(/3) Parables. — (1) Two parables on importunity in prayer. This characteristic of prayer has already been taught by OT, and is hero approved by our Lord. The ' Friend at Midnight ' (Ui 1 1»-») follows immediately the delivery of the Lord's Prayer. While it should be interpreted in the broadest way of all prayer, it maj' have special application to teachers, as being a prayer for bread for others. The scconil parable, the Im]iortunate Widow (Lk 18'""), has throughout a special refer- ence to the prayer of sulleriiig believers in expecta- tion of the Second Advent. The need of im- portunity in player e.xjiressed in I)oth parables should be interpreted with Trench's words before us, ' We must not conceive of prayer as an over-
coming of God's reluctance, but as a laving hold of His highest willingness' (Parables, xv'iii., tlie sub- .stance of which comes from the passage of Dante which he quotes, Parad. xx. 94-99). (2) A jiaralile on right disposition in prayer follows immediately in Lk IS*"'*. Compare above on Dt 2G'^"" under OT. In this parable we see a great step in ad- vance. Under the new covenant a profession of ritual righteousness has no longer any iilace in prayer. On the contrary, we have Lk 17'", which may, like the precept of forgiveness which it follows, have been spoken with refercnc-e to prayer and its conditions. It should be observed that these parables are jireserved by St. Luke alone, and to them may be added the prayer of the prodigal son, ' Father, I have sinned,' etc. (Lk I5I8. la,_
(7) Incidental sayinps. — (1) As to conditions of prayer. One of these is humility, as in the parable referred to above, Lk 18'*. Another is forgiveness of our brother men. This condition of prayer had already been strilcingly stated in Sir 28-"-'. Mt e'*-'" and Mk 11":» Jo but repeat it, and the [parable of the Unmerciful Servant grows out of the same root. A third condition of prayer is to avoid outward show and to avoid rcpctitioii. Our Lord's practice throws light on both these require- ments. W'e read of His retirement to the mountain for prayer. Privacy in a liou.se is ditiicult to obtain in tlie East. The other direction does not forbid all repetition. Words may be repeated to express urgent entreaty, as in Mt26*'. A fourth condition is more important and more difficult of explana- tion— that of faith. It is olmous that faith must be a condition ; a praj"er which is, so to sjieak, an exiieriment, will not be answered. But Mk 11-* 'All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye have received them and ye shall have them,' seems to represent faith not merelj' as 'sine qua non,' but as 'cum qua semper.' Literally interpreted, the words would assign to every believer a kind of vicarious omnipotence. In interpretinjj any saying of our Lord, it must be remembered tliat the words as spoken by Him were not isolated, and were addressed to those who had lieartf other words which limited and explained them. It is reasonable to receive this saying >vith the explanation which St. John puts u|jou it, 1 Jn S'*- " (' if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us'). The illustrations used to emphasize the power of prayer in faith, viz. the uprooting of mountains and trees, are taken from the language of the Jewish schools ; and the same source supplies a parallel expression, ' If a person applies his whole attention during prayer, he may be sure that his prayer has been granted' (R. Samuel in Bcrakhoth, tr. p. 111). It is probable that our Lord, foreseeing that the power of prayer would be undervalued, preferred to state its force in this almost paradoxical way. It will follow that assurance of receiving the precise thing asked for is not what is re<iuired. There is a great instance in Ac 12 which may be taken here bj' anticipation. The Church is gathered together praying continuously and earnestly for the release ot St. Peter. But when he is released and sent back to them, they keep him outside the gate because they cannot believe that their i)rayer has been granted. Yet who will say that that praj'er was not a praj'er of faith? The la.st con- dition of prayer to ue mentioned is not a universal one, but carries special promise, namely, the con dition of union in prayer, Mt IS"-**. It docs not necessarily imply public prayer, for two persons are enough. The ellect of this saying appears in the frequent mention of united praj-er in Acts.
(5) J.o.st discourses. — As in all other rcsiiecte these discourses give new and distinctive teacuiiig,
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PRAYER
so in respect of prayer. It is henceforth to be in Jesiix' muiw. 'Thus is fjiven not a mereilevotionul form, but a new yrouml on wliich the worsliipper stands, a new plea for the success of his petitiiins ; and, in fact, a wholly new character to [irayer, since it must be brou^'ht into unison with the mind of Him in whose name it is presented' (T. U. Bernard, Central Tenrhinf/ of Jcsic^ Christ, p. 156 ; and see preceding page). As this teaching' was not possible in the early days when the Lord's Prayer was given, 'in .Jesus' name' was not added to it. Hut that prajer being His, and in accord- ance with His will, is a prayer in His name, with- out the addition of 'through Jesus Christ,' which the Churcli has never presumed to make. This instance shows that the direction is not to be taken in a narrow, verbal way.