The Man Answers Through the Door at Midnightby CBPepper
11:6Luke 11:6
For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?
Christ spoke this to enforce asking, seeking, and knocking after repeating the Lord's Prayer at the disciples' request to be taught to pray. A weary traveler arrives unexpectedly at midnight, and the host who has no bread to set before him goes to a friend to ask for three loaves. The traveling friend pictures hungry souls coming to God's servants in trying, unexpected ways, the bread is the Bread of Life and spiritual strength and light to feed them, and the empty-handed host pictures Christ's representatives feeling destitute and insufficient before that need. Those who would feed others must first receive from God, for they have nothing to impart unless they obtain it from Him, and it is the law of heaven that as we receive we impart. The midnight pleading teaches earnest, persistent prayer that does not give up when the answer delays, and the unwilling neighbor does not picture God but teaches by contrast, for God delights to give, never pleads a closed door, and never turns away unblessed those who seek Him with the whole heart.
Parable Story and Context
The verse belongs to the teaching on prayer given after the disciples said, Lord, teach us to pray, when the Lord's Prayer as given in the sermon on the mount was repeated and then this parable was spoken to illustrate prayer. It forms part of that instruction to ask, seek, and knock, giving force to it by the picture of a man asking a friend for bread at midnight. In that setting Christ is presented as receiving from the Father in order to give to others, praying for what He could share with them.
A weary, belated friend comes in from a journey late at night, even at the unseasonable hour of midnight and unexpectedly, and the host has nothing, no bread, to set before him. That lack is stated as the reason he goes to a friend to ask for bread, specifically three loaves. The traveler's need moves the host to ask a neighbor for help rather than let the need go unmet, and this asking illustrates earnest prayer and seeking from God the grace and spiritual food needed to serve others.
Instead of sending the traveler away, the host goes to one who has food and presses his request until his need is supplied, so that the visitor can be received. He asks so he can give again, not turning the comer away despite having no food of his own to offer. Lack of provision is no excuse to refuse hospitality, and sharing what is available to entertain and make a home for God's servant brings blessing and provision, as when the widow of Sarepta shared her morsel with Elijah and she and her son were sustained.
Symbols of Hunger and Supply
The traveling friend is the hungry soul coming to God's servants for the bread of life, arriving weary and belated and even at the unseasonable hour of midnight in unexpected ways that try faith and expose human insufficiency. His coming leaves the one visited feeling destitute and helpless, with no food to offer, yet the needy visitor is not to be turned away.
The bread asked for, the three loaves begged at midnight, is spiritual food to set before hungry souls. It is the Bread of Life itself, grace and a clear, intelligent knowledge of truth to give to those who need it, spiritual strength and light, wisdom, and the vitalizing power and impartation of the Holy Spirit sought in order to give spiritual help to others. The midnight begging is coming to God confessing unworthiness and sin and pleading His name, His throne, and His covenant.
The host who has nothing to set before his friend is Christ's disciples as His representatives, believers confronted with needy souls while feeling destitute, helpless, insufficient, and keenly aware of great need for grace. Their work, opened in the feeding of the multitude and in the sermon on the bread from heaven, is to give the bread of life to the people, and the empty host must obtain supply in order to give again, relieve his friend, and minister to others. In receiving to give he becomes like God.
The petitioner asks not for himself alone but so he can give again and relieve another's need, going to one who has food and pressing the request until the need is supplied. He asks God persistently for grace and favor both to help another person in need and for himself, making God the only trust, taking hold upon Him as the strength of the soul, and putting implicit confidence in Jesus. God is pleased when He is importuned in this way, and praying and believing and continuing to pray will certainly be heard.
