Nikita of the Kiev Caves, Archishop and Wonderworker of Novgorod

All this, he says, is to happen to the people of that time, but against this, prayer provides great help, which we must constantly and with patience offer, keeping in mind how the persistence of the widow swayed the unjust judge. For if constant entreaty softened him, who was full of all manner of wickedness and ashamed neither before God nor before men, how much more shall we not incline to mercy the Father of compassions, God, even though He delays for the present? Notice that not being ashamed before men is a sign of great wickedness. For many do not fear God, but are at least ashamed before men, and therefore sin less. But whoever has ceased to be ashamed even before men has reached the height of wickedness. Therefore the Lord also placed afterward: "and was not ashamed before men," speaking as if to say: the judge did not fear God, and what am I saying, did not fear God? — he displayed even greater wickedness, because he was not ashamed even before men.

Our Lord having spoken of the trials and dangers which were coming, adds immediately afterward their remedy, namely, constant and earnest prayer.

We may observe, that irreverence towards man is a token of a greater degree of wickedness. For as many as fear not God, yet are restrained by their shame before men, are so far the less sinful; but when a man becomes reckless also of other men, the burden of his sins is greatly increased. It follows, And there was a widow in that city.

As if He said, If perseverance could melt a judge defiled with every sin, how much more shall our prayers incline to mercy God the Father of all mercies! But some have given a more subtle meaning to the parable, saying, that the widow is a soul that has put off the old man, (that is, the devil,) who is her adversary, because she approaches God, the righteous Judge, who neither fears (because He is God alone) nor regards man, for with God there is no respect of persons. Upon the widow then, or soul ever supplicating Him against the devil, God shows mercy, and is softened by her importunity. After having taught us that we must in the last days resort to prayer because of the dangers that are coming, our Lord adds, Nevertheless, when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

There was a certain judge in a certain city, who neither feared God nor respected man. However, there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him, saying: Avenge me against my adversary. And he refused for a long time. But afterward he said to himself: Though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow troubles me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. The Lord places parables either according to some likeness, as in the case of a man who had two sons, the elder working in the field close to him, and the younger living luxuriously in a distant place, or he proves something from dissimilarity itself, as in this passage: If the grass of the field, which today is and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, God so clothes, how much more you of little faith (Matthew VI). Therefore, the former type can be joined with these words: Just as that, so this one too. The latter, however, with these words: If that, how much more this one? Or, if that, how much less this one? But these are set forth obscurely in some places, openly in others. Hence, the unjust judge here is employed not by similarity, but by dissimilarity. For indeed, that unjust judge by no means allegorically represents the person of God, but still, as the Lord wanted to infer here, how much God, who is good and just, cares about those who beseech Him, because even an unjust man cannot disregard those who pester him with persistent prayers, if only to avoid their annoyance. For this is what he said: Lest by her coming she weary me. The widow herself can indeed have the likeness of the Church, which seems desolate until the Lord comes, who, however, even now secretly takes care of it.

There was a certain judge, etc. After the reason for introducing the parable, there is here subjoined the introduction of the parable itself: concerning whose expression three things are introduced, namely the hardness of the judge, the persistence of the poor woman, and the efficacy of prayer.

First, as to the hardness of the judge, he says: There was a certain judge in a certain city, who did not fear God, on account of the hardness of heart which causes one not to fear God, according to that passage of Isaiah 63: "You have hardened our heart, lest we should fear you." Such hardened ones do not fear God but rather despise him; in whose person, Job 21: "Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him?" and 22: "As if the Almighty could do nothing, they esteemed him." Such are those who say that of Deuteronomy 32: "Our hand is exalted, and not the Lord, has done all these things." — And because pride accompanies hardness, therefore he adds: And he did not reverence man, on account of the arrogance of mind. Whence he was of the number of those of whom Wisdom 2 says: "Let us oppress the just poor man and let us not spare the widow, nor reverence the gray hairs of the aged of much time." To such Isaiah 33 says: "Woe to you who plunder! Shall you not yourself also be plundered? And you who despise, shall you not yourself also be despised? When you have finished plundering, you shall be plundered, and when, wearied, you cease to despise, you shall be despised."

