Luke 12:13-21 The More a Man Has, the More a Man Wants

Once there was a burglar who was caught and brought before a judge for trial. He was found guilty, and was asked by the judge if he had anything to say before he was sentenced. The burglar stated, “Well, you know, Your Honour, it’s like this. The more a man has, the more a man wants”. The judge replied, “Is that so? Well, I tell you what I’m going to do. I’m going to sentence you to 15 years in jail. How many more would you like?”

The brother who wanted Jesus to arbitrate the inheritance dispute with his brother in this morning’s Gospel reading is like the burglar in my story. Both of them were motivated by greed, and only cared about themselves and not for others. The rich farmer in Jesus’ parable was the same way. He cared only for himself and hoarded what he had. He did not want to share his wealth with others. He was so concerned about his earthly success that he forgot about the one person who was responsible for his earthly success-God.

Jesus is NOT telling us not to prepare for our future. In fact, it would be foolish for us NOT to prepare for our future, especially our future life after we die. If we want to have a future with God, we must prepare ourselves spiritually NOW by doing his work in this world and by following his will for our lives. In fact, I’ve been writing and preparing this sermon in mid-summer-a time when farmers prepare for the fall and winter by harvesting the crops that were planted in the spring. Just as the farmer prepares his fields before he plants his crops, we must prepare now for our next lives especially since we never know when we will die. If not, we automatically prepare ourselves for a life in hell.  

Jesus is also NOT telling us to sit back and do nothing in the hope that God will provide for us. In fact, Paul says that anyone who refuses to work should not expect to eat. Jesus encourages us to keep just enough of our possessions for our own use and share the rest with the poor. In other words, we must look outward toward others instead of looking inward toward ourselves. True satisfaction in life flows out of fulfilling the purpose for which we were created; namely, to enjoy a loving relationship with God. Wealth and selfishness can never substitute for a relationship with him, and they will ultimately make the heart feel hollow.

For example, in 1923 a group of the world’s most successful men met at hotel in Chicago. The members of that group included the president of the largest steel corporation, the greatest wheat speculator, the president of the New York Stock Exchange, a member of the United States’ Cabinet, the canniest investor on Wall Street, the future director of the World Bank, and the head of the world’s largest monopoly. A few years later, this was their fate: Charles Schwab died in debt; Arthur Cutten died in obscurity; Richard Whitney became insolvent, did time in Sing Sing prison, and was blotted out of the “Who’s Who” list. Albert Fall was pardoned from prison in order that he might die at home. Jesse Livermore, Leon Fraser and Ivan Kruger, the match king, all died by committing suicide. All of these men learned how to make money, but none of them learned how to live. In 1930, Charles Schwab said, “I am afraid. Everyone is afraid. I don’t know, we don’t know, whether the values we have are going to be real next month or not”.

The same thing can be said of the current economic crisis. Most of the material I have heard or read suggests that the crisis was caused by greed, especially with the issue of sub-prime mortgages and subsequent bank failures in the United States. To make matters worse, I’m sure many of you have read about the outrageously high salaries that were paid to the CEOs of these banks. These are almost as bad as the salaries that many professional athletes are paid. At the same time, many people in society are struggling to get by on low wages, social assistance, or by being underpaid for the work that they do.

 

Why does such a discrepancy exist? It’s because of society. Society tells us that the way to recognize accomplishment in any field-sports, entertainment, business, etc. - is to pay these outrageously high salaries. It is disgusting when a CEO in a large corporation can be paid millions of dollars per year and socialize with the elite of society, when all of the workers who are really responsible for his or her success are paid far less that what they are worth-and in many cases, far less than they need to survive.  

Have you ever had a case of poison ivy? If so, you probably know how hard it is to keep from scratching. You want relief, but scratching only makes it worse. Greed is the same way. We get excited and we want to scratch it, but we shouldn’t. Possessing more and more promises relief, but it only makes the situation worse.

