Parable of the Persistent Widow

I remember when I spent some time with a close relative who baby sat a young five year old boy; a boy who was consistent and persistent in getting answers to his questions. It seemed like everywhere we went, he had to ask about whatever we may have walked by or driven by in passing. If there were a crack in the sidewalk he literally would ask how that crack got there. After awhile, his questions got tiresome.

Probably one of the lesser known Parables that Jesus taught is one of my favorites,  
The Parable of the Persistent Widow. Here's the Amplified version, Luke 18:1-8:

 Also [Jesus] told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not to turn coward (faint, lose heart, and give up).

² He said, In a certain city there was a judge who neither reverenced and feared God nor respected or considered man.

³ And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, Protect and defend and give me justice against my adversary.

⁴ And for a time he would not; but later he said to himself, Though I have neither reverence or fear for God nor respect or consideration for man,

⁵ Yet because this widow continues to bother me, I will defend and protect and avenge her, lest she give me intolerable annoyance and wear me out by her continual coming or at the last she come and rail on me or assault me or strangle me.

⁶ Then the Lord said, Listen to what the unjust judge says!

⁷ And will not [our just] God defend and protect and avenge His elect (His chosen ones), who cry to Him day and night? Will He defer them and delay help on their behalf?

⁸ I tell you, He will defend and protect and avenge them speedily. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find [persistence in] faith on the earth?

I like the fact that the widow was so persistent for so long in approaching the judge, that he got so tired of her pleas and simply gave in to the widow.

And the wisdom of this Parable comes in verse one: 

  

One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.

And, as any believer should know, God doesn't give in to our demands or prayers, but he does want us to approach Him in boldness with our requests with a certain trust involved in that request.

 ⁷ And will not [our just] God defend and protect and avenge His elect (His chosen ones), who cry to Him day and night? Will He defer them and delay help on their behalf?

⁸ I tell you, He will defend and protect and avenge them speedily.

Persistence in faith pays off.

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