And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, 6 for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have nothing to offer him,’ 7 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.’ 8 I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence.
9 “And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? 12 Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? 13 If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the holy Spirit to those who ask him?”
Jesus continues teaching on prayer. He uses a late-night request between neighbors and a simple family image to show how we should approach God and the response we should expect.
In the first scene, a man receives a traveler at midnight and has no bread to set before him. In the ancient world, hospitality was a binding duty tied to family honor; even at midnight, neighbors were expected to help feed an unexpected guest. Because bread was baked daily and borrowing between homes was normal, the man reasonably expected his neighbor to respond. The neighbor at first refuses because the door is barred and the family is in bed. Jesus explains that even if friendship is not enough, the man will rise because of the other’s persistence—steady asking that does not give up. He is not describing a hesitant God; He reasons from lesser to greater: if a tired neighbor finally helps, the Father, who is good, will surely hear his children.
Jesus then gives three commands: ask, seek, knock. These are ongoing actions. Keep asking. Keep seeking. Keep knocking. Prayer is not a single attempt but a habit of trust. Asking is our direct request to God. Seeking adds effort—ordering our lives toward God’s will. Knocking expresses determination that keeps returning to the Father. The promise is clear and repeated so we do not lose heart: those who ask receive; those who seek find; for those who knock, the door opens.
Jesus is appealing to ordinary parental care, not the tragic exceptions. As a rule, parents do not hand their children harmful things when they ask for food; they give what nourishes. A fish is not replaced with a snake, and an egg is not replaced with a scorpion. Even flawed parents know how to give good things. From that common fact, Jesus leads us to trust the Father’s goodness.
The final line brings the teaching to its center. God’s best gift is not only what he gives, but himself. “How much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?” Luke highlights the Holy Spirit as the gift who brings God’s presence, wisdom, and strength. Persevering prayer disposes us to receive the gift God already wills to give—the Holy Spirit. We are opening our lives to receive the One whom the Father delights to give.
Father, teach me to ask without giving up, to seek your will, and to knock until you open. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Sources and References:
- The Holy Bible, New American Bible, Revised Edition (2011).
- The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition (Four Courts/Scepter, 2008).
- The Paulist Biblical Commentary, ed. José Enrique Aguilar Chiu et al. (Paulist Press, 2018).
- Raymond E. Brown et al., eds., The New Jerome Biblical Commentary (Prentice Hall, 1990).
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