Notice what He means by "an unjust judge". By those words most of us would mean someone like Judge Jeffreys or the creatures who sat on the benches of German tribunals during the Nazi régime: someone who bullies witnesses and jurymen in order to convict, and then savagely to punish, innocent men. Once again, we are thinking of a criminal trial. We hope we shall never appear in the dock before such a judge. But the Unjust Judge in the parable is quite a different character. There is no danger of appearing in his court against your will: the difficulty is the opposite—to get into it. It is clearly a civil action. The poor woman (Luke 18:1–5) has had her little strip of land—room for a pigsty or a hen-run—taken away from her by a richer and more powerful neighbour (nowadays it would be Town-Planners or some other "Body"). And she knows she has a perfectly watertight case. If once she could get it into court and have it tried by the laws of the land, she would be bound to get that strip back. But no one will listen to her, she can't get it tried. No wonder she is anxious for "judgement".

Behind this lies an age-old and almost world-wide experience which we have been spared. In most places and times it has been very difficult for the "small man" to get his case heard. The judge (and, doubtless, one or two of his underlings) has to be bribed. If you can't afford to "oil his palm" your case will never reach court. Our judges do not receive bribes. (We probably take this blessing too much for granted; it will not remain with us automatically.) We need not therefore be surprised if the Psalms, and the Prophets, are full of the longing for judgement, and regard the announcement that "judgement" is coming as good news. Hundreds and thousands of people who have been stripped of all they possess and who have the right entirely on their side will at last be heard. Of course they are not afraid of judgement. They know their case is unanswerable—if only it could be heard. When God comes to judge, at last it will.

The present parable assures us God will bend his ear to those who offer him their prayers, not carelessly nor negligently but with earnestness and constancy. The constant coming of the oppressed widow conquered the unjust judge that did not fear God or have any shame. Even against his will, he granted her request. How will not he who loves mercy and hates iniquity, and who always gives his helping hand to those that love him, accept those who draw near to him day and night and avenge them as his elect?

How was that unjust judge immoral and wicked? How was the upright judge gracious and just? The first in his iniquity was not willing to vindicate the widow, and in his wickedness, he was not willing to put her mind at rest. The justice of God knows how to vindicate, and his grace discerns how to give life. The iniquity of this wicked judge was contrary to the justice of God, and the wickedness of this rebel was in opposition to the grace of the gentle One. His wickedness therefore was stubbornness, for it dared to go against the fear of God. His boldness was stubborn, for it refused the lowly person.These two were stubborn, but persistent prayer was even more stubborn. The persistence of the widow humiliated both the iniquity that was rebelling against God and the boldness that was behaving arrogantly towards human beings. She subjected them to her will, so that they might provide her with a vindication over her adversary. Persistence transformed these two bitter branches, and they bore sweet fruit that was against their nature. The iniquity of the judge brought about a righteous judgment and a just retribution for the falsely accused woman. His wickedness gave peace to the afflicted one, although iniquity does not know how to judge, and wickedness does not know how to give refreshment. Persistence forced these two evil and bitter branches to give good fruit against their nature. If we persist in prayer, we should be even more able to prevail on the grace and justice of God to give us fruit that agrees with their nature. Let justice vindicate us, and let grace refresh us. Accordingly, the fruit of justice is the just reward of the oppressed, while the giving of refreshment to the afflicted is the fruit of grace.

