Our Great God and Saviour Who Gave Himself For Us - Part 697

Suppose a friend arrives at your home around midnight. The friend has not called ahead. Neither has the friend come simply to visit. Rather, the friend in arriving at your home asks if you have food to give. He asks because a friend of his has arrived at his home but he has nothing to set before him. But from your perspective, you are already in bed. Not only you, but your children and servants too.

Jesus shared a similar scenario in Luke chapter eleven. Therein, Jesus is trying to tell us how much more He -- our Lord God and Saviour wants to give us -- unlike the friend who was settled for the night.

"Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go to him at midnight, and say to him, "Friend, lend me three loaves. For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?" And he from within shall answer and say, "Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give you."

In other words, do not disturb me.  The man and his family are already settled for the night. From his perspective, he and his family are firmly established in their household. However, the friend -- because of his importunity keeps knocking on the door -- thereby forcing his friend to give him the loaves he needed. 

Importunity is the difference here. Importunity is defined in the dictionary as "insistent solicitation and entreaty, urgency, an entreaty or solicitation addressed to someone of superior status. For example, importunity could include a solicitation to the king for relief."  As we read in this scriptural example, it is the friend's persistence that makes the difference. 

Somewhat like the lady with the issue of blood for twelve years. She realized that if she could only touch the hem of Jesus' garment she would be healed. (Luke 8:43-48)

Jesus’ message does not end there. Within the parable, we begin to recognize that each and every one of us have sojourned away from the Master on our own life journey. We have all gone astray. In fact, each and every one of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Lost our way from our intended God-given purpose. That is our daily walk with the King of kings and Lord of lords. And the friend asking for the loaves here recognizes the urgency. The man who had gone astray needs help now. His salvation cannot wait until morning. The man’s soul hangs in the balance this night.

Jesus wants us to understand the urgency. He continues saying, "I say unto you - though he will not rise and give him [the loaves] because he is his friend yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needs."

Jesus then takes the analogy from the physical to the spiritual. He said, "And I say unto you. Ask and it shall be given you. Seek and ye shall find. Knock and it shall be opened. For every one that asks receives, and he that seeks finds, and to him that knocks, it shall be opened."

Jesus elaborates on this point. Instead of the friend asking for loaves -- as it was originally – Jesus portrays the same situation from a family perspective. He said "If a son shall ask bread or any of you that is a father will he give him a stone? Or if he asks a fish will he for a fish, give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?"

Of course not. So then, Jesus said, "If you then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?"

Indeed, the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men and women. How many times has our Lord God – our blessed Saviour -- called you and I unto Him? You see, when one asks Jesus into their life  they can look too for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ -- who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Ask and it shall be given. Stand in the offering plate.