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Luke Lesson 37 (2009)

THE DISCIPLES’ PRAYER
(Teach us to pray)

Luke 11:1-13
Key Verse: 11:2

“He said to them, ‘When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your
name, your kingdom come.”’”

All religions utilize forms of prayer. There are many songs about prayer, both secular and religious. I like a song, called “The Prayer” which received the Golden Globe Award for the Best Original Song in 1999. Many great singers have performed this song. I wish I could sing like them. , “I pray you’ll be our eyes. And watch us where we go. And help us to be wise. In times when we don’t know. Let this be our prayer. As we go our way. Lead us to a place. Guide us with your grace. To a place where we’ll be safe….” My most favorite performance is a duet by Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli. Whenever I hear them singing this song, it makes me feel really good not necessarily by leading me to pray. To me, this song is more of a romantic song. Growing up, the song I always heard in Sunday school was an old hymn, called “What a friend we have in Jesus.” Many of us are familiar with this hymn. “What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and grieves to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!” This hymn is simple and reminds me of Philippians 4:6-7, which reads, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Today’s passage is about prayer, particularly Jesus’ teaching about prayer. We often recite “the Lord’s Prayer” and sing it at the end of our worship service every Sunday. Although it is called “The Lord’s Prayer” because it came from our Lord Jesus, it really is the disciples’ prayer. In today’s passage, Jesus teaches us what we, as his disciples, ought to pray for (1-4) and what kind of attitude we should have when we pray (5-13). We learn that there are some distinctive aspects to the disciples’ prayer. In what way should the prayer of disciples be different from that of others? Why does Jesus want us to pray?

Look at verse 1. One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. We are not sure where Jesus prayed at this time. To Luke, the place wasn’t as important as the fact that Jesus prayed. Luke often referred to Jesus’ praying in his gospel account. In fact, it was the fifth time that Luke mentioned Jesus’ praying. (3:21; 5:16; 6:12; 9:18) Whenever Jesus had to make an important decision, he prayed. It does not mean that Jesus prayed only when there was a problem to deal with. Jesus prayed constantly. What did prayer mean to Jesus? His prayer was the expression of his submission to God’s will. Hebrews 5:7 reads, “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.” Theologically, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are one. We call this the “holy trinity” – the unity of three persons one Godhead. Jesus the Son also kept intimate fellowship with God the Father through his prayer. Because of his communion with God in prayer, there was no distance between him and the Father. He was one with God in prayer.

When Jesus finished praying, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” Perhaps, this disciple was either John or Andrew who had been John’s disciples before they followed Jesus. We are informed that John taught his disciples fasting prayer. (Lk 5:33) But Jesus didn’t teach his disciples like John did. In fact, even though Jesus always prayed, he didn’t teach his disciples about prayer until one of them asked him to teach him how to pray. It does not mean that his disciples hadn’t prayed at all because prayer was one of the major practices of the Jewish religion. (2 Chronicles 7:14; Luke 1:10) Most religious people prayed regularly, some prayed three times a day, early morning, afternoon and evening. (Acts 3:1) The disciples were aware that not everyone who prayed regularly was led by God because their prayer was nothing more than a religious display. But to the eyes of his disciples, something was different about Jesus’ prayer. Even though they didn’t understand everything he did, they at least could see that he was led and empowered by God through prayer. They felt that in order for them to be led and empowered by God, they also needed to pray like Jesus. So they asked him to teach them to pray. (1b) I believe that Jesus was pleased by their humble and earnest request.

