I've been looking at the Lord's Prayer in Luke 11, to try and learn from Jesus how we can pray like him.
But before we start chapter 11 let's rewind a few verses, to the end of chapter 10.
38 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word.
40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”
41 And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
11:1 And it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”
(Luke 10:38-11:1)
Much could be said about this passage. But here let us just focus on Jesus' words to Martha and the effect that has on one anonymous disciple. Here we see Jesus tell Martha that only "one thing is needed" -- to sit at the feet of Jesus, to wait in the presence of God. And immediately following we see this disciple asking Jesus how to teach him how he can better do this "one thing". "Lord, teach us to pray".
It seems safe to assume that this inquisitive asker of questions had been with Jesus a little while. After all, he is called a disciple. So we can assume that he is one of those who at the start of Luke 10 was sent out by Jesus to declare the coming of the kingdom of God. Which is to say that this is surely not the first time this disciple has seen Jesus pray. Probably he was there in chapter 9, when we're told that "as Jesus was alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, 'Who do people say that I am?'" (9:8).
But the point is this, that although he had doubtless seen Jesus pray, until then he hadn't been moved to ask how he might pray like Jesus. Until he heard Jesus' declaration that only "one thing is needed" it didn't occur to him to ask Jesus how to pray.
Perhaps he had assumed that as he had been sent out with authority to preach the kingdom, drive out demons and heal the sick, he didn't need to learn how better to pray. Or perhaps it was that the effort of doing such ministry had left him exhausted -- like Martha -- and thus he was ready to receive for himself Jesus' word to Martha that amidst all of the busy-ness, only one thing mattered.
We don't know.
But we can say that it is the same case with us, as it was with that disciple. We won't begin to come to Jesus asking him to teach us how to pray, until we begin to learn that prayer is the only thing that is necessary.
Do we believe that?
How do we get saved?
Prayer.
(Romans 10:13 -- Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved)
How do we go about preaching that message of salvation?
Prayer.
(Acts 1:4,14 -- Jesus commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem [to preach the gospel to the nations] but wait for the promise of the Father... [so they went to the upper room and] They all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication)
How do we wage war against the powers of darkness that hold this world?
Prayer.
(Ephesians 6:12-28...)
How do we -- well, you get the point. "One thing is needed". I didn't say that, Jesus did. And if we're to learn how to pray, that's the point at which we must start.
_________________
Join with us as we seek to with Christians across the world in doing that "one thing" by praying the Lord's Prayer daily at midday.
But before we start chapter 11 let's rewind a few verses, to the end of chapter 10.
38 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word.
40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”
41 And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
11:1 And it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”
(Luke 10:38-11:1)
Much could be said about this passage. But here let us just focus on Jesus' words to Martha and the effect that has on one anonymous disciple. Here we see Jesus tell Martha that only "one thing is needed" -- to sit at the feet of Jesus, to wait in the presence of God. And immediately following we see this disciple asking Jesus how to teach him how he can better do this "one thing". "Lord, teach us to pray".
It seems safe to assume that this inquisitive asker of questions had been with Jesus a little while. After all, he is called a disciple. So we can assume that he is one of those who at the start of Luke 10 was sent out by Jesus to declare the coming of the kingdom of God. Which is to say that this is surely not the first time this disciple has seen Jesus pray. Probably he was there in chapter 9, when we're told that "as Jesus was alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, 'Who do people say that I am?'" (9:8).
But the point is this, that although he had doubtless seen Jesus pray, until then he hadn't been moved to ask how he might pray like Jesus. Until he heard Jesus' declaration that only "one thing is needed" it didn't occur to him to ask Jesus how to pray.
Perhaps he had assumed that as he had been sent out with authority to preach the kingdom, drive out demons and heal the sick, he didn't need to learn how better to pray. Or perhaps it was that the effort of doing such ministry had left him exhausted -- like Martha -- and thus he was ready to receive for himself Jesus' word to Martha that amidst all of the busy-ness, only one thing mattered.
We don't know.
But we can say that it is the same case with us, as it was with that disciple. We won't begin to come to Jesus asking him to teach us how to pray, until we begin to learn that prayer is the only thing that is necessary.
Do we believe that?
How do we get saved?
Prayer.
(Romans 10:13 -- Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved)
How do we go about preaching that message of salvation?
Prayer.
(Acts 1:4,14 -- Jesus commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem [to preach the gospel to the nations] but wait for the promise of the Father... [so they went to the upper room and] They all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication)
How do we wage war against the powers of darkness that hold this world?
Prayer.
(Ephesians 6:12-28...)
How do we -- well, you get the point. "One thing is needed". I didn't say that, Jesus did. And if we're to learn how to pray, that's the point at which we must start.
_________________
Join with us as we seek to with Christians across the world in doing that "one thing" by praying the Lord's Prayer daily at midday.
