Jesus starts out teaching His disciples how they are to pray. I don't know if His intention was to have us memorize this particular prayer, I personally think it was a prayer designed in an order that puts our lives in perspective to our relationship with God. Nevertheless, I am okay with the this prayer being repeated in church services as it reminds us how we should pray and the fact this very prayer is a part of the Sacred Scripture
At the time of this declaration on prayer as taught by Jesus, the first two words changed the entire view of God and how we are to recognize Him. "Our Father" changed the course of Christian history and introduced God in a personal manner, instructing His disciples to now refer to God as "Our Father."
Father comes from the Greek word "pater", and in the Aramaic language which Jesus is thought to have spoke, the word father is pronounced "Abba." The opening words of this prayer Jesus is introducing also lends itself to another new and totally different train of thought. Jesus did not use "My", rather He chose "Our", leaving one to think we have equal access to this God of the universe just as Jesus has.
In the culture of Jesus during His time on earth, God was referred to much like we would the founding fathers of our nation. When I speak of men like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and even later like Abraham Lincoln, I think of men of this stature as fathers of our nation, but I don't think of them as personal fathers, like they are part of my family bloodlines. These opening words had to have a great effect on His disciples, particularly with the Aramaic word "Abba", which some have translated to be as a young child calling his earthly father "Daddy."
Yet, our English language is limited to translating words of other cultures and dialects, and when we hear the word "Daddy" in reference to "Abba" we get this visual of a full grown adult crying out to his/her Dad while in a playpen. This is absurd to me and lessens the value of what Jesus is attempting to convey.
Rather, Jesus focused on one thing during His time on earth, the conditions of our hearts. As Jesus begins this prayer with the words "Our Father," is He not relating this to a child's heart, in the sense a child is totally dependent, completely trusting, and in submission to the parents? As a child grows in a healthy relationship with his/her parents, the value of a Mom or Dad's opinion on things in life has potential to take precedence over their own thoughts and opinions.
In the Nicene Creed, a liturgical document recited in mainline protestant denominations, there is a phrase that reads: "the Son, Jesus Christ, is eternally begotten of the Father." As Christ Jesus opens this model prayer for His disciples to understand, "Our Father" conveys the message that their relationship to this God is not tied to a human event like a birthday. Instead, this opening address of God simply reiterates the thought this relationship between humanity and God has always been, designed to be so from the very beginning of time.
As Jesus continues this prayer and addresses God in this matter, He then states, " who art in Heaven." This leaves no doubt in my mind as to where Our Father resides.
John Calvin, an early founder of the Presbyterian church, wrote "...this is a clear statement that all things are subject to God's dominions, His power is throughout. Although the Father resides in Heaven, Heaven cannot contain Him." He refers to ll Chronicles 2:6 for a reference to his thought.
As I think about "Our Father who art in Heaven," I conclude Heaven is the place where all that is meant to be...simply are.
"Hallowed be Thy Name" are the next words Jesus chooses to use in describing how we are to pray. Hallow is defined as "to be set totally apart." Again, I think the English language is weak trying to explain the full meaning of this phrase. God is to be recognized as a power beyond any imagination with the gentleness and sensitivity of a loving father or mother. It becomes an almost opposite train of thought in the English language, God being all-powerful in this universe while at the same time we see Him as "Our Father."
This phrase conjures up in my own mind the idea God is limitless. When I consider for example the distance a star is from the earth, it is an almost infinite thought as to how far away a particular star really is. Yet, here by using this phrase it would seem Jesus is painting a mental picture that if we acknowledge Him as far above and set apart from anything else in life, this great God that we are encouraged to call Our Father desires to penetrate our hearts in the same depth as the distance a star is from the earth. I don't think there is a word in any English dictionary that can convey the thought there is no power that can contain the "All-Powerful One."
A passage of Scripture from the Amplified version reads like this:
" I have seen that everything human has its limits and end, no matter how extensive, noble, or excellent. But Your Commands, they are exceedingly broad and they extend without limits. Even the horizons cannot contain Your Commands!" Psalm 119:96
In today's world, the idea of fathers and mothers are often tainted with disappointment, bad experiences, abandonment, cruelties of various magnitudes, or some simply have never experienced having a real parent. Jesus had to know this, and knew we would have various thoughts as He began to teach His disciples how to pray.
