The Lord's Prayer by Joseph F. Roberts, ThD, PhD - HTML preview

Part 10

Text: Matthew 6:9-15 KJV 9 After this manner therefore pray ye:

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy

kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11

Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as

we forgive our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but

deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and

the glory, for ever. Amen. 14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses,

your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15 But if ye forgive not

men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your

trespasses.

Introduction: we have examined the Lord’s Prayer in some detail.

When I introduced this series in the form of Power Point/Video presentations, a question was asked that I want to answer in this last part of the Lord’s Prayer.

Here is the question: “Did Jesus Himself follow the model that He gave for His Disciples?” Some of the items of the Lord’s Prayer would not pertain to Him. Therefore, we will note which might be applicable to Him and what would not.

Our Father which are in heaven

This is the first phrase that we need to consider. Jesus, in John 17:1,

“lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said Father,…” So the first requirement the Model Prayer gives is to acknowledge the Father 59

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in heaven. Jesus acknowledges God as the Father and the fact that He physically lifted up His eyes to Heaven is an indication that He knew that God was in Heaven.

The Model Prayer is often used in violation of the Lord’s admonition against vain repetitions. Some fee there is value in reciting it over and over in prayer. This is certainly odd, in view of the fact only one verse separates the admonition and the Model Prayer. We know from our examination of the Lord’s Prayer that Jesus certainly did not do this.

Matthew 6:5-8 KJV 5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as

the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the

synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be

seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 6 But

thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou

hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy

Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. 7 But when

ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think

that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8 Be not ye

therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye

have need of, before ye ask him.

Hallowed be thy name

This is the second requirement of the Model Prayer. In John 17:1-5, Jesus talks about the glory of the Father. In Matthew 6:9, the word “hallowed” means to “make holy, sanctify.” The way Jesus addresses the Father illustrates to us how He felt about the Father.

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He upheld the holiness of the Father’s Name. Because Jesus is the Second Personage of the Trinity, He did not think that it was wrong to ask the Father to glorify Him.

Paul wrote in his letter to the Philippians, chapter two and verse six, Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be

equal with God. Jesus was not violating any Scripture when He asked the Father to glorify Him. Because Jesus is part of the Trinity, His Name is to considered holy and sanctified along with the Father’s.

Thy kingdom come

Thy kingdom come emphasizes that sphere over which the Lord reigns. The believer’s major concern in prayerful petition should be God’s work. Before praying about other matters, we should pray for God’s cause. Jesus needs to reign in hearts, lives, homes, churches, and governments. That should be our great concern.

One day He shall reign in and over all things on earth as KING OF

KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS, Revelation 19:16. Unfortunately, today Jesus does not reign in many hearts, homes, churches, and certainly not in any governments. The more He reigns in hearts, the more He would reign in homes. The more homes in which He reigns would mean more churches in which He reigns. The more He reigns in churches, the more likely He would reign in some government. So as the hearts are, so are the lives. So as the lives are, so the homes. So as the homes are, so will the churches be.

So as the churches be, so will the government be.

In the meantime, God’s people should pray for His reign to be over more than it is now. This is even a problem in many churches. Not 61

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every member accepts the reign of Christ over his life. Just because we are saved does not mean that we are allowing Jesus to have reign in our lives, our homes, and in our churches. Consequently, the Lord asks, And why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things

which I say? In other words, many are not willing to pray about God’s work, because they are not willing work in it.

Jesus’ attitude and demeanor all indicated that He wanted God’s kingdom to be first and foremost.

Thy will be done

Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven is a glorious prospect.

In Heaven, God’s directive will is done perfectly, but that is not true on earth. Therefore, there is always a need for more praying along this line. Also, we cannot expect much progress in this area until we are willing first for God’s will to be done in our lives. To have God’s will to be done in our lives is a conscious action. It is a willing action. We must want God’s will to be done in our lives. If we do not surrender our lives to Him, His will may never be done in our lives.

Again, Jesus desire was that the Father’s will would always be done.

While it is not specifically mentioned, this is reflected throughout the Lord’s Prayer by Jesus’ attitude and presentation toward the Father. Even though it is not a part of the Lord’s Prayer, it is never anywhere clearer than in Matthew 26:39-42.

Matthew 26:39-42 KJV 39 And he went a little further, and fell on

his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this

cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. 40

And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and

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saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? 41

Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit

indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. 42 He went away again

the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may

not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.

Jesus was just hours away from His death, but His desire was still that the Father’s will be made manifest. Jesus lived His entire earthly life in accordance with the Father’s will. Would that we be as willing as Jesus was in His desire to do the Father’s will.

