February Note
From Pastor Mark
The parable in Luke 11:5-13 text immediately follows the account of what we call “The Lord’s Prayer.” It is a parable about persistence in prayer and only Luke tells this story.
Its message is that if you are going to pray to God, be bold. Audacious. Persistent.
In this parable, someone’s in need. He knocks on his neighbor’s door late at night. Of course, the neighbors don’t hear him! They’re sleeping.
Have you ever experienced someone knocking on your door or making a lot of noise late at night? How did you react? Would you get up late at night to answer the door? Is there a difference between a late-night emergency and noise with no apparent purpose?
In this parable, the knocking has a purpose. A need is being expressed. Yet the neighbor is irritated.
He gives excuses; he doesn’t want to be bothered. But eventually, he does respond. He comes to the door and gives his neighbor what he needs.
Jesus teaches that we can be audacious and bold in our prayer. Asking boldly for what you need is like knocking on your neighbor’s door late at night in search of bread to feed someone who’s hungry.
This parable also implies that the asleep neighbor is motivated to help you rather than harm you.
God wants to help us, to respond to the needs expressed in our prayers.
God isn’t going to give us poisonous snakes or scorpions instead of bread. God desires to hear our prayers and to help us.
So, when we pray, we should not doubt God’s good will and purpose, even when it’s the dead of night and our cries for help seem disregarded.
The King James translation reads: “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asks receives, and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened.”
“Ask, Seek, Knock.” That’s what it’s all about. Keep praying. Be bold.
Approach God as a loving parent. Though I must admit, being older as I am, I wonder if God doesn’t take out his hearing aids at night, sometimes.
I say that with the hope that God has a sense of humor. God must, God created us, right?
So, let’s keep pounding on the door and I’ll look forward to being with you in worship!
Pastor Mark
Email Pastor Mark: pastormark@sotpmail.com