Luke 11:1-13
Today’s gospel is about prayer. Jesus gives us a model, a short story, and a promise. As usual, what appears very straightforward at first becomes mysterious, the more we think about it.
First, the model. When you say the prayers of the Mass along with the priest, they often contain ornamental phrases. Just recall the first prayer of the Mass today: “O God, protector of those who hope in you, without whom nothing has a firm foundation, nothing is holy” -- will God listen to us more if we talk about his attributes? Kind of a contrast with Jesus’ simple prayer, which is a series of requests. But the first kind of prayer is more to remind us about how God is, the second implies that we already know God as the giver of good things. When you look at Jesus' model he’s really asking the Father, or “Daddy” as Jesus often called him -- to take this world of ours and change it into his kingdom. First, we pray that all will recognize God’s place in the order of things, because the first step in changing the world is to recognize his fatherhood and his holiness. We then pray that the world recognizes that there is a better way to live, that there is a kingdom that beats all the attempts humans have made to develop governments. It’s a kingdom where, among other things, everyone gets enough to eat, and by extension, enough to live as humans. It’s a terrible thing when there are people in this world who scrounge through garbage every day to find some half-rotten food and others who take their private planes to a vacation on some Caribbean island. We ask for forgiveness, recognizing that if we don’t forgive we can’t expect God to forgive. And we pray for protection from disasters -- from war, from climate change, from disease and death even.
The second part is the story. Jesus implies that we have to keep asking. “For some reason, not at all clear, the story seems to imply that an effective prayer is one that’s repeated, that’s urgent, that reflects how much we want something. The person in the story who bangs on the door is putting himself out. He could give up and go home and maybe buy some bread in the morning. Our ancestors in faith used to combine fasting with prayer; some people still do that. When you pray, how do you show how much you want what you pray for?
The third part is the promise -- all prayers will be answered. Yet our experience, as I mentioned before, is that this isn’t the case. I’d like my body to stop aging so rapidly. Ten years ago my joints worked well, I slept through the night, and I could swim in the ocean. Today, not so.
So why aren’t our prayers answered? The people Jesus taught would not have asked this question. They knew the answers from their own history and scriptures. You and I, though, come up with excuses for God. We say “Sometimes the answer is no” or “God will answer in due time” or the one I like least of all, “God wanted another angel” which does not console the family of someone who died. And in a sense, Jesus gives us a reason prayers aren't answered – we aren't persistent.
But the bible tells us many reasons why prayers are not answered.
First, what we pray for may not be God’s will. Jesus tells us “Seek first the kingdom of God and all else will be given to you”.
Second, we may have the wrong motives. If I pray for money so that I can take a vacation, my motive is not right. James tells us, “When you ask you do not receive, because you act wit the wrong motives…”
Third, sin. Scripture tells us in several places that unless you turn away from sin, you will not be heard. For Catholics, sincere confession should precede our prayers of petition.
Fourth, a proverb says that whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he himself will not be answered.
Fifth, we have not forgiven someone. Jesus tells us that we should leave our gift at the altar and forgive our brother, then our prayers will be heard.
Sixth, and I like this one, God gave me the means to answer my last prayer and I didn’t make use of what he gave me.
There are several other reasons given in scripture as to why prayers are not answered. An unanswered prayer should make us reflect on what might be standing in the way. And Jesus tells us that in the end, he will give us the Holy Spirit to help us pray as we should pray. Saint Paul says “We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans”.
