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There are two sermons that I have always wanted to hear more
than any others. and yet have never heard. One of those sermons
must have as it's subject The Lord's Prayer'because for me this
has always had more meaning and been of more help than any other
passage in the Bible -/{::re is so much about it I will never know.
The Lord's Prayer, in the 6th Chapter of Matthew, in every
line and word speaks volunns. After trying to prepare the lesson
for this morning I know full well why I have never heard a minister
speak on this subject no sermon could contain it. And it goes
without saying no Sunday School lesson. especially not this Sunday
School lesson, can contain it.
But The Lord's Prayer is the subject of our study this morning.
and so in spite of my inadequacy the lack of tins and understanding
and preparationr-we must approach The Lord's Prayer not to throw
light on it. but to spend 15 or Zeaainutes in the light of its
reflections.
This prayer occurs in two places in the New Testament here
in Matthew. and in the opening verses of the llth Chapter of Luke.
There are differences. of course. but less than you might think.
and in any event we don't have time for those differences this
morning. we'll do so well just to be able to lightly touch the
surface of the Lord's Prayer as Matthew has given it to us.
Keep in nind what Jesus was trying to do: to recapture prayer
from ritualisn. from formalism. tron hypocrisy. and to make itwas
it must bola two way cousunication between God and man.
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because of its wording. The New 3132!!! English Bible translates}
do not bring us to the test. Either translation is justifable,
and both raise frequent questions. Does a good God deliberate,
tempt us? If he wants to test us. should we pray that he not do
so?
of Jesus.
Here. as in some other sayings] we can get help from the
scholars who translate greek back into the probable aramic words
of Jesus. Then the sentence means this: 'do not allow us to be
lead into temptation." or it may mean: do not let us be tested
beyond our capacity to endure. That is. God is not the tempter:
but he has put us into a world of temptations.
In this world we may prayerfully seek to avoid temptation.
But what is more important. we pray that we may not yield to them,
that God will deliver us from the evils unto which we might be
tempted.
Paul in first Corenthians helps us to understand the issue:
no temptation~ he says: has overtaken you that is not common
to man. God is faithful and he will not let you be tempted beyond
your strength. but with the temptations will also provide a way of
escape. that you may be able to endure it.
Life is full of temptations. Many men. meeting temptations
in faith and prayer. have found God delivering them. we Christians
usually conclude The Lord's Prayer with the words for thine is the
kingdom and the power and the glory. forever.Amen.'
This final doxology does not appear in the oldest manuscripts
of the New Testament. but by the second century christians were
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using it widely. It echoes earlier thence of the prayer. It
hollows God's name, and it ascribes to him lordship in his
kingdom. Probably Jesus did not include these words and they
are not included in the Sermon on the Mount: the early church
added them. in accord with the general liturgical practice of
ending public prayer: with an expression of praise.
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Before we turn our attention to the words of the words of
the prayer itself. let us rea what Jesus had to say as Matthew
reports it leading up to his dictation of the prayer ee-if.
Beware of practicing your piety before nen in order to be
seen by then: for then you will have no reward from your Father
who is in heaven.
'And when you pray. you must not be like hyprocites: for they
love to stand and pray in the synagouge and at the street corners
that they might be seen by men. Truly. I say to you. they have
their reward. But when you pray. go into your roan and shut the
door and pray to your Father who is in secret: and your father
who sees in secret will reward you.
And in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles
do: for they think they will be heard for their many words. Do
not be like them. for your Father knows what you need before you
ask hit.
Although the Lords Prayer is part of the revolutionary Sermon
on the Mount, there is very little in the prayer. or in these words
of Jesus about the prayer. which is foreign to the best thought of
Jud323:: Jesus takes it for granted that his followers will do
religious acts. but they must be performed with a pure active and
without ostentation. Once again we see that Jesus was not so such
interested in remodeling institutions as in transforming the minds
and attitudes of those who use the institutions.
One of the lost powerful revelations in these words is that
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of the consequence of worship for its public affect. Jesus is
saying that if you are pious. or give alns. or pray to be seen of
men. then you've had your reward. and there will be no reward
from God. You got a receipt for your prayers paid in full.