Some of you might have seen a movie that came out in the 1980s called “Wall Street”. In that movie, Michael Douglas played an investor named Gordon Gecco. In one scene, he launches into a defense of greed in which he claims that greed is good. While money does indeed make the world go around (as the old saying goes), greed is one of the main causes of problems in our society today, especially the current economic crisis. Greed comes from a lack of moral, spiritual and ethical understanding of what is right and what is wrong. Some of the most miserable people are extremely wealthy, and some of the happiest people are extremely poor. Some of the snobbiest people in the world are extremely wealthy, and some of the nicest people are dirt poor. I know, because I’ve seen both, especially when I worked at a local lumber mill.

Billy Graham tells the story of how years ago he and his late wife Ruth were on a Caribbean island. One of the wealthiest men in the world asked them to come to his lavish home for lunch. At that time the man was 75 years old, and throughout the entire meal it seemed he was very close to tears. He finally said, “I’m the most miserable man in the world. Out there is my yacht, my plane, my helicopters; I can go anywhere I want to go when I want to go there. I have everything I want to make me happy, and yet I am as miserable as hell.” Billy Graham talked to him, had prayer with him and tried to point him to Christ, but the man would not be saved.

Billy Graham said they then went down the hill to the small cottage where they were staying. That afternoon the pastor of the local Baptist church came to call. He was an Englishman, and he was also 75. He was a widower, and he had spent most of his free time taking care of his two invalid sisters. He was jumping up and down, full of enthusiasm, full of love for Jesus and love for others. They were talking and the Baptist preacher said, “You know, Billy, I don’t have two cents to my name, but I am the happiest man in the world.” Billy Graham said that after the pastor left, he turned to Ruth and said, “Ruth, of the two men we have met today, who was the richer man?” Billy said “We both knew the answer”.  

Life is more than material goods. Materialism is often a symptom of buried emotions, especially the emotion of wonder. Instead of finding fulfillment in the wonder and beauty of creation and nature, we get wrapped up in things. As the old saying goes, instead of loving people and using things, we end up unhappily loving things and using people. Our relationship with God is much more important than our possessions. When we bring our problems to God, he shows us how much we need to change and grow in our attitude toward the problem.

In 1888 Alfred Nobel picked up a French newspaper and read his own obituary. His brother had died and by mistake the newspaper printed Alfred’s obituary instead. In it, Alfred Nobel was remembered as the dynamite king, the merchant of death, a person who had amassed a great fortune out of explosives used extensively in wars. Alfred Nobel didn’t like what he read, and set out to make a better name for himself. He established the Nobel Prizes, including the Nobel Peace Prize, which today continues to honour people around the world who have championed the cause of peace. Alfred Nobel moved from success to significance.

Jesus condemned the man because he forgot that he was going to die some day. What would happen then? Someone else would have all that he owns. We are the same today. We don’t want to think that we will die some day and that someone else will get our possessions. That’s why some people die without having a will, not realizing that the law will then determine who gets what-and sometimes the law’s decisions might not be what the deceased person wanted. Someone once said, “Be interested in your future, because you are going to spend the rest of your life there”. We need to be concerned about preparing for our soul because it will be spending eternity wherever it is sent, and it is better to spend it in heaven than it is to spend it in hell. If we forget about death and God because of our greed and our self-centered attitudes, we will be condemned. If we want more of anything, it should be of everything God offers to us. All we have to do is accept it in faith and submit to his will for our lives.

Jesus called the man to think about others instead of just himself, and he issues the same call to us today. Poverty did not come from God. God created enough for everyone. We are called to put others above ourselves, especially the less fortunate in society. For example, our church lay readers are encouraged to become involved in issues relating to social justice. That’s one of many reasons why I work with the local food bank. Our rector answered the same call when he was the Chaplain of the Missions to Seamen in the Port of Halifax, and he continues to answer that same call today as the Honorary Chaplain of the Missions to Seamen for the Port of Liverpool and Brooklyn.

If our chief goal as humans is to glorify God and enjoy him forever, we will achieve this by feeding our souls on spiritual food and serving others that will, in turn, make our life matter. The point of our Gospel reading is that God sees life from a totally different perspective. Do we share God’s point of view?

