Pentecost 0910 – “Shameless Impudence in Prayer.”  Luke 11:1-13

 

Grace to you and peace from God, our Father, and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.  The text for our sermon meditation is taken from the Gospel account of St Luke, the 11^th Chapter:

 

      “I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because   he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give     him whatever he needs.”

 

So far the reading.

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

      There are certain people in this world who know where to go and what to do when they want or need something.  They have a knack of getting whatever it is they asking.  When we hear of how they went about getting something we comment on their boldness, their impudence and their shamelessness, secretly wishing for the same courage.

 

      Think for a moment about the times your children boldly come to you asking for something.  It may have been that special toy that they really, really need, or so they say.  It may be that they are standing before you with an array of friends standing in support and asking permission to go to an impromptu party or gathering at so and so’s house.  Every body else’s parent gave their friends permission, can I go too.  You know you are probably the first one to be asked in the line of dominos which will eventually fall to the scheme.

 

      The point is this.  Why do your children come to you with such requests?  What is the hope?  What do they know about you, their parents?  We see those same answers reflected in the parable of the impudent friend who come knocking on his neighbor’s door in the late hours of the night.

 

      Impudence is an interesting word.  Do you know what impudence means?  The words shamelessness, lack of respect, boldness help us to define the word.   Impertinence, rudeness; brass, brazenness, face, lip, presumption, sauce, pertness; nerve, gall are a few synonyms that also help us to get the flavor of the word.  We can see that impudence may be used in both a good or bad way.  Maybe today the word is used in a bad way referring to sinful actions.  However, the word is neutral and the context must determine its use.  Is Jesus promoting sin in this parable or does Jesus encourage faith?

 

      If someone knocked on your door at midnight and interrupted your sleep I am sure you would consider this in bad light?  The door bell rings and wakes you.  You roll out of bed to see who is at the door.  You look through the peep hole and see it is a friend.  You ask him through the door what he wants and he answers I need a loaf of bread.

 

      Certainly, you would be inclined to think if not say what about this midnight encounter?  He has a lot of brass, nerve, or gall asking me for a loaf of bread at this time of night.  While the need is voiced, it goes unnoticed because of the feelings you have at that moment.

 

      But let’s not dwell on the immediate response.  Let’s consider what Jesus wants us to understand about this request.  First we need to understand the person making the request has gone to the right person for help.  He recognized that he was lacking in something.  He had a need that he was unable to meet so he turns to a friend who could help him in the time of need. 

 

      But let us change could to would.  Why should we change could to would?  We change could to would because the man knows his friend will rise from the dead of sleep to help someone in need.  He will risk waking his family to give the visitor at the door what is needed.  He is willing to suffer discomfort to address the discomfort of a neighbor.  That is the point Jesus wants us to understand.  When we pray, we are to go to the person who is able to give us what we need and answer prayers.

 

      How often we go to other people or places to find help when the Lord is ready and waiting to give us help.  We often seek to find our own solutions first rather than seeking the aid of our God.  We forget that the Lord says to us in the words of the Psalmist:  “call upon me in the day of trouble, ….”  Abraham knew whom to turn to in the day of trouble.  When the Lord said he was about to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, what did Abraham do?  He petitioned the Lord on behalf of those who were faithful and righteous.  Abraham knew his nephew Lot and his family were in trouble.  They were about to be swept away by the Lord’s righteous anger and judgment.  Abraham petitioned the Lord to be merciful on behalf of those who were righteous.

 

      Our Lord wants us to know that we can be and indeed need to be bold and expectant in our prayers to Him for our life’s needs.  Was Abraham presumptuous, impudent or shameless in his prayer?  Certainly, Abraham was all of these.  Yet he was justified in his praying because he petitioned the One who alone hears and answers prayer.

 

      Yet, we cannot presume to have everything we ask from God.  For, there are things that God does not promise to give.  We are not to impose our wants upon God and expect that He will give them to us.  We may ask for all those things connected with daily bread, but we may not tell God what kind and what amount.  If we have food and clothing with these things we will be content Scripture says. 

 

      To seek after the extravagant things of this world and excesses which are placed before us is to seek what is not ours to have.  Certainly the Lord may give them to us, but we may not demand such things.  As the Lord gives no more than our faith is able to manage, so also He gives us no than we are able use faithfully.  We are not to be like spoiled children seeking what is not ours to have and use.