Thus this is one of the most terrible condennations in the New
Testnent: those who prayed that way got what they wanted.
It is important that we see in mind's eye the background of
religion against which Jesus spoke. Tduany Men of prayer in
his day were hyprocrites actors and they went where they could
find an audience. In the synogague they would loudly recite their
own prayers instead of being content to share in the accustomed
congressional prayers. They made broad their phylacteries. At
three times of daily prayers when the pious workman would quit
his work. and the teacher his teaching. to turn toward Jerusalen
in acknowledgment of God the professionally pious would so
arrange life as to be caught at a crowded corner: and then they
would sometimes stand for three hours in their devotions. Thus
the comment of Jesus! He gives by inplications certain rules for
private prayer. It is essential the burning center of life.
Public or corporate prayer is also essential. for prayer inevita-
bility has its social expressions. Jesus enjoined public prayer
in both word and act. But corporate prayer would lack sincerity
and depth without agtzate prayer aswdeneeeedche
W. IheAsou must begin and end. not to itself but
to God. This is the wellspring of life. this is the food of the
spirit. without which the soul of nan dies.
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And Jesus is telling us that prayer must be sincere. as
throughly sincere as our wavering will can offer. The door must
be shut against the attractions of the world. ;:: we bring to God
a divided mind. The church bell can be heard in stillness. but
not anidst the roar of traffic. What is even more important. a
man must be where he cannot pose or pretend in a closet behind
a door in secret. He must stand before God stripped of every
disguise. and the dissenblings of life dripped. He must make
his confessions freely and fully, offer his gratitude for mercies
that he has never merited. and draw strength for destiny newly
understood. And Jesus tells us that prayer must be childlike in
its simplicity not just a succession of empty phrases. I don't
think that means that repetition is always vain: Jesus hilself
used repetition under stress of great emotion in Gethseminie. But
the kind of repetition that comes with the prayer wheel of Tibet
would have no place in Jesus' worship. This plea is for such
simplicity as a nan must use when. stripped of every disguise.
he stands alone before God.
m5 is the intimacy of conplete trust. That God
knows our need before we ask does not argue against our asking.
But it does argue against the ever encroaching folly of trying
to turn God's holy purpose, and against the attempt to use God
for our own ends. Petitionsis inevitable.in our hunanness. and
it is indeed the part of honesty. But true petition remembers
that God is our all knowing and all loving father. It is made
in childlike trust thy will be done. Such prayer is our main
contact with God.
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And yet it must be said that The Lords Prayer is not to be
restricted to those noeents when we can secure these ideal worship
conditions of which we have spoken. I know that {or me that in
times of deep trouble. of mental and emotional turmoil. there is
a therapy to the words of The Lord's Prayer that may cone out of
dumb repetition. may come out of some deep innerconsciousness.
may be not the direct communication with God of which we have
spoken but the beginning of the call to God before contact is
made. When. for whatever reason. we sieply cannot pray to God.
the words of The Lords Prayer showed us the way.
"Our father who art in heaven.
One of the marvels of this prayer is the sinple and perfect
way in which it puts first things first. First of all: our re-
'.\N%*h a.
lationship to God: '92! Father':no prayer could more unqualifdly
set forth God's soverign love and Ian's dependence. These words
olen appear in the Old Testnent. but I think never in prayer.
In the Old Testament the word.Pather'was used to describe God's
dealings primarily with the nation rather than with the Ian. Jewish
prayers in Jesus' time had begun to use the word. but Jesus eade'dr'
his best name for God. Yet because God is more than rather sore
than mortal right after that salutation Who art in heaven saves
it from our hunanness. Andthen the petition 'HoIIwed be thy
na-e enthrones it in awe. So here Jesus teaches us to compare
God with our highest concepts. and then to acknowledge the lystery
beyond the best which we could concieve.
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There is discipline in the name. a duty to obedience. yet
there is love there.
