The Parable of the Friend at Midnight
This week we’re uncovering the Parable of the Friend at Midnight found in Luke 11:5-13. Check out this video as we learn about this week’s Bible study (also available as a podcast!).
Many of us may have wrestled with unanswered prayer. In reality, this problem can discourage us so much that we start wondering, “Does prayer even matter? Is God even listening?” and oftentimes we even quit praying altogether. We hear amazing stories of how God answered prayer for others, but for us, it just doesn’t seem to work the way we had hoped. Sometimes we may try again, but we’re like little kids playing ding dong ditch who ring the doorbell and run away. We don’t wait around to find out if God is home and if He is going to open the door and answer our prayer. That’s what this week’s parable is all about in Luke 11:5-13.
DAY 1 - READ AND REFLECT
Let’s start by reading the Parable of the Friend at Midnight in Luke 11:5-13. Re-read the passage, preferably in a different translation to get a clearer perspective on what the passage is communicating.
Keep in mind a parable is a story that parallels a message Jesus was trying to communicate, which would've been more easily understood by the original audience. Without a deep connection to Jewish culture, Jesus’ point is often lost on us. To understand the heart of Jesus’ parables, ask the following questions, and watch as the parables of Jesus come to life!
Who is the audience and how would the original hearer have heard this?
What cultural reference points would the original hearer have known that I miss?
Does the parable have characters and how are they described?
Does the parable have an unexpected ending that highlights the point Jesus was trying to make?
If Jesus were to make this point today, what parable might He tell?
DAY 2 - AUTHOR
The AUTHOR of the third Gospel, and our passage this week in Luke 11:5-13, is Luke. Many believe that he was the only Gospel writer who was a Gentile. He was known as a physician and deeply cared about the little details and it is evident in his writing and writing style. Luke was sure to give a detailed account of everything he wrote so that those who were not accustomed to Jewish traditions and customs would be able to understand the history of Jesus and His plan for salvation. Get to know the author! If available, read about him in the book of Luke’s introduction section of a study Bible.
Luke described his process for us in how he approached his writing and why he wrote his account. Read Luke 1:1-4. What do you learn about Luke and his writings?
There was a specific detail Luke seemed to capture in his writings about Jesus. Read Luke 3:21, 5:16, 6:12, 9:18, and 11:1-4 as examples. What part of Jesus’ life did Luke write about in these passages? How does that relate to the parable we are studying this week?
Luke captured another one of Jesus’ parables about prayer in Luke 18:1-8. What do you learn about prayer from this parable?
Now, re-read Luke 11:5-13. As you read, pay attention to the details Luke focused on and word choice. What detail does Luke capture in Jesus’ parable?
DAY 3 - HISTORY
Understanding the HISTORICAL background of this parable is essential for understanding how to apply it to our daily lives. Jesus used common cultural references to relate to the disciples as He told this parable.
So in this week’s parable in Luke 11:5-13, we have a person who’s friend arrived at his house at midnight. Why midnight? You may think that it is a strange time to arrive at a person’s home. However, HISTORICALLY, it was not that unusual in Palestine. At that time, people often would rather travel after sundown to avoid the heat during the day. Read Matthew 2:7-14. Who in these verses traveled at night? (Hint: there are two groups mentioned).
If you’re from any of the southern states in the U.S., you can experience the legendary "Southern hospitality," but even that is exceeded by Middle Eastern hospitality. Abraham showed us a great example of this type of hospitality in Genesis 18:1-8. Reading these verses, what do you learn about Middle Eastern hospitality? How might understanding the HISTORY of Middle Eastern hospitality help you in understanding the message of this parable?
