Luke 18:8, commentary and pictures

God will avenge His own elect who cry to Him day and night, and will do it speedily, in sharp contrast to the unjust judge who neither feared God nor regarded man and yielded only to avoid annoyance. Speedily does not mean without waiting, for He bears long to exercise faith, hope and patience, yet He has not forsaken His people and will deliver at last in an unexpected way when trial is most severe. Therefore men ought always to pray and not faint, agonizing like the persistent widow with confident, united, importunate pleading that holds fast to promise and will not waver. Nevertheless when the Son of man comes true faith will be almost extinct and rare on the earth, with skepticism, criticism, iniquity and deception having darkened minds and cooled love as in the days of Noah. The faith He seeks is this persevering, wrestling faith that looks wholly to Jesus, purifies the soul from sin and selfishness, works by love and obedience, and keeps crying and watching through Jacob's trouble until deliverance comes.

Parable Setting and Contrast

The verse belongs to the parable of the persistent widow and the unjust judge, in which the widow kept coming saying avenge her of her adversary and by perseverance gained what she asked. Though again and again torn from the judgment seat and often repulsed with rough treatment and contempt for persevering patience, her determination was not quenched and she was found again at the judge's feet asking for justice until perseverance succeeded. The judge refused for a while, then granted her request to save himself from trouble and annoyance, lest by her continual coming she weary him, because he saw he was making his injustice conspicuous and many complaints were being made about his course.

The judge neither feared God nor regarded man, and his cold heart remained like ice with no pity or compassion, so that the widow's misery meant nothing to him and her importunity alone brought her success. Self was his god, showing to what depths of degradation men can sink when they yield their powers to Satan, for he was filled with satanic attributes and appetite and passion had destroyed his powers of perception. He represents unjust judges who decide even cases where human life is in the balance according to debased, perverted sentiments and selfish, degraded motives.

God stands in sharp contrast to the unjust judge, for the judge yielded to the widow's plea merely through selfishness, to be relieved of her importunity, to save his reputation and to avoid exposure of his partial, one-sided judgment, feeling no pity or compassion though her cause was righteous. Unlike him, God regards the appeals of the needy and distressed with infinite compassion, hears His people who cry to Him continually even when He bears long with them, and never turns from them indifferently. He judges righteously and will not let His people be oppressed, and His promise to bring justice speedily belongs to the lesson of persistent prayer without discouragement during the perils before Christ's second coming.

The widow represents God's people in this world, who face trials, injustice, and oppression, and the elect whom God will avenge speedily are like her. Poor and friendless, having lost connection with God by sin with no means of salvation of themselves and no means of retrieving ruined fortunes, they are in Christ brought nigh unto the Father. They are God's property by creation and by redemption, called out of darkness into marvelous light to show forth His praise and to shine as lights amid the darkness of the world, dear to His heart as the apple of His eye and the dearest object on earth to Him. Unlike the unjust judge who had no special interest in the widow and heard her only to rid himself of her pitiful appeals, God loves His children with infinite love and has a special interest in those who pray to Him as earnestly as the defrauded widow prayed, and therefore He will deliver them from their adversary.

Christ did not vindicate or deliver Himself but committed His case to God, and His followers should likewise trust God for justice rather than accuse or condemn others or use force to deliver themselves.

God Avenges His Elect

The verse promises that God will avenge His own elect who cry to Him day and night, though He bear long with them, and He will do it speedily, with His answer coming swiftly even when it must be waited for and does not seem immediate. God hears persistent prayer and will vindicate His chosen ones even when He appears to delay, and the promise calls for fervent prayer and earnest faith in times of danger. His patience with wrongdoing does not make punishment uncertain, for when iniquity reaches its full measure He will intervene, and when His people face overwhelming danger He will act on their behalf.

The promise belongs to the period just before Christ's second coming, when His followers will face perils, assuring those who cry to God day and night that He will avenge them though He may bear long with them. Remembering that God hears persistent prayer strengthened wavering faith, and the lesson is to keep praying without discouragement and not lose heart, unlike the unjust judge God hearing them with compassion.

Speedily means that though the wait may seem long, God will act at last in an unexpected way when trial is most severe, and deliverance will come sooner than expected and sooner than people expect. His apparent delay and bearing long does not mean He has forsaken, neglected, or abandoned His people, and the painful delay is limited, for He restrains calamity for the sake of the faithful and the time is shortened for their sake. The delay gives opportunity to exercise faith, hope, and patience in trustful waiting, as they continue to pray despite fear and apparent danger, and it calls for holding confidence firm because it has great recompense of reward, and for patience after doing the will of God so the promise may be received, for yet a little while and He that shall come will come and will not tarry. Believers must be patient and stablish their hearts like the husbandman who waits with long patience for the precious fruit of the earth until the early and latter rain, because the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. The assurance comforts those persecuted, mocked, or falsely accused for their faith, and calls them to remain faithful rather than violate conscience, while the danger is that suffering and delay will discourage them and cause them to stop persevering in prayer.

