Luke 11:5-13 March 14, 2010
Fourth Sunday of Lent –
The Prayers of Jesus, Part 4
“Our Greatest Need”
Rev. Meagan Boozer
“And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.’ And he answers from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’
I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs. “So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Some people really have the gift of hospitality. Do you know people with this gift – people who seem to serve others effortlessly? I know some people like this. I have a friend who always has the kind of tea I like on hand even though my visits are few and far between. And the really amazing thing to me is that when I visit, my friend serves me my favorite tea on a little tray as if I was the Queen of England! Sometimes she even has a little vase on the tray with a flower in it. It’s incredible. She loves to make people feel like she’s been waiting for you to come, and is completely delighted and prepared for you to stay as long as you’d like to stay. Many of you have the gift of hospitality. I have experienced it first-hand, and it is a blessing to me, and to others.
In some places in the world, it is a great offense if a person will not receive the hospitality of another. In some cultures, to refuse a gift of some kind to take home is dreadfully insulting to your host and hostess. When we would visit John’s grandmother in West Virginia, if you didn’t leave with food of some kind, she was offended, because she was sure you “didn’t like her cooking.”
Jesus was raised in a culture where high value was placed on hospitality. The Jewish people from Abraham’s day onward, honored their guests. In Genesis 18:3-8. we read about Abraham preparing a meal for three visitors sent to him by God; in Genesis 19:2-8, we read about Lot, who thought that his obligation towards his guests was even greater than his responsibility for the care of his own daughters. The list of examples of hospitality in the Bible is a long one – it seems people were always running out to kill a lamb to make a feast for visitors. Do you remember that story, found in Mark 1:29-29, of Jesus healing Simon Peter’s mother-in-law? Well, after Jesus healed her of her fever, she immediately went into “hostess-with-the-mostest mode,” and began to serve her guests.
This is the cultural background for our parable about prayer today. Hospitality wasn’t optional, it was expected; I dare even say that generous hospitality was required as a matter of respect for others. And so, we can just begin to imagine the anxiety that was rising up in the man whose friend arrived for a visit around midnight. This guy HAD to feed his visitor – even if he didn’t have anything to offer at that late hour. What to do?
Here’s where I think it’s especially difficult for us to get into this story. My guess is that not one of us would even think of going visiting at midnight. But, remember, this is a parable that Jesus is using to teach us something important. He knows that midnight is not the time to be knocking on someone’s door, but he also knows that using that uncommon hour will help him make his point clearly and effectively.
Most likely, the sleeping family lived in a one-room house with a raised platform on which the whole family would sleep. The animals would be brought in at night and would sleep below the platform. We don’t know how many children are sleeping in this household, but we know it is more than one – and of course, everyone knows that once children are asleep, do whatever you can, to not wake them up!
What is interesting to me is that the man inside doesn’t say, “What? You want three loaves of bread – are you nuts?” His objection to giving his friend the bread has nothing to do with the number of loaves requested – his objection has to do with what the rest of his night might be like if he gets up to open the locked door and wakes his children.
The NRSV translates verse 8 this way, ’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.’
As strong as the friendship is, it isn’t strong enough to warrant waking up a whole family. However, the man did get up, risking a sleepless night, because of his friend’s persistence. Now, here comes something very important for us all to know: The Greek word for ‘persistence’ comes from a verb (anaideuomai) that means to be ‘bold’; literally to be ‘shameless.’ So we might say, because of the friend’s boldness in coming at midnight for three loaves, the man got up to give him what he needed.
It’s important we notice that this is not the same lesson that we learned several weeks ago with the persistent widow who wore down the cruel judge to give her justice. The lesson Jesus taught through that parable was this: we must be persistent in our prayers. We must not give up or let up. We need to press on, and pray, and pray some more. The purple cards on the cross represent some of our persistent prayers to the Lord.
The lesson of this parable is different. Jesus is teaching us to be BOLD in our prayers. Think about it: how bold is it to go to a friend’s house at midnight and ask that friend to disturb his whole household in order to give you not one, not two, but three loaves of made-from-scratch bread? There is no “Wonder Bread” in a convenience store on the corner - this is the real deal: bread that is patiently kneaded and baked to care for the needs of the family. These are not wealthy families we’re talking about. Three loaves at midnight? That’s big-time bold, if you ask me.
Jesus’ listeners are probably shaking their heads as he tells this story; they are probably elbowing their friends saying, “Don’t you do that to me, you hear?” Jesus has created a picture in their heads that they can really understand.
And then, he makes the point that he wants us to remember:
“So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
We are encouraged to pray with boldness, knowing that the God to whom we pray, will hear us and answer in a way that is for our greatest good. In Hebrews 4:14-16, we read this: Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
By the blood of Jesus, who has passed through the heavens, we are given entrance to the throne of grace. By the blood of Jesus, we are allowed to approach our Father God with bold confidence, laying our requests before him with grateful hearts.
Now, I think I can hear someone saying to themselves: Sure, Meagan. As soon as I can muster up some bold confidence, I’ll march right up to God and boldly demand that he fix my life. I’ll demand that he bring me a loving spouse, that he get me into the college I want to go to, that he’ll heal all my afflictions, that he’ll smooth over all the stuff that is ripping my family apart, that he’ll get me a job, that he’ll take all my fears away and fill me with peace and joy. Yeah, okay. I’ll get right on that.
Listen, Jesus is telling us something that can be life-changing for you and me. If you look back in v. 8, he says, “I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence (boldness) he will get up and give him whatever he needs.”
