“Everyone Who Asks Receives!”

Meditation on Luke 11:1-13

 July 28, 2013

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      Jesus was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.’ He said to them,     ‘When you pray, say:
 “Father, hallowed be your name.
   Your kingdom come.
   Give us day by day our daily bread.
   And forgive us our sins,
     for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.
   And do not bring us to the time of trial” ’ (or as other translations say, do not bring us into temptation, but rescue us from evil).

   And Jesus said to them, ‘Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, “Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.” And he answers from within, “Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.” I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs. So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!’ Luke 11:1-13

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     My husband was away for a few days this week visiting his sister and brother-in-law in New York.  So our two youngest sons and I were on our own.

     Now Jim does most of the cooking and grocery shopping in our household.  So when he is away, Jacob, James and I have to figure out how to feed ourselves.

    We did OK!  But the meals were not as fancy as when Jim cooks. The first night—Monday—was my turn to make supper. My sons and I decided at the last minute to have grilled cheese and chicken noodle soup, since we had not remembered to defrost any meat.  Grilled cheese has always been a favorite in my house, especially for the noon meal. Then, if we have any turkey or ham, I add a slice or two to our sandwiches to jazz them up!

     Well, we sat down to eat together—my two sons and I. We finished our sandwiches.  We finished our soup. 

     And then Jacob looked across the table at me and said, “I wish I had another sandwich.” 

    Since I was still eating, I suggested he make another himself. I motioned to the ingredients sitting out on the counter.  And the warm frypan on the stove.

     Now Jacob isn’t much of a cook. So I asked, “You remember how to make grilled cheese, don’t you?” I explained about greasing the pan with margarine (not butter or it might burn) and spreading a little margarine on one side of each slice of bread—so the sandwich gets nice and crispy on the outside.  I usually put two slices of American cheese (or some cheddar, if we have it) between two slices of bread—white, wheat or rye.  And then I add a slice of turkey or ham, after warming it a little in the pan.

    Can you make a grilled cheese without the turkey or ham?  Sure!

    But can you make a grilled cheese without the cheese?

    No, because then it’s not grilled cheese anymore.

***

   In today’s gospel, we don’t learn how to make grilled cheese.  We learn something much more important. How to pray.  The disciples had never heard such passionate prayers before—prayers from the heart.  This kind of prayer did not exist before Christ came to earth and dwelt among us.

     Jesus called God, “Abba!” In today’s American English, that’s not “Father,” it’s “Dad” or “Daddy!”

    We seek our Daddy in prayer like a toddler climbs into his Dad’s lap just for the joy of being held by the one he loves, the one who makes him feel safe, secure, and loved!

     We seek our Father God for his forgiveness and for the power and grace to live in right relationship with Him and one another. And we seek him every day!  For if you love someone, you don’t just talk to them once in a while or just at mealtimes.  When you love them, you want to talk to them and be with them all the time.

     When Jesus says, “Give us today our daily bread,” he is not saying, “God, give us food for our bodies.”  “Bread” in the Old Testament is God’s Word—without which we cannot live on earth as God calls us to live, and without which our souls will perish. 

     Moses warns the Israelites not to forget about God during times of prosperity—when our bellies are full and we have more than just what we need. He says in Deuteronomy 8:3, “So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.”

     Jesus quotes this scripture in Matthew 4:4, when he hasn’t eaten for 40 days in the wilderness, and the devil tempts him to turn stones into bread.  Jesus says, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”

  

***

    The final part of this passage, when Jesus tells the story of the friend who wants something desperately from another friend, though it is very late and the friend has already gone to bed, teaches us 2 things and offers a promise.  One thing is that we must persevere in prayer.  We have to keep on coming to God, seeking Him, and relying on Him all our lives. 

    The second thing is the most important ingredient of prayer. Just like we can’t have a grilled cheese without cheese, we can’t have prayer without asking for the power and presence of God Himself—the Holy Spirit! If we want to pray like Jesus and live in God’s righteous kingdom right now, on earth as it is in heaven, then we need His Spirit.

      We can’t love him and love and forgive other people without the Spirit doing it’s transforming work inside of us, giving us wisdom, compassion and humility and strengthening us to do His will.

     Then here’s the promise.  Everyone who asks for the Spirit receives the Spirit!  No one is turned away.   

     Because God loves us—much more than we can understand as flawed, sinful human beings.

     Jesus says, “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”

 

Let us pray.  

 Heavenly Father, we praise your holy name!  Thy kingdom come!  May your will be done on earth so we may live as it is in heaven.  Give us your Word and your Holy Spirit every day, every moment, so that we may know your will and be strengthened to obey.  Forgive us when our prayers have come from a lukewarm heart or a distracted mind! Forgive us when we haven’t loved you like a young child adores her loving parents. Keep us from forgetting you and turning away from you in times of prosperity, when we have more than just what we need.  Help us to always remember all the things you have done for us—especially for sending your Son to die for us so that we may be forgiven and receive everlasting life. Empower us to keep on sharing the love of Christ with all people we encounter in our daily lives. Remind us that Christ is with us always—to the end of the age.   In His name we pray.  Amen.