The Lord's Prayer

Context

Structural Analysis

           The structure of the Pater Noster is that of 10 lines,[1] the first being an address, the next three being blessings, one serving as a clarification on the blessings, four petitions, and the remaining line serving as a condition on the second petition. In terms of discourse analysis, the first line has no propositional relationship to the rest of the prayer because the first line is not a proposition, it is simply an address. One could divide the first line into two, describing the relationship between the two as locative. However, general - specific may be more accurate. Our God is not a God of one nation, but God who reigns over the whole earth, as is emphasized in line 10c.

           The first line is followed by a series of three blessings. The three are really just different ways of describing a singular blessing that the way God’s name is revered in heaven, it be revered on earth as well. The relationship between the three blessings might be joined by, “to put it another way…,” but preference must be given to treating the second blessing as locative in relationship to the first, and the third blessing being temporal in relationship to the first. Where God’s name is revered, the Kingdom of God has advanced against the kingdom of darkness, and that this should take place is the will of God.  The first blessing is ontological: the name of God must be above all others. The second blessing is temporal: May God’s Kingdom come; it is breaking in. The third blessing is locative: God’s will must be on earth. 10c is serves as a canonizing proposition in relation to the preceding series of blessings. The locative ten-c is canon; it is setting the standard for the change : What should this hope look like? It would look like the way things are in heaven.

           Then there is a series of four petitions, with the last two in alternate relationship to each other; what I don’t want God to allow, in comparison to what I would like him to do. The second petition in the series is followed by a condition. If I am to expect God to forgive my sins, I must intern forgive others of the wrongs they have done to me.

           At the most basic level, the Pater Noster is a series of three blessings and four petitions addressed to our Father. Similar to the Ten Commandments, the first half is concerned with addressee’s welfare, the last half is concerned with the addressor’s welfare.

[1]

Historical Context

           It would be anachronistic to forget that Jesus was a Jewish rabbi, and as such, much of what he taught and what he prayed would have been in the language of the oral traditions as well as the Scriptures. He was well acquainted with rabbinic teachings. Though much of what he taught was original,[1] he also borrowed from the proverbs of his culture. For example, notice the parallel between Ben Sira, circa 170 B. C., and Matthew 6: 14, 15. “Forgive your neighbor the wrong he has done, and then your sins will be pardoned when you pray. Does a man harbor anger against another, and yet seek for healing from the Lord? Does he have no mercy toward a man like himself, and yet pray for his own sins?” Or from the Mishnah: “The Day of Atonement atones for transgressions of a person against the Omnipresent, but it does not atone for transgressions of a person against his neighbor unless he first appeases his neighbor.”[2]  Again, similar to Matthew 6:9-10, the Shemoneh Esreh (18 Blessings) says that "We will hallow your name in the world as it is hallowed in the highest heavens."[3] [4]

Holtz and Cho have argued that the Pater Noster is a shortened version of the Shemoneh Esreh. According to tradition, the Shemoneh Esreh was created by the Great Assembly during the early Second Temple era. This prayer was called the tefillah (prayer par excellance) in the Talmud. It was the centerpiece of the Shaharith, Minhah, and Ma'ariv daily worship services.[5] The Shemoneh Esreh was so much a part of synagogue worship that it would not have been possible for our Lord to not have memorized it as a child. There is no direct quoting form the Shemoneh Esreh in the Pater Noster, but all the general themes in the Pater Noster can be found there: worship (9b), restoration (10), provision (11), repentance (12), and salvation from sin (13).

On the other hand, not all of the Shemoneh Esreh is found in the Pater Noster.[6] Therefore, it could not be an overt effort by Jesus to condense the Shemoneh Esreh and use this condensed version as a model for prayer. It is reasonable to state, however, that Jesus was familiar with the Shemoneh Esreh, and authored the content of the Pater Noster from it.

Where similarity has been found, distinctions must also be made. The Pater Noster teaches us to not expect forgiveness from God if we are unwilling to forgive others. This is nowhere to be found in the Shemoneh Esreh, nor do we find any reference to the devil or petition for protection from temptation. Most significant is the purpose of each. The Shemoneh Esreh was to serve as liturgy, not as a model of how to keep one’s prayers short and sweet. The Pater Noster, though later used as liturgy, was designed to teach us that we do not need to expand our prayers for piety sake. Sincerity is what God is looking for in the prayers of the saints.

