Deliver Us From Fear The Lord’s Prayer – Part 6

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Petition  “Give us…”  Petition to God  For the community  “This day…”  Not next year, not for retirement, but today  “Our daily bread.”  Greek is unclear  This is the traditional English interpretation

“Daily”  Occurs only in the Lord’s Prayer  Epiousios  Both Matthew and Luke  Nowhere else in Greek language  Probably an invention of the gospel writers  What can it mean?

“Daily”  Possibilities  Regards Time Today Tomorrow  Regards Amount Just enough to keep us alive What we need for our well-being  Each of the four has support  Which is right? Which is best?

“Bread”  Literal or Symbolic?  OT References  Matthew’s Use

“Bread”  Matthew References to Bread  4:3-4 - Temptation  6:11 - Lord's Prayer  7: Analogy of father to God, asking and receiving  12:1-8 - David and his men eating sacred bread  15: Canaanite woman begging Jesus to heal her daughter  15: Feeding 5,000  16: No bread; leaven of the Pharisees  26:26 - Last Supper

“Bread”  “In the East bread is primary, other articles of food merely accessory…”  “… As everything depended upon the wheat and barley harvest, ‘bread’ was in a peculiar sense ‘sacred.’”  “… Was regarded as peculiarly ‘a gift of God,’ a daily reminder of his continual and often undeserved care…”

“Bread”  “… A sign and symbol of hospitality and friendship the giving and receiving of bread is…”  “… A violation of the sacred law of hospitality, to decline it or to set it aside as unfit for use…”  “… The perpetual symbol among His disciples of the communion of saints.”

Back to “Daily”  Old Syriac  Jesus spoke Aramaic  Gospel writers translated Aramaic into Greek  Old Syriac is close to Aramaic  “Amen bread today give to us”  Amen: lasting, never-ceasing, never-ending, perpetual  “Give us today the bread that doesn’t run out”

Understanding “Daily”  Today  Tomorrow  Enough to sustain us  Enough to free us from fear  “Deliver us, O Lord, from the fear of not having enough to eat. Give us bread for today and with it give us confidence that tomorrow we will have enough.” [Bailey]

O little town of Bethlehem, How still we see thee lie! Above they deep and dreamless sleep The silent stars go by; Yet in thy dark streets shineth The everlasting light; The hopes and fears Of all the years Are met in thee tonight.