Lectionary Year C
July 29, 2001
Luke 11:1-13

Context

Step IV - Context

A. Primitive Christianity

(JFC) Of course, early Christians prayed a lot, as did their forerunners, in the Old Testament. Jesus certainly modeled more prayers than just the Lord's Prayer all through his ministry, including right up during his last day on earth. Then, too, in the early years of Christianity, as well, and again as in the Old Testament, travelers lodged in with welcoming hosts wherever they found them, in these ages before any Hampton Inns or Holiday Inn Expresses. Jesus even instructed those 70 he sent out two by two to bunk in with welcoming hosts. First century Christians were instructed by Paul in Galatians 6 especially to be of assistance to one another.

B. Old Testament and Judaism

(JFC) As noted in the paragraph just above, Old Testament travelers, by necessity, lodged with friends and even strangers wherever they arrived for the night. Sojourning was a most necessary strategy in ancient Palestine. See such passages as Exodus 22:21 and Leviticus 23:22. Such sojourners had "protection and sustenance" while they stayed where they were welcomed, according to The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible, vol. 4, page 397. And, Isaiah 58:7 instructs, "Share food with anyone wh hungers, share your home with the poor and homeless. Give clothes with those in need and never turn away your relatives." A footnote at Joseph and Aseneth 10:2(3) notes that "Women as gatekeepers, in the author's day, were most likely slaves who lived in a room near the gate or door' cf. e.g. 2 Sam 4:6 LXX . . . Tob 6:5; Jn 18:16f; Acts 12:3-5 . . . Why the children should be mentioned is not clear, unless to indicate the woman had retired for the night (Lk 11:7) and was not likely to notice Aseneth's doings." Later in that same chapter, some guests in the abode asked for entrance into Aseneth's room and she "did not open the door, but said to them from within, 'My head is (stricken with) heavy pain, and I am resting in my bed, and I do not have the strength to rise and open (the door to) you, because I have grown weak in all my limbs.' . . ."

C. The Hellenistic World

(JFC) If these Greek-speaking philosophers prayed only a little or even less than that, surely they would never disparage anyone else's praying. If they were anything, they were hospitable, which would stimulate them to live and let live when it came to spiritual ritualism. And, their hospitality-bent would certainly have them favor anyone's hosting a sojourner even in the middle of the night, especially if we hid from them that it was a scriptural expectation for it to be done! As travelers of the first order, could these Greek sophisticates admit they ever needed provisions like a roof at night and/or a meal or two on the road? They would also give what was requested, as in verses 11f of our text at hand. Would the Hellenists agree with the apodosis in verse 13 of people's being evil? Would their wanna be perfectionism provoke them to that position?

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