The Lord’s Prayer - An Interpretation

 

When disciples approached Jesus to teach them to pray, he gave them a model prayer, famously known as the Lord’s prayer. While it teaches us how to pray, it provides a deep insight into the mind of Jesus. It uncovers the enduring intimacy between the son and the father. More importantly, it verily defines how the relationship between man and his creator God should be.

Jesus begins by calling out to his father “Our Father in Heaven”. This expression is an acknowledgement of the highest order as to who God the Father is, where he dwells and why he is. All living and non-living things have all their origin from heaven. They have their being in him (Rom 17:28).  While on earth, Jesus could not but acknowledge how exalted the heaven is, which is the throne of God, the seat of all creations, the source of all life. Men of earth marvels at the wonders of the earth whereas the Son marvels at the heaven itself. What is earth after all for one who descended from heaven. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are the thoughts and ways of Jesus, the Son of heaven. He is least impressed by the little glories of earth. His eyes are set on heaven where he would be seated on the right hand of the Father one day. Did Jesus miss heaven on earth? No, not really.  He was too heaven minded. He had his eyes fixed on eternity. The temporal had no hold on him which is meant to fade away on the appointed day.

Jesus continues, “hallowed be thy name”. How adorable and honorable is God the father who spoke things into existence from nothingness. The grand cosmos was borne out of the will of the Father. While on earth, Jesus surrenders to the greatness of his father who alone knows when the beginning be as well as the end. The enduring intimacy between the Son and the Father bloomed into an expression of utmost reverence, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be thy name”.  

The prayer ascends to a higher level of sudden purposefulness, “Thy kingdom come / Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” – Heaven is God’s throne and earth is his footstool (Is 66:1). Jesus descended from heaven to redeem the world from the grip of satan and establish God’s will. Every move he made, every word he spoke and every step he took was meant to build God’s kingdom on earth. Here is a divine mission statement stemming out of the sole purpose of his life. It remains a mission for every believer and through his grace we shall prayerfully carry out this purpose on earth.

“Give us this day our daily bread” –Jesus said that his nourishment comes from doing the will of God (John 4:34). He resisted the devil in the wilderness vehemently who tempted him to choose the physical bread by stating that man lives not by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God (Mathew 4:4). While physical food is of some value, spiritual food is of far greater significance. While we need daily food, we must strive to seek the living bread to build the spirit man daily. It is the Spirit which gives life, so spiritual food is of far greater value. Eventually Jesus himself became the living bread that came down from heaven (John 6:51). Whoever eats this bread will live forever (John 6:51). This appeal has already been answered.

“Forgive our sins as we forgive those who sin against us” – Jesus did not ask for forgiveness without applying the same condition on himself. He forgave those who brutally crucified him. Hence he called out to the father saying, forgive them for they know not what they do (Luke 23:34). Later on he reinstated this principle saying, “when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins” (Mark 11:25). Forgivers will be forgiven. A forgiven heart is a fertile land for Gods kingdom to flourish.

“Lead us not into temptation and deliver us from the evil” – The cross has delivered us from the devil. With the resurrection of Jesus, we have been delivered from death and devil. Satan is a defeated foe. The knowledge of this truth is crucial for our daily victory over temptation. God has already acted upon this prayer. We must avail its benefits now.

“For thine is the Kingdom, Power, Glory forever and ever. Amen.” – The prayer begins and ends with reverential worship. Let every prayer from earth begin and end in worship. He supplies all our needs at all times (Phil4:19). Let this confidence fill us with words of worship, words which would acknowledge God's supremacy just as Jesus did.

 

Prakash T John

#The Lords Prayer /