THE LORD’S PRAYER (Luke 11:1-13) (‘LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY’) (7-3-21)

(OUR FATHER WHO ARTIN HEAVEN: ‘AVEENU SHEYBASHAMAYIM אָבִינוּ שֶׁבַּשָׁמַיִם)

‘THE LORD’S PRAYER’, in all honesty, should be called: ‘THE DISCIPLE’S PRAYER’, it’s not exactly the prayer of comfortable people who are satisfied with the treasures of the kingdoms of this world. It is ‘The Desperate Daily Plea’ of those who have accepted their role as ‘The New Covenant, New Creation Kingdom Of Priests! They are the ones who by trust, dependence, and obedience see through this present evil age and recognize that this world is not as it should be. Therefore, they know that only God can set it right! It is the daily prayer of those who are truly ‘Seeking First The Kingdom Of God and His Righteousness’.

We’ll begin with what it means to address God as 'Father', a meaning that has been lost in history which will surprise you. We will continue petition by petition: (1)"Sanctified be Your Name"; (2) "May Your Kingdom Come, May Your Will Be Done, As In Heaven So Also On Earth"; (3) "Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread"; (4) "Forgive Us Our Debts As We Forgive Those Who Are Indebted To Us"; and (5) "Lead Us Not Into Testing, But On The Contrary Deliver Us From The Evil One".

(HALLOWED BE YOUR NAME: ‘YITKADASH SHEMCHA יִתְקַדֵשׁ שִׁמך)

God cares about His reputation, about keeping His promises, especially to Israel. But He makes it clear that the reason He keeps His promises is to protect His Reputation, (His Name), as a Holy, Righteous, Covenant Promise Keeper.

(Ezekiel 36:23)

“And I Will ‘Sanctify MY GREAT NAME’, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the Lord," says the Lord God, "when ‘I AM HALLOWED’ in you before their eyes.”

Therefore, where does the ‘Our Father’ belong in the sequence of ‘1st Century Prayer’? When Jesus taught this prayer to the disciples, how did He intend for them to use it? In what way did John teach his disciples to pray? What did Jesus’ Disciples hope to receive when they said, “MASTER, TEACH US TO PRAY”?

In the days of the Sages, individual rabbis created short liturgical prayers for their disciples to add as a conclusion of their daily prayers. The Talmud preserves several examples of short prayers to a certain Sage and his school of disciples. Forexample:

(Talmud, b.Berachot16b):

“When Rabbi Eleazar concluded his recitation of prayer, he prayed, ‘May It Be Your Will, O LORD Our God, To Cause Love, Brotherhood, Peace, and Friendship To Swell In Our Midst, and May You Set Our Portion In Paradise, and Grant Us Good Companionship and A Good Inclination In Your World, and May We Rise Early and Obtain The Desire Of Our Heart, To Fear Your Name, and May You Be Pleased To Satisfy Our Desires.’When Rabbi Yochanan concluded his recitation of prayer, he prayed, ‘May It Be Your Will, O LORD Our God, To Look Upon Our Shame and Behold Our Affliction and Clothe Yourself In Your Mercies and Cover Yourself In Your Strength and Wrap Yourself In Lovingkindness and Gird Yourself In Your Graciousness, and May Your Attributes Of Kindness and Mercy Prevail”.

John The Baptist taught His disciples a particular prayer unique to their school. Jesus’ Disciples asked Him to give them such a prayer. He gave them ‘The Our Father’. In the same way that the other Rabbis gave their disciples a signature prayer for their particular school of discipleship, Jesus gave us ‘The Our Father’ to function as a short petition for The Kingdom at the conclusion of our daily prayers.

(YOUR KINGDOM COME,YOUR WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN:

‘TAVO MALKUTECHA, YE’ASEH R’TZNECHA BA’ARETZ KA’ASHER NA’ASAH B’SHAMAYIM: תָּבא מַלְכוּתֶךָיֵעָשֶׂה רְצוֹנְךָ בָּאָרֶץ כַּאֲשֶר נַעֲשָׂה בַשָמַיִם)

(‘LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY’)!