The Friend - Luke 11:1-13

A practice sermon written to shadow the sermon series at my church on "Stories on the edge" Oct09

Our whole existence is shaped by the words the Father has spoken. In the prologue to John's gospel we learn what this spoken word has accomplished. The Word created and in him is sustained. The Word is redemptive and in him is found salvation. Prayer is a our human response to the Father's spoken Word. Jesus is the Word become flesh. It is through Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit that pray to the Father.. Jesus the incarnate Word also prays to the Father. In his divinity Jesus is the way by which we can have relationship with the Father and subsequently respond to all that that relationship provides in prayer. In his humanity Jesus also responds to his relationship with the Father through pray­er. Luke records many of these responses for us in his Gospel account.

In 3:21 Jesus prays as the heavens are opened at his baptism.
In 5:16 Jesus withdrew to desolate places to pray.
In 6:12 Jesus prays before choosing the twelve.
In 9:18 Jesus prays before asking the disciples who the crowds say he is.
In 9:28-36 Jesus goes up the mountain to pray and is transfigured
In 10:21-22 Jesus prays to thank God the Father in the Holy Spirit for concealing and revealing.

“Now Jesus was praying in a certain place”

Here we find Luke again noting that Jesus was praying. We are not told the location or the context in which Jesus was praying only that the disciples were there again observing Jesus in prayer.

What can we learn from the fact that Jesus was constantly to be found in prayer? If Prayer is a response to of our relationship to God the Father, we can deduce that Jesus was in constant response in his relationship with the Father.

If we take the relationship of marriage as an example. Every good book written on the subject of marriage, despite perhaps differing on the foundation of marriage, all will agree that the only way to grow a relationship like marriage is continual communication.

As the Son incarnate “Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.” Luke 2:52. This did not happen by accident but because of a continued relationship with God the Father. This relationship was fueled by communication. The first aspect was Jesus' knowledge of Scripture and the second was his life of prayer.
“and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, 'Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.'”

Jesus' disciples recognised this intimate relationship Jesus had with the Father and prayers integral part in that. As Jesus is God who better to teach the disciples how to communicate with the Father as his relationship with the Father is perfect and complete. As Christians, as disciples of Jesus ourselves there is no better question to ask the Father than, “Lord, teach us to pray.” At this point the disciples had already heard Jesus teaching on prayer in the Sermon on the mount, recorded Matthew 5. However the disciples were after a more intimate teaching for just them as disciples. They recognised that John specifically taught his disciples to pray and sought the same. A prayer from Jesus common to them as his disciples. A common prayer that would bring about a sense of community and a particular identity as Christians, disciples of Jesus. We to are Christ's' disciples and so Jesus' response in this section speaks to us and should set us apart that as we pray we have a community and identity as His disciples. We should not pray as John taught his disciples, nor should we pray as the Jews pray but we should pray, as his disciples, how Jesus teaches us.

“And he said to them, 'When you pray, say:
Father,”

The Greek word here translated as 'When' anticipates the prayers repetition. Seeing as this prayer differs in particular content we should not assume that the exact wording is important but instead its themes.

So as this new community of disciples we are to recognise the intimate relationship with God the Father that Jesus has enabled. When we pray we are to address God the Father as Father. The address 'Father' that Jesus introduces to us here suggests two things. Not only an authoritative rule but an intimacy. The English translation of Father is the most useful as any other translation could potentially over emphasis one or other of the intended facets. It is also useful to note that we pray to God the Father not Jesus or the Holy Spirit. Not because one is more worthy than the other far from it but just so that authority structure is recognised. We pray to the Father through the Son empowered by the Holy Spirit.

“hallowed be your name.”

This first declaration help to prevent a soul emphasis on just the intimacy facet of addressing God as Father. Hallowed be your name, declares rightly God the Father as holy. We are to declare that God the Father Sanctify or hallow his name. We as disciples are to open our prayers with a right recognition of the one being addressed trusting and hoping in faith that God in his glory will manifest himself.

“Your kingdom come.”

The first declaration of God the Father's holiness and separateness is followed by this second declaration of that his kingdom come. As this is the kingdom of the Father, the rule of the Father it is wholly different from the worlds kingdom. It is a deceleration of our desire to see this different kingdom fully realised. The destruction of evil and manifestation of righteousness. These two decelerations establish God the Father's character, authority and salvation plan.

