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The History of the Ages – Lesson 104

Now we come to what is commonly known as The Lord’s Prayer. In religion these 5 verses are committed to memory and mindlessly recited often in violation of the important instruction they contain. Jesus says this is how you should pray, not what you should pray. Look at every verse (9-13) and determine the main point Jesus is making in each one. Then compare that understanding to what could ever be gleaned from simply reciting them.

1. And this is how you should pray. Talk to your Father in Heaven like you would talk to your earthly father, with affection and respect, only acknowledge that He deserves honor and reverence that is greater than any man.
2. Tell Him about your desire to see His Kingdom revealed in your life. Tell Him you only want what He wants, so that His will can be seen here on the earth, just like it is in His heavenly domain.
3. Ask Him to give you just what you need for every day.
4. Ask Him to forgive your faults and mistakes. And ask Him to give you the ability to freely forgive others, so there will be no resentment in your life.
5. And finally, ask Him to protect you from yourself and from all the evil that surrounds you in the world.

It seems Jesus must have raised some eyebrows with His comment in verse 12 above, as He thought it necessary to expand on it in verses 14-15. Here, Jesus emphasizes the fact that forgiveness for others is required (see the article “The Greatest Commandment”). This was a major repudiation of the Pharisee’s doctrine, as illustrated in Matthew 5:43.

1. Then remember this. If you’re willing to forgive others, then your Heavenly Father will forgive you as well.
2. But, if you’re not willing to forgive others, the Father won’t forgive you. When you refuse to forgive others, it’s only because you want to punish them. The Father can’t bless that.  

Again, the subject here is spiritual reality.  

1. And if you’re going to fast, don’t go around looking like you’re going to die, hoping someone will notice and ask you what’s wrong. If you do that, then you’ve gone hungry for nothing.
2. If you’re going to fast, just act normal.
3. Don’t let anyone know what you’re doing. The question is the same. Who are you doing it for? If you’re only seeking the recognition of men, you’ll probably get it. But that’s all you’ll get.

In these next verses Jesus warns against materialism and the pursuit of earthly riches compared with the importance of spiritual riches. This seems to be a further expansion of verse 11 above, illustrating a daily relationship of trust and dependence on the Father. 

1. And don’t spend all your time trying to accumulate the material things this world has to offer. You think those things make your life secure, but they don’t. And they’re easier to lose than they are to get.
2. Instead, use your time to gather treasures in heaven. There, they’re protected, and you’ll be able to enjoy them through all eternity.
3. You must decide which is more important. You can’t have both. Material things only last as long as you live on this earth. But, spiritual treasures last forever. And this will always be true - the thing you invest your treasure in is the thing you really love the most.
4. If you understand what I’m saying, you’ll know what to do. And you’ll do the right thing.
5. But, if you don’t understand, you’re going to make a serious mistake. The time will come when you’ll realize you’ve made the wrong decision, but it will be too late to do anything about it. You’ll lose all your earthly treasures and have no time left to gather heavenly ones.
6. Don’t think you can do both, you can’t. It’s impossible to pursue God and all the things the world has to offer that make you feel secure. The pursuit of one will cause you avoid or neglect the other.

Then to reinforce the importance of this relationship of trust and dependence, Jesus talks about the Father’s ability and desire to care for those who pursue Him.

1. And, if you decide to pursue God, don’t worry about what you’re going to eat or drink or whether your clothes are the latest fashion. Because you’ll soon find out there are things much more satisfying than food and more important than clothing.
2. Look at the birds. They’re not worried about all those things. They’re content to just let the Father give them whatever they need. And, since it’s obvious that the Father takes care of the birds, why won’t you trust Him to take care of you? You must know that you’re more important to Him than birds.
3. And why should you worry about your appearance? The latest fashions don’t make you look any different. Don’t you understand you look the same to your father, regardless of what you’re wearing?
4. So why should you be concerned about clothing? Look at the wildflowers in the fields. They don’t worry about such trivial things.
5. And yet, you must agree that even Solomon, when dressed in his finest, never looked as good.
6. Again, the Father can take care of the flowers, and He knows they live for only a short time and then they’re gone. He’s going to take even better care of you. Why can’t you trust Him?
7. So you never need to wonder, What am I going to eat? Or, What am I going to drink? Or, What am I going to wear?
8. Relax! Those are the questions people ask when they don’t know the real God. But your Heavenly Father knows full well that you need all of these things.
9. When you make the Kingdom of God the most important thing in your life, and become a living demonstration of the Father’s way of doing things right; then He will always make sure you have everything you need.
10. And by the way, don’t worry about tomorrow. It will come soon enough. And when it does, it will bring new challenges and opportunities for you to learn to trust your Heavenly Father. But for now, just concentrate on trusting Him to get you through the trouble you’re facing today.