The whole church is in the pronoun 'our'. and the whole
family of nations and men. A man cannot be complete with'ggummnity,
and the community of course is bereaft without man. Prayer. even
when private. is still a social exxpression. Here all the barriers
are down the political blocks. the fences between classes and
nations. the race barriers. Here is a theology. Here is a child-
like trust. Here is freedom and reinforcement. Here is forgiveness
and the promise of eternal life: qur Father which art in heaven.
un.t~-J*~
Now tuna-135. three girtitions all of which focus upon God.
But first of them 'hallowed be thy name. We ask what's in a name?
There is something in it, or people would not choose one name
rather than another or wish to change their name. There is every-
t
thing good in God's name, for name here means essential nature.
God's name is a quality of the eternal spirit, God's disclosure
of himself. Thusi'prayer means: gut Paths: cause thine eternal
nature. revealed in Christ. to be hallowed by us and by all men;
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This is properly the first petitim. We pray it before we
pray for the coming of the kindgom. inasmuch as that coming is for
the honor of God's nature: and before we pray for daily bread. for
we misuse daily bread if God is not glorified: and even before we
pray for pardon. for the pardon must be understood as the gift of
holy love. We pray this petition first. cause God must come first
with us if we would live.
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'Thy kingdom cone. thy will be done. Perhaps these first
three petitions grow out of one another: God's nature cannot be
honored until his kingdom cones. and His kingdom cannot cone until
man does his will.
The use of the pronoun 'thy' is emphatic for me here. Thy
name rather than the powerless name of the panthon: thy kingdom
rather than the empires of the world: thy will rather than the
selfish purposes of man. Almost certainly the phrase 'on earth
as it is in heaven. attaches to all three petitions.
There is a paradox in these petitions. The kingdom which
we pray to come already is. or it could not come. It exists in
the precision and majesty of the stars: in higher orders of life
perchance: in man's physical constitution: and in the laws of
social life flauting which we bring strifes and wars upon ourselves.
There is a deeper sense in which the kingdom has come: Christ has
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come. and can say to us I'you no longer belong to evil. but to good.
A
It is your soul that I have bought: . I offer it to God. But
because the kingdou is a Father's kingdom and we are unruly children.
it is not yet come. The kingdom presses in on us like light. tiltt
we can close our eyes. 80 this prayer acknowledges a personal and
social obligation: make thy kingdom cone through me. Our discussions
of what is wrong with our country or the world easily l-Itdxe-Ie became
psychological transfers. and thus an evasion. We try to express in
political denunciation the truth we should express in daily life.
The coming of the kingdom would indeed be the solution of all those
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problems and all of the problems that mortal Ian faces.
'Thy kingdom come. they will be done. It isaa blowing
of trumpets and unfurling of banners. The doctor is not just
a doctor: he is a consul of the kingdon. The businessman is
not in business for himself: he is a steward for God.
And now we turn to other concerns. Give us this day our
daily bread. Here we focus not upon the exalted and the streneous
but upon the commonplace. There is nothing. I suppose.so common
as daily bread. But in the list of language about the holiness of
God and the wonders of His kingdom is a prayer for bread one of
man's ordinary needs.
I have read that there are some believers in religion who
are ashamed to pray for material things. But Jesus does not
despise the material and the Bible reflects that. It assumes that
man needs material things. and that God provides for all of life.
To pray for bread for oneself and the world is as basic for the
christianfto pray. hallowed be thy name.
C when the disciples learned this prayer. they did not know
that the day was coming when their Lord would offer them bread.
saying this is my body. In the christian faith it is as natural
to pray for bread to use to sustain the body in daily life as it is
to use this same commonplace bread in the sacrament of the Lord's
Supper. Ho contridiction exists here.
And forgive us our debts. as we also have forgiven our
debtors:
I told you we wouldn't discuss Luke's version. but we must
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for just a moment here. Luke say's sins' ;.. trespasses' in
the older translations. where Matthew'nller The difference is
unfortunate for the cannon worship of Christians./;:::.deeoniations
vary in their usage. But the meaning is not difficult. Both
words probably come from the same original erenic word. The exact
meaning is deternined less by the specific word than by the entire
uessage of Jesus. so,what do christians seek forgiveness?ror the
wrongs they have done and for the anger. lust. and pride that
prompted the wrong. They ask forgiveness for every failure of
love. for their own unreadiness to forgive.
