Teaching Prayer: Luke 11:1-4

God’s grace, peace and mercy be with you. My sermon today is entitled Teaching Prayer, and my focus is Luke 11:1-4.

Let us pray. Heavenly Father, the psalmist wrote, “I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” Now that our feet are standing within your gates, we rejoice to hear your Word. As we listen, may your Spirit enlighten our minds and move our hearts to love deeply as Jesus loved. This we pray to you, Most Holy Trinity. Amen.

If you have ever tried to teach a child how to pray, you know how tedious and joyful a task it is. Whether the child is your son or daughter, grandchild or a boy or girl in your Sunday school or Vacation Bible School class, teaching The Lord’s Prayer, Luther’s Morning Prayer or meal prayers can take some time, but after the child has learned the prayer by heart, you know that it will never be forgotten.

Case in point. When I visit people bound to hospital, nursing home or personal beds, when all senses have left them, I am always surprised that frail bodies and minds can still recite by heart prayers learned decades earlier. The Lord’s Prayer never leaves them. That said, let me say that the three points of today’s sermon are (1) a story of a bishop teaching three fishermen to pray; (2) Jesus teaching his disciples to pray; and (3) what other have taught me about prayer.

First, a story of a bishop teaching three fishermen to pray. Anthony de Mello in The Song of the Bird tells the story of a bishop whose ship anchored at a remote island. Since he only had one day there, the bishop was determined to use the time profitably.

He strolled along the seashore and came across three fishermen, mending their nets. In broken English, they explained to him that missionaries converted their village to Christianity. “We Christians!” they proudly proclaimed. The bishop was impressed. In talking some more, he discovered that they had never heard of the Lord’s Prayer. The bishop was shocked. “What, then, do you SAY when you pray?”

“We lift eyes to heaven and say, ‘We are three, you are three, have mercy on us.’”

The bishop was appalled. This would never do. In fact, it sounded almost heretical. So, the bishop spent the whole day teaching them the Lord’s Prayer. Even though the fishermen were slow learners, they were finally able to struggle through it before the bishop sailed away the next day.

Months later, the bishop’s ship happened to pass by that same island. The bishop paced the deck, recalling with pleasure the three men who were now able to pray, thanks to his patient efforts. While he was lost in his thoughts, he happened to look up, and notice a spot of light to the east. The light kept approaching the ship and, as the bishop gazed in wonder, he saw three figures walking on the water. The captain, too, was amazed and he stopped the boat so everyone could see. When they got within speaking distance, the bishop recognized the three fishermen.

They exclaimed, “Bishop! We see your boat go by the island, so we come to see you.”  Awestruck, the bishop asked, “What do you want?” “Bishop, we are very sorry. We forget lovely prayer.  We say, ‘Our Father, in heaven, holy be your name….’ Then we forget.  Please tell us prayer again.”

With a quiet voice, the bishop answered, “Go back to your homes, my friends. And each time you pray, say, ‘We are three, you are three, have mercy on us.”

Teaching anything to anyone may have unexpected results. One being, that teaching someone to pray – or anything else for that matter – may humble the teacher. Imagine being Henry Mancini’s piano teacher, Einstein’s physics professor or Dolly Parton’s voice coach. If your most successful student’s accomplishments do not humble you, take a lesson from Jesus. My guess is that in his humanity, Jesus must have felt humble that his followers were asking him to teach them how to pray. And so, we segue from my first point to my second, Jesus teaching his disciples to pray.

In Luke-Acts, prayer is intimately associated with the word, common life, table fellowship and hospitality.[1] Last week, we read the Gospel passage on Martha and Mary. In Acts 2:42, we read that the first believers “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” Later, in chapter 6, we are reminded that when the Church chose the first deacons to wait on tables, the Twelve said, “’We will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.’ And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen” and six others and “set them before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them. And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.”[2] So we see that the passage on prayer is related to Christian sharing and common nourishment.

Earlier in chapter 3, Luke distinguished Jesus from John the Baptist and showed how he received the Holy Spirit while he was praying. Here again, in chapter 11, we find Jesus at prayer in the company of his disciples. Once he finishes, they ask him to teach them how to pray as John taught his disciples. Jesus’ followers needed a prayer suitable to their identity as the Lord’s disciples, and so, fittingly, they make this request by addressing him as Lord, as did Martha in last week’s passage.[3]

According to the prayer, they are to address God as Father for they share in the Lord’s divine life or sonship. Like Jesus, they too will receive the Holy Spirit, if they pray for it. In short, this passage distinguishes Jesus’ disciples from John’s, just as the baptism account in chapter three distinguished Jesus himself from John. Here, Jesus also reveals how those whom he has chosen are related to the Father, and what this relationship demands of them and what they can expect from it. In other words, this passage is not only about memorizing a prayer, it is about the life of Christians journeying to and living in the Kingdom.

