The “them” were the disciples of Jesus. He had just taught them about the peril facing all human beings (see Info CE). They needed encouragement to maintain their trust in him and his father above. So he encouraged them.
He stated, “In a certain town there was a certain judge not fearing God and not being turned by man and there was in that same town a widow and she was coming to him, stating, ‘Avenge me against my adversary!’ And, for a time, he did not wish to, but, after these, he said in himself, ‘Though I do not fear God and am not turned by man, yet through this same widow providing trouble to me, I will avenge her so that she will not wear me down in endless coming.’”
The “judge” had no vertical accountabilities to move him towards compassion – and no horizontal ones to keep him in check. Would you trust such a Trump-like “judge”? And yet, he did see to “her adversary.”
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But the Lord said, “Hear what the judge of unrighteousness is stating! And may not God do the avenging of his chosen who plead to him day and night? And will he be patient over them? I state to you that he will do the avenging of them with speed.”
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The contrast is between the “judge of unrighteousness” and the God of compassion, who “with speed” will seek to relieve “his chosen” in their earthly suffering from “adversaries.” How will God actually do this for “his chosen” who have resolved to follow Jesus? It seems to me, at the highest level, that humanity will find itself reaping what it is sowing. Those who oppose the mercy and grace available in Jesus will be reaping the unavailability, for them, of mercy and grace – from one another.
“On the contrary, will the Son of Man, coming, find faith upon the earth?”
This statement of Jesus seems to confirm that, such will be the eventual reaping of ‘no-mercy-and-no-grace’ on earth (when God and the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ is thereby “avenging … his chosen”), that it will seem that none on earth will be truly following Jesus in true “faith.”
But he also said this parable to certain ones who were persuaded in themselves that they are righteous, and detested the others. “Two men moved up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, having stood near himself, was praying these things: ‘God, I give thanks to you that I am not just as the other men, rapacious, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice of a sabbath; I tithe away of all those things I gain.’ But the tax collector, standing far away, was not wishing even to lift up the eyes into the heaven, but was beating his breast, stating, ‘God, be reconciled with me, the sinner!’ I state to you, this man moved down into his house, righteoused beside that same one, in that everyone exalting himself will be humbled, but the one humbling himself will be exalted.”
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The first man in “the temple” was convinced that he had absolutely no need whatsoever of mercy or grace from God above. The second man there was the absolute opposite. He knew, desperately knew, that he was lost without such mercy. He asked to “be reconciled.” Receiving this, he went “to his house” (does this mean inside his own being) “righteoused” – made righteous. Because “everyone exalting himself will be humbled, but the one humbling himself will be exalted.”
But they were also bringing the new-born to him so that he may touch them. But the disciples, seeing, were rebuking them.
At that time all “the disciples” assumed that the hierarchy among humans needed to be enforced by them on Jesus' behalf.
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But Jesus called them near to him, stating, “Leave the children to come to me! And do not forbid them! Because of such ones is the kingdom of God. Truly, I state to you, whoever may not receive the kingdom of God like a child may not enter it.”
No hierarchy. No way to be above others. A child hears, “come to me ... be reconciled ... righteoused ... receive the kingdom of God.”
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