He then, having gathered to himself the unbelieving everywhere throughout the world, comes at their call to persecute the saints, their enemies and antagonists, as the apostle and evangelist says: "There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: and there was a widow in that city, who came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her." By the unrighteous judge, who fears not God, neither regards man, he means without doubt Antichrist, as he is a son of the devil and a vessel of Satan. For when he has the power, he will begin to exalt himself against God, neither in truth fearing God, nor regarding the Son of God, who is the Judge of all. And in saying that there was a widow in the city, he refers to Jerusalem itself, which is a widow indeed, forsaken of her perfect, heavenly spouse, God. She calls Him her adversary, and not her Saviour; for she does not understand that which was said by the prophet Jeremiah: "Because they obeyed not the truth, a spirit of error shall speak then to this people and to Jerusalem." And Isaiah also to the like effect: "Forasmuch as the people refuseth to drink the water of Siloam that goeth softly, but chooseth to have Rasin and Romeliah's son as king over you: therefore, lo, the Lord bringeth up upon you the water of the river, strong and full, even the king of Assyria." By the king he means metaphorically Antichrist, as also another prophet saith: "And this man shall be the peace from me, when the Assyrian shall come up into your land, and when he shall tread in your mountains."

The Lord also spoke as follows to those who did not believe in Him: "I have come in my Father's name, and ye have not received Me: when another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive," calling Antichrist "the other," because he is alienated from the Lord. This is also the unjust judge, whom the Lord mentioned as one "who feared not God, neither regarded man," to whom the widow fled in her forgetfulness of God,-that is, the earthly Jerusalem,-to be avenged of her adversary. Which also he shall do in the time of his kingdom: he shall remove his kingdom into that [city], and shall sit in the temple of God, leading astray those who worship him, as if he were Christ.

The widow kept asking to be heard by the judge, because she was not admitted; but when her suit was heard, thenceforth she was silent. So that there is a limit both to seeking, and to knocking, and to asking.

The widow may be said to resemble the Church, which appears desolate until the Lord shall come, who now secretly watches over her. But in the following words, And she came unto him, saying, Avenge me, &c. we are told the reason why the elect of God pray that they may be avenged; which we find also said of the martyrs in the Revelations of St. John, (Rev. 6:10.) though at the same time we are very plainly reminded to pray for our enemies and persecutors. This avenging of the righteous then we must understand to be, that the wicked may perish. And they perish in two ways, either by conversion to righteousness, or by punishment having lost the opportunity of conversion. Although, if all men were converted to God, there would still remain the devil to be condemned at the end of the world. And since the righteous are longing for this end to come, they are not unreasonably said to desire vengeance.

(ut sup.) If then with the most unjust judge, the perseverance of the suppliant at length prevailed even to the fulfilment of her desire, how much more confident ought they to feel who cease not to pray to God, the Fountain of justice and mercy? And so it follows. And the Lord said, Hear what, &c.

Second, as to the persistence of the poor woman, he adds: But there was a certain widow in that city; a widow, namely, deprived of the comfort of a husband; and such are especially to be assisted, according to that passage of Isaiah 1: "Seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge for the orphan, and defend the widow." To such, justice ought to be rendered more readily, because they are less able to defend themselves and are more frequently oppressed; and therefore Ecclesiasticus 4: "Deliver him who suffers injury from the hand of the proud." "In judging, be merciful to orphans as a father, and as a husband to their mother; and you shall be as an obedient son of the Most High, and he will have mercy on you more than a mother."

Concerning this widow, then, who needed the judge's protection on account of the oppression of the wicked, he adds: And she kept coming to him, saying: Vindicate me against my adversary, through the rigor of just judgment; and this indeed was just for such a person: Ecclesiasticus twenty-one: "The prayer of the poor shall reach from his mouth to the ears, and judgment shall come to him speedily," namely from God; and thirty-five: "He will hear the prayer of the one who is wronged; nor will he despise the prayers of the orphan, nor the widow, if she pours forth words of groaning. Do not the tears of the widow run down her cheek, and is not her cry against him who causes them to fall? For from the cheek they ascend even to heaven." And yet they do not reach the hardened heart of man.