As I close my sermon this morning, I want each and every one of us to think of the impact we as Christians would make on today’s world if every one of us would make and pray the following commitment. “Dear God, I am available today. Please use me today to be ‘as Jesus’ in some way, first to my own family, and then in some way to every life I touch. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, AMEN”

 

Bibliography

 

       1.      Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, New American Standard Version

2.      Notes from Peter Anthony’s Bible Study, Winter 2010

3.      ESV Study Bible, part of Wordsearch Bible software package

4.      Life Application Bible Notes, part of Wordsearch Bible software package

5.      Johnson’s Notes on the New Testament, part of Wordsearch Bible software package

6.      Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament, Explanatory and Practical, part of Wordsearch Bible software package

7.      Exegesis for Luke 12:13-21. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org.

8.      Rev. Charles Hoffacker, “Avarice: The Disease and It’s Cure”. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org.

9.      David Lenninger, “It’s Not the Money…. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org.

10.  Rev. Randy Hyde, “A New Lesson on Life”. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org.

11.  James D. Kegel, “Overlooking Saipan”. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org.

12.  Philip W. McLarty, “The Parable of the Rich Fool”. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org.

13.  Charles F. Stanley, “Holding Too Tightly”. Retrieved from www.intouch.org

14.  Richard Inness, “The Purpose of Life”. Retrieved from www.actsweb.org.

15.  Richard Inness, “The Why of Materialism”. Retrieved from www.actsweb.org.

16.  Richard Inness, “To Be as Jesus”. Retrieved from www.actsweb.org.

17.  Richard Inness, “Is Your Life Wonder-full or Wonder-empty?” Retrieved from www.actsweb.org.

18.  Dr. Ray Pritchard, “Hold Lightly What You Value Greatly”. Retrieved from www.keepbelieving.org.

19.  Abingdon Commentary. Retrieved from www.esermons.com

20.  James Merritt, “The World is not Enough”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com

21.  Dr. J. Howard Olds, “The High Price of Short Cuts”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com

22.  “Lutheran World Federation Assembly to Focus on Alleviating Hunger”. Retrieved from Lutheran World Information through The Anglican Church of Canada News Service

23.  John Shearman’s Lectionary, Tenth Sunday after Pentecost. Retrieved from http://seemslikegod.org/lectionary/archives/tenth-sunday-after-pentecost-august-1-2010

 

 

 

Mark 10:2-16 Jesus, the Heavenly Comforter

The Gospel passage from Mark 10:2-16 appears at first glance to be two unrelated stories, but there is a connection between the two of them. Both stories tell us how Jesus cares for the outcasts and the less fortunate in society and how he expects us to treat them.

In Old Testament times, children and women were on the lower levels of society. Women were seen as nothing more than property, and children were considered to be useless until they were old enough to help out around the property. Women could become the victims of divorce for reasons as minor as burning the meal, not keeping the house clean or for getting older. As a result, if they did not have another male relative to support them, they usually ended up in prostitution.

God intends for marriage to last forever, but he also knows our faults. He gave us a high standard to aim for, but he always keeps our weaknesses in mind when he deals with us. That does not give us an excuse to sin. He always calls us to obey him and refuse to compromise what he knows is right. When we honour him with our conduct, he blesses us with an abundant sense of peace, joy and goodness.

God knows that in some cases divorce is inevitable, especially in cases of physical, mental or emotional abuse. That is why Moses allowed divorce, but he made it as difficult as possible. The divorce document had to be written, and because most people could not read or write, the process took time. It was hoped that during this time both parties would work out their differences and save their marriage.

Divorce is painful. It hurts people other than the parties directly involved. Siblings and parents suffer. Friends sometimes have to choose sides. I’m speaking from personal knowledge, because my own brother is divorced from his wife. The people who hurt the most though are the children. They are often caught in the middle of the proceedings and disagreements. It’s bad enough that some people think that children should be seen and not heard. Children are vulnerable enough as it is, and they are often the most vulnerable in a divorce.  

Mark’s Gospel is the gospel of mercy, so it is appropriate that Mark follows Jesus’ teaching about marriage and divorce with Jesus’ calling of the little children. Broken marriages and little children represent the sad state of the human race and condition. When Jesus embraced the children, he embraced the human race and replaced its pain with the love he has in his heart.

