Daily Readings - Thu Oct 07 2021
Luke
5And 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;6For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?7And 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.8I 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.9And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.10For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.11If 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?12Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?13If 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?
Sermon
The Gospel today presents us with a vivid parable about persistence in prayer, a teaching that Jesus uses to encourage His disciples to trust in God’s generosity. The parable describes a man who, despite being inconvenienced by a friend’s late-night request for bread, eventually relents because of the friend’s persistence. Jesus then connects this to prayer, assuring us that if even a reluctant human friend will respond to persistence, how much more will our heavenly Father, who is infinitely good and loving, respond to our persistent prayers. He emphasizes that God, unlike humans, will never give us something harmful but will instead give us the Holy Spirit, the greatest gift of all.
This teaching comes in the context of Jesus’ broader instruction on prayer, which is rooted in the understanding that God is a loving Father who desires to give good things to His children. The parable challenges us to reflect on our own approach to prayer. Do we pray with the kind of persistence and trust that Jesus is encouraging? Or do we give up easily when our prayers seem unanswered? The passage reminds us that prayer is not about wearing God down but about deepening our relationship with Him and trusting in His love and providence.
In our daily lives, this teaching invites us to embrace a spirit of perseverance and faith. When we face challenges or uncertainties, we are called to bring them before God with confidence, knowing that He hears us and desires to provide for us in ways that align with His will. This doesn’t mean that every prayer will be answered as we expect, but it does mean that God is always working for our good, even when we don’t see it immediately. Let us, therefore, approach prayer with persistence, trust, and openness to the ways God chooses to answer us.