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The Lord's Prayer - - - Part Two |
| Matthew
6:5-15 |
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| A
Four-Part Teaching By Pastor Paul Sundell, IMF Coordinator of Missions Field Services |
The last time I shared, we started out in considering what we call the Lord’s Prayer. I pointed out then that first the Lord warned us of certain dangers to be avoided. Then he proceeded in the positive to give us in skeleton form a prayer that, even in its brevity, is all-inclusive.
Also, I pointed out that by its very nature, prayer is the highest activity of the human soul. Man is at his greatest and highest when he comes face to face with God. That kind of personal encounter is life-changing. We do well, not simply to repeat this prayer as Jesus gave it, but to ponder all its implications.
Jesus said, “Pray, then, in this way…”
“Our Father who art in heaven…” You will note that you do not find “I,” “me,” or “my” in this prayer. But we do find “we,” “us,” and “our” nine times. In other words, we are so united in family ties to all Christians that our approach to God is as one who is vitally a part and member of the family of God. “Our Father!”---not yours, not mine, but ours together. It really puts us all on an even plane.
“Our Father…” That is the exclusive prerogative of those who are “in Christ.” Yes, God is in one sense the Father of all men in that He has created us all. But in its general Scripture use in a redemptive sense, God is the Father not of all, but of some. So then this prayer is uniquely for believers in the Lord Jesus Christ---I John 3:10 makes a clear distinction. Apart from Christ, no one can come to the Father (Jo. 14:6). I believe I have to agree with Lloyd-Jones when he says, “The essence of true prayer is found in these two words, Our Father.” It’s the realization of our relationship to God. A person may say, “Our Father,” but the question is, is he conscious of it, does he believe it and experience it? The ultimate test of every person’s profession is that he/she can say with confidence and assurance, “My Father, My God.”
Do you see what this does to prayer when you start out this way? It’s to realize the relationship we have as a child of God because of what He has done for each of us. It gives us a sense of intimacy, nearness, a bond. This is what makes possible the expression that comes from deep within our hearts, “Abba, Father.”
Alas, many have no real notion of all this! Imagine the little boy (and I am sure there are many like this) who is the son of a father who is a drunkard and wife-beater, and who is nothing but a cruel beast. That little boy knows nothing in life but constant and undeserved thrashings and kicking. He sees his father spend all his money on himself and lust, while he himself has to starve. That is his idea of fatherhood. If you tell him that God is his Father, and leave it at that, it is not very helpful nor is it very kind. The poor boy of necessity has a wrong idea of fatherhood. That is his notion of a father, a man who behaves like that. That’s why a lot of folk need help to understand God.
“Father!” Think of it. That is one way that God has chosen to reveal Himself to us in order that we might have a better comprehension of whom and what He is. He is Father in the truest, purest sense of the word. This is not some kind of business relationship. This IS a family relationship. How pungent with meaning are those words of the psalmist in Psalm 103, “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him.” “Like as a father…” That’s what God is! He wants to be known that way to all who are His.
Not only does “Father” express our approach to God and how we can view Him, but it also expresses something from God’s side. There is in that name immanence and transcendence, condescension and majesty. “Our Father” indicates His nearness. He is near to all his children, infinitely near. Thus it is with confidence that we approach the Father’s throne, to make all our wants and wishes known. While we come with a deep sense of His awesomeness, yet, at the same time, we come full of confidence that He is a “Father” who deeply loves His children. It is not without significance that Paul talks about “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” That is the kind of Father we have reminding us of His majesty and of His greatness and of His almighty power.
Yes, He is the Father in heaven. Paul spoke of the 3 heavens: the 1st heaven being the atmosphere of our world, the clouds and sky; the 2nd being the celestial heavens, or planets and galaxies; and the 3rd heaven being the place of God’s dwelling. When Jesus reminds us of His exalted place, it is to show His power and sovereign right to answer our requests. Paul was “caught up to the 3rd heaven” where he saw things utterly indescribable, the place of God’s throne and the home of angels.
But think of this, if heaven is where “Our Father” is, then indeed that must be the home of His children, that we are but pilgrims here below and that our real home is to be where He is. And it comes to my mind that it was Jesus himself who prayed the Father that WE might be where HE is (Jo. 17).
When
you Pray, Say “Our Father!”
†
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