Receiving in Order to Give
Those who would give the bread of life to hungry people must first receive spiritual food from the source of supply, for they will have nothing to impart unless they obtain it from God. The petitioner asks not for himself alone but so he can give again and relieve another's need, for a weary, belated traveler has come to him on his journey even at the unseasonable hour of midnight, and he has no food to offer him, yet he does not turn him away but goes to one who has food and presses his request until his need is supplied. He stands for Christ's disciples as His representatives, whose work as opened in the feeding of the multitude and in the sermon on the bread from heaven is to give the bread of life to the people, and Christ Himself received from the Father in order to give to others, praying for what He could share with them. Souls hungering for the bread of life will come to them in unexpected positions that try faith and expose human insufficiency, leaving them feeling destitute and helpless, and the empty host must obtain supply in order to minister to others.
It is a law of heaven that as we receive we are to impart, and in receiving to give one becomes like God. Not one soul is to be turned away unfed, and God who sent His servants to feed the hungry will supply their need for His own work when they seek blessings from Him in order to minister to others. The selfish neighbor who at last grants the request only to rid himself of disturbance does not picture God but teaches by contrast, for where a selfish man gives only to be rid of one who disturbs his rest, God delights to give, is full of compassion, and longs to grant the requests of those who come to Him in faith.
Humble workers who plead at midnight for loaves to feed hungry souls will succeed and are blessed. This asking belongs not to learned or eloquent men but to humble men made meek and lowly in the school of Christ, who first receive light and blessing from God in order to impart it. The loaves mean spiritual bread to feed hungry souls, and the begging means coming to God confessing unworthiness and sin and pleading His name, His throne, and His covenant. Unlike the neighbor in the parable, God never makes the excuse of a closed door and never says He cannot help, but all who seek find and all who knock have the door opened, because the honor of His throne is staked on fulfilling His word to them. What they receive is to be shared in going out to invite people to receive the gospel.
Persistent Prayer and God's Answer
The midnight petition for loaves teaches earnest, persistent, importunate prayer, keeping on pleading for what is needed and for what is lacking to serve others. Although the petitioner is repeatedly refused, he does not give up his purpose, and believers likewise are not to give up or distrust God when the answer does not come at once. The felt need of having nothing to set before the traveler motivates the request and illustrates continuing to ask even when an answer seems delayed.
More earnest and steadfast asking brings closer spiritual union with Christ, with increased desire to receive and increased faith and blessings. Prayer works no change in God but brings the petitioner into harmony with Him. When the answer is delayed it is because God sees the need to search the heart and repent of sin, taking the petitioner through test and trial and humiliation to show what hinders the working of His Holy Spirit. This kind of asking means praying and believing, watching unto prayer, and cooperating with the prayer-hearing God by speaking and acting in harmony with the prayers, so that trial proves faith genuine instead of showing prayer to be only a form. There is no improper hour for prayer, for the heavenly Father watches over His sheep and lambs day and night, His eye never slumbers nor sleeps, and He never turns away unblessed those who seek Him with the whole heart.
The selfish neighbor who at last grants the request only to rid himself of disturbance does not picture God but teaches by contrast. Where a selfish man gives only to be rid of one who disturbs his rest, God delights to give, is full of compassion, and longs to grant the requests of those who come to Him in faith. Unlike the neighbor, God never makes the excuse of trouble with a closed door and never says He cannot help, and all who seek find, all who knock have the door opened, and all who beg at midnight for loaves to feed hungry souls succeed, because the honor of His throne is staked on fulfilling His word to them. God hears prayer and is not indifferent to those who ask even when the answer does not come at once, is not wearied by continued asking even about the smallest concerns, is pleased by importunity, and certainly hears those who pray and believe and continue to pray.
Such determined faith gains its object in pleading for pardon and for the conversion of relatives and neighbors unto a richer experience of grace. The needs of the sick may be brought to God with continued, earnest pleading, with answers coming at once or requiring patient, continued pleading. Prayer should plead with God for purity and salvation and remain before Him until assurance of pardoned sin is received. The same importunity applies to pleading for support for urgent missionary and medical work in places lacking facilities and where needy fields remain without help, and to seeking instruction, guidance, light, and the Holy Spirit's power while keeping the mind on the request until help is received, joining confident prayer with good works.