God's people cannot depend on earthly rulers and judges in adversity, especially when officials do not follow God's Word and act on undisciplined impulses. Near the close of earth's history they should expect little justice from people in positions of trust who do not fear God or regard others, and those loyal to God's commandments will have adversaries stirred by evil powers and controlled by evil, meeting continual opposition and temptation as Christ did. Christ is their refuge, as He was the widow's refuge and as He was at His own trial, for the parable reveals the injustice shown to Christ and soon to be shown at His trial.

The Judge of all the earth will Himself deal with those who rob the widow and fatherless of what they should have or regard their wants with indifference, including destitute children deprived of what they need. He will quickly vindicate His elect who cry day and night to Him when they suffer condemnation and oppression from the world, because they are as dear to Him as the apple of His eye and He will not allow His heritage to be oppressed, while unfeeling and selfish men cannot receive His favor and the Lord tests His people as individuals in this matter. Notwithstanding the defects of the people of God, Christ does not turn away from the objects of His care, but has power to change their raiment, removes the filthy garments, places upon the repenting, believing ones His own robe of righteousness, writes pardon against their names on the records of heaven, and confesses them as His before the heavenly universe, while Satan their adversary is shown to be an accuser and deceiver. He vindicates truth and warns those claiming to be righteous, calling His people to reflect His character through mercy, compassion, and practical help for people who suffer or lack necessities, showing respect for the poor.

The vindication includes intervention when human power fails and human laws are made supreme over God's law, when guilt reaches its height and He avenges those who have upheld His law. God hears united persevering prayer for deliverance when troubles assail, with His people agreeing together in the thing they desire, and He hears those who keep faith rather than opening church difficulties before those who do not fear God or depending for help on lawyers not of the faith or others who do not obey His requirements, since those who trust such counselors show they have not faith in God and dishonor Him because unbelievers do not have the wisdom that comes down from above. He will avenge His elect and intervene in indignation and judgment when religious powers use legislation to suppress conscience and exalt a false Sabbath, even when truth appears overcome and God seems to bear long, so the righteous are to pray earnestly trusting God to act. His answer includes judgment on the earth's moral corruption, for when iniquity reaches its full measure He will intervene, cleansing the earth not by flood as in Noah's day but with an unquenchable sea of fire. Even the most unworthy may bring their case to God, because when God gave Christ for the sin of the world He took up the case of every soul, and with Christ God will freely give all things, so this promise is a gracious word for encouragement and strength that He will surely fulfill, calling for kept confidence and patience while waiting for the coming of the Lord that draws near.

Call to Persistent Prayer

Men ought always to pray and not faint, keeping on praying without losing heart while the answer is delayed with patient trust. Prayer is to agonize like the importunate widow, with living united cries and trembling faith grasping the strong promises until the petition is answered. Believers are to remain firm and keep asking rather than waver after seeking blessing, showing faith by persistent, unwavering trust that God will grant His people's requests. This applies whether seeking salvation and restoration to health for an afflicted brother, or healing for a loved one with humble requests many times a day, asked again and again until fully realized, with weeping and rejoicing and a faith that claims it and says it shall be done.

Those in trouble are invited to call at once, bringing perplexities, necessities, and need of divine help in sincere earnest prayer as soon as difficulties arise. Such importunate prayer springs from a sense of need, gives evidence of strong confidence, and moves the heavenly Father to respond to supplication. No sincere prayer is lost, no contrite comer is turned away, even the weakest cry is heard, and the struggling church under temptation is precious to Him. Like the widow, believers are to ask with confidence for blessing and power to live as God's children, without fearing they weary Him.

Persistent prayer joined with good works gives evidence of confidence, for faith without works is dead. Unlike the unjust judge who yielded only from selfishness to escape importunity with no compassion, God hears and never turns away indifferently even when He does not seem to answer immediately. Conscious need should lead to determined seeking that deepens and strengthens experience with Him, illustrating the seriousness with which God's work should be sought. Christ Himself gives His people courage and persistence and rewards the confidence He has placed in them.

Believers are to plead like the widow by holding up the Word to ask for blessing and power to live as children of God, working in the Lord's way and not their own, with time enough to do all He appoints. They are to wait patiently and trust His wisdom rather than their own plans, entrusting plans to Him and keeping on asking in trust, with requests answered according to His will and for His glory. Delay is no reason to waver, grow weary, or stop praying, but to hold firmly to promise, watch and pray, and persevere even when faith is tried. This includes patient work and prayer with and for those whose understanding is darkened by sin and error even when change takes time, since prayer brings grace to soften and tender both their hearts and the hearts of those praying.

