Mona Lisa & The Lord's Prayer

[dave c]

HEALING SHELTER MINISTRIES #132a, Re-Written 25JUL09

The Disciples’ Prayer—Page One: Mona Lisa & The Lord’s Prayer

by rev dave c

Key Verses: Mat. 6:9, "This, then, is how you should pray: "`Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one (NIV).

Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Mona Lisa” is, without a doubt, the most widely recognized painting in the entire world. Legitimate reproductions and visual spoofs of that image are so pervasive, in fact, that we no longer really “see” the original art work for what it is—we merely recognize it as an icon of our culture. Let’s call this, “The Mona Lisa Syndrome.” In the same way, “The Lord’s Prayer” from Matthew 6:9-13 is one of the best known passages from the Bible. The problem with such familiarity, however, is that we are so familiar with these verses that we no longer really read them with increased understanding, we merely recognize them. Most Christians can recite The Lord’s Prayer while thinking about lunch and an afternoon nap.

Given that Jesus, Himself, gave us this prayer as a model for all of our prayers, it behooves us to carefully and lovingly study these verses individually and collectively with all our rational and spiritual focus. It is my hope that we will allow the Holy Spirit to breath new life into the reach and grasp of our faith by carefully studying these texts. In so doing, the Written Word becomes the Living Word.

The second problem with how we regard The Lord’s Prayer involves the need for us to think of it as “The Disciples’ Prayer.” If we are to call a Biblical prayer, The Lord’s Prayer, it should be John, Chapter 17, where Jesus, the Son of God, is personally speaking to His Father. This chapter is typically called “Christ’s High Holy Prayer.” If it has been a while since you read those verses, you might want to take a few minutes now to do so.

Obviously, the prayer in John 17 could only be prayed by Jesus. On the other hand, the prayer outlined in Matthew 6:9-13 is the prayer for all those who claim the name of Christ and who remain on this side of eternity. Luke 11:1-4 provides us a second version, One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples." He said to them, "When you pray, say: "`Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation'" (NIV). This prayer, in both the Matthew and Luke versions, is to be prayed by His disciples, in whom is the hope of resurrection—not by Him who has gone before us as a kind of first fruits.

Structurally, we should note that the first half of The Disciples’ Prayer (Mt 6:9&10) is comprised of three major points, all of which address the First Person of the Godhead. Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,... is an immediate recognition of God as our progenitor whose dwelling is a plane much higher than our own—both in locus and in the divine nature. ...Your kingdom come,… is the realization of the “kingdom of the earth” and the “kingdom of the air” being supplanted by the Kingdom of God as the unfolding of His plan for the ages. ...Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven… refers to the actualization of God’s presence in the temporal existence of humanity and His absolute dominion over all of His Creation.

The second half of this prayer (Mt 6:11-13) switches from praising and worshipping the Person of God the Father to three petitions as necessary conditions of our material, our rational, and our spiritual existence. Give us today our daily bread refers to our immediate and essential needs for mere survival. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors speaks of our need for relief from the burden of sin in both our human relationships and our relationship with God. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one is simultaneously a recognition that the Father does not tempt us, and a plea that His love stand between us and the evils of our own flesh, world systems, and Satan.

By first emphasizing our recognition and praise of God the Father for who He is, then approaching Him with our needs, Jesus is teaching us to pray in the spirit of Matthew 6:31-33, So do not worry, saying, `What shall we eat?' or `What shall we drink?' or `What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (NIV). Amen.