The National tribune., 1890-08-14
SUNDAY MEDITATION.

aug Et, iovV. 81 Luxe, Is lila.
| Zone reading these notes should first carefully
study the paragraph from the Holy Scriptures as
| Indicated above.l
| SUBJECTS: ]. THE PARABLE OF THE UNJUST
JUDGE. III. The PARABLE OF THE PUBL
CAN AND THE PHARIsEE.
/. THE PARABLE or THE UNJUST JUDGE.
| l. Data.
| The only report we have of the parable IL
| this of st. Luke.
g. Time
| Christ spoke the parable early in March
A. ID. 30.
3. Place.
Christ was on his way to Jerusalem. We NAV
suppose he uttered this parable in Perea, not
far from Bethabara.
d. Speaker.
1t is clear Christ was the author of this para
| able. In it he maintains his custom of teach
ing by simple stories relating to everyday life,
aud familiar to the populace of that day and
that locality.
5. Hearers.
IL is generally held that "them ". ~ is a
pronoun pointing out Christ's disciples III: %. }
LANCE says, principally addressed to his dis
cipleS." In II: 90 We find tho Pbarisees pres
ent and concerned as to Christs prophosies re-
latng to the date Of the coming of the King
dom of God. 1t is possible they heard what
Christ primarily addressed to the disciples. In
wider sense the parable is spoken to us ALL
Hence the reason why we study il.
@. Why Christ Spoke This Parable
1t is plain the parable points to time of
great peril to Christians. Prosecutions were to
rage. Adversarts were to be numerous. bit
ter cruel. Followers of Christ were to be
brought to severe straits. Prayers for help
would be wrenched from them Such
scenes were to be of long continuance, and
Christians were TO be called on to ply their
prayefs-to run to God night and day for
help and protection. But would God toll
crate such frequency and persistentcy at
the Mercy Seat2 Would he not think his fol-
lowers were abusing the privilege of prayer ?
The object of this parable is 10 encourage
Christians to seek Gods protection to show
that they might tire of praying but God never
OF hearing prayers; that they themselves might
get the idea they were bothersome and almost
hectoring God, while in fact he is always ready
to welcome them. We are taught that in times
of trial the most fit thing to do is to pray
Prayer is the effort of the brave. To faint is
cowardly. One should keep up good courage
e Cor, 4 /; Eph 3: Il, 1877 1t is better to cry
aloud and to keep on so doing, ". ~ than to
sink into incidence. We must perseyeTe i'm
every good quality. Expect opposition. Be
prepared to resist. But always leave ajar tho
wicket Mt the Mercy Seat, that you may easily
fee TO it for help when hard pressed by the
adversary" ". 81
z. analysis.
I. Data. St Luke 1918.
2. Time Of utterance. March, A. ID. 90
3. Place OF Etterance. Near Bethabara.
4. Speaker. Christ
8. Hearers. Disciples in special.
q. Object of the parable
z. The scene of the parable
B. The time of the parabolic events.
8. The prayer Widow g. .
10. The nearer OF the prayer. Judge. 2. His
character 2, 4.
II. The prayer "Avenge." etc. 3.
II. The prayer granted. l.
IL. Reasons why granted. 5.
Ii. Application. (Ys. 6S)
Notes on Analysis.
/. There was" ". p The particulars Of
this parable DO not probably relate to a given
case in actual life. IL is but supposed in
stance. Very likely quite similar cases were
OF frequent occurrence. Hence we have no
specified tme,.n literal city. Widow and
Judge are Imaginary characters, but true to
life. Every bearer could apply the story 10 the
particular widow aud identical Judge in his
own mind.
2. "A widow" (v3) Ajudge was under
special obligation TO act in behalf of a widow
lex, %: 22-2i; Deu., 81 10; NAL. 1851 In
oriental countries widows were very helpless
The parable is the more graphic, as il puts in
contrast q needy and seemingly abused widow
and rough man clothed with power and
authority.
3. The parable seems to point to legal pro-
ceedings. The complainant or plaintiff is the
widow; the defendant the adversary: the
Judge someone holding commission giving him
power TO administer justice in cases Of dispute
between parties in his jurisdiction. Tho
jewish law was particular about witnesses.
We may suppose the judge entertained the
case OF tho widow-found time 10 hear her
charges and to investigate them. There was
PROBABLY legal trial, and we may suppose from
the tone OF the account that the plaintiff was
sustained and her wrongs redresscd Though
he was reluctant to hear the case, we may sup
pose the judge rendered a fair decision at the
trial. The judge was unjust (V. g. in the
fact that he put off the trial so long He NAV
not have been unjust in his decisions rs n Judge.
This fact remembered, and the comparing of
God with the judge does not seem so impor-
tnnante as some commentators have implied.
Tho evil of the unjust judge consisted in the
TACT that no preferred case, convenience to OIL
cal duty.
4. Literature may be of the imaginative char.
acter. Writers have chance To teach great
moral lessons without ofiense, by dealing with
tho abstract or fictitious. Roal names and
places would lead TO endless quarrels and
tedious libel suits. Moral purposes would be-
lost, and most effective weapon for good de-
stroyed if authors must DO strictly literal and
personal.
s. ParaHelisms.