#10 Top New Testament Passages: The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:5-14)
“And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
“When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
“Pray then in this way:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And do not bring us to the time of trial,
but rescue us from the evil one
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you
(Matthew 6:5-14)
Matthew chapter 6 continues Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. After giving new commandments for a new covenant people, that is His disciples, He gives guidance on practicing piety. Piety is a churchy word meaning disciplined spirituality. A life devoted to spiritual practices or holy habits is an expression of one's love and commitment to God. Piety is related to pious, a Latin word meaning pure or clean. To be pious or to practice piety is to be dutiful, devout, conscientious, religious or faithful. The Greek word translated as piety actually means righteousness.
This section of the Sermon on the Mount begins with a warning from Jesus.
“Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven." (Matthew 6:1)
Everything following is understood in light of this warning. Do not practice your righteous deeds to be noticed by others. Do not give to charity in order to get a pat on the back, your name on a plaque, a building named after you, or your picture in the newspaper. If you give with the hope of recognition from people, then you may receive only that. Divine favor will not come to those who practice charitable deeds with selfish motives.
And do not pray in order to be noticed. This is a warning is sometimes neglected by the church. Pastors pray long and lofty prayers and parishioners sometimes try to emulate such prayers. Sometimes prayer can be poetry or even an addendum to a sermon. They become more preaching that prayer. In some traditions, the repetition of referring to God as "Father" or "Father God" or "Lord" is used as a means to express intimacy, but ends up sounding monotonous! There's a humorous satire performed by Will Ferrell in the film Talladega Nights, praying before a family meal to "Baby Jesus." It is a hilarious and uncomfortable example on how not to pray.
Jesus tells His disciples not to pray with many words, like the pagans do in their prayers. This doesn't mean prayer must be short. The pagan practice was to name their gods' many attributes, lavishing praise upon their gods in an attempt of flattery, so that the gods would hear them and do the worshiper's bidding. Jesus isn't concerned about the content of our prayers as much as our intent. Do we pray to be seen by others, or do we pray to be heard by our Heavenly Father?
Jesus guides us to pray in secret, alone and away from others, so that only God can see us pray. Such humility will be rewarded. And instead of filling our prayers with lots of information about God or our concerns, understand that God already knows what you need. (Matthew 6:8)
Use the time to love God and receive love from God. Seek to connect to God through the Holy Spirit who dwells in your heart through faith in Jesus Christ. Open your heart to experience the presence of the Lord.
Jesus goes on to teach how His disciples should pray. The prayer is known in the Church as The Lord's Prayer. We obey Jesus' command by praying this prayer in worship with regularity. We pray together each week the words of the Lord's Prayer. Our Untied Methodist liturgical version, one we share with many other Christian denominations, is different from the versions in the New Testament.
Matthew's Version (NRSV)
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And do not bring us to the time of trial,
but rescue us from the evil one.
Luke's Version (NRSV)
Father, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.
And do not bring us to the time of trial.
United Methodist Liturgical Version
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
So let's consider the actual Greek translation of what Jesus would have said in Aramaic. It turns out that this prayer is very similar to one Jesus would have known in the rabbinical teachings in the Talmud. One English scholar believes that the Lord's Prayer came to us through the Essene community, who hid scrolls of scripture and other writings in the caves around the northern shores of the Dead Sea.
The Kadish, as translated by Christian scholar, Rev. John Gregorie, is as follows:
"Our Parent which art in heaven,
be gracious to us, O Lord, our God;
hallowed be thy name,
and let the remembrance of thee be glorified in heaven above and in the earth here below.
Let thy kingdom reign over us now and forever.
The holy men of old said, Remit and forgive unto all men whatsoever they have done against me. And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil thing.
For thine is the kingdom, and thou shalt reign in glory for ever and for evermore."
Note how closely the Kadish prayer from the Jewish Talmud closely resembles the Lord's Prayer as we have it.
A second century Christian source known as the Didache, or the Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, is a manual for the early followers of Jesus. The Greek document contains teachings from Jesus, as well as a version of the Lord's Prayer. It includes the doxology added to the end of the Lord's Prayer, which is beyond what is recorded in the gospels, but similar to the Jewish Kadish in the Talmud.
