Knocking on Heaven's Door

"If you, then, who are evil,

know how to give good gifts to your children,

how much more will the heavenly Father

give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

(from Luke 11:1-13)

At a healing group I led, someone asked for prayers for a friend whose child a severe cold.

We all prayed for recovery of the child.

The next morning about 10 a.m. the person called me asking if the child’s cold was healed.

I replied that I didn’t know because I hadn’t called the mother yet.

In today’s culture of instant response, the question was understandable.

In Jesus culture, someone knocking at your door in the middle of the night broke all rules of basic hospitality, and personal dignity.

The disciples were asking Jesus to be taught how to pray.

Jesus tells a parable about persistently knocking until the door is open.

Is persistence the lesson?

Persistence may imply God is reluctant, unaware, and needing harassing by our prayers before God will do what we want.

Must we bang on heaven’s doors to get God’s attention?

Is shamelessness the lesson?

Shamelessness in Jesus culture was caused by lack of concern about what is proper in situations.

If shamelessness then whom, the sleeper acting shamelessly with disregard of his neighbor, or the neighbor acting to avoid shame?

Either way, we are not the key that makes prayer “work”.

Is God’s kingdom the lesson?

God is good and eager to give, but not just the things we ask for in our idolized prosperity culture.

Praying “Your kingdom come,” leads to disciples receiving the Spirit which enlivens, feeds, and defends them.

Having received the Spirit, their mission becomes proclaiming the coming kingdom life only possible in God’s household: love.