Persistent friend
( John Everett Millais , 1864)
The parable of the man asking for bread at midnight from his friend is one of the parables of Jesus Christ , contained in the Gospel of Luke .
 | And he said to them: [Let us suppose that] one of you, having a friend, will come to him at midnight and say to him: friend! loan me three loaves, for a friend of mine came to me from the road, and I have nothing to offer him; but from the inside he will answer him: do not disturb me, the doors are already locked, and my children are with me on the bed; I can not get up and give you. If, I tell you, he will not get up and will not give him a friendship with him, then because of his persistence, he would stand up and give him what he asks. And I will tell you: ask, and it will be given to you; search and find; knock, and it will be opened to you, for everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to that who knocks will be opened. ( Luke 11: 5-10 ) |  |
Theological interpretation
Theophilactus of Bulgaria in his interpretation of the Gospel of Luke explains in such a way the figures in the parables: [1]
- midnight - the last days of human life, when a person begins to sympathize with the good and rushes to God or a period of temptations ;
- the friend to whom a person comes asking to lend bread is God;
- three loaves - faith in the Holy Trinity, or salvation of body, soul, and spirit from temptations;
- the friend who came to visit a man is an angel who appeared behind a human soul;
- children who rest in bed are people who turn to God and are honored to be near him.
Scottish theologian William Barkley writes: “ if a shameless persistence of a person can force his stubborn and unwilling to do something to a friend to give him everything he needs, then all the more the heavenly Father will satisfy the needs of His children! ". [2]
Notes
- ↑ Interpretation of Theophylact of Bulgaria on the Gospel of Luke (Inaccessible link) . The appeal date is February 9, 2009. Archived February 14, 2009.
- Бар Commentary by Barkley on the New Testament