What a time to be alive! More than ever before prophecy is unfolding right before our very eyes. These, the end of days, are the times when the usual and the normal will be long forgotten, as we enter preparation mode. We are preparing for the ultimate of revelations, the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
1Now Jesus was telling the disciples a parable to make the point that at all times they ought to pray and not give up andlose heart, 2 saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and had no respect for man. 3 There was a[desperate] widow in that city and she kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice and legal protection from my adversary.’ 4 For a time he would not; but later he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow continues to bother me, I will give her justice and legal protection; otherwiseby continually coming she [will be an intolerable annoyance and she] will wear me out.’” 6 Then the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says! 7 And will not [our just] God defend and avenge His elect[His chosen ones] who cry out to Him day and night? Will He delay [in providing justice] on their behalf? 8 I tell you that He will defend and avenge them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find [this kind of persistent] faith on the earth?” – Luke 18:1-8 (ESV)
The last statement in this passage of scripture is one of the most sobering in all the Bible; “when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”. It is a good opportunity to ask the following question: “Lord, will You find faith in my life? Will You find faith in us, Your Church?”. After all, Hebrews 11:6 says that “but without faith it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God”, so therefore this “faith” is something that is dear to the Lord. But He is sharing a concern here; when He returns, will He find this faith? Or rather, we should ask, “when He returns, will He be pleased with what He sees?”.
Let us observe this scripture and seek to understand it section-by-section. We will observe it in three main sections.
Section #1: Jesus speaks about Prayer and Endurance
Interestingly, the reasons for Jesus giving this specific parable are written here. It says that He told His disciples this parable to encourage them to “pray at all times” and to “not give up”.
Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. – Colossians 4:2 (ESV)
In this scripture, three words would jump out at you; steadfastly, watchful, and thanksgiving. These can be seen as three mandates that must be met in our prayer lives.
Steadfastly – this speaks of the requirement of righteousness and for one to stand firmly on the Word of Truth.
Watchful – this speaks about the responsibility as watchmen and watchwomen towards others instead of just our responsibility towards our own spiritual development.
Thanksgiving – this speaks about the attitude while carrying out your requirements and responsibilities.
Colossians 4:2 is therefore showing us the important three; the requirement to be steadfast, the responsibility to be watchmen, and the attitude of thanksgiving. Along with these three being applicable to life as Believers in general, they must be applicable to us in our Prayer. After all, we are encouraged to be steadfast, watchful, and thankful in prayer.
Since being Steadfast is a requirement, it should be a lifestyle. Also, being Watchmen, which speaks about responsibility, means being vigilant and enduring. Watchmen don’t give up; they stand guard. Your task, as a believer in these last days, is not to be a panicker. Your task is to be a watchman. You are both a witness and a herald to all the signs of the King who is to come, forsaking all distractions. It therefore means that being vigilant and enduring are responsibilities. Then, requirements and responsibilities are properly fulfilled when the right attitude of thanksgiving is applied.
In these the last days, do you understand what is required (the steadfastness), are you fulfilling your responsibilities to meet such requirements (being watchmen), and are you doing it all with the right attitude (in thanksgiving)?
Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, – Ephesians 6:18 (ESV)
Section #2: Jesus speaks about the Widow and the Unjust Judges
I find it interesting that Jesus used the characters of a Widow and a Judge. When you think about a Widow, you think about the following:
- Someone who has just experienced immense loss
- Someone who is/feels vulnerable
- Someone who desires sustainability
When you think about a Judge, you think about the following:
- Someone who should help relieve the effects of loss via legal action
- Someone who should help give justice to the vulnerable
- Someone who should legally allow people to experience sustenance and sustainability.
In other words, a judge should be one who can help alleviate the obstacles faced by the widow via legal intervention.
The Widow
In a way, using the analogy of a “widow” really describes us. We are, by reason of sin, experiencers of loss, vulnerable, and in desperate need of security and sustainability. The AMP describes her as being a “desperate widow”. She continually pleaded for justice and legal protection from those who hated her.
The Unjust Judge
The Judge, who should have been a protector of the widow and of all other persons in unfortunate circumstances, was an unjust man. This is seen by his response to the widow. He did not attend to her request for justice because it was the right thing to do; he attended to her request because of her persistence or, as he put it, her continually bothering him.
This whole scenario shows us a couple of things:
- The world system is unjust and wicked, and therefore not in favour of the children of God.
- We are dealing with wicked and evil forces, manifesting themselves even in the authorities surrounding us.
- Overcoming them requires persistent, enduring, intercession.
This then connects us back to our point in Section 1. Overcoming the forces of darkness around us entails us knowing what is required, what is our responsibility, and what our attitude should be. The widow got justice because she blended these three elements perfectly.
There is a second judge that is spoken about though…
Section #3: Jesus speaks about the coming of the Just Judge
6 Then the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says! 7 And will not [our just] God defend and avenge His elect [His chosen ones] who cry out to Him day and night? Will He delay [in providing justice] on their behalf? 8 I tell you that He will defend and avenge them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find [this kind of persistent] faith on the earth? – Luke 18:6-8
Jesus begins showing us here that if an unjust judge responded to such endurance and attitude, imagine how the just Judge will respond; the Judge who is always true to His Word!
God is the God of Justice. He defends and avenges quickly. He intervenes when His children intercede.
But Jesus also gives a cautionary note: However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find [this kind of persistent] faith on the earth?
He is a righteous and just Judge, and because of that we come to Him in prayer, making our requests known. But will he find us, when we come before Him, meeting the right requirements (being steadfast), fulfilling our responsibility (being watchful watchmen), and having the right attitude (doing it all in thanksgiving)?
Even more pressing, when the great day of the Lord comes, will He find these three present in our lives? A people who live by faith live according to God’s requirements, know their responsibility, and have the right attitude. They are justified and are therefore just (hence why the just will live by their faith).
Will He find a people, though claiming to be just, living in faith? Something for us to really think about.
Beacon Of Flavor 