WHEN WE PRAY FOR DAILY BREAD,
WE DON’T USE THE WORD “MY” BUT “OUR”
Matthew 6:7-11; James 2:14-18
Rev. Paul Wrightman 12/4/22
RATHER THAN BREAK OUR STUDY
OF JESUS’ SERMON ON THE MOUNT
WITH FOUR SERMONS ON THE THEME OF ADVENT,
I THINK THE BEST WAY FOR US TO HONOR ADVENT THIS YEAR
WOULD BE TO CONTINUE OUR STUDY OF JESUS’
MOST SUBSTANTIVE SERMON.
ADVENT HAS TRADITIONALLY BEEN UNDERSTOOD
AS THE SEASON OF THE CHURCH YEAR
WHEN WE PATIENTLY WAIT IN DARKNESS
FOR THE IN-BREAKING OF GOD INTO OUR LIVES
AND INTO OUR WORLD.
IT IS THE SEASON WHEN WE ARE ASKED TO PREPARE
OURSELVES SPIRITUALLY FOR CHRISTMAS,
JUST AS LENT IS THE SEASON WHEN WE ARE ASKED
TO PREPARE OURSELVES SPIRITUALLY FOR EASTER.
THE CHURCH THROUGHOUT THE CENTURIES HAS TAUGHT
THAT THE BEST WAY TO PREPARE FOR GOD’S COMING
IS TO DIVE DEEPER INTO OUR SEARCH FOR GOD,
AND THAT ONE OF THE DEEPEST DISCLOSURES
OF GOD OCCURS IN JESUS’ SERMON ON THE MOUNT.
THIS SERMON IS SO POWERFUL AND POWERFULLY MOVING
BECAUSE IT NOT ONLY GIVES US MORE INFORMATION ABOUT GOD,
BUT DISCLOSES THE WAY OF LIFE THAT WILL ENABLE US
TO ACTUALLY EXPERIENCE GOD.
AS WE TAKE IN AND LIVE OUT JESUS’ TEACHINGS IN THIS SERMON,
WE ARE ENCOURAGING JESUS’ VALUES TO BE BORN IN US.
AS ANGELUS SILESIUS SAYS IN THE “AS WE GATHER” SECTION
OF TODAY’S BULLETIN:
CHRIST COULD BE BORN
A THOUSAND TIMES IN GALILEE –
BUT ALL IN VAIN
UNTIL HE IS BORN IN ME.
# # #
AS HAS OFTEN BEEN POINTED OUT, AFTER ITS OPENING ADDRESS,
“OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN,”
THE LORD’S PRAYER CONSISTS OF SIX PETITIONS.
THE FIRST THREE,
HALLOWED BE THY NAME;
THY KINGDOM COME;
THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH, AS IT IS IN HEAVEN –
CONCERN GOD AND GOD’S DEEP DESIRES.
THE SECOND THREE,
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD;
FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES
AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US;
LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION,
BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL –
CONCERN OUR NEEDS AND OUR NECESSITIES.
THIS IS TO SAY: FIRST, GOD IS GIVEN GOD’S PRIMARY PLACE –
AND THEN, AND ONLY THEN, DO WE TURN TO OURSELVES.
IN STRUCTURING THESE SIX PETITIONS IN THIS WAY,
JESUS IS MAKING THE IMPORTANT POINT
THAT IT IS ONLY WHEN GOD IS GIVEN GOD’S PROPER PLACE,
NAMELY, FIRST PLACE,
THAT OUR CONCERNS FOR OURSELVES
FALL INTO THEIR PROPER PLACES.
A LITTLE FURTHER ON IN THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT,
AT THE END OF THE SECTION WHERE JESUS ADDRESSES
WORRYING ABOUT FOOD, DRINK, AND CLOTHING,
JESUS ADVISES HIS DISCIPLES:
“SEEK FIRST GOD’S KINGDOM AND GOD’S JUSTICE
AND ALL THESE THINGS WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU AS WELL.”
(Matthew 6:32)
THAT’S WHY JESUS TEACHES US TO PRAY
“THY WILL BE DONE; THY KINGDOM COME,”
BEFORE WE BESIEGE GOD WITH OUR OWN PETITIONS.
THE SECOND PART OF THE LORD’S PRAYER,
THE PART WHICH DEALS WITH OUR NEEDS AND NECESSITIES,
CONSIDERS THE THREE ESSENTIAL HUMAN NEEDS
AND THE THREE SPHERES OF TIME IN WHICH WE ALL MOVE.
FIRST, WE PRAY FOR BREAD,
FOR THAT WHICH IS NECESSARY FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF LIFE,
AND THEREBY BRING THE PRESENT INTO GOD’S CARE.
