"When the Son of Man returns..."

 

Luke 18:1-8      Pentecost XIX

 “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”

 The unjust Judge has lost all respect for God and for humanity.  He judged from that perspective on the world.  The widow demanded justice.  She was relentless at demanding justice.  Even this scoundrel gave her justice because of her persistence.

 Jesus claims that God will give justice for the same reason.  We are called to cry out to God for justice day and night.  Jesus also claims that God will not delay, but will give justice quickly to those who call upon God day and night. 

 But I have heard that “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”  It takes a long time, but it will come, according to Dr. King.

 Are we THAT IMMORAL, that God would have justice come quickly but we delay its coming?

Are we that lax in prayer that our prayers for justice are not answered?

Do we fail to see that prayer is action and action is prayer?  The widow WENT TO HIM REPEATEDLY.  She demanded justice.

 Like Moses with Pharaoh, she did not relent with “No.”  She kept coming back.  Like the church reformers, she would not let go of her pursuit of justice.  Like Harriet Tubman, she kept going back for justice for all.  Like Dr. King, she kept demanding justice for all.  Like Elizabeth Warren, “nevertheless, she persisted,” when the powers that be would silence her instead of hearing her considered opinion toward equal justice for all.  Like President Zelensky.  Like Stacey Abrams in Georgia.  So, we are called to be persistent toward bringing equal justice for all, even or especially working against those who were appointed to bring justice, but who are reticent to provide it.  

 Prayer is action; action is prayer.  We must be relentless in our pursuit of what is right, loving, equitable and just for all people.  In our prayers and in our actions.

 For there are those who not only will not lift a finger to provide equal justice for all, but who are actively working to deny equal justice for all in the world.  We must actively persist in demanding it together.  We must actively work to bring it about.

 God loves justice.  God demands justice.  When the church of God demands equal justice for all, then we are on the side of God.  When we respect neither God nor the humanity that God loves in how we live, then we are not on the side of God, but on the side of those who oppose God.

 Will the arc of the moral universe bend toward justice in our future?  Will we pray for it to be done and ACT toward it being done?  It is long delayed.  Is that because we have not yet been persistent enough in our prayers and actions?

 Will Jesus, when He returns, find faith on earth?  In us?