Our Father, the one in heaven,
your name be holy,
your kingdom come,
your will be born upon earth as in heaven,
give us this day our loaf that is coming,
and forgive us our debt at the final judgment
as we likewise now forgive our debtors,
and do not lead us into the trail of the last days
but deliver us from that evil
because yours is the power and the glory forever.
Pray this three times a day, the Didache teaches.
Over time some biblical translations included the doxology added to the Lord's prayer. Most modern translations do not, but footnote "other ancient authorities add, in some form, 'For the kingdom and the power and the glory are yours forever. Amen.'" King Henry VIII mandated the English version of the "Our Father" for the newly established Church of England, based on Tyndale's English Bible (1525 AD). The battles for control between Catholic and Protestants in England's political and religious seats of power brought about the inclusion or exclusion of the doxology at the end of the Lord's Prayer. Elizabeth I, in an attempt to rid the Church of England of Roman Catholic influence, added the doxology. Untied Methodists, descendant from the Church of England, still use the Elizabethian version today.
Now let's consider the meaning of this so-called Lord's Prayer.
First God is depicted in male imagery as Father, a result of translation, but also of the New Testament witness that Jesus taught and spoke of God as His and our Father in heaven. Notice that the Jewish form of the prayer in the Talmud, that predates the gospels, is gender-neutral. God is beyond gender. Humans, both male and female, are made in the image of God. Yet this Father imagery is meant to express an intimate relationship of love and trust of Pater ho en ouranos, and even our humble submission.
The phrase "Hallowed be thy name" is an expression of our desire to acknowledge the holiness of God, God's total otherness from any common thing. We revere God's name, honor and deeply respect God's name. And what is God's name? It is not given. Therefore to hallow God's name means to honor any mention of God. It is to observe the fourth commandment, "You shall not take the Lord's name in vain." (Exodus 20:7) We honor the mention of the Lord as holy and special above all.
Putting the two ideas together, both Father in heaven and hallowed name, the prayer acknowledges both the immanence of God, the loving intimacy of a father, and the transcendence of God, the holy, immortal, and invisible God who lives in inapproachable light! (1st Timothy 6:16)
Then the prayer makes the first intercession. "Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10) This expresses the desire and vocation of the Church. Jesus came preaching the Kingdom of God. He established His church to witness to the gospel that the kingdom of God is near, in our midst. His proclamation was backed with deeds of divine power: healing miracles, raising the dead, miraculous feedings, walking on water, and calming storms. The miracles proved that what Jesus proclaimed was true. Is this desire for God's kingdom a prayer form miracles? I do not think so. Rather it is a desire to see God reign as sovereign Lord of heaven and earth. It is the prayer of the church to see every knee bow in reverence to the name above all names, Jesus Christ. We long for all creation to give glory to God. (Philippians 2:10-11) By full submission to Christ, the world will finally enjoy complete justice and peace, under the plenteous blessings of God.
I have always found the acknowledgement that God's will is done perfectly in heaven to carry cosmological importance. God lives in a realm of pure potential, a conceptual universe of endless possibilities. If the mind of God conceives it, it then comes into being. (Romans 4:17) What God wills in heaven, a realm without actual physical limitations, comes into being as a model for the world to copy. The writer of Hebrews points to this when he speaks of the temple as only a copy or shadow of the real temple in heaven. (Hebrews 8:5)
On earth we struggle to carry out a perfect reproduction of God's will. We are limited in our abilities. Our spirits may be willing to obey God's will, but our flesh is weak. (Matthew 26:41) While it is our desire to see the fullness of God's righteous government to be realized here on earth, we are distracted by worries, fears, doubts, and quarrels. We chase after bodily appetites: food, pleasure, entertainment, luxury, comfort. We get tired and complacent. We give up and sulk in cynical resignation (my chief sin). Even so, growing the kingdom of God on earth is the Christian vocation. It happens a heart at a time (Evangelism), and one unjust or wicked system at a time (Social Justice). To cure my cynicism about the world ever getting any better, I remind myself that the promise of the kingdom of God does not rest entirely upon humans to get it right. It's ultimately God's responsibility to fulfill the promise.