These things we suffer by our own fault and our own deserving, even as the divine judgment has forewarned us, saying, "If they forsake my law and walk not in my judgments, if they profane my statutes and keep not my commandments, then will I visit their transgressions with the rod, and their iniquities with stripes." It is for this reason that we feel the rods and the stripes, because we neither please God with good deeds nor atone for our sins. Let us of our inmost heart and of our entire mind ask for God's mercy, because He Himself also adds, saying, "Nevertheless my loving-kindness will I not scatter away from them." Let us ask, and we shall receive; and if there be delay and tardiness in our receiving, since we have grievously offended, let us knock, because "to him that knocketh also it shall be opened," if only our prayers, our groanings, and our tears, knock at the door; and with these we must be urgent and persevering, even although prayer be offered with one mind.

Whence he adds: And he was unwilling for a long time, on account of the faithlessness of his hardened mind; whence he was of the number of those of whom Isaiah one says: "Your princes are faithless, companions of thieves. They all love gifts, they pursue rewards. They do not judge for the orphan, and the cause of the widow does not come before them"; and Jeremiah five: "They have not judged the cause of the widow, they have not directed the cause of the orphan," etc.

Third, as regards the efficacy of prayer, he adds: But after these things he said within himself: Although I do not fear God nor regard man, through the boldness of heart, on account of which he was like that proud man of whom Job fifteen says: "He ran against God with neck erect and was armed with a fat neck." Whence he was also of the number of those of whom it is said in the Psalm: "Destruction and unhappiness are in their ways," etc.

Yet, because this widow troubles me, through the persistence of prayer, which conquers all things, according to that passage in Judges fourteen concerning the wife of Samson, who "wept before him during the seven days of the feast, and at length on the seventh day, since she was troublesome to him, he explained it." On account of which, above in chapter eleven: "And he from within should answer: Do not trouble me, for my children are with me in bed." "And if he shall continue knocking, I say to you, even if he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needs."

So also this judge is overcome by importunity; whence he adds: I will vindicate her, according to the demand of her right; for this is the office of a judge, to relieve the oppressed and to punish the oppressors: Numbers thirty-one: "The Lord spoke to Moses: First avenge the children of Israel upon the Midianites, and so you shall be gathered to your fathers." This the judge ought not to do out of hatred of the person, but out of love of justice, as Mattathias, of whom First Maccabees two says: "His fury was kindled according to the judgment of the Law, and leaping upon him he slew that man."

Now this judge did not exercise vengeance out of zeal for the law, but to avoid the weariness of petition; and therefore he adds: Lest in the end she come and wear me out, by the frequency of her crying. Bede: "In the end, that is, lest coming again and again she strangle me with her wearisome outcries." Whence the Gloss says that "sugillo is derived from suga, drawn from the lamiae, that is, I strangle." For lamiae kill infants and suck their blood, and thereby suffocate and kill by strangling. Therefore one is said to be worn out who is afflicted by words and arguments with such great weariness that from the weariness blood is sucked out and diminished. Whence the sense is: wear me out, that is, suck my blood, like the lamiae, of whom it is said in Lamentations chapter four: "The lamiae have bared their breasts, they have nursed their young."

These examples now are proposed so that important things may be suggested from things of less importance. They are like the example of the judge who feared neither God nor people and who nevertheless yielded to the widow bothering him to judge her case. He yielded not through piety or kindness but through fear of suffering annoyance. By no means does that unjust judge furnish an allegorical representation of God. The example is of an unjust man who, although he yields for the mere sake of avoiding annoyance, nevertheless cannot disregard those who bother him with continual pleadings. By this the Lord wishes us to infer how much care God bestows on those who beseech him, for God is both just and good.

The Lord said: Hear what the unjust judge says. Will not God bring about justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night? Will He keep putting them off? I tell you, He will see that they get justice, and quickly. If anyone is troubled by why God's elect pray to be avenged, as is also mentioned in the Revelation of John regarding the martyrs, although we are most clearly admonished to pray for our enemies and those who persecute us, it is to be understood that this is the vengeance of the righteous, that all the evil should perish. They perish in two ways: either by conversion to righteousness, or by losing their power through punishment, which now to some extent prevails against the good, as long as it serves the good temporarily. The end that the righteous desire to come, although they pray for their enemies, is nonetheless reasonably called the desire for vengeance.

