PARABLE OF THE FRIEND IN NEED
LUKE 11:5-13
INTRODUCTION
I read a story once, and I do not remember where I read it, about a small Oklahoma town that had two churches and one distillery. Members of both churches complained that the distillery was giving the community a bad image. And to make matters worse the owner of the distillery was an out spoken atheist. He didn’t believe in God one bit. The church people had tried unsuccessfully for years to shut down the distillery. So finally they decided to hold a joint Saturday night prayer meeting. They were going to ask God to intervene and settle the matter.
The church folks gathered on Saturday night and there was a horrible thunderstorm raging outside and to the delight of the church members lightening hit that old brewery and it burned to the ground. The next morning the sermons that were preached in both churches were on the power of prayer. But the insurance adjusters promptly notified the distillery owner that they were not going to pay for the damages because the fire was an act of God and that was an exclusion in the policy. The distillery owner was furious and he sued both churches claiming that they had conspired with God to destroy his business. But the churches denied that they had anything to do with the cause of the fire.
The presiding judge opened the trial with words like this: "I find one thing in this cause most perplexing-we have a situation here where the plaintiff, an atheist is professing his belief in the power of prayer, and the defendants all faithful church members are denying the very same power."
We find in the passage that we are going to look at today that Jesus is teaching His disciples about prayer. In fact, verse 1 tells us that the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray. They wanted to learn from their teacher as John the Baptist had taught his disciples. The Gospels record for us over and over that Jesus Himself prayed daily and it was His practice to go out early in the morning and pray. They wanted the Master to teach them to pray. Jesus provides for them the model prayer which we call the Lord’s Prayer. He showed them that prayer should be respectful of God and yet very personal. He showed them that prayer should be full of thanksgiving and yet with requests. He showed them that prayer is asking for forgiveness of sins and also asking to resist sin. All of these different elements are part of Jesus’ prayer... but He does not stop His teaching there. He continues with a parable.
READ LUKE 11:5-13
As we look at this simple parable, it seems to be a story about neighbors and the need to borrow. And that certainly is what the story is about on the surface. Jesus’ story tells of crowded cottage life in His day. Bread was always baked in the morning and so if the day’s supply ran out, borrowing was the practice. The east doors of homes were usually open during the day and shut at night. Knocking on a shut door meant that it was an extreme emergency. Many people in Jesus’ day traveled at night to avoid the heat and so to have guests arrive at night was not odd (Ash, Living Word Commentary: Luke Part II, page 25). One neighbor had guests arrive and there was no bread. So what do you do? You borrow and ask your neighbor. Jesus tells in the story that the neighbor did not want to rise and wake his family, but did eventually get up and provide for his neighbor. That’s human nature.
There is more to the story of course. Jesus is teaching about prayer and this parable is meant as an illustration and as insight into prayer. Jesus teaches us two lessons in regards to prayer in this passage. First, we must be persistent in prayer. Second, we may be the answer to prayer.
ILLUSTRATION... Children’s Prayers(http://www.bible.org/bits/bits-18.htm)
* A daddy was listening to his child say his prayer "Dear Harold." At this, dad interrupted and said, "Wait a minute, "How come you called God, "Harold"? The little boy looked up and said, "That’s what they call Him in church. You know the prayer we say, "Our Father, who art in Heaven, Harold be Thy name."
* During the minister’s prayer one Sunday, there was a loud whistle from one of the back pews. Gary’s mother was horrified. She pinched him into silence, and after church, asked: "Gary, whatever made you do such a thing?" Gary answered soberly: "I asked God to teach me to whistle... And He just then did!"
* One night Mike’s parents overheard this prayer. "Now I lay me down to rest, and hope to pass tomorrow’s test, if I should die before I wake, that’s one less test I have to take."
* A five-year-old said grace at family dinner one night. "Dear God, thank you for these pancakes." When he concluded, his parents asked him why he thanked God for the pancakes when they were having chicken. He smiled and said, "I thought I’d see if He was paying attention tonight."
* A little boy’s prayer. "Dear God, please take care of my daddy and my mommy and my sister and my brother and my doggy and me. Oh, please take care of yourself, God. If anything happens to you, we’re gonna be in a big mess."
* A woman invited some people to dinner. At the table, she turned to her six-year-old daughter and said, "Would you like to say the blessing?" I wouldn’t know what to say," the little girl replied. "Just say what you hear Mommy say, " the mother said. The little girl bowed her head and said, "Dear Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner?"
* Johnny had been misbehaving and was sent to his room. After a while he emerged and informed his mother that he had thought it over and then said a prayer. "Fine," said the pleased mother. "If you ask God to help you not misbehave, He will help you." "Oh, I didn’t ask Him to help me not misbehave," said Johnny. "I asked Him to help you put up with me."
* A little boy was overheard praying: "Lord, if You can’t make me a better boy, don’t worry about it. I’m having a real good time like I am!"
I. LESSON #1: BE PERSISTENT IN OUR PRAYERS
Persistence is not something that we usually associate with prayer. I think that our habit in prayer is to ask for something or to pray for someone one or two times and then we stop. Perhaps we then pray for something or someone else. We are instant kind of people and are used to things happening as we ask for them. We now have instant coffee so that you do not have to wait for your cup-of-joe in the morning. There is instant replay at sporting events where referees can look at a play again to make the right call. Most sweepstakes anymore offer an instant prize so that the person does not have to send it for it. We are used to an instant kind of life. Sometimes that attitude leaks into our prayer life.
The word that is mentioned in this passage in verse 8 is actually, "boldness." It is because of the "boldness" of this person that the neighbor consents to rise and provide the bread. This word is meant to make us think of persisting without regard to time or place or people. It is the same word (used twice in the New Testament) in Acts 4:29 when Peter prays for those preaching the Gospel, "Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness." Peter wants the messengers of God to speak about Jesus at all times and to all people without any fear or question. He wants them to be bold.
So it is with us in our prayers. The parable shows that a bold and persistent person receives help from his neighbor. The example in verses 11-13 are meant to be a logical argument for our persistent prayers before God. Jesus knows that when a child asks for something from a parent, they obviously do their best to accommodate the child. If the child asks for a fish, the parent will get a fish. If the child asks for an egg, usually the response is an egg. It is absurd to think that a parent would give their kid a snake. It is absurd to think that a parent would give their kid a scorpion. If that is true for us, then how much more true of our Heavenly Father (11:13). Jesus wants us to know that when we boldly come to God in prayer, He hears us and desires to answer.
Colossians 4:2 commands us, "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful." The King James Version says it a little bit better, "Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving." This word "continue" means steadfast and to continue being devoted to something. Acts 1:14 and Romans 12:12 uses this word in connection with prayer and continuing to pray with others. God wants us to be persistent in our prayers.
II. LESSON #2: WE MAY BE THE ANSWER TO PRAYER
For some reason when I read this parable, I imagine myself as the person in need, but I also imagine myself as the other person in the parable. I imagine myself as the one asleep and a neighbor comes knocking on my door in need of something. I am the father that is asked for bread or an egg. I am the one that has the opportunity to help. God certainly answers prayer and perhaps he uses me or you to answer someone else’s prayer. James 2:15-16 says, "Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?"
What good is it if we say we will pray for someone, but do nothing to help if we have the means? What good is it to pray that someone will get a job if we know of jobs available and do not communicate such information to them? What good is it to pray for someone’s financial situation if we keep extra money to ourselves? What good is it for people to go without clothing when we have stacks of clothing in our homes? Sometimes we might be the answer to someone’s prayer if we are willing to be used by God.
CONCLUSION
