Albert Barnes Commentary Luke 11

As he was praying. Luke has taken notice of our Saviour's praying often. Thus, at his baptism (Luke 3:21); in the wilderness (Luke 5:16); before the appointment of the apostles, he continued all night in prayer (Luke 6:12); he was alone praying (Luke 9:18); his transfiguration also took place when he went up to pray (Luke 9:28–29).

Teach us to Pray. Probably they had been struck with the excellency and fervour of his prayers, and, recollecting that John had taught his disciples to pray, they asked him also to teach them. We learn, therefore:

1. That the gifts and graces of others should lead us to desire the same.
2. That the true method of praying can be learned only by our being properly taught. Indeed, we cannot pray acceptably at all unless God teaches us how to pray.
3. That it is proper for us to meditate beforehand what we are to ask of God, and to arrange our thoughts, that we may not come thoughtlessly into his presence.

For we also forgive, and so on. This is somewhat different from the expression in Matthew, though the sense is the same. The idea is that unless we forgive others, God will not forgive us; and unless we come to him really forgiving all others, we cannot expect pardon. It does not mean that by forgiving others we deserve forgiveness ourselves, or merit it, but that this is a disposition or state of mind without which God cannot consistently pardon us.

Everyone that is indebted to us. Every one that has injured us. This does not refer to pecuniary transactions, but to offences similar to those which we have committed against God, and for which we ask forgiveness. Besides the variations in the expressions in this prayer, Luke has omitted the doxology, or close, altogether; and this shows that Jesus did not intend that we should always use just this form, but that it was a general direction for praying; or, rather, that we were to pray for these things, though not always using the same words.

And he said to them, etc. Jesus proceeds to show that, to obtain the blessing, it was necessary to persevere in asking for it. For this purpose, he introduces the case of a friend asking bread from another for someone who had come to him unexpectedly. His design is solely to show the necessity of being importunate or persevering in prayer to God.

At midnight. A time when it would be most inconvenient for his friend to help him; an hour when he would naturally be in bed and his house shut.

Three loaves. There is nothing particularly denoted by the number three in this place. Jesus often included such details merely to fill out the story or to preserve its consistency.

My children are with me in bed. This does not necessarily mean that they were in the same bed with him. Rather, it implies that they were all in bed, the house was still, the door was shut, and it was troublesome for him to get up at that time of night to accommodate him.

It should be observed, however, that Eastern customs differ in this respect from our own. Among them, it is not uncommon—indeed, it is the common practice—for a whole family (parents, children, and servants) to sleep in the same room. See (The Land and the Book, vol. i. p. 180). This is not to be applied to God, as if it were troublesome for him to be sought, or as if he would ever reply to a sinner in that manner.

All that is to be applied to God in this parable is simply that it is proper to persevere in prayer. As a man often gives because the request is repeated, and as one is not discouraged because the favour that he asks of his neighbour is delayed, so God often answers us after long and importunate requests.

I tell you. The Latin Vulgate here adds, "if he continues knocking." Though this is not in the Greek, it is indispensable that it should be understood for the meaning. Knocking once would not denote importunity, but it was because he continued knocking.

His importunity. His troublesome perseverance; his continuing to disturb the man, and refusing to take any denial. The word importunity denotes perseverance toward an objective, without any regard to time, place, or circumstances—an improper perseverance. By this the man was influenced. Rather than be disturbed, he would rise and give what was asked.

This is to be applied to God only in the sense that He often hears prayers and grants blessings even long after they appear to be unanswered or withheld. He does not promise to give blessings at once. He promises only that He will do it, or will answer prayer.

But He often makes His people wait long. He tries their faith. He leaves them to persevere for months or years, until they feel entirely their dependence on Him, until they see that they can obtain the blessing in no other way, and until they are prepared to receive it.

Often they are not prepared to receive it when they ask for it at first. They may be proud, or have no proper sense of their dependence, or they would not value the blessing, or it may at that time not be best for them to obtain it. But let no one despair.

If the thing is for our good, and if it is proper that it should be granted, God will give it. Let us first ask rightly; let us see that our minds are in a proper state; let us feel our need of the blessing; let us inquire whether God has promised such a blessing, and then let us persevere until God gives it.

Again, when people ask anything of God, they often give up seeking. They go once, and if it is not granted, they are discouraged. It is not so when we ask anything of people. Then we persevere; we take no denial; we go again and press the matter until we obtain it. We should do the same with God. We should go again and again, until the prayer is heard, and God grants what we ask of Him.

A scorpion. See Barnes on Luke 10:19.

Dr. Thomson (The Land and the Book, vol. 1, p. 379) says: "There is no imaginable likeness between an egg and the ordinary black scorpion of this country, neither in color nor size, nor, when the tail is extended, in shape. But old writers speak of a white scorpion, and such a one, with the tail folded up, as in specimens of fossil trilobites, would not look unlike a small egg. Perhaps the contrast, however, refers only to the different properties of the egg and the scorpion, which is sufficiently emphatic."

Pliny (Naturalis Historia, 11.25) says that in Judea the scorpions are about the size of an egg, and not unlike one in shape.