Christ spoke this to enforce asking, seeking, and knocking after repeating the Lord's Prayer at the disciples' request to be taught to pray. A weary traveler arrives unexpectedly at midnight, and the host who has no bread to set before him goes to a friend to ask for three loaves. The traveling friend pictures hungry souls coming to God's servants in trying, unexpected ways, the bread is the Bread of Life and spiritual strength and light to feed them, and the empty-handed host pictures Christ's representatives feeling destitute and insufficient before that need. Those who would feed others must first receive from God, for they have nothing to impart unless they obtain it from Him, and it is the law of heaven that as we receive we impart. The midnight pleading teaches earnest, persistent prayer that does not give up when the answer delays, and the unwilling neighbor does not picture God but teaches by contrast, for God delights to give, never pleads a closed door, and never turns away unblessed those who seek Him with the whole heart.
Parable Story and Context
The verse belongs to the teaching on prayer given after the disciples said, Lord, teach us to pray, when the Lord's Prayer as given in the sermon on the mount was repeated and then this parable was spoken to illustrate prayer. It forms part of that instruction to ask, seek, and knock, giving force to it by the picture of a man asking a friend for bread at midnight. In that setting Christ is presented as receiving from the Father in order to give to others, praying for what He could share with them.
A weary, belated friend comes in from a journey late at night, even at the unseasonable hour of midnight and unexpectedly, and the host has nothing, no bread, to set before him. That lack is stated as the reason he goes to a friend to ask for bread, specifically three loaves. The traveler's need moves the host to ask a neighbor for help rather than let the need go unmet, and this asking illustrates earnest prayer and seeking from God the grace and spiritual food needed to serve others.
Instead of sending the traveler away, the host goes to one who has food and presses his request until his need is supplied, so that the visitor can be received. He asks so he can give again, not turning the comer away despite having no food of his own to offer. Lack of provision is no excuse to refuse hospitality, and sharing what is available to entertain and make a home for God's servant brings blessing and provision, as when the widow of Sarepta shared her morsel with Elijah and she and her son were sustained.
Symbols of Hunger and Supply
The traveling friend is the hungry soul coming to God's servants for the bread of life, arriving weary and belated and even at the unseasonable hour of midnight in unexpected ways that try faith and expose human insufficiency. His coming leaves the one visited feeling destitute and helpless, with no food to offer, yet the needy visitor is not to be turned away.
The bread asked for, the three loaves begged at midnight, is spiritual food to set before hungry souls. It is the Bread of Life itself, grace and a clear, intelligent knowledge of truth to give to those who need it, spiritual strength and light, wisdom, and the vitalizing power and impartation of the Holy Spirit sought in order to give spiritual help to others. The midnight begging is coming to God confessing unworthiness and sin and pleading His name, His throne, and His covenant.
The host who has nothing to set before his friend is Christ's disciples as His representatives, believers confronted with needy souls while feeling destitute, helpless, insufficient, and keenly aware of great need for grace. Their work, opened in the feeding of the multitude and in the sermon on the bread from heaven, is to give the bread of life to the people, and the empty host must obtain supply in order to give again, relieve his friend, and minister to others. In receiving to give he becomes like God.
The petitioner asks not for himself alone but so he can give again and relieve another's need, going to one who has food and pressing the request until the need is supplied. He asks God persistently for grace and favor both to help another person in need and for himself, making God the only trust, taking hold upon Him as the strength of the soul, and putting implicit confidence in Jesus. God is pleased when He is importuned in this way, and praying and believing and continuing to pray will certainly be heard.
