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June 17th, 2019

Shameless Audacity

Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ 7 And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he, will surely get up and give you as much as you need.

Luke 11:5-8 NIV

“Shameless Audacity”, the original word is a compound word. It combines “alpha” + “without” + “shame”.

Alpha attached as a prefix strongly defines what is happening here. It speaks of a “best friend” bond. “Shameless audacity” looks something like this in this story-

As one of your closest friends I, am here at a time that will deprive you of sleep and may interrupt your midnight prayers (Tikkun Chatzos). I am not ashamed to do this because we have a deep friendship. I would do the same for you as I am asking you to do for me. Therefore I will persist because I look to you to find what I know you have. I know you will eventually open your door to let me in. I also know that you will give me what I ask for without hesitation when you are fully awake to my requests.

Many of us have that one friend who is closer than a brother or sister. A friendship where you both know each other so well that when there’s a need your friend will help you out, even when it’s inconvenient! In this instance, this friend was requesting help because another friend arrived late and there’s was nothing to serve him with. Nothing to send with him when he leaves. He is asking in order to serve another’s need.

If this story was written today it may look something like this-

Suppose you have a close friend who loves to help others. It’s who he is. that’s one of the things you love about him. If he texted you in the middle of the night, and then called you... and then texted me again!... you would eventually look at the text. If the text says he just pulled up to your house and he needs food to help out a friend that is traveling through this area, then you would force yourself to get up.

If he did that, you would eventually awaken yourself. You’d Look at the clock and probably shake your head. You would return his call/text and then put on clothes, thinking, “Yup, he knows me and I know him. I know he has a reason that I won’t question. He knows I’ll give him whatever I have to help out.”

You would open the door, invite him in and fill a bag full of what he needs. Embrace, pray for the friend he is hosting and then say your goodbyes.

Here’s why this is so important. It sets up the next statement which many of us have memorized;

9 “So I say to you:

Ask, and it will be given to you;

seek, and you will find;

knock, and the door will be opened to you.

10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Luke 11:9-10-NIV

Based on the story of the friend in need I now see this statement in a different light. I am the friend texting and calling at midnight. I can have, should have, “shameless audacity” in my asking!! I have that kind of relationship with Triune. We all are called into that kind of relationship with Him.

So now I read those verses and in my heart, I am saying this-

Ask, ask, ask, ask ...and it will absolutely be given to you;

Seek, seek, seek, seek ... and you will find what you’ve asked for;

Knock, knock, knock, knock ...and the door will be opened to you.

For everyone who asks, asks, asks, asks will receive what is asked for; the one who seeks, seeks, seeks, seeks finds what they’re looking for; and to the one who knocks, knocks, knock, knocks will walk through the opened door!