OR 29-07-07
Our Father in heaven Lk 11:1-13
Story: A young police officer was taking his final exam for the police academy
And he read the following question in the exam paper:
“You are on patrol in the outer city when an explosion occurs in a gas main in a nearby street.
On investigation you find that a large hole has been blown in the footpath and there is an overturned van nearby. Inside the van there is a strong smell of alcohol.
Both occupants—a man and a woman—are injured. You immediately recognize the woman as the wife of your Chief of Police, who is at present away in the USA.
A passing motorist stops to offer you assistance
and you realize that he is a man who is wanted
for armed robbery.
Suddenly a man runs shouting that his wife is expecting out of a nearby house, a baby and that the shock of the explosion has made the birth imminent.
Another man is crying for help, having been blown in the adjacent canal by the explosion, and he cannot swim.”
The examination question concluded :
“Describe in a few words what actions you would take.”
The young man thought for a moment, picked up his pen and wrote,
“I would take off my uniform and mingle with the crowd.”
Some of us see the difficulties of being a Christian in the same way.
We see the Christian life as trying to juggle five or six balls at one time whilst balancing a jug of water on our heads.
And when the pressure gets too much we want to give up and mingle with the crowd.
And so often it is because we spend our time trying to pass what we perceive to be “God’s exam” to make us “holy”.
After all, many of us imagine that it is only when we reach some sort of “spiritual plateau”, will we be able to “pray”!!
As I circulate in our parishes, people come up and chat and then might end the conversation by saying: “Say one for me, vicar”.
Is it really only the vicar’s prayers that are effective?
Do we have to attain some sort of spirituality before we can pray?
I would like to suggest to you this morning that Jesus had a very different perspective on prayer - as evidenced by our Gospel this morning and in particular by the Lord’s Prayer
Thomas Aquinas the famous medieval theologian once wrote:
The Lord’s Prayer is the most perfect of prayers... In it we ask, not only for all the things we can rightly desire, but also in the sequence that they should be desired. This prayer not only teaches us to ask for things, but also in what order we should desire them.
1.1 The Culture of Jesus’ day
In Jesus’ day there were three major cultures of the day.
The Jewish culture
The Greek culture and
The Roman culture.
1.1.1 Jewish culture
In Jewish culture, God was a distant figure, someone simply to be obeyed.
He even had a name - that could not be spoken. It was too holy.
And even today the Jews put a dash in place of the "o" in GOD.
To the Jews, God spoke to the nation of Israel but rarely to individuals, unless you were someone special like one of the prophets or King David.
He was a bit like the Headmaster at school. You only got to see him if you broke the rules!!
1.1.2 Greek and Roman Culture
In Greek Culture, the "gods" moved in a parallel world, almost capriciously playing with human beings.
The Greek “gods” considered man inferior and used them like figures in a chess game.
And in the Roman Culture the "gods" were considered distant and constantly needed to be appeased.
1.2 Jesus’ revolutionary ideas
Jesus came along and revolutionised the civilised world with his teaching.
And one of the revolutionary things he taught was that the Almighty God - El Shaddai of the Old Testament- the ALL POWEREFUL ONE - LOVES us and cares for us.
1.3. OUR FATHER
As Philip Yancey in his book entitled “Prayer” says:
“Jesus taught a model prayer – the Lord’s Prayer but otherwise gave few rules. His teaching reducees down to three principles: Keep it honest, keep it simple and keep it up (Philip Yancey - “Prayer” p183)
And this prayer start with the words “Our Father”
I would like to focus our thoughts this morning simply on these two words and suggest some implications that these two words have in our lives.
Firstly Jesus said: “Our Father” and not “My Father”.
The Lord’s Prayer is a prayer open to all of community of faith. It is a community prayer.
The original Aramaic word - that has been translated in the Lord’s Prayer as “Our Father” - is the word ABBA.
One famous Bible Commentator, Donald Guthrie had this to say about the term ABBA:
(Abba) was originally used by young children but it had acquired an extended meaning in familiar use roughly equivalent to "dear father".
It is a unique form that finds no parallel either in the OT or in Judaism, as an address to God.
Its use by Jesus shows how completely his view of God is divorced from any formal approach.
The "Abba" form conveys a sense of intimacy and familiarity which introduced an entirely new factor in man’s approach to God.” (New Testament Theology - D Guthrie)
Understanding the term “Abba” is I think the key to understanding the Lord’s prayer.
I have a friend, Brian Parker who refers to praying as "Let’s go and talk Father".
3. The implications of Abba
So what implications does this that have for us?
I would like to suggest that the rest of the Lord’s prayer shows us some implications:
3.1 Respect (Hallowed be Thy Name)
The first implication to God being “our Father” is the need for us to have respect.
Probably the greatest problem we have in society nowadays in the Western world is the loss of respect.
Respect for people, respect for other people’ property. As Christians, Jesus calls us to respect God
We will respect Him as the Lord’s prayer says:
Hallowed be your name
Although we have a father-son relationship with God, we need to have respect for him.
Just as a good father is revered by his children, so God is to be revered.
3.2 Obedience (Thy Will be done)
The second implication is that we will obey Him
As it says in the Lord’s prayer:
Thy will be done.
Jesus said:
"If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. (John 14:23)
As Christians we have an awesome responsibility to do his will!
We shouldl want to do his will but we often fail – because perhaps we fail to realise that he has our best in mind or because we want our own selfish ways.
3.3 God’s provision for us (Give us this day our daily bread)
The third implication in the relationship we have with God as “our Father” is his provison for our needs.
A good father provides for his children.
Jesus said: “ If you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him (Mt 7:11)
Note God gives only good gifts – and he will say NO if it is not good for us or not in his will for us.
The Lord’s prayer reminds us of this with the words:
Give us this day our daily bread.
3.4 Forgive us our sins as we forgive others
The fourth implication is that if we relate to God as our heavenly Father – then – as his children we need to have heart that is open to forgive.
St Paul wrote: “ God demonstrated his own love for us in this “ While we were still sinners Christ died for us”.
Jesus taught us to love our enemies – quite a challenge
3.5 And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the Evil One
The fifth implication of God being Our Father is that he looks after us
Does God tempt us – perhaps a better translation is : “Do not lead us to a time of testing.”
God does allow us to be tested – even Jesus was tempted.
David didn’t sin when he first looked at Bathsheba when she was naked – he sinned when he took a second look – the sin of the second glance (2 Sam 11)
There is no sin in being tempted the first time – there is sin in the second glance.
James in his epistle writes this:
“ Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4)
If God is our heavenly Father, who better to turn to to help us resist evil – and we are all prone to evil – even the most saintly of us.
St Paul writes:
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the powers of this dark world and the spiritual evil forces in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armour of God (Eph 6:12-13)
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds iof praywers and requests. With this in mind be alert and always praying for all the saints (Eph 6: 18).
4. Conclusion:
I think one of the things that attracted people to Jesus was his ability to put the things of God so simply.
In the Lord’s prayer, he showed us how simple our relationship with God is.
God cares for us like a good Dad does.
When you next pray the Lord’s Prayer can I suggest you think: Our Dad who is in heaven.
It might just give you a different perspective of the Lord’s prayer.
Come to think of it, it might even give you a different perspective on your relationship with God himself.