 

      At times we wonder why we have not received from the Lord.  Perhaps the answer is that we asked in the wrong way.  We may have asked in all boldness, but we were lacking faith and humility.  God won’t answer me because I am not a good person.  God will give me what I ask because I deserve these things.  Both these attitudes lead to unanswered prayer.  At least prayer that is not answered according to the demands we make upon God.  The one attitude may be seen as a test of God’s mercy, manipulating Him to act to prove you wrong.  The other attitude may be seen as bargaining with God or buying His attention and mercy.

 

      How are we to ask?  When we understand this truth then all our prayers will change and we may be quietly confident that Lord will hear and answer us.  We are first to recognize and believe that we are God’s children.  Called through the Gospel of Jesus Christ and baptized into his atoning death and glorious resurrection.  As Scripture teaches we have access to the Father because of the grace in which we now stand.  Our souls, now cry out “Abba, Father” imploring Him of his mercy to give those things which we need.

 

      The demands of self-righteousness are changed to the demands of faith righteousness.  But we are not to demand from God, you might think.  That is true when we ask in unbelief and sinful selfishness.  Yet, when we pray in faith we may demand those things which God has promised us.  The spiritual blessings given to us through Jesus Christ are given by God without reservation. 

 

      We may pray for a stronger faith and God will see that our faith is strengthened.  We may ask for Christ’s forgiveness with a penitent heart and God will cover our sins with that forgiveness.  We may ask for eternal life and salvation promised through the atoning work of Jesus Christ and God will defend us until the day of Christ’s return.  Scripture teaches us that all these things are Christ’s and that all who are in Christ receive such things. 

 

      Do you understand that you already pray for these blessings when you pray the words of the Lord’s Prayer?  When you speak the words of this prayer taught us by Jesus, you are speaking the very words of God.  These words of God are the effective words of confidence and faith to be spoken by God’s people when asking for His eternal blessings and material gifts.

 

      Each petition of this prayer is a request by God to God for us to use in any and all times and situations in our life.  We may take those petitions individually or as a whole and address the various needs we might have in life.  Certainly, we may have confidence that they will be heard, first because we have faith in the one who gave these words.  Secondly, because these are God’s words given by Him to us for our use.

 

      We must lastly consider the answer God gives to prayer.  How did God answer the prayers Abraham in the book of Genesis?  When Abraham said, “Suppose there are 50, 45, 40, 30, 20, 10 righteous people,” the Lord promised to with hold his destroying judgment upon the people of Sodom and Gomorrah.  Did the Lord become angry with Abraham?  No he was pleased with Abraham. For Abraham prayed for not only his nephew Lot and his family, but for all who lived in those cities.  Abraham prayed for time that they might repent and receive God’s mercy.

 

      Abraham’s prayers were not answered as he wanted.  Yet, they were answered according to the will of God and his righteous judgment.  The towns were swept away in fire and brimstone, but Lot and his daughters were rescued.

 

      Consider the son of David conceived in adultery and suffering the judgment of God.  David prayed that the child’s life would be spared.  Yet, it was not the Lord’s will.  The child was taken by the Lord, and David in faith proclaimed he would see his son again at the resurrection.

 

      We are no less sinners or no more just than Abraham, David or the people of Sodom and Gomorrah.  God will answer our prayers according to His will for us.  In our prayers we are to let God prescribe the times, measures, limits, places, people and blessings.  In His wisdom and knowledge, God will give what is best for us. It may seem as if he is taking away or withholding his mercy and grace, but He knows what we need and when that need will be met.

 

      In all this we must remember these words from the prophet who quotes God for our learning.

 

      “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”

 

      The Lord is saying come to me in boldness and confidence and make your requests known.  Then he asks us to trust him for our answers as we trust him for His eternal salvation in Jesus Christ.

 

      I believe we began with the words of the psalmist who said of God’s command to pray,

 

      “Call upon me in the day of trouble …”

 

      What confidence do we have in the God who commands us to  pray?  God gives it to us in the last half of that same verse when God says:

 

      “I will deliver you and you will glorify me.”

 

      Rightly then Jesus encourages us to ask, seek and knock on the door of God’s kingdom in prayer.  In shameless confidence we know He will hear his people for the sake of Jesus Christ.  In impudent trust we know he is able to give much more than we might ask or desire.  In faithful patience we await his gracious and merciful answers.

 

In the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

Rev. Robert Schneider

Our Saviour Lutheran Church

Evansville, IN