The Scripture reading for today is found in Luke 11:5-10.
Last time we looked at Luke 11:1-4
and we saw the disciples asked our Lord to Teach
Us To Pray, where we studied The
Petitions of God (Luke 11:2) and The Petitions of Man (Luke 11:3-4). It was mentioned that in Luke 11:1-4
Dr. Luke gives us a smooth transition from Mary’s right way to worship (Luke 10:38-42)
to the right way to pray, with Jesus once again being the teacher. Jesus
answered the question of the disciples by giving them a model for prayer, the following
parables in Luke 11:5–13 are examples that illustrate the
frequency and persistency of our prayers, and how we are not to allow
discouragement to keep us from praying. So now we move on to look at Praying With Importunity as we look at
the parable of the persistent friend at midnight. What we will study this time
in Praying
With Importunity…01. The
Midnight Friend (Luke 11:5-6); 02. The Selfish Man (Luke 11:7-8); and 03. Ask, Seek, Knock (Luke 11:9-10). This parable is parallel to that
of the unjust judge found in Luke 18:1-8, and only Dr. Luke gives us the
record of both, and they both teach that we ought to pray with importunity and
perseverance.
01. The Midnight Friend (Luke 11:5-6)
Luke
11:5 “and say to him” Written in the Subjunctive,
which is the mood of possibility and potentiality. From the outset this
parable looks like it is ridiculous, for who would have a friend coming at
midnight, as that is a most unreasonable hour? But
to the hearers, to the Twelve, the
Seventy (-two) (Luke
10:1-16), as well as the women (Luke 8:1-3) and any others who might have been
hanging around, this was a real possibility. Because of the heat during the day in this
region, traveling by night would have been preferred by many, so having someone
come to your house at this late of an hour at this time is not too
unreasonable.[1]
Luke
11:5 “lend me” (χρησον μοι [chrēson moi]). First
aorist active imperative second singular. Lend me now. From κιχρημι [kichrēmi], an old verb, to lend as a
matter of friendly interest as opposed to δανειζω [daneizō], to lend on
interest as a business. Only here in the N. T.[2]
Luke
11:6 The rules of hospitality in the first century required that the
entire community assist in entertaining a midnight guest.[3]
02. The Selfish
Man (Luke
11:7-8)
Luke
11:7 “Do not trouble me” (μη μοι κοπους παρεχε [mē moi kopous pareche]). Μη [Mē] and the present imperative active.
Literally, “Stop furnishing troubles to me.”[4]
Now he gives all the reasons that he is being troubled, for
at this time, the poor would have a multipurpose single room house that not
only served as protection from the elements, but
also as a kitchen, work space, and sleeping quarters for all family members.[5]
Luke
11:7 “the door is now shut,” (ἠδη ἡ θυρα κεκλεισται [ēdē hē thura kekleistai]). Perfect
passive indicative, shut to stay shut. Oriental locks are not easy to unlock.
From κλειω [kleiō], common verb.[6]
The Expositor’s Greek Testament tells
us that the door has been barred for the night, a thing done and not to
be undone for a trifling cause.
We see this illustrated in the parable of the wise and
foolish virgins in Matthew 25:1-13.
Luke
11:7 “and my children are with me in bed” (εἰς τεν κοιτην [eis ten koitēn]). Often a whole family
would sleep in the same room,[7]
on a mat[8]
or a raised platform[9],
which would serve as a bed, and because of this, for a man to get out of bed
it, would disturb the whole family.
Luke
11:7 “I cannot rise and give to you’?” (οὐ δυναμαι [ou dunamai]). That
is, I am not willing.[10] The trouble for him is the getting up out of bed, after he and
his family have all settled in, and waking the sleeping kids and not with
having to give bread, for we will see in Luke 11:8 that he will “give him as many as he needs.”
Luke
11:8 “yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he
needs.” Yet because of his importunity (δια γε την ἀναιδιαν αὐτου [dia ge tēn anaidian autou]). From (G335) ἀναιδης [anaidēs], shameless, and that from α [a] privative and αἰδως [aidōs], shame,
shamelessness, impudence. An old word, but here alone in the N. T.
Examples in the papyri. The use of γε [ge] here, one of the
intensive particles, is to be noted. It sharpens the contrast to “though” by
“yet.” As examples of importunate prayer Vincent notes Abraham in behalf of
Sodom (Genesis
18:23–33) and the Syro-Phoenician woman in behalf of her daughter (Matthew 15:22–28).[11] James writes for us
about a man who prays with importunity in James 5:13–20.
