The theme for today is prayer. In the Old Testament reading, we learn how Abraham prayed for the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. In the Gospel we learn of Jesus teaching the disciples to pray and then giving them a parable that teaches us to pray boldly.
In the Old Testament account, we see a fascinating balance between respect and boldness. Abraham prayed with tenacity and worked his way from fifty righteous people down to ten. Abraham was very bold and yet, at the same time, full of respect. In the end, it seemed as though it was not enough. When we read about Sodom and Gomorrah, we learn that there were not even ten righteous people in the city. God still destroyed them. It seemed as though God did not answer Abraham's prayer.
Never the less, there was a way in which Abraham's prayer was very successful. You see Abraham was really praying for the life of his nephew Lot. Lot had made the really bad life style choice of settling in Sodom. In a way, he was in God's line of fire. We learn that angels came to Lot and evacuated him and his family before the cities were destroyed. The cities were destroyed, but Lot was safe. Abraham's prayer was answered, just not in the way he expected.
In today's Gospel, we learn how Jesus gave the Lord's Prayer to the church. The wording is a little different from what we call the Lord's Prayer simply because we use the version found in the King James translation of the Gospel according to Matthew. The Gospel for today is from the English Standard Version of the Gospel according to Luke.
Today's Gospel includes a fascinating parable that comes along with the Lord's Prayer. Take a moment to think how absolutely insane this story is. Jesus asks us to imagine that a traveler has come to our house and we have no refreshments. So we try to borrow some refreshments from a neighbor - in the middle of the night. He asks to imagine that we make an absolute pest out of ourselves until the neighbor gives us something just to make us go away. Who, in their right mind, would do such a thing? Yet, Jesus Himself invites us to pray in this way. God really wants to hear what is on our minds. God is eager for us to pray with boldness.
We pray the Lord's Prayer so often that we don't really notice how incredibly bold it is. Our Lord Jesus Christ has given us a prayer that has seven petitions in it and each of the petitions uses an imperative verb. [For those of you who tried to forget your grammar as soon as you left school, an imperative verb has the form of a command.] Listen to the petitions. Pay attention to the form of each petition. They each take the form of a command. Listen to them and hear how bold they really are.
Hallowed be Thy name: This petition uses a two letter verb, be, and be is in the form of a command. Thy Kingdom come: Again, come is an imperative verb, a command. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven: be done is imperative. Give us this day our daily bread: Give is imperative. Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us: Once again, the verb, forgive, is an imperative, a command. Lead us not into temptation: The verb lead is imperative. Deliver us from evil: Once again, the verb deliver is imperative.
Every one of the seven petitions uses a verb that is in the imperative, a verb that expresses a command. What kind of boldness does it take to talk to the ruler of this and every other universe and use imperative verbs? We would never think to talk to God this way if Jesus had not taught us to do so. How is it that we can come before God with such boldness? We begin to see the answer to that question in the way Jesus begins the prayer: "Our Father who art in heaven."
In the introduction to the Gospel according to John, John teaches us that Jesus is with God and is God and is the light of the world. Within that description are these words. [John 1:11-13] 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. With these words, John is telling us that one of the things we will learn in his account of the Gospel is how God works the miracle of converting His enemies into His children. When we learn how enemies of God become children of God, we also learn how tiny little organisms who live on a dust speck called earth can talk to the ruler of the Universe using imperative verbs.
The difference is found in Jesus Christ. The one who teaches us to pray also makes it possible for us to pray. The one who teaches us to pray is the one who set His face to go to Jerusalem. He set His face to go to Jerusalem in order to tear down the wall of sin that makes us enemies of God. He tore down that wall by offering Himself up as a sacrifice to make the payment that our sin requires. Jesus allowed His enemies to nail Him to a cross so that He could offer those same enemies a place in His family. With His suffering and death on the cross, He makes us His brothers and children of our heavenly Father. This is a certainty because Jesus did not remain in the grave after He died, but He rose from the dead and has ascended to rule at the right hand of the Father.
In his explanation to the introduction of this prayer, Martin Luther gives us some of the most beautiful words in the Small Catechism: Our Father who art in heaven. What does this mean? By these words God would tenderly encourage us to believe that He is our true Father and that we are His true children, so that we may ask Him confidently with all assurance, as dear children ask their dear father.
By the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are God's children. We have the right to enter the throne room of the Universe, crawl up on God's lap, and talk to Him using imperative verbs. We can pour our hearts out to Him about anything. We poor sinners can approach God boldly for the sake of Jesus Christ. We can be stubborn. We can be persistent. After all, Jesus Himself teaches us to pray that way in today's Gospel.
The closing verses teach us that God always answers our prayers in the way that is best for us. God is the giver of good gifts. He will not give us a serpent if we ask for a fish. He will not give us a scorpion if we ask for an egg.
It is God's will for His redeemed children to pray boldly. It is also His will to answer boldly. There will be times when, for our own good, God will answer our prayer in an unexpected way.
We can see that in today's Old Testament reading. Abraham only asked God to spare Sodom if there were ten or more righteous people in the city. Strictly speaking, Abraham's prayer said nothing about rescuing Lot if God did not find ten righteous in Sodom. Abraham's prayer, strictly speaking, would have allowed Lot to die in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. God answered Abraham's prayer with boldness. He went beyond Abraham's prayer and rescued Lot.
God always boldly answers our prayers with what is best for us. Sometimes, the things that are best for us are things that we will not understand on this side of glory. Such things may uncomfortably stretch our faith and cause it to grow. Such things may involve pain and sorrow. Never the less, we can know that God gives us the things that are best. After all, God loved us enough to sacrifice His only begotten Son for us. Will He not always give us the things that are the best for us?
Jesus invites us to pray boldly to God as dear children talk to their dear Father. He can extend this invitation to us because He shed His blood to break down the wall of sin that stood between us and God. Jesus offers to make us children of God. The Holy Spirit gives us the faith that takes Jesus up on that offer. Through the Holy Spirit's gift of faith, we are the children of God, the heirs of His Kingdom, and He gives us the right to pray boldly to God.
We close our prayers with the word Amen. Martin Luther explains the word Amen this way: Amen. What does this mean? I should be certain that these petitions are acceptable to our Father in heaven and are heard by Him. For He Himself has commanded us to pray this way and has promised that He will hear us. Amen, Amen; that is, "Yes, yes, it shall be so."
Jesus teaches us to pray. The throne room of heaven lies open before us. God is ready to listen to whatever we have to tell Him. The privilege of prayer is there for all who believe. It is one of the many gifts God gives to us with His presence here in time and forever in eternity. Amen
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