“Do not bother me; the door has already been locked. . . . I cannot . . . give you anything.” –Luke 11:7
Sensible people lock their doors at the end of the day, if not well before. This formally closes our responsibility to the outside world. Once the door is locked, don’t bother to knock. Come back tomorrow after the sun is up and the coffee’s on.
Yet Jesus compares the generosity of God with the person who gets up and out of bed after the locking of the door to assist a friend in need. If you and I would do this when the persistent banging of the midnight visitor gets too bothersome, how much sooner—and in a better mood—will God answer our needs?
We all lock our doors at certain points in every relationship: when the demands get too frequent, when we’re tired or worn down, when our own cares command our attention, when resources run low and our hearts seem to run dry. Sometimes the limits are thoughtfully set and the door must remain locked. But once in a while, we should check our door policy. Are we, perhaps, selling the demands of hospitality a little short?
Who has opened a door for you that might have otherwise remained locked?
How do you know when it’s time to unlock a door for someone else?
LET US PRAY… Generous God, your Son teaches us to ask for what we need with confidence. Jesus promises that if we seek fervently, we will find, if we knock persistently the door will open. Give courage and strength to those who are most in need of your consoling help and dry the tears of those who weep with your tender mercy. Amen.
While The Gospel at Home takes a break in the summer months, we’ll be drawing our weekly reflections from Exploring the Sunday Readings.
Image credit: Distant Shores Media/Sweet Publishing [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
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