What does Luke 18:1 mean?

Jesus has just explained to the disciples what the world will look like when He returns. People will not be thinking about God. They will be living their normal lives, marrying, working, and planning. Like the people of the days of Noah and Lot, they won't realize that judgment is imminent. When Jesus comes, He will separate His followers from those who reject Him. Even the closest relationships will be broken (Luke 17:22–37).

The Greek word de leads off this passage. This connecting word can mean "and," "then," or "now," among other things. It indicates this segment is directly related to the previous one. The disciples are apparently discouraged by Jesus' warning. The parable Jesus tells suggests the disciples are doubtful that God's judgment against their enemies will ever come. They agree with Jesus when He says, "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).

This parable is interesting in that Luke leads off with the basic meaning of the lesson. To "lose heart" means demotivation towards something positive: to fail to maintain resolve about a subject or idea. Jesus knows His followers will face far more hardships than what they are experiencing now. Most of the Twelve will die as martyrs. We, too, look at the state of the world and wonder if God will ever bring His justice. Jesus' answer is, "Yes, so keep praying" (cf. Luke 18:7–8).

To pray for Jesus' return and the justice He will bring "always" doesn't mean we need to be in active prayer every waking second. It means we should pray often and regularly.

The parable of the persistent neighbor is similar but, in that case, the neighbor sought bread—an earthly need—not justice (Luke 11:5–13).