Lord’s Prayer
Today’s Gospel gives us this Beautiful, well-known, classic prayer.Sometimes we get used to something and we forget how it may have been heard originally…
This prayer was prayed by a Jewish man – a rabbi, a teacher, a holy one who was skilled and practiced in leading prayer.
And it followed a format of prayer comfortable to the Jewish people. No wonder it was so easily grounded into the daily life and practice of the followers of Jesus.
But: as we know, there are 2 versions – from 2 different gospel accounts.
That’s why, in the morning prayer service, we pray 2 different versions.
And these variances are not by accident – these were written with unique circumstances and messaging.
The longer version of Matthew’s gospel is meant to be learned not as a new prayer, but integrating familiar words and rhythms within a new context – namely the Sermon on the Mount.
But in Luke – where we are today – we are given a shorter version – with a distinctive introduction.
Because here, we have folks who are not practicing Jews – it’s the request of one of the disciples. Remember, the disciples were folks who came from a variety of backgrounds – fishers, carpenters, tax collectors – not rabbis or politicians.
And they were asking: Teach us to pray. Teach us to be IN prayer.
They were so spiritually hungry that they even know what to ask for.
Teach us to pray!
Just like John did with his disciples – those other folks who didn’t yet have a sufficient prayer practice.
And I’m going to guess that John and his disciples obviously did this well, as it became known further and further – what a gift.
And this is the type of request coming to Jesus. Teach us to pray – these folks who have been Gentiles, are asking how to pray the way their Jewish rabbi would pray.
And again – it obviously has meaning, as it remains to this day to be foundational.
It has meaning because it touches on the basic content and context of every life.
Each and every one of us can see ourselves in these words – either version.
Each and every one of us is fortified, nourished, supported, and empowered by these words.
These words that echo through the entirety of the cosmos and the entirety of time – even before we could comprehend what those things mean, the prayer was there.
Teach us to pray.
This desire for learning comes from our souls. Learning to pray is not about memorising words, it is about living them.
Our prayers nourish us in ways that we can’t understand or articulate, but we know that we feel better when we have prayed.
Modern studies show that; prayer decreases anger and increases healing; it helps mitigate burnout and stress, it increases our empathy and compassion.
Prayer is important:
Lord, teach us to pray.
And this is where our friends in the Lutheran tradition lend their strength: their catechism includes substantial focus not just on memorising the words of the prayer, but in unweaving each petition into its own focus area:
Bite size pieces to savour, as it were, in the feast of the prayer entire.
So I’m going to borrow some of Luther’s works here as we journey a little bit deeper into the prayer.
Father
Our father – because we are a family. We have each other, we share the same father, who offers his full self to us. Hearing; listening; caring. Answering our prayers as may be best for us.
And – this is not dependent on location – for in Luke, heaven isn’t mentioned.
Hallowed be your name
Hallowed means holy – Holy God; your very name is Holy; everything about you is holy!
And when we pray this truth, we are asking for the holiness of God to be present in and among us.
Your kingdom come
It’s an interesting concept to ask for the kingdom of God to appear. Not because we don’t want it to; but because it’s going to come regardless of our involvement. But our involvement is what we’re asking for in this petition; that when the kingdom of God approaches, that we may aware of it and respond accordingly. We’re basically asking for God’s help to prepare ourselves – and our world – for the kingdom.
Give us each day our daily bread
Daily bread addresses the totality of our needs: not just the physiological food and water, but the safety of shelter and protection… the love and inclusion of family and friends… the dignity and value of being… and the fulfillment of self, as expressed in our own unique realities, our pleasures and skills and gifts and offerings.
Psychologists today talk about all these things as a hierarchy of needs: and in these needs we are nourished.
But so too, we are recognised as nourishing others – for these needs are not met in isolation, but in the community. We are all valued contributors in the household of God.
Forgive our sins, As we forgive everyone indebted to us
This petition, in our modern parlance, comes across almost contractually. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. But God’s grace here extends more than we can imagine – more than we can do alone. This petition, in the words of Susan Johnson: “is a gracious invitation for each of us to bask in the forgiveness of God, and to be as generous with others in forgiving.”
This reminds us that forgiveness is not transactional, dependent on the actions of another.
And it reminds us of the unique and personal reality of forgiveness – no one else can say where you are in your forgiveness journey – to do so would be quite presumptive.
And in the Lukan gospel account, Jesus even softens the concept of sin against one another – we ask God to forgive our sins – those times when we have turned away from God.
And we ask for help in forgiving those who are indebted to us… those who owe us something: Debt of course could be substantial or it could be minor; it could be known or unknown by the ower… but in all, we want to cleanse our hearts of the feeling of keeping score with someone else. Hence releasing the debt, in that biblical tradition of jubilee.
And finally…
Do not bring us to the time of trial.
This petition reminds us that God does not deliver us TO trial and temptation, but that as the world is full of it, we want help in avoiding it. And trials can be everywhere; yet God gives us the strength to overcome.
The concluding doxological statement about the kingdom and the power and the glory was later added by the Apostles, as they continued teaching this foundational piece.
So you can see: we are engaged in the prayer, when we ask Jesus to teach US how to pray.
For even when we know the words, our own context grows and evolves, when we approach it with the spirit to learn and grow.
And thus: the prayer engages US. It takes us to new places, deeper places, holier places. It moves in and through us, as it informs our daily lives in ways we could not imagine before.
Like Jesus, giving the examples of how to live a holier life right after the words of his prayer.
And like Hosea, whose prophetic message is (though graphic) meant to inspire faithfulness.
And like the Colossians, who are reminded of the power of God’s grace over any earthly or human tradition.
The power of prayer: it’s undeniable.
So we are encouraged to pray.
Not just the words of our lips, but the whispers of our hearts and the stirrings of our souls.
Not just once in a while, but through all of our actions.
Not just as a final accomplishment, but as a step on the journey.
For we all come to God, from whatever context and situation, asking:
Lord, teach us to pray.
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