For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
and do not return there until they have watered the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and succeed in the thing for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:10-11)
Our vocation is to remain faithful to the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for transformation of the world! God will reward our faithful efforts and future generations will reap the benefits of a reverent faith-filled world.
The second intercession is for supplication. (Matthew 6:11) We ask God to supply us food for the day. And what is food, but a source of energy for the body. There's a meme going around of Michelangelo's statue of David, except that David is not the striking image of a fit male, but obese. His body is chubby because he's been eating an American diet. We eat more than our daily bread. And what we do eat is often not healthy, lacking the nutrition the body requires. So we eat to fill a void that we are not actually feeding. That leads us to consider what is the nature of daily bread. Does our body need only a slice of wheat bread? In the Middle East bread was a staple food source. Meat was eaten only sparingly, and often reserved for feasts on special occasions like a religious holiday. Jesus fed 5,000 with five loaves of bread and two fish. In the Sea of Galilee and the Mediterranean, fish were readily available as a source of protein.
Jesus fasted for 40 days in the wilderness beyond Jerusalem. It is humanly possible, but not advisable. Fasting at such lengths is something to work up to. During his fast he became hungry. The devil tempted Jesus to prove He was the Son of God by turning stones into bread. Jesus rebuked the tempter by quoting the Torah.
But he answered, “It is written,
‘One does not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4; Deuteronomy 8:3)
So there is a source of energy, which our bodies need, that transcends food. It is the life-giving presence of God. Jesus proclaimed that he came to earth that we might have abundant life, or life overflowing! (John 10:10)
The next part of the Lord's Prayer is contrition. (Matthew 6:12) It is both acknowledging our failure to be completely obedient to our vocation as disciples of Jesus Christ, and our need for restoration. We all sin and fall short AND God loves us. Christ died for us, even when we lived as enemies of God. The cross of Christ stands as testimony of the love of God.
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-8)
While we ask for forgiveness, we also commit to the work of forgiveness, to forgive others for who have sinned against us. The Greek word translated as forgive means to let go, to leave behind. We let go of our demand for retribution or repayment for any misdeed or transgression. Through forgiveness, you choose to accept that Christ died for the person who has mistreated you. As God has forgiven you, so you must also forgive others. (Colossians 3:13)
Jesus points out that if we, who profess Christ and trust in the forgiveness of God, do not forgive others, then we will not experience forgiveness. (Matthew 6:14) I think it's true. Resentment is poison to the soul. To not forgive another person not only mocks the redeeming work of God through Christ, it also holds a person in bondage to the one they will not forgive. Later in the Matthew's gospel Jesus warns His disciples to be careful how they judge others. There's a reciprocal nature to judging others. If you are merciful and generous, you will generally experience generosity and mercy yourself. But if you harbor resentment, you are likely hard on yourself as well. Our happiness and health is diminished by our own foolish choice to not forgive others.
And finally there is a plea for divine protection. (Matthew 6:13) We do not wish to suffer tribulation, or tragedy, so we ask to be spared of these things. The Didache had in mind the great tribulation coming when God's wrath is finally poured out upon the earth in the last days. Some would interpret salvation from the time of trial as a request to be included in the so-called rapture of the church. The doctrine of rapture is not shared by all Christians, but comes from a peculiar reading of Paul.
Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable body must put on imperishability, and this mortal body must put on immortality. (1st Corinthians 15:51-53)
And from 1st Thessalonians...
For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever. (1st Thessalonians 4:16-17)
Add to that the literal interpretation of 144,000 saved from the time of the great tribulation (Revelation 7), a pre-trib rapture, and you've got the theology behind the popular Left Behind series of novels and films. While I don't share belief in the doctrine of rapture, I appreciate the hope to be spared from suffering. Note that the multitude dressed in white of Revelation 7, from every tribe, tongue and nation, came through the great trial. They suffered the tribulation and remained faithful to Christ. So whether you are raptured or not, the message is to remain faithful in suffering and in comfort.
There's much to say on this topic of enduring trials, but I'll save it for another time. (Hebrews 12:7-11; James 1:2-4)
In addition to being spared a time of trial (or the temptation to lose faith due to intense persecution and suffering), is the intercession to be rescued or delivered from the hands of the evil one, that being the devil. Talk of Satan, devils and demons in this post-enlightenment world is the stuff of comic books, Dungeons and Dragons lore, horror films and novels, or the sad superstition of an ancient people. It is not taken seriously by most, unless you belong to a religious tradition that teaches demonology.
