Luke 11:5-13
5-8. at midnight . . . for a friend is come—The heat in warm countries makes evening preferable to-day for travelling; but "midnight" is everywhere a most unseasonable hour of call, and for that very reason it is here selected.
7. Trouble me not—the trouble making him insensible both to the urgency of the case and the claims of friendship.
I cannot—without exertion which he would not make.8. importunity—The word is a strong one—"shamelessness"; persisting in the face of all that seemed reasonable, and refusing to take a denial.
as many, &c.—His reluctance once overcome, all the claims of friendship and necessity are felt to the full. The sense is obvious: If the churlish and self-indulgent—deaf both to friendship and necessity—can after a positive refusal, be won over, by sheer persistency, to do all that is needed, how much more may the same determined perseverance in prayer be expected to prevail with Him whose very nature is "rich unto all that call upon Him" (Ro 10:12).9-13. (See on Mt 7:7-11.)
13. the Holy Spirit—in Matthew (Mt 7:11), "good gifts"; the former, the Gift of gifts descending on the Church through Christ, and comprehending the latter.
Lu 11:14-36. BLIND AND DUMB DEMONIAC HEALED—CHARGE OF BEING IN LEAGUE WITH HELL, AND REPLY—DEMAND OF A SIGN, AND REPLY.
(See on Mt 12:22-45.)
Luke 18:1-8
1-5. always—Compare Lu 18:7, "night and day."
faint—lose heart, or slacken.2. feared not . . . neither regarded—defying the vengeance of God and despising the opinion of men.
widow—weak, desolate, defenseless (1Ti 5:5, which is taken from this).3. came—kept coming. See Lu 18:5, "her continual coming."
Avenge me—that is, rid me of the oppression of.1-5. always—Compare Lu 18:7, "night and day."
faint—lose heart, or slacken.5. continual coming—coming for ever.
6-8. the Lord—a name expressive of the authoritative style in which He interprets His own parable.
7. shall not God—not unjust, but the infinitely righteous Judge.
avenge—redeem from oppression. his own elect—not like this widow, the object of indifference and contempt, but dear to Him as the apple of the eye (Zec 2:8). cry day and night—whose every cry enters into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth (Jas 5:4), and how much more their incessant and persevering cries! bear long with them—rather, "in their case," or "on their account" (as) Jas 5:7, "for it"), [GROTIUS, DE WETTE, &c.].8. speedily—as if pained at the long delay, impatient for the destined moment to interpose. (Compare Pr 29:1.)
Nevertheless, &c.—that is, Yet ere the Son of man comes to redress the wrongs of His Church, so low will the hope of relief sink, through the length of the delay, that one will be fain to ask, Will He find any faith of a coming avenger left on the earth? From this we learn: (1) That the primary and historical reference of this parable is to the Church in its widowed, desolate, oppressed, defenseless condition during the present absence of her Lord in the heavens; (2) That in these circumstances importunate, persevering prayer for deliverance is the Church's fitting exercise; (3) That notwithstanding every encouragement to this, so long will the answer be delayed, while the need of relief continues the same, and all hope of deliverance will have nearly died out, and "faith" of Christ's coming scarcely to be found. But the application of the parable to prayer in general is so obvious as to have nearly hidden its more direct reference, and so precious that one cannot allow it to disappear in any public and historical interpretation.Lu 18:9-14. PARABLE OF THE PHARISEE AND THE PUBLICAN.