SECOND, WE PRAY FOR FORGIVENESS AND THE POWER TO FORGIVE,
AND THEREBY BRING THE PAST INTO GOD’S PRESENCE.
THIRD, WE PRAY FOR HELP IN TEMPTATION,
AND THUS COMMIT THE FUTURE TO GOD’S GRACE.
# # #
THIS MORNING, WE LOOK AT THE FIRST OF THESE THREE PETITIONS
WHICH HAVE TO DO WITH US AND OUR NEEDS:
“GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD.”
ONE WOULD THINK THAT THIS PETITION IS PERFECTLY CLEAR,
THAT “DAILY BREAD” OBVIOUSLY REFERS TO THE BASIC NEEDS
THAT ALL HUMAN BEINGS HAVE FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF LIFE,
THINGS LIKE FOOD AND SHELTER.
BUT RECOGNIZING HOW RELENTLESSLY NEARLY ALL
ENGLISH TRANSLATORS OF THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT
HAVE BEEN TO “SPIRITUALIZE” – TO “SPIRIT AWAY” –
MANY OF JESUS’ MOST BASIC TEACHINGS,
IT SHOULD COME AS NO SURPRISE THAT THE ORIGINAL MEANING
OF “DAILY BREAD” HAS ALSO BEEN SPIRITED AWAY.
THE PROBLEM WITH THIS PETITION IS NOT, AS IT IS SO OFTEN,
IN ITS TRANSLATION;
“BREAD,” AFTER ALL, MEANS “BREAD,”
BUT IN WHAT THE CHURCH HAS TURNED THIS PETITION INTO:
NAMELY, TWO DIFFERENT WAYS OF MISSING THE POINT.
EARLY IN THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH,
THE OBVIOUS PHYSICAL MEANING OF “DAILY BREAD”
WAS SPIRITUALIZED TO MEAN RECEIVING JESUS, THE BREAD OF LIFE,
IN THE DAILY BREAD OF DAILY COMMUNION.
THE PROTESTANT REFORMERS CONSIDERED THIS INTERPRETATION
“TOO ROMAN CATHOLIC” AND SUBSTITUTED IN ITS PLACE
THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF “DAILY BREAD”
AS OUR NEED FOR THE SPIRITUAL FOOD OF THE WORD OF GOD,
NAMELY, DAILY DEVOTIONAL READING OF THE BIBLE.
OF COURSE, THERE IS SOME THEOLOGICAL TRUTH
IN EACH OF THESE INTERPRETATIONS.
THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE CATHOLICS,
IN MAKING THE PRIMARY MEANING
OF “DAILY BREAD” DAILY COMMUNION,
AND THE PROTESTANTS,
IN MAKING THE PRIMARY MEANING
OF “DAILY BREAD” DAILY BIBLE READING,
HAVE BOTH MISSED THE BOAT
BY PLACING SOMETHING SECOND IN FIRST PLACE.
WHAT HAPPENED – AND IS STILL HAPPENING, I THINK -- IS THIS:
THE ORIGINAL TEACHINGS OF JESUS
IN TERMS OF RESTORATIVE JUSTICE,
LOVE OF ENEMY, AND UNCONDITIONAL COMPASSION
WERE SO CHALLENGING, ARE SO CHALLENGING,
THAT THERE WAS – AND IS – AN ALMOST IRRESISTIBLE TEMPTATION
TO MAKE THEM LESS DEMANDING.
AND IN THE HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY,
THE PREFERRED WAY OF MAKING SOMETHING LESS DEMANDING
WAS AND IS TO SPIRITUALIZE ITS MEANING.
THUS, CONCERNING OUR TEXT FOR THIS MORNING,
“GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD,”
THE MEANING OF THIS PRAYER HAS BEEN CHANGED
FROM HUMBLY ASKING GOD FOR THE BASIC PHYSICAL NECESSITIES
WHICH ALL PEOPLE NEED: “BREAD” AS BREAD –
TO “BREAD” AS SPIRITUAL FOOD IN THE FORM
OF COMMUNION OR DEVOTIONAL READING OF THE BIBLE.
IT STRIKES ME THAT CHURCHES WILL DO JUST ABOUT ANYTHING
TO WATER DOWN THE ORIGINAL TEACHINGS OF JESUS!
# # #
IN THE COURSE OF WORKING ON THIS SERMON,
I FOUND IT FASCINATING TO LEARN THE EXTRAORDINARY FACT
THAT, UNTIL A SHORT WHILE AGO,
THERE WAS NO OTHER KNOWN OCCURRENCE
OF THE WORD TRANSLATED AS “DAILY”
IN THE WHOLE OF ANCIENT GREEK LITERATURE.
