Proper 12. July 24, 2022

Luke 11:1-13

Rev. Neli ML

Today’s Gospel brings us one of the most representative passages of the Christian faith, “The Lord´s Prayer”, which has been the prayer for excellence in Christian spirituality. Many Christian generations have prayed this prayer throughout the centuries!

Matthew and Luke recorded this prayer and the beautiful memory of Jesus teaching it to his first community. Luke’s version is shorter and differs in some details from Matthew’s.  Nonetheless, they both tell us of this endearing moment when Jesus teaches his disciples to pray. In his account, Luke tells us that Jesus was praying, and when he had finished, one of his disciples asked him “Lord, teach us to pray…” (11,1).  Why would this disciple ask Jesus this when it was known that the Jews recited prayers three times a day? Maybe Jesus’ way of praying was so distinct and moving that his disciples wanted to learn his way. Thanks to this disciple, today we have a beautiful communitarian prayer, which is not only a mark of our Christian identity but also a prayer that unites the Christian community throughout the world.

This prayer comes from Jesus’ personal experience with God. It tells us of Jesus’ faith, his image and understanding of God, and what is most important to say to God in a prayer. What we notice first is the way Jesus approaches God. Rather than using powerful images of God like king, Lord, almighty, Lord of hosts, Jesus uses the tender family image of “Father”.  This image comes from the prophetic tradition that called God a loving and caring father of the people of Israel. Jesus recaptures this prophetic image; he calls God father and teaches us, his disciples, to call God father. This family image allows us to approach God in prayer with confidence, and tells us that we are a family with the same father who loves and cares for us with no distinction.  Doesn’t this image of God also tell us what our own father should be like?

After this confident approach to God, Jesus teaches us to proclaim God’s holiness, “Hallowed be your name”. (11,2). In this prayer, we confess the great and divine energy that fills the universe, in whom resides full life and perfection, and to whom we surrender in worship. Recognizing God’s greatness leads us to exclaim, “your kingdom come” (11,2). This is our cry begging for the fullness of God to be manifested in our world through love, justice, and peace. What a splendid moment in our celebrations when as a community we cry out, “Your kingdom come.”!

Jesus also teaches us to ask for what is needed each day. We pray, “Give us each day our daily bread.” (11,3). This prayer prevents us from praying ambitiously and from the accumulation of goods. In the Old Testament, in the wilderness, the people of Israel had their daily manna, but some tried to save it for the coming days, but it spoiled. So, how much is necessary for each day?  Doesn't this prayer prevent us from accumulating what we don't need?  In a world when many people die for hunger, it is fair to ask only what is necessary!

The Lord’s prayer also teaches us to ask for forgiveness for our sins against God and our neighbor. Through this prayer, we constantly release our burden of offenses by confessing them to God.  On the other hand, when we ask God to forgive our offenses, we also make a commitment to God to forgive our offenders. We pray, “And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.” (11,4).

Jesus ends the prayer by teaching us to beg our father to not bring us to the time of trial. This is not a petition to avoid suffering but a request for courage to face what is coming, to not give into temptation, and to protect us from that which will separate us from God.

Dear sisters and brother, the Lord´s Prayer, El Padre Nuestro, is not a magical prayer or formula but a confident and communal way to approach God in our daily struggle. This is a prayer of solidarity; whether we say it individually or communally, we use the plural form, never the singular form. So, we ask not only for our own bread but for the bread of the whole community, we ask not only for our own wellbeing but for the wellbeing of all. No wonder the first disciples wanted Jesus to teach them this amazing way of prayer!

As Anglicans we are blessed to have the amazing Lord’s Prayer included in our liturgy, both in the Daily office and the Holy Eucharist.

Thank you, Jesus, for teaching us to pray in confidence, in community, and in solidarity. Amen.