubble. One brick at a time, one fiber at a time, one shred of dignity at a time, slowly but surely, your life is in shambles.
Do you really think this is God’s will? You may have limited responsible choices in your life which is why you stay, but you have an unlimited God. With God’s help, begin rebuilding yourself. Clear the rubble. Reconstruct. Restore. Rome wasn’t built in a day, but it was built. Throughout your renovation process, continuously pray without giving up “God, give me justice against my adversary!”
Prayer:
God, how can a person live like this for very long? Yes, I have choices. But how many responsible choices do I have? God, You have the power to deliver me. Guide me in submitting resumes and seeking out jobs. Open doors and lead me through them. And God, while in the bowels, let me do the best job possible. And let me be ever mindful that I am a witness of Jesus Christ in all situations. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Whether you’re stuck on this cog wheel:
Or this one:
