The Great Commentary of Cornelius a Lapide: S. Luke
Chapter 18
Ver. 1. — And He spake a parable unto them to the end that. Christ had said, at the end of the last chapter, that the Apostles and the faithful should suffer persecutions, in which they should wish for His presence that they might seek and receive help from Him. He now names a remedy for all their sufferings, prayer, for He both hears them and grants what they ask, for He teaches, directs, strengthens.
Always to pray . Hence the heretics called Euchita wished, but without reason, to be always praying and to do no manual work. But it is written, “If any man will not work, neither let him eat” (2 Thess. iii. 10). “Always” here seems to mean sedulously , perseveringly, diligently, assiduously as in other things, and at befitting times, especially when temptation, persecution, and affliction are hard at hand. It is impossible for us to pray always and at all times. We must have a time for eating, drinking, labouring , &c. The word “always” means, therefore, not continuance but perseverance in prayer: that is, that we should set apart fit times for prayer, and not cease to pray until we have obtained what we need and what we ask for. Our Lord adds, “ and not to faint ” or in the Greek “ be weary.” The reason is that we daily meet so many difficulties and troubles that our whole lives appear to be one temptation and warfare. And as we are infirm and unable to overcome them we ought to ask help and strength from God through prayer. Thus our whole Christian life seems as it were one prayer. Again, “always,” that is frequently, at the hours appointed by the Church, that we may do nothing without prayer — nothing that we do not ascribe to the glory of God. Bede says, mystically , “ He prays always who works for God always;” and the Gloss, “He prays always who lives virtuously always.” S. Chrysostom: “The Lord would have you to obtain by prayer that which He wishes to give you. The palace and the ears of princes are open to few. The ears of God are open to all who will.” He refers to Ecclus. xxxv. 20. So the apostle, Ephes. vi. 18 ; 1 Thess. v. 17. See what I have said on those three passages, Climachus : Gradu xxviii. : “ Prayer, if we regard its nature or quality, is the familiar conversation and union of man with God, but if we consider its force and efficacy it is the conservation of the world, our reconciliation with God, the mother, at once, and daughter of tears, the propitiation of sins, the bridge of escape from temptation, the bulwark against the attacks of afflictions, the destruction of war, the office of angels, the food of all spirits —future joy, continual action, the fountain of virtues, the reconciler and authoress of divine graces.” Not content, he speaks more highly, exaltedly, nobly still : “It is spiritual progress, the food of the soul, the illumination of the mind, the axe of despair, the demonstration of hope, the distinction of sorrow, the wealth of monks, the treasure of solitaries, the decreasing of anger, the mirror of religious growth, the index of our stature, the declaration of our condition, the signification of things future, the proof of the glory to come.” So the Church sings of S. Caecilia : She always bore the evangel of Christ in her bosom, and neither by day nor by night did she cease from divine conversation and prayer, and when the organs sounded Caecilia sang to the Lord, “ Cleanse thou my heart, that I may not be confounded.” Valerian her husband found her on her bed praying, with an angel. By this increasing prayer she merited to be given to the angel for the preservation of her virginity, the conversion of her espoused husband Valerian, of Tiburtius and 400 others, and lastly a glorious martyrdom with them all.
Ver. 2. — Saying there was in a city a judge which feared not God. This judge was wicked, unjust, cruel, and godless, one who feared neither the vengeance of God, nor the ill-report of men, who cared nothing for his conscience or his character. For the wicked who have no fear of God are often deterred by the shame of men, from confessing those acts for which they are openly despised and considered godless and infamous. But this judge was moved by no fear of God or man, and therefore he had arrived, says Theophylact, at the summit of all wickedness.
Ver. 3. — And there was a widow in that city . Avenge me, that is, vindicate my right against my oppressor, and free my innocence ; righteousness, substance, and character, which are brought to trial by my enemy who is powerful, and against whom I cannot stand. She did not ask for vengeance but only for justice, that she might be delivered from the violence of her adversary and get back her own.
Ver. 4. — And he would not for a while. Partly from his own wickedness and partly because he hoped for a great bribe from the opponent.
But afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man , i.e., Although I am unjust and without scruple or shame, yet because this widow is troublesome to me, I will avenge her of her adversary, and give her back her right, lest continually (in novissimo) coming she weary me out (sugillet me). The Syriac has “ omni tempore ; ” the Arabic “ semper.” Sugillo is properly to strike the face and make it livid by blows. The Greek is ὑπωπιάζῃ. The metaphorical meaning is, firstly, to deafen the head and ears with noise, and many so understand it. The Syriac has, “ Lest she continually trouble me.” The Arabic, “ Lest she be always coming to trouble me.” S. Augustine (Ep. 121 to Proba) : “ She moved the unjust judge by her persistence to listen to her. Not that he was influenced by justice or mercy, but he was overcome by weariness.” So Bede, Euthymius, Lucas and others from the Greek. “ As therefore this widow by the assiduity and importunity of her supplications conquered the judge, so do we overcome God. What fear cannot effect prayer can. Threats and the fear of punishment have not moved men to justice ; but when the widow came as a suppliant, from a savage she made the judge humane. What then may we not conjecture of a beneficent God, if the widow by her prayers changed a judge who had been cruel before, into a humane one ?” S. Chrysostom adds that Christ here wishes to show that the chief strength of prayer consists in turning unjust and cruel judges to piety and mercy. Sugillare, applied from the body to the mind, means to brand with a mark, to affect with disgrace, to accuse. Although this senseless judge regarded neither God nor man, he feared for himself and his office, lest he should be deposed from his judgeship, and deprived of honour and profit ; he therefore gave the widow her due.
Allegorically , S. Augustine (Lib. ii. Quasi. Evangel. qu. 45), says, “ The widow is the Church, which seems desolate until her bridegroom Christ, who now bears her griefs in secret, return from heaven to judgment.”
In trope , “The widow,” says Theophylact, “is the soul which has put away her former husband. He was hostile to her because she came to God. God is a judge Who fears no one, and regards not the persons of men. The widow represents every soul that is desolate and afflicted, and who prays to the judge, that is God, to be delivered from her adversary. But because it is incongruous to compare God to the unjust and wicked judge, as Euthymius rightly says, from S. Chrysostom , we should rather say that it is Christ who is here spoken of; and not in comparison but as concluding from the less to the greater. That is : If the unjust judge were overcome by the importunity of the widow to change injustice into justice, and give her her rights, how much rather should God do this, who is most just, nay who is justice itself, punishing all injustice?” So S. Augustine above — S. Chrysostom and Theophylact — as will be clearly shown on verse 7.
Vers. 6, 7. — And the Lord said. Hear what the , &c. “ God,” says Theophylact, “ is the leader, the judge and the vindicator of all righteousness.” So David on Psalm xxxiv. 17, “The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth.” The Arabic has, “ Hear what the unjust judge said ; and shall not God more rightly avenge His own elect, who cry to Him day and night?” So Ecclus. xxxv. 21, 22; Rev. vi. 9, 10, where the souls of the slain for Christ cry to God demanding vengeance. They hear from Him that they must rest yet a little while until the number of their fellow servants is completed. See what I have commented on the place.