¹ And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. ² He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. ³ And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ ⁴ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, ⁵ yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” ⁶ And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. ⁷ And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? ⁸ I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” – Luke 18:1-8 ESV

Jesus was consistent in demanding that His disciples pray. He told them to ask, seek, and knock (John 16:19-24). When they prayed, they were to do so in private (Matthew 6:6) and without a lot of pious-sounding rhetoric (Matthew 6:7). Jesus even demanded that they pray for those who persecute them (Matthew 5:44). In this passage from the pen of Luke, Jesus tells His disciples a parable designed to encourage persistence in their prayer lives.

As chapter 18 opens, the topic at hand is the Second Coming of Christ. Jesus has just answered a rather tongue-in-cheek question posed by the Pharisees requesting a date for His coming Kingdom. But Jesus saw through their little charade and knew they demanded a supernatural sign to prove His claims to be the Messiah. So, He responded by telling them, “The Kingdom of God can’t be detected by visible signs. You won’t be able to say, ‘Here it is!’ or ‘It’s over there!’ For the Kingdom of God is already among you” (Luke 17:19-20 NLT).

They were looking for a physical kingdom brought about by a physical revolution. The Messiah they longed for would be a conquering king, much like David had been, who would use military power to restore Israel to independence and prominence. But Jesus had come to restore the rule and reign of God to earth through the Spirit-empowered transformation of sinful men and women. He had come to bring about a spiritual revolution, not a military one. But even the disciples were having a difficult time grasping that concept. They, too, longed for Jesus to march into Jerusalem and bring about a dramatic change in the status quo. They wanted the Romans eliminated, and the nation of Israel elevated back to its former glory. In a sense, they were hoping for a transformation of the social and political status of their nation.

But while Jesus cared deeply for the Jewish people, He had come to redeem the world, not just a single people group. God was not abandoning the Jewish race; instead, He was using them to accomplish His grand redemptive plan for the entire world. Through Jesus, He would fulfill His original mandate that the descendants of Abraham would be a blessing and a light to the nations.

Jesus continued to help His disciples understand the nature of God’s plan. He told them that there would be a second advent when He would come to earth and conquer all the enemies of God. What they were hoping for would actually happen, but not in their lifetimes or according to their timeline. So, what were they to do in the meantime? If His first advent would not result in an earthly kingdom, how were they supposed to survive while the Romans continued to keep the entire nation under its iron fist? Luke answers these questions with his opening line of chapter 18:

“And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.” – Luke 18:1 ESV

Jesus patiently and lovingly enlightened His confused disciples by sharing additional details regarding His current mission and further insights into God’s future plans for the world. Jesus had already warned the disciples that the day was coming when He would leave them. He was to suffer and die at the hands of the Romans but would rise from the dead and return to His Father’s side in heaven. Even after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, the disciples would find themselves living in difficult days and longing for His return.

“The time is coming when you will long to see the day when the Son of Man returns, but you won’t see it. People will tell you, ‘Look, there is the Son of Man,’ or ‘Here he is,’ but don’t go out and follow them.” – Luke 17:22-23 NLT

Jesus wanted them to know that, after He left them, life would go on as it always has. He compared it to the days before the flood.

“In those days, the people enjoyed banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat and the flood came and destroyed them all.” – Luke 17:27 NLT

It would be like in the days of Lot when the people of Sodom “went about their daily business—eating and drinking, buying and selling, farming and building” (Luke 17:28 NLT). And Jesus clarifies that “it will be ‘business as usual’ right up to the day when the Son of Man is revealed” (Luke 17:30 NLT).

Mankind was going to continue down the very same path it had taken right after the Fall. Nothing would change. Yet, the world would be radically different because it would contain millions of men and women whose lives had been transformed by the gospel. By placing their faith in Jesus Christ, these people would become citizens of the Kingdom of God, living as exiles and strangers on earth while they waited for their King’s second coming. This community of like-minded individuals would bring the rule and reign of God to earth. Through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, they would live in obedience to the Father’s will and function as the King’s ambassadors on earth. Like Adam and Eve, they would be tasked with serving as His vice-regents, bearing His image, and serving on His behalf until He returns.

That is why Jesus told His disciples that persistent prayer would need to be a part of their survival strategy as they awaited His return. To drive this point home, He told a parable about a poor widow who was in an ongoing dispute with another party. It seems likely that this woman was being taken advantage of by this other individual because of her widowhood. In 1st-Century Israel, widows had few, if any, rights and were often the victims of unfair treatment.  Unable to remedy the problem, the widow was forced to make an appeal to the court, but Jesus describes the presiding judge as a man “who neither feared God nor cared about people” (Luke 18:2 NLT). In other words, he was godless and unrighteous.

