Original Meaning

THE PHARISEES KNOW that Jesus teaches about the coming of the kingdom and that he has presented himself as having a role in its arrival. But they also know that Jesus’ ministry does not look like the ministry of the kingdom that they expect. Thus they ask him to explain his teaching about the coming of the kingdom.2 Such a question should not be surprising, for John the Baptist had asked a similar question for similar reasons (see 7:18–23).

It is possible that the Pharisees not only ask when the kingdom will come, but what signs will accompany its arrival. Jewish expectation held that the kingdom would come as a part of the Day of the Lord and that cosmic signs would welcome its arrival. The kingdom’s coming tended to be portrayed in two ways. Some treated its arrival in prophetic terms, which meant that it would come within the normal movement of history. God would raise up a Messiah from the seed of David or from some other origin to deliver the nation.3 Others spoke in more apocalyptically oriented imagery about a figure who would come from above with heavenly signs and great power. The Old Testament used both sets of images. Thus, a question about the kingdom’s coming was a natural one. If the later history of the Pharisees is any guide, they tended to downplay the more apocalyptic side of this imagery but still anticipated God’s powerful deliverance one day in the future. But it is also possible that they held in the earlier period to a more apocalyptic-like expectation, which they abandoned when the Jewish War of A.D. 70 and the Bar Kochba rebellions of 132–35 failed disastrously.

Jesus begins his reply by noting that the kingdom does not come with signs to be observed. This remark is important, because Jesus is challenging the idea that the kingdom’s coming is marked with some cosmic display.4 The Pharisees’ expectations need changing. They will not need to point here and there and announce that they have found it, because the kingdom is “in their midst” or “within their reach.” Jesus’ point is that the kingdom hope is present in his presence. All efforts to try to determine where it might be located are a waste of energy, given its proximity.

Luke 17:21 is one of the key verses in the New Testament about the kingdom. Various meanings for “in your midst” have been proposed. (1) Some, as the NIV translates it, argue that it means “inside of you.” But as we noted above in a footnote, Jesus would not address Pharisees with this kind of statement. If there is one place the kingdom is not, according to Jesus, it is inside his opponents!

(2) Others argue that the Greek present tense erchetai (“does … come,” v. 20) is really a futuristic present, a position that is grammatically possible. This view takes the meaning that the kingdom will come in their midst, since so much of what Jesus goes on to say is about the future. The problem with this approach is that there are much clearer ways to make this point, such as using the future tense or even the present tense of eimi (Gk. “to be”). In other words, the juxtaposition of present tense with future ideas looks conscious. In addition, to argue for a future understanding puts Jesus in a contradiction. He is saying it does not come with signs, but if a future sense is taken, he goes on to enumerate the signs that signal its arrival! Finally, the term entos can mean “in your midst,” “in your grasp,” or “within your reach,” a sense that fits here since Jesus and his message are the sign they need.5

(3) It is best, therefore, to take verse 21 as teaching that the initial manifestation of the kingdom has come with Jesus’ ministry.6 The Pharisees do not need to look for the kingdom’s coming in the sky, because it is already here in him! If they would just consider all the evidence all around them that portrays the presence of God’s delivering power, they would not be wondering where to look. As Luke has said in various ways, the time of fulfillment is present in Jesus (4:16–30; 7:22–28; 9:1–6; 10:18; 11:20; 16:16).

Jesus indicates that the expected day of the Son of Man’s coming in power is a day they will long for but will not see. That is, the powerful display of that Day is still coming. The days of the authoritative manifestation of the Messiah are not yet here. Even though many are saying, “Here it is,” or “There it is,” Jesus warns them not to follow such claims. When the Son of Man comes, it will be visible and obvious, like lightning flashing across the sky.7 One crucial event must precede all of this. Luke uses the Greek term dei to highlight the event that must take place according to the divine plan.8 That central event is the suffering of the Son of Man. Suffering precedes glory for Jesus. Rejection must come before glorious rule can follow.

Jesus compares the nature of the messianic judgment to the flood in the days of Noah (Gen. 7) and to the days of Lot at Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19), two great periods of judgment against humanity. Just as they did then, people will engage in the affairs of life with little attention to God. In that day people will eat, drink, marry, and be given in marriage, just as they did up to the day Noah got into the ark and the Flood came. That was the end; life stopped. Similarly in the days of Lot, there was eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, and building. But when Lot left Sodom, judgment came, and nothing of the formerly vibrant city was left. Both comparisons picture the absolute finality of God’s judgment. The days of the Son of Man will be like those ancient days of judgment. The idea that there is a second chance on the judgment day is a myth as far as the Bible is concerned.