The key word is the last word: needs. Haven’t you heard children whining in the toy department, saying, “I need that truck, mom. I need it.” Mom answers, “No, you don’t need it. You want it, but you don’t need it. You have 6 other trucks nearly like that one at home.” “But mom, I just need one more!”
Need means something that is essential or necessary. Because of the unwritten, yet well-known rules of hospitality, the friend needs bread. He really does need it, and through his bold asking, he is rewarded.
Our heavenly Father knows our needs. Matthew 6:31-33 proclaims, “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
God knows your needs. He knows my needs. The problem is that on our own, we often don’t know our needs from our wants. We think we need something that is really only a want. That’s the problem. But God, in his wisdom, has sent the solution to that problem. Look with me, please, at the final verse in our text for today: “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
We’re talking about friends and bread, about rising and lying down, we’re talking about evil earthly fathers and the goodness of God, and Jesus slips in something totally unexpected. How much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! To me, that seems like if you and I were having a conversation about bicycles, and all of a sudden you start talking about apple trees. What does the Holy Spirit have to do with anything Jesus has taught in this parable? Where did that come from, Jesus?
In John 14, Jesus told his disciples, “I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate (sometimes translated ‘helper,’ or ‘counselor’), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.” In John 15:26, Jesus said, “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf.” In the book of the prophet Isaiah, chapter 11 we read that the spirit of the Lord is a spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, might (power), knowledge, and fear of the Lord.
If we are to be followers of Jesus, not just church attenders, but true followers of Jesus Christ, we NEED the Holy Spirit to counsel us, teach us, tell us the truth, give us wisdom, give us understanding beyond our experiences, give us power and knowledge, and keep alive within us a proper fear of the Lord. We NEED the Holy Spirit to give us boldness to pray before the throne of grace. We NEED the Holy Spirit to confirm that we should pray for a certain thing, or cancel our desire to pray for something that is not for our good. No matter how young or old we are, we NEED the refining fire of the Holy Spirit in our lives so that we don’t fall into patterns of laziness in our faith.
It is the Spirit who convicts us that we must do something, or we must not do it. It is the Spirit who speaks to us in that still, small voice, saying, “Don’t worry. I’m right here with you.” It is the Spirit who called you here to this place today. We NEED the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of Jesus, the Spirit of the Living God, to come to us and stand us up against the schemes of the evil one whose only goal is to steal our peace, kill our hope, and destroy our purpose of glorifying God and enjoying God forever.
We NEED the Holy Spirit, and Jesus is telling us, “Ask, seek, knock.” Be bold in asking for the fullness of the Holy Spirit in your life. Be bold as you confess to God, “I cannot follow you on my own strength, Lord. I need your Spirit to strengthen me and show me the way.”
God is good, all the time. And all the time, God is good. It’s not just a catchy phrase: It’s true. God’s very nature is good. James 1:17 says, “Whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God above.” In Psalm 34 we read, “O taste and see that the Lord is good.” Psalm 106, “O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his steadfast love endures forever.” Psalm 145, “The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made.”
God is good. God is light. In him, there is no darkness at all. God wants goodness and mercy to follow you all the days of your life. He wants to give you good things, things that you need in order to live a generous, hospitable life. It’s true that we don’t all have the spiritual gift of hospitality. But all Christians should be welcoming people, people whose arms are open to those who need what God alone can give.
So, how can we receive? We ask, we seek, we knock. For the one who asks, receives; the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Not that long ago, I was up late, struggling to get to sleep. So, I turned on the TV and ran into one of the classic I Love Lucy episodes – the Vitameatavegamin episode. Please tell me you’ve seen it. It’s such a TV classic!
So, Lucy is rehearsing a TV commercial about a pick-me-up product called Vitameatavegamin. She stands in front of the camera, holding the bottle, and says, “ Hello friends, I'm your Vitameatavegamin girl, are you tired, run-down, listless. Do you poop-out at parties? Are you unpopular? The answer to all your problems is in this little bottle.” She goes on to have to taste the horrid stuff, and finishes her lines with this, “So why don't you join the thousands of happy peppy people and get a great big bottle of Vitameatavegamin tomorrow. That's vita-meata-vegamin.”
The Holy Spirit is not vitameatavegamin. Having the Spirit alive within you does not automatically make you a happy, peppy person. I think some people are afraid to ask boldly for the fullness of the Spirit within them because they’re afraid that exact thing will happen; they don’t want to be the person that people talk about after they’ve left the room saying things like, “She exhausts me just looking at her, “ or they make the ‘crazy’ sign beside their head and point to you as soon as you turn around.
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of our Savior living inside you and me. Think about that. The resurrected, fully alive Spirit of Jesus the Christ can, and wants to live and move within us so that we can live and pray with reverent boldness according to the will of our Father in heaven.
If you have never told Jesus that you want to be one of his followers, then the Spirit of Christ does not live within you. But once you tell Jesus that the door to your heart is open for him to come in, the Holy Spirit comes in and begins to work within you in amazing ways. All your troubles don’t go away and you don’t all of a sudden feel happy or all that peppy. The Spirit works in you and with you, beginning to change your will to God’s will – bringing peace where there once was only confusion and chaos. If you’d like to tell Jesus that you’re ready to follow him, as we all bow our heads, approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that you may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you that we can approach your throne of grace, confident in your love and mercy for all people. Thank you that you sent your Holy Spirit to live within us, teaching us, guiding us, comforting us, counseling us, strengthening us in ways most needed each and every day. Hear now the bold requests from those who have never welcomed you into their lives… (Silence)
Come, Holy Spirit. Fill us. Mold us. Use us for your glory, and for the building up of the Body of Christ in the world today. This we pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