What did Jesus teach them about prayer? In verses 2-4, Jesus taught them what they should pray for. Basically, there are two parts in it: prayer concerning God the Father (2) and prayer concerning our needs (3-4). Read verse 2. “He said to them, ‘When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.” Here, one unique thing about Jesus’ prayer is how he opened his prayer by calling God “Father.” No one in the Scripture started their prayer by calling God as Jesus did. Most of them would say, “Lord”, “Lord of heaven”, “Sovereign Lord” or “”God of Israel”. Even great men of faith, like Abraham, Moses and David and prophets like Jeremiah and Isaiah didn’t dare to call God “Father.” It does not mean that God loved them less at that time. It means that although their relationship with God was based on God’s promise, their fellowship with God could not yet be as intimate is it could be until Jesus came to fulfill God’s promise of salvation through his sacrificial death on the cross.
Jesus, however, had always called God “Father”. Before he raised Lazarus from death, he looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me.” (John 11:41) When he prayed on the Mount of Olives, he said, “Father, if you are willing…” (Luke 22:42) He also prayed, “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son… “ (John 17:1) On the cross, he prayed, saying “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34) Before his death on the cross, he cried out, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” (Luke 23:46) Jesus never said, “God of heaven!” or “Sovereign Lord.” Why not? It’s because Jesus wasn’t just the servant of God, like Moses and Elijah but the Son of God. “Father”, in Greek “pater” and in Aramaic “abba”, is both an intimate and respectful title. Of course, when we call God “Our Father”, it’s not the same as Jesus’ calling God “Father.” Yet, by calling God “Our Father” we are entering into a remarkably intimate fellowship with Him. In fact, when some of the Jews heard Jesus calling God “Father”, they got upset, thinking that he was blaspheming the name of God. They tried to stone him because of this. The Jews could never imagine that sinful humans could come close to God and call Him “Father.”

Then how can we, who are incorrigibly sinful, dare to come so close to God and call Him “Our Father” or “Dad”? How can we have such close intimacy with the Holy God? It’s because what Jesus has done for us on the cross. Jesus suffered much and died on the cross, shedding his blood, so that all our sins might be cleansed and forgiven and our broken relationship with God could be completely reconciled. This is an amazing gift for sinful humankind. John 3:16 reads, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” In fact, only those who accept Jesus as the Savior and Lord can call God “Abba, Father” by the Spirit of sonship. (Romans 8:15)

We, however, still fall into sin and temptation. Can we still call God “Abba, Father”? Yes. Sometimes, we feel ashamed to ask God’s forgiveness over and over again. But we should not stop coming to God and calling God “Our Father” because we have no other way to be forgiven from our sins and overcome our sinful nature except by depending on God’s grace in Jesus. We should boldly come to God, depending on the grace that is in Jesus Christ. Hebrews 10:19-22. ”Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”

Look at verse 2b. “Hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.” We often, as believers, tend to call God “Father” habitually, not really remembering that we are reconciled to God because of Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross. We should not call God’s name in vain. (Ex 20:7) “Hallowed be your name” can be paraphrased as “Your name be exalted” or “may everyone regard your name as holy.” The phrases “Hallowed be your name” and “your kingdom come” are closely related. When God’s kingdom comes, God’s name is glorified. Therefore, the disciples’ ultimate prayer topic is “God’s kingdom come” so that “God’s name is exalted.”

In fact, the coming of the kingdom of God is the ultimate of hope of all believers in God and the disciples of Jesus. The people of Israel in Jesus’ time sought God’s kingdom, but their concept and understanding of God’s kingdom leaned toward his establishing their nation Israel as a political superpower in the world. But Jesus clearly said that his kingdom is not of this world. (John 18:36) So when he said that we should pray for God’s kingdom to come, it means to pray to establish the body of Christ (the church) – a spiritual community on earth, both local and global, where God’s grace and truth are fully accepted and practiced, like the body of Christ. “Your kingdom” here also means the coming kingdom of God, which is described in Revelation 21:1-5, which reads, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Why did Jesus want us to pray for God’s kingdom to come? It sounds unrealistic. Why not pray for success and something more practical? It’s because our life on earth and the world we live in are not meant to be permanent. The eternal life and the coming kingdom are what God our Father has prepared for His loving children. (1 Peter 1:3-4) Therefore, instead of worrying about petty things in the world, Jesus said that his disciples should seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness. (Matthew 6:31-34)

Seeking God’s kingdom does not mean that we should be so spiritually oriented that we become unrealistic about our day-to-day life on earth. In verses 3-4, Jesus asked his disciples to pray concerning their present needs as well. Look at verses 3-4. “Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.” Why did Jesus ask his disciples to pray for daily bread? He didn’t mean that God would give them what they need only if they asked for it. Instead, he meant that his disciples should trust in God’s provision for their needs. God always provides what His children need, not what they want.

