The lectionary is constructed so that for Sunday's the first reading goes with the Gospel. Usually this connection seems fairly obvious. In today's reading this is not so clear.
In the gospel we have the story of the unjust judge, and the first reading a battle.
One connection can be seen if we start with the opening line, Jesus told his disciples a parable about the necessity to pray always.
Do I really need to pray ALWAYS? Why?
There's where the first reading comes in. What figure in the Old Testament is greater than Moses?
And yet in today's first reading he needs help. By the end of the reading he cannot stand on his own two feet, literally. He has to sit on a rock. Aron and Hur have to hold his arm up for him.
In the New Testament even Christ did not carry his cross alone.
Of all God creatures is there any other that develops more slowly than us. We now know that the brain is not fully developed until 25. How old are we before we can take care of ourselves?
We start life lying in a bed needing someone to feed us and change our diapers and if we live long enough we end up the same way. And the thought of that terrifies most of us. We think of it as a fate worse than death.
But why?
Because we've bought the lie—The great lie of independence.
God built us to need Him and to need others.
"It is not good for the man to be alone."
We are created in the image and likeness of God who is one, but also three.
We must pray always because we are always in need of help. The food I eat, grown by someone else. The clothes I wear, made by someone else. How many people does it take to produce the electricity that powers all my stuff, and bring it to my house and keep it working?
None of us can function our own.
Most of all I need God, all day every day, who gives me life.
The woman in the gospel kept going back to the judge because she knew she needed his help. She could not do it on her own.
Are we constantly aware of our need for God.
Pray always
