A Prayer for All Seasons

(A Sermon Series on the Lord’s Prayer)

1)      How is God’s Will Made Known?

Luke 4:14-21

“Your kingdom come. Your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.”

Matthew 6:10 (NRSV)[1]

            What does this phrase mean…this concept in the Lord’s Prayer?

Isn’t it really two petitions in one?

                  Praying for the kingdom of God to come…

                  Praying also that, in the meantime, God’s will may be done

                                    in this world?

            Actually, that’s not a difficult prayer to offer – that God’s will be done – as long as that will of God fits into our own way of thinking…

                   our plans,

                          our goals,

                         our philosophy and view of the way things should go.

            Where the difficulty lies, of course, is when that will of God does not fit into our way of thinking…

                When God’s plan differs radically from our own;

                When our ‘world view’ does not correspond with the message of the

                          gospel or the word of the Hebrew prophets;

                When the events of this world – even the set-back of personal loss,

                        anguish or tragedy, catches us completely off guard.

Then we may have a much harder time praying, as Jesus taught us…

                  “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth

                                as it is in heaven.”[2]

For we aren’t exactly sure what that will is…Are we? And so, we may wonder in our lives…

                           How is God’s will made known?

            Well, a good place for us to begin is to examine an incident early in the ministry of Jesus…described (in part) in today’s gospel lesson according to Luke.

                                           I

            It has always been a bit curious to me why Luke begins his account of the Galilean ministry with this story from Nazareth.

            Remember, this is not the first place – the first synagogue – where Jesus had taught. He had already begun to teach in others places. Evidently his teaching had already won praise by others – and his reputation preceded him to Nazareth.

            Consider also, that the gospels (of Luke and the others) are not biographical. They are not chronological accounts of Jesus’ life from beginning to end. The gospel is a compiling of stories and teachings of Jesus.

            Sometimes when I visit with families who have lost a loved one, and we’re planning together a memorial service – I ask them to tell me about the person. And what they usually do is tell me stories…

                   How Dad did this…

                         How Mom took care of them… (etc.)

When we talk about and remember one who has had an impact on our lives – we usually tell stories about them, not biographies.

            That’s what the gospel is - a faith story of One who impacted the lives of others…the writer and a community of believers.

            So, since the gospel is not a biography or a history of Jesus, then we are left to wonder...    Why does Luke begin a major part – the Galilean ministry – a significant portion of the work of Jesus – with what occurred one stormy day in Nazareth?

            You see, what transpired in the synagogue – shortly after Jesus spoke – was not a pleasant scene.            Was it?

                 People soon became angry with Jesus.

                 They couldn’t believe the audacity of this man!

                 They disagreed with his interpretation of the prophecy he had read.

What began as a ‘homecoming reception’ quickly and nearly turned into a ‘public lynching’. Reception turned to rejection.

                        The story of Jesus in Nazareth

                        was not something to write home about!

So why, according to Luke, begin with this apparent fiasco?

Two reasons, perhaps:

1)      The eloquent reading of Jesus from the scroll of Isaiah.

                 and…

2)      The lesson of Nazareth that serves the community of faith

      to this day.

            In the first, Jesus sets forth the mission and tone for his work as a preacher, teacher, healer – the form his ministry will take.

                        It is based in God’s word.               And yet…

                        It is not without controversy and challenge.

            In the second, Luke makes an important point that may bear remembering. The ministry of Jesus does not begin with (what perhaps anyone would consider to be) “a success story.”           No…   Ministry (as we see it) is not always a success.

Jesus challenges those who had taught him from his youth.

He points to himself as the fulfillment of prophecy long held.

He implicitly invites those present to join him in the work he was called to do.

            But, for some reason, no one fully appreciated what he had to say.

                    Rather than be inspired…they became incensed!

                    Rather than engaged…they were enraged!

                                                II

            Now I ask you, in light of the prayer he later taught his disciples…in light of the prayer we so routinely say each week…

                             Thy kingdom come…

                               Thy will be done…

                                 Was that the will of God?

Was that the way things were to turn out in the ‘divine scheme of things’…for Jesus to fail in impressing the ‘home folks’…the faithful in Nazareth?

            Jesus was proclaiming good news – a message of hope – a reality of God’s kingdom here on earth.

            Yet the people didn’t respond to it so well. They didn’t ‘cheer on’ the hometown boy. They didn’t lift up Jesus on their shoulders – except maybe to throw him off a cliff!

            Was that according to plan?    Was that the way it was supposed to happen? Was that God’s intent?               Thy will be done?

We might well ask ourselves the same questions, at times.

When things don’t go well.

                  When our plans fail miserably.

                        When life takes an unexpected turn…

We naturally seem to turn to God and ask Why? Or, if we’re not quite as bold or assertive with the Almighty…we may turn the question inward and say…What have I done wrong?

            In either case, we’re left pondering the unanswerable question…the question that has haunted or bothered humankind from the beginning of rational existence. The question that seeks a reasonable answer to life’s problems…when no reasonable answer will do.

            But there’s another way we may offer this petition… Another way to understand the will of God.   Rather than say…

                                         Thy will be done…

as if it were some verdict or consequence for some misdeed of our own.   Rather than to offer it as some weak resignation of our fate…    The prayer may, instead, be an expression of our faith in one whose knowledge and expertise is greater than our own.

                                             III

            Most scholars believe that the original version of the Lord’s Prayer may not have included the second petition.[3] (You’ll notice that in Luke’s version of the prayer in chapter 11, the second petition is not included.) Some believe the words were added later, to reflect the prayer of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane…where he prays…

                                  Not my will, but thy will be done.[4]

            I have a family doctor in West Virginia who I had been seeing for years. He was not only my doctor, he’s also my friend. When I needed a ‘check up’ every year or two, I usually drove back the many miles it took in order to see him. And the reason I did so is…he takes time to see me. He treats not only my physical being…but my mind and spirit as well. 

            I trust him.   If ‘Dr. Bob’ should happen to say one day… “You know, Clay, that mole on your back looks a little suspicious. It may be nothing, but maybe we should remove it.”     I don’t turn around and say to him…

“Are you sure? Maybe you should run another test.”

I don’t sit there and think to myself… “Well, that’s what he thinks. I’ll get a second opinion.”   No…

            Instead, I reply….“Whatever you say, friend…You’re the doctor.” ( I generally believe that with most doctors…including the good physician I see now in Kilmarnock.)

            Some cynic, or kind soul, might say… “Well, that’s crazy…placing your trust in some doctor like that. He’s not God. What if he’s wrong?”

            But I base my opinion on something more than just medicine…or science…or standard procedure.   I base it on good faith…faith in someone who has taken good care of me… One whose knowledge and experience, in this case, is far greater than my own. One I know who has no other reason to steer me in this direction, than to safeguard my welfare.

            Well…I believe the same is true when we offer the prayer as Jesus showed his disciples to pray…

                                          Thy kingdom come.

                     Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

As if to say…

                             You’re the one in charge…I trust you.

            Look…We may not begin to know the answers to the problems we face. We may find ourselves uttering questions that are unanswerable. We can spend a great deal of our time pondering – or even moping – about our fate… or about getting what we want.

            Or, we can offer our prayer to one who we believe will take care of us… Whose knowledge of us (and the world in which we live) is far greater than we can even imagine.        One who we can trust to guide us in the course we should take.

            For we may trust in God. We may believe in God’s Word… And when we do…we may offer up our prayer that God’s will may be our own.

                           “Thy kingdom come.   Thy will be done.”

  Endnotes