To underscore how total and swift the judgment will be, Jesus notes that people will not have time to grab things out of their houses to take with them as they attempt to flee. Nor can workers in the field go home to recover possessions. There will be no time to look back or retrace steps. That is why Jesus urges the disciples to remember Lot’s wife. She looked back and in the process looked for the last time. If the world is not careful, they will not be prepared for the judgment when it comes, being too tied to the things of earth to hear the voice of God.

Such misplaced allegiance is why Jesus says that the person who seeks to save his or her life will lose it, while those willing to lose their lives will save them. To choose the Lord may mean persecution from the world and putting one’s life at risk, but that is better than a soul put at permanent risk (12:1–12). Deciding to honor God may mean some suffering now, but it means eternal glory to come. For Christ’s followers this is the crucial point of the passage—we must be faithful until he comes.

So what does the day look like? Two people, whether in bed or grinding grain, will be divided.9 One will be taken and the other left behind. This picture involves the separation of the righteous from the unrighteous. The examples of Noah and Lot picture those taken into deliverance. God will vindicate and protect his own. Luke 17:37 confirms this approach to the passage, since what is left is left for the vultures to devour.10 That image is brutally graphic in portraying the total devastation and death that comes from rejecting the way to God. The disciples’ question “Where?” (v. 37) asks about the locale of such judgment. Jesus deflects the question by pointing to the mood and reality of what he is saying: The day of the Son of Man will be a day of judgment. When he is done, only vultures will remain for those left in judgment. The warning about the return closes with a field full of carcasses staring at us. The imagery intends to move our soul to reflect about how devastating the end will be for some.

Luke 18:1–8 contains a parable and an application that continue the theme of Jesus’ return. The application of the parable in verses 7–8 keeps our focus on the attitude we should have about his return. This section is unique to Luke and is one of the most entertaining of Jesus’ parables. It portrays the importance of prayer for God’s vindication of the saints. If they minister in a world that will not accept them, how should they handle the injustice of that rejection?

The answer comes in a call to pray persistently without losing heart. It is another way to call for enduring faith. Luke often treats the issue of prayer, protection, and hope (4:25–30; 11:2; 12:5; 22:41). The point is made emphatically when Luke again uses the Greek word dei in 18:1, which denotes necessity (“should”). It is important to maintain faith in the light of patiently awaiting his return.

What makes this parable so effective are its two characters, with whom it is easy to identify. The widow who needs help represents a person helpless in the society, whose only appeal for justice comes from the authority of the judge. Though we probably think of her as an older women, in the ancient world a widow could be as young as in her thirties. She is seeking justice and appeals to a judge for help. This likely involves some type of vindication involving money. The woman is persistent, a quality Jesus makes exemplary in the story.

The judge does not fear God or respect people. He is a fiercely independent man11 and represents, in a contrasting manner, the potential for God to respond to the cries for justice from his people. Jesus’ argument goes that if a judge, who is no respecter of persons, hears the cry of the widow, how much more will a compassionate God hear the cries of his people!

The fact that the main petitioner in the story is a widow means that the judge does have a cultural and moral obligation to be sensitive to her. She is in an exposed and vulnerable position. God expected the poor to be defended (Ex. 22:21–24; Deut. 24:17–18; Pss. 65:8; 82:2–7; 146:9). The widow makes her appeal again and again. She intends to get the justice she is entitled to receive from her adversary.

For some time the judge does not act, but he eventually relents. Her persistence wears him down. Anyone who has experienced persistence in a request can understand how the judge feels. The woman is “bothering” him constantly (a Greek word meaning that her actions “cause him trouble”). He anticipates being “worn out” by her (a Greek expression that can refer to giving someone a black eye!).12 He is not worried for his reputation here, since he does not care what others think of him. But he is tired of her persistence, so he will act.

The Lord asks us to “listen to what the unjust judge says,” that is, to reflect on his reaction to the persistent requests of the woman, which in turn picture the prayers of the saints. God will vindicate his people who constantly cry out to him. The remark is stated emphatically with a double negative (ou me): God will definitely vindicate his people. If an unjust judge responds to such pleas, God will certainly respond to such cries from his own chosen ones. As verse 7 makes clear, it is “justice” or vindication that will be delivered (see vv. 3, 5 for the same term). God will judge those who persecute the righteous. He will not delay, but will vindicate them with “justice, and quickly.”

The remark about quick justice has received much attention, since total vindication has not yet come. It can be understood in two ways. (1) Luke desires to emphasize that the return can come at any moment, without specifying when that is. Vindication is the next thing on the divine calendar, and once it comes, in light of the eternity that follows, it will be a quick exercise of justice. (2) The vindication comes in part in the protection that God offers to his own. Even though they suffer, they do not perish, and that is a sign of their vindication. Either meaning is possible here. Perhaps a text like Sirach 35:21–23 gives help in understanding the passage:

The prayer of the humble pierces the clouds,

and it will not rest until it reaches its goal;

it will not desist until the Most High responds

and does justice for the righteous, and executes judgment.