Man cannot solve the problem of sin. George Benard Shaw in
Ha)or Barbara. sey's that forgiveness is a begger refuge. . we
must pay our dehts. But he does not tell us how. If a men is
nexxhlnexxxxeley honorable today, he has not cancelled yesterday's
dishonor. which leanwhile has run out into life like ink into water.
memory?
Who can cleanse history? who can cleanse/history! No man has
power to even to return to the past. let alone redeem it. So we
ask God for forgiveness for Our sine.
Don't be disturbed by the apparent contractural arrangement
of asking God to forgive us for our sins on the basis that we will
forgive others their sins against us. The idea is not that God
is only as generous as we are. The gospel often disputes that idea.
But he is saying here that if we refuse to forgive. we lack the faith
that can accept forgiveness.
'And lead us not into tenptation. but deliver us tron evil.
This is the one petition of the Lord's Prayer that causes confusion
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'ller:-Eletwo sermors that ". ha'ge alwd.'s wan"_ed LD an-tr rr.Crea -.-. an-c---r :r:2, ar.d y.rt have :ovur hard. Ono cithow serr.cns -E ilaa :'= i r 'mi 5 :0)1-Ct 'frrj.ord G PI
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:;-.t i nwed -.l .I i:,:4 it w:de. -. I'. OrthOe5 Parl ier LhCmeS Of the prrr/Or. ~.t -. -t ows Ge:.a -s -1.ame and 1e a scribes to h irn lordsh ip 1:1 h --s --goom. !>r s:tal-/ asas did :-.0-. arciude these wcrds and they .-tot ::-: i...ri i.n th.. Sern-.or, on the Mount; the caray church ...d.:.a then. : .c.:.:ord with the ger.oral 11turg ical pract.lee of .-ij rg pub. .-m-ayers with an expressior, of presise.
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-->nued -1 .he COri :-juelice ->:~ WOUShip for its public isifCCt. .:09us is 1 -1-ig tha' : -':-ou wre pious, or gave al:as, or pray to be seer of ---. T.~::en ., :'r' ha-] 7::.ur reward, rmd there wi l1 he no reward ':--1:e -od. -su ios. a receipt for -/cur prisyersi -paid in ful1. -.-. s -.h'.s : .3:In o:th.-: n-ost. -.orrible ecndemnat.ions in the New .---L:llent: -..11 3.0:: who pr3yed that way 'Tot what they wanted. -r.. i .iirpcrta:it -_hat wrsee in -nind' s eys the backgrowind at .: 7:en r :: ne wh:.::h Jesus spoke. ':-oEmany "nies of pr.s-rar" in ... day we: -:1.-procritas -factor -and they wen-. where they coulcl -id art au,1: -nee. _n -_he nyrogaque they would lov.dly recite their .:: Dayer-.:Is'ad ot~ bei::g cortterit to share j:: the .secustoned :..:resitiiOil.3| pl ayer M. They );tilde broad Lheir phyla'--ter es. AT. -a i ,: t ime i >da i l : p--ayers -when t-.he pi aus workmar. woul d qui t work, ..;ei '_lie t.-acher his teaching, to turn toward Jerusalerr. -:enowl..:i :rr.~nt e -Goc1 -re prof':ss inne l ] y p i ous woul d so .: r.sn:.13 1 i --, is to -se equght rit a cr'awded cor:ter: rind ther; i.hey w ..ld son'.el 1-i.e-; :sta-id : or threrhcurs in their devot --ons. Thus -.:-omir.en-: a.-.: :/ !Ie g:ves by irr.p) seat ions vers :n rules r~ct : : ital.e pr.: s -r r: is east.rtt'al -Lh-:: burning centec of 11:0. 1 1.1 it or .-0:--.10:0..0 prayer 18 also cuent ja', for prayer -nevi es--: i ::-:has 1a sees i I exprrass tons. .Tesus e carted puLil it Draf T 7;'.5 wc: ... .t:.d a -.. Su t .:orporate prayer woulri 13:-2 31 neer i T.y -a depth wi-:-cr:p: avr.te prayr:r ----.-or--gariti:-owrmr. -'argoud must begin and and, not to itsielf Ist -.od. re 1 --. is -_h., wel.-.spring o I i fe, th is is the rood of the ---.:--, w: ta >u-whi.-h the soul of ir-an dies.
