Introduction to a different morality

Morality is defined in different ways in different circumstances. As a child of the Great Depression, who lived in a small town where poverty was the norm, I have some sympathies for people who do not have much and no great prospect of getting more.

The 11th chapter of the Luke gospel reports Jesus telling a story about a poor homeless man coming to the door of a friend in the middle of the night seeking shelter and food. The friend was willing to take the homeless man in, but had no bread to feed him. He went to another neighbor seeking to borrow some bread.

The man had bread but did not like being disturbed in the middle of the night. The man seeking bread was persistent, and the man with the bread gave in and loaned the needed bread.

The Luke writer created a moral context for the story and made persistence a great virtue of the kingdom of God on Earth. Over the centuries, Christian interpreters picked up on the Luke theme and made the story a parable of persistence in prayer before a God who honored begging pleas.

Modern interpreters are asking us to look more deeply at the circumstances of the story. Their first observation is that Jesus told the story to poor peasant people, who were regularly dependent on neighbors to exist.

The second observation was that the people generally respected the laws of Moses. A third observation was that the parables of Jesus were discussion starters.

Bread was a mainstay in the diet of the peasant population. A typical family did not have the luxury of owning an oven. The ovens were owned by the community.

A family had the use of the community oven once or twice a week. When circumstances left a family without bread, they borrowed bread from neighbors who still had bread in their basket. The borrowing of bread in the story was not unusual.

Little attention has been given to the demand for hospitality in Israelite history. The Bible is filled with examples of hospitality being the difference between a righteous and an unrighteous person.

While the story does not explain the appearance of the man in the middle of the night, there is no question that the prospective host felt no alternative to offering him hospitality. The man needed shelter, and shelter was given. An additional part of the Israelite village ethic was that the host was obligated to feed the stranger.

The crux of the parable now becomes clearer. The story is not about fervent prayer, but about Godly behavior. Sheltering and feeding a stranger is a companion to the obligation to loving neighbors.

Jesus insisted that loving the neighbor was second only to loving God. In the Israelite/Christian tradition the obligation to love a neighbor or to shelter and feed a stranger is inescapable. Claiming to have no resources is not a valid excuse. When circumstances or shortage of resources make these basic virtues difficult, the Godly person starts looking for help.

The story, as told by Jesus, concludes on a positive note. The man with bread in his basket shook off inconvenience and reluctance and loaned the needed bread. Hospitality was affirmed and kindness prevailed.

In the discussions about the significance of the parable of the friend at midnight, another dynamic is brought to light. The man with bread in his basket put aside reluctance and did what was best for the community. It appears that reciprocity was at work.

If the man with surplus bread had not come to the aid of his neighbor, his own future in the village would have been put in jeopardy. With his positive response, his place and security in the village was affirmed.

At the same time that Jesus told this parable, there was a growing movement advocating a violent attack on the cruel and unjust rule of Rome and a legion of surrogates. The beckon of violence and control through violence is very strong. Jesus, with this story, was leading village peasants down a different path.

When placed in a context that makes full sense, the parable of the friend at midnight sends a message to us all. Hospitality and generous sharing are the ways of a generous and welcoming God. When thrust on a larger screen, the parable addresses the issues of immigration, selfish wealth and military might.

The parable of the friend at midnight cannot be best interpreted as a call to fervent prayer. It is best read as a call for the people of God to live lives of sharing and welcoming.

The Rev. Howard Bess is a retired American Baptist minister, who lives in Palmer. His email address is hdbss@mtaonline.net.

Opinions expressed on the Faith page are the author’s and are not necessarily those of the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman, its staff or its parent company, Wick Communications Co. To submit a column or other news for the Faith page, send email to news@frontiersman.com, or call 352-2250.