TEXT — Luke 11; 1–13 — Jesus teaches us to Whom, What and How to pray
The Lord’s Prayer
1 He was praying in a certain place, and when he ceased, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.”
2 And he said to them, “When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread; 4 and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive every one who is indebted to us; and lead us not into temptation.”
Persistence
5 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; 6 for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 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’?
8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him whatever he needs.
Efficacy of Prayer
9 And I tell you, Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?
13 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!”
EXPLANATION
1 He was praying in a certain place, and when he ceased, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.”
“He was praying in a certain place” — Jesus generally prayed in solitude, away from the disciples, often after he had sent them off (Lk. 6: 12; 9: 18, 28–29). Luke portrays Jesus at prayer before important moments in his ministry (Lk.. 5: 16; 6: 12–13, 18; 9: 18, 28–29; 10: 21; 11: 1; 22: 40–46; 23: 34, 46) Being at prayer here would indicate that this is an important moment for him, when he will teach his disciples how to pray.
“and when he ceased, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord’” — The disciple refers to Jesus by his post–resurrection title of “Lord”, which includes in its meaning the status of divinity. The disciple recognised that Jesus, because of his divine state, had something unique in his prayer. Now he asks that he may have that same intimacy when he prays.
“teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples’” — Luke has already told his readers that John taught his disciples to pray (Lk. 5: 33). Many regarded John as a prophet who, like all authentic prophets, would have special communication with God.
Obviously the disciple watching Jesus at prayer was most impressed and sought his help in teaching him to pray. Jesus will teach all the disciples what characterised his own personal prayer. This will be the distinguishing features of his disciples’ prayer. He will teach them to whom to pray, what to pray for and how to pray.
2 And he said to them, “When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread; 4 and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive every one who is indebted to us; and lead us not into temptation.”
“And he said to them, ‘When you pray, say:” — Jesus speaks to all the gathered disciples and will teach the prayer known as the “Our Father” or “The Lord’s Prayer”. It will contain two sections and an elaboration.
First, to whom to pray: disciples are taught to call on God the Father whom they are to recognise in his special attribute of holiness (“hallowed by Thy name”) and whose reign or kingdom they are to desire to see fully established (“Thy kingdom come”).
Second, for what to pray: for immediate (bread for each day) and ultimate needs (forgiveness and lasting fidelity).
Third, for how to pray: disciples must pray with trustful persistence (“and lead us not into temptation”; “deliver us from evil”).
“Father” — Luke does not place “Our” before the word “Father” nor does he add the words “who art in heaven”.
The Aramaic word “Abba”, meaning ‘father’, is a familiar title perhaps best translated into English as “daddy”, “dada” (in sound not unlike ‘papa’, ‘abba’). The first attitude of one praying to God his Father is the familiarity and intimacy of a son to his daddy.
This was something new and, for Jews, strange in prayer. Their attitude to God would have been most formal and certainly not as familiar as a father–son relationship.
Calling God “Father” means that the disciples acknowledge that they are his children sharing his divine life which he imparts to them.
Not only did Jesus advise his disciples to address God as “Father” but he practised that advice in his own prayers. Luke 10: 21–22 contains a prayer in which Jesus addresses his “Father” and he mentions the Father three other times in that short prayer. During the Agony in the Garden he addresses his “Father” (Lk. 22: 42). During the Crucifixion he calls on his “Father” twice (Lk. 23: 34, 46). To address his Father is a characteristic of Jesus’ prayer. He tells his disciples to make it a characteristic of their prayer also.
]’[
“hallowed be thy name” — God’s name is holy as the Archangel declared to Mary at the annunciation (“He who is mighty has done great things for me and holy is his name”(Lk. 1: 49). The meaning here is: may the Father’s name, that is the Person represented by the name, be seen as holy (“hallowed”) by his children. As no one has seen the Father his holiness can be seen, first, in Jesus who is ‘the face’ of the Father: “who has seen me has seen the Father”. Second, when the disciple prays “hallowed be thy name” he/she asks that this holiness may be seen in disciples also. This is a reminder of “be holy as [he is] holy” (Lv. 11: 45). “Holy” is God’s greatest attribute that all people, made in his image and likeness, should aspire to.
