Lord, Teach Us to Pray
(Part 5)
Reading: Luke 11:1-13
When the disciples came to Jesus in
order for Him to teach them how to pray, He not only taught them
how to pray, but gave them a simple parable that reminds us of the
key motivation for our prayer. Unfortunately, this clear
motivation for prayer is often obscured by our translations.
However, it isn't hard to clean away the grime so that we might peer
into this great motivation for prayer for ourselves.
Then
Jesus said to them, "Suppose you have a friend, and you go to
him at midnight and say, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6a
friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to
offer him.' 7And
suppose the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me. The door is already
locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can't get up and give you
anything.' 8I
tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread
because of friendship, yet because of your shameless
audacity he
will surely get up and give you as much as you need.
(Luke 11:5-8 NIV)
The
above quotation is from the recent update (2011) to the NIV, which
has definitely made an effort to include the primary meaning of the
word in vs. 8 translated “shameless audacity.” The older NIV
translation read boldness.
Many translations point toward persistence
(importunity).
And while there are many great teachings in scripture on the
importance of persistence in prayer (especially when we feel like God
is being silent!), or boldness (because we no longer need to be
afraid), I
don't think that either of these capture the plain teaching intended
in this text of Scripture.
Let's
begin by examining the story. Jesus
very wisely puts you, the listener, into the parable. You, the one
being taught to pray, have an active role in this parable.
What is that role? Your role in this parable is to pray. You have a
friend, and at midnight you go to him to appeal to him, to make an
audacious request of him. What is your request? It starts with
another friend who has come to stay with you, and he is hungry. You
are required both by custom and by your friendship to offer him
hospitality. However,
you are a slacker and therefore have nothing to offer him.
The notes in the NET translation say on verse 6, “The
background to the statement 'I have nothing to set before him' is
that in ancient Middle Eastern culture it
was a matter of cultural honor to be a good host to visitors
[emphasis
mine].”
You
should be embarrassed; you should be ashamed of yourself. You are
unprepared and have nothing to offer your guest.
But what do you do? You go immediately, without hesitation even
though it is very late, to a friend and wake him up and openly
admit your shameful situation:
My
cupboards are empty! [I have nothing to set before him.]
While you don't actually even ask for food, the request is implied
by your unashamed admission of need. We are told that this man will
get up, not because of your friendship. You receive nothing because
of who you are, or because of your standing with this man. He
gets up to provide you with the food you need because of your
_____________.
(This is where the translation of this word becomes very important.)
While
various translations fill in this blank with references to
persistence,
or
boldness,
the common meaning of the word is unashamedness,
or
shamelessness.
However,
even though many acknowledge this meaning, they often go on to say
that there is nothing in the context that fits that translation
(unashamedness), so they offer solutions in the area of boldness
or persistence.
Might
I suggest that there is plenty in the context to suggest the common
meaning of the word: unashamedness?
In
fact, that is exactly the point of the parable. You aren't going to
have your prayers answered because God is partial to you. That
should never be your motivation for prayer. That would be a
Pharisaical approach to prayer (see Luke 18:11-12). Your
motivation for prayer must be your utter need.
And your need is rooted in the fact that you are a slacker. But
instead of shame, and hiding from your sufficient friend, you
unashamedly go to him immediately, admitting your need, acknowledging
your desperate situation and inability to serve others without his
help.
Now
that unashamedness will no doubt be great motivation for persistent
prayer, as your need will drive you to keep asking, seeking and
knocking in order to receive the Holy Spirit to help you minister to
those whom the Lord brings before you (Luke 11:9-13). Oh
that the church, each of us, would learn to embrace our desperate
need, and unashamedly go to the Father immediately with our inability
to serve others, that we might be empowered by the Holy Spirit to
effectively serve them in their time of need!
It is your need, and lack, that is intended to spur you on in prayer
to the One Who is all-sufficient.
Love the
Gospel, Live the Gospel, Advance the Gospel,
Jerry
