Luke 11:1-13
March 2nd 2008
The original text for today was about the blind man who receives his sight. It is a story about our spiritual blindness. I realize Lent is a time of struggle, but I am worn out preaching what I call fire and brimstone sermons. Sure we need to hear about our spiritual lack of sight, but not today, maybe next week.
When praying what to do about this text, I thought to myself, “Self how about a message on prayer. So that is what you have—a focus upon prayer throughout our sweet hour of worship. I remember when I first considered going into seminary. I would get these cold sweats when I would think about praying in front of all you people. Why in the world God would you ever want the likes of me as a pastor? I can’t pray!
Sure I can pray on Sundays with a script laid out in front of me, or give me a little time to prepare, so I can write something down, OK. But up until very recently if you threw me in front of a hospital bed with someone sick, scared, or dying, ask me spontaneously to say grace, and I would still get these cold sweats.
So you see, I can relate to the disciple’s request of our Lord and Savior when they asked him, “Lord, teach us to pray.”
What I found fascinating about this text is that the disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray, but Jesus does not give them magical words to say. Instead, Jesus teaches them about the nature of the one to whom they pray. This short gospel reading begins and ends emphasizing that we can pray to God as to a heavenly Father. Jesus’ teaching assure us that prayer is effective not because of the way we kneel or fold our hands, or because we have found the right words, but because of God’s nature as a Father who loves us as children and wants to give us what we need.
Speaking of Daddies and children. Do you realize that I have the best behaved children in the world? That is, as long as nobody else is around them. Well, one day when somebody was around, our oldest Lindsey was misbehaving. Sandy and I, I feel are strict disciplinarians, so we sent little Lindsey off to her room to think about what she had done.
When supper time came Lindsey had this sad pitiful look on her face. In our house we have this ritual of everybody saying prayers before we eat, and I tell you these children of mine are hilarious when it comes supper time prayers. Sometimes they even fight over who’s going to pray first. I think God may love that kind of enthusiasm, maybe without the fighting. Well anyway, Lindsey our oldest usually has a new prayer she has learned from girl scout, camp or whatever. These prayers carry all the hand motions and gyrations of a normal 9 year old. Noah our 7 year old says his prays so fast if you blink you’ll miss it, and little Kaylee feels she must sing ever prayer.
Well on this particular evening, Lindsey, the one who has been punished doesn’t do one of her normal up beat fancy motion prayer, she simply bows her little head and say, “Dear Father, I thank you for preparing a table before me in the presence of mine enemies, Amen!”
Out of the mouth of children. Bold and from the heart!
I think that statement may summarize our readings for today. “Out of the mouth of children. Bold and from the heart.”
Because of my study and reading about this biblical model of prayer in Luke, I am going to take a slightly different approach from some of the traditional understandings, of down on our knees, hat in hand, begging for mercy approach to prayer. Both of our readings point us in a different direction. Out of the mouth of children. Bold and from the heart!
Let’s first take a glance at the Old Testament lesson. Can you believe the nerve of that man Abraham? Abraham actually has the gall to haggle with God the Almighty. No shyness here on Abraham’s part. Let’s read part of that text. “God, will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are 50 righteous with the city; will you then sweep away the place and not forgive it for the 50 righteous who are in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” And the Lord said, “If I find at Sodom 50 righteous in the city, I will forgive the whole place for their sake.”
Hey, but Abraham’s not done. He continues this bold negotiation with the Almighty. How about 40, 30, 20, 10. And each time the Lord God responds to Abraham’s bold request.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying for a minute that prayer is some sure fire way of getting what you desire. And I tend to get very angry with those who claim that one needs to pray harder, more sincerely, or more frequently to get God to answer those prayers.
No! I don’t believe God is some side order cook, cooking up fancy dishes for our daily appetites. Yet, in the same breath, the story of Abraham negotiating with God, shows us a text in which it seems that our options are open. The terms of our life are negotiable by virtue of our praying.
So lets get back to the gospel. Jesus in teaching his disciples begins with some amazingly bold words. “FATHER!” Now that’s bold! What gives us the audacity to address the Creator of all there is with such an intimate address? Because Jesus teaches us to pray in this manner. Jesus gives us permission to call God, Daddy!
Try that sometime. Try approaching your pray life with Daddy. I have, and to tell you the truth I seem to feel a type of closeness and ease when I begin to pray.
