The Reality of Losing Heart
Scripture: “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?” (Luke 18.8, ESV)
Main Point: The temptation to abandon faith when God’s kingdom seems invisible and delayed is the core struggle Jesus addresses.
Jesus ends this parable with a piercing question that cuts to the heart of His concern. He’s asking whether His people will maintain faith when He returns. This question assumes something important: that faith will be tested, that many will be tempted to give up, and that holding on will require deliberate choice.
Just before this parable, Jesus told His disciples: “The Kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed” (Luke 17.20, ESV). He also said, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it” (Luke 17.22, ESV). In other words, the kingdom would be hidden. It would be delayed. It would require faith without sight.
We understand this struggle deeply. When we pray for healing and the illness persists, we’re tempted to lose heart. When we pray for restored relationships and the distance remains, doubt creeps in. When we wait for justice and injustice continues, it becomes easy to wonder if God is listening at all. This is losing heart—and Jesus anticipated it.
The good news is that Jesus isn’t surprised by our struggle. He’s offering us not condemnation for our doubts, but a path through them: persistent prayer that transforms us even as we wait.
Reflection: Losing heart means abandoning the belief that God is working, even when we can’t see it. What does it look like in your life when faith feels most invisible?
Prayer: Father, strengthen my faith even when I cannot see Your kingdom at work. Help me hold on when I’m tempted to let go. In Jesus’ name. AMEN.
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