I've had the wonderful opportunity to speak with college students involved in our college ministry, The Salt Company, on several occasions. I usually end up preaching at their Thursday night worship service a couple of times per year, and I am so encouraged every time I leave that space. They have such a passion and zeal to serve God, and it is very contagious. The energy that they bring to any service is really unparalleled. That is why I usually find myself sitting behind them or beside them on any given Sunday.

One of the last messages that I preached at Salt was on the parable of the persistent widow in Luke 18. It is an interesting parable that brought about great conviction for me. At first glance, this parable seems to be about the prayer of a widow to an unrighteous judge, and that we should pray like her. However, if you dig a little deeper, there's a lot more to this parable, and some context found in chapter 17, that can really illuminate what is being said in Luke 18:1-8. Luke 18 starts with the word “and”: “And he told them a parable to the effect that they always ought to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1). Jesus completely gives the answer to the test before giving them the actual story or test itself. He tells them the purpose of the parable is that they should “pray and not lose heart.” He then shares the rest of the story of the persistent widow going to an unrighteous judge, who doesn't know her and honestly gets annoyed with her, to the point where he reluctantly grants her what she asked for. The parable continues with Jesus saying HOW MUCH MORE will God give to his elect, whom he knows, whom he bought with a price, whom he loves so much that he sent his one and only son...how much MORE would he give us when we ask in his name. We could pause right there and be convicted to pray with that truth alone. However, I want to pause and draw attention to the fact that Jesus gives a condition when he addresses the elect. He says the elect, “who cry to Him day and night.” He then asks a question (which is answered in the first verse), “When the Son of Man returns, will he find such faith on earth?” What type of faith, you ask? The type that prays continuously and does not lose heart. The type that cries to Him day and night. Are you a person marked as someone who prays and doesn’t lose heart? Do you cry to God day and night? Because the text says that is what the elect do. 

As I mentioned, there is a context over which we ought to pray and not lose heart…so let’s dive back into Chapter 17. 

To summarize the end of chapter 17 (Luke 17:20-37), the Pharisees ask about the coming of the Son of Man and are told that they will miss it no matter how hard they look for it. Jesus then tells his disciples that even if you look for it, you're not gonna miss it…it's going to be like a flash of lightning. Jesus then tells the disciples that normal living is going to be happening during this time - people are going to be doing normal things when He returns. He then makes a statement that when He does return, whatever you are doing, the one on the rooftop should not go down to get his things when he sees the flash of lightning…don’t turn back to the things of this world when He comes. He adds to this by reminding them of Lot’s wife, who turned back after the things of the world, and turned into a pillar of salt because she valued the life in Sodom over the God who was rescuing her. What is Jesus saying? The everyday living that we live is going to be one of the greatest temptations when the Son of Man returns. Everything we have and do will tempt us to live for the here and now and not look for the flash of lightning that will be in front of our face. Everyday living and the things of this world will pose such a great temptation for us, appearing to be far more satisfying than the saving grace that our Father offers us. Veritas, we can't be like Lot’s wife. We can't be a people who return to get our things when the most satisfying thing ever is right in front of us! That is the warning that Jesus gives at the end of 17 that leads into 18. 

So, we read chapter 18 with a new context. What do we do as the everyday things of this world wage war on our allegiance to God alone? What do we do until the Son of Man returns? How do we battle? We PRAY and PRAY and don’t lose heart (Luke 18:1)! Church, are we going to be a people marked by prayer during our lives until the coming of the Son of Man? Will Jesus find such “faith on earth?” Are we going to be a people who are more satisfied looking to the One who is returning someday, over the temporal things life constantly puts in front of us? If we’re going to be a people who conquer the temptations of the world until the day He returns, we are to be a people who pray, pray, pray, and not lose heart. If you are God's elect, you are marked as people who pray…people who cry out to him day and night (Luke 18:7). I pray you find this as convicting as I did. May it move you to be a people who pray and cry out to Him day and night…because He certainly is worthy and deserving of it.