“Thy kingdom come” — This petition enunciates the mission given to Jesus by his Father which was to establish the kingdom of God on earth and bring all people to his Father who will reign over all. When the Father’s authority is acknowledged by all Satan has been conquered.
Luke does not record, as Matthew does, the petition “your will be done…” This petition is included in the meaning of “thy kingdom come” because it is by people doing God’s will perfectly here on earth that the kingdom of God is established.
“Give us each day our daily bread” — The plural “us” and “our” in this verse and “we” appears in this prayer in the next petitions. It is the prayer of the community, the family of God.
This is a request for God’s providence to help “us”, a transfer from the singular to the plural. The request is for sustenance in anything and everything God’s family needs. A disciple, like his/her Master, does not centre his/her prayer on him/herself but on the community.
The syntax of the verb is ‘keep giving us’, the continuous presence.
“each day” — Luke adds “each day” to the request for the bread that is required “daily”. Like the manna in the wilderness during the Exodus the requirements for each day should not be accumulated. A disciple’s trust in God’s providence should be such that he/she should be satisfied only with what is necessary
“daily bread” — The bread that is required for daily sustenance includes: (i) what is materially needed to maintain individual disciples’ bodies; (ii) what the community needs to sustain it physically; (iii) the word of God which is required to sustain the spirit or soul (“man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” — Dt 8:3); and (iv) the Eucharist which gives divine life.
“and forgive us our sins” — Luke uses “sins” which means human offences against God. He does not use “trespasses” or “debts” which are broader and may not necessarily imply a moral fault.
The forgiveness of sins is a major theme in Luke’s gospel (Lk. 1: 77; 3: 3; 5: 20–24; 7: 47–49; 12: 10; 18: 13; 23: 34; 24: 47). It brings inestimable joy in heaven (Lk. 15: 1–32).
“for we ourselves forgive every one who is indebted to us” — This is the only mention in this prayer of an action by a disciple. The disciple prays for forgiveness because he states that he is one who forgives others who are in debt to him. It does not mean that he asks for forgiveness in proportion to his/her way of forgiving those who offend him/her. Luke does not say “as we forgive” but “for [because] we forgive. In Luke’s version of The Lord’s Prayer the disciple’s claim is that already he has been imitating Jesus who, like his Father, forgives the sins of others. Luke had previously recalled Jesus’ plea to his disciples, “be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” (Lk. 6: 36).
He elaborated in the following verse “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”
“and lead us not into temptation’” — Jesus does not lead us into temptation. He allows temptation to come our way. But the constant teaching of the New Testament and the Church is that we should ‘flee before temptation’ (Jas. 1: 13; I Cor. 6: 18; 10: 14; I Tm. 6: 11; II Tm. 2: 22). Temptation is a test which is permitted by God who always gives the strength to overcome it (I Cor. 10: 13)
Luke’s use of the Greek syntax here refers to a future trial which is the final attack of the devil in his last effort to conquer people for his kingdom. During the Agony in the Garden, Jesus addressed his disciples, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation” (Lk. 22: 39. When he came back to them and found them asleep he repeated these same words (Lk. 22: 46). It is obvious that the temptation he had in mind was that they would be encouraged to lose faith and cease following Jesus or accepting the Church. Jesus had already warned that there is always the danger of falling away from the faith in temptation (Lk. 8: 13).
Note: Luke does not include the seventh petition, “deliver us from evil”, as presented by Matthew and given by the Church as the common form.
5 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; 6 for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 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’?
“And he said to them” — Jesus adds a parable on the importance of persevering in prayer.
“‘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”’” — This parable tells of a person in need going to not any acquaintance or neighbour but to a “friend” for help. He actually addresses him as “Friend”. The title is not reciprocated by the disturbed householder.
He asks to borrow “three loaves”. These were small and this amount was baked each day for each adult.
“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’” — The locked door was heavy. To open the door would mean disturbing the entire family, all of whom slept on a single large mat for a bed on a raised platform at one end of the small room. The animals slept in the same room on the floor. Anyone getting up during the night disturbed both people and animals, a not insignificant commotion and disturbance.
