Click here to read the daily readings from the USCCB website.
Sometimes when I read this parable I get kind of confused and discouraged. How could Jesus compare God to this man who says "Do not bother me" when his friend asks for a favor? Sure, Jesus goes on to say that the guy will eventually get up, but only if you're enough of a nuisance. This following a sharp rebuke from Paul to the Galatians in the first readings can set a reader up for a bit of dejection.
But as I prayed about these readings this morning the Lord placed something on my heart. "I am different." Jesus isn't comparing God to the man in the parable directly. He's reminding us of our humanity before he details how God the Father is altogether different. "I you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?"
God isn't like the man in the parable who just needs to get worn down like a husband with a nagging wife. God is altogether different. Yes, God desires our persistance, but He doesn't need to be badgered to give good things to His children. Neither do we have to do all the right things to "earn" His love. That idea is what drew Paul's ire in the first reading. The Galatians plain forgot how good God is. They were deceived by a false gospel or by their own insecure hearts into believing that they might receive a heavy dose of the Spirit simply by performing the works of the law.
No, God is different than humanity. When we love unconditionally, it is because God loves through us. Today I ask you to simply reflect on the Father's profound love for you. Reflect on the fact that you are cherished. Seek to love Him back with your whole heart, mind, and soul.
-Amanda Benner, Director of Evangelization