"Our Divine Daddy"

A sermon preached by the Rev. Christopher E. Yopp at Edgemont Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) based on Luke 11:1-8.

No matter what you call it, whether it’s the “Lord’s Prayer” or the “Our Father,” one thing is certain, it is one of the most popular and beloved prayers of Christianity. In fact, it was estimated that on Easter Sunday two billion Catholic, Protestant and Eastern Orthodox Christians either read, recited or sang that prayer in hundreds of languages around the world. In fact, the Lord’s Prayer has been translated into over 1,400 different languages and dialects. And even though many theological differences and various modes and manners of worship divide us as Christians, according to Clayton Schmit, a professor at Fuller Theological Seminary, “there’s a sense of solidarity in knowing that Christians [all] around the [world] are praying together…, and these words always unite us.” What a beautiful thought! In fact, the very opening words of the prayer are a wonderful reminder of this unity. We do not pray, “MY” Father or “YOUR” Father, but “OUR Father…” According to one theologian, “Just the word ‘Father,’ through which we put ourselves [into a relationship with God], is inexhaustible; but the word ‘our’ is no less a part of it. Not in saying ‘I,’ but in saying ‘we’ [each of us includes ourselves into the family and kingdom of God].”
Now obviously over the years this prayer has been translated to adapt to various languages and cultures, as well as to changing times. In fact, Aramaic manuscripts have been uncovered over the years which provide us with original source documents that can be fairly well authenticated. Beginning with Constantine around 325, dramatic changes began to be infused into interpretations as texts were translated from Aramaic into Greek and then into Latin. In more recent years translations have been made into Old English and, more recently, into modern English.
And despite these changes from the original Aramaic, the semantics of this prayer hasn’t changed a great deal over the centuries. Certainly one could argue that the language and wording of the original Aramaic is a little more beautiful and poetic, not to mention more reflected of the Middle Eastern culture and philosophy of Jesus’ time, but the overall formula of the prayer is the same.
Now, there are two versions of this prayer in the New Testament, one is found in the 6th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew and the other is in the 11th chapter of the Gospel of Luke, which serves as our Gospel Lesson this morning. And I think it is important to note that the placement of this prayer in Matthew’s Gospel is essential in understanding the purpose and reason for this prayer. You see, it occurs in that section of Matthew’s Gospel that is known as the Sermon on the Mount, but it also comes within a teaching of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount known as the Discourse of Ostentation, in which Jesus was addressing the manner in which to pray. In this discourse Jesus deplores people who pray simply for the purpose of being seen or heard.
But certainly we might ask ourselves, for what purpose did Jesus give us this prayer? Taking into account the prayer's overall structure, along with the flow of subject matter and emphases, it becomes, if you will, a guideline and structure on how to pray rather than something to be learned and repeated for the sake of habit. Sadly, we in the church have watered this prayer down to a prayer that we simply recite out of routine, or habit, or because we think we have to. Seldom do we truly think about the words and the implications behind this prayer. Perhaps, this is one reason why I enjoy singing The Lord’s Prayer. It changes the natural setting, if you will, from one of recitation to that of singing and it encourages me to reflect upon the words as I sing them.
Now, I am not suggesting that we should do away with the tradition of reciting or singing The Lord’s Prayer during our worship services or in our own prayer life. I mean, after all, this prayer has become a time-honored and meaningful tradition dating back to the early church. The prayer unites us with Christians of every time and in every place. But I do think it is important to keep in mind that it is not necessarily the prayer itself but the implication behind the prayer that is significant and the reason Jesus gave us this prayer.
For centuries, prayer has been criticized and scrutinized, it has been debated and deliberated. But it is one of those mystical and mysterious gifts that God has given us. We do not fully understand the transaction that takes place during prayer – it is supernatural! But it has become a channel through which we commune and communicate with the Living God. And despite our inability to define prayer, we still seek to do so. We even try to define how to pray. And it would seem that this wasn’t just our dilemma, but it was a dilemma for the disciples, as well. In fact, in our Gospel Lesson this morning, the disciples run across Jesus while he is praying. Apparently, they did not know much about prayer themselves. And I think this is rather interesting. There request, “Lord, teach us to pray…” is somewhat intriguing to me. I mean, as Jews they would have learned the traditional prayers of their people. Judaism had set prayers that were to be recited at certain times and for certain occasions. Prayer would have been a part of their daily lives. It is even believed by scholars that John the Baptist had taught his disciples a prayer to be repeated daily. And so, perhaps, not so much they wanted to be taught to pray, but they wanted to be taught a prayer. Perhaps they wanted their own prayer. Or maybe the disciples wanted to know the right words to say when praying. Maybe they wanted to know some magical formula to make God listen to them. Or perhaps they were searching for a deeper, spiritual prayer life. I mean, after all, they had witnessed Jesus, on a number of occasions praying. They saw the time he devoted to prayer, no doubt, intense, personal and long periods of communing and talking to God. And perhaps they wanted that. We can only speculate as to what they meant when they asked, “Lord, teach us to pray…” But while it would seem that Jesus did give them a set prayer to recite. I think it is important to realize that what Jesus was really giving them was a lesson in who God is and who we are. You see, if anything, this prayer humbles us. It forces us to let go and to let God. It confronts us with the importance of faith and trust in our relationship with God.
