Will He Find Faith?
And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:1-8)
In this parable, it’s actually really cool that we’re told the purpose up front – to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. Jesus isn’t in the business of tearing us down and making us weary. In this life, weariness tends to find its place because sin and the effects of sin tear us down again and again, but the same God who has overcome the world (John 16:33) and said, “Come to me…and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28) is the same God who is giving us this parable to encourage us to always pray and not lose heart.
In a nutshell, we read that God is a righteous judge and if an unrighteous judge will grant justice by being bothered, how much more will our righteous judge give justice because of hearing His children’s cry day and night? God is not bothered or annoyed by our constant prayers and cries to Him, He is our Father who loves us. Just as a parent who hears their child crying doesn’t simply feed them or change their diaper because they’re annoying them, but because they love their child and want to tend to them.
And yet underlying the encouragement to always pray and not lose heart is the foundation of faith.
Will He Find Faith?
This section ends with a question – Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?
Jesus on numerous occasions mentioned people’s faith such as when He said:
- “Where is your faith?” (Luke 8:25a)
- “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31b)
- “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. (Luke 17:6)
- _“Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith.” (Matthew 8:10)
And we’re told in Hebrews that faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen and that without faith it is impossible to please [God], for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:1,6)
It takes faith to continue to ask in prayer even after seemingly getting refused a response. Right before asking if the Son of Man will find faith, Jesus said God would give justice to those who cry to Him day and night speedily. It doesn’t always feel speedily on our timeline. Of course, in light of eternity, it’s but a split second; but it takes faith to believe God will do what He says and to continue to trust and to continue to cry out to Him continually until we see it come to fruition.
Our Faith
Our faith, that confidence and assurance that we have in God and His promises, is of great value. That’s why we go through trials, because it tests the genuineness of our faith and refines us through it. And Peter told us that our genuine faith is more precious to God than gold - In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:6-7)
It’s no wonder then why Jesus admonishes us to always pray and not lose heart – those are practical ways to keep our faith as we walk through the hardships of life. Jesus is coming back soon and we want Him to find us, as His servants, faithful upon His return. If you’ve been praying and crying out to the Lord and seemingly nothing is happening – Don’t lose heart; keep the faith and persevere in praying always. I’ll leave you with these verses from Hebrews:
Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. For, “Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls. (Hebrews 10:35-39)