{"id":1415,"date":"2016-08-17T13:11:12","date_gmt":"2016-08-17T17:11:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/?p=1415"},"modified":"2016-08-18T13:18:24","modified_gmt":"2016-08-18T17:18:24","slug":"honor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/honor\/","title":{"rendered":"‘HONOR’…"},"content":{"rendered":"

S<\/span>ometimes I am asked:\u00a0\u2018Can I trust God to hear my prayers and answer them?<\/b>\u00a0It is all very well to say we can call God, Father, but we know that parents are often preoccupied with other matters and do not hear us, let alone respond. And given the millions who must be praying at any one time, can we be sure our prayers will be heard?<\/span><\/p>\n

Jesus anticipates our questions.\u00a0<\/b>Consider what he promises:\u00a0\u201cAsk, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you\u201d<\/i><\/b>\u00a0(Luke 11:9-10).<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

On either side of these verses, Jesus answers two questions about prayer: God always listens to us (Luke 11:5-8) and, God always has our very best interests at heart (Luke 11:11-13). This week I will consider the first of his two answers.<\/span><\/p>\n

A PARABLE<\/h2>\n

Luke 11:5-8 is sometimes called,\u00a0\u2018The Parable of the Friend at Midnight\u2019.\u00a0<\/b>In recent times some commentators have noted that the parable falls into the category of sayings that have an underlying, unspoken question:\u00a0\u2018Can you imagine\u2026?\u2019<\/b>\u00a0With this parable Jesus asks, \u2018Can you imagine a man talking like this to a friend in need?\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

The key to understanding the parable is in the words in verse 8 usually translated, \u2018the man\u2019s boldness\u2019 or \u2018importunity\u2019. I want to suggest that this is one place where most of our English translations are unhelpful. According to Dr. Kenneth Bailey who lived in the Middle-East for many years and who has written extensively from his careful research on literary and cultural matters, our translations reflect an understanding that only goes back to the 12<\/span>th<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0century.\u00a0The true meaning of the parable is lost, Bailey points out, because of a misunderstanding of the meaning of an important word in verse 8<\/b>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The word translated\u00a0boldness<\/i>\u00a0in verse 8 is better translated\u00a0sense of honor<\/i>\u00a0or\u00a0blamelessness<\/i>\u00a0\u2013 with reference to the man who is in bed, not the one knocking at the door<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the original (Greek) text the word has a negative meaning indicating that a significant shift is required to translate the word with a positive meaning \u2013 such as\u00a0boldness<\/i>\u00a0or\u00a0persistence<\/i>.\u00a0Bailey has shown that a better translation of the word is\u00a0avoidance of shame<\/i>, a positive meaning<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Furthermore, we need to look carefully at the words in verses 7 and 8. In the original text the noun,\u00a0man\u2019s<\/i>\u00a0does not appear: it is the personal pronoun\u00a0his.<\/i>\u00a0The flow of the syntax and the narrative impact of the story, focus on the sleeper in bed, not the man who is knocking on the door<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

In this story God is represented as the one who is in bed, seemingly shut in for the night.\u00a0The unwritten laws of mid-eastern hospitality<\/b><\/span>,<\/b><\/span>\u00a0which are an important sub-text of the parable, required a man to get up and help his neighbor in need<\/b>. If he didn\u2019t he would be shamed and would bring dishonor to the whole community.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u2018Can you imagine,\u2019 Jesus was asking, \u2018anyone saying to a neighbor in need, even at midnight – \u2018Don\u2019t disturb me\u2019? or, \u2018Get lost\u2019?<\/span><\/p>\n

TAKING ACTION<\/h2>\n

So it is with God.\u00a0His very nature, and the honor of his name, will demand that he get up and act<\/b>. Otherwise he will bring shame to his name. Because of his honor, his integrity, his name \u2013 something for which Jesus tells us we are to pray (Father, hallowed, honored, be your name<\/i>) \u2013 God will hear and act.\u00a0God will no more ignore the prayers of his people than a mother will ignore her crying baby<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2018God is a God of integrity,\u2019 Jesus is telling us.\u00a0He can be trusted to hear our requests, no matter how great or small, no matter what time of day or night<\/b>. He is on call 24\/7.<\/span><\/p>\n

Understanding the nature and importance of prayer Martin Luther once observed: \u201cI find that I am so busy that I\u00a0now<\/b>\u00a0need to pray three hours a day\u201d.\u00a0The busier he was, the more time he needed to spend with God\u2014 not less<\/b>. Furthermore, he was assured that God, for the honor of his name, would not only hear his prayers but answer them.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u00a9 John G. Mason<\/span><\/p>\n

Note 1: During August, my Word on Wednesday is adapted from my commentary,\u00a0Reading Luke Today: An Unexpected God<\/i>\u00a0(Aquila: 2012), pp.161-167.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ometimes I am asked:\u00a0\u2018Can I trust God to hear my prayers and answer them?\u00a0It is all very well to say we can call God, Father, but we know that parents are often preoccupied with other matters and do not hear us, let alone respond. And given the millions who must be praying at any one […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1416,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1415","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-word-on-wednesday"],"yoast_head":"\n'HONOR'... - The Anglican Connection<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Can I trust God to hear my prayers and answer them? 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