Church Fathers Commentary Luke 11:5-8

"And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say to him, Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine is come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him; and he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee? I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will arise and give him as many as he needeth." — Luke 11:5-8 (ASV)

St. Cyril of Alexandria: The Savior had previously taught, in answer to the request of His apostles, how people ought to pray. But it might happen that those who received this wholesome teaching would indeed offer their prayers according to the form given to them, but do so carelessly and without conviction.

Then, when they were not heard after the first or second prayer, they stopped praying. So that this would not happen to us, He shows by means of a parable that timidity in our prayers is harmful, but that it is of great advantage to have patience in them. Therefore, He says to them, Which of you shall have a friend.

Theophylact of Ohrid: God is that friend, who loves all people and wills that all should be saved.

St. Ambrose of Milan: Who is a greater friend to us than He who gave up His body for us? Now we have another kind of command given to us here: that prayers should be offered at all times, not only during the day but also at night. For it follows, And shall go to him at midnight. As David did when he said, At midnight I will rise and give thanks to you.

For he had no fear of waking them from sleep, since he knew they were always watching. If David, who was also occupied with the necessary affairs of a kingdom, was so holy that he gave praise to God seven times a day, what should we do? We ought to pray all the more, since we sin more frequently through the weakness of our mind and body.

But if you love the Lord your God, you will be able to gain favor not only for yourself but for others as well. For it follows, And say to him, Friend, lend me three loaves...

St. Augustine of Hippo: But what are these three loaves, if not the food of the heavenly mystery? It may be that someone has a friend who asks for something he cannot supply, and then he finds that he does not have what he is compelled to give. A friend comes to you on his journey—that is, in this present life, where we are all traveling as strangers. No one remains a permanent possessor; instead, everyone is told, "Pass on, O stranger, and make way for the one who is coming."

Or perhaps a friend of yours comes from a bad road (that is, an evil life), weary and unable to find the truth, by which he might hear and receive happiness. He comes to you as a Christian and says, "Give me a reason," perhaps asking something that you, in the simplicity of your faith, do not know. Not having the means to satisfy his hunger, you are compelled to seek it in the Lord’s books.

For perhaps what he asked is contained in the book, but it is obscure. You are not permitted to ask Paul himself, or Peter, or any prophet, for that whole family is now resting with their Lord. The ignorance of the world is very great—that is, it is midnight. Your friend, urgent from hunger, presses you for an answer, not content with a simple faith. Must he then be abandoned?

Therefore, go to the Lord Himself, with whom that family is resting. Knock, and pray. Of Him it is added, And he from within will answer and say, "Trouble me not." He delays giving, wishing that you should desire more earnestly what is delayed, so that it does not become commonplace by being given at once.

St. Basil the Great: For perhaps He delays on purpose to increase your earnestness in coming to Him, so that you may know what the gift of God is and may anxiously guard what is given. For whatever a person acquires with great pains, he strives to keep safe, lest with its loss he should lose his labor as well.

Glossa Ordinaria: He does not, then, take away the freedom of asking, but is all the more eager to kindle the desire to pray by showing the difficulty of obtaining what we ask for. For it follows, The door is now shut.

St. Ambrose of Milan: This is the door that Paul also requests may be opened for him, pleading to be assisted not only by his own prayers but also by those of the people, that a door of utterance may be opened to him to speak the mystery of Christ. And perhaps that is the door that John saw open, when it was said to him, Come up here, and I will show you things which must be hereafter.

St. Augustine of Hippo: The time referred to, then, is that of the famine of the word, when understanding is shut up. Those who distributed the wisdom of the Gospel like bread and preached throughout the world are now in their secret rest with the Lord. And this is what is added, And my children are with me in bed.

Gregory of Nyssa: He rightly calls them "children"—those who, by the arms of righteousness, have claimed for themselves freedom from passion. This shows that the good we have acquired by practice was laid up in our nature from the beginning. For when anyone, by renouncing the flesh and living a virtuous life, has overcome passion, he then becomes like a child and is insensible to the passions. But by "the bed," we understand the rest of Christ.

Glossa Ordinaria: And because of what has come before, he adds, I cannot rise and give you, which must refer to the difficulty of obtaining.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Alternatively, the friend who is visited at midnight for the loan of the three loaves is evidently an allegory. It is like a person in the midst of trouble asking God to give him an understanding of the Trinity, by which he may find comfort in the troubles of this present life. For his distress is the "midnight" in which he is compelled to be so urgent in his request for the three loaves. The three loaves signify that the Trinity is of one substance.

The friend coming from his journey is understood to be human desire. This desire ought to obey reason but was instead obedient to the custom of the world, which he calls "the way" because all things pass along it. Now when a person is converted to God, that desire is also reclaimed from custom.

But if he is not consoled by the inward joy that arises from the spiritual doctrine declaring the Trinity of the Creator, he is in great distress. He is pressed down by earthly sorrows, seeing that he is commanded to abstain from all outward delights, and within there is no refreshment from the delight of spiritual doctrine. And yet, it is accomplished by prayer that the one who desires should receive understanding from God, even if there is no one by whom wisdom might be preached.

For it follows, And if that man shall continue... etc. The argument is drawn from the lesser to the greater. For if a friend gets up from his bed and gives, not because of friendship but because of weariness, how much more will God give? He gives most abundantly whatever we ask, and without weariness.

But when you have obtained the three loaves—that is, the food and knowledge of the Trinity—you will have both the source of life and of food. Do not fear. Do not cease. For that bread will not run out, but it will put an end to your need. Learn and teach. Live and eat.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Alternatively, the "midnight" is the end of life, at which time many come to God. The "friend" is the angel who receives the soul. Or, the "midnight" is the depth of temptations, in which the one who has fallen seeks from God three loaves: relief for the needs of his body, soul, and spirit. Through these, we run into no danger during our temptations.

The "friend" who comes from his journey is God Himself, who tests by temptation the one who has nothing to set before another who is weakened by it. But when He says, And the door is shut, we must understand that we ought to be prepared before temptations. After we have fallen into them, the gate of preparation is shut, and being found unprepared, we are in danger unless God keeps us.