Today we will continue our study on the Lord's Prayer. We have learned the first three petitions which relate to God. Jesus teaches us that prayer, first of all, is about God, about honoring His Name, His Kingdom, and His will. That is the essence of Christian prayer. We pray, not merely for our needs but for glorifying God, letting Him control our lives and accepting His will. Sadly, today many Christians focus their prayers on the fulfillment of their physical and emotional needs. They even believe that we have a right to demand things from God because we are His children. John Piper said: "That isn't the point of prayer, at all. We are to give God the privilege and opportunity of revealing His glory through the meeting of the deepest of human needs. But it is because we want God to be on display, not because we make demands on Him for our benefit. If prayer becomes man-centered, if prayer becomes self-centered, if prayer becomes selfish in any sense, it ceases to be the kind of prayer our Lord said should be characteristic of His kingdom. And yet so many people approach God that way." The Lord's Prayer teaches us to put God first. When we do that, Jesus promises this "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matt 6:33).
Today we will learn the fourth petition of the prayer. Let's read verse 11: "Give us today our daily bread." This petition sounds like a prayer of a low-income family. How many of us still pray this kind of prayer? Probably no one. Look at our refrigerator and freezer! They are usually full of a lot of food that we store (now maybe less and less because of the stay-at-home order). No one here is poor. We always have something to eat. Illus.: In Indonesia, there is a joke: The poor family asks, "Can we eat today?" The average family asks, "What do we eat today?" The wealthy family asks, "Where will we eat today (or which restaurant)?" The conglomerate asks, "Who will we 'eat' today?"
What does Jesus try to teach us by giving this prayer? Let's check the words in this verse. "Give" doesn't mean we do nothing and expect God to bring the manna from heaven. The Bible teaches us to work, to be diligent like the ant. Apostle Paul even says, "if a man doesn't work, he doesn't eat!" (2 Thess 3:10). By teaching "Give us this day our daily bread," Jesus teaches us to depend on God to meet our physical needs. In other words, we say, "God, I know I have to work. But I need Your help, Your strength, and Your blessing because without You I can do nothing!" The psalmist says, "It is vain for you to rise up early, To sit up late, To eat the bread of sorrows; For so He gives His beloved sleep." (Psalm 127:2).
“Give us ...,” not “Give me ...” Jesus reminds us of the needs of other people too. We live in a “me or self-center” world where everything is about me, my condition, or my family’s need or my interest. The Bible teaches us to think about others, be generous, and help those in need. Illus.: This man (on the PowerPoint), Steven Indra Wibowo, just sold all of his assets, almost 1 million US dollars, and donated them to handle the Covid-19. He may do that to gain favor from God as part of Islam’s belief to attain salvation. But how many Christians or those who have received salvation from Christ would be willing to do that? The early Christians sold their property to help others. But today, even giving the ten percent of their income or doing “tithe” is a burden for some Christians. May God help us to be a blessing for others. Illus.: For years, the church that I served in Indonesia gives a hundred free lunch boxes every Thursday as part of their witness to care for others in need. Almost all of them who received lunch are Muslims.
“Give us today,” not this year. We like to pray at the beginning of the new year, saying, “Bless us this year, God!” But Jesus teaches us to rely on God every day. Every day we should come to our Father to meet our needs. We also should live one day at a time. We walk with the Lord one at a time. Jesus in verse 34 says, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
“Give us today our daily bread.” “Daily,” not monthly or weekly. Indonesian Bible translates, “Give us today food that is enough for today.” We must depend on him daily for support. Jesus teaches us to avoid greed. Illus.: Statistics and Research: What are you willing to do for $10,000,000?" Two-thirds of Americans polled would agree to at least one, some to several of the following:
Would abandon their entire family (25%)
Would leave their church (25%)
Would become prostitutes for a week or more (23%)
Would give up their American citizenships (16%)
Would leave their spouses (16%)
Would withhold testimony and let a murderer go free (10%)
Would kill a stranger (7%)
Would put their children up for adoption (3%)
(James Patterson and Peter Kim, "The Day America Told the Truth," 1991.)
“Give us today our daily bread.” Adam Clarke says, “Bread, sufficient for our substance and support, i.e., That quantity of food which is necessary to support our health and strength, by being changed into the substance of our bodies.” So “Give us this day our daily bread” is talking about the physical needs. Our heavenly Father is a very caring God. He knows and cares about our physical needs. John Piper: ”It thrills me to know that God, the God who is the God of infinite celestial epochs, God who is the God of space, God who is the God beyond time, the God of eternity, God who is the infinitely holy God of the universe who holds all the whirling worlds, and the spinning stars in the palm of His hand. That same God cares that my physical needs are met. That same God is concerned with the fact that I have a meal to eat, clothes to wear, and a place to rest. It thrills me that that God, that infinite, eternal God, has come to earth in terms of His caring love, and is concerned that the needs of my life in a physical way, and your life, be met. And He even sets certain conditions for them being met.”
Martin Luther saw “bread” is not just our need for food but things that we need to support our lives on earth. He said: “Everything necessary for the preservation of this life is bread, including food, a healthy body, good weather, house, home, wife, children, good government, peace.” He saw all of the physical elements of life, the necessities, but not the luxuries of life. I don’t think that we can ask God for the luxuries of life-based on this verse, but the essentials. He chooses to give us by way of luxury is at His gracious hand. But He promises to provide us with the necessities. You remember back in Proverbs chapter 30 that was written by Agur? In verses 8b and 9, he says, “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.” I think that’s the heart of this. It isn’t self-seeking, it gives me more and more and more and more.
It’s just saying, Lord, give me what I need. So that the essence of the prayer is an affirmation that all our substance comes from God. It says, “God, I want to let You know that I realize You are the source of my life, my food, my shelter, my clothing.”