8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him whatever he needs.
“I tell you” — Jesus gives a personal conclusion to the parable.
“though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him whatever he needs” — The man’s “importunity”, persistence, or according to the Greek, the man’s “shamelessness”, wins out where friendship does not. There is a somewhat similar message in the parable of the unjust Judge and the persistent woman (Luke 18: 1–8). To persevere, even before apparent refusal, is an essential element in prayer.
9 And I tell you, Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
“And I tell you” — Jesus adds a second personal comment, again on persisting with one’s request.
“Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened” — The three verbs “ask…seek… knock” have the meaning of “persist in asking, in seeking and in knocking”.
Those who are poor must “ask”. Those who are blind must “seek”. Those who are lost must “knock”. Prayer can truly acknowledge a disciple’s status and needs.
11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?
“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?” — In the preceding parable the relationship between the two men was one of friendship. Here the relationship is stronger, that of father to son. If a son asks for something harmful the father will not be malicious and give. The father has concerned for his son.
13 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!”
“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!” — The disciples are reminded that God is their Father. The heavenly Father, who is more loving and more attentive than human parents, will give only what is best to his children; he will not allow them to be harmed.
God the Father sent his incarnate Son into the world on a mission of salvation. That mission was publicly inaugurated at the baptism of Jesus when the Holy Spirit came down upon him and anointed him. “And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased” (Lk. 3: 22). The Holy Spirit, “the Lord and Giver of Life”, is known as “the Gift”. This is the supreme, ultimate and greatest gift; the gift of God himself, the gift which all God’s children should ask for.
APPLICATION
Jesus, Man of Prayer
Luke’s Gospel shows us Jesus at prayer by day and by night, in many diverse places, for different lengths of time, some short, some quite long, some in solitude, some in the company of his disciples, some in times of need and some when he just wanted to be alone with his Father, some before he sought help and some when he received God’s gift of approval.
According to Luke (11: 1) one day when the disciples saw Jesus at prayer, communicating with his Father, they were most impressed and wanted to be able to pray in a similar manner. It was not a matter of ‘saying prayers’ but of something deeper, of interior communication. Nor was it a matter of praying the psalms which, as practising Jews, they did regularly in the synagogues every Sabbath. What they wanted Jesus to teach them was what they saw as his personal way of praying — ‘this is how I pray; this is how you are to pray’.
Jesus taught them “The Lord’s Prayer” allowing his disciples to assume his thoughts and loves as God the Father’s incarnate Son on a divine mission which they also would share with him.
What is most obvious is that Jesus was a man of prayer. It was a major component in his life and mission. The first characteristic was that it was centred on his Father in a most intimate way, that of a child to his father. It was concerned with the Father’s desires and aims for the world which was the mission of Jesus. “God’s will be done!” epitomises his prayer’s content. It was not self–centred; it included all people in its embrace.
Jesus prayed out of a strong sense of trust and of being heard. He knew that what he wanted was what his Father wanted. He was not wrapped up in his own needs and desires. He did not practise a ‘once off’ prayer but he persisted in praying.
Jesus suffered and died accompanied by his prayer from the Supper Room to the tomb. He rose and ascended into heaven and there he continues praying and making intercession for us.
The Lord’s Prayer
This is the fundamental Christian prayer, the only one taught by Jesus to his disciples at their request. It is not a formula to be repeated mechanically. Two things we can say about it are that it is a summary of the whole Gospel. It is the most perfect of prayers. St. Thomas Aquinas has written, “In it we ask, not only for all the things we can rightly desire, but also in the sequence that they should be desired. This prayer not only teaches us to ask for things, but also in what order we should desire them”.
This gospel passage has Jesus instruct us to whom to pray, our loving, intimate Daddy, Father. Is it any wonder that when the Church presents us with this prayer in the sacred liturgy it introduces it with the words “Let us dare to say…”?
Then we record our priorities: salvation (hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come). Next we add our present needs (“give us each day our daily bread”), past needs (“forgive us our sins”) and future needs (“lead us not into temptation and deliver us from evil”). Praying like this makes us one in mind and heart with Jesus and so defines who are his disciples.
