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These are the words of life. These are the words. These are the words. These are the words of life. Welcome back to Words of Life.
This is our third episode in a series studying the parables of Jesus with Major Cam Henderson. In today's study, Jesus shares a story about a friend who comes knocking at midnight, asking for bread and simply refuses to leave. What does this persistent, even slightly annoying friend have to teach us about prayer? If you're enjoying this different type of series for Words of Life lately, we'd really appreciate it if you left a rating and review wherever you're listening, and be sure to check out the show notes for some additional resources. Do you have one of those annoying, persistent friends, or maybe you are one of those annoying, persistent friends?
But we never know it, do we?
Well, welcome back to the Parable Series. I'm enjoying these with you. I hope that you're enjoying them. If you're still here, then maybe you're enjoying them with me as well. But this time, I'm going to be in Luke chapter 11, and we're going to be talking about Jesus, who points to an annoying, persistent friend in kind of a funny parable.
This one is a lot of fun, but at first, it may not make any sense, which is kind of fun as well. Jesus has returned from Jerusalem, and in this section of Luke's gospel, his teaching becomes very practical and instructional for a time.
Some of his earlier parables in Galilee were exciting and pointing to the kingdom of God. It was coming and helping us understand the king's activity in the world.
Some of his parables in Jerusalem later to the religious leaders were very pointed with a tone of warning and judgment. This one doesn't do that. Jesus was having fun with this one, I think. He's knows the crowds. He's enjoying them, and they're enjoying him.
Now, there doesn't seem to be much overtly spiritual about this story. There's a man who's asleep. His family's asleep. The door is locked, and then all of a sudden, somebody starts knocking in the middle of the night. Can you imagine it?
Luke chapter eleven, starting at verse five. Suppose you went to a friend's house at midnight. You're wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. And you say to him, "Hey, a friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat." And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, "Don't bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed.
I cannot help you." But I tell you this. Though he won't do it because you're his friend for friendship's sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence, your annoying persistence as a friend. I love that Jesus said that. I wonder if he was laughing. He must have been laughing when he said it, and the crowd was laughing.
Maybe either because they've been there before, as the friend needing help, or somebody their neighbor is knocking on their door, and they're kind of laughing about it. But just imagine the whole scene—just kind of knocking on the door and yelling through the door at each other. I love that Jesus says, "You might be great friends, but He's not getting up out of bed because you're His friend. He will get up because you're persistent." And so Jesus goes on, verse nine.
So I tell you, keep on asking, and you'll receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you'll find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be open to you. For everyone who asks receives. Everyone who seeks finds.
And everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. I love that. Jesus was full of joy. He knew how to paint a picture that would make people smile. When we look at the story, remember the context.
Jesus had just been teaching his disciples how to pray. The Lord's Prayer comes immediately before this passage, so everything Jesus says here is about prayer—how to pray, why to pray, what we should pray for, and what we should expect.
So this man arrives at midnight unexpectedly. Hospitality was a serious matter in that culture. He must take care of his traveling friend. The problem is he has no food, no bread, nothing to offer.
So what does he do? He goes to another friend's house and he starts knocking. Not at noon, not at supper time. Inside the neighbor is already in bed. The children are sleeping.
Everyone's settled for the night. The neighbor responds from inside. Don't bother me. The door's locked. Children are in bed.
I can't get up and get you anything. But they just showed up at my house. I need bread. I need food. Don't bother me.
It's funny. In other words, go away, go away. But finally, the latch opens. The sleepy neighbor gives in, not because he suddenly becomes generous and he remembers his heart, not because his friendship is overwhelming him and compelled by this friend, not because of anything other than the man would not stop asking. Finally, the door opens, and he does something like, "Here, take the bread.
Take all of it. Just take everything. Here, just let me go back to sleep, and don't come back asking for anything else." It's kind of funny. It's funny to me, anyway. And Jesus paints this picture perfectly.
