Persistent in Prayer

We can easily get discouraged when we pray for justice and don’t receive it. It’s not new; even David wondered why the wicked prosper while the righteous suffer. But watching the news these days is depressing—God seems silent, and unrighteousness overflows the world around us.

Jesus’s disciples would have faced similar injustice and been tempted to stop praying for justice, so the Lord encouraged them with a parable (Luke 18:1). A judge in an unnamed city was ruthless. He neither feared God nor respected people (18:2) but cared for justice. Knowing that, a certain widow persisted in asking him for justice: “Vindicate (ek-dikeo) me against my unjust adversaries (anti-dikos)” (18:3). She knew he cared for justice and would give a fair judgment (ek-dikeo), and she knew she was on the right, and her enemies were anti-justice (anti-dikos). In other words, she had a valid case. So, even though he was difficult and ruthless, she wouldn’t give up and persisted in her appeal. Finally, he gave in, saying to himself, “Even if I don’t fear God or respect people, I will vindicate this widow who is bothering me before she wears me out by repeatedly coming to me” (18:5).

Israel’s God, however, was different. He was just and fair. As such, the Lord Jesus asked the disciples,

“You heard what a ruthless judge did. Will God not vindicate (ek-dikeo) for his elect when they cry out to him night and day? Will he not be patient with them?” (18:6–7)

In logic, this argument is called the “lesser to greater” argument: if a ruthless judge cared for justice, a righteous judge cared even more. The answers to these questions would have been: “Yes, God would indicate his elect when they cry to him night and day,” and “Yes, God would be patient with them regardless of how many times they approach him.” But, without waiting for their answers, the Lord said, “God will vindicate them quickly” (17:8a). He concluded, however, with another important question,

“When I come back, will I find such a faith on this earth?” (17:8b)

You see, he knew his disciples would run away from him when trials came when he faced imminent death instead of crying out to God for help and finding deliverance. At Gethsemane, he told his beloved three to stay away and pray with him thrice. Every single time, they fell asleep. He didn’t find such faith at that time. But later, Peter, John, and James would persist.

The same question awaits us: When we face injustices, would we pray night and day to a just God to vindicate us? By his grace, we will persist and not fall asleep like Peter.