July 23, 2010
Sunday Scripture
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
BY FATHER DONALD DILGER
In Luke’s gospel Jesus prays more frequently than in the other gospels. Today’s reading begins, “He was praying in a certain place.” After Jesus had completed his time of prayer, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray as John taught his disciples to pray.” The disciples of the Baptizer and the disciples of Jesus were sometimes rivals to each other, not only in the time of Jesus and John, but also later. All four gospels in some way deal with this rivalry. In all of them the Baptizer is subordinated to Jesus. In the matter of prayer, however, the disciples of Jesus want to imitate the disciples of the Baptizer.
Jesus introduces the prayer, “When you pray, do it in these words . . .” We hesitate to call this prayer the “Our Father,” because it does not begin with the words, “Our Father.” That title comes from Matthew’s version of Jesus’ prayer. Luke begins very directly, “Father, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us, and lead us not into temptation.” The expressions of Luke’s version are similar to those of Matthew’s longer version, which is part of the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew’s version became the standard Christian form for praising and petitioning God as Our Father.
A brief look at the petitions: “Father” addresses God as directly as Jesus addressed God in a prayer of thanksgiving, in Gethsemane, and on the cross. Before the gospels were written, Paul instructed the Romans that we have the right to directly address God as “Father” because we have received the Holy Spirit, who testifies within us that we are God’s children, members of God’s family. “Hallowed by thy Name,” asks that God’s name be recognized as holy and not used profanely. God says to the prophet Ezekiel, “I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them, and the nations will know that I am the Lord God, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes,” 36:21.
“Thy kingdom come” is a petition that God will use us and our Christian way of life to draw others to himself, that the rights of God will be respected throughout the earth. “Give us each day our daily bread,” is directed especially at help for the poor. Luke’s gospel is above all the Gospel of the Poor. A more accurate translation of Luke’s Greek word for “daily” is “bread for tomorrow.” The poor of Luke’s day were never sure of whether they would have bread for the next day. They petition their Father to give them at least one day’s relief, that for one day they will not have to worry about whether or not they will eat. A parallel for our time is the insecurity so many suffer through joblessness or the probability of losing a job.
“Forgive us our sins” expresses two major themes of Luke’s gospel — repentance and forgiveness. The supreme example of God’s forgiveness is the prayer of Jesus for his executioners, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” The parable of the Prodigal Son also expresses God’s unlimited forgiveness. “As we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us” expresses the principle that unless we forgive those who have offended us, we are not prepared to receive God’s forgiveness. “Lead us not into temptation” is a better translation than what we will hear when the gospel is read for this Sunday, “Do not subject us to the final test.” The petition rests on an ancient belief that God causes both good and evil. An example, Isaiah 45:7, “I form light and I form darkness. I create weal (good) and I create woe (disaster).” Elsewhere the New Testament strongly contests attribution of evil to God. The petition is best understood as a prayer that God’s grace will keep us from yielding to temptation and falling into sin. The parable that closes today’s gospel is an illustration of the power of persistent prayer.
This encounter and dialogue between Abraham and God is instructional and entertaining. God determined to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham is upset. He knows there are some good people in those cities, especially his nephew Lot and family. He reminds God about justice, and what the destruction of good people, “collateral damage,” would do to God’s reputation, “Will you sweep away the innocent with the guilty?” This puts God on the defensive. Through persistent prayer Abraham gains a final concession. If 10 innocent people can be found in the doomed cities. God will not destroy the cities.
Paul’s interesting language in this section of the letter addresses the Gentile Christians. Despite their “uncircumcision,” that is, despite the fact that they were not part of the “chosen” people, and did not carry the sign of the covenant, God accepted them by forgiving their transgressions. Speaking metaphorically, Paul affirms that copies of what they owed to God, that is, the debts which they incurred through their sins, were nailed to the cross along with Jesus, and were therefore cancelled.