The Parable of the Persistent Widow and the Unjust Judge is a first-century knock-knock joke.  Luke says that Jesus told the parable to teach his listeners "to pray always and not lose heart."

 

When Luke wrote his gospel, his readers were being strongly tempted to lose heart.  The song of "on earth, peace" which had been sung by the angels to announce the Messiah's birth was beginning to ring as hollow as a stale joke.

 

On Sunday, we will acknowledge the places in our own day where we are tempted to lose heart, consider a specific way in which God beckons us to pray always, and thus be encouraged in the conviction that our God who is the polar opposite of an unjust judge will answer our prayers and strengthen us to not lose heart.