And do not lead us into temptation Matthew 6:13 Lead Us – How are we supposed to understand this strange phrase? God doesn’t tempt anyone. The Bible is clear about that. God is holy. All that He does is holy. There is no possibility that He would ever entice anyone to sin. So, what can…
“and forgive us our debts as we also forgive our debtors” Matthew 6:12 As We Also – It’s such a well-known phrase that we don’t really pay close attention to its implications. It just runs off our lips like drinking from a hose. But there is something very important here; important because it is right…
“Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Matthew 6:12 Debts – There are only two critical terms in a debt: who and what. Without those two terms, the debt means nothing. So, let’s ask the obvious questions. In the Lord’s Prayer, whom do I owe and what do I owe? Since…
“Our bread, our daily bread, give us today.” Martin Luther’s translation of Matthew 6:11 Daily – I am indebted to Ernst Lohmeyer for his magnificent work The Lord’s Prayer. Much of his thought underscores our look at this model prayer. His untimely death robbed the world of a man of insight and scholarship. The book,…
Give us this day our daily bread. Matthew 6:11 Shifting Gears Bread – You can’t see it in English, but in Greek the emphasis on this part of the model prayer is not on the verb. It is on the noun – bread. In Greek, emphasis is determined by position in the sentence since there…
on earth, as it is in heaven Matthew 6:10 Earth/ Heaven – Startling! Uncomfortable! Of course, it isn’t for us because we are not saturated in the Hebrew Scriptures. But the disciples were. They would have expected “heaven and earth” not “earth and heaven.” Glance through the Old Testament and you will find the phrase…
Thy will be done Matthew 6:10 Will – “But how do I know what God’s will is?” Have you struggled with that question? I have – more often than not. I long to do His will, but knowing what He wants in any of the various gray areas of my life is not so easy…
Thy Kingdom come Matthew 6:10 Come – We’re not quite finished with this part of Yeshua’s example prayer. We discovered that this is not clock time. It’s God time. It’s kairos – the time when He fulfills His purposes . . the absolutely right time. Our awareness of His breaking into the world is essential…
Thy kingdom come Matthew 6:10 Come – We know that God’s Kingdom is not a physical place. The Greek word basileia is about reign and rule, not palaces and courtyards. God’s Kingdom is revealed wherever His servants and citizens live according to His government. But what does it mean to pray, “Your Kingdom come?” Hasn’t…
Hallowed be Thy Name. Matthew 6:9 Hallowed – Have you ever asked what it means to “hallow” His name? Our first intuition is that it must have something to do with honoring, like the second Commandment. But “hallow” is not a familiar word anymore. Perhaps is never was. Today we are left with this nebulous,…
