because a friend of mine has come to me on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him.’for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him,’For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?for a friend of mine is come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him;
4 sermons cite this verse
… Then Jesus said to them, suppose you have a friend and you go to him at midnight and you say, friend, can you lend me three loaves of bread from Trader Joe's? A friend of mine on a journey has come to me and I have no food in my cupboards to offer him. And suppose the one inside says, brother, don't bother me. The door is already locked and my children are in bed. I can't get up and give you anything. 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. 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. For everyone who asks receives. The one who seeks finds. And the one who knocks the door is open. Which of your fathers who goes on the brotherhood hike, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? …
… of my favorite stories in the whole Bible. Jesus said to them, which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, friend, lend me three loaves for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey and I have nothing to set before him. And he will answer from within, do not bother me. The door is now shut. My children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything. I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he's his friend, yet because of his impudence, he will arise and give him whatever he needs. That's such a great story. So let me make sure you get the picture here. So first century Palestine, food not quite as readily available as it is today. No late night Taco Bells. So there's a battle for bread every day. You bake enough bread to meet that day's needs. So a guy shows up at his buddy's house at midnight and he's hungry. And in first century Palestine, hospitality was huge. So the buddy has a dilemma. So one option, he can be a poor host and not give this guy any food. His second option is to go and try to find bread from somebody else. So it's either be a poor host or a poor neighbor at midnight. And he takes what's behind door number two. His neighbor already fast asleep, enjoying his dreams. Not only asleep, but everybody in the house asleep. …
… But he goes at midnight and wants three loaves. Not for himself, he says, for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him. And from inside his friend answers and says, do not bother me. The door has already been shut, and my children and I are in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything. Again, here you have someone who is reluctant to provide what someone needs. Verse 8, "'I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs.'" If the guy just stays there and keeps pounding on the door, eventually he's going to get Get out of bed and give him what he needs just so he can get some sleep. Verse 9, So I say to you, here's the difference between that kind of friend and me. …
… that is, three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine in his journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him. And he from within shall answer and say, TROUBLE ME NOT, FOR THE DOOR IS NOW SHUT. YOU SEE, A DOOR IS WHAT YOU KNOCK ON. AND MY CHILDREN ARE WITH ME IN BED, AND I CANNOT RISE AND GIVE THEE. AND I SAY UNTO YOU, THOUGH HE WILL NOT RISE AND GIVE HIM BECAUSE HE IS HIS FRIEND, YET BECAUSE OF HIS IMPORTUNITY, THAT IS, HIS PERSISTENCE, HE WILL RISE AND GIVE HIM AS MANY AS HE NEEDETH. NOW THAT'S THE PARABLE. NOW LOOK IN VERSE NINE, AND I SAY UNTO YOU, ASK AND IT SHALL BE GIVEN YOU, SEEK AND YE SHALL FIND, KNOCK AND IT SHALL BE OPEN UNTO YOU. NOW THERE'S NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT THIS IS THE ILLUSTRATION FOR KNOCKING RIGHT HERE. FOR EVERYONE THAT ASKETH RECEIVETH, AND HE THAT SEEKETH FINDETH, AND TO HIM THAT KNOCKETH IT SHALL BE OPENED. NOW YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND SOMETHING ABOUT BIBLE TIMES. IN BIBLE TIMES IT WAS ABSOLUTELY, TOTALLY UNTHINKABLE THAT A FRIEND WOULD come to you and you would not give him lodging and you would not give him food. Uh, hospitality is of the highest premium in the Middle East. And so here's a man, he has a friend on a journey, comes and says, uh, uh, James, may I stay at your house tonight? He says, well, why, we're so happy to have you, John, to come and stay. You're so welcome. Come right …