“Father . . .”

Luke 11:2-4

October 10, 2004

 

1.  Today begins a fairly short series of sermons on The Lord’s Prayer as we find it in Luke’s gospel.  Which means it is somewhat different from the way we say it every Sunday.  Our memorized version comes from Matthew’s gospel. Matthew’s gospel has tended to be the “Manual of Operations” for the Church through the ages, so we have learned his “Lord’s Prayer” and “Beatitudes,” even though Matthew has much shorter versions.  Both Matthew and Luke (sometimes Mark and rarely John) have the same basic words of Jesus, with some notable differences that reflect the memory and theology of the disciple who wrote it.

 

2.  We find The Lord’s prayer in Matthew in Chapters 5-7, which we call “The Sermon on the Mount.”  It’s part of the section instructing the disciples about prayer.  Jesus told his disciples not to pray “like the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others.  But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. . . Do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words.  Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask.” (Matthew 6:5-8)

 

3.  The Lord’s Prayer in Luke, though, reflects a very different situation.  We know from other gospels that there was some tension between the disciples of Jesus and the disciples of John the Baptizer.  Especially in 5^th chapter of Luke (verse 33) we find that the disciples of John prayed and fasted, but Jesus’ disciples ate and drank, for which they were soundly criticized by the pharisees.  I’m assuming that Jesus’ disciples felt uncomfortable being so different from everybody else, so they wanted Jesus to teach them to pray “like John taught his disciples.”  We don’t know exactly how John taught his disciples, but we can infer that their prayers were very public so everyone would see them.  We don’t know what Jesus’ disciples wanted in the way of instruction, but we do know that the prayer recorded in verses 2, 3, and 4 is what they got!

 

4.  The Lord’s Prayer is so familiar to us!  We know it by heart!  One of my preacher friends told about being asked to lead the Pledge of Allegiance at a Kiwanis meeting.  No problem!  He could do that!  So he asked everyone to stand and place their right hand over their heart.  He faced the flag and the words that came out of his mouth were not “I pledge allegiance.”  They were “Our Father, who art in heaven.”  We know the Lord’s Prayer so well that it springs immediately to our lips!  And we also say it so quickly that we seldom think about what each phrase really means.  I hope this series will make it more meaningful to us. 

 

5.  “Father, hallowed be your name.” is the way Luke wrote down The Lord’s Prayer begins.  Father was not the way people addressed God in those days.  The Scriptures Jesus knew (The Law and the Prophets) contain many names for God.  When God asked Moses to go rescue the people from slavery in Egypt, Moses wanted to know God’s name.   “What shall I say to people when they asked your name?”  “YHWH” God said.  YHWH means nothing to us, since it’s not our language—it wouldn’t instill awe the first time we heard it.  But to Moses it was a different story—it was the first person singular of the verb to be.  TO BE. The verb of life.  I am . . . you are . . . he, she, or it is.  In other words, God’s name is LIFE.  That name is so filled with holiness that they do not write it with vowels—only its consonants.  That name is so powerful the Hebrew people never let it pass over their lips.  Even now, anytime they see that word, they say something else:  Adonoi (Lord) or Elhohim (the plural of El which means God), or El Shaddi (God of the Mountains) or El B’rith (God of the Covenant).  The early people knew God by many names.

 

6.  In addition to names, there were images for God, too.  Even though God strictly forbade the making of images, people have needed something to use for comparison.  So when they wrote about God or talked about God, they compared:  God is like a mother bending down to feed her children; like a hen caring for her chicks; like an eagle to carries young birds on her wings; like a faithful husband forgiving an adulterous wife; like a shepherd tending his flock; like a mighty whirlwind; like a pillar of smoke during the day and a pillar of fire during the night.  And God is like a father.  There are only five places that liken God to a father in what we call the Old Testament, the “first” Testament.  To the ancient Hebrews, God was pretty remote.

 

7.  Imagining God as “Father” didn’t fit the Jewish notion of a remote God.  “Father” was much too familiar; but Jesus changed all that!  Jesus felt so close to God that “Father” is the word he chose to be the image—his own personal name or metaphor for God.  And that’s how he wanted his disciples to know God—not as someone remote and far away, but someone as close as breathing. 

 

8.  But that doesn’t mean we are to be “palsy-walsy” with God!  Not at all.  There is power in that name!  “Take off your shoes, Moses; you are standing on holy ground.”  God’s words to Moses left no doubt-- he needed to approach that burning bush with reverence.  So when Jesus taught his disciples to think of God as a father, he quickly reminded them “hallowed be Your name.”  Hallowed—holy—set apart from the ordinary, something we know well in daily life that is set apart for something very special. 

 

9.  We know our fathers pretty well, most of us.  And a good many of our fathers are models of unconditional love.  Not all of them, though.  Some are abusive; we learn only fear and shame from them.  If that is the case with your father, remember that Jesus did not equate God the Father with any abusive actions.  In fact, if you read on in the 11^th chapter of Luke you will find a short parable that reinforces this love.  “Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish?  Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion?  If you then, who don’t know what is good, if you who know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

 

10.  “Father, hallowed be Your name.”  At this point, the very best thing would be a powerful, moving story about the holiness of God.  That would “nail” this sermon; a good story would finish this sermon perfectly.  However, for me to find such a story was impossible this past week—my granddaughter’s emerging illness held my attention.  I could tell you how God has been present to Shelley and Ryan and little Jensen this week, but that would make me cry, I don’t want to start crying right now.

 

11.  So today it will be up to each one of you to finish this sermon for me.  What is your story?  How has the holiness of God, your “Father,” made a difference in your life?