Indeed, the Lord will not delay,

and like a warrior will not be patient

until he crushes the loins of the unmerciful

and repays vengeance on the nations;

until he destroys the multitude of the insolent,

and breaks the scepters of the unrighteous.

God longs to vindicate the saints, and he will do so. When he does, his justice will be swift and sure, and our suffering will seem short-lived compared to the glory to follow. In the meantime he protects us.

One final thought remains. When total vindication comes, will the Son of Man (i.e., Jesus) find faith on the earth? In other words, will the delay, which is to some degree assumed in the parable, affect the faith of some, since Jesus calls us not to give up (v. 1)? No answer is given to this question, but Jesus calls for faith and prayer to hang in there over the long haul.

Bridging Contexts

CURIOSITY ABOUT WHERE history is headed can be a fascinating topic. It does not take long to see how interested many are in the future. The popularity of astrology and the fascination in figuring out biblical prophecy both testify to the power of trying to determine what the future holds. But this text is serious in claiming that such exercises in the end are speculative enterprises. In fact, Jesus does not give any eschatological text so we can figure out when he will return. The texts exist to exhort us to keep watch, to call us to faithfulness, to indicate that the end will be difficult for many, and to remind us that we are all accountable to the God who will one day manifest his awesome power in judgment. Jesus’ only intent is to make clear an end is coming and to reveal its general outline so his saints will stay alert.

When Jesus treats the issue of what the end looks like, he is not trying to entertain us and satisfy our curiosity. That moment will be devastating and traumatic. It will mean decisive judgment delivered. People will be separated. Life will be given to some; death will come to others. Teaching about the end is deadly serious business because of what God will do at that time. The reality of the coming judgment is a reality that awaits humanity. God has not dated the event for us, other than to tell us it will come.

When it does, we will not need to work hard to figure that out. It will be as visible to all as lightning in the sky. The important thing is to be ready and to be on the correct side. The authority of the Son of Man in his return is a good reason to respond to the call of the Son of Man now, before that day arrives. Though Jesus will suffer, he will return. To know the Savior of the cross is to know the glorious promise and hope of vindication at the time of his return. That truth is just as true on this side of the cross as it was before he went to meet his divinely destined fate.

For Luke, the kingdom comes in stages. Some of its blessings come now with Jesus—the offer for forgiveness, the initial defeat of Satan in Jesus’ ministry and at the cross, and the provision of the Spirit after his ascension. This expression of kingdom presence manifests itself in the church community that confesses Jesus as the Christ, the anointed King and Son of God. The church now bears a cross, not a sword. We are an instrument of service and faithfulness; one day we will be honored as Christ’s bride.

But another phase of kingdom authority is future. So Jesus addresses his disciples about it in verses 22–37. That kingdom phase does come with signs and represents the completion of the kingdom program of God. God will then show his power, the saints will be vindicated, and justice will be accomplished. It will be a period of joy or despair, depending on how one is related to the Lord. In the interim, we are called to lose our lives and to offer ourselves to the Lord’s service in ways that honor him. Many go on with life as if the Lord will never return, but we must serve him with an awareness that he may return at any moment, a day that means disaster for those who do not know him.

The longer time goes on until the Lord’s return, the more relevant Jesus’ parable in 18:1–7 becomes. The parable calls for prayer, persistence, and patience, something that becomes more necessary the longer we wait. At the base of the parable is an attitude about facing injustice as believers. Our call is not to strike back in kind, but to turn to God and rest in the promise he has made to vindicate us. The parable is therefore both an exhortation and a promise, whose point is as valuable now as it was two millennia ago. We must pray and keep looking to God for the vindication he will bring one day.

The second lesson of the parable is that God will bring justice. As Romans 12:19 indicates, he will one day execute vengeance. We tend in our culture to shy away from the God of judgment, but a God of judgment is really a God of accountability. We require such a concept in our everyday lives. What would our streets be like if there were no law and order, no courts and prisons? A God of justice reminds us that we cannot do as we please and be accountable to no one.

Finally, the text issues a call for faithfulness. When the Lord returns, will there be faith on earth (v. 8)? Like 12:35–48, God calls us to be faithful managers in the interim. We should pray in a way that leaves judgment to the Lord and serves him with diligence until he comes.