Jewish kabbalah mysticism teaches of a realm of demons, with various ranks and dimensions to Hell, the realm of Lucifer's dominion. In the mythology fallen angels and faithful angels battle in heaven, when Lucifer rebelled against the sovereign Heavenly Father. Banished to earth, the devil dwells in the depths of the earth where he plots. From Hell, Lucifer (Satan) dispatches demonic activity upon the earth to destroy lives and bring humanity to its knees before him.
The New Testament only borrows some of these ideas about the devil. Jesus exorcised demonic spirits with regularity, and so did the early church. Jesus was tempted by the devil in the wilderness. In terms of the spiritual realm, and our inner lives, there are enemies of God, and of all who serve God. James tells the church to turn to God and the devil will flee. (James 4:7-8a) Peter says the devil is looking to devour you. (1st Peter 5:8) After suffering the temptations and terrors of chaotic forces bent on destroying the Church, God will restore us. God will deliver us into halls of eternal glory!
And so how do we pray? You can pray the Lord's prayer as it is written in its various forms three times daily as the early churches practices. You can use the Book of Common Prayer which gives scripture readings and prayers for each day. The Daily Office provides a lectionary of scripture to read and prayers for morning, midday and evening prayer. Or you can follow any number of prayer forms. Some practice contemplative prayer employing no words at all. Some pray in tongues designed to open the body to the manifestations of the Holy Spirit. And some have chosen a simple conversation with a dear friend to be their form of prayer.
The Lord's Prayer can be used as a guide to prayer.
1) Adore and Acknowledge God's Nature, both Intimate Father and Inapproachable Holiness
2) Pledge fealty to the King of the Universe and Christ's mission on earth
3) Ask God to provide for the daily needs of your body, mind and soul
4) Seek reconciliation and peace with God and with others
5) Trust The Lord for protection and deliverance through all manner of trails
6) Give God the glory
“When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
“Pray then in this way:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And do not bring us to the time of trial,
but rescue us from the evil one
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you
(Matthew 6:5-14)
Matthew chapter 6 continues Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. After giving new commandments for a new covenant people, that is His disciples, He gives guidance on practicing piety. Piety is a churchy word meaning disciplined spirituality. A life devoted to spiritual practices or holy habits is an expression of one's love and commitment to God. Piety is related to pious, a Latin word meaning pure or clean. To be pious or to practice piety is to be dutiful, devout, conscientious, religious or faithful. The Greek word translated as piety actually means righteousness.
This section of the Sermon on the Mount begins with a warning from Jesus.
“Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven." (Matthew 6:1)
Everything following is understood in light of this warning. Do not practice your righteous deeds to be noticed by others. Do not give to charity in order to get a pat on the back, your name on a plaque, a building named after you, or your picture in the newspaper. If you give with the hope of recognition from people, then you may receive only that. Divine favor will not come to those who practice charitable deeds with selfish motives.
And do not pray in order to be noticed. This is a warning is sometimes neglected by the church. Pastors pray long and lofty prayers and parishioners sometimes try to emulate such prayers. Sometimes prayer can be poetry or even an addendum to a sermon. They become more preaching that prayer. In some traditions, the repetition of referring to God as "Father" or "Father God" or "Lord" is used as a means to express intimacy, but ends up sounding monotonous! There's a humorous satire performed by Will Ferrell in the film Talladega Nights, praying before a family meal to "Baby Jesus." It is a hilarious and uncomfortable example on how not to pray.
Jesus tells His disciples not to pray with many words, like the pagans do in their prayers. This doesn't mean prayer must be short. The pagan practice was to name their gods' many attributes, lavishing praise upon their gods in an attempt of flattery, so that the gods would hear them and do the worshiper's bidding. Jesus isn't concerned about the content of our prayers as much as our intent. Do we pray to be seen by others, or do we pray to be heard by our Heavenly Father?
