Our Father…
Luke’s genealogy of Jesus begins by saying Jesus was thought to be the son of Joseph and concludes by saying he was the son of God. The first record we have of Jesus’ speaking is in his twelfth year when he replies to Joseph and Mary who were upset by his staying in Jerusalem after the Passover celebration. He said, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” Luke records that Joseph and Mary didn’t understand what Jesus was saying. For it was Joseph who people thought was the father of Jesus, but Jesus was not referring to Joseph, but his true father, God.
As we look at the first words of the prayer Jesus gave his disciples we see him once again talking about the Father, and using that term to tell the disciples they were related to Jesus. This was, and is, a matter of simple logic. If Jesus is the son of the Father, and Jesus tells us to call God the Father, then we are sons of the Father as well, making Jesus our brother.
I realize this may sound a bit odd, but it is true. In fact, we don’t need to rely on logic to know the truthfulness of this claim, Jesus tells us this himself. In Luke 8:19-21, we read, “Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd. And he was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see you.” But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.” Jesus’ disciples—anyone who hears his words and follows them—are mothers and brothers to Jesus, and thus, sons of the Father.
This is the first thing that comes to mind when praying the words, “Our Father…” I am related to the Father if I have heard the words of Jesus and am following them. I am also a brother of Jesus. Thus, this prayer is a family conversation.
But another thing comes to mind when praying the words “Our Father” and that is that I’m not calling him “Lord” or “Creator” or “The-great-omniscient-omnipotent-omnipresent-being-who-rules-the-universe.” I am calling him Father.
I realize many people have had horrible-no-good-very-bad-fathers here on earth (that is something for a later conversation), but can we set that aside just for a moment and soak in what Jesus is saying here? We approach our Lord, our Creator, The-great-omniscient-omnipotent-omnipresent-being-who-rules-the-universe, by calling him a term of affection—Father.
Is God the Lord of the universe? Yes.
Is God the Creator of everything visible and invisible? Yes.
Is God The-great-omniscient-omnipotent-omnipresent-being-who-rules-the-universe? Yes.
God is all of these things, and more, yet Jesus still tells us to set all of that aside and to call him Father.
Another thing comes to my mind when I think of the words, “Our Father…” and that is how the word “Our.” Jesus doesn’t say “my Father,” or “your Father,” or “the Father,” it is “Our Father.
Our.
By using the word “Our” Jesus calls his disciples his brothers. But he also included another group of people as his siblings as we read in Isaiah 63 Isaiah words, “For you are our Father…you, O LORD, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is your name.” (Isaiah 63:16) Isaiah acknowledges that the God of the Israelites, before and during their exile, was always known as their Father.
Jesus, by using the words “Our Father…” brought his disciples and the ancient Israelites together as siblings. But it does one thing more. As Jesus said in Luke, anyone who hears the word of God and does it is his mother or brother. Everyone then who is a follower of Jesus is his brother and sister and siblings to every other follower of the words of God; we are all children of God.
This writer of Hebrews tells us at least one reason this is important when he says “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2) Jesus, the firstborn of God the Father, is our eldest brother and brother to of all believers throughout time—the great cloud of witnesses. Thus, when we pray “Our Father…” we recognize the family into which we have been born again. Our true family does not consist of those with whom we have similar genetics, but of those who hear the word of God and do it.
One last thought before closing this week:
Prayer is not something we speed through. We do not pray the way dogs eat; scarfing down whatever is in front of them as fast as they can. Prayer is much more like sitting down to a fine meal and slowly savoring every bite. It is a long conversation filled with pauses for reflection, times of listening, and times to speak. Sometimes we might meditate on the implications of a word or phrase and ask what we think Jesus might be asking us to consider. Maybe we are supposed to ask whether we approach God as our Father, or if we see ourselves as a sibling to Jesus. Maybe we might be inclined to ask who else is our sibling, or how the Father might want us to treat them. Or maybe…well, I’m sure the Spirit will lead you to ask the appropriate questions as you spend time meditating and praying on the words…
“Our Father…”
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