The Judge And The Widow

Ἐρώτ. λ' Τίς ἐστιν ὁ κριτὴς τῆς ἀδικίας, ὁ μήτε τὸν Θεὸν φοβούμενος, μήτε ἄνθρωπον ἐντρεπόμενος; Ἀποκ. Ὁ Θεός· οὔτε γὰρ Θεὸν ἔχει ὄν φοβηθήσεται, οὔτε ἄνθρωπον ἐντραπήσεται, Χήρα δέ τις ἧν ἐν τῇ πόλει. Τίς δὲ ἡ χήρα ἐκείνη; ἡ παντὸς ἀνθρώπου ψυχὴ, ἤ ποτε τὸν διάβολον ἄνδρα ἔχουσα, καὶ ἀποῥῥέψασα αὐτὸν, τὸν δὲ Χριστὸν ἐνστερνισαμένη, χήρα τυγχάνει, καὶ δέεται καθ' ἐκαστην ἡμέραν καὶ νύκτα, τὸν κριτὴν παρακαλοῦσα, καὶ ὀδυρομένη καὶ λέγουσα· Ἐκδίκησόν με ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀντιδίκου μου. Ἐρώτ. λα' Τίς δέ ἐστιν ὁ ἀντίδικος; Ἀπόκ. Ὁ διάβολος, ὁ ὡς λέων ὠρυόμενος περιπατῶν, ζητῶν τίνα καταπίῃ. Ἐρώτ. λβ' Τί δὲ εἶπεν ὁ κριτής· Εἰ καὶ τὸν Θεὸν οὐ φοβοῦμαι, καὶ ἄνθρωπον οὐκ ἐντρέπομαι, ἀλλ' οὖν ἐκδικήσω αὐτὴν, ἵνα μὴ ἐρχομένη ὑπωπιάζῃ με. Καὶ ἐπιφέρει ὁ Κύριος λέγων· Ἀκούσατε, τί λέγει ὁ κριτὴς τῆς ἀδικίας, ὁ Θεός· ἐπειδὴ κρίνει καὶ κατακρίνει τοὺς ἀδίκους. Δικαίῳ γὰρ νόμος οὐ κεῖται. Ψευδό Ἀθανάσιος, Φήσεις Καὶ Ἑρμηνείαι Παραβλῶν Του Ἅγιοῦ Ἐυαγγελιοῦ Source: Migne PG 28.720c-721a

Question 30. Who is that judge of iniquity who neither fears God, nor reveres man? 1 Answer: God, for He has neither a God whom He fears, nor does he revere man. 'There was in that city a certain widow.' Who is the widow? The soul of a man, which for a time had the devil for a husband, and repudiating him embraced Christ. This is the widow praying and night and day to be given judgement, and who weeping says: 'Give me justice against my enemy.' Question 31. Who is the enemy? Answer: The devil, he who 'goes about as a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.' 2 Question 32. Why does the judge say: 'Even if I neither fear God nor revere man, I shall give her justice, lest coming to me she strike me.' And the Lord adds: 'Hear, what the judge of iniquity says.' That is, God, who judges and condemns the iniquitous. 'For the law is not given to the righteous man.' 3 Pseudo Athanasius, Saying And Interpretations of the Parables of the Holy Gospel 1 Lk 18.1-8 2 1 Pet 5.8 3 1 Tim 1.9