Ever notice how bossy the Lord’s Prayer sounds? “Give us bread! Forgive our sins! Rescue us from evil!”
This is how Jesus commands his followers. “Believe in me. Follow me. Make disciples.”
When I saw this, I was so confused. Did Jesus teach us boss God around?
The gospels express actions with different moods. When the gospels tell us what happened, they use the mood of reality. Jesus walked, Jesus spoke, Jesus wept, Jesus healed.
When they are stating a command, they use the mood of necessity.
But the mood of necessity is also used when something is…necessary. It must happen. Someone must do this.
So we pray “Our Father in heaven…you must give us our daily bread. You must forgive our sins. You must deliver us from evil.”
Why? Why must God our heavenly Father do these things?
Because only God can.
So when we pray in the mood of necessity, we’re not giving God orders. We’re not bossing God around.
We’re saying
“You must rescue us from evil–because we can’t”
“You must forgive our sins–because we can’t”
“You must provide our bread for the day–because we can’t”
And how about those first statements in the prayer?
“Our Father in heaven, Your name must be kept holy.
Your kingdom must arrive. Your will must be done on earth as in heaven.”
Someone must make those things happen, too. When we pray “Your will be done,” who do we expect to do God’s will? Who spreads God’s kingdom on earth? Who keeps God’s name holy?
God’s people. Jesus’ followers, including you and me. Together, we do these things
I invite you to pray through the Lord’s Prayer again. And this time, add the word “must”.
Our Father who is in heaven,
Your name must be kept holy.
Your kingdom must arrive,
Your will must be done on earth as it is in heavenYou must give us today our daily bread
And you must forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors
And you must not lead us into temtpation
Instead, you must rescue us from evil!Because yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever
Amen
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