Being a good host, the man felt he had an obligation to feed his friend. However, food was not as readily available back in that time. There were no evening markets or shops and bread was baked daily (Job 23:12 and Proverbs 30:8). Herein lies the problem. He had a late-night visitor who needed food but he had no bread to offer. What is he to do? Would he refuse to feed the traveler and not uphold the responsibility and sacred duty of being hospitable? Or would he risk the annoyance of going to his neighbor for help? Knowing the HISTORY of that time, we realize being a good host was of the utmost importance. Read Luke 11:8 in a few different Bible translations. What words are used in these verses to describe the friend’s persistence in the matter?
A friend in need is a friend indeed, right? What would you do in this situation? Would you let the traveler be hungry until morning? Or would you knock on the neighbor’s door?
Now connect this idea with prayer. How persistent are you when it comes to praying to God?
DAY 4 - CONTEXT
As we look at the CONTEXT of this week’s Parable of the Friend at Midnight, it is sandwiched between two teachings on prayer. The first is in Luke 11:1-4. In reading these verses what teaching did Jesus give His disciples immediately before our parable? What do you learn about prayer from these verses?
In this week’s parable, Jesus demonstrated how God wants us to persistently come to Him. He’s not annoyed when we knock on His door in the middle of the night, He expects it! And, Jesus, as God, gives us more than we ask for when we do approach Him. Read the passage immediately after this parable in Luke 11:11-13. How do these verses describe God’s reaction to our requests? What do you learn about prayer from these verses?
When looking at the CONTEXT of the parable, there are several words that symbolically are key to understanding the message Christ had for His disciples. One keyword is midnight.
Midnight is the darkest hour. It is the time when light meets pure darkness. In scripture, it is when judgment comes, when darkness will cease to exist (Revelations 22:5). Many people wait until the darkest point in their life to turn to God. When all other avenues have been exhausted they call out with a desperate plea and begin to pray to God. Read Hebrews 4:16 and 1 Thessalonians 5:17. When and how are we to approach God? How does that relate to the persistence of the friend in our parable this week?
The friend was awakened at midnight by a tired and hungry traveler needing what (vs. 5-6)? Bread – another keyword for us to take note of. Why do you think he needed bread? Read Luke 11:1-3. What does the bread represent in the Lord’s Prayer?
Interesting HISTORY lesson: The city where Jesus was born (Luke 2:4-7), Bethlehem, is translated from Hebrew meaning the House of Bread. Knowing this, now read John 6:35 and fill in this blank. Jesus is the ______________ of life (John 6:35). How does the request for bread in the parable relate to Jesus?
DAY 5 - ASK, SEEK, KNOCK
There is so much wisdom in this week’s parable in Luke 11:5-13, that we can APPLY to our lives.
Yet, we can easily take Luke 11:9-10 out of context. Many take these verses to think we get anything we want from God if we ask, seek, and knock. But there’s more to this passage. Read John 10:9. Who is the door?
Based on more CONTEXT around this passage, we learn that as we ask for Christ, seek Christ, and go to search for Christ that we will find Him! What great news!
Then with additional CONTEXT around prayer, we learn that we have not because we ask not. Yet our motive matters. Read James 4:3 and 1 John 5:14-15. What motive should we have when we pray? Whose will should we ask for?
As we learned this week, God wants us to come boldly and unashamed to His throne to receive from Him (Hebrews 4:16). Don’t be shy about praying and asking Him for great things. Just remember, He is not a magical genie. He is God. Your prayer should be about aligning your heart to God’s heart. Prayer is a conversation with God. God wants to hear from you. He wants to talk to you. It is about a relationship. He wants to hear from you in your good times and your bad. He wants to know the little things you desire to your utmost dreams. He also wants your heart to be in sync with His desires that you can trust His timing and comprehend the love and grace He extends to you each and every day. Don’t let your opportunity pass. Be bold enough to go to Him, to talk with Him, to ask. And, He will answer. We need to seek our daily Bread, what we need. He is our Bread.
Read John 15:5-8. What does aligning your heart to God look like as we ask, seek, and knock?
Contributed by Guest Writer: Kristen Davis
List of Parables
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