Give us this day our daily bread

I have stated previously at the beginning of this chapter that there were aspects of the Model Prayer that did not apply to Jesus. This is the beginning of those aspects.

In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus is not giving any thought to His daily needs. Therefore, His prayer does not even begin to touch on any physical need.

Forgive us our debts

This is the second aspect of the Model Prayer that does not apply to Jesus. There is nothing that Jesus has done to require His asking for forgiveness for anything. This part of the Model Prayer is strictly for the saint. Therefore, I want to go over this part again.

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors, Matthew 6:12. To “forgive” means to erase or to wipe the slate clean.

“Debts” refer to failures or sins. When God forgives, He erases the debt. He regards it paid. He forgives and forgets.

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1 John 1:9 KJV If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to

forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

There is the personal need of deliverance from evil. And lead us

not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (or literally, “the evil one”). This part of Matthew 6:13 is a caution and a safeguard against future sins. It heads off things before there is a need for forgiveness. Deliverance is available.

1 Corinthians 10:13 KJV There hath no temptation taken you but

such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer

you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the

temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to

bear it. None of this applies to Jesus, it applies strictly to the saints.

Temptation itself is not sin. If it were, then Jesus would have been a sinner because He was tempted by Satan after His fasting in the wilderness. Temptation itself is not sin, but rather the yielding to the temptation is the sin. Many seem to think that they cannot resist temptation, that there is no getting away from it without yielding to it. The above verse completely blows this thought away.

When we are tempted, we must be looking for a way to escape.

When we yield to temptation, we are simply not looking for a way out.

As we forgive our debtors

I feel that it is important enough for us to again go to this aspect of the Model Prayer. Matthew 6:14 KJV 14 For if ye forgive men their

trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15 But if

ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father

forgive your trespasses.

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It is apparent by His comment the spirit of forgiveness is a characteristic of a child of God. Perhaps the Lord explained this one petition, because there tends to be a weakness toward an unforgiving spirit. The Lord taught Peter a believer should forgive as often as necessary.

Matthew 18:21-22 KJV 21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord,

how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till

seven times? 22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until

seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

Then the Lord illustrated the principle of forgiveness in a parable found in the same chapter, verses 23-35. Matthew 18:23-35 KJV 23

Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king,

which would take account of his servants. 24 And when he had

begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten

thousand talents. {talents: a talent is seven hundred and fifty ounces of silver, at a hundred and eleven cents the ounce} 25 But

forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be

sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment

to be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped

him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

{worshipped him: or, besought him} 27 Then the lord of that

servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and

forgave him the debt. 28 But the same servant went out, and

found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred

pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat,

saying, Pay me that thou owest. {pence: the Roman penny is the eighth part of an ounce, which after five shillings the ounce is seven pence halfpenny; about fourteen cents} 29 And his fellowservant

fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience

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with me, and I will pay thee all. 30 And he would not: but went

and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. 31 So when

his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and

came and told unto their lord all that was done. 32 Then his lord,

after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked

servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:

33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy

fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? 34 And his lord was

wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all

that was due unto him. 35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father

do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his

brother their trespasses.

Short and brief, this parable teaches that if we do not forgive our brother or sister when we are asked to forgive, God is under no obligation to forgive us when we ask Him for forgiveness. This is a very serious thing. If we want God to forgive us of our sins, then we must forgive others as well.

Peter asked Jesus if seven times was enough times to forgive someone. Jesus countered by saying seventy times seven. In other words, we are not limited to the number of times we are to forgive.

This is totally against human nature. Forgiveness for others can never happen without the aid of the Holy Spirit.

Also, forgiveness should be …even as God for Christ’s sake hath

forgiven you, Ephesians 4:32.

It should be …even as Christ forgave, so also do ye, Colossians 3:13.

That places the spirit of a believer’s forgiveness on a high level.

After all, the Sermon on the Mount is a call to a higher level of ethical and moral conduct.

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A vital part of the Lord’s explanation of the principle of forgiveness of daily sins depends much upon an individual’s attitude of forgiveness toward others. Eternal forgiveness or salvation of the spirit is not in question. Fellowship with God is.

Conclusion: Thus, we have seen that only a small part of the Model Prayer had anything to do with Jesus. Since it was Jesus Who gave the Model Prayer, it should be followed. It did not apply to Him as it does to us. He gave it for us, not for Himself. May we ever heed the teachings of the Model Prayer as well as the Lord’s Prayer.

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