And the Lord said etc. After the reason for introducing the parable and the introduction of the parable itself, there follows here the application of the parable as introduced: concerning which three things are set forth. For human attention is aroused, confidence is raised up, and distrust is reproved.

First, therefore, with respect to the arousal of attention, it is said: And the Lord said: Hear what the unjust judge says, that is, consider the response of this judge, in which one must consider indeed how great is the efficacy of persistent prayer, because persistence begot annoyance, and annoyance extorted justice. Whence although he had a heart of stone, he was nonetheless moved by the frequency of petitions, so that in him that poetic saying is verified:

"A drop hollows out a stone, not by force, but by falling often."

Although there was iniquity in him, he was nonetheless compelled to render justice by the widow's importunate persistence; from which we understand that if the persistence of petition softened a most hardened judge and inclined a most unjust one to render judgment, how much more powerfully will it incline a God who is merciful and just. Whence Chrysostom: "Not such a judge, lacking the faithfulness of love, compelled by weariness — nor can his zeal be praised here — but if he, with whatever disposition, avenged the widow, God the judge will most certainly avenge the injury done to his own." From this the efficacy of persistent prayer is shown in a wondrous way, because he who neither feared God nor cared for the regard of man nor loved justice was overcome by the widow through her importunate persistence in petitions.

But that he asserted that He is really to be feared as being a just God, to whom he says those who receive injustice cry, is shown in a parable of which he gives the interpretation, saying: If, then, the unjust judge did so, because he was continually entreated, how much more will the Father avenge those who cry to Him day and night?

As our Savior pointed out, even the cruel and wicked judge eventually looked into the poor widow's case because she had wearied him with her insistence. It is quite clear that God does not neglect us. Even if he makes us wait, he will nonetheless answer us and see to our case all of a sudden. When we pray all the time, we should not weary. We should eagerly cry out to him day and night, begging him with a broken heart and a humble spirit. "A humble spirit is a sacrifice to God, and God will not reject a broken heart."

Secondly, with respect to the raising up of human confidence, he adds: And will not God avenge his elect, out of the strictness of his judgment: Romans chapter twelve: "Vengeance is mine, and I will repay"; and Deuteronomy chapter thirty-two: "Vengeance is mine, and I will repay them in due time, when their foot shall slip."

Of those crying out to him day and night, namely from the affliction of the soul; Revelation 6: "I saw under the altar of God the souls of those slain for the Word of God, and they cried out with a loud voice, saying: How long, O Lord, holy and true, do you not judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell upon the earth?" etc.; indeed, even when they themselves are silent with their mouths, their tribulations cry out; Genesis 4: "The voice of your brother's blood cries out to me from the earth."

And will he have patience with them? through a relaxation of zeal; as if to say: no; because Ecclesiasticus 35: "The Lord will judge the just and will execute judgment, and the Almighty will not have patience with them, so as to crush their backs." This, however, is said not because the Lord does not wait for sinners, but because, with judgment imminent, he no longer wills to wait; Romans 2: "Do you despise the riches of his goodness and patience and long-suffering?" "But according to your hardness and impenitent heart, you treasure up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and of the revelation of the just judgment of God, who will render to each one according to his works: to those who according to patience in good work, glory and honor and incorruption; but to those who are contentious, who do not acquiesce to the truth but believe iniquity, wrath and indignation, tribulation and anguish upon every soul of one who works evil."

We say in our prayers to him who is able to save and drive away from us that wicked being, "Avenge me of my adversary." The only-begotten Word of God has truly done this by having become man. He has ejected the ruler of this world from his tyranny over us and has delivered and saved us and put us under the yoke of his kingdom. It is excellent to make requests through constant prayer, because Christ will receive our pleas and fulfill our petitions.

