To his disciples, Jesus related a parable about continuing to persist in prayer, not becoming disheartened when the answer does not soon follow. (Luke 18:1)

A judge in a particular city had no fear of God and no regard for people. Ancient Jewish sources indicate that three judges handled property cases. (Mishnah, Sanhedrin, 1:1; Tosefta, Sanhedrin, 1:1) So Jesus appears to have portrayed a non-Jewish judge, likely an appointee of Rome. (Luke 18:2)

A widow in the city repeatedly went to the judge, requesting that he grant her a just verdict respecting her adversary. For a time, the judge was unwilling to act. Though he did not fear God and had no respect for people, he reconsidered. Jesus had him saying to himself, “Because this widow makes trouble for me, I shall execute justice for her, lest she come endlessly [and] beat me down.” Directing attention to the point of the parable, Jesus continued, “Hear what the unrighteous judge said.” (Luke 18:3-6; see the Notes section regarding verse 5.)

He wanted his disciples to note that the judge, although corrupt, did finally yield and render justice. Therefore, they should never doubt that God would execute “justice for his chosen who cry out to him day and night, and he is patient with them.” The heavenly Father is not like the unjust judge who considered the widow’s repeated appeals for justice as an unwelcome annoyance. God is just and patient with his servants who repeatedly petition him for help. (Luke 18:7; see the Notes section for additional comments.)

Jesus continued with the assurance, “[God] will execute justice for them swiftly.” After having stressed the certainty of his Father’s doing what is right for his chosen in answer to their prayers, Jesus raised a rhetorical question, “When the Son of Man comes, will he really find [this] faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8) The question suggests that, at the time of Jesus’ return in glory, faith in God as the hearer of prayer would be rare.

Another parable about prayer exposed those who regarded themselves as righteous or divinely approved on the basis of their deeds and who despised persons whose conformity to legal requirements did not meet their standards. The self-righteous ones trusted in themselves, relying on their own view of what constituted uprightness and looking down upon others as amounting to nothing. (Luke 18:9)

A Pharisee and a tax collector went to the temple to pray. The Pharisee stood proudly and said to himself, “O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of men—swindlers, crooks, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I obtain.” (Luke 18:10-12) The Pharisee of the parable thus identified himself as living up to the legal requirements of the law and the tradition of the elders but as disdaining those who failed to do so. Whereas the law did not require fasting on a weekly basis, the Pharisees did so on Monday and Thursday (the second and fifth day of the week that started on Saturday at sundown).

The tax collector stood at a distance. Jesus thus depicted him as not considering himself worthy to be in a closer proximity to the sanctuary. Furthermore, the tax collector could not even bring himself to raise his eyes to heaven but beat himself on his breast, saying, “God, be compassionate to me, a sinner.” Applying the point of the parable, Jesus indicated that the tax collector returned to his house as one justified or constituted right with God, whereas the Pharisee did not. The Son of God concluded with the principle, “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:13, 14)

Notes:

In Luke 18:5, the Greek verb here rendered “beat down” is hypopiázo, which has the basic sense of striking in the face below the eye or giving someone a black eye. Nonliteral meanings include “treat roughly,” “wear down,” and “wear out.” The concluding phrase, where hypopiázo appears, begins with the words, “to [the] end coming.” With reference to the widow, this could mean that she would be coming continually, endlessly, or without letup. Another possibility is that “to [the] end” could mean “finally” and relate to the widow’s last action.

In view of the different ways in which the Greek text of Luke 18:5 may be understood, translations vary considerably. “I must give this widow her just rights since she keeps pestering me, or she will come and slap me in the face.” (NJB) “I will see that justice is done her in order that lest by her continual coming finally she may be assaulting me.” (Wuest) “I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.” (NAB) Although the preceding meanings are possible, it does not appear likely that Jesus would have portrayed the judge as one who feared that the widow would slap him in the face or assault him for not acting on her repeated pleas.

The following renderings appear to present a preferable sense: “I will see that she gets her rights. Otherwise she will continue to bother me until I am worn out.” (NCV) “I will give her justice before she wears me out with her persistence.” (REB) “I shall give judgment in her favor, or else her continual visits will be the death of me!” (Phillips) “I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.” (NASV) “I will give her justice, so she doesn’t wear me out by her persistent coming.” (HCSB) “I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.” (ESV)

The concluding phrase of the rhetorical question in Luke 18:7 is, “and he is patient with them.” The Greek verb for “is patient” (makrothyméo) conveys the sense of remaining calm while waiting or being patient or forbearing. In the parable, the judge is not depicted as patient or forbearing but as irritated by the widow’s repeated appeals. So it would appear that the reference to God’s patience serves as a contrast. A number of translations reflect this significance in their renderings. “Do you suppose God, patient as he is, will not see justice done for his chosen, who appeal to him day and night?” (Phillips) “Then will not God give justice to his chosen, to whom he listens patiently while they cry out to him day and night?” (REB)

The principle found in Luke 18:14 about humbling and exalting appears in a different setting in Matthew 23:12 and Luke 14:11.