All of us are hurting in one way or another. The only way we can get over our hurt and our pain is to come to Jesus like a little child-naïve, trusting, full of wonder and curiosity. We need to come to him with a simple faith. If this seems simple, it is because it is simple. All we have to do is remember the words of the 1970s hit song “Everything is Beautiful”:

 

Jesus loves the little children

All little children of the world

Red and yellow, black and white

They are precious in his sight

Jesus loves the little children of the world

 

To know the abundant life Jesus offers, we must let go of our control. We must stop protecting ourselves, because Christ is our defense. We must stop taking responsibility for ourselves, because God is our provider. The path to childlike innocence and trust is tricky, but it begins when we take the step of letting down our guard and allowing God to provide for us just like parents provide for their children.

Jesus came to heal the wounds cause by Adam and Eve and the original sin in the Garden of Eden. He came to heal relationships and broken marriages, our relationship with each other and our relationship with the less fortunate. Rather than establishing hopelessly high standards, Jesus is calling us to a high vision. He wants us to conduct ourselves in keeping with God’s will so that we might be a blessing to our families, our neighbours, and ourselves. When we fail to keep his perfect standards perfectly, our failures remind us that Jesus, the cross and the empty tomb is our only hope.

 Bibliography

      1.      Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F.  Stanley Life Principles Bible, NASB (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2009)

2.      Fr. Mark Edney, O.P., “Healing Our Original Wound”. Retrieved from http://torch.op.org/preaching_sermon-item.php?sermon=5706

3.      Rev. Dr. Billy Graham, “Would It Be Wrong to Have an Affair?” Retrieved from ezines@arcamax.com

4.      Dr. Jack Graham, “what is Marriage, Really?” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com

5.      Michael D. Warden, “Looking to the Father” Retrieved from devotional@loi.org

6.      Exegesis for Mark 10:2-16. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com

7.      Dr. Lanie LeBlanc, O.P., “Volume 2, Sunday 27 (B)”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org

8.      Pastor Bob Coy, “Kingdom Qualities”. Retrieved from www.activeword.org

9.      Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions, 27^th Sunday (B)”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org.

10.  McKenna, D.L. and Ogilvie, L.J., The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 25:Mark (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982)

Matthew 6:25-33 What? Me Worry?

A country preacher decided to skip services one Sunday to spend the day hiking in the wilderness. Rounding a sharp bend in the trail, he collided with a bear and was sent tumbling down a steep grade. He landed on a rock and broke both legs.

With the angry bear charging at him from a distance, the preacher prayed, “O Lord, I’m so sorry for skipping services today. Please forgive me and grant me just one wish---make a Christian out of that bear that’s coming at me!”

At that vey instant, the bear skidded to a halt, fell to his knees, clasped his paws together, and began to pray out loud at the preacher’s feet, “Dear God, please bless this food I am about to receive.”  

I read a news story about an elderly lady in West Palm Beach, Florida who died recently. The coroner’s report read “Cause of death…malnutrition.” At the time of her death, she weighed 50 pounds.

When the state authorities began their investigation into the lady’s death, they found that her house was a pigpen. She begged food from her neighbours and got what little clothing she had from the Salvation Army. She appeared to be a hermit, but that was not the case. In the mess officials found two keys to safe-deposit boxes at two local banks. In one box were over 700 AT&T stock certificates and hundreds of other valuable stocks, bonds and financial securities along with a stack of cash amounting to over $200,000. The other box contained over $600,000 in cash. Altogether the lady had a net worth of over one million dollars. The estate went to a distant niece and nephew, neither of whom dreamed that their aunt had a cent to her name.

The lady wasn’t saving her money. She was worshipping it, just like many people worship material goods such as food, clothing and shelter. She would have been wise to heed the words of the apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 6:7: “Don’t put your hope in wealth, which is so uncertain. But put your hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” God doesn’t tell us not to stop worrying about food and shelter and clothing because we don’t really need them. He knows we need them. He wants us to stop worrying because he has promised to take care of every need we have.

The blessings God offers us fill every need that we have. Today, as we celebrate the Canadian Thanksgiving, we pause to give thanks to God for everything he has given us. We pause to remember the words of the old hymn, “All good gifts around us are sent from heaven above. Then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord, for all His love.” 

