Thoughts for the Day

Luke's Lord's Prayer

Jesus was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.’ He said to them, ‘When you pray, say:

Father, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.
And do not bring us to the time of trial.’

Matthew's Lord's Prayer

Jesus said, ‘Pray then in this way:

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And do not bring us to the time of trial,
but rescue us from the evil one.'

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

I remember when the New English Bible first came out, and staunch Christians were angry at the different words in 'The Lord's Prayer'. Some people seemed to think Jesus had actually said "Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name". But of course Jesus would have spoken in Aramaic and the Lord's Prayer has gone through many translations since. This prayer is one of the most cherished and recited prayers in the whole of Christianity. Surprisingly though, it's only found in two of the four Gospels - in Luke and Matthew - and the two prayers are not the same, so it's worth comparing them.

In Luke's account Jesus is asked by a disciple how he should pray and could he teach them as John has taught his disciples. His version is shorter and more concise, and he omits the phrases “your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” and “rescue us from the evil one.” The focus is on addressing God; on seeking food; on asking for forgiveness; and wanting advice on how to avoid temptation. Matthew, however, uses the prayer as part of his public teaching to the crowds, in his Sermon on the Mount (Matthew, Chapters 5-7) where Jesus is explaining how all his followers should live a righteous life. He is contrasting sincere prayer with the ostentatious practices of hypocrites and those who worship other gods. His version is longer and includes a wish that God's "will be done, on earth as it is in heaven", as well as a request that we should be rescued "from the evil one".

Matthew's account is tailored for a largely Jewish audience with themes familiar to them, whereas Luke's account is written for a broader Gentile audience. In the three years of his ministry Jesus probably used this prayer many times. Our two accounts show how it has been adapted over time for different audiences. But it's just as relevant today as it was 2,000 years ago, with its fundamental themes of dependency on God, the search for His kingdom, and the importance of being forgiven.

Lord Jesus Christ,
may we not speak Your prayer like parrots,
without thinking of what we are saying.
Help us not to mindlessly go through the motions.
Instil in us the need to clothe the words with thought,
and to concentrate on the words we are saying
as well as the petitions for which we ask.
Amen.