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Author
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Topic: The LORD is teaching them how to pray
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epouraniois
unregistered
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posted
The LORD is teaching them how to pray, and about Himself. Luk 11:5-13:
And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto 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?
Don’t forget that these people were very hospitable, and this would be cause for tremendous concern. One would gladly make sure the friend has some food to take care of his guest by.
'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 thee'. (Luk 11:7)
So we see the attitude is not the expected regard for the need of his friend.
'I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth'. (Luk 11:8)
The only use of the word ‘importunity’; literally means impudence. We see this in people don’t we? If you ask, sometimes you have to sort of, ask harder, and then you can get somewhere maybe, if you ask enough. This is a ‘contrast parable’; so next the LORD speaks as Himself;
'And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you'. (Luk 11:7-9)
Now I ought not expect that I can just ask, and get anything, anytime I want, no, for one thing, He is telling the disciples something about the Kingdom, something about the tools they need, so, just ask, and they shall be given. They had just been instructed to pray for the kingdom to come in the earth as it is in heaven. But there is something here for us in this present time. In all dispensations, in all times, it is right to ask, as James tells us, you have not, why, because you don’t ask. Job had to ask. What we ask for may change over time, but the way you ask, and the principle of asking is right at all times.
'For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye 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?' (Luk 11:10-13)
Of course what parent is going to do not give the child, or even a friend what they need. But, it truly pleasant when you’re asked nicely, please, may I have…and then you give to your child or friend and they say, thank you very much? It’s very family, the LORD appreciates that, and shows you need Him too, that feels good. We need to learn to be next to Godliness. That is what this parable is all about, good manners. Remember when Israel lost their manners, desiring meat instead of angel’s food, manna from heaven, sweet and yummy, you know it was good, yet, human nature, breeding contempt; so we should pay attention to our lives, take care what we ask the LORD for, it may be a painful lesson we don’t really want. He gave them meat, but sent leanness into their souls. Our LORD knows what we have need of, but there may be some things not in the Bible we may need to pray more earnestly for, such as friends and fellowship, as Paul did pray earnestly and unceasingly for all those he knew what their need was. There is need for persistent prayer; we’ve just got to learn discernment in what we should ask for, and when. But we must ask because we are utterly dependant on Him. And we thank Him oft, not only with our lips, but with our lives, by giving up to Him our service.
Luk 12:15 'And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth'.
Well, this applies to our material world today. Just need more, more, more. Riches are spoken poorly of in scripture, it seems that too much makes us forget about the work of the LORD.
'And he spake a parable unto them, saying,
The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry'. (Luk 12:16-19)
Everything’s going really great!
'But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God'. (Luk 12:21)
This seems to be a good lesson for all times. Beware of the snare. We carry nothing out.
‘But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will [choose to] be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
For the love of money is a root of all evil;’ (1Ti 6:6-10)
--I replaced-- ‘the’ with ‘a’ -- which is literal.
'Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded; nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;
That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life'. (1Ti 6:17-19)
It is works, when we stand on the other side, it is about us listening to Him, paying attention more to not of the things of this world. But be rich in good works, for glory to His honor, and one day He will look at the books and say, very good, well done. We all have something to give, Peter said, ‘Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee’ (Acts 3.1) Well done.
'Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;'
They wore skirts, but this is saying button up, and keep yourself busy with the Lord’s will,‘occupy till I come’. (Luk 19.13)
'And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.
Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.' (Luk 12:36-37)
The LORD will come and serve, that’s what He said He came here for.
'And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants'. (Luk 12:38)
The LORD, whether He comes the second watch, (they rejected Him), or the third watch, blessed are those servants He finds watching, occupying.
'And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not'. (Luk 12:39-40)
He tells them everything but the hour, all the signs, what to look for, the timing of events, but not the hour. And it will be like this for us as well; we are to watch, and our minds on that which is above. We have the same instruction from Paul for this present time in Ephesians 5: ‘Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.’
'Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all?
And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?'
Notice how He puts faithful before wise? First the root, then the fruit.
'Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing'. (Luk 12:41-43)
Oh, will it not be wonderful to be blessed by the LORD.
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