Commentary on 17th Sunday of the year C 24.07.2022
TEXT — Luke 11; 1–13 — Jesus teaches us to Whom, What and How to pray
The Lord’s Prayer
1 He was praying in a certain place, and when he ceased, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.”
2 And he said to them, “When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread; 4 and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive every one who is indebted to us; and lead us not into temptation.”
Persistence
5 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; 6 for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 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’?
8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him whatever he needs.
Efficacy of Prayer
9 And I tell you, Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?
13 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!”
EXPLANATION
1 He was praying in a certain place, and when he ceased, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.”
“He was praying in a certain place” — Jesus generally prayed in solitude, away from the disciples, often after he had sent them off (Lk. 6: 12; 9: 18, 28–29). Luke portrays Jesus at prayer before important moments in his ministry (Lk.. 5: 16; 6: 12–13, 18; 9: 18, 28–29; 10: 21; 11: 1; 22: 40–46; 23: 34, 46) Being at prayer here would indicate that this is an important moment for him, when he will teach his disciples how to pray.
“and when he ceased, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord’” — The disciple refers to Jesus by his post–resurrection title of “Lord”, which includes in its meaning the status of divinity. The disciple recognised that Jesus, because of his divine state, had something unique in his prayer. Now he asks that he may have that same intimacy when he prays.
“teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples’” — Luke has already told his readers that John taught his disciples to pray (Lk. 5: 33). Many regarded John as a prophet who, like all authentic prophets, would have special communication with God.
Obviously the disciple watching Jesus at prayer was most impressed and sought his help in teaching him to pray. Jesus will teach all the disciples what characterised his own personal prayer. This will be the distinguishing features of his disciples’ prayer. He will teach them to whom to pray, what to pray for and how to pray.
2 And he said to them, “When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread; 4 and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive every one who is indebted to us; and lead us not into temptation.”
“And he said to them, ‘When you pray, say:” — Jesus speaks to all the gathered disciples and will teach the prayer known as the “Our Father” or “The Lord’s Prayer”. It will contain two sections and an elaboration.
First, to whom to pray: disciples are taught to call on God the Father whom they are to recognise in his special attribute of holiness (“hallowed by Thy name”) and whose reign or kingdom they are to desire to see fully established (“Thy kingdom come”).
Second, for what to pray: for immediate (bread for each day) and ultimate needs (forgiveness and lasting fidelity).
Third, for how to pray: disciples must pray with trustful persistence (“and lead us not into temptation”; “deliver us from evil”).
“Father” — Luke does not place “Our” before the word “Father” nor does he add the words “who art in heaven”.
The Aramaic word “Abba”, meaning ‘father’, is a familiar title perhaps best translated into English as “daddy”, “dada” (in sound not unlike ‘papa’, ‘abba’). The first attitude of one praying to God his Father is the familiarity and intimacy of a son to his daddy.
This was something new and, for Jews, strange in prayer. Their attitude to God would have been most formal and certainly not as familiar as a father–son relationship.
Calling God “Father” means that the disciples acknowledge that they are his children sharing his divine life which he imparts to them.
Not only did Jesus advise his disciples to address God as “Father” but he practised that advice in his own prayers. Luke 10: 21–22 contains a prayer in which Jesus addresses his “Father” and he mentions the Father three other times in that short prayer. During the Agony in the Garden he addresses his “Father” (Lk. 22: 42). During the Crucifixion he calls on his “Father” twice (Lk. 23: 34, 46). To address his Father is a characteristic of Jesus’ prayer. He tells his disciples to make it a characteristic of their prayer also.
]’[
“hallowed be thy name” — God’s name is holy as the Archangel declared to Mary at the annunciation (“He who is mighty has done great things for me and holy is his name”(Lk. 1: 49). The meaning here is: may the Father’s name, that is the Person represented by the name, be seen as holy (“hallowed”) by his children. As no one has seen the Father his holiness can be seen, first, in Jesus who is ‘the face’ of the Father: “who has seen me has seen the Father”. Second, when the disciple prays “hallowed be thy name” he/she asks that this holiness may be seen in disciples also. This is a reminder of “be holy as [he is] holy” (Lv. 11: 45). “Holy” is God’s greatest attribute that all people, made in his image and likeness, should aspire to.
