So rather than look at parables straight on we sometimes only discover the meaning they contain for us by closing one eye and tilting our heads and looking at them sideways. So while it's tempting to look straight on and see the story of the persistent widow as a self-help technique by which we can get all the cash and prizes we want out of God's divine vending machine if we just kind of bug God to death through ceaseless prayer, when it comes down to it, we know better. And when we find ourselves saying something is a “answer to our prayer” we might do well to ask what exactly, is an answered prayer? Do we only think God answers by giving us what we ask for? We know that just praying hard enough or righteously enough doesn't get us what we want. We know better because even in the midst of prayer we have seen cancer be defeated and we have seen cancer win. We've seen the powerful exploit the weak and we've seen the weak rise up. We've seen teenagers who flourish and we've seen the sullen reality of depression steal the joy of youth.
From the blog Sarcastic Lutheran
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