Jesus guides us to pray in secret, alone and away from others, so that only God can see us pray. Such humility will be rewarded. And instead of filling our prayers with lots of information about God or our concerns, understand that God already knows what you need. (Matthew 6:8)
Use the time to love God and receive love from God. Seek to connect to God through the Holy Spirit who dwells in your heart through faith in Jesus Christ. Open your heart to experience the presence of the Lord.
Jesus goes on to teach how His disciples should pray. The prayer is known in the Church as The Lord's Prayer. We obey Jesus' command by praying this prayer in worship with regularity. We pray together each week the words of the Lord's Prayer. Our Untied Methodist liturgical version, one we share with many other Christian denominations, is different from the versions in the New Testament.
 |
| The Lord's Prayer in Aramaic, the language of Jesus |
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And do not bring us to the time of trial,
but rescue us from the evil one.
Luke's Version (NRSV)
Father, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.
And do not bring us to the time of trial.
United Methodist Liturgical Version
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
So let's consider the actual Greek translation of what Jesus would have said in Aramaic. It turns out that this prayer is very similar to one Jesus would have known in the rabbinical teachings in the Talmud. One English scholar believes that the Lord's Prayer came to us through the Essene community, who hid scrolls of scripture and other writings in the caves around the northern shores of the Dead Sea.
The Kadish, as translated by Christian scholar, Rev. John Gregorie, is as follows:
"Our Parent which art in heaven,
be gracious to us, O Lord, our God;
hallowed be thy name,
and let the remembrance of thee be glorified in heaven above and in the earth here below.
Let thy kingdom reign over us now and forever.
The holy men of old said, Remit and forgive unto all men whatsoever they have done against me. And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil thing.
For thine is the kingdom, and thou shalt reign in glory for ever and for evermore."
Note how closely the Kadish prayer from the Jewish Talmud closely resembles the Lord's Prayer as we have it.
A second century Christian source known as the Didache, or the Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, is a manual for the early followers of Jesus. The Greek document contains teachings from Jesus, as well as a version of the Lord's Prayer. It includes the doxology added to the end of the Lord's Prayer, which is beyond what is recorded in the gospels, but similar to the Jewish Kadish in the Talmud.
Our Father, the one in heaven,
your name be holy,
your kingdom come,
your will be born upon earth as in heaven,
give us this day our loaf that is coming,
and forgive us our debt at the final judgment
as we likewise now forgive our debtors,
and do not lead us into the trail of the last days
but deliver us from that evil
because yours is the power and the glory forever.
Pray this three times a day, the Didache teaches.
Over time some biblical translations included the doxology added to the Lord's prayer. Most modern translations do not, but footnote "other ancient authorities add, in some form, 'For the kingdom and the power and the glory are yours forever. Amen.'" King Henry VIII mandated the English version of the "Our Father" for the newly established Church of England, based on Tyndale's English Bible (1525 AD). The battles for control between Catholic and Protestants in England's political and religious seats of power brought about the inclusion or exclusion of the doxology at the end of the Lord's Prayer. Elizabeth I, in an attempt to rid the Church of England of Roman Catholic influence, added the doxology. Untied Methodists, descendant from the Church of England, still use the Elizabethian version today.
Now let's consider the meaning of this so-called Lord's Prayer.
First God is depicted in male imagery as Father, a result of translation, but also of the New Testament witness that Jesus taught and spoke of God as His and our Father in heaven. Notice that the Jewish form of the prayer in the Talmud, that predates the gospels, is gender-neutral. God is beyond gender. Humans, both male and female, are made in the image of God. Yet this Father imagery is meant to express an intimate relationship of love and trust of Pater ho en ouranos, and even our humble submission.
The phrase "Hallowed be thy name" is an expression of our desire to acknowledge the holiness of God, God's total otherness from any common thing. We revere God's name, honor and deeply respect God's name. And what is God's name? It is not given. Therefore to hallow God's name means to honor any mention of God. It is to observe the fourth commandment, "You shall not take the Lord's name in vain." (Exodus 20:7) We honor the mention of the Lord as holy and special above all.
