"Pray, then, in this way: 'Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead is into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.]"
Matthew 6:9-13
Last week, we discussed Christ's words leading up to this, the Model Prayer. His command was not to pray as the hypocrites; in other words, our prayer does not need to put on a show for God. Instead, we need to come honestly before Him.
In order to set an example, Jesus offered us these words. It's brevity and simplicity stand in direct contrast to that prayer of the hypocrites which Christ had previously described. Saint Cyprian (AD 200-258) left to us an excellent commentary on the Lord's Prayer, noting early on that "it [the Lord's Prayer] is a friendly and intimate prayer to beseech God with His own words, for the prayer of Christ to ascend to His ears" (chapter 3).
Notice, first, the familiarity of the Lord's prayer. Beginning with the words "Our Father," it assumes a close relationship between both the pray-er and God. Cyprian notes that we can only use these words because we have been adopted as sons through the work of Christ Himself; as such, we "ought to remember and to know that, when we speak of God, we ought to act as sons of God" (chapter 11). What a great privilege that we have to approach God in this manner, having been restored to relationship with Him. With this relationship in mind, we entreat "hallowed be Thy name." This can be interpreted both in general (let Your name be glorified) and specifically (let Your name be glorified in me), although the personal nature of the prayer does tend more towards the second.
"Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." The heaven/earth language that has been used thus far provides excellent imagery for us showing that, while we have a close relationship with the Father, we have not arrived. Instead, we are still struggling with sin, both internal and external. Addressing this struggle, Cyprian notes that "We seek also that God's kingdom be manifested in us" (chapter 13) and "That we may be able to do what God wishes" (chapter 14). What we seek through this is that our lives may reflect God in every way.
"Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." This bread, Cyprian notes, is both spiritual and carnal (chapter 18). He also offers a connection to the second sentence of this phrase: "After the subsistence of food the pardon of sin is also asked so that he who is fed by God may live in God, and so that not only the present and temporal life may be provided for but also the eternal" (chapter 22, emphasis mine). Carson recognizes this as well, acknowledging that these phrases "are linked in Greek by 'ands,' almost to say that life sustained by food is not enough" (172). This continues into the final petition: "And do not lead is into temptation, but deliver us from evil."1
In summation, this prayer is about reconciliation. It is, as the apostle Paul would say, about being "transformed by the renewing of your mind, [so] that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:2). Jesus gives us this model because He is the example. As the Incarnate God, He shows exactly what it means for us to live in right relationship to God the Father.
In order to set an example, Jesus offered us these words. It's brevity and simplicity stand in direct contrast to that prayer of the hypocrites which Christ had previously described. Saint Cyprian (AD 200-258) left to us an excellent commentary on the Lord's Prayer, noting early on that "it [the Lord's Prayer] is a friendly and intimate prayer to beseech God with His own words, for the prayer of Christ to ascend to His ears" (chapter 3).
Notice, first, the familiarity of the Lord's prayer. Beginning with the words "Our Father," it assumes a close relationship between both the pray-er and God. Cyprian notes that we can only use these words because we have been adopted as sons through the work of Christ Himself; as such, we "ought to remember and to know that, when we speak of God, we ought to act as sons of God" (chapter 11). What a great privilege that we have to approach God in this manner, having been restored to relationship with Him. With this relationship in mind, we entreat "hallowed be Thy name." This can be interpreted both in general (let Your name be glorified) and specifically (let Your name be glorified in me), although the personal nature of the prayer does tend more towards the second.
"Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." The heaven/earth language that has been used thus far provides excellent imagery for us showing that, while we have a close relationship with the Father, we have not arrived. Instead, we are still struggling with sin, both internal and external. Addressing this struggle, Cyprian notes that "We seek also that God's kingdom be manifested in us" (chapter 13) and "That we may be able to do what God wishes" (chapter 14). What we seek through this is that our lives may reflect God in every way.
"Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." This bread, Cyprian notes, is both spiritual and carnal (chapter 18). He also offers a connection to the second sentence of this phrase: "After the subsistence of food the pardon of sin is also asked so that he who is fed by God may live in God, and so that not only the present and temporal life may be provided for but also the eternal" (chapter 22, emphasis mine). Carson recognizes this as well, acknowledging that these phrases "are linked in Greek by 'ands,' almost to say that life sustained by food is not enough" (172). This continues into the final petition: "And do not lead is into temptation, but deliver us from evil."1
In summation, this prayer is about reconciliation. It is, as the apostle Paul would say, about being "transformed by the renewing of your mind, [so] that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:2). Jesus gives us this model because He is the example. As the Incarnate God, He shows exactly what it means for us to live in right relationship to God the Father.
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1 I have chosen not to address the concluding Doxology in this discussion, as it was a later addition. For reference, see Carson (174): "The doxology- 'for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen'- is found in various forms in many MSS. The diversity of what parts are attested is itself suspicious (for full discussion, cf. Metzger, Textual Commentary, pp. 16-7; cf. Hendriksen, pp. 337f); and the MS evidence is overwhelmingly in favor of omission- a point conceded by Davies (Setting, pp. 451-3), whose liturgical arguments for inclusion are not convincing."
Bibliography
"Cyprianus: The Lord's Prayer." Documenta Catholica Omnia. N.p., 2006. Web. 27 Oct 2014.
Gaebelein, Frank E., J. D. Douglas, D. A. Carson, Walter W. Wessel, and Walter L. Liefeld. The Expositor's Bible Commentary: With the New International Version of the Holy Bible. Vol. 8. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Pub. House, 1984. Print.
New American Standard Bible. La Habra, CA: Lockman Foundation, 1977. Kindle.
The Rev. William Hugh Clifford Frend. "Saint Cyprian (Christian Theologian and Bishop [died 258])." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.
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