Luke 11:1–13 ESV – Bible Gateway
Over the course of time, the apostles observed Jesus as he prayed and the opportunities he took to pray before major events. They would also have seen that the focus of Jesus’ prayers to the Father was more personal than the normal corporate addressing of the Father by Israel as a whole. Some of the apostles had also been followers of John the Baptist and this passage reveals that John also taught his followers how to pray or provided them with a vocal prayer to use. One of the apostles steps up to ask Jesus to teach them how to pray.
The Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture comments on the two versions of the Our Father we have:
Luke’s version of the Lord’s Prayer is shorter than the one in Matthew (Matt 6:9–13), containing five petitions instead of seven. Like the variations in the accounts of Jesus’ institution of the Eucharist, the differences here may reflect how the Lord’s Prayer was used in prayer and worship in the early Church. Matthew’s version became the one commonly adopted for liturgical, devotional, and catechetical use.[1]
Brant Pitre writes:
Luke gives us a shorter version of it than Matthew does, just as Luke gives us a shorter version of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount than Matthew does.[2]
Mr. Pitre also points out that in ancient Jewish tradition there were prayers with both longer and shorter versions, just as we also have different Eucharistic prayers now.
Since we are so familiar with the Our Father, it is important sometimes to slow down and think about it again instead of just letting our mind or tongue go on auto-pilot. A prayer that Jesus gives us directly as he also wants us to develop a relationship with God the Father.
Earlier in his own prayer, Jesus addressed God as “Father” (Luke 10:21). He also explained that as the Son he could reveal the Father to whomever he wished (10:22). Thus he now reveals that when you pray, it is good to begin by addressing God as Father. [1]
St John Paul II in a General Audience said:
There is such a simplicity in them that even a child can learn them, but at the same time such a depth that a whole life can be spent meditating on their meaning. Isn’t that so? Does not each of those petitions deal with something essential to our life, directing it totally towards God the Father? Doesn’t this prayer speak to us about ‘our daily bread’, ‘forgiveness of our sins, since we forgive others’ and about protecting us from ‘temptation’ and ‘delivering us from evil’?”
At times we can be dismissive of vocal prayers that are memorized. Yearning instead for spontaneous prayers that have a more personal touch indicating relationship and conversation. Again this is the case for both/and since both prayer forms can be fruitful. St. Teresa of Avila noticed this when directing her nuns that some of her nuns who were mostly using vocal prayer were engaging in higher levels of mental prayer just as those using extemporaneous prayers.
The saints have also given us many commentaries on the Our Father or works using it as a framework. Jesus’ prayer given to us directed to the Father is something that we must rediscover and nourish within ourselves repeatedly. Preaching to myself here.
Jesus follows up by giving them this prayer with examples of how to pray. In the first example, a man goes to his neighbor at midnight asking for food to help feed his own late visitor.
Brant Pitre comments on a central word used.
In this case, the New American Bible translates “importunity” as “persistence”, The New International Version (NIV) says “boldness”. Importunity is kind of an old word, it’s from the King James Version, so it’s kind of an archaic word. We don’t use the word importunity very much, but the Greek word here is very important. It’s the word anaideia, which is from the Greek word aidōs, which means self-respect or respect. So anaideia means no respect. So in this case, what he is saying is, because of his lack of respect, or because of his shamelessness, you will get up and give him some bread. So what is Jesus doing? He’s telling us to pray in a shameless manner. In other words, to not just be persistent, but to be shameless in our prayer. So when you shame someone is acting shamelessly, what we’re saying is that they have no respect for custom or for etiquette. And that’s what the guy in the parable is doing. He doesn’t care that it’s midnight. He doesn’t care that the guy is already asleep, his kids are in bed already. He just wants his bread and he’s going to come over there and shamelessly pound on the door until his friend gets up and gives him some bread. That is how Jesus wants his disciples to pray: relentlessly, shamelessly, without regard for custom or etiquette, in a kind of act of desperation, begging God to give us the assistance that we need. [2]
I find it interesting how he ties this also to the first reading where Abraham is bargaining with God over Sodom and Gomorrah.
And on the one hand, that sounds like it might be disrespectful, but that’s precisely the kind of prayer Jesus is calling his disciples to. And in this case, Abraham isn’t set up as doing something wrong, he really is a model for persistent, humble prayer before the Lord.
Jesus gives us confident assurances in how to approach prayer actively and that ultimately our prayers are heard and answered. Jesus does not give us timelines on when our prayers are answered. Instead, he reminds us that if our earthy fathers know to give us good things, how much more so for the Heavenly Father.
“how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Brant Pitre on the significance of this last line:
Now, I think that last twist there is significant because let’s face it, how many of us in our petitionary prayers are begging God the Father to give us the Holy Spirit? Isn’t it much more natural for us to beg God for earthly goods? Like food and drink and clothing and all the kind of needs and anxieties that are so frequent in human life. So Jesus knows that, he knows what necessities people are often worried about and pray for, at the same time he’s trying to lead his disciples to try pray for the higher gifts. In this case, for the gift of the Holy Spirit itself.[2]
A good reminder and to quote the Catechism paragraph 2671:
2671 The traditional form of petition to the Holy Spirit is to invoke the Father through Christ our Lord to give us the Consoler Spirit. Jesus insists on this petition to be made in his name at the very moment when he promises the gift of the Spirit of Truth. But the simplest and most direct prayer is also traditional, “Come, Holy Spirit,” and every liturgical tradition has developed it in antiphons and hymns.
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love. Heavenly King, Consoler Spirit, Spirit of Truth, present everywhere and filling all things, treasure of all good and source of all life, come dwell in us, cleanse and save us, you who are All-Good.
Sources
- The Gospel of Luke, Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture, Rev. Pablo T. Gadenz
- Catholic Productions, Commentaries by Brant Pitre
- General Audience 14 March 1979 | John Paul II
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd Edition
- Photo by Ben White on Unsplash
- The Gospel of Luke, Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture, Rev. Pablo T. Gadenz ↩
- Catholic Productions, Brant Pitre ↩