Literary Context

The Pater Noster is written in the form of a prayer (if that isn’t obvious enough) and is set in the genre of a gospel. As a prayer, it has been used by the Church since its inception as liturgy. It was memorized and recited in rote fashion. “Outwj” in verse 9a means “in this manner.” Jesus does not present it as a formal prayer to be memorized and repeated, or as a template to fill in the blanks, but as a model to be imitated. We are to understand what our Lord is praying, and then pray in a similar manner.[1]

           The Pater Noster is set in a pericope of eight propositions on prayer. 1) Don’t be like the hypocrites who pray to be seen by men. 2) They will not receive a reward from God.[2] 3) Pray in private. 4) God will reward your sincerity. 5) Don’t expand your prayers with empty phrases like the hypocrites. 6) Your Father knows what you need before you even ask. 7) Follow the model of the Pater Noster. 8) There is a condition placed on forgiveness. The central theme running through these eight propositions is sincerity. Don’t be like the hypocrites by doing all of your praying publicly, heaping up empty phrases to make yourself feel pious by the length of your prayers, or make requests of God when you are not a genuine enough believer to forgive others. Don’t play make pretend with God. Instead, follow the model. Similar statements are made at the beginning of the chapter on alms giving, and after the pericope concerning fasting.

           This is set in the context of the Sermon on the Mount when our Lord sits down on a hill to teach his disciples. The Sermon begins with a message of encouragement to those who are living for their Father in heaven; it is not those who are wealthy who are blessed by God, but those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake (3-12). Therefore, let your good works shine before men so that your Father in heaven will receive glory (13-16).

           He goes on to talk about the spirit of the law, with a preliminary about the enduring nature of the law (17-20). He uses teachings of the law, as they are taught by the scribes and Pharisees, and exposes the hypocrisy of following the letter of the law rather than the spirit of the law. He encourages them to be perfect, as their heavenly Father is perfect, that they might be sons of their Father in heaven (21-48).

           Jesus then preaches on the three Jewish pious practices: alms, prayer, and fasting. These must not be done to be honored by men, but with a sincere heart, to be rewarded by your Father in heaven (6:1-18). We are to make the kingdom of God and his righteousness our primary concerns (19-34). Don’t be a hypocrite, judging others while being unwilling to examine yourself (7:1-6); don’t worry about your earthly concerns, petition God, he will surely supply the needs of his children (7-11); don’t follow the pack to destruction, but take the hard road, follow the spirit of the law (12-14); don’t be thrown off course by the false teachers (15-20). Jesus then ends the Sermon by drawing a sharp distinction between the nominal believers and the doers (21-27). So ends the Sermon on the Mount, and the first of five sections of Matthew’s gospel.[3]

           The Pater Noster is double tradition. It is found only in Matthew and Luke, which indicates an independent source from Mark, which was known and used by both Matthew and Luke. The prayers are not the same, however; not in content or in context.[4] In Luke’s Gospel, the Pater Noster is used by Jesus to teach his disciples to petition God with their concerns. He uses the parable of the request of a friend who has already turned in for the night. He uses a rabbinic mode of argument of lesser to greater. If a common man will give out of shame, surely the God of heaven will give out of love. “Ask and it will be given to you…how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”

           Luke’s “Our Father” is introduced by a request from the disciples to teach them to pray, whereas in Matthew it is a part of the Sermon on the Mount. Luke is more focused on prayer than the other gospels. There are seven prayers in Luke not mentioned elsewhere.[5] Matthew’s concern is the kingdom of heaven. The Sermon on the Mount gives a picture of what those in the kingdom are like as opposed to those without. Those in the kingdom desire to please the Father. Jesus offers a sermon that attacks those who would look for loopholes in the law because they do not love God or his law. This sermon closes the loopholes and exposes the hypocrisy. The law is a contract between a loving Father and his adoring children.

The word Father is used more often in Matthew than in the other Synoptics. The word kingdom is used more often in Matthew than in any other book in the New Testament. It is a central theme in Matthew to present Jesus as the Messiah who would come to reign on David’s throne.

Theological Context

           Our Lord gave his disciples this prayer as a pedagogical tool in response to their request for instruction on how to pray. In Luke, they do not ask him what to pray, but how to pray. Our Lord uses a model of prayer to teach them. In understanding not just what is in the model, but what each line within the model means, why it is there, what is not included, what is given precedence,

           There is nothing wrong with rote prayer. Liturgy is as hymnology. The Psalms were sung to God as a form of prayer; how different would it be to pray silently, in agreement, along with someone who prays on behalf of the congregation than to pray in agreement with a prayer written in the past.

