New Testament : The Parable of the Friend at Night? A word of caution is appropriate here. Never are we to approach God with impertinence or a demanding or disrespectful attitude. James tells us that we don’t have because we don’t ask, or we ask with the wrong motives (James 4:3). That God allows us to approach Him at all is an indication of His mercy and graciousness toward sinners. But He is our Abba Father (Romans 8:15), and we are His children. We come before Him as a child comes before his earthly father, in confidence that his father loves him and wants the best for him. And if this man would give his neighbor what he wanted not out of friendship, but just because of his shameless boldness, how much more will God, who loves us perfectly, give us when we come into His presence?

So, although the Greek word really does literally mean shamelessness or impunity or a lack of sensitivity to what is proper, the idea of persistence is also clearly indicated in the context, as the following explanation by Jesus makes clear. But before we move on to His application of this parable, it is good to consider for a moment what type of parable this is. It is what many would call an implied “how much more parable,” in which an argument is made from the lesser to the greater. For example, one prominent parable scholar observes: As most interpreters agree, it is an argument from the weaker to the stronger. It is a “how much more” argument, a procedure common in Jewish hermeneutics, but the reader must supply the “stronger” element that makes explicit the intent of the parable. A second “how much more” argument is explicit in 11:13 and shows how the parable in 11:5-8 is to be interpreted … The parable says in effect: “If a human will obviously get up in the middle of the night to grant the request even of a rude friend, will not God much more answer your requests? (Klyne Snodgrass, Stories With Intent: A Comprehensive Guide to the Parables of Jesus, p. 447)

As I have already indicated, this is a pretty long question, but it is pretty easily understood nonetheless. The question demands an answer something like, “Of course my friend would not refuse to help me in such a situation!” Jesus is simply asking us to think about how a friend would indeed get up in the middle of the night in order to help us with a need. And He assumes that we all have friends who would not refuse us but would help us out. After all, isn’t this what friends do? Discover extra info with the The Parable of the Friend at Night video on YouTube.

The reluctant friend can be persuaded to give in with the friend’s persistence. Yet our heavenly Father is different. He loves us so much He will not let Himself be persuaded to give in to us if He knows that what we request for is not good for ourselves. Jesus said that even earthly fathers will only give good things to their children — they will not give snakes or scorpions. Likewise, the heavenly Father will not give us something if it is not good for us. Therefore, when we are walking in God’s will and persistently praying for something but still have not received, one probable reason would be that what we have asked for is not good. Do we feel resentful when we ask for a long time for something but have not received? Thank God that He screens through our requests and gives us only the good ones. Think of the possible reasons why God may be withholding that thing from us. Through our own consideration, we may come up with the reasons why that thing may not be good for us.