PATER NOSTER 3: OUR DAILY BREAD

Common interpretation on 'Give us each day our daily bread' has been a wide range from (1) asking God only for our basic needs to (2) showing our daily dependence on God. 'What is our today daily bread?' may serve as a more relevant question. Jesus was teaching to his disciples whose financial situation was insecure. Jesus' crowd were mostly proletar, poor and marginalized. There was no guarantee for the disciples to enjoy proper meals on daily basis. The begging for bread was offered with a sincere hope. They were truly uncertain if they could enjoy dinner later in the evening. The begging for 'our daily bread' is a survival prayer. 

Readers of this blog, I assume live in a totally different situation. Our 'daily bread' may neither be food nor water, since most of us (readers of this blog) may be able to purchase even more than a plain bread at anytime we want. As I wrote somewhere else yesterday, 'If the disciples of Jesus were middle class outdoor activities oriented people living in a four season country, a prayer for a bright nice wonderful perfect day would have been necessarily added to the Lord's prayer.' What are our survival needs today?

Thus, before we ask God for things we need, make sure that we are desperately in need of God to realize those specific needs. It is in that sense that the phrase 'our daily bread' should be understood. Can we ask God for beautiful clothes, branded shoes, laptop with most recent technology, last edition of i-phone and sparkling jeweleries? Sure we can, those things however may not be 'our daily bread' base on two reasons: (1) we may be able to afford to buy those things, and (2) we may not really need those things in order to survive. We are certainly free to ask God for anything we want, the Lord's prayer, while does not forbid, however does not encourage us to do so.

Now, I should balance my comment above. Bread (or food) is human most survival need, regardless our ability or inability to afford it. Since we may not have severe problem of obtaining our daily descent food, the request for 'our daily bread' is now transformed into an action of faith and thanksgiving. We have faith in God (and it is only him) who will provide us with our basic needs, and thus we are so thankful for his providence. Since most of us eat on daily basis, therefore the action of faith and thanksgiving should also be offered on daily basis.

'Our daily bread' thus teaches us (1) to find our survival needs; (2) to request our survival needs in our prayers; (3) to sincerely hope for God's generosity to fulfilling us with those needs; (4) to have faith that even though we are powerless, God will be able to provide those needs; (5) to thank God for providing us with those needs; and (6) to do all of those items above on daily basis. This daily spiritual exercise needs discipline, otherwise our daily prayers are no more than lips services. 'Our daily bread' shows that Christian faith is a faith that believe in the continuity not only of God's providence for us, but also a continuity of our dependence on our heavenly Father.

PATER NOSTER 2: FORGIVENESS AND PRAYER

What is the meaning of ‘forgiveness’ in the Lord’s prayer? Does God’s forgiveness upon our sins serve as a legitimization for us to approach him in prayer? Or does our willingness to forgive others serve as a justification for us to enter the sacred place of prayer? In both cases, forgiveness seems to serve as basic requirement for a correct Christian prayer. And still another question: Does ‘forgiveness’ simply say that God is perfect and we are defect? This question shows that everybody can actually approach God in prayers no matter how sinful he or she is.  Prayer is a direct communication between a defect human being and a perfect God. 

Allow me to share with you some points on this issue. The ultimate source of forgiveness of sins is God himself. It is not wrong to ask God for a brand new expensive Ferrari, a rich and generous person however can give it to us immediately. It is not wrong to ask God for As, but more reading and studying will lead us to better GPA. But forgiveness of sins is only authorized by God. As the teachers of law rightly observed, only God alone can forgive sins (Mark 2.7). Yes, we are called to forgive our spouses, children, friends and relatives, but we do not forgive their sins – only God does wash our sins away. God’s forgiveness is a different genre of forgiveness from ours. God's forgiveness is not exactly the same with our person to person forgiveness encouraged by Christian lifestyle.

Since prayer is an approach to the holy throne of God, the most important and therefore the most necessary request would naturally be forgiveness. The main possible logical reason of visiting a gas station is to buy gasoline. The logic purpose of entering a restaurant is to find food. And the logic purpose of entering the sacred place of prayer is to ask for God's forgiveness. God is the only one being able to authorize complete forgiveness, even great churches,  famous pastors and acclaimed religious leaders do not sell forgiveness. Asking for God's forgiveness shows (1) that we are defect: it is real anyway; (2) that God is perfect: no one is but him; (3) that we are in need of being transformed continuously from our broken image towards the image and likeness of God. This truth is theologically sound and essential for all believers - I confess.

The Lord's Prayer also encourages us to forgive those who sin against us. Two parables may stand behind this simple encouragement: the parable of the Two Debtors in Luke 7.41-43, and the parable of the Unmerciful Servant narrated in Matthew 18.21-35. 

Prayer is not a set of rules and requirements. Prayer is not monopolized by certain kinds of people. God welcomes all people to approach him - I think. Like prayer like forgiveness. Forgiveness is given free, generously and graciously to us: ask and you will be forgiven! Unlike the picture above, God's forgiveness is also limitless. But still why are we encouraged to forgive others? Forgiving others in the Lord's Prayer most likely is not intended to serve as requirement of obtaining God's forgiveness. Forgiving others in the Lord's prayer is most probably intended to show the overflowing response of gratefulness to the free grace of God in washing away our sins. When forgiveness were to require requirements, no one would have been forgiven. I invite you to experience prayers and forgiveness as God's gracious grace and privilege given to his children.

PATER NOSTER 1: OUR FATHER

 

Reflection on the Lord’s Prayer (Pater Noster) visited me once again as I listened to two sermons on the topic today. Both Matthew and Luke recorded the prayer, but in different version (Matthew 6.9-13; Luke 11.2-4). 

How far do we need to grasp the tension between the communality and the individuality of a prayer? What does ‘the use of first person plural’ signify? Is ‘our Father’ more correct than ‘my Father’? If we pursue towards and push too much over the communality aspect of the Lord’s prayer based on the use of first person plural personal pronouns (we, our, us), I am afraid that somehow we lost the privacy and intimacy of a prayer. I think God still maintains the principle of confidentiality. A prayer is indeed a sacred place where we can explore and share our most inner deepest secret and burden to God – especially when it is no longer possible to share them with even our closest companions. It is easy for us to share good news publicly, but no one seems to be happy with misery. 

On the other hand, we all know that Christians are not called to be an individualistic self-centered person. Believers are indeed a community of sharing. How do we solve the tension? Shall we focus on self or others or God in our prayers? I suggest that the relationship among the parties is fluid, dynamic and contextual. Prayer is both private and public, it is also both individual and communal. Prayer is not simply an exploration of self, but a transformation of self towards God's image and likeness. The self factor is highly appreciated, the focus of the verb however points to the growing self towards God rather than the status quo of self and ego. Yet, it is not possible to elaborate the identity of self without selves (a community). In other words, our transforming personal private prayers should positively strengthen both our self identity and our community.