1 Now
it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that
one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught
his disciples.” 2 So
He said to them, “When you pray, say: Our Father in
heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as
it is in heaven. 3 Give us day by day our daily bread. 4 And forgive us our sins, For we
also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into
temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.”
Commentary
Vs. 1 “Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”
Luke now recalls the giving of the Lord’s Prayer, or rather our Lord teaching us as His disciples how to pray (also see Matt. 6:9-13). Now this came about as Jesus was praying, that one of the disciples observing Him pray, when He finished praying said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” (vs. 1) Now it has been well stated that Jesus prayed regularly throughout His earthly time (Luke 5:16); but especially at every crucial moment of His life; at His baptism (Luke 3:21), before He choose the twelve (Luke 6:12-16), at His transfiguration (Luke 9:28-35), before His arrest and betrayal (Luke 22:40-44), even while dying on the Cross Jesus prayed (Psalm 31:5=Luke 23:46). And so now seated in heaven at the Right Hand of the Father the Lord Jesus Christ as the Mediator of the New Covenant and our High Priest continually makes prayer and intercession for us (Heb. 4:14-16; 7:1-10:39; 1 John 2:1).
Vs. 2 So He said to them, “When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.
To begin then Jesus says that when we pray, we should begin with the knowledge that God is our Father and He is in heaven. For we now have a personal relationship with God born out of our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that makes us His children (John 1:12), a right and privilege that comes to us because we are now bound to God under the New Covenant not the Old (consider Heb. 12:18-29). That said, we do not now treat God’s Person and Name with the same sort of casualness or irrelevance that pervades this world in their assessments of Him. Instead Jesus says that when we pray to God, we are to reverence our Father in heaven, saying “Hallowed be Your Name.” Now this is very important because down here God’s Person and Name is anything but hallowed, and by our stating as much in prayer to Him we are reaffirming His Word and reasserting our own deep desires to see God’s Name Hallowed everywhere. Therefore, as God’s children (though we are now in a personal relationship with Him) we still need to have a holy reverence for Him (Lev. 10:3; 1 Cor. 11:27-32). For it is only by seeking God with a holy reverence for His Person and Name that one’s prayers are brought into the Presence of God (consider Nehemiah 1:1-10; 9:1-38; Daniel 9:1-23 etc.). Therefore, in confessing “our Father in heaven” we are acknowledging His Place in heaven and His Lordship over us, and all things (Isaiah 41:4; 44:6-8; 45:7; Joel 2:27; Rev. 1:5-8 etc.). For He alone Reigns over the nations (Psalm 47:8; 93:1; 96:10; 97:1; Rev. 17:14; 19:6). And He alone raises up one and brings down another, whether individual’s, rulers, or nations (Job 12:13-25; Psalm 75:6-7; Jeremiah 27:5; Daniel 2:21; 4:35 etc.). Therefore, when we confess in prayer “our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your Name”, we are confessing God’s Holiness and Sovereignty over all things in heaven and on earth. And thus, in our own persons and lives.
Vs. 2 “Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.”
Next Jesus says that we are to pray that God’s Kingdom comes. For us who believe, but still live in this demonically usurped world, that is our longing, that God’s Kingdom comes. For then the Lord Jesus Christ will put an end to all wickedness, all evil, and all injustice on the earth, when He vanquishes Satan and His armies and sets up and reigns victoriously and gloriously in the Kingdom of God, which He Will establish first on earth, and then forever in a new heavens and earth (Rev 19:1-22:21). That said there is still a lot to be done between now and then. Therefore, while down here in this world we are to remain focused and always pray that, “Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.” For down here that is not the case, man’s self-seeking and greedy and evil will is too often done, to the detriment of his neighbor. Therefore, in praying that God’s Will be done, we are asking and submitting to God to do His Will down here, in and through our persons and lives.
Vs. 3 “Give us day by day our daily bread.”
In this part of our prayer we are asking God our Father to provide for us our daily sustenance, and so unlike the so called “self-made” individuals who only trust and rely on themselves, or their money, or whatever else they make as their confidence, we trust and rely on our loving heavenly Father.
Vs. 4 “And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.”
Now in praying that God forgive us our sins as we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us, we regain not only a right perspective of ourselves; of our own ongoing need for forgiveness (1 John 1:8-10); but also, others as well. Notice too that linked with our forgiving others is our not being led into temptation, for in not forgiving others one inevitably opens the door to Satan, the tempter, who will lead you astray if you harden yourself towards forgiving those indebted to you (consider 1 John 2:9-11). And thus, right back to God seeking His forgiveness when you have fallen. That said the main thrust here is our daily dependence on God to keep us from temptation, (2 Thess. 3:3) and thus the evil one who is always ready to seize those who yield themselves to their own sins and transgressions (1 John 5:18).