But the woman, desperate for someone to come to her aid, repeatedly brought her case before the court. At first, the judge simply ignored her pleas, but the woman was persistent and insistent. She demanded that the judge rule in her favor, and Jesus reveals that the woman’s stubborn refusal to give up paid off.

“…finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’” – Luke 18:4-5 NLT

She wore him down. Driven by her pressing need for justice, the woman would not give up until she received it, and her persistence proved successful. But what is interesting is that Jesus makes the judge the point of the story.

“Learn a lesson from this unjust judge.” – Luke 18:6 NLT

Jesus does not focus the disciples’ attention on the persistent pleas of the woman, but instead, He tells them to learn a lesson from the godless and unjust judge.

“Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly!” – Luke 18:7-8 NLT

Jesus points out that the woman cried out day and night for justice. She simply wanted someone to ensure that the right thing would be done. He ties her pleas to those of God’s chosen people who also long for justice, and He states, “He will grant justice to them quickly.”

In the parable, the judge finally gave in and did the right thing, not because he wanted to, but because he was tired of being badgered by the unrelenting demands of the widow. This fictional story was intended to encourage the disciples to keep their eyes focused on their just and righteous God. They were going to face difficulties in the days ahead. After Jesus was crucified, resurrected, and ascended, the disciples would find themselves in a vulnerable position. There would be many who would attempt to take advantage of them. The religious leaders would come after them once Jesus was gone. That is why He wanted them to know that, in His absence, they could appeal to God. But, like the widow, they would need to be persistent in their pleas.

Jesus does not promise His disciples that God will remediate all their trials and conflicts immediately. When Jesus says, “He will grant justice to them quickly,” He is not suggesting that God will solve all their problems on the spot. He is simply stating that they can always know that they will receive justice from God. He will never ignore them.

History records that most, if not all, of the disciples, died martyr’s deaths. During their lifetimes they suffered greatly. Many were arrested, tried, imprisoned, and beaten. But God never turned His back on them. Just a few chapters later, Luke records another discussion Jesus had with His disciples, where He warned them about the dark days ahead.

“But before all this occurs, there will be a time of great persecution. You will be dragged into synagogues and prisons, and you will stand trial before kings and governors because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell them about me.” – Luke 21:12-13 NLT

This same scenario plays out in the Book of Revelation. The apostle John is given a glimpse into heaven during the Great Tribulation. He sees the throne room of God, where a large gathering of individuals calls out to God for justice. They are those who were martyred by the Antichrist during the Tribulation.

When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of all who had been martyred for the word of God and for being faithful in their testimony. They shouted to the Lord and said, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you judge the people who belong to this world and avenge our blood for what they have done to us?” Then a white robe was given to each of them. And they were told to rest a little longer until the full number of their brothers and sisters—their fellow servants of Jesus who were to be martyred—had joined them. – Revelation 6:9-11 NLT

They plead with God to do something, and He responds by encouraging them to “rest a little longer.” There are more who must be martyred before the end comes. But when it does come, it will be in the form of the Son of God returning to earth to bring judgment and mete out justice.

Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. – Luke 19:11 NLT

From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. – Revelation 19:15-16 NLT

But while God will not fail to answer every plea for justice, it may not come at the time or in the form expected. The woman in the parable persistently pleaded and the disciples would need to do the same. In their desire to see the justice of God poured out, they must pray and not lose heart. They were going to find themselves living in an unjust and unrighteous world where godliness was under constant assault and living as a disciple of Jesus was difficult and dangerous. But they were not to give up. They were to trust that God would accomplish His divine plan by sending His Son back to earth a second time.

Jesus uses this parable to encourage His disciples not to lose faith.

“But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?” – Luke 18:8 NLT

In a sense, Jesus is reminding them that God is faithful. The question is whether they will remain so. Will they stop pleading and praying? Will they cease believing the promise of the Son’s eventual return? God will vindicate. God will mete out judgment and justice, but it will not occur until the end. How long are we willing to wait and how faithful will we remain as we do so?

As disciples living in a fallen world, it is easy to lose hope. The pressures to conform and compromise our faith are immense. The longer we wait for Christ’s return, the more difficult it becomes to believe in its reality. We long for justice but fail to remember that it will not happen until the Lord returns. As Christ-followers, we know that His second coming will bring about the renewal and restoration of God’s creation. All wrongs will be righted. All injustices will be mitigated. Sin and death will be destroyed, and righteousness will reign over all the earth. But we must pray and wait for that day to come. When Jesus told His disciples not to lose heart, He was encouraging faith in the faithfulness of God. He was promoting confidence in His promised return. But when He does return, “how many will he find on the earth who have faith?” (Luke 18:8 NLT).

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.