This mans importunity, his perseverance, persistence and
shamelessness in asking his friend for some bread, refusing to be denied is
what made the man get out of bed, trouble his household and give him all that
he needs.
Praying with importunity is illustrated so clearly in the
life of David. David sinned with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11:1-27) by committing
adultery (Exodus
20:14), murdering her husband Uriah the Hittite (Exodus 20:13)
and lying (Exodus
20:16) about his sin, until confronted by Nathan the prophet, who
told David that the child that was conceived from their adultery would die (2 Samuel
12:1-15). We then read that “YHWH struck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and it
became ill. David therefore pleaded with God for the child, and David
fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. So the elders of his house arose and went to him,
to raise him up from the ground. But he would not, nor did he eat food with
them. Then on the seventh day it came to
pass that the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him
that the child was dead. For they said, “Indeed, while the child was alive, we
spoke to him, and he would not heed our voice. How can we tell him that the
child is dead? He may do some harm!” When
David saw that his servants were whispering, David perceived that the child was
dead. Therefore David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” And they said,
“He is dead.” So David arose from the
ground, washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into
the house of YHWH and worshiped. Then he went to his own house; and when he
requested, they set food before him, and he ate. Then his servants said to him, “What is this that you have
done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive, but when the
child died, you arose and ate food.” And he
said, “While the child was alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who can tell whether
YHWH will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him
back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.””
(2 Samuel 12:15-23)
More examples of importunity in the Bible: Paul asking the
church at Rome to pray (Romans
15:30), Paul’s thorn in the flesh (2 Corinthians 12:1–10), as
well as the example of Epaphras praying for the church at Colossae (Colossians 4:12)
03. Ask, Seek,
Knock (Luke 11:9-10)
Luke
11:9 “So I say to you” here this is Jesus reminding them of the
parable that He just finished telling them, look at how the man continued to
knock and seek with importunity from his neighbor, and eventually he was
answered.
Luke
11:9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you” The Greek verb (Αἰτεῖτε from G154 αἰτέω aitĕō)[12]
that is used for “ask”
here in Luke 11:9
is significant, for it used by one who is lesser in position than he to whom the
petition is made; e.g., in the case of men in asking something from God (cf.
Matthew 7:7;
Matthew 7:9-10;
Luke 23:23;
Acts 3:2;
Ephesians
3:20; Colossians 1:9; James 1:5-6; James 4:2-3; 1 John 3:22;
1 John
5:14-16).[13] Jesus never uses this word
when asking His Father, but instead He always uses the Greek verb G2065 ἐρωτάω ĕrōtaō, (er-o-tah´-o) that
more frequently suggests that the
petitioner is on a footing of equality or familiarity with the person whom he
requests (John 14:16; John 16:26; John 17:9, 15, 20).[14]
Because Jesus uses the Greek verb G2065 ἐρωτάω ĕrōtaō,
(er-o-tah´-o)
when He asks the Father shows that He is on equal footing with the Father, and
contrast that with Martha in John 11:22 who shows her low conception of the
person of Jesus when she uses the term of His asking God as one who is inferior
(G154 αἰτέω aitĕō). Look at these petitions found
throughout the Bible (Psalm 50:15; Psalm 118:5; Matthew 21:22; John 14:13; John 15:7; John 15:16; John 16:23–24; Ephesians 3:20;
Colossians 1:9; Hebrews 4:16; James 1:5; James 5:15; 1 John 3:22; 1 John 5:14–15).
Jesus is saying that if you ask God for what you need, He will
satisfy their needs (Philippians 4:19).
Luke
11:9 “seek, and you will find” The Greek
verb for “seek”
here is (G2212) zēteite means “to seek, to
seek for[15]or to search for God, in the hope that they may
find him[16], “to look for something” or “to try to find something.”[17]
Throughout the Bible we see examples, and are told to seek for
God (Psalm 27:4;
Psalm 27:8;
Psalm 34:4;
Psalm 34:10;
Psalm 105:3–4;
Isaiah 45:19;
Isaiah 55:6–7;
Luke 13:24; John 1:45–49; Romans 2:7; Hebrews 11:6)
Luke
11:9 “knock, and it will be opened to you.” Here it is implied that
God will open the door to those who ask and seek and knock (2 Corinthians 6:2`).