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--. .-~ c -....
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--1.' l iv.2d And -n' 1mu
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I 17
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cr:Linued "Th--' -: Ingdom :ome, thy will be done.'' Perhaps these irst .;r-'e p='l 1 :n'as grow on-of one another: God's r.ature :--annot. be -:ncred un' :. Has kanejon e-ames, and 1"is kingdom can.ot come .ulji .... :loes 1: .:, w ..1:. Die -.. -a:~ the p:-orioun "Lhy" is emphatic for me here. Tny irre r-ather ---.n the powr-riens riamm o:~ t.he par:Lhon: thy kingdom -.i'.:er tii,1-. --e crip. re:s ni the world: tir/ wlli rather than Lhe -: 1.sh p-.. --.-:, of 1:13:.. Al:nost .:2.:rt.ainly the phrne on earth -.. it. is il 'i--tren. a-.taches t.o all three petitjo::s. -'hm..; a pel--adra irl thes-' petitions. 'the kanadom which ..no.y Le -.;-.. .t-.r.~nd-:: .or it could nocorv:-. je e-Kists 1--. --a preca S r.:1:3d D.!)e:sty of Lhe :st:ars; in higher parties of 1 i fr--. -r -h-inen: :.. r:.an'n ph-:.o.l ea L r:onGL i Lulion; and i:1 ".he laws of --al 1if--.-ari:-. .Which we brina str i:~es a:ad wars upon course ta:s. -7-' i s i d ----wr 5--19c. which the k ingdorr. has come: 6:hr: s t ha :n.n, and ,:, say to us "'yo. rio longer colonci to evil, but. to good. is /QLir 5. -.. ?.haI have caught ; ...I offer it to Cod.'" .t --ase the 3 --.cdorr. : s a Ea-.her s kingdonand we are uriruly ::hi~.dren, .-.a not ---or.e. Te kargdori presses iri on us like l:aht, that w --an clow .:.ar ey.-9. No this prayer ackricwledges a persorial and .-s al abl:-.: i'.aoni i;-.ake :.hy k :ngdo-n ::en-.e through resa. Our discuss ions -= wit i e wr--.a wi:.h c:ar ec'r.r -:ry or the world eas il / waxtexmilimi hocorre =/ 'hologi .i. '..rans: ers:, a:1d -.aus an t-vasion. We try a exprei in ..:li'.1--al s1--:.u:sial.on '.be truth we should expres:a in dail.y life. -::t: .:anti::ia :.. : the k : nadam wou~d i:tdeed be the soltition o all -.hose
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a:-oblems -alid :,11 o the prol>1ems that. niorta] man faces. "'Thy k:ngdom :-omo, they wii~. be done." It isaa b~..owiner ----runipe to a:1.-1 un:-url .ng o E bet:::lers. -No doet.or i s no. jus e. -.orter ; he i e a cons'.G of th--icartqdom. The busines:mlart as -.. rt bus.:.-as :~or hirtsel t~: ho :s a s Leward fcir God. And low we turn 'o other co:merna. "Give 'is this da'/ our -:. 1-.brerr1. are we focus -int uprm the exalted anci thP strensor.s ...1pon til-----Onunon.elar-e. 'Mwru i-a riCL}iing, I suppose, so ::ommon .] a i17 a: --d. Ih:ar. the mest oi laricuage about thi: hol iness of .i :tnd th-.x::ders of His kinadam is a prayer for bread -one ot" -->' s crdi--ar-~.eed T ha--e r.-ad t::st thern are sorr.e nei;evers trt rel ic1er, who : --3,'lamr-il -:-. pt-ay 501 motoriitl 101:;95. ~dut .TCsus dews :3ot .lise "..at "I !" t ria. .ir-.d the Bil'le reifler'is that. It agsun'r.s that 1. -': -14"'05 r'N'--'-:81 -hiT:rs; tQl'I yoti We WO's.ldfi't dlScuSS tuke 8 vf!l-SiOTir NUT we HIUsi
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