And as, in those times, vengeance came from God upon the Egyptians who were subjecting Israel to unjust punishment, so is it now, the Lord truly declaring, "And shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him? I tell you, that He will avenge them speedily." So says the apostle, in like manner, in the Epistle to the Thessalonians: "Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; and to you who are troubled rest with us, at the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ from heaven with His mighty angels, and in a flame of fire, to take vengeance upon those who know not God, and upon those that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall also be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power; when He shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in all them who have believed in Him."

He show us that it is God the judge whom we must importune with prayer, and not Himself, if He is not Himself the judge. But He added, that "God would avenge His own elect." Since, then, He who judges will also Himself be the avenger, He proved that the Creator is on that account the specially good God, whom He represented as the avenger of His own elect, who cry day and night to Him, And yet, when He introduces to our view the Creator's temple, and describes two men worshipping therein with diverse feelings-the Pharisee in pride, the publican in humility-and shows us how they accordingly went down to their homes, one rejected, the other justified, He surely, by thus teaching us the proper discipline of prayer, has determined that that God must be prayed to from whom men were to receive this discipline of prayer-whether condemnatory of pride, or justifying in humility.

How would Christ speak, but in accordance with the treatment to which the Christian would be subjected? But when He forbids thinking about what answer to make at a judgment-seat, He is preparing His own servants for what awaited them, He gives the assurance that the Holy Spirit will answer by them; and when He wishes a brother to be visited in prison, He is commanding that those about to confess be the object of solicitude; and He is soothing their sufferings when He asserts that God will avenge His own elect. In the parable also of the withering of the word after the green blade had sprung up, He is drawing a picture with reference to the burning heat of persecutions.

Eschew therefore their fellowship, and estrange yourselves from their friendship. For concerning them did the prophet declare, and say: "It is not lawful to rejoice with the ungodly," says the Lord. For these are hidden wolves, dumb dogs, that cannot bark, who at present are but few, but in process of time, when the end of the world draws nigh, will be more in number and more troublesome, of whom said the Lord, "Will the Son of man, when He comes, find faith on the earth?" and, "Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold;" and, "There shall come false Christs and false prophets, and shall show signs in the heaven, so as, if it were possible, to deceive the elect:" from whose deceit God, through Jesus Christ, who is our hope, will deliver us.

(Serm. 115.) Our Lord speaks this of perfect faith, which is seldom found on earth. See how full the Church of God is; were there no faith, who would enter it? Were there perfect faith, who would not move mountains?

(ut sup.) Our Lord adds this to show, that when faith fails, prayer dies. In order to pray then, we must have faith, and that our faith fail not, we must pray. Faith pours forth prayer, and the pouring forth of the heart in prayer gives stedfastness to faith.

However, when the Son of Man comes, do you think He will find faith on the earth? Although the omnipotent Creator is always ready to vindicate His chosen ones who cry out to Him, on the day of judgment, which should be held in trembling hearts, when the same Creator appears in the form of the Son of Man, there will be such a rarity of the chosen that the ruin of the entire world will have to be hastened not so much because of the cry of the faithfully unjustly condemned, but because of the torpor of those justly condemned. But the Lord says doubtfully: Do you think, will He find faith? He does not doubt, but rebukes. The word of doubt reproves infidelity, not divinity. For we also sometimes use the word of doubt reprovingly about things we are certain about, although we do not doubt in our heart. For instance, if you are indignant with your servant, you might say: You despise me, consider perhaps, I am your master. And the Apostle to some of his contemptors: I think also I have the Spirit of God (1 Cor. 7). He who says, I think, seems to doubt. But he was reproving, not doubting. Thus, the Lord, who indeed knows all things through whom all things were made, nonetheless doubtingly reproves the hearts of the faithless.

When the Almighty Creator shall appear in the form of the Son of man, so scarce will the elect be, that not so much the cries of the faithful as the torpor of the others will hasten the world's fall. Our Lord speaks then as it were doubtfully, not that He really is in doubt, but to reprove us; just as we sometimes, in a matter of certainty, might use the words of doubt, as, for instance, in chiding a servant, "Remember, am I not thy master?"

