Will He Find Faith?

Luke 18:6–8 NKJV

⁶ Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. ⁷ And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? ⁸ I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”

We’ve often looked at this parable and the Lord’s comments that follow. It’s what is sometimes called a good lesson from a bad example. An “unjust” judge gave the persistent widow the thing she desired. He did it because he knew that she was going to drive him crazy and wear him out until he did.

Luke, in verse one, gives us his analyses of the story even before sharing it. It is teaching us to pray without ceasing, without stopping, and without slipping into a weak, powerless, and doubt filled attitude.

There’s no ambiguity here. Jesus extracts for us the lesson intended. We are to see how a godless man, who cared little about anybody or anything except himself, gave the widow her request. Pay attention to the contrasting persons chosen. The Greek term for widow derives from a root that means forsaken or left empty. The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament states that, “From early times the fate most feared and bewailed by a woman was that she should become a widow.” Perhaps powerless and protector-less, this woman was undeterred and was rewarded accordingly. Will God not respond as surely as the unjust judge?

To whom does this hopeful principle apply? Who did the Lord say He would be looking for when He returns? Once again, He leaves no doubt. It’s “His own elect who cry out day and night to Him,” It’s those who understand:

a.   To whom they belong (His own),

b.  For what they have been chosen (elect), and

c.   With what means their purpose is fulfilled (cry out day and night to Him).

Is this you? If it’s not, do you hear the Spirit speaking to you today? You’re not alone. The Spirit is seeking those who will join a worldwide company of incessant prayer warriors who are moving mountains and subduing kingdoms.

While intercession may be viewed as a gift of the Spirit, it is not an exclusive task engaged in by only a select few. Actually, it is never found in any Bible list of gifts. That is not to say it isn’t a gift. Not all the lists were meant to be exhaustive. Experience and history show us that some are called to a special ministry or focus in this area. But it is also the responsibility of the whole church. It is how we roll. Nothing is done in the kingdom except by prayer. Paul exhorted first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, (1 Tim 2:1). In Philippians 4:6 he tells us not to worry about anything but to pray about everything. There is nothing more Christ-like than doing what the Spirit, even Christ, does for us. See Rom 8:26,27,34.

Jesus drives the point home by answering the question, “shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?” He emphatically declares, “I tell you that He will avenge them speedily”.

Now before assuming that every prayer will be answered immediately, remember first of all the man with the pen tells us this is about praying without giving up and losing heart. Secondly, the parable itself is about a woman who kept on asking even when nothing happened. Thirdly, Jesus Himself says, “though He bears long with them”. If we will discover what it righteous, what is the will of God, and pray it without ceasing, there may be a long pause, but an answer is coming. And when it comes it will be with all the force and the finality of a just God who know how to take care of His business.

So, Jesus asks, “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he really find faith on the earth?” The faith he is looking for is not disconnected from the kind of faith he had just described. He’s not talking about the general idea of faith here. He’s looking for a specific kind of faith that digs in and doesn’t give up or let up. People who lock in on something and pray, not just when it’s requested, not just every Sunday and Wednesday, not just in a weekly prayer meeting, not even just every day, but every day and every night. Like Daniel who prayed three times a day, you have a high and holy calling. Go move a mountain!

Bible quotations are from the NKJV unless otherwise noted.

1 Stählin, G. (1964–). χήρα. G. Kittel, G. W. Bromiley, & G. Friedrich (Eds.), Theological dictionary of the New Testament (electronic ed., Vol. 9, pp. 441–442). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.