Rev. Dr. Clay Smith: Don't give up

There was a judge in town who was crooked. Most everyone knew it, but no one had ever proved it. If you knew the right people and had the right amount of money, you could win your case, no matter how guilty you were. He was involved in all kinds of crooked deals, and it had made him a rich man.

The funny thing about him was he was in church every Sunday. He would piously boom out "Amen" when the preacher made a point he agreed with. If the church made a decision, everyone knew that whatever side the judge took would be the side that won. It was rumored the judge had slept with half the ladies in the church and was always on the prowl. His wife looked like a beaten-down woman who had resigned herself to a miserable life.

If you didn't have money and if you were not an attractive female, the judge didn't care what you thought or your case. He was known to put continuance after continuance on cases that didn't benefit him, just so he wouldn't be bothered.

In that same town, there was an old widow. Her husband had died, leaving her little to live on. However, there was a man in town who owed her husband some money. If she could get the man to pay, she would have some breathing room. The man who owed the money was the kind of man who conveniently would forget to pay his bills. He owed money all over town.

The widow went time and again to the man's house, but he wouldn't answer her knocks. She could hear him moving around. She would beat against the door again, but there would be no response.

After a few months of this, she decided to take him to court. Her case landed on the desk of the crooked judge. He hated these kinds of cases. The amount involved was trivial to him. The woman was in no position to do him a favor. The man on the other side of the case was nothing but a headache. The judge decided to set a trial date a couple of years away and hoped the case would settle without his involvement.

The widow, however, needed that money. She started calling his office. Every day, there would be a voicemail: "Judge, can you move my case up on the docket? It is a simple dispute, and you would do me a real favor. I appreciate it, Judge." After a few weeks of this, there started to be two voicemails a day, then three. One day, his secretary/mistress told him an older woman was sitting in the waiting room and wanted to see him about a pending case. He knew who it was before she gave him the name. He made some excuse not to see her. Two days later his secretary/mistress messaged him to say that the older woman was back. Before long, things settled into a rhythm: The woman showed up in his office every other day.

He was at home one night, a rare thing. There was a knock at his door, and he answered it. It was the widow. She said, "Judge, I don't understand why you won't hear my case. It's simple; it shouldn't take much of your time. If you give me justice, it will make my life so much easier." The judge stammered some excuse and shut the door in her face. The next night, the same thing happened. The judge started staying out late, but when he came home, he noticed a strange car parked in front of his house. He went to see who was inside, and the widow opened the door and said, "Judge, why won't you hear my case? I need some justice." The judge realized he had his own personal stalker.

The widow was showing up at his office, leaving messages on his phone and staking out his house. The judge began to worry what this woman might be finding out about him. It dawned on him that he was spending so much time trying to escape this widow that it was interfering with his "side" deals.

He thought, "This is ridiculous. I'm a judge. I do what I please. But this woman is driving me nuts. I'll be better off to schedule her case, decide in her favor, and get her out of my life." He called his secretary/mistress into his office and told her to move the widow's case to the top of the docket.

Jesus told a story like this. Luke, who put the story in his gospel, explains why he told it: He wanted his disciples to learn to pray and never give up. When he told the story, he made the point that our Heavenly Father is not like the unjust judge (Thank God!). He said God will make sure his chosen ones are heard, and justice will come.

The lesson is this: When you feel treated unfairly when you feel like an injustice has been done, pray. Keep praying. Do not give up. God hears. God is moving. God will act at exactly the right time.

Don't give up. Keep praying.

The Rev. Dr. Clay Smith is the lead pastor of Alice Drive Baptist Church in Sumter. Email him at claysmith@adbc.org.