With God on our side, we do not need to worry about our needs. He will supply our needs, and not necessarily out wants. For example, if we need a car and approach God in prayer with our request, he might give us a ’57 Chevy even thought we sing the old song, “O Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes-Benz.” God knows our needs and so he will take care of us. We have to balance our desires with God’s wisdom and blessing. If we believe in him, he will take care of our needs and we can concentrate on living one day at a time.

This sermon is being preached at a very difficult economic time, especially for this area. The local paper mill has closed and many people have lost their jobs. Some, like my own brother and his girlfriend, have had to move out west, particularly to Fort McMurray, Alberta, to find work. Personally, my work hours have been cut by 40% at one of my jobs. For some of us, the hard times have hit us very hard. For others, tough times have hit home. Some of us doubt Jesus when he tells us not to worry, but we must remember that he follows those words with the promise that God will take care of us.

God provides our lives and our bodies. He is powerful enough to create life, so he is powerful enough to provide for that life. Worrying about our needs does not guarantee that they will be met. If we worry about our needs, it shows that we have little faith in God’s promise to care for us and his power to fulfill that promise. To be successful in our hearts, we have to accept Christ, follow Christ and serve Christ. We can make God our number one priority by serving him instead of man and by using what he has given us to help others. For example, I see that the church is nicely decorated with all sorts of fruits and vegetables which have been donated by many of you. After the service, these gifts will be taken to the local food bank to be shared with the less fortunate in our community. This simple act fulfills Jesus’ instructions to share what we have with the poor. 

Worry steals our peace and joy and affects every area of our lives. For example, many health problems are caused in part by worry and stress. If we trust God, worry will be replaced by faith and the knowledge that God will provide for us. We can then take comfort in the words of Bobby McFerrin’s 1988 hit song, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”.

 Here’s a little song I wrote

You might want to sing it note for note

Don’t worry

Be happy

 

In every life we have some trouble

When you worry you make it double

Don’t worry

Be Happy

When you worry your face will frown

That will bring everybody down

Don’t worry

Be Happy

 

When we walk with God, our faith will consume our fears. Because God provides for us, we can blossom and thrive. We can show his love, compassion, glory and life.  Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:33 to put God’s kingdom first. It does not provide the answer to every problem, but it does eliminate many possible answers. If the answer does not further God’s kingdom and reflect his righteousness, then it does not need to be considered any further.  

When we worry, it is a sign of an unhealthy relationship with God. It shows that we value material goods more than we value our heavenly Father. We need to see him as a loving father who may allow us to experience life’s difficulties but who always takes care of our needs. Relying on God to provide for our needs flies in the face of the world’s emphasis on acquiring material goods and wealth instead of spiritual wealth. When we choose God’s agenda instead of the world’s agenda, God will richly bless us. When we work and let God worry about the outcome, we can relax. Instead of worrying, we need to choose faith, and the only way to increase our faith is to start praying. When we put God first, we will find the proper balance in our lives because God will provide for our needs.  

In order for God to provide for us, we have to work. Some people have taken the fact that God will provide for their needs as an excuse not to work or plan for their future We DO have to plan for our future, especially if we want God to look after us. If God looks after us, and if we do our part, thing will take care of themselves, but we have to produce. We can’t be idle or dependent on others. God might not endorse all of our plans or open all the doors we want opened, but God will open the right doors at the right time. God will care for us in good times and bad,

If God is first in our giving, he has our hearts. If he has our hearts, he will guide us and meet our needs. If we are holding on to something that is keeping us from following God’s will for our lives, we have to let go of that something. As long as we believe that all that we have is ours, we will struggle with feelings of selfishness. Once we understand that all we have belongs to God and that he is letting us use them for awhile, our viewpoint changes.

Anyone can give thanks when the pasture is filled, the fields are beautiful, the orchard is loaded, the barn is bursting, the work is fulfilling and their health is good. But let’s see people praise God when the crops have failed, the rain did not come, the herd has died, the trees did not produce, the job they have worked at for years disappears because the company shuts down, or when the doctor tells them that they have only a few months to live.

As we ask God to take away anything that worries us-a test, a medical finding, job insecurity-he wants us to give him thanks. This might mean that we have to reflect on similar situations in our past when we faced similar circumstances and God came through. In the words of 1 Thessalonians 5:18, we are to give God thanks and praise in the midst of everything that comes our way. That goes against our human inclination to complain when things go against us, but that is the very wisdom of God. 

