“Teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” Praying was
not new to the disciples who as Jews would have done so religiously three times
a day so this request has more to do with Jesus than a lesson in proper prayer
posture. It’s like asking for the secret handshake, the visible, or in this case,
verbal cue that the ones praying belong to the Jesus club. But instead of an
exclusive club (we want our own prayer) Jesus begins with a new naming of the God
whose name could not be spoken (lest ye die!) as Our Father. Everything that
follows, including the parable and the seeking, finding, knocking as well as evil
parents knowing the difference between eggs and scorpions, has to do with this
naming of God as Father, or better, parent. The “Our Father” is not about
gender but genetics. The kingdom come, the asking for daily bread, the being
forgiven and forgiving, the temptation from which one is spared all depend on
trusting the truth of “Our Father”. And one cannot trust the truth of God as
Father unless one acknowledges the Father as “Our” which means we who belong to
God belong to each other. (ala Sister Sledge “We Are Family” 1979) When we live
“Our” while trusting God as “Father” the kingdom comes, bread is shared, we are
forgiven and forgive and the time of trial is not avoided but overcome. And to
that let all God’s children say, “Amen!”
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