ASH WEDNESDAY 2010 

How does the Lord’s Prayer begin? With a question. One of Jesus’ disciples asked Him: “Lord, teach us to pray.” And so, Jesus taught them the prayer that became known as the Lord’s Prayer, which millions upon millions of Christians have prayed ever since. 

“Lord, teach us to pray.” This was so very important a request; but also, a sad request. To think that talking to God and pouring out to Him, for yourself and for others, needs; sorrows; joys; concerns; questions; requests; thanksgivings; praises; and many other things – that opening up our hearts to God is something that we need to be taught to do! How sad. How sad when we do not know what to say; or are uncomfortable praying; or really don’t pray much at all. How can such things be? Our love of self above all, even God, and so our constant need of repentance is revealed by such things.

       A good friend once told me about one time when she and her husband and their little girl were at a restaurant, and when the food came their daughter wanted to pray. They felt good about that. But, then she prayed: “Dear God, thank you for the hamburgers, and for the french fries, and for the ketchup, and for the birdies that sing, and for my doggy…” When was she going to stop? The food was going to get cold! And, everybody was surely looking at them! 

Our Lord knows that our concern so often is not for Him, or others, but for self. "When you pray,” He says, “you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others.” How do I appear? Even when praying that question is in our hearts and minds. And, “Your Father sees in secret.” God knows how sad, dirtied with the ashes of our sinful hearts, are even our righteous acts. How can we escape His judgment? 

But, then again, are not appearances important? They are. First impressions often make the difference in a job interview, or a request for a date. Well, do you know something? Jesus is Himself concerned with how we appear and the impression we make. This is why, when He teaches us to pray, He tells us to begin by saying: “Our Father.” There is so much in these two simple words! C.S. Lewis, in his book “Mere Christianity” (ch. 7), points out:

“[The Lord’s Prayer’s] very first words are Our Father. Do you now see what these words mean? They mean quite frankly, that you are putting yourself in the place of a son of God. To put it bluntly, you are dressing up as Christ. If you like, you are pretending. Because, of course, the moment you realize what the words mean, you realize that you are not a son of God. You are not a being like The Son of God, whose will and interests are at one with the Father: you are a bundle of self-centered fears, hopes, greeds, jealousies, and self-conceit, all doomed to death. So that, in a way, this dressing up as Christ is a piece of outrageous cheek. But the odd thing is that [Christ] has ordered us to do it.”

Yes, Christ has ordered us to do this, to call God our Father. He who has “dressed up” as us, assumed our flesh and come as our brother to cleanse us of the ashes of our sins, tells us to dress ourselves in His position with God. In Jesus we are sons! God is our Father! We are to believe this and pray to our Father with confidence because of this. 

For, see what kind of a father God is: a Father who, as the prophet Joel says, is “gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents over disaster”; who is “jealous for his land and has pity on his people.” He is a father whose heart goes out to us, even when He is disciplining us! God is also a father who, as Paul told the Corinthians, “for our sake made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” Not only does His heart go out to us; so also do His actions. He gave His Son to bear and become your sin, so that you might become righteous, as His Son! Jesus described His Father very well in His parable of the prodigal son. This sinful son’s father yearns for his son’s return and is constantly looking for him. When he sees his son in the distance, he runs to him and freely forgives his sins. This is our Father in heaven! 

Will such a Father hear you when you pray? No doubt. Can He answer and help, no matter what the need? Yes, for He is our Father in heaven. No power on earth, not even the fierce opposition of the hosts of hell, can frustrate the work of our Father who is in heaven. He rules over all and promises to direct all things for the good of His children. We must believe this and give glory and praise to God, even when we don’t see or feel it, for our Father in heaven deserves our trust. 

“Our Father, who art in heaven…” I would like to close with these words from our spiritual father, Martin Luther:

“     Of all names there is none that gains us more favor with God than that of ‘Father.’ This is indeed a friendly, sweet, intimate, and warmhearted word. To speak the words “Lord” or “God” or “Judge” would not be nearly as gracious and comforting to us. The name “Father” is part of our nature and is sweet by nature. That is why it is the most pleasing to God, and why no other name moves him so strongly to hear us. With this name we likewise confess that we are the children of God, which again stirs his heart mightily; for there is no lovelier sound than that of a child speaking to his father…

     Finally, we must note how precisely Christ words this prayer. He does not want anyone to pray only for himself, but for all mankind. He does not teach us to say “My Father,” but “Our Father.” Since prayer is a spiritual good which is held in common by all, we dare not deprive anyone of it, not even our enemies. For since God is the Father of us all, he also wants us to be like brothers to each other, who love each other dearly and who pray for one another as each does for himself.” (Luther’s Works volume 42, pages 22 & 26)

To the praise and honor of our Father, who is in heaven. Amen.