Thanksgiving is more than just a day. It is a lifestyle. It is more about our attitude than it is about platitudes; about the virtue of giving thanks for all that we have received from God. It is an attitude of gratitude for everything God has provided for us because we have faith in him.

 

Bibliography

 

1.      Charles R. Swindoll, “Tightwads”. Retrieved from eministries@insightforliving.ca

2.      Alan Smith, “It’s mine”. Retrieved from thought-for-the-day@hub.xc.org.

3.      Stanley, C.F., The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NASB (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2009)

4.      John North, “Time With God: Matthew 6:25-27, 31-34” retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

5.      “He Knows Our Need”. Retrieved from ChristianVoices@att.net

6.      Matthew Henry Concise Commentary. Part of Lessonmaker 8 Bible software package.

7.      ESV Study Bible. Part of Lessonmaker 8 Bible software package.

8.      Wycliffe Bible Commentary. Part of Lessonmaker 8 Bible software package

9.      Dr. Lawrence Wilkes, “Guidelines for Success-Serve Him”. retrieved from www.hourofpower.org/print/index.phpo?contendid=7579

10.  Joel & Victoria Osteen, “Refuse to Worry”. Retrieved from no-reply@joelosteen.com

11.  Michael Youssef, PhD, “Daily Living Faith”. Retrieved from mydevotional@leadingtheway.org

12.  Gerrit J. Bomhof, “Flowers”. Retrieved from today@thisistoday.net

13.  Pastor Bob Coy, “Warned Against Worry”. Retrieved from www.activeword.org

14.  Doug Fields, “God Works”. Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com

15.  Pastor Ken Klaus, “Worry”. Retrieved from lhmlists@lhm.org

16.  Pastor Greg Laurie, “Where We Put God First”. Retrieved from Crossalks@crosswalkmail.com

17.  Exegesis for Matthew 6:25-33. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com

18.  Bayless Conley, “When God Has Our Hearts’. Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

19.  Dick Inness, “Giving to Gain”. Retrieved from www.actsweb.org

20.  The Rev. Billy D. Strayhorn, “Gratitude Not Platitudes”. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com

21.  Pastor Joe McKeever, “Top Ten Thanksgiving Texts”. Retrieved from http://joemckeever.com/wp/top-ten-thanksgiving-texts.

 

 

Luke 11:1-13 Lord, Teach Us to Pray

A priest, a minister and a guru were discussing the best positions for prayer while a telephone repairman worked nearby. "Kneeling is definitely the best way to pray," the priest said. "No," the minister said, "I get the best results standing with my hands outstretched to Heaven." "You're both wrong," the guru said. "The most effective prayer position is lying down on the floor." The repairman could contain himself no longer. "Hey, fellas," he interrupted, "The best praying I ever did was when I was hanging upside down from a telephone pole."

Several years ago, Mother Teresa appeared on the Hour of Power television program. The host, Pastor Robert Schuller, reminded her that the show was being broadcast all over America and in 22 foreign countries, including her native Yugoslavia. He asked her if there was one message she would like to convey to all those viewers. Her response was, "Yes, tell them to pray. And tell them to teach their children to pray."

In today's Gospel reading, Jesus and the disciples were following Mother Teresa's message. Jesus told them to pray, and taught them to pray. The lesson he gave them became the pattern for the prayer we all know-namely, the Lord's Prayer. The outline He gave is threefold:

1. The promise of prayer

2. The reality of prayer

3. The practice of prayer

Jesus intended the words of the Lord's Prayer to portray the spirit of our prayers instead of specified words. For Jesus, prayer was not just a form, but a force, a power. Prayer was vital and influential in His life. It can be the same for us. Prayer can take many forms, but it is often difficult to find the time, energy or focus to engage in prayer. The disciples wanted to learn to pray, to integrate prayer into their lives, to understand and deepen their relationship with God, and find the words to offer. Jesus taught the disciples to make their prayer God-centered. The glory of God's name and the advancement of God's kingdom were to be their primary concerns of prayer. We also want and need to learn these same things.

