Will Jesus Find Faith?
Will Jesus Find Faith on Earth?
I'm not the first person to ask this question. Jesus asked it Himself.
Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth? (Luke 18:8b, NET)
What did Jesus mean when He asked if the Son of Man would find faith on earth? It’s important to state what this question does not mean. Jesus wasn't having a crisis of faith in His own spiritual life. He wasn't experiencing doubt in His identity or mission. Instead, Christ was raising a pointed and powerful rhetorical question about the faith of His people. From the perspective of Jesus, faith is not simply a subjective reality. No doubt, people will believe something when the Son of Man comes. The nature of Christ’s question is about the objective reality of the Christian faith. Will Jesus find those who are not simply holding to a faith or some form of personal belief but rather will He find the faith on earth? Jesus continues to teach about what the fruit of this genuine faith is that He is inquiring about. The faith Jesus asks if He will find when He comes is a faith that prays always and does not lose heart.
This is an important question. Let’s dig a little deeper. I invite to to read on and ask yourself: will Christ find faith in you?
Internal or External Faith?
Jesus wasn't asking if He would find faith internally. Jesus asked if He will find faith objectively and externally to Himself on earth. So, will He?
What exactly is Jesus looking for?
We could get ourselves in trouble if we take this verse out of its context. People have different ideas of what “faith” means. If we get carried away we could make this verse mean almost anything. Even so, Jesus leaves little doubt what He will be looking for.
Here's the whole parable:
Then Jesus told them a parable to show them they should always pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected people. There was also a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but later on he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor have regard for people, yet because this widow keeps on bothering me, I will give her justice, or in the end she will wear me out by her unending pleas.’” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge says! Won't God give justice to his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he delay long to help them? I tell you, he will give them justice speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:1-8, NET)
Luke makes it explicit what the intent of the parable is. The point is to show followers of Christ that they should always pray and not lose heart. Jesus is explicitly teaching that individuals with faith are not necessarily the people who sing the loudest or have the most visible ministries. They may not be the highest net worth individuals or the ones who speak with the most religious clichés. They also may not be the ones who teach the most Bible studies or who have served the longest as deacons.
Faith that Jesus Sees
Jesus is teaching that people with faith are individuals who always pray and do not lose heart. They may also sing loudly and serve visibly. Nevertheless, prayer is the focus of the parable.
When Jesus returns will He find people persistent in prayer? Will He find faith?
Will He find YOU faithful in prayer? If you struggle to be faithful in the labor of prayer, we have a book that is designed for you (click the link to check it out: Faithful in Prayer). It has greatly challenged and helped me and I pray it will do the same for you, so that if Christ returned today He would find faith in all of us.
Looking back on the history of God's people is illuminating. God's people often wandered from His covenant into idolatry. God declared that judgment was coming upon Jerusalem for their unfaithfulness. Look what He said to the prophet Ezekiel:
The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery. They have wronged the poor and needy; they have oppressed the foreigner who lives among them and denied them justice. “I looked for a man from among them who would repair the wall and stand in the gap before me on behalf of the land, so that I would not destroy it, but I found no one. So I have poured my anger on them, and destroyed them with the fire of my fury. I hereby repay them for what they have done, declares the sovereign LORD.” (Ezekiel 22:29-31, NET, emphasis added)
God was prepared to pour out His anger over the injustice that was rampant in the land. He searched for someone who would stand in the gap and turn away His wrath through prayer.
He found no one. So His judgment came. They were destroyed.
Stand the Gap
Read what Jesus said again in Luke 18:1-8.
Then Jesus told them a parable to show them they should always pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected people. There was also a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but later on he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor have regard for people, yet because this widow keeps on bothering me, I will give her justice, or in the end she will wear me out by her unending pleas.’” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge says! Won't God give justice to his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he delay long to help them? I tell you, he will give them justice speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:1-8, NET)
The point of the parable is not that God is an unrighteous judge. The point is that since even an unrighteous and uncaring judge will respond to the persistence of the request, will not the just, righteous, and caring Judge of the Universe bring about justice quickly for His people? Of course He will!
At least, He will if they continue to pray and not lose heart. Many will pray for a moment. Or for a season. Will we continue to pray and not lose heart? Do we have the faith that our persistence and patience are worthwhile? Do we believe that God truly hears us, even if we don’t see the results immediately?
Are you willing to stand in the gap? Do you have the faith to pray and not lose heart? Will you cry out for justice to the God of all the earth?
When the Son of Man returns will He find faith on the earth?
Would He find it in you?
Be encouraged! Stand the gap. Endure until the end. For the sake of His great name.
Related Questions
What is the meaning of “faith”? In the Bible, faith is related to trust and belief. In this subjective sense, “faith” understandably means different things to different people since people put their trust and belief in different objects. There is also a concrete and objective meaning of faith used in Scripture, when it is used to define the faith. In this sense, it is not speaking of subjective beliefs held by people but is describing the specific content of Christian doctrine that followers of Christ should adhere to.
How can a person be saved by faith? Faith doesn’t save anyone. Faith is only as good as the object or person it is placed in. The Bible is clear that God alone can save. The good news of the gospel includes the truth that all who turn to God and put their trust in the Messiah, Jesus the Christ, can receive the gift of salvation by God’s grace through faith. It is not our faith that saves us, but the God in whom our faith is placed. If we put our trust in God, our faith is well-placed because He is faithful and He always does what He promises.
Related Video Content
You may enjoy these related videos from our YouTube channel. If you like them, don’t forget to like and subscribe!