Anchor My Faith

Because of His Impudence

Scripture: Luke 11:5-8

In the previous lesson we saw the importance of forgiveness. In this lesson we will look at how we ask for something.

^{Lk 11:5} 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 impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs.”

The context of this text is still about prayer. Jesus taught his disciples a short form of prayer; prayer without a multiplicity of words and vain repetitions. Our prayer is not to be cold, indifferent and slack as we approach God, but we are to ask affectionately, with earnestness, frequency and perseverance, which are natural expressions of strong desire for something. Jesus next gives an illustration of this.

“Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves.” You have an urgent need for more bread and at midnight, a most inconvenient time, you go to one of your friends and wake him from sleep and ask him for three loaves of bread. Why is it so urgent to have more bread in the middle of the night? Couldn’t he wait until morning?

“for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him.” In that culture at the time of Jesus it was unthinkable to not have something to set before a guest when arriving after a time of travel. Maybe you were planning to bake more bread in the morning and were not expecting an early arrival of your guest. As you go to your friend with your request, how might he respond?

“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’.” As you read this you can sense the aggravation on the part of your friend by what he says. He first makes it clear that you are bothering him; this is not the appropriate time for this request. He strengthens that comment by directing you to look at the door and see that it is shut, and besides we are all in bed; not in the same bed but each in their own bed. Your friend, at least before you came pounding on his door, makes it real clear that he is not about to get up and help you. Your friend, being irritated by your untimely request, is unwilling to help you. This is in contrast to God’s great desire to help his children, for Jesus later says: 9 “And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened” (Luke 11:9 – 10 ESV). This is also illustrated in the parable of the persistent widow in Luke 18:1 – 8.

You take no for an answer and with impudence you continue to make your request known. Jesus says: “I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs.”

What does “impudence” mean. This word is found only here in the New Testament and when used in other ancient literature it means lack of sensitivity to what is proper. You went without shame and boldly disrupted your friend’s sleep and at your persistence he will get up and help you. Should we not then go before God with our request, for if a neighbor will respond, will not God who is more gracious and caring than any human neighbor meet your need?

Conclusion

In view of verses 9 – 10, which we will cover in the next lesson, and the Luke 18 text, mentioned above, it seems possible that the intended meaning of “impudence” is a kind of shameless persistence in our prayers of request.