Contemporary Significance

THE INITIAL PHASE of the kingdom of God calls us to be worthy citizens (Phil. 3:20–21). Peter calls believers “aliens and strangers in the world.”13 We are servants of the Lord, who represent him on this earth; we must not define our lives through earthly or cultural attachments. Hauerwas and Willimon define a “resident alien” this way:

The church exists today as resident aliens, an adventurous colony in a society of unbelief. As a society of unbelief, Western culture is devoid of a sense of journey, of adventure, because it lacks belief in much more than the cultivation of an ever-shrinking horizon of self-preservation and self-expression.14

To experience the divine favor that comes from sharing in the kingdom promises, Jesus tells the Pharisees they must deal with him. It is no different today. In the face of great debate whether Jesus is the only way, the Lord’s stress is that the road to blessing and participation in God’s presence goes through him.15 To follow him is to be different.

No area of theology breeds more speculative attention than the end times. Reactions to this issue span the spectrum. Some give their lives trying to figure out the “signs of the times” and just how close we may be to the end. Elaborate theories about how it will all unwind bring together huge sections of the Scripture into a unified scenario. A few have even set dates for Christ’s return or come close to it, a commitment Scripture does not make (Mark 13:32; Acts 1:6–8).16 Some ministries devote their full attention to such concerns. On the other end are those who view such speculation as a waste of time and energy. God knows how it will turn out, so we just should do what we are called to do in the meantime.

Both approaches are overreactions. It is hard to take the Bible seriously if one ignores its discussion about the end, since a significant portion of the Bible touches on eschatological themes about the promises of God. The only way for us to make sense of life today is to appreciate where the future is going. Scripture outlines that future, not with detailed dates, but with a general outline of what is to come. That outline is designed not to have us prepare charts, but to prepare our hearts. The return of Jesus is serious business, a time when God will be engaged in definitive judgment.

Jesus talks about the end in grim terms and gruesome detail to make clear how serious an issue judgment is for God. Judgment means accountability. In a society that tends to view adults as accountable only to themselves and their own consciences, it is a critical reminder that God does hold us responsible for our actions. That is why Jesus in the parable of Luke 18:1–8 asks if he will find faith on the earth when he returns. Those who recognize their accountability to God will go through life with circumspection. To ignore the end is to risk forgetting accountability.

The world is headed towards an end when many will simply engage in life without concern for God. It will be like the days of Noah and Lot. That many end up spiritually disengaged from God should not surprise us. That does not mean that we should give up in trying to share the gospel with those who are simply traveling through life. Too much is at stake to simply ignore our neighbors. When the Lord returns to exercise judgment, there will be no second chance. For those who are his, the blessed rule of his kingdom will last forever; but for those who miss out, it is an opportunity missed forever. The passage closes with the bleak image of the vultures gathered, not because there is joy in the judgment to come, but because the tragedy is all too real. This text screams to every person to choose wisely when it comes to the things of God. There is too much at stake to make an erroneous choice.

Furthermore, every moment until the Lord returns is an opportunity to be God’s instrument in changing the destiny of someone who does not yet know him. God is delaying the day of judgment, being patient and allowing time for others to come to him (2 Peter 3:9). Thus the moments that remain should motivate the church to be the vessel through which others come to see and enjoy the grace of God.

The major application of the parable in Luke 18:1–6 is to keep our eyes focused on the hope that is yet to come. We wait for his return with expectation, but in the meantime we have been saved and have been called to be a people zealous to serve God with good works (Titus 2:11–14). Though the struggle of this life is sometimes hard and even unfair to Christians as they seek to honor God in a world that often does not honor God, we must not lose heart. Sometimes the persecution or the rejection can make us wonder if it is worth it. Other times we become frustrated because those unfaithful to God look as if they have everything. But we must remember that such a life is the “full payment” they get for their choice to pursue riches on this earth. There will come a time when that cupboard is bare. So Christ urges us to pray to God that we might draw on his faithfulness for daily strength.

The parable also reveals something significant about prayer. Most prayer meetings I attend take on a predictable character. We pray for one another’s needs—usually issues like finances and health. Occasionally a request for the opportunity to share with a friend or a neighbor comes in, along with the obligatory prayer for the leaders of our country and missionaries. The victims of natural or political disaster also get attention.

What is often missing in such meetings are the types of concerns reflected in this parable’s call for persistent prayer. We are to pray earnestly for the vindication of our testimony in the world and our eventual full redemption by the hand of God. To use the imagery of the parable, do we as a church community “wear God down” with such a request for vindication? The prayer most like the one called for here in Scripture appears in Acts 4:23–31, where the church asked for enablement to perform what God had called them to do, even in the face of fierce persecution. They desired vindication, that God would show his presence powerfully through their ministry. We should do no less.