Putting the two ideas together, both Father in heaven and hallowed name, the prayer acknowledges both the immanence of God, the loving intimacy of a father, and the transcendence of God, the holy, immortal, and invisible God who lives in inapproachable light! (1st Timothy 6:16)
Then the prayer makes the first intercession. "Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10) This expresses the desire and vocation of the Church. Jesus came preaching the Kingdom of God. He established His church to witness to the gospel that the kingdom of God is near, in our midst. His proclamation was backed with deeds of divine power: healing miracles, raising the dead, miraculous feedings, walking on water, and calming storms. The miracles proved that what Jesus proclaimed was true. Is this desire for God's kingdom a prayer form miracles? I do not think so. Rather it is a desire to see God reign as sovereign Lord of heaven and earth. It is the prayer of the church to see every knee bow in reverence to the name above all names, Jesus Christ. We long for all creation to give glory to God. (Philippians 2:10-11) By full submission to Christ, the world will finally enjoy complete justice and peace, under the plenteous blessings of God.
I have always found the acknowledgement that God's will is done perfectly in heaven to carry cosmological importance. God lives in a realm of pure potential, a conceptual universe of endless possibilities. If the mind of God conceives it, it then comes into being. (Romans 4:17) What God wills in heaven, a realm without actual physical limitations, comes into being as a model for the world to copy. The writer of Hebrews points to this when he speaks of the temple as only a copy or shadow of the real temple in heaven. (Hebrews 8:5)
On earth we struggle to carry out a perfect reproduction of God's will. We are limited in our abilities. Our spirits may be willing to obey God's will, but our flesh is weak. (Matthew 26:41) While it is our desire to see the fullness of God's righteous government to be realized here on earth, we are distracted by worries, fears, doubts, and quarrels. We chase after bodily appetites: food, pleasure, entertainment, luxury, comfort. We get tired and complacent. We give up and sulk in cynical resignation (my chief sin). Even so, growing the kingdom of God on earth is the Christian vocation. It happens a heart at a time (Evangelism), and one unjust or wicked system at a time (Social Justice). To cure my cynicism about the world ever getting any better, I remind myself that the promise of the kingdom of God does not rest entirely upon humans to get it right. It's ultimately God's responsibility to fulfill the promise.
For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
and do not return there until they have watered the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and succeed in the thing for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:10-11)
Our vocation is to remain faithful to the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for transformation of the world! God will reward our faithful efforts and future generations will reap the benefits of a reverent faith-filled world.
The second intercession is for supplication. (Matthew 6:11) We ask God to supply us food for the day. And what is food, but a source of energy for the body. There's a meme going around of Michelangelo's statue of David, except that David is not the striking image of a fit male, but obese. His body is chubby because he's been eating an American diet. We eat more than our daily bread. And what we do eat is often not healthy, lacking the nutrition the body requires. So we eat to fill a void that we are not actually feeding. That leads us to consider what is the nature of daily bread. Does our body need only a slice of wheat bread? In the Middle East bread was a staple food source. Meat was eaten only sparingly, and often reserved for feasts on special occasions like a religious holiday. Jesus fed 5,000 with five loaves of bread and two fish. In the Sea of Galilee and the Mediterranean, fish were readily available as a source of protein.
Jesus fasted for 40 days in the wilderness beyond Jerusalem. It is humanly possible, but not advisable. Fasting at such lengths is something to work up to. During his fast he became hungry. The devil tempted Jesus to prove He was the Son of God by turning stones into bread. Jesus rebuked the tempter by quoting the Torah.
But he answered, “It is written,
‘One does not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4; Deuteronomy 8:3)
So there is a source of energy, which our bodies need, that transcends food. It is the life-giving presence of God. Jesus proclaimed that he came to earth that we might have abundant life, or life overflowing! (John 10:10)
The next part of the Lord's Prayer is contrition. (Matthew 6:12) It is both acknowledging our failure to be completely obedient to our vocation as disciples of Jesus Christ, and our need for restoration. We all sin and fall short AND God loves us. Christ died for us, even when we lived as enemies of God. The cross of Christ stands as testimony of the love of God.
