Word to the Wise
Sunday, July 27, 2025 - 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time - C
[Gen 18:20-32; Col 2:12-14; Luke 11:1-13]"Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have nothing to offer him,' and he says in reply from within, 'Do not bother me; the door has already been locked and my children and I are already in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.' I tell you, if he does not get up to give the visitor the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence." [Luke]
The image of a neighbor knocking loudly in the middle of the night (which could alert the other neighbors) may be humorous, but the possible embarrassment of not being able to show hospitality outweighed everything. Then there is also the obligation of friendship added to the equation from the other side. The big picture is the request from Jesus' disciples for the proper way to pray. Jesus teaches them a version of the "Our Father," but goes on to deal with one of the most common spiritual problems: "I don't know why I should pray. God never seems to listen!" "I can't nag God, can I?" Jesus' response is a simple one, "Keep at it!"
Some colorful examples of prayer in the Old Testament include Abraham, in today's first scripture, bargaining with God over the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah, or Moses talking God out of punishing the Israelites for the golden calf. He literally tries to shame God by saying, "Why did you go to all the trouble of saving these people if you're only going to destroy them? You already promised to make them numerous!" [Exodus 32:11-14]
I have a painting on the wall of my room of a boy standing in a field with a rock in his hand, getting ready to throw it at the sky in the hopes of hitting God. He was enraged with God, but at least he was "engaged" with God. Jesus' counsel, again, is simple, "Keep the communication going. It's not as one-sided as you think!" There are some times when silence is as eloquent as words. Prayer comes from the relationship. Maybe we see God as a friend or just as a neighbor. But if we want that bread, we have to keep knocking and not be too choosy about what kind of bread we get. AMEN