According to the Gospel of Luke, as Jesus is making his way toward Jerusalem, he often slips away from the others to pray alone.
The pivot toward Jerusalem begins with the Transfiguration, when Jesus’ body and clothing were transformed with a divine light. During the Transfiguration, in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus speaks with Moses and Elijah about his “exodus” soon to happen in Jerusalem. Exodus is a code for Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension. I can only imagine the anxiety that Jesus was feeling about that exodus, knowing that he would be handed over to the authorities and executed, so it makes sense that he turned to prayer for strength to sustain him.
It’s on that trail to Jerusalem that the disciples come to Jesus and, for once, rather than asking for selfish power or authority, they make a humble request, “Lord, teach us to pray.”
Paraphrasing Jesus’ reply, he taught them to pray saying:
“Father, Make your holiness manifest! Establish your heavenly reign on Earth! Keep us alive with daily sustenance! Keep us in your good graces through forgiving us! For we already seek good relationships with others by extending and receiving forgiveness. And let us not be put to the test.”
We’re probably more familiar with the Gospel of Matthew’s version of this prayer (the “Lord’s Prayer”) which, as we customarily recite it, is a little longer. Matthew’s version is found rolled into the Sermon on the Mount, chapters 5-7. In the Gospel of Luke, the prayer stands as a teaching on its own; a road sign pointing to the prayer life of Jesus himself.
Despite the minor differences in Matthew’s and Luke’s versions, notice that this is an audacious prayer. Hopefully you noticed the exclamation points at the end of the phrases. That’s because each of those phrases come in the form of commandments spoken to God. Make holy! Establish! Give! Forgive!
It’s not quite barking orders at the Almighty, but these are all imperatives handed out, in faith, by the pray-er to God. Interestingly, the only phrase that isn’t a command is the final one about being put to the test; it’s given as a request (Let us…) as if to admit that, despite our preference, testing is God’s prerogative. While it’s Jesus’ preference not to be tested, he sees that there are few other options as the “date with destiny” approaches. As Jesus draws near Jerusalem, the urgency he feels is an urgency that rises in his prayer life and, I believe, shapes the prayer that he gives to his disciples.
The signs also indicate that Jesus’ prayer life is direct and to the point. I sometimes find my prayer life becomes an exercise in trying to remember the needs and situations of everyone I’ve encountered and many I have not. During COVID, I prayerfully tried to keep up with the list of those in the hospital, families who lost loved ones, those suffering with the virus, those suffering with other maladies and illnesses and accidents; the list has been long and I get to the end of it and wonder if there’s anyone I’ve forgotten? Have I prayed enough for them? What about the people not on the list?
Jesus certainly could have been distracted with the memories of people whom he met and to whom he ministered. I imagine him in prayer, remembering the centurion’s servant who was healed, and the widow in Nain whose son Jesus raised, and thinking, “I wonder how they’re doing today?” And the crowd he taught by the Sea of Galilee? And the leper he cleansed on a Sabbath? And the demoniac? And those 5,000 he fed loaves and fish? How in the world does he keep all of them “covered in prayer?”
Don’t get me wrong; I believe in the power of prayer to heal, and I believe in praying for others. But there is something refreshingly direct about how Jesus teaches us to pray. It keeps us focused on the “main things” of faith: God’s will for us and the world; our need for God’s providence; the importance of keeping right relationships with God and others; and, the need for God’s direction in difficult times.
As we turn toward Jerusalem, what has your focus? Our experiences in life, our desires, our habits, and the pressures we feel all pull us in many directions. How does this prayer bring focus and clarity to your walk with God?
Buen Camino!
Rev. Dr. David Chisham
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I have found Luke’s version more “pray-able” for me. Thank you David.