FAITH ON EARTH

"When the Son of Man comes, 

will He find faith on earth?”

Luke 18:8

1 Jesus told his disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. He said, 

2 “There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being. 3 And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, ‘Render a just decision for me against my adversary.’ 4 For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, ‘While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, 5 because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.’”

6 The Lord said, “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. 7 Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? 8 I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

WILL HE FIND FAITH ON EARTH?

Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

The above line is a plaintive cry from the heart of God. It is full of longing that He will not just find some faith but an abundance of faith when He returns. He longs to find an earth that is full of faith-filled communities. So I pray that the Lord will not be able to find any sign of a lack of faith and trust in Him. Let us give our lives to the mission and ensure that the Lord will find faith on earth when He returns. What does this mean for us?

It means that every Christian has to reflect deeply on the mission to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. We need to discover how God wants us to perform this task. It may be an upfront proclamation of the kerygma — the heart of the Gospel message — or it may be one of the unseen and humble tasks, like intercession and offering your suffering for the sake of the Gospel.

All aspects of the work of the Gospel are equally necessary and important. If we begin subtracting something from its work, we weaken its effect to the point that it will become an empty proclamation. The prayer and sacrifices that people offer are important because without them, the power behind the proclamation will be lacking.

We downplay the need for intercession and prayer in our work. But every saint would affirm that this is the foundation of their lives. We cannot live our Christianity to the full without immersing ourselves in prayer, sacrifices and intercession. Sacrifices do not have to be physically painful but they do have to “bite.” We need to deprive ourselves of something we like or prefer to do if we were given the choice.


REFLECTION QUESTION:

What sacrifice can you offer today to spread the Good News?

Lord Jesus, teach me how to make little sacrifices and offer them for the work of Your Kingdom here on earth. Amen.

"He who once persecuted us 

is now preaching the faith 

he once tried to destroy."
Galatians 1: 23

17 Faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ. 18 But I ask, did they not hear? Certainly they did; for “their voice has gone forth to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.” (Romans 10)






Pericope:
THE PARABLE OF THE PERSISTENT WIDOW
V: The Journey to Jerusalem: Luke's Travel Narrative
Gospel : Luke 18:1-8


Published:
October 05, 2010, 5:12 AM