I say to you that he will quickly execute vengeance for them; and this through the avenging of sin; Deuteronomy 32: "He will avenge the blood of his servants," "and he will repay vengeance upon their enemies, and he will be merciful to the land of his people"; and Ecclesiasticus 35: "He will repay vengeance to the nations, until he takes away the fullness of the proud; and he will crush the scepters of the unjust, until he renders to men according to their deeds and according to the works of Adam and according to their presumption, until he judges the judgment of his people." — But is it proper for the Saints to cry out to God for vengeance, since it is said in Ecclesiasticus 28: "He who wishes to be avenged will find vengeance from the Lord, and the Lord will surely preserve his sins"? — I respond: There is the vengeance of affliction that makes one return to God, or that makes one cease from foolishness. They can desire the first absolutely, and the second, if it pleases God. But the vengeance of affliction upon the person they ought to abhor, and against the vengeance of eternal damnation they ought to intercede.

Third, as regards the rebuke of distrust, he adds: But yet the Son of man, when he comes, do you think he will find faith on the earth? He says this indeed because, although the faith of belief may seem to be in many, the faith of faithfulness and of confidence is found in few; Proverbs 20: "Many men are called merciful, but a faithful man who shall find?"; and Jeremiah 7: "Faith has perished and has been taken away from their mouth." And this will be especially so as the coming of the Son of God draws near; Matthew 24: "Because iniquity will abound, the charity of many will grow cold"; and Isaiah 24: "These things shall be in the midst of the earth, in the midst of the peoples, as if a few olives that have remained should be shaken from the olive tree, and grape-clusters when the vintage is finished."

And note that the Lord says do you think, not because he doubts, but because he reproves and condemns doubt. Whence the Gloss: "Do you think? In the word of doubt, unfaithfulness is rebuked; the Divinity does not hold an opinion, for he through whom all things were made knows all things; but by doubting he rebukes the hearts of the unfaithful." Whence that seeming inquiry of the Lord designates the doubt and wavering that will be in that tribulation finally impending, on account of which there will be no one who rises up and takes hold of him, lest he rise up to destroy the earth, according to that passage of Isaiah 64: "There is no one who calls upon your name, who rises up and takes hold of you: you have hidden your face from us and have dashed us to pieces in the hand of our iniquity."

But if there be among us, most beloved brother, the fear of God, if the maintenance of the faith prevail, if we keep the precepts of Christ, if we guard the incorrupt and inviolate sanctity of His spouse, if the words of the Lord abide in our thoughts and hearts, when he says, "Thinkest thou, when the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth" then, because we are God's faithful soldiers, who war for the faith and sincere religion of God, let us keep the camp entrusted to us by God with faithful valour. Nor ought custom, which had crept in among some, to prevent the truth from prevailing and conquering; for custom without truth is the antiquity of error. On which account, let us forsake the error and follow the truth, knowing that in Esdras also the truth conquers, as it is written: "Truth endureth and grows strong to eternity, and lives and prevails for ever and ever. With her there is no accepting of persons or distinctions; but what is just she does: nor in her judgments is there unrighteousness, but the strength, and the kingdom, and the majesty, and the power of all ages. Blessed be the Lord God of truth!" This truth Christ showed to us in His Gospel, and said, "I am the truth." Wherefore, if we are in Christ, and have Christ in us, if we abide in the truth, and the truth abides in us, let us keep fast those things which are true.

But in us unanimity is diminished in proportion as liberality of working is decayed. Then they used to give for sale houses and estates; and that they might lay up for themselves treasures in heaven, presented to the apostles the price of them, to be distributed for the use of the poor. But now we do not even give the tenths from our patrimony; and while our Lord bids us sell, we rather buy and increase our store. Thus has the vigour of faith dwindled away among us; thus has the strength of believers grown weak. And therefore the Lord, looking to our days, says in His Gospel, "When the Son of man cometh, think you that He shall find faith on the earth? " We see that what He foretold has come to pass. There is no faith in the fear of God, in the law of righteousness, in love, in labour; none considers the fear of futurity, and none takes to heart the day of the Lord, and the wrath of God, and the punishments to come upon unbelievers, and the eternal torments decreed for the faithless. That which our conscience would fear if it believed, it fears not because it does not at all believe. But if it believed, it would also take heed; and if it took heed, it would escape.

