Today's Scripture Reading (November 23, 2023): Malachi 1
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus
teaches his disciples many things. One filmmaker has even imagined this sermon
in a non-traditional setting, not as a traditional sermon where the teacher
addresses those who have gathered to listen to him, but that he taught the sermon's
lesson to his followers as he walked among the people, ministering to them. The
creative license of the filmmaker is in opposition to what Matthew describes as
the setting of the sermon; "Now when Jesus saw the
crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them" (Matthew 5:1-2a). However, the film
offers an exciting setting and a reason for the many topics that Jesus's sermon
covers.
One of the topics covered was an explanation of
prayer. And in the process of describing prayer, Jesus offers an example of
prayer. We know of this example as "The Lord's Prayer," but the name
isn't really accurate. We really only have one Lord's Prayer, a prayer that Jesus
actually prayed, and you can find that prayer in John 17. But the prayer, which
forms part of the "Sermon on the Mount," is really "The Disciple's
Prayer," it is an example of how we, as his disciples, should pray. The
traditional form of this is prayer says,
Our
Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy
kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give
us this day our daily bread.
And
forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from
evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen
(Matthew 6:9b-13).
Most of us have prayed the prayer, but there is a
problem that many Christians have experienced with the prayer, and that problem
is in the opening words that Jesus taught us to pray: Our Father. Father is a loaded
word in Western culture. For some of us, our earthly Fathers have not done well
in their paternal roles. I admit that there are many things that I would do
differently if I could have a do-over as a Father, changes I am trying to make
as I interact with my grandchildren. But this phrase is an obstacle for some
who have never experienced a good father. They have never had a good father,
and so it becomes hard to imagine God as a Father.
But there is also a responsibility on our part as the
ones praying the prayer to understand the words we pray. For those of us who
have experienced good fathers, there is a respect that we feel our fathers have
earned from us. My father has been a steady influence throughout my life. His
steadying hand has benefited me in the various stages of life, and I still
value the phone calls and conversations I get to have with him. He has
well-earned my honor and respect.
Malachi argues that while we might call God "Father"
and "Master," that is not how we treat him. We refuse to give him the
respect and honor that we offer to our earthly fathers. So, if we refuse to provide
God with the respect we give our earthly fathers, maybe we should not call him
Father. If we refuse to obey him, perhaps we should not call him Master because
that is not who he really is in our lives.
Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Malachi
2
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