I'm in complete agreement with you. My contention is that a person who works with a certain language, even Brainfuck, all day every day is going to be able to read it as easily as a person who works in a more "popular" language like Java: even if it's at 4am. Anyone who doesn't work in the language shouldn't be reading it with the goal of implementing a critical fix at 4am. That person should contact a team member who does work in the language.
I'm contending that the 4am scenario, as posed by the parent commenter, is a process issue not a language issue. If a manager requires that whoever answers the phone at 4am fixes the problem, even if the person has no knowledge of the language or requirements of the module, then his/her employees should be running to another job because that manager is bad for your health and livelihood.