The Lord’s prayer is for those who accept to follow Jesus on his journey to God. Recall at the end of chapter 9, how Jesus set his face toward Jerusalem and how several had more important duties and chose not to follow him.[4] These disciples recognized that it was necessary that Jesus be with the Father and that they too press on in the Christian mission toward the Father. The Lord’s prayer is the prayer of those who received the promise of the Holy Spirit, verse 13 of today’s Gospel. As such, it is truly the Lord’s prayer and not merely the prayer of Jesus.

To understand that, we know that before his death, Jesus had only begun to act and teach, as the opening verse of Acts reveals. After his resurrection, when God made him Lord – as Peter stated in Acts 2, “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified” – he continued to act and teach.[5] And the Lord’s prayer is the prayer of those who have been taught by the experience of the Risen Lord and know that they are God’s sons and daughters. That, folks, is Gospel.

Finally, my third point, what others taught me about prayer. Learning how to pray has always been an interest of mine. As long as I can remember, I wanted to learn how to pray in order to have a deeper, fuller, richer relationship with God. Some points about prayer I have learned from my parents and pastors, others from professors and printed books, and still others from workshops, retreats and friends.

So, what is prayer? Prayer is the necessary foundation of our work as church and individuals. It is communal and personal. We pray in our sanctuaries and rooms. To paraphrase one holy person, prayer is God looking at me, and me looking at God. It is from the heart, but it is also vocal. We speak the Lord’s Prayer as Jesus spoke it. Prayer involves reading Scripture as Jesus read it. Daily, my wife and I read aloud the Psalms and other Biblical passages. Like you, we make time for prayer.

However, my friends, we all take time away from prayer. This summer, many of us take time away from work and home. We vacate our businesses and residences. We go on vacation. For some, vacation also means time away from Word, Sacrament, public worship and private prayer. While on vacation, we may become physically and spiritually lazy. Oswald Chambers once wrote, “We are all capable of being spiritually lazy saints.” Let me repeat that. We are all capable of being spiritually lazy saints. That is why I am giving you this free prescription to combat spiritual laziness.

When I pray the Scriptures, I use the Five Ps of Prayer: Passage, Place, Posture, Presence and Passage. The Five Ps of Prayer is an easy method for anyone. Let me outline it for you.

First, Passage. Depending on the circumstances, choose a Scripture passage. Read it slowly several times until a word or phrase rises to the surface.

Place. Choose a place where you will not be disturbed. It may be in your home or a quiet church.

Posture. Find a sturdy comfortable chair that will allow you to sit upright. Posture is important. Do not slouch or lie down.

Presence. Set a timer for 10 minutes. Start there and gradually increase your prayer time to 25 minutes. Close your eyes so you are not distracted. Be present to God as He is present to you. Thoughts, feelings, physical discomforts and audible distractions will occur. Stand firm in the stream and let these distractions flow by as flotsam and jetsam go downstream.

Passage. When you get distracted, return to the passage and refocus. When your minutes have passed, close your meditation by reciting aloud The Lord’s Prayer.

Because you and I have the capacity to become spiritually lazy saints, but truly wish to imitate Jesus, try the Five Ps of Prayer for 25 minutes a day for the next 30-some years – the lifespan of Jesus. I guarantee you a deeper, richer, fuller, more intimate relationship with our Triune God. And this method has a money-back guarantee. I guarantee you that if you are not fully satisfied; you can return it … for your old relationship with God. …

Friends, as you begin your prescription of Five P’s or Prayer and take your faith from these walls into the world, I pray that you place yourself at the feet of the Lord, and ask Him not only to teach you how to pray, but also to free you from whatever prevents you from giving yourself totally to Him and the abundant love, grace and life he freely offers you. And when you do that, I pray that the peace of God that surpasses all understanding, keeps your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

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[1] Eugene LaVerdiere, Luke. Wilmington DE: Michael Glazier, 1990, pp 154ff.

[2] Acts 6:1-7.

[3] Luke 10:40.

