After Jesus’ lecture about how to have a religious practice that is for God’s will, and not ours, he continues with what we’ve come to know as the Lord’s Prayer. Not only are we expected to fast and serve without tooting our own horn, or pray in public so others can see, Jesus explains precisely what the prayer should contain.
The summary version is that it should include acknowledgement that God is the god of all of us, that we should do everything to keep God’s name good, that we want God’s will, not ours. And God’s Kingdom, not ours. Pray that God will give us what we need today, without us worrying about yesterday or tomorrow. That we pray that God’s will and kingdom can be here on earth. We are to forgive others, as God forgives us, both our debts and sins. And that if trials are too big, we will be spared.
This prayer has it all, a slightly longer version of Jesus’ two commandments – Love God. Love your neighbor. It also includes some specific ways to pray to God to help us do that. In the effort to Love God, we pray that God’s will and kingdom are better than ours, and that we want to see those kingdoms here on earth. That we trust God to give us what we need today. And we are to pray that God will spare us from trials too great. In support of Loving Neighbor, we are to see God’s kingdom on earth – a kingdom of love. And we are to forgive others, both what they owe us, and when they’ve sinned.
Of all that is included in the Lord’s Prayer, I generally gravitate towards the part about giving us today our daily bread. I seemingly always need reminding that God will provide today, and that I shouldn’t worry about tomorrow. It reminds me of the Israelites wandering in the desert, getting manna from heaven and trying to collect it for the next day. When they did, it rotted overnight. Trust that today I’ll get what I need today. Nothing more, and nothing less. If for no other reason, this is one reason I gratefully pray the Lord’s Prayer daily. I need reminding of this daily.
But this morning, I’m thinking about what’s not included in what we recite what’s been come to be known as the Lord’s Prayer. In this version from Matthew, after the bit about forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, Jesus continues, that if we do not forgive others, neither will God forgive us. Ouch. I can see why this sentence has been omitted from our sanitized version of the Lord’s Prayer. It’s sounds petty and vindictive. God’s forgiveness is contingent upon ours.
I’m thinking this isn’t so much about contingency as it is our own sense of peace and connection with God. It’s hard to feel the full weight and power of God’s love and forgiveness if we are holding grudges. Today, I’m not sure what to do with this little bit of Scripture. It will make me more thoughtful when I pray the Lord’s Prayer that it’s not always sunshine and rainbows. There’s always the potential that by my actions, I will not receive God’s full measure of grace and love.
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