“Thy kingdom come” — This petition enunciates the mission given to Jesus by his Father which was to establish the kingdom of God on earth and bring all people to his Father who will reign over all. When the Father’s authority is acknowledged by all Satan has been conquered.
Luke does not record, as Matthew does, the petition “your will be done…” This petition is included in the meaning of “thy kingdom come” because it is by people doing God’s will perfectly here on earth that the kingdom of God is established.
“Give us each day our daily bread” — The plural “us” and “our” in this verse and “we” appears in this prayer in the next petitions. It is the prayer of the community, the family of God.
This is a request for God’s providence to help “us”, a transfer from the singular to the plural. The request is for sustenance in anything and everything God’s family needs. A disciple, like his/her Master, does not centre his/her prayer on him/herself but on the community.
The syntax of the verb is ‘keep giving us’, the continuous presence.
“each day” — Luke adds “each day” to the request for the bread that is required “daily”. Like the manna in the wilderness during the Exodus the requirements for each day should not be accumulated. A disciple’s trust in God’s providence should be such that he/she should be satisfied only with what is necessary
“daily bread” — The bread that is required for daily sustenance includes: (i) what is materially needed to maintain individual disciples’ bodies; (ii) what the community needs to sustain it physically; (iii) the word of God which is required to sustain the spirit or soul (“man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” — Dt 8:3); and (iv) the Eucharist which gives divine life.
“and forgive us our sins” — Luke uses “sins” which means human offences against God. He does not use “trespasses” or “debts” which are broader and may not necessarily imply a moral fault.
The forgiveness of sins is a major theme in Luke’s gospel (Lk. 1: 77; 3: 3; 5: 20–24; 7: 47–49; 12: 10; 18: 13; 23: 34; 24: 47). It brings inestimable joy in heaven (Lk. 15: 1–32).
“for we ourselves forgive every one who is indebted to us” — This is the only mention in this prayer of an action by a disciple. The disciple prays for forgiveness because he states that he is one who forgives others who are in debt to him. It does not mean that he asks for forgiveness in proportion to his/her way of forgiving those who offend him/her. Luke does not say “as we forgive” but “for [because] we forgive. In Luke’s version of The Lord’s Prayer the disciple’s claim is that already he has been imitating Jesus who, like his Father, forgives the sins of others. Luke had previously recalled Jesus’ plea to his disciples, “be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” (Lk. 6: 36).
He elaborated in the following verse “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”
“and lead us not into temptation’” — Jesus does not lead us into temptation. He allows temptation to come our way. But the constant teaching of the New Testament and the Church is that we should ‘flee before temptation’ (Jas. 1: 13; I Cor. 6: 18; 10: 14; I Tm. 6: 11; II Tm. 2: 22). Temptation is a test which is permitted by God who always gives the strength to overcome it (I Cor. 10: 13)
Luke’s use of the Greek syntax here refers to a future trial which is the final attack of the devil in his last effort to conquer people for his kingdom. During the Agony in the Garden, Jesus addressed his disciples, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation” (Lk. 22: 39. When he came back to them and found them asleep he repeated these same words (Lk. 22: 46). It is obvious that the temptation he had in mind was that they would be encouraged to lose faith and cease following Jesus or accepting the Church. Jesus had already warned that there is always the danger of falling away from the faith in temptation (Lk. 8: 13).
Note: Luke does not include the seventh petition, “deliver us from evil”, as presented by Matthew and given by the Church as the common form.
5 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; 6 for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 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’?
“And he said to them” — Jesus adds a parable on the importance of persevering in prayer.
“‘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”’” — This parable tells of a person in need going to not any acquaintance or neighbour but to a “friend” for help. He actually addresses him as “Friend”. The title is not reciprocated by the disturbed householder.
He asks to borrow “three loaves”. These were small and this amount was baked each day for each adult.
“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’” — The locked door was heavy. To open the door would mean disturbing the entire family, all of whom slept on a single large mat for a bed on a raised platform at one end of the small room. The animals slept in the same room on the floor. Anyone getting up during the night disturbed both people and animals, a not insignificant commotion and disturbance.
