Of course there is no one among those listening who would give a snake or a scorpion to a beseeching child, so how then, Jesus implies, can we not trust that God as divine parent will give us all that we need, including and especially the Holy Spirit? It might be more helpful, though, to read Jesus’ instruction as inviting trust – ask, search, knock…confident that you will receive what you ask. Popular piety has again interpreted this as a call to persistence (rendering it “ask and keep asking” and so forth). Next comes one of the more familiar commands of Jesus: ask, search, knock. So also, Jesus intimates, should we make bold to offer our petitions to God, shamelessly calling on God to keep God’s promises. He is in this sense “shameless,” counting on his friend’s desire not fail communal expectations. ![]() Note that the parable’s breadless host asks only once, making bold to count on his neighbor’s conformity to the duties of hospitality. The Greek anaideia, however, is better translated “shamelessness” than “persistence,” and so implies a boldness that comes from familiarity. ![]() The temptation is to interpret Jesus’ parable as indication that God needs cajoling, or at least that the hallmark of Christian prayer is persistence. ![]() Thoroughly Jewish in character – doxology followed by petition – Jesus invites us to address the Holy One of Israel as pater, “Father.” One addresses God, that is, akin to the way a child would ask a parent something of dear need and desire. While it shares elements of the eschatological nature of the Matthean rendering – “your kingdom come,” “do not bring us to the time of trial” – it also tempers these by omitting some phrases – God’s “earthly and heavenly will” and “deliverance from the evil one” – thereby emphasizing the more down-to-earth concerns of securing “bread for tomorrow” and tending a community formed by shared forgiveness. Luke’s version of Jesus’ response – what we call the Lord’s Prayer but, given the intended audience and use might be better named the Disciples’ Prayer – is briefer and simpler than that found in Matthew. Given the disciples exposure to Jesus’ practice, and their awareness that John had taught his disciples to pray, it’s only natural that they would ask him for instruction. I’ll work through the sections following Luke’s narrative and then offer a few homiletical suggestions at the end.Ĭoming just after the visit with Mary and Martha, this scene begins with Jesus again at prayer. The preacher will therefore need to make a decision: deal with one section in detail, cover all three, or teach more broadly on prayer referencing specific elements. With this in mind, could there be a better – or more challenging – passage to preach on prayer than Luke’s depiction of Jesus teaching his disciples to pray?Īn immediate challenge is how much Luke packs into these thirteen verses: the Lord’s prayer, a parable on prayer, and then several sayings about prayer. How do we pray? How does God answer prayer? Why does God sometimes seem to ignore my prayers? These questions will be roiling just beneath the placid countenance most of our hearers will bring to our sermon this Sunday. ![]() Prayer is not only at the heart of the Christian life, it is also at the heart of a lot of Christian frustration, misunderstanding, and even pain.
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