[Jesus] was praying in a certain place, and when he ceased, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples." And he said to them, "When you pray, say: 'Father, hallowed be your name. ...'"Didn't the Pharisees and the Sadducees know how to pray? Or was Jesus' kind of prayer too much a statement of dependency for the Jewish leaders to handle? If the Pharisee / Tax Collector (Luke 18:10-14) story shows the depth or prayer among the religious elite, then likely Jesus's disciples would have been pleasantly surprised by what they had seen and were about to hear.
--Luke 11:1-2a RSV (altd.)
'Father' -- at once a declaration of dependence; of family ties between God and man; of the immanence of God immediately kept from Sugar Daddy sentimentality by 'in heaven, hallowed be your name' celebrating God's transcendence and holiness. The almighty, omni-everything God, is approachable. Humble fellowship with him is possible and actively encouraged!
© Bruce M. Axtens, 2006
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