It is always good to start with an eye-catching story.
Following this idea we start with the paraphrased one originally written by Max Lucado according to the words of his friend Kenny.
It says that when the friend and his family went to see the Disney World in Florida, they made a tour of the crowded Cinderella Castle.
And, when they have been of there, suddenly the beautiful girl appeared.
She was perfectly typecast as the legendary Cinderella.
In a moment, all the kids rushed to see the "princess" from a little distance.
They wished to touch the elegant dress of the princess; and of course they wanted to be favored by the princess' touching as well.
Accidentally Kenny noted two boys, probably brothers; they were standing far away.
It was noticed that the younger had a disfigured face.
He stood watching quietly holding fast the hand of the older brother.
Somehow it struck Kenny that the mentioned boy starved for a privilege to be among the children leaning towards Cinderella.
Like others, he wished to touch the silvery garments of the princess, to tell her hello, to look at her smiling eyes, and might be chosen as her friend.
But as usual, an invisible wall separates beautiful from ugly.
That is why the poor boy didn't even dare to take one step forward.
Then, don't you think Cinderella wished to break the obscure fortification? Guess what? Surprisingly, she has broken that wall; otherwise she couldn't play the legendary Cinderella.
As soon as Cinderella had noticed that boy from a distance, she began walking toward him.
Slowly advancing through the crowd she broke the line and quickly crossed the hall.
Then she knelt at eye level with the boy and placed a kiss on his face.
"Ah! He's won!", they whispered.
Meantime the hero was just dancing on air because it was so good to be chosen by Cinderella.
Along with Judaism, Christianity is marked by the most distinguishable belief about God's election.
According to Isaiah, the Almighty God calls those "heroes" my sons and my daughters, (43:6).
Within the particular context the prophet of old speaks on behalf of a unique election made by God with regard to the certain people rather than the universal fatherhood.
"For you are a people holy to the LORD your God.
The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth," (Deu 7:6).
Following the Old Testament era the New One would bring forth God's plan of salvation to the end.
During this time many chosen people will be saved by virtue of Christ's satisfactio vicaria through their faith in Christ,(Act 2:39,41).
No matter who those people are with respect to their nationality, race, gender, social status, or their appearances, God has promised to forgive their sins,(Rom 11:5; Heb 8:8-12).
As we thought over the Scripture readings of the Day, we found that they can be summed up under a single topic, One's Being Chosen.
The first reading (Gen 32:22-30) is a good picture of a chosen person after the example of Jacob, the ancestor of our Lord Jesus Christ.
It is plain from the context that God's election is of priceless value; however, one's being chosen demands perseverance in purpose.
Next, the second reading (2Tim 3:14-4:5) says about Paul's commission handed down Timothy.
The apostle chose Timothy as his successor by virtue of Timothy's election by the Lord.
Knowing this, Paul entrusted Timothy the ministry of the Gospel and the supervision over the churches in Asia Minor.
That was a serious challenge for the young man; yet, the great privilege at the same time.
And the third reading (Luke 18:1-8) can be viewed as God's warning in bringing justice upon those who have inflicted misery upon the chosen people of God; especially if they "cry day and night unto Him," to avenge them in this particular.
Following up His promise, God doesn't remain inactive as a defender and as a judge.
Now, we attempt to see the idea of Being Chosen from a dualistic view as may serve to make it clear.
As we awaken to our personal salvation, we have challenged ourselves with a question, How do I know that I am chosen?; as for example, a modern German -Jewish poet, Richard Beer-Hofmann had challenged himself.
In his play Jacob's Dream, he reflected on this dilemma giving us definition of being chosen and its outcome.
"This is what 'chosen' means: Not to know dreamless sleep, Visions at night - and voices round by day! Am I then chosen? Chosen that all suffering calls me, demands me, and complains to me?" According to this thought, to be chosen means to have a personal relation with the Supreme Being; at the same time - to bear one affliction after another.
