Who could you call at midnight? Who could you call at 3:00 a.m.? While I was studying Luke chapter eleven, I could not miss the emphasis Jesus put on the illustration of a friend. Jesus made this statement: “Which of you shall have a friend and shall go unto him at midnight?” That word midnight just stuck out in my mind. I asked myself, “Who could I call at midnight?” I mean, if push came to shove, and I got myself in a bind, who could I call at 2:00 in the morning? In my personal life, I feel I am blessed with many, many friends. Yet I asked the question: how many of those could I call at midnight? It quickly reduces the number. Jesus taught a great principle about having a midnight friend.
1. A Midnight Friend Is One You Can Call at All Times
I was attending Bible college and my wife was expecting our fourth child. My wife is an amazing lady when it comes to giving birth to children. With our first son, Gabriel, we got to the hospital at ten minutes till ten and he was born at eleven minutes after. With our second son, Jesse, we arrived at the hospital at 2:20 a.m., and he was born at 2:39 a.m. Maggie, our first daughter, was the same situation. Only minutes after arriving at the hospital, my wife delivered our first girl. That was the setting for our fourth child, Natalie.
I had to work on Christmas Eve day so I could get Christmas Day off work. I arrived home about three thirty that afternoon and my oldest son, Gabriel, answered the door. He said that mom wasn’t feeling well. I ran back to the bedroom, and she was definitely more than ready to have the baby. This was not good!
Who do you call on Christmas Eve at four o’clock? Who doesn’t have plans? Yet I had to do something, so I called Dr. Mark Rasmussen. I was a student, and he was a professor; yet we had a tremendous friendship. Honestly, I did not know who else to call. Within minutes, Dr. Rasmussen arrived at my home, setting his Christmas Eve plans aside and rescheduling all that he had to do. He watched my three little children as I rushed off to the hospital. My wife and I arrived at 4:30 p.m., and little Natalie was born at 4:36 p.m. Praise the Lord for a midnight friend. Isn’t it great to know that we can call on Jesus at any time!
2. A Midnight Friend Is One You Can Ask for Things
Again, I believe I have many friends and yet when I have to ask someone for something, that list dwindles quickly. There are many friends that I wouldn’t feel comfortable asking for anything. You have to be pretty close to someone to be able to ask them for things. That’s the type of friend Jesus was talking about. Blessed is the man who has friends that can help meet his needs. Think of Jesus and all that we ask of Him.
3. A Midnight Friend Is One That Believes In Your Cause
Blessed is the man that has someone who believes in his cause. In our passage, the gentleman who was knocking on the door was not trying to receive something for himself, but for a friend of his who was in need. Thank God for true friends who are willing to help you in your cause. It could be a friend coming to your side to help build a church, to help build a bus route, to help build a Sunday school class, to help win a family, etc. A midnight friend believes in your cause.
4. A Midnight Friend Is One Who Can Be Inconvenienced
There is no doubt in my mind that the man in Luke chapter eleven was already asleep in bed with his family when a knock came on the door. He tried to ignore the knock, but to no avail. He listened to his friend’s plea and then, because of his friendship, he arose and met the need. There are not many friends who will be inconvenienced. They can like you, love you, believe in what you do; but when it comes to being inconvenienced, the line is drawn.
Isn’t it great to realize that Jesus is our midnight Friend? Yes, we can call upon Him at any time. Yes, He is the Friend that sticketh closer than a brother. Yes, He is the One that laid down His life for His friends. Yes, He is the One that had greater love for us. Yes, Jesus is the greatest of the midnight friends. What a Friend we have in Jesus!