Jesus knew the people, he knew their history, he knew their repeated unfaithfulness. Jesus also had seen how the religious leaders puffed themselves up because of their righteous living. Over and over again, Jesus was willing to heal anyone who knew their limitations, their sin, their blindness.
The faith Jesus was seeking was not the highly visible worship of the Scribes, Pharisees and religious leaders of his day. It was not the faith of the rich, young ruler, who was not willing to give up his riches for the kingdom of God. “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”. - Luke 18: 24 NIV
Jesus was seeking those who would have faith like Zacchaeus, who the minute he encountered Jesus, realized that his life so far had been a sham, that all the material goods he had amassed, at the expense of the poor were worthless, and who vowed to repay all he had cheated. Jesus did not come to save those who could save themselves. As he told Zacchaeus, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” - Luke 19:9-10 NIV
As the persistent widow cried out to the judge for mercy, God will reward those who cry out to him. And 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. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” - Luke 18:7-8 NIV
Jesus was looking for a simple faith, like that of a child. He was looking for faith that ask for nothing but forgiveness, for a faith born out of need, not out of religious studies and tradition. Will he find faith on the earth?
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