I love camping, and I love my kids, but let me tell you, those two things don't always go well together. This summer for camping my kids were ages 3, 2, and 9 months. Those are hard ages for getting them to fall asleep when everyone is together. So, we try to go to bed in our one room tent and the youngest, Phoebe, needs it quiet, otherwise she wonders what is going on and wants to be involved. My older two are chasing each other and wrestling, being altogether too loud for anyone within about 50 feet to get any rest. We tried movies utilizing our "entertainment center," which is just a pouch for a tablet, and sometimes it was successful. Mostly, though, Jason and I spent around an hour or more every night trying not to go crazy as our children tried their best to resist the sleep they, and we, desperately needed after long and tiring days. If we got upset with them for being loud and tried to discipline them by talking to them or giving them a spanking, it only made it worse because they were so tired they would cry and scream. By the time they finally fell asleep at night, we were so relieved and ready for rest ourselves. I hated if I needed to get up to use the bathroom, and sometimes I was nervous to even move too much to get comfortable for fear of waking them.
All this to say, I feel like I can better understand the man Jesus puts in His story in Luke 11:5-8. It is common that most people in this time, unless they are very wealthy, have just a one room home, or at least only one room for sleeping quarters (apologeticspress.org/apPubPage.aspx?pub=2&issue=1157&article=2281). From my perspective, this is like camping full time. It probably gets a little better when the children get older, but you still don't want to disturb their sleep because kids are crazy, they can get like 30 minutes of sleep, wake-up, and think they don't need the rest of their regular 2+ hour nap. But the time I'll be least likely to help you out is the middle of the night when my kids are sleeping. I'm completely with that father, "Go away. I don't want my kids to wake up, so I can't help you. Deal with it yourself," (in a sort of whispered yell). But the friend carries on so that the father gets up and I'm sure in a gruff says, "Look, we're friends, but don't do this again, I'm gonna be even more furious with you if my kids wake up. Here's your stupid bread, I only got up because you wouldn't quit your pounding. Don't come back." I embellished the story some, but read Jesus words as recorded by Luke for yourself, and you'll see the picture Jesus paints is of a father who has had a long day and has finally gotten his children to sleep and was probably asleep as well when this friend of his comes pestering him in the night.
It isn't good timing for the man who is having to do the favor for his friend, but between the friend's persistence and a the underlying friendship, the man gives in and gives the requested bread. While I understand better now the position that the father is in, the fact that the father in this scenario is supposed to represent God, is something I struggle with. Does that mean that God gets frustrated with us and the timing with which we ask for things? I'm sure this is a distinct possibility, after all, we want things on our timing rather than God's, but this parable is told to demonstrate the need to continue asking. If we only ask for something once, how much do we really want it? And surely asking for something just once doesn't indicate that it is something we need. I know of a way of making a wish list for yourself, where you don't buy the thing you want until you have wanted it for at least 30 days. It is a way to get away from impulse buys. How often do we ask God for things impulsively, rather than asking for true needs? I also ask that you remember the words of the Psalmist, "Delight yourself in Yahweh, and He will give you the desires of your heart" (Ps 37:4). If we truly delight in Yahweh, we will desire His will for us, and that is how we will be given our desires.
All this to say, I feel like I can better understand the man Jesus puts in His story in Luke 11:5-8. It is common that most people in this time, unless they are very wealthy, have just a one room home, or at least only one room for sleeping quarters (apologeticspress.org/apPubPage.aspx?pub=2&issue=1157&article=2281). From my perspective, this is like camping full time. It probably gets a little better when the children get older, but you still don't want to disturb their sleep because kids are crazy, they can get like 30 minutes of sleep, wake-up, and think they don't need the rest of their regular 2+ hour nap. But the time I'll be least likely to help you out is the middle of the night when my kids are sleeping. I'm completely with that father, "Go away. I don't want my kids to wake up, so I can't help you. Deal with it yourself," (in a sort of whispered yell). But the friend carries on so that the father gets up and I'm sure in a gruff says, "Look, we're friends, but don't do this again, I'm gonna be even more furious with you if my kids wake up. Here's your stupid bread, I only got up because you wouldn't quit your pounding. Don't come back." I embellished the story some, but read Jesus words as recorded by Luke for yourself, and you'll see the picture Jesus paints is of a father who has had a long day and has finally gotten his children to sleep and was probably asleep as well when this friend of his comes pestering him in the night.
It isn't good timing for the man who is having to do the favor for his friend, but between the friend's persistence and a the underlying friendship, the man gives in and gives the requested bread. While I understand better now the position that the father is in, the fact that the father in this scenario is supposed to represent God, is something I struggle with. Does that mean that God gets frustrated with us and the timing with which we ask for things? I'm sure this is a distinct possibility, after all, we want things on our timing rather than God's, but this parable is told to demonstrate the need to continue asking. If we only ask for something once, how much do we really want it? And surely asking for something just once doesn't indicate that it is something we need. I know of a way of making a wish list for yourself, where you don't buy the thing you want until you have wanted it for at least 30 days. It is a way to get away from impulse buys. How often do we ask God for things impulsively, rather than asking for true needs? I also ask that you remember the words of the Psalmist, "Delight yourself in Yahweh, and He will give you the desires of your heart" (Ps 37:4). If we truly delight in Yahweh, we will desire His will for us, and that is how we will be given our desires.
Comments
Post a Comment