8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him whatever he needs.
“I tell you” — Jesus gives a personal conclusion to the parable.
“though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him whatever he needs” — The man’s “importunity”, persistence, or according to the Greek, the man’s “shamelessness”, wins out where friendship does not. There is a somewhat similar message in the parable of the unjust Judge and the persistent woman (Luke 18: 1–8). To persevere, even before apparent refusal, is an essential element in prayer.
9 And I tell you, Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
“And I tell you” — Jesus adds a second personal comment, again on persisting with one’s request.
“Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened” — The three verbs “ask…seek… knock” have the meaning of “persist in asking, in seeking and in knocking”.
Those who are poor must “ask”. Those who are blind must “seek”. Those who are lost must “knock”. Prayer can truly acknowledge a disciple’s status and needs.
11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?
“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?” — In the preceding parable the relationship between the two men was one of friendship. Here the relationship is stronger, that of father to son. If a son asks for something harmful the father will not be malicious and give. The father has concerned for his son.
13 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!”
“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!” — The disciples are reminded that God is their Father. The heavenly Father, who is more loving and more attentive than human parents, will give only what is best to his children; he will not allow them to be harmed.
God the Father sent his incarnate Son into the world on a mission of salvation. That mission was publicly inaugurated at the baptism of Jesus when the Holy Spirit came down upon him and anointed him. “And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased” (Lk. 3: 22). The Holy Spirit, “the Lord and Giver of Life”, is known as “the Gift”. This is the supreme, ultimate and greatest gift; the gift of God himself, the gift which all God’s children should ask for.
APPLICATION
Jesus, Man of Prayer
Luke’s Gospel shows us Jesus at prayer by day and by night, in many diverse places, for different lengths of time, some short, some quite long, some in solitude, some in the company of his disciples, some in times of need and some when he just wanted to be alone with his Father, some before he sought help and some when he received God’s gift of approval.
According to Luke (11: 1) one day when the disciples saw Jesus at prayer, communicating with his Father, they were most impressed and wanted to be able to pray in a similar manner. It was not a matter of ‘saying prayers’ but of something deeper, of interior communication. Nor was it a matter of praying the psalms which, as practising Jews, they did regularly in the synagogues every Sabbath. What they wanted Jesus to teach them was what they saw as his personal way of praying — ‘this is how I pray; this is how you are to pray’.
Jesus taught them “The Lord’s Prayer” allowing his disciples to assume his thoughts and loves as God the Father’s incarnate Son on a divine mission which they also would share with him.
What is most obvious is that Jesus was a man of prayer. It was a major component in his life and mission. The first characteristic was that it was centred on his Father in a most intimate way, that of a child to his father. It was concerned with the Father’s desires and aims for the world which was the mission of Jesus. “God’s will be done!” epitomises his prayer’s content. It was not self–centred; it included all people in its embrace.
Jesus prayed out of a strong sense of trust and of being heard. He knew that what he wanted was what his Father wanted. He was not wrapped up in his own needs and desires. He did not practise a ‘once off’ prayer but he persisted in praying.
Jesus suffered and died accompanied by his prayer from the Supper Room to the tomb. He rose and ascended into heaven and there he continues praying and making intercession for us.
The Lord’s Prayer
This is the fundamental Christian prayer, the only one taught by Jesus to his disciples at their request. It is not a formula to be repeated mechanically. Two things we can say about it are that it is a summary of the whole Gospel. It is the most perfect of prayers. St. Thomas Aquinas has written, “In it we ask, not only for all the things we can rightly desire, but also in the sequence that they should be desired. This prayer not only teaches us to ask for things, but also in what order we should desire them”.
This gospel passage has Jesus instruct us to whom to pray, our loving, intimate Daddy, Father. Is it any wonder that when the Church presents us with this prayer in the sacred liturgy it introduces it with the words “Let us dare to say…”?
Then we record our priorities: salvation (hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come). Next we add our present needs (“give us each day our daily bread”), past needs (“forgive us our sins”) and future needs (“lead us not into temptation and deliver us from evil”). Praying like this makes us one in mind and heart with Jesus and so defines who are his disciples.