A parable about prayer

Part seven of nine

Luke 11:5–8

I have translated a few books from German into English. My wife has translated thousands of pages from English into German. We know how hard it is to translate accurately.

Every translation is to some degree also an interpretation. A text must be understood before it can be translated. Sometimes translators don’t know for sure what a word means, and their translations vary as a result.

One Bible text that is undergoing serious reconsideration is the parable about a man who wanted to borrow bread from a friend at midnight. (An unexpected guest had arrived and he wanted to provide hospitality before the night.) In the parable Jesus suggests that even if the friendship between the men did not persuade the sleeper to give bread to the would-be host, he would get up anyway – because of “his anaideia.”

Nobody quite knows what the Greek word anaideia means. It is not used anywhere else in the New Testament. For centuries people assumed it meant “persistence.” That is, your friend wants to stay in bed, but you refuse to take “No” for an answer. Your persistence finally pays off and you get the bread you came for.

Recent research, however, suggests anaideia did not mean persistence in the first century. Thus translations are introducing alternatives like “boldness” or “shamelessness.”

Another problem

There’s another problem. The original text says “his” anaideia makes the difference. Whose? We’ve assumed it is the anaideia of the man at the door. Who else in the parable is being persistent, or perhaps bold or shameless?

But we misunderstand first century culture if we imagine that only a bold or shameless man would ask his neighbour for bread at midnight. Hospitality to travelers, after all, was the responsibility of the entire village.

I think the best evidence points in a completely different direction. Anaideia is a compound word, linking a Greek word for “shame” with a prefix that negates it. Literally it means “no-shame.” Hence some think it means shamelessness. I think it is more like a “desire to avoid shame.” Because of his desire to avoid shame, he gets up. Worded this way, “his” refers to the sleeper!

The man does not get up because his friend at the door had the techniques right, whether persistence, boldness or shamelessness. No, he gets up because he is concerned for the honour of his own name! His sense of shame would get him out of his cozy bed, even if friendship would not do so.

Let me paraphrase what I think Jesus wanted to say.

Just try to imagine the following. (You can’t, can you?) You have already retired for the night. But suddenly you hear your friend outside making a midnight request. He has received unexpected company and wants to feed his guest. But he has no bread in the house. Could he please borrow some from you?

(The whole story so far might seem unimaginable to us, but not in a first century peasant village. The part we are supposed to try in vain to imagine is still coming.)

Now imagine yourself shouting from under your blanket. “No way! I’m not getting up at night to give you bread!” Can’t imagine it, can you? Of course not. Even if you would not get up and give him bread because he is your friend, your reputation would be ruined if you responded like that. For the sake of the honour of your name, you would give him everything he needs.

God’s honour

The anaideia – the no-shame factor – made the difference. And that, says Jesus, is what prayer is like. God is our friend. Indeed God is our Father. That’s why God meets all our needs. But even if that were not enough, God would do it for the sake of God’s own honour (11:2,13).

I wish there was room for me to share all the reasons I think this is the real meaning of Jesus’ parable – evidence from word studies and grammatical analyses, cultural and literary contexts, and most important, comparing Scripture with Scripture and observing how God and prayer are portrayed throughout Scripture. (You can request the longer version through e-mail.)

Somehow I just can’t imagine Jesus picturing God as a tired grouch who would rather sleep than supply our needs. Somehow I just can’t imagine God responding to our persistent praying with “I really wanted to give you your request all along, but you were not quite persistent enough. Better luck next time.”

I’d rather just believe Jesus, who said, “Ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened.” (These verses, in fact, follow the parable.)

I’ll keep on praying, not to see if I can get it to work, but because I am confident it does. And when the things I desire are withheld, I will not try to crank up my persistence, courage or shamelessness. I’ll learn to say with Jesus, “Your will be done,” assured that because God is God there will be a loving response.

For reflection:

• When prayer requests are not granted, do I blame myself for not praying well enough? Doubt the goodness or power of God? Get discouraged and stop praying?
• How can this interpretation of Jesus’ parable encourage me?

Tim Geddert teaches New Testament at MB Biblical Seminary, Fresno, Cal.

The series continues in the next issue. The series began in the Sept. 24 issue.