Fear and Respect

 It seems the widow got the wrong judge. (Luke 18) If I had an appearance notice I would want to know something about the judge I would stand before. Is he fair? Does he follow the law? Can he show mercy? Does he listen? Is he in cahoots with the prosecutor? When folks are given the power of life and death over others, there is a tendency for this power to "go to their heads." Power eaten too quickly is like eating very cold ice cream too quickly.

The storyteller of Luke 18, Jesus, is quick to say that this particular judge neither fears God nor respects man. This isn't looking too good. The judge himself confirms this truth when the poor, vulnerable widow stands before him. This is not a good combination. Lack of fear of God is a prescription for the making of a fool. Read Proverbs on that one. Fearing God is merely the beginning of wisdom, and it is the first half of the whole duty of man. (Eccl.12) Lack of respect for people, especially weak and powerless people is a prescription for abuse. So we have a fool for a judge who is likely to heap abuse, or at the least neglect, on this poor widow. Her life, her future, her financial security is being weighed in the balance of his court. And, he just doesn't care.

Surely this judge was not born this way. Fear of God and respect for others is really the most natural of ways to live. Observation of God's creation should make it clear without a lot of thought that God is pretty powerful, creative, and wise. And, the interdependence we have with others in this world should tell us without a lot of thought that respect for others is the best way to do business in this world. But somewhere along the line this judge loss the most basic building blocks of human existence. He found a way to compartmentalize God so that he would not have to fear him. He put God in a cage. I don't fear a rattlesnake that is contained behind a foot of bullet-proof glass. I don't fear a lion that is secured in a steel cage. But, my fear level goes up considerably if I know they are roaming freely around my house. God in a cage is not feared.

And how did he lose empathy for people, especially the vulnerable ones among us? The ability to feel compassion, mercy, and love is essential for human relations. What happens when someone just does not care anymore? What happens when this person has power over me and you? This is called tyranny. This is the stuff terrorist are made of.

So here she is. a pitiful, needy widow standing before a fearless and disrespectful judge. He is going to eat her alive right? Wrong! She has a quality of her own and it is called persistence. It is the thing prayers are made of. And if it is effective on this worthless judge how much more effective will it be when made to a God who is feared and respects all men he made.