Still, He taught this anyway!
"Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallow it be thy Name..." Does it do anything...for you?
At the time of this declaration on prayer as taught by Jesus, the first two words changed the entire view of God and how we are to recognize Him. "Our Father" changed the course of Christian history and introduced God in a personal manner, instructing His disciples to now refer to God as "Our Father."
Father comes from the Greek word "pater", and in the Aramaic language which Jesus is thought to have spoke, the word father is pronounced "Abba." The opening words of this prayer Jesus is introducing also lends itself to another new and totally different train of thought. Jesus did not use "My", rather He chose "Our", leaving one to think we have equal access to this God of the universe just as Jesus has.
In the culture of Jesus during His time on earth, God was referred to much like we would the founding fathers of our nation. When I speak of men like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and even later like Abraham Lincoln, I think of men of this stature as fathers of our nation, but I don't think of them as personal fathers, like they are part of my family bloodlines. These opening words had to have a great effect on His disciples, particularly with the Aramaic word "Abba", which some have translated to be as a young child calling his earthly father "Daddy."
Yet, our English language is limited to translating words of other cultures and dialects, and when we hear the word "Daddy" in reference to "Abba" we get this visual of a full grown adult crying out to his/her Dad while in a playpen. This is absurd to me and lessens the value of what Jesus is attempting to convey.
Rather, Jesus focused on one thing during His time on earth, the conditions of our hearts. As Jesus begins this prayer with the words "Our Father," is He not relating this to a child's heart, in the sense a child is totally dependent, completely trusting, and in submission to the parents? As a child grows in a healthy relationship with his/her parents, the value of a Mom or Dad's opinion on things in life has potential to take precedence over their own thoughts and opinions.
In the Nicene Creed, a liturgical document recited in mainline protestant denominations, there is a phrase that reads: "the Son, Jesus Christ, is eternally begotten of the Father." As Christ Jesus opens this model prayer for His disciples to understand, "Our Father" conveys the message that their relationship to this God is not tied to a human event like a birthday. Instead, this opening address of God simply reiterates the thought this relationship between humanity and God has always been, designed to be so from the very beginning of time.
As Jesus continues this prayer and addresses God in this matter, He then states, " who art in Heaven." This leaves no doubt in my mind as to where Our Father resides.
John Calvin, an early founder of the Presbyterian church, wrote "...this is a clear statement that all things are subject to God's dominions, His power is throughout. Although the Father resides in Heaven, Heaven cannot contain Him." He refers to ll Chronicles 2:6 for a reference to his thought.
"Hallowed be Thy Name" are the next words Jesus chooses to use in describing how we are to pray. Hallow is defined as "to be set totally apart." Again, I think the English language is weak trying to explain the full meaning of this phrase. God is to be recognized as a power beyond any imagination with the gentleness and sensitivity of a loving father or mother. It becomes an almost opposite train of thought in the English language, God being all-powerful in this universe while at the same time we see Him as "Our Father."
This phrase conjures up in my own mind the idea God is limitless. When I consider for example the distance a star is from the earth, it is an almost infinite thought as to how far away a particular star really is. Yet, here by using this phrase it would seem Jesus is painting a mental picture that if we acknowledge Him as far above and set apart from anything else in life, this great God that we are encouraged to call Our Father desires to penetrate our hearts in the same depth as the distance a star is from the earth. I don't think there is a word in any English dictionary that can convey the thought there is no power that can contain the "All-Powerful One."
A passage of Scripture from the Amplified version reads like this:
" I have seen that everything human has its limits and end, no matter how extensive, noble, or excellent. But Your Commands, they are exceedingly broad and they extend without limits. Even the horizons cannot contain Your Commands!" Psalm 119:96
In today's world, the idea of fathers and mothers are often tainted with disappointment, bad experiences, abandonment, cruelties of various magnitudes, or some simply have never experienced having a real parent. Jesus had to know this, and knew we would have various thoughts as He began to teach His disciples how to pray.
Still, He taught this anyway!
"Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallow it be thy Name..." Does it do anything...for you?
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