Scripture Quotations
Commentary
Vs. 1 “Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”
Luke now recalls the giving of the Lord’s Prayer, or rather our Lord teaching us as His disciples how to pray (also see Matt. 6:9-13). Now this came about as Jesus was praying, that one of the disciples observing Him pray, when He finished praying said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” (vs. 1) Now it has been well stated that Jesus prayed regularly throughout His earthly time (Luke 5:16); but especially at every crucial moment of His life; at His baptism (Luke 3:21), before He choose the twelve (Luke 6:12-16), at His transfiguration (Luke 9:28-35), before His arrest and betrayal (Luke 22:40-44), even while dying on the Cross Jesus prayed (Psalm 31:5=Luke 23:46). And so now seated in heaven at the Right Hand of the Father the Lord Jesus Christ as the Mediator of the New Covenant and our High Priest continually makes prayer and intercession for us (Heb. 4:14-16; 7:1-10:39; 1 John 2:1).
Vs. 2 So He said to them, “When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.
To begin then Jesus says that when we pray, we should begin with the knowledge that God is our Father and He is in heaven. For we now have a personal relationship with God born out of our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that makes us His children (John 1:12), a right and privilege that comes to us because we are now bound to God under the New Covenant not the Old (consider Heb. 12:18-29). That said, we do not now treat God’s Person and Name with the same sort of casualness or irrelevance that pervades this world in their assessments of Him. Instead Jesus says that when we pray to God, we are to reverence our Father in heaven, saying “Hallowed be Your Name.” Now this is very important because down here God’s Person and Name is anything but hallowed, and by our stating as much in prayer to Him we are reaffirming His Word and reasserting our own deep desires to see God’s Name Hallowed everywhere. Therefore, as God’s children (though we are now in a personal relationship with Him) we still need to have a holy reverence for Him (Lev. 10:3; 1 Cor. 11:27-32). For it is only by seeking God with a holy reverence for His Person and Name that one’s prayers are brought into the Presence of God (consider Nehemiah 1:1-10; 9:1-38; Daniel 9:1-23 etc.). Therefore, in confessing “our Father in heaven” we are acknowledging His Place in heaven and His Lordship over us, and all things (Isaiah 41:4; 44:6-8; 45:7; Joel 2:27; Rev. 1:5-8 etc.). For He alone Reigns over the nations (Psalm 47:8; 93:1; 96:10; 97:1; Rev. 17:14; 19:6). And He alone raises up one and brings down another, whether individual’s, rulers, or nations (Job 12:13-25; Psalm 75:6-7; Jeremiah 27:5; Daniel 2:21; 4:35 etc.). Therefore, when we confess in prayer “our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your Name”, we are confessing God’s Holiness and Sovereignty over all things in heaven and on earth. And thus, in our own persons and lives.
Vs. 2 “Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.”
Next Jesus says that we are to pray that God’s Kingdom comes. For us who believe, but still live in this demonically usurped world, that is our longing, that God’s Kingdom comes. For then the Lord Jesus Christ will put an end to all wickedness, all evil, and all injustice on the earth, when He vanquishes Satan and His armies and sets up and reigns victoriously and gloriously in the Kingdom of God, which He Will establish first on earth, and then forever in a new heavens and earth (Rev 19:1-22:21). That said there is still a lot to be done between now and then. Therefore, while down here in this world we are to remain focused and always pray that, “Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.” For down here that is not the case, man’s self-seeking and greedy and evil will is too often done, to the detriment of his neighbor. Therefore, in praying that God’s Will be done, we are asking and submitting to God to do His Will down here, in and through our persons and lives.
Vs. 3 “Give us day by day our daily bread.”
In this part of our prayer we are asking God our Father to provide for us our daily sustenance, and so unlike the so called “self-made” individuals who only trust and rely on themselves, or their money, or whatever else they make as their confidence, we trust and rely on our loving heavenly Father.
Vs. 4 “And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.”
Now in praying that God forgive us our sins as we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us, we regain not only a right perspective of ourselves; of our own ongoing need for forgiveness (1 John 1:8-10); but also, others as well. Notice too that linked with our forgiving others is our not being led into temptation, for in not forgiving others one inevitably opens the door to Satan, the tempter, who will lead you astray if you harden yourself towards forgiving those indebted to you (consider 1 John 2:9-11). And thus, right back to God seeking His forgiveness when you have fallen. That said the main thrust here is our daily dependence on God to keep us from temptation, (2 Thess. 3:3) and thus the evil one who is always ready to seize those who yield themselves to their own sins and transgressions (1 John 5:18).
Scripture Quotations
New King James Version (1982): Thomas Nelson
No comments:
Post a Comment