The 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

“Things I Really Don’t Understand.” Here’s my list of questions for which there seems to be no clear-cut answer:

• Why do doctors and lawyers call what they do practice?
• Why is abbreviation such a long word?
• Why is it that when you’re driving and looking for an address, you turn down the volume on your radio?
• Why is a boxing ring square?
• What was the best thing before sliced bread?
• How do they get the deer to cross the highway at those yellow signs?
• How did a fool and his money get together in the first place?

These questions represent a lighthearted humorous reminder that there are indeed a lot of things in this life that we just really don’t understand.




There are so many things in this life that we just don’t understand… that we just can’t comprehend. For example, we don’t really understand disease. Why is a youngster perfectly healthy for 13 years of his life… and then suddenly just happens to be in a place where he suddenly encounters some germ or bacteria that invades his body and destroys it?



And we don’t understand accidents. They are so random and indiscriminate. You start out a day that is like any other day… and then something happens in a matter of seconds… and life is forever different. You can never go back beyond that accident.


On and on we could go with our list… of things we don’t really understand.

- Why is there so much pain in our world?
- Why do good people suffer?
- Why do we hurt one another?
- Why can’t people get along?
- And why do some of the best prayers seem to go unanswered?

Now, all of these difficult questions prompt us to raise yet another crucial question: What can we count on from God? When we face the troubles of the world, the heartaches of life, the tough challenges of this existence… what can we count on from God?


Our parable for this Sunday in Luke 18 points us toward an answer. At first glance this parable is confusing to a lot of people. It does sound pretty strange when we first hear it. The parable involves two people: an unjust arrogant judge and a humble but persistent woman. The judge ignores her at first, but finally grants her justice because she is so persistent. She won’t give up and she won’t go away… so eventually he gives in and comes through for her.

Now, let me hurry to point out that Jesus was not suggesting that God is like the judge… not that at all! Jesus was pointing out that God is as different from the judge as day is from night. He is not likening them; he is contrasting them. This is what I call a “How Much More” parable. Jesus was saying: If a selfish arrogant, unfeeling, unjust judge can help you if you ask, then how much more can God who loves you intensely help you when you ask Him.

We are not just talking to ourselves. No, we are visiting with God… and He is leaning forward to listen. Jesus is saying to us: be patient, don’t lose heart, don’t give up, keep on trusting, because you can count on God… and God will come through for you.



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