We are to come before the throne of grace boldly. We are to live every moment knowing that a loving, heavenly Father is on our side. He understands the problems of our lives. People have given up hope and trust. Little in life seems worthwhile. Faith has petered out. This parable encourages us to keep stirring up God until He gives us His ear. Whenever we pray, God is on our side. He is ready to listen for the sake of bringing us the best possible blessing.

This reminds me of a story about a little girl who was kneeling bedside her bed one night. She said, "Dear God, if you're there and you hear my prayer, could you please just touch me?" Just then she felt a touch, and got so excited! She said, "Thank you, God, for touching me." Then she looked up, saw her older sister, and got a little suspicious. "Did you touch me?" The sister answered, "Yes, I did". "What did you do that for?" she asked. "God told me to" was the reply.

When we face life's problems we can do one of two things-faint, or pray. Jesus helps us and the disciples develop an attitude of dependence. He teaches them and us to come to God as our Father, and not as our employer. We are to make requests, not demand earnings. We are to realize our constant need for forgiveness, not to shout in pride, "See how great I'm doing." We are to request deliverance, not to promise, "I'll try harder". Jesus never met anyone he couldn't forgive. People he met were no better or no worse than the people we meet every day. Some were strong, some were weak. Some were fortunate, some had experienced bad break after bad break. He loved them all. He came into the world not to condemn people, but to save them. God is the same. He hears the prayers of ALL the world's people, regardless of age, wealth or other social limitations. No one is too insignificant to be beyond His concern.

Prayer is a privilege for the robust who come into the presence of God and approach the throne of grace with confidence, knowing what they want of Divine providence. Does that mean that everything we ask for in prayer will be granted, or even granted right away? No. Sometimes God says "Yes", sometimes He says "No", sometimes He says "Not now", and sometimes He says, "No, I have something even better in mind for you". God is the one who can and will provide us with what we truly need to live the life Jesus calls us to live.

The activist attitude that Jesus taught is based on the idea that we can do something for God. The disciples' attitude was based on awareness that God can do something in us. Doing God's will on earth means the putting down of evil and the putting up of good. Prayer is not a five-minute exercise in devotion time. It means you have the desire for God's will in your life. God wants to live in us here and now on earth, even though He is holy. His eagerness is found in both the gift of His Son and the words of the Lord's Prayer. "Our Father, who are in heaven" represents the joining of heaven and earth. "Your kingdom come, your will be done" models surrender to God's will, as does Jesus' instructions. "Everyone that is indebted to us" refers to offenses similar to those we have committed against God and for which we ask forgiveness.

We must pray this prayer from a believing heart that is sincere and submitted to God's will. True prayer involves responsibilities-honoring God's kingdom and doing God's will. The purpose of prayer is not to get man's will done in heaven, but to get God's will done on earth. I am reminded of the story of the woman who was so desperate for a husband that she knelt before a statue of the Virgin Mary and the Baby Jesus and prayed, "Blessed lady, please send me a man. I'm so desperate and lonely". An altar boy who was standing in the shadows heard the prayer and decided to have a little fun. He imitated the voice of the Baby Jesus and said, "No, you can't have a man!". The woman replied, "You shut up, you young pup. I'm talking to your mother!" .

Prayer affirms that we are not alone. God said, "I will never leave you or forsake you".
We must be secure in our relationship with God before we can bring our requests to Him. Prayer is not overcoming God's reluctance; it is laying hold of His highest willingness. Because He knows and loves us, we need never be afraid of the answers that He gives. Jesus is at God's right hand making intercessions for us. Only Christ can teach us, by His word and spirit, how to pray. God helps us to be people of prayer. We must ask for the Holy Spirit, as all spiritual blessings are included in the Holy Spirit. Prayer is a powerful force that is available to us. It is an inner openness to God which allows his divine power to be released in us. The power of prayer is God's success in changing us.

When a man believes and does his best to get right with God, with his fellow believers and with himself, death is nothing to be afraid of. God is a loving parent. He knows our real needs and will grant us anything in this world that is in our best interests. He knows what will make us stronger and what will ultimately weaken us. He knows our potential and our breaking points. He knows what it will take to fit our souls for His kingdom. A good father will only give his children what is good for them. God is more inclined to give us what we need than the best human father is.

