The Lord's Prayer (Pt. 4)

 

[Jesus said] “Pray then like this: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” (Matthew 6:9-13 ESV).

 

When we come to the next petition in Jesus’ example of how to pray we see a shift from prayer to and about God to our needs. Jesus says, “Give us this day our daily bread…” (v. 11). The plural pronoun is significant. In fact, at least for me, it’s hard to imagine saying, “Give me this day my daily bread.” In this petition, we’re asking God to supply the basics of what’s necessary for us to survive and find satisfaction and meaning. Since basic necessities go beyond literal, actual bread, this petition affirms our reliance on God to meet our most basic needs from one day to the next. Like the Hebrews who would have starved had God not sent the gift of manna daily (cf. Exodus 16), we, too, would die without the daily, mundane, essential gifts that sustain these fragile, dependent lives that are precious to God.

 

In his Small Catechism, Martin Luther understood “our daily bread” to mean “everything required to satisfy our bodily needs.” Luther listed obvious needs such as food, clothing, shelter, and health, but he also added “a pious spouse and good children, good and faithful rulers, good government, seasonable weather, true friends, and faithful neighbors.” With an expansive list like that as part of the package of needs to sustain a healthy life, the very personal “give me this day my daily bread” may not sound entirely selfish after all. Most of Luther’s list of needs are purposeful, desirable, and beyond our control to acquire for ourselves. But desiring those things for oneself does not dismiss the more communal, corporate, and global dimensions that Jesus taught and writers of the Bible reinforced.

 

We cannot discount this as a prayer for all people, everywhere. Implied is that hunger itself is contrary to the kingdom of God. So, as God’s people, we are to be concerned for those in need (cf. 1 John 3:17-18) and not content simply to wish them well and hope those needs somehow get met. In fact, to do so casts doubt on the authenticity of our faith. In a nation as rich as America food, security, clean water, shelter, and clothing may be less of a concern than in many parts of the world, but that doesn’t dismiss the fact that significant numbers of people in our country struggle to get by. We can and should use our abundance to serve God by providing “daily bread” for others. That’s an important aspect of praying this petition with heartfelt intention—and to do so not only for ourselves, but for our neighbors, wherever they live.