Doesn't it surprise us that regardless of God's election a chosen one has to endure sorrow, rejection, persecution and hardship? Contrary to the wrong perception regarding prosperity and acceptance as a prerequisite to be chosen people, they endure sufferings, "That even the dumb look of the dying beast ask me: Why so?" says the poet.
However, such outcome shouldn't discourage us.
First, because we know "Why so?" (Joh 15:20,21); and secondly, all sufferings are temporal but God's reward in Christ Jesus is beyond human imagination.
If we are chosen, we are the recipients of God's Spirit by which we cry to Him, Abba Father, (Rom 8:16).
As we continue the dualistic approach of the matter by reading the book of Genesis, on the one hand, we see that God blessed patriarchs with earthly possessions; on the other hand, they went through many trials, temptations, and hardship.
The characters of Abraham, Isaac, Israel, Moses, Joshua were distinguished by zealousness and persistence in accomplishing God's promises.
Abram wouldn't be Abraham and Jacob wouldn't be Israel if they gave up God's promises.
This truth can be seen from Jacob's account of wrestling all night with the Angel.
This wrestling was not an Olympic competition as it may be seemed; rather it was the test of Jacob's character, the test of his zealousness and persistence in keeping God's promises.
Some years before this wrestling Jacob saw a night vision, (Gen 28), he saw a ladder set up on the earth whose top reached to heaven.
The angels were moving up and down on it with God Almighty standing beside him.
In that vision God promised to be with Jacob wherever he would go; God promised to make Jacob the ancestor of a great nation and to give him the land of Canaan.
These promises were pursued by Jacob with all his physical and mental strength.
Now, while wrestling with the Angel, Jacob has armed himself against his own unbelief, against his fear to lose God's wonderful promises.
Regardless of his physical and mental limits he didn't give up but persisted in the battle believing that God never gives up His promises.
While wrestling, again and again, Jacob recalled God's promise, I am with you (Jacob), and will keep you whenever you go, (Gen 28:15).
The experience of God's faithfulness in the past helped Jacob to keep on fighting with the Angel until the battle was over at the rising of the sun.
"Ah! He's won!" was the worldwide exclamation among angels.
The Scripture and our own observations prove the truth that it is impossible to win a war with Israel, even wounded he remains undefeated, (Gen 32:25,26).
Israel might lose a battle, but he has never lost a war.
"This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD and their vindication from me, declares the LORD," (Isa 54:17).
The second reading calls our attention to the lives of the chosen men - Paul and Timothy.
Here Paul gives the order to Timothy with anticipation of his upcoming martyrdom.
As the apostle and the teacher Paul was blessed abundantly; he has finished his race successfully.
He had born hardship of his apostleship with great patience and persistence.
Paul won his race! And now, the blessings as well as trials are handed down to Timothy, (2Tim 1:6).
My beloved son, the harsh time is never seized, "be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry," (2Ti 4:3,4).
According to a later tradition, Timothy finished his life as a martyr in his 80's.
Up to that time his final battle with worshipers of the pagan gods was over.
The angry idolaters beat him, dragged him through the streets, and stoned him to death.
However, they couldn't stop the proclamation of the gospel carried on by Timothy after Paul.
Taking its root from the mountain of Golgotha, the Church continues to win souls for Christ through his chosen people.
Finally, we approach the Gospel reading.
Here the Lord sets forth a couple of rhetorical questions, "Will not God give justice to His elect, who cry to Him day and night?" " Will He delay long over them?" Right here he gives an answer, "I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily," (Luk 18:7).
It is a great privilege for the chosen people to pray for justice.
God's promise to be with his chosen whenever they go, wins the living hope and defeats despair and fear.
"Do not be afraid," (Mat 10:26), "I am with you, and will keep you whenever you go," (Gen 28:15).
He who rests upon God's message and experience God's faithfulness, will not be ashamed if he persists.
Dear Christians, our race is not over, trials, persecutions and suffering are still ahead as well as triumphs upon victorious life.
The only thing we need is to trust God in Jesus and to stay firm in His promises.
And to this effect, God's promises will be fulfilled in us - for it is impossible to win a war with Israel, because Israel is the Lord himself!