 |
A man awakens a neighboring friend at midnight to borrow three loaves of bread. He does not ask or expect such an untimely favor strictly on his own account, nor would he think of doing so: he needs the bread for the entertainment of another friend, who, being on a journey, has stopped by for the night. Having no provisions of his own to set before his unexpected guest, he is facing an emergency and appealing for help. At first his neighbor is immovable, indignant at what he considers an utterly unreasonable request: "Go on," he complains, in effect. "Don't annoy me at this unearthly hour! I've already barred my door, tucked in my children, and gone to bed. Would you have me rouse the little ones and put them to sleep again? It's midnight, man! Go home, and let me get my rest!" [This rendition based on verse 7.] It isn't that he wishes to seem unneighborly; he simply feels that any other course is out of the question now. Nevertheless, he finally does get up and give his insistent friend the bread, for like it or not, there is no other way to stop his friend from knocking on his door. This is the story. Now what is Jesus' point? Does He mean to say that God is like the reluctant neighbor who wants to be left alone, and that we must extort His favor by wearing Him down with our begging until He relents against His will? Assuredly not! The context shows, as we shall soon see, that God delights in hearing our petitions and granting our legitimate requests. The churlish fellow in the parable may, indeed, exemplify our mistaken conception of God when, in our doubting minds, it seems to us that He is saying, "Go on! Don't annoy Me." We pray, and when no answer comes, we feel that God has locked us out and left us in the midnight all alone... and granting our legitimate requests. The churlish fellow in the parable may, indeed, exemplify our mistaken conception of God when, in our doubting minds, it seems to us that He is saying, "Go on! Don't annoy Me." We pray, and when no answer comes, we feel that God has locked us out and left us in the midnight all alone...
He goes on to say: If a son shall ask bread of any of you who is a father, will he give
him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? or if he shall
ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give
good gifts unto your children; how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy
Spirit to them that ask him? (verses 11-13). |
|||
|
||||
|
||||
