May 26, 2021
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. Luke 18:7-8a ESV
Preceded by his Parable of the Persistent Widow, here Jesus exhorts his disciples to persevere in their petitions to the Father for justice. But how are we to understand his promise of a speedy resolution? History tells us that it might take centuries to redress the scales of justice. Perhaps Jesus’ subsequent question provides a clue:
Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth? Luke 18:8b ESV
There are two keys points to his rhetorical question? First, Jesus is referring to his second coming. It will come speedily without notice. Secondly, he will return when humankind has dissipated to its lowest point of faithlessness. Still, we can understand the relevance of persistent prayers of faith here and now. For nothing moves without prayer, and prayer grants us a godly perspective regarding our present sufferings. Paul aptly speaks to this second point:
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Romans 8:18 ESV
The takeaway? We can catch glimpses of this future glory in our present sufferings when we fix our eyes on the One who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2). We are Christ’s joy, and we behold his glory. Thus we persevere in prayers to our just Redeemer.
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling
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