Our prayers must be chiefly prayers of thanksgiving, but they must also contain an element of confession. We are not all God means for us to be. We need His mercy, compassion, and amazing grace. Sometimes we pray for forgiveness, and sometimes we pray for the ability to forgive. We need God's guidance in this world, and we must pray daily for His guidance. The disciples discovered that through prayer, God gave them great power to help others-the same power He gives us. When we pray, God often answers our prayers in ways we never realize. More important, though, is that when we pray, God influences us to show the love of Christ to others, just as the Samaritan did for the beaten man in the parable of the Good Samaritan. Jesus' ministry demonstrated what a Spirit-filled and Spirit-directed life looks like. Jesus promises this same Spirit to his disciples, and the Acts of the Apostles shows that when the Spirit descends on the community, they begin to live the Spirit-filled life Jesus lived. The poor were cared for, the dead were raised, the blind and lame were healed, the crippled walked and three times, when the disciples were imprisoned, God opened their prison doors and set them free.

We live in a generation where there is little hope in our secular world. Today's Gospel reading is about trust. It is about letting go of our resentments, our doubts and our fears. It is about believing that there is never a storm so tumultuous that He cannot bring us safely through. That there is no night so dark that His light cannot penetrate it. That nothing is going to happen to us that by His grace we cannot handle. To the unbeliever prayer is an exercise in futility. But to the believer, prayer is the most powerful and the most reliable force in the world today. God has promised to hear our prayers. They will not go unanswered. Even though it sometimes seems that no one is listening, God is listening. He will answer our prayers in His own time and in His own way. He is not bound by human constraints. Our ways are not His ways. Our task is to trust that what we receive from God is for our best interest. Other people see the way we live our lives, and if we are sloppy and sinful, we can hardly hope to make others see the benefits of being Christian.

Do we know how to pray as we should? Do we speak to ourselves, or are we speaking to God? Do we merely ask for something, or do we ask to be transformed? Can we say the words I once saw on a bumper sticker-namely, "Christ changed my life"? The problem with our prayers is that we are not earnest enough. Jesus said that there is only one kind of prayer-deep, earnest, heartfelt prayer.

The Holy Spirit is God's supreme gift to us. It prompts us to continually pray to God. Jesus taught from the very beginning that a huge key to effective prayer is persistence, devotion to prayer over time. The disciples were continually devoting themselves to prayer, as mentioned in Acts 2:42, and the apostles were very careful to practice what Jesus taught them. Persistent prayer is virtuous not when it honours our own prejudices and frustrations, but when it yields and seeks the mind and heart and spirit of God.

The Holy Spirit also directs our energies in the direction of our prayers. It keeps us sensitive to God's signs to change direction and ideas. It keeps us assured of God's love. God's gift comes to us because we are persistent. He gives to us out of His love, and he gives to us knowing what is in our best interest. We are to ask God to help us keep His name holy in our hearts and on our lips, to help us provide for our daily needs, to see the wisdom and necessity of forgiveness and to help us lead a life that is pleasing to Him by strengthening us against temptation. In his commentary on the Lord's Prayer, Martin Luther said that at times of distress our only help or comfort is to take refuge in the Lord's Prayer and appeal to God from our hearts. If we attempt to help ourselves by our own thoughts and counsels, we will only make matters worse.

A Christian man was once offered drugs and urged to do his own thing. He replied, "You don't understand. My thing is not doing your own thing, but God's thing". When Christians pray, "May your kingdom come," they are praying "Lord, I want to do your thing!" You see, a triumphant faith is more than occasional chill bumps in the church. It is more than singing "How Great Thou Art" on Sunday. It is doing the will of God in daily living. To abide in Christ requires faith and commitment. We must not sit passively by, waiting for answers. We must be busy doing God's will while we are waiting. Yielding our will means accepting His answers to our prayers. Prayer is the most powerful weapon for combat against our corrupt, secular world. We can't survive without prayer. The best way to honour God is to pay attention and be careful how we live our lives. We are to live our lives in community, hand-in-hand, heart-in-heart with one another. How we get along with each other says a great deal about how we love God and the kind of people we want to be.