This weekend the readings call us to reconsider the role of prayer in our relationship with God. The first reading provides an example of intercessory prayer where the battle was won on the field of prayer before it was won on the field of battle. Both the second reading and the Gospel readings remind us of the need for persistence and faithfulness in our prayer life and in our day to day living of the gospel. Timothy is reminded by Paul to remain steadfast and faithful and that he can rely on the faithfulness of God. What does it mean to you when Jesus says to “pray always”? What helps you to be persistent in prayer and what gets in the way?

First Reading: Exodus 17: 8-13

8 At Rephidim, Amalek came and waged war against Israel. 9 Moses, therefore, said to Joshua, “Pick out certain men, and tomorrow go out and engage Amalek in battle. I will be standing on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” 10 So Joshua did as Moses told him: he engaged Amalek in battle after Moses had climbed to the top of the hill with Aaron and Hur. 11 As long as Moses kept his hands raised up, Israel had the better of the fight, but when he let his hands rest, Amalek had the better of the fight. 12 Moses’ hands, however, grew tired; so they put a rock in place for him to sit on. Meanwhile Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other, so that his hands remained steady till sunset. 13 And Joshua mowed down Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

NOTES on First Reading:

* 17:8 Amalek is a reference to the Amalekites who were an aboriginal people of southern Palestine and the Sinai peninsula. They lived in the Negeb which is the southernmost section of Israel (1Sam 15:7) and controlled the caravan routes between Arabia and Egypt. They are probably associated with the exodus-expulsion tradition so the story may be a little out of place here. However it is in an appropriate place as a portrait of the heroic qualities of Moses. (Numbers 24:20)

* 17:11 There are two different points being made here. The two are related. The real battle is being won in the spiritual realm rather than in the physical realm. Physical reality is strongly influenced by what is happening spiritually. Moses lifted his hands in prayer. As long as he supported his army in prayer they did well. When he stopped praying for them they did badly. The reason for both of these is that our real empowerment and strength is not our own but from God. Since that empowerment is from God it can only be strengthened by appeal to God.

Second Reading: 2 Timothy 3:14-4: 2

14 But you, remain faithful to what you have learned and believed, because you know from whom you learned it, 15 and that from infancy you have known (the) sacred scriptures, which are capable of giving you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingly power: 2 proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching.

NOTES on Second Reading:

* 3:14 “Continuing and remaining” often translated abide (menein) in this verse are in contrast to the statements about false teachers who are “wandering about” or “being led astray.” “Whom,” here, is plural; Timothy was taught not only by Paul but by his family and others of the community as well.

* 3:16 This is a classic reference to inspiration. God is the principal author of the scriptures, with the writer as His human collaborator. Scriptures are seen as the word of God in human language. See also 2 Peter 1:20-21. Because they are God’s word the scriptures share his divine authority. That authority is exercised, in part, through those who are called by Him to be ministers of the word. (See Acts 6:2-4.) What the author had in mind by “Scripture” as used here probably was the Old Testament since the New Testament was not yet in existence.

*4:1 The solemnity of the adjuration emphasizes the gravity of the obligation incumbent on Timothy to preach the word. Patience, courage, constancy, and endurance will be required despite the opposition, hostility, indifference, and defection of many to whom the truth has been preached (2 Tim 4:2-5).

* 4:2 It was an ancient proverbial virtue to speak only when it was timely. Therefore this is unusual advice for the time. In effect Paul says to witness always to Christ and let God worry about timeliness since time is in His hands anyway.

Gospel Reading: Luke 18: 1-8

1 Then he told them a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. He said, 2 “There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being. 3 And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, ‘Render a just decision for me against my adversary.’ 4 For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, ‘While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, 5 because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.'” 6 The Lord said, “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. 7 Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? 8 I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

NOTES on Gospel Reading:

* 18:1-8 The particularly Lucan material in the travel narrative concludes with two parables on prayer. The first of these (Luke 18:1-8) teaches the disciples the need of persistent prayer so that they not fall victim to apostasy (Luke 18:8). Luke closely ties this parable to the passage of 17:20-37 by introducing the theme of the coming of the Son of Man in verse 8. Luke encourages his beleaguered communities with the solemn assurance that God will not abandon them for they are the elect. As such they must be people of steadfast prayer until Jesus returns.

* 18:1 There are many similarities between this parable and the one related in 11:5-8. Verse 8 makes clear that simple continuous prayer is not what is meant in verse 1. Fidelity to the God of Jesus is necessary for prayer to be meaningful and effective.

* 18:3 The widow is a frequent symbol of the powerless in Israel. In a patriarchal society a woman without a male protector (husband or son, possibly other relative) to provide her with an identity and connection to society was totally powerless and at the mercy of much legal theft. Here she is pitted against a judge who was an important and powerful figure.

* 18:5 The Greek verb translated as strike means “to strike under the eye” and suggests the extreme situation to which the persistence of the widow might lead. It may, however, be used here in the much weaker sense of “to wear one out” as it is sometimes translated.

*18:6-7 Two important points are made by the Lucan Jesus. If the persistent pleading of the powerless widow triumphs over the unjust judge, how much more will the persistent praying of Christians be able to achieve. If an unjust judge yields to the entreaties of a widow, how much more will a gracious and loving God.

* 18:8 The real question is not about God’s vindication of His persecuted community. God will vindicate them. The real and decisive question is whether Jesus’ disciples will remain faithful to him during the long haul resulting from the delay in His return.

Scripture text: New American Bible with revised New Testament copyright © 1986,1970, Confraternity of Christian Doctrine.
Commentary Sources:
Vince Del Greco
The New Jerome Biblical Commentary (1990) (Eds. Brown, Fitzmyer & Murphy)