They are all written in the
imperative plural, so it can be rightfully read as “Continue asking, seeking,
knocking.”[18]
Luke
11:10 We
are to keep asking through prayer, not ceasing until God makes known His answer
(2 Corinthians 12:7–10).
Sometimes we don’t receive what we ask for because as James so
clearly explains it, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you
may spend it on your pleasures. Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not
know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants
to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” (James 4:3–4) But when we pray with
importunity, we are to patiently and persistently persevere, “Indeed we count them blessed
who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended
by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.” (James 5:11) Jesus tells this
first parable to encourage His hearers to be persistent in prayer, without
fear, not so that we can make God to change His mind, but to be steadfast in
praying and to receive their needs.[19]
We can go “boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy
and find grace to help in time of need”(Hebrews
4:16) because He “has broken down the
middle wall of separation” (Ephesians
2:14) by dying on the cross. When we ask, God will answer. If what we ask for
is for our God, God will grant it to us, but we are going to have to be patient,
waiting for His perfect timing in receiving that gift. We have this
misconception of God that if we ask, and it is a good desire, that God will
grant it to us immediately, and often, the best thing for us is to have to
wait, continuing in prayer with importunity, trusting Him until He provides.
Too often, we
ask once or twice, maybe for a week, then give up. Saints, Jesus here is
telling us to be persistent, pray with importunity and be patient. The
man in this parable is pictured as selfish, having no regard for his neighbors
needs, and that’s how God seems to us so often, as we pray to Him day after
day, month after month and even year after year and there is no answer. In this
time, God merely appears as a heartless spectator as we feel like our prayers
fall on deaf ears. But Jesus reminds us through this parable that the selfish
man yielded to the constant importunity. God, who is not deaf, but is listening
to every prayer, may allow the delay to strengthen our hope; faith and trust in
Him, and in the end will bless you with an answer. So
pray with importunity!
[1] Evans, C. A. (1990). Luke (p. 182). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.
[2] Robertson, A. T. (1933). Word Pictures in the New Testament (Lk 11:5). Nashville, TN:
Broadman Press.
[3] Just, A. A. (Ed.). (2005). Luke (p. 184). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
[4] Robertson, A. T. (1933). Word Pictures in the New Testament (Lk 11:7). Nashville, TN:
Broadman Press.
[5] Freeman, J. M., & Chadwick, H. J. (1998). Manners & customs of the Bible (p.
507). North Brunswick, NJ: Bridge-Logos Publishers.
[6] Robertson, A. T. (1933). Word Pictures in the New Testament (Lk 11:7). Nashville, TN: Broadman
Press.
[7] Robertson, A. T. (1933). Word Pictures in the New Testament (Lk 11:7). Nashville, TN:
Broadman Press.
[8] Evans, C. A. (1990). Luke (p. 182). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.
[9] Spence-Jones, H. D. M. (Ed.). (1909). St. Luke (Vol. 1, p. 301). London; New
York: Funk & Wagnalls Company.
[10] Robertson, A. T. (1933). Word Pictures in the New Testament (Lk 11:7). Nashville, TN:
Broadman Press.
[11] Robertson, A. T. (1933). Word Pictures in the New Testament (Lk 11:8). Nashville, TN:
Broadman Press.
[12] Strong, J. (2009). A
Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Greek Testament and The Hebrew Bible
(Vol. 1, p. 9). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.
[13] Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W., Jr.
(1996). Vine’s Complete Expository
Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Vol. 2, p. 40). Nashville, TN:
T. Nelson.
[14] Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W., Jr.
(1996). Vine’s Complete Expository
Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Vol. 2, p. 40). Nashville, TN:
T. Nelson.
[15] Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W., Jr.
(1996). Vine’s Complete Expository
Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Vol. 2, p. 558). Nashville, TN:
T. Nelson.
[16] Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., & Bauer, W. (2000). A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament
and other early Christian literature (3rd ed., p. 428). Chicago: University
of Chicago Press.
[17] Barry, J. D., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Mangum, D.,
& Whitehead, M. M. (2012). Faithlife
Study Bible (Mt 7:7). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.
[18] Plummer, A. (1896). A critical and exegetical commentary on the Gospel according to S. Luke
(p. 299). London: T&T Clark International.
[19] Martin, J. A. (1985). Luke. In J. F. Walvoord & R.
B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge
Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 235). Wheaton, IL:
Victor Books.
