This week, I take on The Lord's Prayer as found in Luke (see Luke 11:1-13). The version in Luke is briefer and leaves out some of the language we are most familiar with. But it still covers the most important parts of this prayer.
Now, it would be possible to do an entire sermon series on the Lord’s Prayer. Whole books have been written on these few lines of scripture. We can find everything from short devotionals like Roberta Bondi’s A Place to Pray to thick academic tomes such as C. Clifton Black’s volume in the Interpretation commentary series. So please bear with me as we do our best to consider this important prayer in such a setting as this.
There are several factors to consider as we look at this text from Luke today. Last week I mentioned my love for Luke’s gospel and talked briefly about some of the ways it stands out for me - from servanthood to the elevation of women to the sometimes contradictory statements that make us really wrestle with what God’s kingdom looks like. But today we are reminded of another key feature of Jesus’ life that Luke highlights for us - Jesus’ commitment to a life of prayer