“THE OUR FATHER”
Saint Luke 11: 1-4
Lent Midweek 3: 8 March Anno Domini 2018
Father Jay Watson SSP
It is placed as part 3 in the Catechism. Luther puts the Our Father after The Word of The Lord, i.e. the Decalogue and Creed (Law and Gospel) for the same reason The Lord puts seed growth after planting and Good Works after Grace created Faith. There is an order to things.
In the dynamic of salvation—which really, is all that matters—the Lord first “O Lord open Thou my lips” and then “and my mouth shall show forth Thy praise.” After Christ raises you from the dead at the end of time giving you an eternally glorified body, then, you will sing Holy, Holy, Holy with the Seraphim at the Wedding Feast of The Lamb. After the Law Kills in the 10 Commandments, and The Good News of Jesus’ Person and Work, of The Creed, brings you into the Church, then, you pray The Lord’s Prayer. It is the ultimate prayer because it is the ultimate “thank-you” and the perfect expression of God’s Will and Grace for you in your daily life. It’s called The Lord’s Prayer because it is The Lord’s and He gifts it to you. You are placed into His shoes, His status, His relationship to The Heavenly Father, and therefore Christ’s words are now your words. His seat on the right Hand of The Father is now your royal throne!
The introduction “Our Father Who art in heaven” bespeaks this. The First Person of The Godhead is God almighty but even more importantly is your Father. Abba! That reality alone is enough to meditate upon for a million Lents. No child of God The Father would ever want to ever sin or fall short of His perfect design for them.
The following Seven Petitions declare your + status as washed and fed children…boldly and confidently living from The Fathers’ Word.
“Hallowed be Thy Name.” You ask that The Name of God would be holy with you. The Name is “I AM” which means you ask always to be in His sheepfold safe and secure. You do so because His Name is Jesus—Savior. You are saved and wish to remain so. This comes from your hearing His Word preached and His Supper received.
“Thy Kingdom Come.” The Kingdom is The King. The Fathers’ monarchy is Jesus The Son. You obey and do the Law by receiving The One Who did—The obedient Scapegoat and Angus Dei. The Crucifix of Christ is given its payoff when you have it placed in your ears and on your tongues. The Kingdom comes at the font, pulpit, and rail. The Kingdom is simply keeping you in Salvation.
“Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” There are not multiple or different “wills,” there is only one. The Father’s will is, again, your salvation; not your happiness, comfort, desires, or sinful attempts to be “in charge,” but your guarantee to be with Jesus forever where He now resides—The right hand of God—and here, in Preaching and Sacrament. You seek God’s will by receiving His will in His gifts.
“Give us this day our daily bread.” You request, as a little child does, that your food at mealtime be given you. No trusting child doubts that Dad will give him cereal or a sandwich, or that it will ever run out if he’s a little extra hungry. You pray in this petition that the real Bread—the Sacramental union of Bread and Christ’s Body would always be given you for strength and preservation—unto life everlasting—Salvation.
“Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” You acknowledge that all mercy comes from your loving Father by virtue of the loving Son who forgives you, SAVES YOU, by His obedience and suffering and dying for your bad thoughts and actions. You freely and gladly forgive fully all those things others have done to you even while The Father continues to absolve you by His Son’s constant remission. Thus, the Holy Mass, which could/should be daily, IS every Lord’s Day. “The Our Father” is the call to The Sacrament of The Altar. Why do you think it appears in the Holy Liturgy right before the Verba? It’s the dinner bell.
“And lead us not into temptation.” God wishes and does no evil upon His children and the temptations, i.e. the trials of the world, the flesh, and the devil, come upon you rather by nature of His permissive will, His Fatherly will, but not by His ultimate, final, and predestined will. The bad things that you are led into are because you are bad by inner man. The Father’s substantive will is…yes…your Salvation. You are guarded from misbelief, despair, shame, by His Son—THE Angel Guardian of The Lord. Hear His Peace and Eat His Peace. Thus, your trials are completed IN Christ and your temptations are conquered IN Christ’s defeat of the devil.
“But deliver us from evil.” Again, and finally, you speak back to The Father, by the gift (Gospel) of The Holy Spirit, The Son’s own fully satisfactory work. You were delivered by Jesus’ Blood and Righteousness. You are delivered by Jesus’ Blood and righteousness. Lent is about learning how to die. You will die. BE delivered from the old ancient foe—death and Satan—here in time (you are + Baptized) and hereafter in eternity.
The coda, the conclusion: “For Thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory, forever and ever” is your own doxological Hymn of Praise to The Blessed Trinity to be sure, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. For The Lord’s will and grace is your being saved, being with Him, having a perfect peace that can’t even be comprehended—only hoped for and longed for—in eager anticipation. The Kingdom is yours in The King—Jesus The Prince of Peace declaring “I love you. I forgive you. You are in Me and I Am in you.” The Power is the power of Salvation—the dynamite of The Gospel of Jesus Crucified for you and raised for your Peace. The Glory is heaven very soon, and The Holy Mass of Laetare in about 60 hours from now.
Amen, that is, yes, yes, Jesus IS! For you.
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of The Holy Ghost
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