The Apostle Paul in Galatians 4:6 writes “And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba!” In Aramaic means Daddy.
Jesus wants us to come to God with same confidence and attitudes as we would approach a loving parent, certain that we are welcome and our desires will be heard. No matter what we ask. In teaching us the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus invites us to have this intimate relationship to God when we pray.
For so long I felt that the only way I should bother God was if there was something really urgent. I also felt like I had to approach the Almighty with my hands folded and eyes down. Almost making it seem like I was approaching some tyrant who might take my head off if I said something wrong.
But if we listen to what the Old Testament says, to what Jesus has to say, and what Paul has to say, regarding our relationship to God as a loving parent; What parent do you know would have their children crawl on their hands and knees begging for a favor? Jesus tells us No! God is your Father, and you are Father’s child.
Stay with me now! One of the amazing things that I discovered when studying this text, is that in the Greek this entire model of prayer given to us by Jesus is in the imperative. That’s right! The model of the entire Lord’s Prayer is given in the imperative mood.
Listen up! Imperative mood by definition is that which expresses the will to influence the behavior of another, expressive of a command, an exhortation or an order.
I found this rather strange, so I did some more research and sure as shootin, in this text, it seems that Jesus teaches us to put clear demands before God, your Father, in the imperative mood.
Father! Holy be your name! Exclamation Point!
Your Kingdom come! Exclamation Point!
Give us what we need for today! Exclamation Point!
Forgive our sin, because we forgive everyone indebted to us! Exclamation Point!
And do not bring us to the time of trial or testing! Exclamation Point!
According to the Gospel of Luke. The Lord’s Prayer is not a request. It is an imperative!
But what happened to the way I was brought up? You didn’t want to push God. I had no right to stand before the Almighty Creator. So I came in shame and I tried to butter up the divine Ego before I dared asked any favors. But is that the true relationship of a child and a good parent?
If we read on in today’s text we continue to see a boldness in prayer expected from God’s children. Jesus tells us a story about a man awaken in the middle of the night by a friend, requesting that he wake up and basically wake up his entire family, and bake him some bread. But the sleepy poor soul says, go away, don’t bother me.
But the midnight intruder will not go away, and continues to bang on the door. The friend has no other choice but to get up and do what his friend wishes, if for no other reason than to get rid of the nuisance at his door.
Now that’s what I call a bold friend. Don’t you think?
Then Jesus follows up to say, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.
Are you starting to see a pattern in the text here? Out of the mouths of children! Bold and from the heart!
Yes, most definitely Prayer is a privilege. But the way Jesus presents it to us today it seems to be a privilege for those bold enough who come into the presence of their heavenly Dad and approach the throne of Grace with confidence and faith, knowing that their prayers will be heard and answered.
I realize that sometimes it doesn’t always seem that way. But Jesus promises our prayer are most definitely heard and answered. Sometimes it may be wait, sometimes it may be yes, sometimes it may be no. But they will be answered and we need to trust that the knowledge and will of our Loving God is enough.
My son Noah came to me just last week and said, “Hey Dad! You remember when you promised then when you get a church and we get our own house, I could get a pet? Yea? I remember. “Well, Dad I know exactly what I want? I want a python! I could keep in my room and raise mice for it to eat! OK? Dad! OK?
I heard my son’s request, and as a loving father it didn’t take me very long to answer Noah. NO! Absolutely Not! I tried giving my reasons why, but to my little Noah it simply became an unanswered request.
Jesus finishes up today’s lesson by telling us. Hey, you parents out there. If your child asks for a pet, are you going to give him or her a 12’ python? No! Right? So if you who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, think about this for a moment, how much more will your Daddy in heaven give to those who simply ask.
Jesus wants us to have a heavenly relationship with our heavenly Daddy. And chooses to share this knowledge with us today, through the Holy Scriptures. First, through a passage of the Old Testament where we see good ole Abe negotiating with God.
Then through the words of Luke, in which Jesus teaches us a prayer where we should make our demands as to a loving Daddy, and continues this theme in the story of the pesty friend, the command to ask, search, and knock, and finally Jesus ends his teaching, reminding us once again to think of God as our Father--one who knows how to give nothing but good gifts, more so than any earthly parent.
Out of the mouth of Children! Bold and from the Heart!
The only way to end this message is by saying Thank You! Daddy!
Amen.
