Tuesday 23 October 2007

Background

Here we see Jesus as someone whose ministry is shaped by prayer.What is true for Jesus should be true for those who seek to followhim. Seeing Jesus at prayer prompts his disciples to ask forinstruction in prayer.

Why has someone arrived needing hospitality so late? Probablybecause he or she travelled late to avoid the heat of the middaysun. In the culture of the time, hospitality was a sacredduty.

The man who was woken by his persistent friend would have beenasleep on a mat on the floor with his children, having barred thedoor for the night. Getting up would wake the whole family.

Jesus is not saying that God is like a reluctant friend but that iffriends respond to a persistent request, how much more willGod.

And what about the concluding verses? God responds to prayer.Prayer is continual.

If we think of parent-child relationships, persistence will bringgood gifts (though perhaps we wish we could resist the pesterpower). If human parents with all their frailties know what thingsto give their children, then we can trust God to give us what weneed.

And what about unanswered prayer? This is a question Luke does notacknowledge in these verses - something we will have to continuewrestling with, searching for help elsewhere in other biblicalmaterial; or drawing on personal experience, our own or others.

To Ponder

What would you do, if you were the friend beingwoken in the night by a neighbour wanting bread? And what aboutthose persistent chuggers in the street, or charity letters or allthose other requests you get?

Do you always get what you ask God for? What doyou do when you don't?