March 10, 2002

THE DISCIPLES' PRAYER

Matthew 6:9-11

   According to Luke 11, the Lord gave this prayer in response to the disciples' request, "Lord, Teach us to pray as John taught his disciples..." But in Matthew 6, in the midst of the Sermon on the Mount, He told them, "Take heed that you do not your righteousness before men to be seen of them: otherwise you have no reward of your Father Who is in heaven" (6:1). The categories of their righteousness were, "as to almsgiving...(6:2-4), as to prayer...(6:5-15), as to fasting ...(6:16-18), as to riches...(6:19-24), as to cares, etc...(6:25-7:11).

   He instructed what to do and warned what not to do and said, "After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so upon earth" (6:9-10). The first three petitions are toward God as they should be, with God receiving the first place in prayer.

   The remaining four petitions concern those who pray: " Give us this day our daily bread..." This might sound repetitious asking "this day" for daily bread? Yet we must realize that the word "daily" means "coming upon," and suggests something like the Manna that descended each day in their wilderness journey. Realizing that man does not "live...by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God," this request is really for "the true bread that comes from heaven, the word of God!

   "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors" is clearly conditional. This cannot refer to the forgiveness by which one becomes a child of God, for that is not at all the issue in this context. Concerning almsgiving, praying, and fasting, the heavenly Father's open reward is what hangs in the balance, not the eternal destiny of the praying person. Forgiveness here is interrelational rather than eternal. Grace believers are admonished to be kind and tenderhearted forgiving one another "as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you" (Eph. 4:32).

   "Bring us not into trial, and rescue us from the evil one" conclude the petitions for help as they work toward and wait for that kingdom! "For Thine is the kingdom...power...and the glory, forever. Amen."

Ivan L. Burgener