Receiving in Order to Give
Those who would give the bread of life to hungry people must first receive spiritual food from the source of supply, for they will have nothing to impart unless they obtain it from God. The petitioner asks not for himself alone but so he can give again and relieve another's need, for a weary, belated traveler has come to him on his journey even at the unseasonable hour of midnight, and he has no food to offer him, yet he does not turn him away but goes to one who has food and presses his request until his need is supplied. He stands for Christ's disciples as His representatives, whose work as opened in the feeding of the multitude and in the sermon on the bread from heaven is to give the bread of life to the people, and Christ Himself received from the Father in order to give to others, praying for what He could share with them. Souls hungering for the bread of life will come to them in unexpected positions that try faith and expose human insufficiency, leaving them feeling destitute and helpless, and the empty host must obtain supply in order to minister to others.
It is a law of heaven that as we receive we are to impart, and in receiving to give one becomes like God. Not one soul is to be turned away unfed, and God who sent His servants to feed the hungry will supply their need for His own work when they seek blessings from Him in order to minister to others. The selfish neighbor who at last grants the request only to rid himself of disturbance does not picture God but teaches by contrast, for where a selfish man gives only to be rid of one who disturbs his rest, God delights to give, is full of compassion, and longs to grant the requests of those who come to Him in faith.
Humble workers who plead at midnight for loaves to feed hungry souls will succeed and are blessed. This asking belongs not to learned or eloquent men but to humble men made meek and lowly in the school of Christ, who first receive light and blessing from God in order to impart it. The loaves mean spiritual bread to feed hungry souls, and the begging means coming to God confessing unworthiness and sin and pleading His name, His throne, and His covenant. Unlike the neighbor in the parable, God never makes the excuse of a closed door and never says He cannot help, but all who seek find and all who knock have the door opened, because the honor of His throne is staked on fulfilling His word to them. What they receive is to be shared in going out to invite people to receive the gospel.
Persistent Prayer and God's Answer
The midnight petition for loaves teaches earnest, persistent, importunate prayer, keeping on pleading for what is needed and for what is lacking to serve others. Although the petitioner is repeatedly refused, he does not give up his purpose, and believers likewise are not to give up or distrust God when the answer does not come at once. The felt need of having nothing to set before the traveler motivates the request and illustrates continuing to ask even when an answer seems delayed.
More earnest and steadfast asking brings closer spiritual union with Christ, with increased desire to receive and increased faith and blessings. Prayer works no change in God but brings the petitioner into harmony with Him. When the answer is delayed it is because God sees the need to search the heart and repent of sin, taking the petitioner through test and trial and humiliation to show what hinders the working of His Holy Spirit. This kind of asking means praying and believing, watching unto prayer, and cooperating with the prayer-hearing God by speaking and acting in harmony with the prayers, so that trial proves faith genuine instead of showing prayer to be only a form. There is no improper hour for prayer, for the heavenly Father watches over His sheep and lambs day and night, His eye never slumbers nor sleeps, and He never turns away unblessed those who seek Him with the whole heart.
The selfish neighbor who at last grants the request only to rid himself of disturbance does not picture God but teaches by contrast. Where a selfish man gives only to be rid of one who disturbs his rest, God delights to give, is full of compassion, and longs to grant the requests of those who come to Him in faith. Unlike the neighbor, God never makes the excuse of trouble with a closed door and never says He cannot help, and all who seek find, all who knock have the door opened, and all who beg at midnight for loaves to feed hungry souls succeed, because the honor of His throne is staked on fulfilling His word to them. God hears prayer and is not indifferent to those who ask even when the answer does not come at once, is not wearied by continued asking even about the smallest concerns, is pleased by importunity, and certainly hears those who pray and believe and continue to pray.
Such determined faith gains its object in pleading for pardon and for the conversion of relatives and neighbors unto a richer experience of grace. The needs of the sick may be brought to God with continued, earnest pleading, with answers coming at once or requiring patient, continued pleading. Prayer should plead with God for purity and salvation and remain before Him until assurance of pardoned sin is received. The same importunity applies to pleading for support for urgent missionary and medical work in places lacking facilities and where needy fields remain without help, and to seeking instruction, guidance, light, and the Holy Spirit's power while keeping the mind on the request until help is received, joining confident prayer with good works.