Today’s scripture: Luke 11:5-8 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Vivian Wyatt):
You’ve heard of clobber passages that are used to condemn same-sex relationships. Well, today’s passage is used to clobber the sick. I struggle with this passage because the idea presented here is among the most quoted to encourage people to get better and get out of the hospital. “If you prayed harder/longer/with more faith, if you had been persistent in your prayer, God would heal you and you could go home!” The patient now can add guilt and condemnation to the list of things with which s/he has to struggle.
We have all persistently prayed for a loved one or for a job or for some major issue in our lives and did not get what we wanted, however persistent we were. I intentionally did not say, “and did not get an answer to our prayer,” because “no” is an answer.
This passage is not isolated unto itself, it’s part of a larger pericope. Chapter 11 begins with the disciples asking Jesus to teach them to pray. And Jesus gives them an example. He says pray this way: After you address God in the term that is most comforting to you, ask that God’s authority will be over the earth, and ask for daily sustenance, for the forgiveness of your sins, and for protection from evil. Then, Jesus immediately begins this parable. So one can assume that he is still teaching his disciples to pray.
Does being persistent in prayer (and getting what we want) refer to anything we pray for: “Lord, I want a Lexus”? Or is it simply that when we pray, we should persistently mention the coming of God’s kingdom, daily sustenance, and forgiveness of our sins along with our other petitions? For God is more than willing to give us these.
Prayer for the day: God, teach us to pray. Amen!
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.