Preparation
O Lord, open our lips
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Praise
God, our judge and saviour,
teach us to be open to your truth
and to trust in your love,
that we may live each day
with confidence in the salvation
which is given through
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Psalm 1
Blessed are they who have not walked
in the counsel of the wicked,
nor lingered in the way of sinners,
nor sat in the assembly of the scornful.
Their delight is in the law of the Lord
and they meditate on his law day and night.
Like a tree planted by streams of water
bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither,
whatever they do, it shall prosper.
As for the wicked, it is not so with them;
they are like chaff which the wind blows away.
Therefore the wicked shall not be able to stand in the judgement,
nor the sinner in the congregation of the righteous.
For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked shall perish.
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
Reading
Luke 11.5-13
Jesus said to them, ‘Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, “Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.” And he answers from within, “Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.” I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.
‘So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!’
Reflection
Jesus said: Suppose one of you has a friend …
Recently I was leading an assembly in our local primary school. I was going to end up by reflecting upon the school values of Respect, Trust, Partnership & Equality. As I began my assembly I asked who had a ‘best friend’? Every child in that assembly raised their hand. Similarly, most of them glanced in the direction of the one they thought of as their best friend. From that positive starting point it was not difficult to lead into a consideration of how those school values might be viewed and interpreted in respect of those very special friendships. In today’s reading Jesus is inviting us into a similar moment of reflection. Jesus is, in effect, asking us who our best friend is.
Jesus outlines a scenario in which a friend and neighbour cannot be bothered to give the urgent assistance that is required. The sleepy neighbour … and friend? … does eventually give the help that is needed, but only after much cajoling and persuasion. It is in this context that Jesus says: Suppose one of you has a friend …
After his short parable about the inconsistency and unreliability of human friendship, Jesus takes us into a very different place. Jesus then describes a friendship that should be at the heart of all our lives. Yes, we have human ‘best friends’, but we also have a best friend who will never let us down, no matter how hard we try his forbearance and love. That friend, of course, is God.
Yesterday, we reflected upon Jesus’ gift to humanity of the Lord’s Prayer. Today, Jesus is once again speaking of the power of prayer. Jesus wants us all to know that we have a best friend who is always with us, and will never be too inconvenienced by our needs. Jesus tells us to Ask, to Search, and to Knock, because whenever we approach God in faith he will answer, he will be found, and he will open the door on a new life for each and every one of us … if we let him, of course.
The world presents us with an unrelenting series of challenges. Some of those challenges we brush aside as we and our earthly ‘best friends’ face up to them and deal with them. But, some challenges will seem insurmountable. Not even our ‘best friends’ will be able to help. The message in today’s reading is that we should never ignore our real ‘best friend’ … God. Even when we think we can cope through our own efforts, God can do better. And when the going gets really tough, there is certainly no one better than God at being there and opening the door on a new way forward.
Let us pray that we might never forget that God is our best friend in all situations. Let us pray that we might never forget to take our hopes and fears, our joy and our despair to God. Let us pray that we might never forget to allow God the time and space to open that door onto a new reality, a reality that will bring us ever closer to the one who created us in his own image, and who gave his only Son in order that we might have that new life.
Prayers of intercession
As children of our heavenly Father, let us pray for the Church and for the world.
Guide your Church, rooted and grounded in Christ, in the way of the Gospel. As you have taught us to pray, keep us constant in prayer. Increase our faith, that we may bring our needs before you with perfect confidence.
Release all people from the selfishness of the closed door and the closed heart. Help them to care for the needs of others, knowing they are children of the same Father.
Give grace to us, our families, friends and neighbours, to be generous in giving. Teach us how to share our spiritual blessings and the good news of the Kingdom.
We pray for all those who feel excluded from the company of others, and for those whose pleas for help in distress have been ignored. Give strength and perseverance to agencies of relief.
Receive the faithful departed who prayed on earth that their sins might be forgiven. As they were buried with Christ in baptism, may they rise with him to eternal life.
We make our prayer in the name of Christ, who has taught us how we should pray.
Prayer for the week
Lord and heavenly Father,
make us mindful of your presence with us;
that we may draw near to you
with holy and humble hearts,
and offer prayers and praises
acceptable in your sight;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
The Grace
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
be with us all evermore. Amen.
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