Last week, we looked at the simplicity with which Jesus addressed God. This week we look at the first petition in his pattern for prayer, “hallowed be your name (Luke 11:2).”
Rarely will you hear anyone use the word “hallow” today. The word means to make holy.
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Jesus responded to his disciples request to teach them to pray by giving them a pattern for prayer (Luke 11:2-4). You may have noticed that the words Jesus gave his disciples in the Gospel of Luke differ from those in the more familiar version found in Matthew 6:9-13. Jesus likely gave his disciples this prayer many times. The words themselves are not as important as the pattern. This reminds us that God does not need our repetitive words. He wants to hear us speaking to him from the heart.
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The mid-nineteenth century missionary to South Africa Andrew Murray once said of prayer: “The disciples had been with Christ and seen him pray. They had learned to understand something of the connection between His wondrous life in public and His secret life of prayer. They had learned to believe in Him as a Master in the art of prayer – none could pray like Him. And so they came to Him with the request, ‘Lord, teach us to pray.’ And in after years they would have told us that there were few things more wondrous or blessed that He taught them than His lessons on prayer.”
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Distracted activity can rob us of what is most important in life. Take Martha for example. You would want Martha on your team. Quick to roll up her sleeves, never shy of going the extra mile, Martha got things done. When Jesus came to Martha’s town, Martha was likely the first person to invite Jesus to visit her home.
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Jesus came into this world with angels declaring, “Peace on earth on those whom his favor rest (Luke 2:14).” He sent out his disciples, telling them to say, “Peace to this house (Luke 10:5).”
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Many of us are ready to leave 2020 in the rearview mirror and just move on. There were more downs than ups on this rollercoaster.
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Submitted by Andy McIlvain.
In Luke 14:7-11, Jesus’s advice to his guests becomes a lesson about life in the Kingdom of God.
When Jesus spoke this parable, he knew by his deity and in his humanity how our sinful natures twist us to selfish preoccupation. All of us have felt the tug of self-exaltation. Bigger, better and greater, be famous, have your 15 minutes of fame, be number one; you deserve it. This is the mantra of our culture and the futile goal of much of humanity. Continue reading
A Jewish girl was taken and made the Queen of the King of Persia. It was a less than ideal situation. This King was violent and moody, a volatile combination. Continue reading