IT WAS THEREFORE NOT POSSSIBLE TO BE SURE WHAT IT MEANT.
BUT NOT VERY LONG AGO A PAPYRUS FRAGMENT TURNED UP
WITH THIS WORD ON IT –
AND THIS PAPYRUS FRAGMENT WAS NOTHING LESS
THAN A SHOPPING LIST FOR GROCERIES!
SO LET’S TAKE THE PHRASE “DAILY BREAD” AT FACE VALUE TO MEAN
THOSE BASIC PHYSICAL NEEDS THAT EVEYONE NEEDS
TO STAY ALIVE DAY-BY-DAY.
WITH THIS AS OUR JUMPING-OFF POINT,
LET’S UNPACK THE ORIGINAL MEANING OF THIS PETITION.
IT TEACHES US AT LEAST SIX THINGS ABOUT GOD
AND ABOUT OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD:
FIRST, IT TEACHES US THAT GOD CARES ABOUT
THE BASIC PHYSICAL NEEDS OF PEOPLE.
GOD IS NOT JUST INTO THINGS SPIRITUAL,
BUT IS DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THINGS PHYSICAL AS WELL.
GOD KNOWS THAT BEFORE OUR SPIRITUAL NEED
FOR WORD AND SACRAMENT CAN BE MET,
OUR PHYSICAL NEED FOR FOOD AND SHELTER MUST BE MET.
SECOND, THIS PETITION CHALLENGES US
TO LIVE ONE DAY AT A TIME,
AND NOT TO WORRY ABOUT THE FUTURE.
ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER GIVING HIS DISCIPLES
WHAT WE KNOW AS “THE LORD’S PRAYER,”
JESUS LAUNCHES INTO A LENGTHY TEACHING
ABOUT THE DANGER OF WORRY.
I’M SURE YOU REMEMBER IT, HIS TAGWORDS BEING
“BIRDS OF THE AIR” AND “LILIES OF THE FIELD,”
NEITHER OF WHOM ARE CAUGHT UP IN WORRY
LIKE HUMAN BEINGS ARE.
“GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD”
CHALLENGES US TO LET GO OF OUR WORRYING,
TO LIVE ONE DAY AT A TIME,
AND TO COME BACK AND BACK TO GOD ON A DAILY BASIS
WITH A REQUEST FOR OUR BASIC PHYSICAL NEEDS.
THIRD, IN PRAYING “GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD,”
WE AFFIRM THAT GOD IS THE GIVER;
WE CONFESS OUR NEED FOR GOD,
AND OUR DEPENDENCE ON GOD.
FOURTH, WE CONSENT TO WORK WITH GOD
TO BRING ABOUT THE ANSWER TO OUR PRAYER.
IN THE GOSPELS THE VERB THAT JESUS USES MOST OFTEN –
LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF TIMES – IS THE VERB TO DO OR TO ACT.
CONTRAST THIS WITH THE LETTERS OF ST. PAUL,
WHERE THE MAJOR VERB BECOMES TO BELIEVE.
THUS, THE EARLIEST EVIDENCE OF THE SPIRITUALIZING,
OR SPIRITING AWAY, OF JESUS’ ORIGINAL MESSAGE
OCCURS WITHIN THE PAGES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT ITSELF.
WE NEED CONSTANTLY TO REMIND OURSELVES
OF JESUS EMPHASIS ON DOING, NOT JUST BELIEVING,
AND OF HIS STARTLING VISION
THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY CO-CREATORS WITH GOD.
IN THIS REGARD, I’M REMINDED OF THE STORY
OF A CERTAIN ENGLISHMAN BUYING A SMALL,
OVERGROWN PIECE OF LAND FOR A GARDEN,
AND HOW HE HAD WITH GREAT TOIL RECLAIMED THAT GROUND,
CLEARING AWAY STONES AND WEEDS
AND WILD BLACKBERRY BRAMBLES,
AND THEN WENT ON TO ENRICH AND FERTILIZE THAT GROUND
UNTIL IT PRODUCED THE MOST AMAZING
FLOWERS AND VEGETABLES.
ONE EVENING HE WAS SHOWING AN OVERLY-PIOUS,
OVERLY-SPIRITUAL, FRIEND AROUND HIS GARDEN.
THE PIOUS FRIEND PROCLAIMED:
“IT’S WONDERFUL WHAT GOD CAN DO
WITH A LITTLE BIT OF GROUND LIKE THIS, ISN’T IT?”
“YES,” SAID THE MAN WHO HAD PUT IN SO MUCH TOIL,
“BUT YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN THIS BIT OF GROUND
WHEN GOD HAD IT TO HIMSELF!”