Proverbs 30:8b-9 reads, “Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.” People’s greed is endless. One of the reasons that the rich becomes richer and the poor become poorer is people’s greed. We see it clearly through what had happened on Wall Street. Rich people are prone to become self-reliant and greedy for more, and poor people are prone extreme anxiety. It’s easy for both the poor and the rich to forget that it is God who provides. As disciples of Jesus, we should never forget God who provides and always be thankful for His provision of our needs. “Give us each day our daily bread” also means that the disciples should be willing to share with others who are in need. I often hear some people complaining, saying “Why doesn’t God give me this or that?” They don’t feel that they are really blessed because they compare themselves with others. And they fail to appreciate what God has already given them, such as food, water, air, transportation, job, place to sleep, and especially good health. Their problem is not that they didn’t have enough. It’s their ingratitude for what they do have.

In order to maintain our life on earth, we need physical provision as well as spiritual provision. In verse 4, the disciples are told to pray for their spiritual need and protection. Look at verse 4. “Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.” In order to maintain our fellowship with God our Father, we need to be forgiven and forgive others.

Why? It’s because we are not perfect saints who would never sin. We are very vulnerable to the temptation of the devil. In fact, the most subtle temptations and sins do not necessarily come from the outside. They come from within our-selves. In other words, we have evil inside of us. When Paul, for example, talked about his spiritual struggle, he didn’t say, “The devil made me to do it” or “My uncle made me to do it.” Instead, he said, “When I want to do good, evil is right there with me… What a wretched man I am!” (Romans 7:21-25)

We are to ask God for his forgiveness and we are to forgive others as God has forgiven us of our sins. What if we feel that we haven’t done anything wrong today? Should we then still ask God’s forgiveness? After working really hard, someone might say, “Wow! I did good today, didn’t I. Do I still need to repent?” When we think we are doing well, the temptation to become arrogant and proud is strong. People who think that they are righteous tend to be judgmental and unforgiving. We may understand what Jesus taught about prayer better in light of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, which reads, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.” (Luke 6:20-22) The prayer Jesus taught to his disciples seems to be the core of discipleship training. When a disciple practices this prayer, they can grow mature and be transformed into a spiritual God-centered man with the mind of Christ. (1 Cor 2:14-16)

The parable in verses 5-8 teaches us that we should be persistent in prayer. A man shamelessly and boldly asked his neighbor for some bread in the middle of the night. The reluctant neighbor gave in to his friend’s request not because of his friendship, but because he didn’t want to be bothered by him all night. Of course, our Father in heaven is not like this reluctant neighbor. He is a loving Father who knows our needs and is willing to give us what we need. So we are not to be shy or passive in asking God, especially knowing that our God is not like that unwilling friend. So Jesus said in verse 9-10, “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For every one who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” We tend to apply these verses to getting a job or solving our nagging personal problems, but we don’t aggressively seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness. Why? It’s mainly because of our unbelief. Many Christians are distracted and spend their energy in unnecessary things because they fail to trust in God their Father.

So in the following verses 11-13, Jesus again emphasized the importance of trusting in the love of God our Father. Look at verses 11-13. “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” What Jesus was saying here is that God is like our earthly father who always gives his children good things. Even though we may not understand everything, we need to know that God gives us the things that are in the best interests of His children. We know that in all things God works for the good of His loving children, who are called according to His good purpose. (Romans 8:28) But humanly speaking, it’s not easy to believe that. Those who are in trouble might think that God gave them a snake instead of a fish. If we doubt God’s faithfulness and goodness, we cannot see or enjoy God’s true blessing in our lives.

Some human fathers are not so dependable. In fact, many people grow up with human fathers whom they could not trust or never got along with. Some grow up without any father in their lives. So it’s hard for them to trust their heavenly Father who is invisible. But God our Father is not like any human fathers who are selfish and imperfect. He cared deeply for all His children, and does not neglect them. He is faithful and trustworthy. In fact, nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. He demonstrated His love for us through His Son Jesus Christ. If God didn’t spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will He not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:31-32) Jesus said that God’s best gift for His children is the Holy Spirit. In fact, the Holy Spirit didn’t come to dwell in his disciples until the day of Pentecost. (Acts 2:1-13) Now, the Holy Spirit dwells in each of his disciples. Now, we call God “Abba Father.”

As disciples of Jesus, we are not to pray just for petty things, “Give me this and give me that.” Instead, we ought to pray the disciples’ prayer, saying “Father, hallowed by your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.” The disciples’ prayer is unique because of their intimate fellowship with God, calling God “Our Father.” Let us not meaninglessly repeat the Lord’s Prayer. Let us have the blessed mindset of disciples as we struggle to practice the prayer Jesus taught us. If we do so, we can truly be led and empowered by God.