How Much More?

Today’s reading is from Luke 11, continuing our series of readings from Luke as Jesus moves toward Jerusalem. Here, as requested, Jesus teaches his disciples to pray, using what we have come to view as “The Lord’s Prayer.” In a rare instance, Jesus answers the disciples’ question directly, giving them the words to say. But the lesson to the disciples goes much farther as Jesus teaches about God’s response to prayer. He uses a device, “How much more?” to describe the relationship between us and God in comparison to our relationship with our own children. Thus our own relationships can be a window into our relationship with God. As an example, Jesus asks them to imagine if they were to ask for bread at night from a neighbor and are refused, and how much more would God welcome their coming.