           To pray for our daily bread is, of course, too limiting. Naturally, this must be viewed as synecdoche. However, bread can refer to more than just food in general, but expanded to refer to any need the believer may have. The example our Lord gives us is to pray for only what is necessary for our existence, as in Proverbs 30:8, 9, “give me neither poverty nor riches.” We are to concern ourselves only with the present day, as we are taught at the end of the chapter in verse thirty-four, “Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

If bread can be extrapolated to refer to all of our physical needs, then it can be extrapolated to refer to our spiritual needs as well. In this sense there may be some merit in viewing verse eleven in light of the Lord’s Table, as some commentators have done. Certainly, it is a necessary part of any believer’s relationship to God to partake in the body and blood of our Lord, and the valid translation, “Give us day by day our bread until the next day,” does remind one of the rations of manna in Exodus. [1]

Verse 13a should read “Do not allow us to be led into temptation.” If one were to translate it, “Don’t lead us into testing,” this would be asking God to not put us through the necessary trials that produce character. If one were to interpret it as, “Don’t lead us into temptation,” one would be requesting that God not do something that he would never do in the first place. Asking God to, “…not allow us to be led into temptation,” is a request to save us from our own foolishness of putting ourselves in tempting situations. Similarly, we do not ask to be delivered from evil, for in this life we will be subjected to many unhappy situations; rather, we wish to be preserved from being overcome by Satan.

Conclusion

No Scripture can stand alone; all Scripture should be interpreted in context. The Pater Noster must be interpreted within the context Matthew presents it to us. From this, we get a clearer view of its meaning. However, once it is interpreted, we use it on its own as liturgy.

But the Pater Noster is meant to serve as more than liturgy. It is primarily a model for prayer. It teaches us to address the Father directly. This is why Christ came, to unite us with our Father in heaven. Covered in the blood, we are to boldly go before the throne of grace. In the Proverbs, we are taught that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. The second line of the Pater Noster is about having a healthy fear of God, as paradoxical as that sounds. Unfortunately, some believers have a fear of God, but in an unhealthy way, cannot call him, “Abba, Father.”

All believers are to be evangelical. Ashamed and angered that the Father’s will is not being observed on earth, we should cry out along with the Holy Spirit within us, “Thy kingdom come!” We should hunger to see souls saved, hunger to see the kingdom of God advance. The whole creation groans in anticipation of the coming of the Lord. Amen. Maranatha. Come, Lord Jesus. Sitting upon your throne, may all be put in subjection under your feet.

We humbly depend on our loving Father for all our needs, and so petition him. This is not done in a despairing way, wanting more than we need for the day, but in faith. God has provided for me today; he will take care of tomorrow as well. A former drug addict who speaks at my place of work on occasion likes to say to those trying to get clean that he has a note on the inside of his storm door as a reminder. It says, “This is God. I will be in charge today. I will not be needing your help. Thank you and have a blessed day.” Our petitions are made in faith.

Forgiveness is invaluable to any family, and even more so, it is the crux of our faith. We who are forgiving to others, receive forgiveness from God. This sounds like salvation by works, but it cannot be so in light of Paul’s teaching. Rather, it is only by God’s grace that we can forgive others in the unconditional manner that God requires. Faith without works is dead. So, the one who is truly a believer, knows what it means to be forgiven of a debt that one could not possibly pay, and is eager to forgive fellow debtors.

Our feet are quick to walk into temptation. The devil has no difficult time leading us there. The evil one is a roaring lion, seeking to devour his prey. Our Father in Heaven preserves us.

And so, we petition God, but our petitions are always predicated upon our loving God and blessing his holy name. Above all, our prayers are not done to impress ourselves, others, or God. There is no need to make a show in public or to expand our prayers to prove our piety. God knows what we need before we even ask. God desires genuine believers who will worship him in spirit and in truth.

[1] TLNT. 56.

[1] New Exegetical and Linguistic Key to the Greek New Testament.

[2] Field, Frederick. Notes on the Translation of the New Testament. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers. (1994).

[3] Reminiscent of the Pentateuch, Matthew divides his gospel into five sections, each ending with the phrase, “Kai. evge,neto ote evte,lesen o`Ihsouj.” Matt. 7:28; 11:1; 13:53; 19:1; 26:1.

[4] See Appendix F for a comparison.

[5] Nelson’s Complete Book of Bible Maps and Charts; Old and New Testaments, revised. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers. (1993) 338

[1] Matt. 7:11.

[2] Ben Sira 28:2-4 & Yoma 8:9. Found on Nov. 9, 2003 at http://www.jerusalemperspective.com/articles/ DisplayArticle.asp?ID=1528

[3] Found on Dec. 5, 2003 at http://www.jerusalemperspective.com/articles/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=1657. However, there are several variants of this blessing, and it is uncertain as to when this variant came into being. This variant of the 3rd blessing may be from medieval times. See http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/ view.jsp?artid=158&letter=K.

[4] This variant of the 3rd blessing may be from medieval times. See http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/ view.jsp?artid=158&letter=K. Found on Dec. 5, 2003.

[5] Found on Dec. 5, 2003 at http://www.shofar.org/shemoneh.htm

[6] The fourth blessing is for wisdom and the eighth blessing is for healing.