Sunday Devotional: Matthew 6:9

You, therefore, pray in this way: Our Father who is in heaven, may Your name be held sacred.

Since today is Father’s Day, I thought it appropriate to begin a series of devotions on the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13), especially given this first line, or petition. In this portion of Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus is still delivering his “Sermon on the Mount.” He is giving various instructions, and at this point he is teaching about prayer. His listeners should not be like “the hypocrites” when they pray, making an ostentatious show of their piety. Prayer should be personal, done in private, and between the person and God. Since God sees the heart, the outward show doesn’t impress Him. And for the same reason, an abundance of words, no matter how flowery, won’t find particular favor with the Lord. He knows whether those words have meaning to the one saying them.

The prayer Jesus gives is one he probably intends as a model, not necessarily as a formula to be recited. Indeed, it would go against everything he just said if he were to give his followers the words to say. I think it’s the intention behind each part of the prayer that’s important for us to follow. So, over the next few weeks, we’ll look at each petition with a view to enhancing our prayer life, and focusing our thoughts on the things the Lord would have us consider when we pray.

This first petition begins with the declaration: “Our Father who is in heaven.” Jesus’s use of “Abba” (Aramaic: `abbâ`) is, as far as we can tell, unique. This term is used by children when addressing their fathers. Yet here, Jesus uses it of God, and encourages his followers to follow suit. Christians are spoken of elsewhere in the New Testament as “children of God,” but here that phrase is given depth. It says more than just the fact that we are creations of God, and that, by His grace and through His Spirit, we are born again. The relationship between the Christian and his or her God is one of intimacy and close fellowship. And this is possible only because Jesus’s death and resurrection removed the fatal obstacle to that relationship: sin. Which is why only those who have repented of their sin and confess Jesus as Lord and Savior are able to call God “Abba,” Father.

I think it worth noting, too, that Jesus’s use of “Father” also indicates his own relationship to God. As the second person of the Trinity, the fact that he, as God the Son, addresses God as Father helps us see how it is that Jesus can be God and yet pray to God. Here, as elsewhere, we see God the Son praying to God the Father. Jesus’s use of the term also shows us the closeness that exists between the Father and the Son–a closeness that has existed since before time.

The following line, which is the first actual petition, I have translated “may Your name be held sacred” (Greek: hagiasthêtô to onoma sou). It could just as easily be translated “may Your name be sanctified.” The first translation, at least to me, draws attention to the way the Lord’s name is treated by people. I think the second implies an action of God wherein He causes His name to be set apart and treated with respect. These are not mutually exclusive expressions, so I don’t think it’s wrong to hold both to be true. It is God who must cause His name to be sanctified by people, and if He so desires, then indeed, His name will be held in proper regard.

This, and the two following petitions, look forward to God being supreme in the hearts and minds of people. There might also be a sense of vindication, that while God’s people are oppressed and under the rule of godless men, there will be a day when God will rule supreme, and His name will cause thrones to tremble. That day will be the day when every knee bows and every tongue confesses the lordship of Christ, either with willing and joyful hearts from His people, or with grudging respect from the godless.

It is certainly our prayer that in our day, and in our lands, God’s name would be honored. Especially in Hebrew culture, honor for the name is the same as honor for the person. To hold a name in contempt is to hold a person in contempt. And God’s name doesn’t carry much respect in our culture. Not only for the sake of God’s glory, but for the good of all people, we want to see that situation change. We want to see God at least respected, if not worshiped. And it’s to that end that we pray this petition: that God would hasten the day when He is acknowledged and given the honor He is due from His creation. And especially that He would cause many of those who hate and revile Him to turn, repent, and call upon His name for salvation.

Let us be sure we hold God’s name sacred (i.e., set apart). Are we using God’s name inappropriately? Do we wish for vain things in His name? Or perhaps we follow the world in using God’s name as an expletive. I pray we would guard our tongues, and as we pray for God’s name to be honored among our peers, we would pray that our own lips would hold His name to be precious.

Have a great week!