Now one foot. Now the other. - Rev Dr Andrew Butcher

In today’s gospel, we have before us a persistent woman and a Judge

At one level this is a story about why persistence, especially persistence in prayer, is something that is worth pursuing.

And it’s also about a widow. Widows in the Bible are held out for our special attention, along with orphans and strangers.

We also have the story of Jacob from Genesis.

Jacob’s struggle appeared to be with Esau and his parents, but his struggle is really with God. This is not just sibling rivalry, which we find in every family. This is something more profound. This is a story for those for whom life is a battle, for whom resolution never fully comes but is only ever experienced as a limp.