Luke 18:1-8

Luke 18:1-8 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!’” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

Justice will be meted out quickly by God, yet when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth? Why will faith be a scarce product? Maybe because as humans we do not discern when justice is meted out; we don't discern what God is doing in the spiritual world, and in the afterlife. Perhaps we lack faith because in many circumstances we see injustice prevail: we see good people die early and the wicked live long, and we see the righteous poor and needy and the ungodly rich and prosperous. In the above passage, Jesus asks his disciples to believe and pray without ceasing. He asks his disciples to believe regardless of life's circumstances, to endure to the end by faith, trusting in God's justice.

Jesus' disciples knew that Herod, who had killed John the Baptist, was still on the throne. They knew that the elite, who were marshaled against Jesus, lived preferred lives. They knew injustice had reigned in the past, for the prophets of old were persecuted and killed. They knew of the injustices between the poor and rich, the slave and the master, the diseased and the healthy, and the disabled and the strong. They knew the world was full of injustice and sorrow. Yet, Jesus says to them in the above parable, God will bring justice to the world if they believe, have faith, and trust him. The story of Lazarus the beggar aptly illustrates the sure justice of the Lord. Lazarus believed God. His reward for his faith in God was a place in paradise. The rich man who fed Lazarus scraps from his table during his lifetime found himself in hell. These two men played out God's scale of justice: the one who received the good things of life found himself in hell, the other who received little in life, found himself in paradise.

What about the word quickly? The Israelites rejected God's prophets, Herod lived for a while after beheading John, and Jesus was rejected by THAT GENERATION; but justice came in each instance. God is long suffering, but justice will come to every man and woman who does evil, to every sin ever committed, whether overtly or covertly. God is just, and He evens out the scale. In today's passage, we see an unjust judge, perhaps an atheist because he did not fear God, who does the right thing for selfish reasons. How much more will a righteous, just God do the right thing, bringing retribution and repayment for the unjust acts done against his children. He will mete out justice quickly, but will He mete out justice as quickly as we desire? Maybe not. But in contrast with eternity, our lives are very short, passing quickly. Man's time is a wisp of smoke: here today, gone tomorrow. But God will mete out justice, either in the wisp of smoke or outside it, as with the rich man and Lazarus. Had Paul faced quick justice, his New Testament letters would not have been written. If John Newton had faced swift justice as a slave trader, AMAZING GRACE would never have been composed. God is still God; his timetable is his own. He is a loving God, a long suffering God. God knew Paul's early upbringing; He knew John Newton's horribly abusive childhood. God knows everything about humanity, yet He desires that none should perish, not even the worst among us. Sometimes we cry out as the rich get richer and the unjust go unpunished. But God will mete out justice quickly, For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” (Hebrews 10:30)

Therefore, how should believers live? We follow God's plan: praying, asking, believing, knocking, and rejoicing when we are persecuted for Christ's sake. For we walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7), whether or not God answers our prayers as we desire. Jesus asked if faith would be found in the last days or at the end of each person's last days. Will faith fail to rise up in us when God seemingly tarries with justice? Will we refuse to praise God when our enemies (those we are supposed to love) prosper? Will the vicissitudes of life overwhelm us? Because we are God's beloved, his chosen ones, we can answer a resounding, "No," to these questions. As Christians with faith in Christ Jesus and with the help of the Holy Spirit, we will walk victoriously to the end, knowing God is just. In faith believing, we will continue to seek and to implore our Father to meet our needs, but regardless of the answers, we will serve him, knowing God will mete out justice quickly, either in this life or in the next.