It kind of reminds me of my puppy, Ruby. Ruby is the sweetest dog you ever met. She's black and white with big black patches because she's part Basset Hound, and she's covered with little speckles because she's part Bluetick Hound. She's a beautiful dog, sweet and funny most of the time, but when there's a storm outside, or when she's hungry, she knows when it's six o'clock on the dot, or she wants to go outside at three in the morning. She becomes very persistent.
She doesn't ask once; she asks again and again and again. She'll nudge us. She'll keep whining. She'll scratch until eventually somebody gets up, and persistence wins. That's the picture Jesus gives us here, and he encourages us: keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking, because you will get what you need.
In fact, it's interesting. He says, "Everyone who asks receives. Everyone who seeks finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened." What a promise! Asking, you will receive.
What a promise! He doesn't just say ask once and never come back. He says keep asking, keep seeking. Do we trust God enough to pray that way? Do we believe prayer works?
Do we believe He hears us? Do we believe He cares? The man in the story went to his friend because he knew his friend had what he needed, and prayer begins the same way. We come to God because we believe He has what we need. In fact, Jesus suggests something greater.
God doesn't just simply have enough; He has abundance, limitless resources. Is what we will be given. He isn't just scraping together a few crumbs. The treasures in heaven belong to Him, so ask Him. But then Jesus shifts the picture, and He moves from friendship now to family.
From neighbor to father, and he asks a series of absurd questions. What father among you has a son who asks for a fish will give him a snake instead? If a son asks for an egg, would you fathers give him a scorpion? Of course not. If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?
What? Jesus is asking ridiculous questions, and that's the point. Every parent listening would have laughed. Every son or daughter listening, they would have laughed too, because of course they wouldn't give something like that. No loving father would give that kind of away.
A child asks for food; a father provides food. The absurdity reveals the obvious. And if imperfect earthly parents know how to care for their children, and Jesus kind of pokes at them, says, "You're so evil here on this earth, and you know how to give good things." How much more does our heavenly Father know how to give good things?
So the question becomes in prayer: Do we trust Him, not just as a friend now, but as a Father? Do you trust that He knows how to give good gifts, and that every gift He gives is good, none of it is for our pain and suffering? Then Jesus brings everything to its surprising conclusion. What is the greatest gift God gives? Bread when we need it at night.
Help when we're confused during the day. No, He says, the greatest gift God gives, and what we should seek above all else, Jesus says. Is how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him? That's kind of the punchline, if you will, for the whole parable. The greatest need isn't what we might feel in our stomachs or what we might feel in our wallets, what we might feel in our pride, or what we might feel to comfort our fears.
The greatest gift is the Holy Spirit, because In giving the Holy Spirit, God gives us everything we truly need. In fact, in giving us the Holy Spirit, God is giving us all of Himself. Scripture says, "God has given us everything we need for life and godliness, because God lives in us." Wow! Praise the Lord! All of it flows to the gracious gift.
Of the Holy Spirit.
Sometimes we become so focused on a specific answer we want that we miss a greater gift God is offering. We want a particular outcome, but God wants to give His presence. We want a solution, but God wants to give Himself. We want immediate relief, and God wants to shape us into His image.
So yes, bring him your requests. Pray specifically, boldly, persistently, annoyingly, ask, seek, and knock. But let him be in charge of the answer. And since you know what he wants to give you, go ahead and ask him for his Holy Spirit. Trust that your Father knows what's best.
Today, Jesus invites us to pray with confidence. Pray like a persistent friend knocking at midnight, like a beloved child approaching a loving father. The father's not irritated by our prayers; he's not exhausted by your requests. He's not hiding any good from his children. He delights in giving good gifts, and he knows our greatest need.
In fact, his great desire is to give us himself in the person of his Holy Spirit.
So, whatever you're carrying today, bring it to Him, and trust that your heavenly Father will open the door and give you exactly what you need. God, may you answer our prayers with your Holy Spirit, and in your love and your grace, we trust you. Jesus' name, Amen. The Salvation Army's mission, doing the most good, means helping people with material and spiritual needs. You become a part of this mission every time you give to the Salvation Army.
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