tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10881824.post114545776993629366..comments2024-02-17T07:44:05.334-08:00Comments on Sinning Boldly: The Unjust JudgeAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17835278970174444409noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10881824.post-1146249330980387202006-04-28T11:35:00.000-07:002006-04-28T11:35:00.000-07:00Mel,I love your comment on my comment. There a ce...Mel,<BR/>I love your comment on my comment. There a certain level of control, of putting God-in-a-box that we attempt in much of our teaching. My wife (a pastor) leads a Bible study and simply reads the scripture out loud and allows the scripture to speak to the people gathered and lets them wrestle with it, coming up with "answers" or responses in community. It's pretty freeing when you are NOT given THE authoritative approach, but rather are encouraged to explore and wrestle with the faith in communityChris Duckworthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15569502792071232013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10881824.post-1146245271635923552006-04-28T10:27:00.001-07:002006-04-28T10:27:00.001-07:00Bruce, You've hit on a key note with regard to the...Bruce, <BR/><BR/>You've hit on a key note with regard to the seeming lack of answer to our cries for justice. This parable doesn't just teach us about God answering prayers. It also teaches us something about God not answering prayers -- at least not on our timeline.Andy Kaylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01863052203418450397noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10881824.post-1146245255658838562006-04-28T10:27:00.000-07:002006-04-28T10:27:00.000-07:00mata,You're certainly right. This parable definit...mata,<BR/><BR/>You're certainly right. This parable definitely teaches us to push the limits of how loudly we're willing to cry out to God.Andy Kaylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01863052203418450397noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10881824.post-1146244957618571652006-04-28T10:22:00.000-07:002006-04-28T10:22:00.000-07:00zephyr,That's a good question. How do we find the...zephyr,<BR/><BR/>That's a good question. How do we find the line? Your suggestions are also good. <BR/><BR/>I wonder if maybe we don't need to draw the line at all. That is, rather than analyzing the parable and spelling out what it teaches, perhaps we can just let it teach us. We'll probably get some things wrong, maybe a lot, but as long as we don't stray into dogmatism and remain teachable, that's probably OK. As long as we don't assume we've arrived at knowledge, searching must be good.<BR/><BR/>But I suppose that answer is of limited value to those who are called to teach in the Church. And I'm just wondering aloud. I could be completely wrong.Andy Kaylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01863052203418450397noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10881824.post-1146207656639000022006-04-28T00:00:00.000-07:002006-04-28T00:00:00.000-07:00I agree with what Mata H says, and I would add thi...I agree with what Mata H says, and I would add this: Sometimes we cry out for justice but we see only injustice. It may sometimes <I>seem</I> like God is an injust judge, but even so, we can continue praying with confidence.BruceAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16013588487417582411noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10881824.post-1146160320820872442006-04-27T10:52:00.000-07:002006-04-27T10:52:00.000-07:00I have always loved this parable, and see it as a ...I have always loved this parable, and see it as a lesson about prayer --and about God encouraging us to nag him, to beseech him relentlessly -- to come to him not with only whispers but with big voices that cry out for justice. God tells us that even though the judge was a clod, even he responded to the woman's constant nagging. Maybe it is just that simple -- that the text is suggesting that if a clod could end up doing the right thing -- and the clod didn't give a rat's whisker for the widow -- imagine what our loving Father will do for us. But the doors sometimes do not open unless we keep knocking and knocking louder and louder. This is, it seems to me, a lesson and an encouragement about the steadfastness and boldness and shamelessness of prayer.Mata Hhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04097615918403870130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10881824.post-1146056891873174002006-04-26T06:08:00.000-07:002006-04-26T06:08:00.000-07:00Thanks for this post. You wrote: The key is this:...Thanks for this post. You wrote: <I>The key is this: just because the unjust judge in the parable corresponds to something Jesus is teaching about God, we need not apply all of what the parable tells us about the judge to God. </I><BR/><BR/>By what method do you discern which parable elements to apply to God and which not? This can be problematic, of course, but reading and interpreting the Bible is a problematic and dangerous thing! Later in your post you reference the prophets, suggesting that their witness helps us better understand this parable. Scripture interpreting Scripture? Also, Luther had a hermaneutic in which he read the Bible looking for Jesus and the cross, and if he didn't see Jesus and the cross in a particular passage or book (ie, James) he gave it a lower priority.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for your thoughtful post.Chris Duckworthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15569502792071232013noreply@blogger.com