INTERSECTIONS—"Running a Green Light” Luke 11:5-13; 18:1-8
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INTERSECTIONS—"Running a Green Light” Luke 11:5-13; 18:1-8 Today, we shall look at two short stories Jesus told to help us in the discipline of prayer. Context will be very important for us to pay attention to so that we do not miss the equally important lesson Jesus was teaching His audience. Running A Green Light—that really doesn’t make sense, does it? This title is to alert us quickly to the reason behind the main point of this message and Jesus’ lesson for the disciples. Can you really run a green light? You can run a yellow light. You may even receive some scowls from the passengers or more so from the driver who was waiting to turn left. Running a red light can get you killed, and most of us would never venture to run a red light. Through both of these stories, we answer the questions How? How long? And When? Jesus follows His answer to the disciples “Teach us to pray” in Luke 11 with the Lord’s Model prayer and then addresses the “How long?” questions with a story of a friend going to his neighbor for help and the hour is late. Let’s read it together. “5 Then He said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and from inside he answers and says, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs. 9 “So I say to 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 he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. 11 Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? 12 Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? 13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” Did you see what the friend did? He basically ran a green light. He pursued an objective he was confident he could achieve. Notice also that even though it was a bit embarrassing, he made a conscious choice between two valid and equally risky social snafus. He could fail to show hospitality to a friend who shows up at midnight (we won’t talk about that friend, though obviously he turned to who he thought was a good friend or he wouldn’t have shown up that late…not to mention that the hot climate made travel much more pleasant in the late hours of the day and evening). In eastern culture, it was customary to house a guest who was traveling and sought cover. That hospitality also included a good meal/bread. He was stuck. Here is a friend, and he has no food. An equally risky option was to wake up a friend…after midnight. Again, to better understand this story, you must realize the culture and time in history. A mostly agricultural society would have already been retired to bed hours earlier once it had gotten dark. So, we understand his choices, and from the story, you already know that he chose to wake up the friend. Running A Green Light is to remind you of the main point of Jesus’ story. Persistence. Notice that since the hour was late, he should have known, “this is most likely not going to work.” Also notice the neighbor’s first response. “NO! We are all asleep and I will wake up every one!” (Describe a typical home, how/where they slept and who else was in the house asleep) Inferred in this short story is that the man did not stop knocking, asking and he continued to knock and cry out for his friend to save him from his predicament. So, there is a valuable lesson here about prayer that Jesus wants us to know, learn and put into practice. Persistence. So, I get it. Keep on asking. But look at the definition more closely. Persist—a. to go on resolutely or stubbornly in spite of opposition, b. to remain unchanged or fixed in a specified character, condition or position, c. to be insistent in the repetition or pressing of an utterance, d. to continue to exist especially in spite of interference or ill treatment. John MacArthur further adds to this asking and seeking the words shamelessness, insolence, audacity, and boldness. Edward M. Bounds, a great preacher and scholar of prayer, speaks in all of his writings on prayer what many lack when they approach prayer. Some approach prayer as if there is already a red light. I won’t be here long. Some approach prayer as if there were a caution light—I will set aside a few moments for talking with God, but I am already late and I must go. I have much to do today. I will proceed with caution but I got to go! Bounds implores us to pray with passion. Pray with boldness. Enter that time of prayer as a child who comes to a generous father who loves his sons and daughters and desires to bless them according to what he sees is the very best for them. He uses words like bold, violent, insisting, commanding to claim the promises of God. Like the man in this story, I know Justin always has leftovers. He is my friend. He will get past this and he will help me. I know he will. See in this man a determination to take the hill, bang on the door and leave with what he came to get. Answers. Food. Bailed out. “The praying which influences God is declared to be that of the fervent, effectual outpouring of a righteous man. That is to say, it is prayer on fire…” Edward M. Bounds, Necessity of Prayer. All the scholars point to a literary tool used often to convey a message. Arguing from the lesser to the greater. Jesus employs this tool by giving us a story that we can easily visualize. Surely, if this friend would help his neighbor by waking up the whole family and the livestock and fowl to give him some bread, surely a father would. Look further. The tense of the verbs that follow in verses 9-10 communicate persistence. “Keep on asking, keep on seeking and keep on knocking” point back to this picture of a man banging on a door after midnight because he knows his friend will answer, help and provide. Do not miss the promises that Jesus firmly attaches to each. Keep on asking for you will receive. Keep on seeking for you will find. Keep on knocking for the door will open. That should really encourage us a people who pray. Don’t give up. Don’t stop. Many pray and stop long before the blessing comes. Many give up before the answer is revealed. Stay the course. Keep on! Press on through the promise. Jesus is not finished. He gives one more argument from the lesser to the greater. He then compares earthly fathers with His heavenly Father. You recognized it, right? What father would give children a snake who asked for bread? What father would give a child a scorpion when asked for an egg. I love what John MacArthur emphasizes here. He doesn’t call that kind of father or that kind of giving evil. Jesus makes it clear what our earthly condition is. He says, “13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” Jesus points us right back to that humbling, low and true condition of mankind. EVIL. He is pointing to our depravity, our inability to do good and our inability to save ourselves. So, the argument is more like from the much lesser to the much greater. There is a story in Matthew 15:21-28, that depicts this same relentless, undying passion to claim what one is desperate for when there is confidence that the answer is within reach. “21 Jesus went away from there, and withdrew into the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And a Canaanite woman from that region came out and began to cry out, saying, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed.” 23 But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and implored Him, saying, “Send her away, because she keeps shouting at us.” 24 But He answered and said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But she came and began to bow down before Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” 26 And He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 27 But she said, “Yes, Lord; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” 28 Then Jesus said to her, “O woman, your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed at once.” First of all, she is crying out to a people who are not her people.