[4] Luke 9:51ff.

[5] Acts 2:36.

Matthew 6:19-21 - Provide, Passage and Practice

God’s grace, peace and mercy be with you. My sermon is entitled Provide, Passage and Practice. My text is Matthew 6:19-21. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, the psalmist wrote, “I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’”  Now that our feet are within your gates, we rejoice to hear your Word. As we listen, may your Spirit enlighten our minds and move our hearts to love deeply as Jesus loved. This we pray to you, Most Holy Trinity. Amen.

Most of you are aware that I include in my sermons etymology, the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning change over time. For example, if you say today, that your neighbor is a nice person, most people understand that you mean that your neighbor is pleasant or good-natured. Did you know that nice stems from the Latin word nescius meaning ignorant or unaware? Literally, it meant not-knowing, from ne- not and scire - to know. By the late 13^th century, nice meant foolish, stupid or senseless which stemmed from the Old French word nice meaning careless, clumsy, weak, poor, needy, simple or stupid. By the late 14^th century, it came to be understood as fussy or fastidious, only to morph into meaning agreeable or delightful by 1769, and then kind or thoughtful by 1830. By 1926, nice was a favorite word among ladies, who used it to mean mildly agreeable. So, when you say that your neighbor is nice, what do you really mean?

What do I mean when I use the word, provide? Provide is a combination of the Latin words pro meaning ahead or forward and videre meaning to see. Providere means to look ahead, prepare, supply or act with foresight.

People provide for themselves, their future and family, their church and country, their causes and constituents. Our reasons for providing are as plentiful as pennies in a piggybank. Our methods include salary, savings, and an array of financial instruments and advisors as numerous as our social security numbers. When it comes to preserving loved ones and legacies, we strive to provide in the here and now and the hereafter.

We can turn to many outlets on why and how to provide, but because this is a sermon, we turn to God’s Word to find advice on providing for family, strangers, widows, orphans, prisoners and the poor. For example, in his First Letter to Timothy, Paul wrote, “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”[1] Right before that verse he advised, “If a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household … for this is pleasing in the sight of God.”[2]

When it comes to supporting people in need, John asked, “If anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?”[3] In Deuteronomy, we read, “If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother.”[4] We also find several similar verses in Proverbs.[5]

In his Sermon on the Plain, Jesus taught, “Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.”[6] In the Great Judgment parable of Matthew, he said, “The King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’”[7]

Regarding treatment of strangers and imprisoned, Hebrews instructs, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember those who are in prison.”[8] For those in government service, Ecclesiastes teaches about the vanity of wealth and honor. “If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and righteousness, do not be amazed at the matter, for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them.”[9]

My friends, because we are sinners in need of repentance, we have as a model, Zacchaeus the Tax Collector, who “stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.”[10]

As you can see, Scripture offers plenty of advice on why and how to provide for others. Now that the table is set, we turn from my first point, provide, to my second point, passage.[11]

We find our passage within the major teaching portion of Matthew’s Gospel, chapters 5-7, known as The Sermon on the Mount. The sermon is fairly systematic, covering the main areas of ethical and religious life as understood in Israel. … It has been criticized as setting too high a standard, which remains unfulfillable, but, understood against its Jewish background, it becomes a possible yet high standard of moral wisdom about life.[12] In other words, the Sermon is a series of pointers illustrated by examples.

The Sermon is divided into several sections: Beatitudes; followed by a New Ethic dealing with anger, adultery, love of enemies and so on; Reformed Works of Piety – almsgiving, fasting and prayer, including The Lord’s Prayer; concluded by Further Instruction, today’s section. In the section of Further Instruction, we find Jesus’ teaching on treasure in heaven, care, anxiety and judging others. This section concludes with passages on The Narrow Gate, Lost Judgment and a House Built on Rock.