Faith must not fail under trial but rest wholly on God and continue earnestly bringing petitions in expectation of answer. Faith is seen in persevering prayer and trust amid severe struggle: those who keep pleading and looking to Jesus resist darkness and receive encouragement, while those making no effort in indifference are left in darkness. The call to persist shows those who seek God and entrust souls to Him are under His special care, heard and answered and delivered in peril. They are to supplicate day and night and hold fast through Jesus Christ, relying on His power for victory, including in rescuing the tempted and fallen.

The verse testifies to the power of importunate, prevailing prayer and calls for unyielding faith now like Jacob's. Its promise belongs to those who forsake every sin and lay hold of the promises as Jacob did, earnest and persevering in the audience chamber laying hold on the mighty arm of power with agonizing faith. To them it guarantees success as Jacob succeeded, giving the greatest victories to the church and to the individual Christian, which come not by talent, education, wealth, or human favor. Ministers' lack of such wrestling faith for others' salvation helps explain small results, and they must not accept the apparent powerlessness of truth or remain at ease while people are lost.

Little Faith at Coming

When the Son of man comes true faith will be almost extinct, rare, scarce and little on the earth, real Christianity will then be nearly gone, and the question calls for constant, active, living faith as His coming draws near.
The loss of faith comes through a spirit of doubt, criticism and fault-finding that destroys confidence in God's Word and in His work.
The carnal mind cannot understand or appreciate the work of God, and all who desire to doubt or argue will find occasion to do so.
God frequently moves His servants to speak things they themselves cannot comprehend at the time but will understand afterward, those who in humility of heart follow the light as it shines upon them will receive clearer light, while those who refuse to obey until all occasion for doubt is removed will be left in darkness.

The scarcity shows in spiritual darkness covering the earth and gross darkness covering the people, in skepticism and infidelity in the interpretation of Scripture in many churches, in very many questioning the verity and truth of Scripture, in human reasoning and imaginings of the human heart undermining the inspiration of the Word of God, and in what should be received as granted being surrounded with mysticism so nothing stands out in clear lines upon rock bottom, and this condition is one of the marked signs of the last days.
It is fulfilled when smart, learned, eloquent men make it their lifework to criticize God's Word to show superior wisdom, laying it bare before others, unsettling minds in regard to the inspiration of the Scriptures, and influencing many to see as they do, with the same work passed on from one to another as Satan designed.
People treat God's word as unreliable and prefer human reasoning and natural explanations even when opposing Scripture, though God has given enough evidence on which faith may rest.

As before the Flood only eight souls believed and obeyed through one hundred twenty years of warning while the message was rejected and despised, so now the majority, impenitent and unbelieving despite claims of faith in errors and heresies, will reject warning in vain amid scoffing, departure from faith, revelry, corruption, and increased wickedness.
The verse denies that all the world will be converted with righteousness reigning in peace for a thousand years before Christ comes, refutes claims of a temporal millennium with the world converted before His coming, and proves the world's state at His coming will be as in Noah's days, interrupted at last by God's judgments.

Faith is scarce because Satan darkens minds and turns them to unbelief, and because sin and violence increase as the end approaches while iniquity abounds and many grow cold in love.
Deception in the last days, including people claiming divine authority and doing good works, can mislead even the elect, so discernment must rest on loyalty to God's Word and commandments, not praise of men.
Believers must hold fast by looking to Christ and gathering strength from promises so as not to be overcome by darkness or shaken from truth, bearing solemn responsibility to live and proclaim given light whose testimony condemns refusers.

Deliverance in Time of Trouble

The day-and-night crying of the elect is fulfilled by God's people just before the second coming, in Jacob's trouble and the final crisis. When the wicked are enraged and measures are taken against God's people, when darkness thickens around them, the oppressed stand perplexed yet approved of God and trusting in Him and raise a united cry to heaven for deliverance. After Christ ceases His work as mediator and leaves His position as man's intercessor, every case is decided with no atoning blood to cleanse from sin, and the restraining Spirit of God is withdrawn from the earth. Then, as Jacob was threatened with death by his angry brother, the righteous are in peril from the wicked seeking to destroy them, and as Jacob wrestled all night for deliverance from Esau they cry to God day and night for deliverance from the enemies surrounding them. Their appeal comes before God, and the commandment-keeping remnant who have the testimony of Jesus are delivered.

