A, Midweek Lent 2 - Matthew 6:9-13 "The Lord's Prayer - A Good Name"
Having heard the whole council of
Peter sought a good name. He was a proud man, and it was his pride that brought him undone. In fact this pride and desire for a good name was first sought when he replied to Jesus, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” (Matthew 26:35) And then his going back on these words and subsequent denial of Jesus was also an attempt to preserve his name amongst Jesus’ accusers. But having heard the rooster crow, he knew his name before God, didn’t hold up to the holiness that God demanded. Peter knew it and he wept with the gut wrenching bitterness of all hopelessness.
This picture is as good a background as any to continue our look at the Lord’s Prayer. And tonight we continue our examination of the First Petition coupled together with the Seventh Petition, which reads, Hallowed be your name – but deliver us from evil (or the evil one).
Last week we began with the introduction and doxology as the two book ends, Our Father in heaven – the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen. Jesus gives us access to his Father through the cross and therefore we can pray believing that he is truly “our Father”. The kingdom, power and glory which are God’s alone are now place in us by Christ’s death and resurrection.
Now having gained access to God who is God alone, we move in one petition from the beginning and pray, “Hallow be your name.” or “Holy is your name.”
We know that we do not hallow God’s almighty name by our prayer. In fact, his name is eternally holy, because he is eternally holy. But as Luther says in the catechism, God's name is hallowed [in us] whenever his Word is taught in its truth and purity and we as children of God live in harmony with it. But then he adds, help us to do this, heavenly Father!
It’s right here at this point that we can most clearly see how the Seventh Petition parallels the First. We ask God to help us to hear and live in harmony with his taught word, and when this is not hindered we are continually being delivered from all evil. This is the threefold: evil one - the devil himself, his agents of evil - seen and unseen around us, and the deadly nature within - seeking to re-emerge having been drowned in baptism.
It is necessary that we ask God’s name to be hallowed in us. Every person on earth is no different to Peter. We all seek to have our name honoured amongst others and in doing so dishonour God’s name in us and outside us.
Luther says — No one on earth hallows God’s name satisfactorily. A person who does so, however, does not belong to this earth, but only to heaven. Therefore we ought to pray and plead as long as we live that God may hallow his name in us. (LW 42:33)
Therefore, it is truly amazing that Jesus gives us this prayer and access to God, since we are not hallowed, and are in need of being daily delivered from evil against God.
On the other hand, if we push aside this plea to be made holy and seek only to be delivered from evil, perhaps we are more concerned about our own will over against God’s holy and precious will.
Here again Jesus is our example, and we might pray, My Father deliver me from the evils that persist in and around me, I cannot resist them by my own will. But only if this is in accord with the honour and glory due to your hallowed name and will. If it is possible, may this cup be taken from me? Yet not as I will, but as you will. (Matthew 26:39) We pray for deliverance from evil not for the benefit of our own honour and name, but for the glory of God’s name which makes us holy in a world that’s far from being holy. We pray for deliverance from evil and to be hallowed so that the perfection of God’s holiness is one day made complete in us, where God’s eternal kingdom also comes to us.
We like Peter cannot move an inch towards having a good name in God’s eyes, yet the reality for those who live under the cross is that we bear the name of Jesus Christ, to whom all glory, honour, and holiness is given.
Jesus was crucified having put his own will aside and now his name is the greatest name in all creation. It’s the name by whom Peter was forgiven and ministered, it is the name by whom you are forgiven and ministered to. Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made and is redeeming heaven and earth.
When we pray our Father, hallowed be your name, deliver us from evil – we proclaim our true source of daily bread is the best and only name given to humanity, our Lord Jesus Christ, who gives life today in this troubled world. And will also carry us into eternity where we will hallow our Father perfectly forever.
Because Jesus Christ gave himself to us and is our daily bread we can pray, Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name …deliver us from evil, for the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and for ever. Amen.