People sell the word of righteousness and make many abandon sound faith. They involve them in the inventions of devilish error. As Scripture says, they belch things out of their own hearts and not out of the mouth of the Lord. He foretold this saying, "When the Son of man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" It did not escape his knowledge. How could it, since he is God, who knows all things? In his own words, he tells us that the love of many will grow cold. In the end times, some will depart from a correct and blameless faith. They will be going after seducing spirits and listening to the false words of people who have a seared conscience. Against these, we come near to God as faithful servants, begging him that their wickedness and their attempts against his glory may have no effect.

[Daniel 11:32] "And ungodly men shall deceitfully dissemble against the covenant. But the people who know their God shall prevail and succeed." And in Maccabees we read that there were some who, to be sure, pretended that they were custodians of God's law, and later they came to terms with the Gentiles; yet the others adhered to their religion. But in my opinion this will take place in the time of the Antichrist, when the love of many shall wax cold. It is concerning these people that our Lord says in the Gospel, "Dost thou think that the Son of man, when He comes, will find faith upon the earth?" (Luke 18:8).

This parable teaches us, as we have said many times, that we should not lose heart in our prayers, just as it is said in another place: which of you, having a friend, will send him away if he comes and knocks at night? For if for no other reason, then because of his importunity he will open to him (Luke 11:5, 8). And again: "What man is there among you who, when his son asks him for bread," and so on? (Matt. 7:9). By all these things the Lord impresses upon us the constant practice of prayer.

Some attempted to expound this parable as thoroughly as possible and ventured to apply it to reality. The widow, they said, is the soul that has rejected her former husband, that is, the devil, who for this reason became an adversary, constantly attacking her. She comes to God, the Judge of unrighteousness, who, that is, condemns unrighteousness. This Judge fears not God, for He alone is God, and has no other whom He might fear, and regards not man, because "God does not show partiality to man" (Gal. 2:6). Upon this widow, upon the soul constantly asking God for protection from her adversary the devil, God has compassion, since her persistence overcomes Him.

Let whoever wishes accept such an understanding. It is conveyed only so that it would not remain unknown. The Lord merely teaches us by this the necessity of prayer and shows that if this judge, lawless and full of every malice, took pity because of the unceasing request, how much more will God, the source of all righteousness, quickly grant protection, even though He is longsuffering and seemingly does not listen to those who ask Him day and night. Having taught us this and shown us that at the time of the end of the world one must make use of prayer against the dangers that will then occur, the Lord adds:

By His interrogative manner of speech showing that few believers will be found at that time. For the son of lawlessness will then have such power that he would deceive even the elect, if it were possible (Matt. 24:24). Concerning that which is found rarely, the Lord customarily uses the interrogative form of speech. For example: "Who is the faithful and wise steward?" (Luke 12:42). And here, indicating the same thing, namely that those who preserve faith in God and trust in one another will then be very few in number, the Lord employed the aforementioned question.

Urging to prayer, the Lord rightly added a word about faith, since faith constitutes the beginning and foundation of all prayer. For a person will pray in vain if he does not believe that he will receive what is asked for his benefit (James 1:6–7). Therefore the Lord, teaching to pray, also mentioned faith, covertly making known that few would then be able to pray, since faith would then be found in not many. Thus the Lord, coming on the clouds, will not find faith on earth, except perhaps in a few. But He will then produce faith. For, even if unwillingly, all will confess that "Jesus is Lord... to the glory of God the Father" (Phil. 2:11), and if one must call this faith rather than necessity, there will remain none among the unbelievers who would not believe that the Savior is only the one whom he formerly blasphemed.