WHAT WILL HE FIND?

Time with Jesus - Monday, 02 April 2012

Hi all,

Jesus told the people many parables. Most are easy to understand. Some make us scratch our heads wondering what He meant. Much of the mystery associated herewith is our tendency to chop up His statements so that they mean something different to what He intended. A case in point is the parable of the unjust judge and the persistent widow in Luke’s gospel. ¹ One day Jesus told His disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. ² "There was a judge in a certain city," He said, "who neither feared God nor cared about people. ³ A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, 'Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.' ⁴ The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, 'I don't fear God or care about people, ⁵ but this woman is driving me crazy. I'm going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!'" ⁶ Then the Lord said, "Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. ⁷ Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don't you think God will surely give justice to His chosen people who cry out to Him day and night? Will He keep putting them off? ⁸ I tell you, He will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will He find on the earth who have faith?" Luke 18:1-8 NLT

A number of us have been brought up during a time of the “faith” movement. Sadly, we have been led to understand that “faith” is a noun. Something like an egg, a car or a baseball. But faith is not a noun. It’s more like a verb than a noun. It’s an action word. It’s not static. It’s a way of life. Now let’s look at the way the KJV translates Habakkuk 2:4. It states, ⁴ Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith. Hab 2:4 KJV. A different rendition, the New Living Translations puts it this way. ⁴ "Look at the proud! They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked. But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God. Hab 2:4 NLT

In the NLT the word, “faith” has been translated as “faithfulness”. In Habakkuk we see that the operative word is faithfulness to God. The meaning of any passage of Scripture must be derived in term of its context. Habakkuk thought that the Babylonians would completely wipe out the Jewish people in Judah. God’s answer to Habakkuk was that those who were faithful to Him would survive. The truth of this is statement can be read in Hab 3. His song celebrates the fact that no matter what happens when the Babylonians invade; those who are being faithful to God would be preserved by God. History confirms that this is what took place.

In the light of this, let’s have another look at Jesus’ parable. What was the parable all about? Jesus was referring to the widow’s persistence. She kept on “hammering on the door of the unjust judge” until she obtained justice. She was being faithful to what she believed; the parable is all about her persistence; her faithfulness to what she believed. So how should we read Luke 18:8? In the KJV, Jesus ask the question, “But when the Son of Man returns, how many will He find on the earth who have faith?

Now change the understanding of verse 8 to be in line with the context of the parable. Now His question must be, “But when the Son of Man returns, how many will He find on the earth that have this kind of faithfulness? Suddenly the parable makes sense. He wasn’t talking about “faith” as a noun. He was talking about people being faithful to Him. May I suggest that Jesus’ question is better understood as, “But when the Son of Man returns, how many will He find on the earth who are as faithful to God as this widow was toward the justice of her cause?

Faithfulness to Him and His Father is what Jesus is looking for. It’s not some nebulous noun that makes no sense. Rather He is talking about a way of life; of men and women being faithful to the Living God. Will He find it? It’s up to you and me!

Today’s meditation asks the question, what will Jesus expect to find when He returns.

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

What Will He Find?

When Jesus Christ comes back again, what is it He expects? Do you think He’ll shake His head and ask what happens next? What will He be looking for when He surveys the earth? A mass of false Messiah’s, or folk with second birth? Religion based fanatics who murder folk at will? Determined that to spread their faith, they are compelled to kill? Perhaps He’ll find a people enthused by God Most High, And hundreds of His followers who are prepared to die, If that is what is needed? What “faith” will be expressed? Will people be excited or will they be distressed? What “faith” will He be looking for? Will He find men of prayer, Or many, many millions who simply do not care, About their daily lifestyle? Do you think they’ll be glad, Or will this world continue to be a world gone mad? Will He find faith upon the earth? But does this “faith” mean? What is His definition? A world that’s squeaky clean? A people who had come to Him when they were just a lad, And from that very moment had kept on being bad? That’s not the understanding of what His words imply. But living as His follower until the day they die. A better word is faithfulness. A “faith” that carries on, Regardless of the circumstance or where the world has gone. The word means stick-ability. It’s never turning round, To see if there’s a better way that someone else has found. It means that they will carry on regardless of the odds; And not go off a-whoring in lust for foreign gods. It isn’t being perfect. He knows that cannot be. Because with our sin nature, from sin we’re never free. It still remains a choice we make. It’s what we always do. The only way to beat it is with Jesus within you. I’m sure that’s what He’s seeking. It’s what He wants to find. Not what people think is right; correct in their own mind! That’s no good for the Saviour; We must obey His Word. That’s the definition of what should have occurred. But is He going to find it? What is it He will see? I hope it is obedience in folk like you and me. Because friend, if He doesn’t, what is it He will do? I’m sure it will be horrible for those who are untrue. Jim Strickland – Written Monday 2nd April 2012.