Along with theology, another great interest of mine is psychology, which I think is kind of interesting, I mean think that pretty much covers the spectrum of our lives – what people believe and what people think. But the Psychologist, Erick Fromm once described the difference between the love of a father and that of a mother. He claimed that a mother loves on principle. Her love is a free gift. It is almost a kind of blind love, if you will. There is no moral obligation bound by it. A father’s love, on the other hand, is conditioned. It is a love one can earn by trying to live according to the rules.” And certainly we could argue over the reality of that love, but I think there are some aspects of Fromm’s psychology that is correct. I do think a mother’s love is at first simply a natural feeling – I mean, after all, she has carried this child within her for 9 months – that bond becomes natural. But I also think that her love is not purely a biological giving of sympathy and love. She is also responsible for the child, and his or her being given not only biological life but also an appropriate love and thereby a way to grow in human maturity. There is no doubt, though, that a father-child relationship is different and perhaps a little more complicated.
And certainly it is these anthropomorphic characteristics that help us in understanding God and God’s love for us. It is in relating human love or parental love to God that we can better understand God’s love. In fact, it is not out of character of the bible to describe God as Father and Mother. God’s love is like that of a father and mother. And just as on Mother’s Day we looked at the motherly characteristics of God, so today we look at God’s fatherly characteristics. And what better place to do just that, then through our Gospel Lesson this morning.
The Lord’s Prayer is the only recorded prayer in the gospels that Jesus taught his disciples, and for two thousand years it has been an essential part of every worship service, as well as the life of every Christian. In the original Aramaic the opening word of this prayer that Jesus gave us is abwoon. This is, without a doubt, a powerful word. It is best translated as “the one who creates and gives life” and is neither masculine nor feminine. But Jesus, in teaching his disciples to pray, adopted a fairly common Jewish prayer known as the Kaddish. The Kaddish is a Jewish prayer or prayers that, like the Lord’s Prayer, include exalting and hallowing God’s name, as well as for God’s will be done on earth as in heaven, and for God’s kingdom to come.
In his prayer, Jesus reminds us that we are to depend upon God – that we are to trust God. In his prayer, Jesus reminds us that it is not our persistence in prayer that gets us what we want from God. Rather, it is God’s loving, father-like nature that gives us what we need. And Jesus further drives home these points by telling the disciples that if a neighbor and a father will gives others what they need, certainly God will give us what we need. God may not always give us what we want, but God will give us what we need when we pray. I suppose the greatest lesson I learned from this scripture is that prayer is much simpler than I thought. The power of prayer is not in the words that I use, but in the God who listens to me.
I’ve shared with you before that Miriam calls me by many names, oftentimes they reflect her mood or even what she is asking for, But none of these names are more affectionate and meaningful to me than when she calls me "daddy." You know, very few words in the Bible have survived the passage of time and the tender attention of translation and remain today in our language in their original form. But one such word is the word Abba.
It has its roots in the Hebrew ab, meaning father or even parent and developed into the Aramaic abba, which was an affectionate expression that is best translated in modern English as "daddy." Such an expression to God would be unheard up to the strict, Orthodox Judaism of Jesus’ time - calling the Holy of Holies, the Creator of the Cosmos - abba, "daddy" - that is appalling! But such is the way Christ taught us to address God and even Paul! In God we see the true meaning of father, as well as mother. All the wonderful qualities and characteristics that our parents and guardians possess are examples of God’s loving, compassionate, nurturing and sustaining care.
As Jesus reminds us, prayer is the opening of the heart to God. Prayer makes God’s presence real and known to us. It doesn’t bring God to us, rather, it brings us to God – aligning our hearts and minds and wills to the heart, mind and will of God. If it brought God to us then it means that God must work on our terms, but it brings us to God. It makes us aware of our true, spiritual and physical needs. It reminds us of the importance of living, and doing and being the will and kingdom of God. And so, I pray that the Lord’s Prayer – the Our Father, will become more than a prayer for us. May it become a testimony of God’s love for us and our love for God – our Divine Father or, better yet, our Divine Daddy. And so, let’s not forget to wish God A Happy Father’s Day!!! Amen.