Today’s passage contains a positive and a negative command, followed by a proverb that justifies the commands.[13] But before delving deeper into the passage, allow me a minute to thumbnail sketch treasure in the Ancient Near East. Treasure or wealth would be kept in palaces and temples in the ancient world.[14] It was acquired by royal conquest, trade, taxes or gifts. Treasures adorned palaces and were dedicated to a deity or to purchase military resources. In Scripture, we read how treasures were looted and restored. Proverbs tell us how treasure is accumulated for the wise and the righteous, those who honor their mothers and those who give alms.[15] It is a metaphor for wisdom, almsgiving, a faithful friend and immortality.[16] It does not last and may be troublesome, and yet, hidden treasure is useless.[17]

The New Testament recognizes the vanity of earthly treasures, the permanence of heavenly treasure, and the way one’s life is shaped by what one treasures.[18]

In Luke 13, we read, “Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”[19]

Elsewhere in the Gospels almsgiving is a way to convert earthly treasure into a heavenly one. The Synoptic Gospels record the story of the wealthy young man seeking eternal life. Luke recorded it this way. “A ruler asked him, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’’ And he said, ‘All these I have kept from my youth.’ When Jesus heard this, he said to him, ‘One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.’ But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, ‘How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.’”[20] In other words, the secret of eternal life is not congenial to our ideas.[21]

Now, the ears that heard the words of Jesus are not the same ears who hear Him today in this church. As far as we know, most of Jesus’ disciples did not come from wealthy circumstances. Moreover, the crowds who are also listening in on Jesus’ teaching to his disciples … are largely poor Palestinian farmers, peasants and tradesmen. Nevertheless, despite the poverty of Jesus’ original audience, so universal is the lure of possessions that even those who do not have many still must be warned and taught not to assign them too high a priority in their lives! How much more, then, do today’s disciples who are wealthy by every historical standard need to know how not to set their hearts on god-Mammon![22]

Fine clothing with designer labels is either eaten by moths, donated to nonprofits or dumped in trash bins. Ten thousand tons of clothing end up in US landfills annually. Half the world’s food is thrown away because of contamination, expiration dates, poorly planned meals or other reasons. Each year in the US, we discard 60 million tons of food valued at $160 billion.

Thieves break into houses, safes, cars, banks, businesses and churches. Domestic and international fraud exists in consumer, corporate, government, political, healthcare and educational arenas. Bernie Madoff serves as a tarnished example of blindly trusting your financial planner. And to a lesser extent, bank and advisor fees as well as local, state and federal agencies and officials constantly find new methods to drain or draw down your paycheck or savings.

Right now, Jesus sounds like the smartest guy in the room. So, why do we still pay so much attention to clothes, food and money? Why is it so urgent for disciples to store up true treasure?

External choices reveal our internal spiritual condition. It is to no avail for me to insist that my heart is oriented rightly, even though it may look as though I am investing my life and energy in treasure that will rot and fail. The evidence that I am bent on accumulating earthly treasure is the conclusion that my heart is set on the wrong things.[23]

Jesus did not give some sort of standard or means of evaluating how I am doing. He simply exhorted with authority, but several practical applications are possible.

First, every believer must recognize the danger of worshipping mammon. No one, rich or poor, is immune. No one.

Second, all Christians are subject to the law of diminishing returns. Once we acquire them, the luxuries we desire tend to become necessities that we can no longer live without. We imagine that if we obtain certain things we will be satisfied, but when we get them and still feel empty, our greed grows larger still. Our desire for things increases, given our fallen state and insatiable sinful nature, which persists throughout our lives, even after we become followers of Jesus. Doubt me? Read Romans 7.

Third, it follows then that when a believer hears Jesus’ call not to store up treasures on earth, he should at all times assume that this sin has been present in his life and that he has need for repentance and renewal. He need not question whether he has committed this sin, nor should he offer any excuses for it. Because I am flesh and blood, I need repentance, change and growth. … And if I’m looking for a positive indication that I am not cherishing things on earth, it is the extent to which I am free to give up my money and possessions for the good of my neighbor and the church’s mission to spread the Gospel.

Finally, what does it mean to treasure for yourselves treasures in heaven? The key is in the next verse, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” It would be a grave mistake to think that my response to our Lord’s teaching should be, in the first place, to orient my goals and priorities away from possessions and toward love of neighbor. This is not the first thing, nor the core of Jesus’ teaching. The primary response is to turn and believe again that the heart of the Christian is founded upon Christ, upon the life he gives and the identity he bestows. That is where my heart is fixed. When my heart is focused on Christ and his promises and word, then priorities change and my freedom to choose what really matters, rather than earthly possessions, is evidence of faith in Jesus. Certain of my relationship with the Father through the Son, I can spend my life on things that matter and store up treasures in heaven.

So, much for the passage. What about a practical application? For my third point, I asked friends to reflect on this passage and to write their thoughts. Five individuals faithful to their respective Churches responded.