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-8)
While we ask for forgiveness, we also commit to the work of forgiveness, to forgive others for who have sinned against us. The Greek word translated as forgive means to let go, to leave behind. We let go of our demand for retribution or repayment for any misdeed or transgression. Through forgiveness, you choose to accept that Christ died for the person who has mistreated you. As God has forgiven you, so you must also forgive others. (Colossians 3:13)
Jesus points out that if we, who profess Christ and trust in the forgiveness of God, do not forgive others, then we will not experience forgiveness. (Matthew 6:14) I think it's true. Resentment is poison to the soul. To not forgive another person not only mocks the redeeming work of God through Christ, it also holds a person in bondage to the one they will not forgive. Later in the Matthew's gospel Jesus warns His disciples to be careful how they judge others. There's a reciprocal nature to judging others. If you are merciful and generous, you will generally experience generosity and mercy yourself. But if you harbor resentment, you are likely hard on yourself as well. Our happiness and health is diminished by our own foolish choice to not forgive others.
And finally there is a plea for divine protection. (Matthew 6:13) We do not wish to suffer tribulation, or tragedy, so we ask to be spared of these things. The Didache had in mind the great tribulation coming when God's wrath is finally poured out upon the earth in the last days. Some would interpret salvation from the time of trial as a request to be included in the so-called rapture of the church. The doctrine of rapture is not shared by all Christians, but comes from a peculiar reading of Paul.
Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable body must put on imperishability, and this mortal body must put on immortality. (1st Corinthians 15:51-53)
And from 1st Thessalonians...
For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever. (1st Thessalonians 4:16-17)
Add to that the literal interpretation of 144,000 saved from the time of the great tribulation (Revelation 7), a pre-trib rapture, and you've got the theology behind the popular Left Behind series of novels and films. While I don't share belief in the doctrine of rapture, I appreciate the hope to be spared from suffering. Note that the multitude dressed in white of Revelation 7, from every tribe, tongue and nation, came through the great trial. They suffered the tribulation and remained faithful to Christ. So whether you are raptured or not, the message is to remain faithful in suffering and in comfort.
There's much to say on this topic of enduring trials, but I'll save it for another time. (Hebrews 12:7-11; James 1:2-4)
In addition to being spared a time of trial (or the temptation to lose faith due to intense persecution and suffering), is the intercession to be rescued or delivered from the hands of the evil one, that being the devil. Talk of Satan, devils and demons in this post-enlightenment world is the stuff of comic books, Dungeons and Dragons lore, horror films and novels, or the sad superstition of an ancient people. It is not taken seriously by most, unless you belong to a religious tradition that teaches demonology.
Jewish kabbalah mysticism teaches of a realm of demons, with various ranks and dimensions to Hell, the realm of Lucifer's dominion. In the mythology fallen angels and faithful angels battle in heaven, when Lucifer rebelled against the sovereign Heavenly Father. Banished to earth, the devil dwells in the depths of the earth where he plots. From Hell, Lucifer (Satan) dispatches demonic activity upon the earth to destroy lives and bring humanity to its knees before him.
The New Testament only borrows some of these ideas about the devil. Jesus exorcised demonic spirits with regularity, and so did the early church. Jesus was tempted by the devil in the wilderness. In terms of the spiritual realm, and our inner lives, there are enemies of God, and of all who serve God. James tells the church to turn to God and the devil will flee. (James 4:7-8a) Peter says the devil is looking to devour you. (1st Peter 5:8) After suffering the temptations and terrors of chaotic forces bent on destroying the Church, God will restore us. God will deliver us into halls of eternal glory!
And so how do we pray? You can pray the Lord's prayer as it is written in its various forms three times daily as the early churches practices. You can use the Book of Common Prayer which gives scripture readings and prayers for each day. The Daily Office provides a lectionary of scripture to read and prayers for morning, midday and evening prayer. Or you can follow any number of prayer forms. Some practice contemplative prayer employing no words at all. Some pray in tongues designed to open the body to the manifestations of the Holy Spirit. And some have chosen a simple conversation with a dear friend to be their form of prayer.
The Lord's Prayer can be used as a guide to prayer.
1) Adore and Acknowledge God's Nature, both Intimate Father and Inapproachable Holiness
2) Pledge fealty to the King of the Universe and Christ's mission on earth
3) Ask God to provide for the daily needs of your body, mind and soul
4) Seek reconciliation and peace with God and with others
5) Trust The Lord for protection and deliverance through all manner of trails
6) Give God the glory
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