The Lord's Prayer (For His Disciples to Pray)

"Our Father Who art in heaven..." begins the Lord's prayer. (It is actually the Disciples' prayer that He taught them, and us, to pray. But for convenience and clarity, we will use the familiar name.) (Matthew 6:9-13)

Is this just a recognition of our Father's high and lofty position? Is is a bit of worship for the elevated nature of the One we revere? Does it recognize our relative position in not only this world, but within the universe? The answer is, "Yes...and No." All of the preceding are true, and we need to recognize them when we approach the throne of grace.

But there is an even more important reason for the statement. We find it in Matthew chapter 20:
16 So the last shall be first, and the first last.

This was pointed out to me during the last time I studied the prayer. Our prayer does not just recognize our position, it affirms and declares our subservience to Him. The word we are looking for is, "humility." I can recognize that someone else is better or more accomplished than I, but at the same time be proud of what I am. I may even flaunt my supposed humility.

The first phrase puts my attitude in tune with God's. Paul exemplified that when he called himself the "chief of sinners." There was no pride in that. It was with brokenness and a bitter spirit. Paul never forgot how far he had come. We all have, but just fail to remember.

"Heaven" is not the atmosphere, or even outer space, as majestic, incredible, and almost infinite as that is. Heaven is the perfect residence of the Perfect and Holy God. If we were invited to the White House or Buckingham Palace, we would not walk in swelling with pride, comparing it to our mobile home. Even if we lived in the best that the Trump empire has to offer, we would be humbled by the Palace.

Now put yourself into the shoes of a British subject, being shown into the entry way, then into the throne room. And the Queen beckons us forward. Knees buckling time, even for us Yanks. Any pride and self promotion that may have hitchhiked in the backpack are ejected.

This is not a pretentious, preening, pseudo-humility where we deliberately parade to a "lower" position at the feast for the purpose of being elevated by the host. This is an abject poverty of spirit recognizing that the lowest place is where I need to be and that I will be uncomfortable anywhere else.

Now go another step. The words that precede that really bring us to our knees. "Our Father." I am not a visitor to the throne room of the British Empire. I am an adopted son of the Sovereign of the universe.

"Our Father, Who art in heaven...."