My co-worker, Joe, wrote, “I like Matthew 6 so much that I memorized the chapter. … The passage helps me to correct a tendency that I have – to constantly overvalue things – and have a future focus.”

I met Barbara when I worked for a nonprofit organization: “You must know all my weak spots! Well, I have struggled with materialism, and have used shopping to comfort myself, and to deal with all the struggles in life (sadness, loneliness, anger, etc.).

[This] Scripture verse … is very convicting for me. I wish I could go back in time and make other decisions, wiser decisions, on how I would spend my money. I think it’s a good way to measure our hearts — where Is my treasure? Have I spent time with God and made Him a priority, or is He low on my list?”

Robert taught me Financial Management at Carnegie Mellon University: “I struggle with this as many I'm sure. Jesus is a minute-by-minute confidant and guidance counselor to me, so in many ways he is more a part of me than a focus. My family's health, happiness and preparation for my and their financial futures are a focus for me in part because of my obligation to care for us all as a father and husband and in part because that is my profession. So, for me, my treasure is my family and pursuit of wealth/security is my obligation. Rightly or wrongly, I don't think much about heaven as much as trying to do the right thing minute by minute – more importantly getting out of the way of Jesus and the Holy Spirit.”

Theresa is a neighbor who said: “For me, my treasures are not material things, but how I can reach out to help others. I receive more satisfaction in helping others. It can be as simple as calling someone to see how they are doing, or taking food over to a food pantry, visiting someone who is a shut in, and can't get to church. I have tried to pass this message on to my children, and I'm proud to say that they are also passing this message on to their children.”

Jim is someone I have known my entire life. He wrote this: “I believe our Lord is telling us, not to spend our lives striving for more and more material goods and more and more money. First, we should put our faith in God, that he knows what we need and will provide, as it says in Mt 6:8, then teaching us how to pray the Lord’s Prayer to ask our Heavenly Father for these gifts. This is not to say we don’t need to make a living, buy the necessary things to provide for our families and save for the future, which we need to remember that it is from God who is providing this anyhow. It’s the excessive want of more that is bad, because while a person is striving for more, I believe they become focused on themselves and forget about God, thinking this will make them happy. We have heard so many times how the people who do this still have an empty feeling inside, thinking they need to do more, but that empty feeling is their need for God. Now for the storing up of treasure in heaven part. I believe that is explained in Mt 25:31, this is what the Lord asks us to do, to love one another and to help each other, not to beat our chests saying I did this, but if we help others out of love and it comes from the heart without wanting recognition, I believe we will be storing up treasure in heaven.”

Their words are not solid solutions but honest reflections on how we all struggle to follow Jesus daily. Friends, let me leave you with one more piece of advice that ties together my three points of provide, passage and practice. Whenever I get the chance to listen to Dave Ramsey’s show, I do. Without offering any additional anecdotes, let me close with one of his quotes. “Remember, there’s ultimately only one way to financial peace, and that’s to walk daily with the Prince of Peace, Christ Jesus.”

As we leave here, I pray that you walk with Him daily, and when you do, may the peace of God that surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

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[1] 1 Timothy 5:8.

[2] 1 Timothy 5:4.

[3] 1 John 3:17.

[4] Deuteronomy 15:7.

[5] Proverbs 19:17; 21:13.

[6] Luke 6:30-31.

[7] Matthew 25:40.

[8] Hebrews 13:1-2.

[9] Ecclesiastes 5:8.

[10] Luke 19:8.

[11] Matthew 6:19-21.

[12] Benedict T. Viviano, O.P., The Gospel According to Matthew, The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, Edited by Raymond E. Brown, S.S., Joseph A. Fitzmyer, S.J., Roland E. Murphy, O. Carm. (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1990), 640.

[13] Ibid, 645.

[14] Harper’s Bible Dictionary, (San Francisco: Harper Collins, 1985), 1093.

[15] Proverbs 21:20; 15:6; Ecclesiasticus 13:4; Tobit 4:7-9.

[16] Proverbs 2:4; Ecclesiasticus 29:12; 6:14; 2 Esdras 8:54.

[17] Proverbs 27:24; 15:16.

[18] Harper’s, 1094.

[19] Luke 13:33-34.

[20] Luke 18:18-25.

[21] New American Bible (New York: Catholic Book Publishing Co, 1979)

[22] Jeffrey A. Gibbs, Matthew 1:1-11:1 (St. Louis MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2006), 353.

[23] This and the next five paragraphs are from Gibbs, 353ff.