3.12 The Importunate Friend
XII. THE IMPORTUNATE FRIEND.
Luke 11:5 - Luke 11:8. This parable follows immediately the Lord’s Prayer, which Jesus dictated to His disciples in compliance with their request that He would teach them how to pray even as John taught his disciples. An occurrence of ordinary life is made to convey in a striking and forcible manner an important religious truth. A man is represented as going to a friend’s house at midnight to borrow three loaves, a friend of his on a journey having just arrived at a time when, unfortunately, he had no provisions to set before him. The neigh bour to whom he has addressed himself in his need takes it ill that he should be disturbed at that unseasonable hour. He begs his 160 THE PARABLES OF JESUS friend to desist from troubling him, and explains that the door is locked, that both himself and his children are in bed, and that he cannot rise and give him what he wants.
Jesus then points out that, where friendship fails, importunity will succeed. The peti tioner has only to continue asking, without letting himself be silenced by the remon strances of his friend; and the latter, merely to be rid of his importunity, will rise and give him all he needs. Our Lord did not directly point out the lesson of the parable: its meaning was so plain that His hearers could do this for themselves; but He virtually did so in the words which He subjoined: “ And I say unto you: ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” The lesson is the same as that of the parable of the Unjust Judge and the Importunate Widow namely, the efficacy of persevering prayer. We must not let ourselves be discouraged by an apparent refusal, we must continue praying without losing confidence, and not give over till we receive what we desire. Our knowledge of God will increase THE PARABLES OF JESUS 161 our trust in Him above any trust that we can put in men, not merely because He is almighty, but also because He is all-merciful and allgood. Though it may be in the power of our friends here on earth to aid us, yet such is the selfishness of our nature, and such, too, sometimes is the complexity of the motives which prompt or hinder human action, that we often have misgivings as to whether in any given case, where we are concerned, they will allow themselves to be influenced exclusively by considerations of friendship or some other high unselfish motive. While, in the face of experience to the contrary, it would be cynical to deny that our nature is capable of soaring to lofty moral heights, we need not wonder that to the mind of Jesus the suppliant in the parable had more to expect from the selfishness of his neighbour than from any influence which in character of friend he could bring to bear upon him. On the other hand, when we address our petitions to God, we need have no fear or misgiving to mar our confidence in being heard. He is our Maker and our God, our Father, and our Shepherd, and just as if these names were not enough to inspire us
11 162 THE PARABLES OF JESUS with feelings of complete and tenderest confidence in Him, He has in addition pledged Himself in the most solemn manner to hear and grant our petitions. When, therefore, we pray as we ought, and as He himself has taught us, we should believe with anunwavering faith that He will hear us, provided only that what we ask is of a nature to promote our higher interests.
TAGS: [Parables]