Proper 12
7.28.2013
Luke 11:1-13
No one
would ever do this! When Jesus tells a story, it’s always given for a purpose,
a divine purpose. Jesus knows His hearers/ He knows how they will react. He
knows how they will behave. He knows what they are thinking before a thought
enters their head. He knows your mind because He knows your heart.
Jesus
tells a story that is contrary to fact. No one would ever do that! Your elderly
neighbor is stranded in her driveway with a flat tire. She sees you retrieving
your evening paper. You do not go back into the comfort of your home! Instead,
you change her tire or at the very least, you call AAA. Retreat? Never! No one
would ever do that!
Your
neighbor calls at midnight. Company is coming. He needs three loaves. A friend
has come from a long journey. There is nothing to set before him. “I say to you, though he will not rise and
give him because he is a friend, yet because of his importunity (persistence)
he will rise and give him as much as he needs.” V.8
“Trouble me not! The door is shut. My
children are with me in bed. I cannot rise and give thee.” No one would
ever do this!
With
this story Jesus teaches His disciples He taught them to pray. Bette than John.
In teaching, He showed them the face of the Father. “God would by these words tenderly invite us to believe that He is our
Father and that we are His true children so that we may ask Him confidently with
all assurance, as dear children ask their dear Father”.[1]
Fathers,
mothers, grandparents only want what is best for their children. If they ask
for a loaf, do you give them a stone? If he asks for a fish, do you give him a
serpent? If she asks for an egg, do you give her a scorpion?
Why
do we fret? Because you only have one shot of being a good parent. If you then, being evil, know how to give
good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the
Holy Spirit to those who ask Him? V.13
Fathers,
mothers, grandparents – evil? Yes! Evil! As sons of Adam and daughters of Eve,
we have inherited an evil spirit that has rendered us terminal. The soul that sins it will die. Ezekiel
18:20 Indeed, there is no one on earth
who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins Ecclesiastes
7:20 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the
truth is not in us. 1 John 1:8
As sinners, we each find ourselves in the same sinking
ship. No one can help us. No one can save us, except for Jesus Christ. He
entered time and space to be your redeemer. He took all of your sins, all of
your imperfections, all of your evil and wicked habits and foibles and took
them to Himself It was there at the cross he died for you.
His enemies made sure He was dead. They took deliberate
steps to make sure He was made to be silenced.
As He slept in the tomb, a doubting and skeptical world
cried out “He’s in bed with all of His children. The door is shut. It is night.
He can’t rise. The guard, the stone, the
seal. They would hold Him, His critics thought. He can’t disturb us any more
with His troubling words and His acts of mercy.
But
on the third day, Christ victoriously rose from the dead. He now offers to you
forgiveness of all of your sin, life and salvation.
If we confess our
sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from
all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:8-9
Rejoice this day. Jesus provides for you. He gives you the
opportunity to speak His peace of forgiveness to others and to each other. He
provides eternal bread daily according to your need.
God gives daily bread, even without our prayer even to all
the wicked but we pray is this petition that He would lead us to know and to
receive our daily bread with thanksgiving. And what is meant by Daily Bread? Daily
Bread includes everything that belongs to the support and wants of the body
comes from your heavenly Father. This includes meat drink clothing, shoes,
house, homestead, field, cattle, Money, goods, a pious spouse, pious children,
pious servants, pious and faithful magistrates, good government, good weather,
peace, health, discipline, honor, good friends, faithful neighbors and the
like.[2]
In this life and in the world to come the Lord provides. In
this life, not only does he forgive sins but He also encourages us to forgive
and strengthen our neighbor.
When we pray, “forgive is our trespasses as we forgive
those who trespass against us,” we pray that our Father in heaven would not
look upon our sin, nor deny our prayers on account of them. For we are worthy
of none of the things for which we pray neither have we deserved them. But that
He would grant them all to us by grace. For we daily sin much and indeed
deserve nothing but punishment. So we too will sincerely forgive and gladly do
good to those who sin against us.[3]
All that is needed is the word “Amen”. What is meant by the
word “Amen”? That I should be certain that these petitions are acceptable to
our Father in heaven and heard by Him; for He Himself has commanded us so to
pray, and has promises that He will hear us. Amen, Amen, that is yes, yes, yea,
yea, yo, yo, it shall be so! [4]
[1]
Introduction to the Lord’s Prayer Small Catechism of Martin Luther LSB pg. 323
[2]
Explanation to the 4th Petition of the Lord’s Prayer Small Catechism
of Martin Luther LSB pg. 324
[3]
Explanation to the 5th Petition of the Lord’s Prayer Small Catechism
of Martin Luther LSB pg. 324
[4]
Explanation to Conclusion of the Lord’s Prayer Small Catechism of Martin Luther
LSB pg. 324
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