And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them?” vs. 7
Luke 18:6-8
When Luke wrote these words of Jesus, he understood many disciples were having a tough time remaining faithful. In some places they were being persecuted (and sometimes being put to death), by agents of the Empire, and they were naturally looking for help from God. The parable Jesus told implied that if an unjust judge would grant justice to the widow who kept pestering him, then surely our good God would listen to the pleas of the disciples. We read these words as an encouragement to persist in our own prayers and not give up. And so, we do! We keep on praying for family members and loved ones. We keep on praying for an end to war and suffering in the world. We keep on praying for the triumph of the peaceable kingdom. But sometimes it’s hard to persist in our prayers. We wonder if there really is a good God who will one day bring justice and heal our brokenness. Luke adds a word from Jesus that indicates many will give up. “And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” It’s something to think about. How long will we keep praying before we lose heart? But what a tragedy it would be if we stopped! When faith disappears so does hope, and life itself loses all purpose and meaning.
Thought for the Day: What keeps me from losing heart?
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