We all know it. We\u2019ve all heard it, we\u2019ve most likely prayed it, and perhaps we\u2019ve even sung it.<\/p>\n
The Lord\u2019s Prayer. The one Jesus himself taught us to pray. It\u2019s straight from the Master. How can we not do what he says? Since this is a Jesus prayer, we might be reluctant to admit we\u2019re not especially thrilled with it.<\/p>\n
But let\u2019s admit it. At this point it can seem so . . . what? Mundane? Common? Safe?<\/p>\n
Maybe there\u2019s more to our lethargy with this prayer than simple overexposure. Maybe we\u2019re verging on boredom with it because we haven\u2019t captured the heart of it. And maybe this is because we haven\u2019t focused on the context in which we first received it.<\/p>\n What context?<\/p>\n It\u2019s easy to forget that this was prayer was introduced to the church by being embedded in two of our Gospels\u2014Matthew\u2019s and Luke\u2019s. We don\u2019t have space to explore both settings (or even one in any detail), but we\u2019ll look more closely at Luke\u2019s version in light of his Gospel\u2019s bigger project.<\/p>\n The purpose here is to briefly set forth the kind of difference reading the Bible in context can make. In this case, we\u2019ll see that there\u2019s a whole lot more going on with the Lord\u2019s Prayer than we\u2019ve known.<\/p>\n Luke gives us the shorter, compact version of Jesus\u2019 prayer, generally rendered along these lines in modern translations:<\/p>\n Father,<\/strong> Crucially, Luke tells the story of Jesus in light of Israel\u2019s bigger history with God. Jesus is fully embedded in Israel\u2019s first-century context, announcing the arrival of God\u2019s long-standing purposes for his people. In a fascinating passage that occurs just a little before Jesus teaches his disciples this prayer, we read that Jesus himself went up on a mountain to pray. Then this happens:<\/p>\n As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his exodus, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n His exodus<\/em>? Yes, this is one way Luke signals that the entire mission of Jesus was conceived in terms of a fresh Exodus experience for God\u2019s people. This is precisely what the prophets had foretold. God would again come down and act decisively for his people\u2019s liberation. God\u2019s great new act of redemption would follow the pattern of the previous one. Biblical scholar Brant Pitre has written: \u201cEach line of the prayer is rooted in the language and imagery of the Scriptures of Israel and in the prophetic hope for a new Exodus.\u201d1<\/sup> When we take a closer look at the Lord\u2019s Prayer in the larger context of the Bible\u2019s whole story, we find that it moves from being somewhat abstract and tame to bold and even risky.<\/p>\n When we take a closer look at the Lord\u2019s Prayer in the larger context of the Bible\u2019s whole story, we find that it moves from being somewhat abstract and tame to bold and even risky.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Jesus is telling his disciples to urgently plead with God to bring this promised, future New Exodus. And to do it right now. In short, pray in the future<\/strong>. Tell God to free his people, bring them home, and establish his kingdom fully right here on earth.<\/p>\n Reading the prayer of Jesus in context recognizes all this:<\/p>\n \u2022 The Exodus was the first time God called Israel his son, and became Israel\u2019s Father. Israel had been praying for centuries for all this to happen again. But Jesus told his closest followers and mission partners to pray for God to do it all right now, through the work of the Messiah. And then Jesus went out and did the work. He fought the great battle and brought us the New Exodus, freeing us from God\u2019s biggest, baddest enemies\u2014sin and death.<\/p>\n When read in this light, the prayer and its urgent Greek imperatives go more like this:<\/p>\n Father,<\/strong> The early church brilliantly connected the Lord\u2019s Prayer directly to its observance of the Lord\u2019s Supper. A New Exodus prayer right before a New Exodus Passover meal. Those early followers of Jesus also routinely introduced the prayer with the words, \u201cWe make bold to pray.\u201d<\/p>\n Who are we to tell God what to do? It may be that we shouldn\u2019t even have the nerve to pray this way, to demand that God act decisively right now to finish his work of the world\u2019s redemption in and through Jesus. Except that Jesus himself told us to have the nerve.<\/p>\n So go ahead and pray that bold prayer in all its glorious biblical context. The way Jesus taught us.<\/p>\n 1<\/sup>See his article The Lord\u2019s Prayer and the New Exodus<\/a><\/em> for a detailed exploration of all the connections<\/p>\n Find out more about the Institute for Bible Reading<\/a><\/p>\n![\"ygjyfwmec68-david-beale\"](\"http:\/\/www.nltblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/ygjyfwmec68-david-beale-300x200.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nFitting Jesus\u2019 Prayer into his Mission<\/h2>\n
\nhallowed be your name,<\/strong>
\nyour kingdom come.<\/strong>
\nGive us each day our daily bread.<\/strong>
\nForgive us our sins,<\/strong>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.<\/strong>
\nAnd lead us not into temptation.<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\u2022 The Exodus is when Pharaoh asked, \u201cWho is Yahweh that I should obey him and let Israel go?\u201d So God showed up and made his name holy, known among the nations.
\n\u2022 . . . when God brought his power and reign to earth to rescue his people.
\n\u2022 . . . when God brought his people daily bread in the wilderness.
\n\u2022 . . . when God forgave his people and revealed the Jubilee when all debts would be forgiven.
\n\u2022 . . . and when the time of great trial or testing came right before the great redemption.<\/p>\n![\"bible,](\"http:\/\/www.nltblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Prayer-Bible-300x200.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n
\nMake your name holy.<\/strong>
\nBring your kingdom.<\/strong>
\nGive us today our daily bread.<\/strong>
\nForgive us our sins,<\/strong>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 for we also forgive everyone indebted to us.<\/strong>
\nDo not bring us to the time of trial.<\/strong><\/p>\n