Luke 18:8

My Notes

What Does Luke 18:8 Mean?

"I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" Jesus GUARANTEES that God will avenge His elect SPEEDILY — then immediately asks the DEVASTATING question: when the Son of Man comes, will He find FAITH on earth? The guarantee of divine justice is paired with the uncertainty of human perseverance. God WILL act. The question is whether anyone will still be BELIEVING when He does.

The phrase "he will avenge them speedily" (poiēsei tēn ekdikēsin autōn en tachei — He will make their vindication quickly/speedily) PROMISES fast divine justice: the elect who cry day and night (verse 7) WILL be vindicated. SPEEDILY. The justice isn't delayed indefinitely. The vindication comes QUICKLY in divine timing. The guarantee is absolute: He WILL avenge. The speed is divine: en tachei — swiftly.

The "shall he find faith on the earth?" (ara heurēsei tēn pistin epi tēs gēs — indeed will He find THE faith on the earth?) is the question that shadows the promise: will faith SURVIVE until the vindication arrives? The question implies DOUBT — not about God's timing but about human ENDURANCE. The faith might not survive the wait. The believing might not last until the coming. The question is about the PERSISTENCE of the pray-ers, not the performance of the Judge.

Reflection Questions

• 1.Will your faith survive the wait — or will you stop believing before the vindication arrives?
• 2.What does 'speedily' meaning 'fast in divine timing' teach about the gap between divine speed and human impatience?
• 3.How does the QUESTION about faith following the GUARANTEE of vindication define the real spiritual challenge?
• 4.What keeps your faith persisting during the 'cry day and night' season before the avenging comes?

Devotional

God WILL avenge. Speedily. But when the Son of Man comes — will He find faith on earth? The guarantee and the question exist in the same breath: the DIVINE side is certain (vindication is coming, fast). The HUMAN side is uncertain (will faith still be there when it arrives?). The justice is guaranteed. The perseverance is questioned.

The 'avenge them speedily' is the PROMISE that resolves the parable's question: the widow who kept asking the unjust judge got her justice through PERSISTENCE (verses 2-5). The elect who cry day and night will get THEIRS through God's FAITHFULNESS. The vindication isn't delayed because God is unwilling. It arrives speedily because God IS willing. The answer to 'will God act?' is unambiguously YES.

The 'shall he find faith on the earth' is the question that remains AFTER the divine guarantee: God will avenge. That's settled. But will anyone still be BELIEVING when the avenging arrives? The question is about HUMAN endurance, not divine performance. The faith — notice the definite article: THE faith, not just generic believing — might not survive the waiting period. The cry-day-and-night persistence might give out before the speedily-arriving vindication shows up.

The pairing of GUARANTEE with QUESTION is the parable's deepest teaching: the problem isn't God's willingness to act. The problem is humanity's willingness to KEEP BELIEVING that God will act. The faith that prays 'avenge me' must PERSIST until the avenging arrives. The question asks: will it? Will the pray-ers still be praying when the answer shows up?

Will your faith still be there when the vindication arrives — or will you have stopped believing before the 'speedily' happens?

Commentary

Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.

Cross References

Related passages throughout Scripture