Parable of the Friend at Night


The Parable of the friend at night is a parable of Jesus which appears in. In it, a friend eventually agrees to help his neighbor due to his persistent demands rather than because they are friends, despite the late hour and the inconvenience of it.
This parable demonstrates the need to pray without giving up. It is similar to the Parable of the Unjust Judge and is depicted by several artists, including William Holman Hunt.

Narrative

The parable is as follows:
The scene described in this parable suggests a single-roomed peasant house, where the whole family sleeps together on a mat on the floor, and a man travelling by night to avoid the heat of the day. The reason for the friend's request is hospitality, a sacred duty throughout the Mediterranean world in antiquity.

Interpretation

This parable appears in the Gospel of Luke immediately after Jesus teaches the Lord's Prayer, and can therefore be viewed as a continuation of Jesus teaching his disciples how to pray, while the verses which follow help to explain the meaning of the parable:
's The Importunate Neighbour depicts the beginning of the parable.
Joel B. Green suggests that the question that opens the parable is intended to be answered as an emphatic "No!", since no friend would refuse to help under such circumstances. However, Jesus goes on to point out that even if friendship wasn't a big enough motivation, help would still be forthcoming. As with verses, the parable is therefore an incentive to pray. The parable of the Unjust Judge has a similar meaning.

Depictions

There are a number of depictions of this parable, the most famous being The Importunate Neighbour by William Holman Hunt, held in the National Gallery of Victoria, Australia.