Faith's Foes
Scripture Reading: Luke 18:1-8
Recently I was reading an article that purported to give the top ten reasons people walk away from the church. One of the reasons had to do with disappointment with God. I don’t think that is exactly the way the article phrased it, but that’s the gist of it. Unanswered prayers or unmet expectations lead some people to give up on faith.
Jesus, in effect, acknowledges and addresses this problem. Verse one explains the reason for the parable in this text is so that we “ought to always pray and not lose heart.” Jesus concludes the parable with a haunting question: “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” The question seems to suggest a falling away.
The issue that precipitates losing heart and losing faith is delayed justice. Jesus depicts the righteous as constantly crying out night and day for justice. Justice never seems to come. But Jesus does promise a just conclusion to everything and even says God “will give justice to them speedily.” But God’s speedily and ours don’t always look the same. And we, therefore, lose heart and faith evaporates like dew under the blazing heat of this world’s injustices.
The firebreak for this wildfire of unbelief is faithful and persistent prayer. “Always pray and don’t lose heart,” seems to suggest not two things but one thing and the other is its fruit. Faith is expressed through and sustained by persistent prayer.