Will Jesus Find Faith When He Returns?

 July 22, 2024

Monday

Luke 18:1–8 (NASB 2020) ¹ Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not become discouraged, ² saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect any person. ³ Now there was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me justice against my opponent.’ ⁴ For a while he was unwilling; but later he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect any person, ⁵ yet because this widow is bothering me, I will give her justice; otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.’ ” ⁶ And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge said; ⁷ now, will God not bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night, and will He delay long for them? ⁸ I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

This is a very interesting parable and must be read carefully. Parables typically have one point. This one seems to have more.

Prayer provides protection from discouragement. Jesus says that we should always pray and not become discouraged. Discouragement seems to be waiting for us. It appears to take advantage of those who fail to pray. Things go wrong all the time. Plans get scrubbed. Cars break down. Houses burn down. Jobs get canned. Wrecks happen. Children get sick. Parents die. It just doesn't seem right that those who are loved by God would receive so many bad things.

Yet, why shouldn't we have bad things to us? It isn't like we've been so good that bad things shouldn't happen. It isn't like we have been so good that we won't get discouraged by them. 

Persistent prayer is key to the type of prayer we need to avoid discouragement. Discouragement never takes a day off. Some days aren't bad but they aren't permanent either. Jesus also said that we will have tribulations in this world. I don't think many people will argue with that.

In the parable, Jesus speaks of a widow because she has no means of manipulating things to go her way. She can only continue to ask. The persistence is used to get an unrighteous judge to give her justice. This judge doesn't have compassion for man nor does He have any fear of God. He knows nothing of justice. He, on the other hand doesn't want to be bothered. The woman has faith that her persistence will win the day. God is a righteous judge. He doesn't need the persistence to wear Him down. She needs the persistence to show her faith.

She will receive what she has prayed for. It is faith in action.

Jesus asks if He will find faith on the earth. Will He find people praying? Prayer is evidence of faith.

So, is there much faith on earth? When a prayer meeting is called, only a few people show up if they aren't scared of something happening.  People came after 911 but not so much since then. We all thought that America had made a turn toward God. She didn't. She just wanted to be protected. 

Sure, we hear that people pray but we hardly see it in their faith. That must change.