Parable of the Friend at Night
The Parable of the Friend at Night (also known as the Parable of the Friend at Midnight or of the Importunate Neighbour) is a parable of Jesus which appears in Luke 11:5-8. In it, a friend eventually agrees to help his neighbor due to his persistent demands rather than because they are friends, despite the late hour and the inconvenience of it.
Quotes about
[edit]- Perhaps the hungry friend is Jesus Christ himself, who needs people who will help, who will say yes, who will follow. And he sends someone to represent his requests. This person always arrives at the wrong time because the person he goes to ask already has other plans, has already made other decisions. [...] But the Lord can call for as long as he wants, until there is no longer any possibility of avoidance, until even the strongest habit is broken and collapses.
- Adrienne von Speyr, Le parabole del Signore (Gleichnisse des Herrn, 1966), translated into Italian by Giuseppe Reguzzoni, Jaca Book, Milano, 2008, pp. 142-143. ISBN 978-88-16-30459-8
- The Lord concludes his parable with an exhortation not to be cold and lazy in prayer. The answer always corresponds to the prayer. It may take a long time to arrive, but in the end it does arrive. The one who prays and the one who is prayed for must come to an agreement.
- Adrienne von Speyr, Le parabole del Signore (Gleichnisse des Herrn, 1966), translated into Italian by Giuseppe Reguzzoni, Jaca Book, Milano, 2008, p. 143. ISBN 978-88-16-30459-8
- The Gospel of Luke also speaks of our prayer: it tells the parable of the importunate friend (11:5-8) and that of the widow and the dishonest judge (18:1-8), to tell us that it is necessary to pray always, without tiring.
- Carlo Maria Martini, incipit of Qualcosa di così personale. Meditazioni sulla preghiera, Mondadori, 2009. ISBN 9788804594680 (in Italian).
Bible
[edit]- Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ 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.’ 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.
- Gospel of Luke 11:5-8 NIV.
