The Lord's Prayer: Identify the Relationship (Luke 11:1-2a) 2 of 8

Luke 11:1-2  He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples."  2 He said to them, "When you pray, say: Father..."

God is our Father. This is earth shattering news when you think of it.  The Old Testament refers to God as Father (and Mother) by way of analogy - not direct address.  Jesus is the one who is bold enough to first address God as his Father.  And he teaches his followers to do it too.

I can remember on a long family vacation - my younger brother, who was very very young at the time, looked out the car window as we passed by farms and businesses and began to point out, "My Father owns that."  And "My Father owns that too."  And "Over there - My Father's stuff."  I imagine he was repeating what he had learned in Sunday School the week before.  It took the rest of us a while to catch on.  But this is the magnitude of what Jesus is teaching.  We are children of the God who is Sovereign over everything.

But do we live like it?  What if you look around where you are sitting - and claim the people, places, things, and situations as belonging to your Father?  "My Father owns this boss who isn't fair."  "My Father owns the food that could feed the homeless and hungry."  "My Father owns this relationship with my spouse that isn't going well."  How does it change the way you will live your life today.  As God's child what power and authority and responsibility does it give you?

It is uncomfortable for the Jews to hear Jesus call God his Father - it seems sacrilegious - too informal.  It isn't the way they think of God - God has become a rule-giver who judges us accordingly.  But Jesus is introducing us to God in a new way - teaching us that we can have an intimate relationship with God.  One where God cares deeply about us and is interested in our personal well being.  Jesus will develop this relationship further when he tells us the story of the Prodigal Son in which a Father offers mercy and grace to a wayward child.

Jesus begins the prayer this way so we will remember who God is and who we are:  Children of the creator who wants to love us like the perfect father would love his children.

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The other gospels weigh in...

Matthew 6:9   9 "Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven..."