We are invited to shamelessly and boldly ask for the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The following parable has always seemed a bit odd to me. Have a quick read:
Luke 11:5-8 New International Version (NIV)
5 “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[a] he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.”
I don’t think waking a neighbour up in the middle of a night for a loaf of bread would go over that well today either. I mean seriously, who would do this?
In other translations, the word “shameless” is translated as “impudent" or “persistent,” but the Greek equivalent reads something like “shameless persistence”. HELPS word-studies refers to the term “shameless audacity” as someone not "halted by human fears – even when others cry "overdone" (i.e., accuse them of being extreme or excessive)” (n.p.). The person in Jesus’ parable was certainly shameless because he didn’t pay heed to how he was inconveniencing his friend and persistent because he didn’t let up. However, I don’t think the point of this parable is just to be persistent. The parable begs the question: What are we to be shamelessly persistent about?
To make sense of this parable, I looked at the text around it. Right after this parable Jesus says,
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. 11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:9-13)
I think sometimes we mistakenly read verse 9 as “Ask [for anything you want]”. That sounds like an audacious ask in itself, but as you see in verse 13, we are being encouraged to ask for something specific, which in my opinion, is even more audacious—the Holy Spirit. I did a bit of research and discovered that most Jews believe(d) the Holy Spirit provided divine inspiration or an indwelling of God’s spirit to only a select few—usually prophets, or in rare instances a group of people for limited periods of time. For Jews the temple was the primary place where God was present and willing to communicate with his people. So for them, it was likely an outrageous concept to assume that the God of the universe would take up residence inside you upon your request. I think it’s still a pretty bold ask. The Jews of the time may have thought ‘who would dare?’
If we are to take the parable that precedes as a cue, we are being encouraged by Jesus himself to ask shamelessly and persistently—without hesitation—for the Holy Spirit. And verse 9 and 13 clearly state that the Holy Spirit will indeed be given to us. Sounds like a pretty good deal. So then what’s stopping people from receiving this incredible gift?
I know when we confess our belief and need for Christ, we receive the Holy Spirit, but there seems to be more of an infilling of the Spirit being offered. I didn’t grow up with much teaching on the Holy Spirit, so I am young in my faith from that perspective. I’ve been asking for the Spirit more lately, but I feel like I’ve been hesitant. I’m rather intimidated by the idea of God living in me, afraid of the shear power of it, but also fearful that I will lose control. I realize I’m being 'halted by human fears'. Yet, we are being asked to let go of our fears and boldly ask for this powerful gift.
Lord, help me trust in your goodness and shamelessly and persistently ask for the Holy Spirit.
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