…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…”
Luke 18:1-8
Until Pentecost which occurs in May, we will step back into the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry with some additional teachings from our Lord. In telling this parable, Jesus tells His Disciples what the parable teaches before He tells the parable, always pray and do not lose heart. Then, Jesus tells of “a certain city” where there is a judge who has no regard for man or God. And, He tells of a widow there who has persistently come to the judge seeking “justice against her adversary.” Though the widow comes time after time, the judge has refused her request. But, the widow’s continual pleas to the judge are a nuisance to him and he says to himself that he will “give her justice, so that she will not beat me down.” This unrighteous judge is sick and tired of this woman coming in his court with the same complaint and request every opportunity she gets. Now, Jesus has set the stage for His teaching which He introduced before telling this parable. He says that, if an unrighteous judge will finally give justice to a persistent plaintiff, will not God the Father give justice to His elect? Jesus is not teaching that the elect will receive justice personally, for the elect are “justified,” in a legal sense, before God because of their belief in the righteous works of Jesus and His atoning death, alone. So, the elect, pleading to God the Father for justice, are praying for the wrongs against them to be dealt with as He has promised. Those elect, who cry to Him continually, God will answer, without delay, giving them justice. Christians must remember, though, that God acts when He knows the time is right to act and, not in some irrational manner as we might do. Jesus ends this parable with a rhetorical question that begs a “no” answer. He asks, “…when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” Christians, we live in a world that is spiraling toward destruction because apostasy is increasing, seemingly exponentially, and there may not be any faith left upon this earth when Jesus returns to it. Pray for all people to come to a saving knowledge of our Savior and Lord Jesus!
Source: S C Ball April 17, 2023
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