Their cry is earnest, unceasing pleading with entire submission to the will of God and a deep sense of unworthiness, asking for escape and salvation from those appointed unto death, wrestling like Jacob without exception for deliverance. God bears long with them because His will is not yet fulfilled, for they must drink of the cup and be baptized with the baptism, so angels in sympathy are held back from immediate rescue. He restrains calamity for the sake of the faithful, the delay is limited, and the time is shortened for their sake.

God will finally deliver those who patiently wait for Him even when danger overwhelms and escape appears impossible. Though they fear their enemies will overcome them, the painful delay does not mean He has abandoned them. It gives them opportunity to exercise faith, hope, and patience as they wait trustingly, and after a short delay endured with persistent faith He displays His power and delivers those who have remained faithful. Their deliverance will come sooner than people expect.

The faith the Son of man seeks at His coming is this persevering, wrestling faith that holds on through delay and distress. In the time of trouble they continue to pray despite fear and apparent danger, with trust and intercession while awaiting Him. He will vindicate His people who cry to Him, and the question whether He will find faith on earth highlights the need to remain faithful while awaiting His coming.

The verse calls people to watch and be ready because the Lord's coming will be at an unexpected hour. In the last days iniquity will abound and many will grow cold in love, so the world must receive a warning suited to its time, as the people before the Flood received Noah's warning, and the warning message must be given. Faith is shown by keeping watch, doing the work entrusted to each person, and faithful servants give their households the truth needed for their time at the right time. When Christ comes He may find His churches in an unprepared condition, and they must seek the Holy Spirit and be ready for His coming.

What True Faith Requires

The faith the Son of man looks for at His coming is a felt, great need of God's abundant grace and power, expressed in asking for it, looking not to self but to Jesus, exalting Jesus and relying wholly upon His merits. Lack of that faith is shown by failing to feel need of God's grace and power, by looking to self instead of Jesus and not depending wholly on His merits, and by ministers and people carrying so little burden of the work. That faith fixes its eye on the cross and trusts Jesus as strength and salvation, while God has abundant grace and power ready and waiting for those who seek and ask. The question whether faith will be found on earth when He comes again in the clouds of heaven calls for faithful belief shown in earnest service, in which those who would meet Christ with joy keep the world from coming between the soul and God and give God first place in life. It is applied to the soon coming of the Lord and the need to cling to God amid coming upheaval, calling each person to affirm belief in the Lord Jesus, to live by the faith of the Son of God, and to live by every word that comes from God. Studying and practicing Christ's lessons brings increased light and helps people recognize that faith on earth will be in peril when the Son of man comes.

True faith is pure and uplifting, purifies the soul, and works through love, while selfishness and a low standard of Christian conduct stand against it. It means humbling pride, refusing to exalt self at the expense of neighbors, repenting and being converted so that sins may be blotted out, in order to stand before the law that is holy and the commandment holy and just and good. It means breaking off sins by righteousness and turning from iniquity to the Lord, cherishing a living, active faith whose permanence is the condition of union with Christ. Profession alone, with love of the world and conformity to its spirit and fashions leaving believers indistinguishable from unbelievers, will not make one Christ's; He will acknowledge those who are pure and holy, purified through suffering and kept separate and unspotted from the world. Permanence in that living, active faith is the condition of an enduring union with Christ, through which alone all blessings are attained; mere assent without turning from sin and detaching the heart from the world is not that union. When the Son of man comes in glory still identifying with humanity, skepticism and infidelity will be widespread, so believers must cherish such faith and put forth earnest effort to form alliance with Him.

The faith in view acts in keeping with belief in what God has spoken, even when obedience means giving up the pleasures of this world in view of the promised reward, as shown when people prepared for Christ's coming and their lives reflected their belief. It is shown by keeping watch, doing the work entrusted to each person, and giving others the truth needed for their time, with discernment in the last days resting on loyalty to God's word and commandments rather than on praise of human beings, even when deceivers claim divine authority and do good works that could mislead even the elect. Those entrusted with responsibility are challenged to heed God's counsel and act faithfully, lest by continued disregard they lose the honor of serving as His instruments and the faithful steward's reward. The question warns that when the Son of man comes He will find little faith on earth, calling people to examine their spiritual condition, to rise from lethargy and put away self-complacency, and not to join those who oppose or undermine faith but to remain faithful amid unbelief. Faith may become marked by objectionable traits that leave the Lord unable to work with it, but this need not be so, for believers can rely firmly on what God has said and hold fast His word. True faith thus exercised allows the Spirit of God to shape the soul into a pure and holy dwelling place for God, imparting new life when Christ is formed within, while those who seek God and entrust their souls to Him are under His special care and He hears, answers, and delivers them in peril.