GOD’S ABUNDANCE AND HUMAN ACTION
ARE MEANT TO WORK TOGETHER.
JAMES, THE BROTHER OF JESUS,
TELLS US THAT “FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD.”
IN THE SAME WAY,
GIVEN THE CONTENT AND CONTEXT OF THIS TEACHING,
I BELIEVE THAT JESUS WOULD AFFIRM THE FACT
THAT “PRAYER WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD.”
WHEN WE PRAY “GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD”
WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WITHOUT GOD WE CAN DO NOTHING,
AND THAT WITHOUT OUR EFFORT AND CO-OPERATION,
GOD CAN DO NOTHING FOR US.
FIFTH, THIS PETITION TEACHES US TO PRAY FOR BREAD, NOT CAKE.
IT TEACHES US TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN
OUR NEEDS AND OUR WANTS.
SIXTH, AND FINALLY, WE MUST NOTE THAT JESUS DID NOT
TEACH US TO PRAY “GIVE ME MY DAILY BREAD.”
HE TAUGHT US TO PRAY
“GIVE US OUR DAILY BREAD.”
THE STUNNING REALITY IS THAT EVERY TIME WE PRAY THIS PETITION,
WE PRAY NOT JUST THAT OUR OWN PHYSICAL NEEDS WILL BE MET,
BUT THAT THE PHYSICAL NEEDS OF EVERYONE ON THE PLANET
WILL BE MET.
YES, JESUS’ VISION IS THAT BIG, THAT INCLUSIVE.
AND YES, IN TEACHING US TO PRAY THIS WAY,
JESUS IS AT THE SAME TIME CHALLENGING US
TO ACT THIS WAY.
EVERY TIME WE PRAY “GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD,”
WE ARE MAKING A SOLEMN PROMISE TO GOD
THAT WE WILL DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE
TO HELP OTHERS TO OBTAIN THEIR DAILY BREAD.
ECHOING ANGELUS SILESIUS AGAIN,
CONCERNING THE REAL MEANING OF ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS,
CHRIST COULD BE BORN
A THOUSAND TIMES IN GALILEE –
BUT ALL IN VAIN
UNTIL HE IS BORN IN ME.
# # #
I’D LIKE TO CLOSE WITH AN ILLUSTRATION
FROM THE LIFE OF MOTHER TERESA.
AS IS SO OFTEN THE CASE,
THE INNATE COMPASSION AND GENEROSITY
OF THE DESPERATELY POOR
PUTS THE REST OF US TO SHAME.
MOTHER TERESA WRITES:
“I WILL NEVER FORGET THE NIGHT
AN OLD GENTLEMAN CAME TO OUR HOUSE
AND SAID THERE WAS A FAMILY
WITH EIGHT CHILDREN AND THEY HAD NOT EATEN,
AND COULD WE DO SOMETHING FOR THEM.
SO I TOOK SOME RICE AND WENT THERE.
THE MOTHER TOOK THE RICE FROM MY HANDS,
THEN SHE DIVIDED IT INTO TWO AND WENT OUT.
WHEN SHE CAME BACK, I ASKED HER WHERE SHE HAD GONE.
SHE GAVE ME A VERY SIMPLE ANSWER: “THEY ARE HUNGRY ALSO.”
AND “THEY” WERE THE FAMILY NEXT DOOR,
AND SHE KNEW THAT THEY WERE HUNGRY.
I WAS NOT SURPRISED THAT SHE GAVE,
BUT I WAS SURPRISED THAT SHE KNEW.
I HAD NOT THE COURAGE TO ASK HER
HOW LONG HER FAMILY HADN’T EATEN,
BUT I AM SURE IT MUST HAVE BEEN A LONG TIME,
AND YET SHE KNEW – IN HER SUFFERING,
IN HER TERRIBLE BODILY SUFFERING –
SHE KNEW THAT NEXT DOOR THEY WERE HUNGRY ALSO.”
# # #
MAY GOD HELP US TO FACE UP TO THE FACT
THAT THERE ARE LITERALLY BILLIONS OF HUNGRY PEOPLE
IN THIS WORLD TODAY.
MAY GOD HELP US TO FACE UP TO THE FACT
THAT THERE ARE LITERALLY MILLIONS OF HUNGRY PEOPLE
IN OUR OWN COUNTRY,
WHICH WE CLAIM HAS THE HIUGHEST STANDARD OF LIVING
ON THE PLANET.
MAY GOD HELP US TO ACKNOWLEDGE
THAT IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY.
FINALLY, MAY GOD GIVE EACH OF US A BURNING DESIRE
TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
AMEN.