“Give us each day our daily bread,”

This first request is for daily provision. The disciple is to give recognition and gratitude that God the Father is provider of our daily provisions and to therefore request that provision from the Father. This request tends to mirror more the reliance Israel had on God's daily provision of manna in contrast to how a Jew would pray in the Eighteen Benedictions requesting more for annual providence. God the Father's provision needs to be seen on a daily basis that link with Jesus' other teaching on worry about the future.

“and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.”

This second request is followed by a basis on which the request is to be carried out. The basis helps to clarify the spirit in which the request is to be prayed. As disciples we ask for God's forgiveness not in pride, thinking we deserve to be forgiven but rather because we forgive others. What we ask of God we should, in a humble recognition of the sinful state of all humanity, be already performing ourselves. We can only request forgiveness from God from a position of actively forgiving those who sin against us. What hypocrites we would be if we did not forgive our neighbours the sins they committed against us and then turned to request forgiveness from God for the sins we commit against him! A forgiven person is to be a forgiving person. As a community of disciples petitioning God for the forgiveness of our sins this should automatically mark us as a community of compassion and forgiveness.

“And lead us not into temptation.”

The final request is not for God to stop leading us as disciples into sin but rather a request for spiritual protection. A request for God's aid in our succumbing to sin's power. A request for God's aid in not allowing sin to overwhelm us. In speaking our this request it needs to come from a realisation that to avoid sin we need to follow where God leads and be dependant on him for protection.

This whole prayer properly prayed reflects a desire for God to be glorified and spirit of dependence on God for the individual disciple and the community of disciples.

“And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs.”

In talking about how to pray Jesus has shown the attitude of the disciple that needs to come through their prayer. In this short parable Jesus demonstrates the attitude of the disciple to praying itself. With our prayer we are to present Father God as Holy glorious and completely other. What are the implications of this view of God to how we should approach prayer. Should we keep requests to a minimum not wanting to bother our Father with our lives. Jesus answers this question.

With the Jewish cultural requirement of hospitality and a severe lack of 24/7 corner shops, the occurrence of a late night visitor becomes a difficult problem to solve. One is forced into a choice. Culturally a neighbour would be under obligation to respond to such a request of bread. The choice then becomes either be a bad host or work up the nerve to ask a neighbour for the bread knowing that he will respond but that in the process you will disturb the whole family that not only sleep in the same room but the same bed. Jesus is challenging for the boldness of incurring the neighbours irritation and displeasure. This parable is focused on the disciple. It is a direct challenge for boldness in the disciples attitude to prayer. Bear in mind God is not being compared to the neighbour. But perhaps contrasted to him in the next section 9 through 13. The point of this parable is to show if even an irritated neighbour responds to boldness how much more our Father in heaven! Are we willing to be shamelessly bold in our prayer? Are we willing to go to great lengths and suffer great rebuke in our intersession?

As disciples we have this amazing access to God the Father through the relationship Jesus has made possible. In our communication to the Father Jesus stresses the importance of boldness. This boldness is not just in the approach but also a boldness in dealing with the response to our request.

“And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.”

Now Jesus applies the parable. What does boldness in prayer look like and what is the response that will emerge from it. Jesus tells that boldness in prayer should have a threefold action. In asking we are called to pray. In seeking we are called to pursue God. In knocking we are called to come into God's presence and blessing. Each has a corresponding response. To our asking we will be given. To our seeking we will find. To our knocking we will enter. The point here is not that we are in control and God is just a slot machine that we put our coins into. Instead we should see it from God's sovereignty. As we ask God supplies in terms of the request. As we seek God reveals. Ask we knock God draws close. As we action prayer with boldness what Jesus teaches is that God will answer and we need to be prepared to receive that answer.. As we pray we can has assurance in faith that God responds appropriately!

"What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him 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!'”

Jesus now illustrates just how willing God the Father is to answer our prayer. It is a powerful picture from which we should draw our boldness. When sinful human father responds graciously to his child how much more will our heavenly Father respond with grace. The stark reality here is made clear as the request is for an essential item and the presented item is a dangerous one. As we ask of our heavenly father he will supply our essential needs appropriately he will not provide something that will be dangerous for us even if that is what we are asking for! God gives neither what is useless nor what is harmful.

So the prayer of a disciple is not built on the promise of a blank cheque but on the sure hope that God the Father will provide for all our needs.