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GIVE US TODAY OUR DAILY BREAD MATTHEW 6:11
On three Sundays now, we have been looking at the prayer Jesus taught us to pray.. and how that prayer gives meaning to our lives. ‘Our Father in heaven’ reminds us that we are God’s children, deeply loved and significant. ‘Hallowed be your name’ reminds us that our great purpose in life is to bring praise and honour to God. And when we pray ‘your kingdom come’ we remind ourselves where life on this planet is headed and find direction for our own lives. Today we consider these words, ‘Give us today our daily bread.’ When Jesus taught His disciples to pray like this.. workers were paid a day at a time. One day’s pay was just enough to provide the basic necessities for his family. There was no sick leave, no workers’ compensation. If a man was sick.. or injured.. and could not work.. there would be no food on the table. Jesus taught people like that to step into each day praying, Give us today our daily bread. We live in a very different world. We are paid by the week or fortnight or month.. bills come in monthly.. or quarterly.. or annually.. We have to set money aside to pay these bills.. and we are urged to set aside money for super.. But what this prayer teaches is as relevant to us as it was to them. When we pray this prayer.. and mean it.. we put our trust in our Father in heaven.. and find true security - security in Him.. security in knowing that He is caring for us! And when we find that we will be content with what He gives us! Do we want to be learn to be contented? Then pray this prayer often!
When we pray this prayer..
When we pray, Our Father in heaven.. Give us.. we remind ourselves that God is the Great Giver.. the Great Provider.. In Acts 17:24,25 the Apostle Paul says.. The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth.. he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. And James reminds us.. James 1:17.. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights. God is the Great Giver of life.. health.. and all we need! When we pray this prayer.. we remind ourselves that God is the Great provider, acknowledge our dependence on Him and give thanks to Him!
When we pray this prayer..
We pray, Give us today our daily bread.
The word translated, daily, is used only in the Lord’s Prayer. It is not found anywhere else in Greek literature. For that reason translators have been unsure about how to translate it. The Syriac church of the Middle East translates it, “Give us today ‘the bread we need.’” This translation agrees with the attitude of a wise man in the Proverbs. He prays.. Proverbs 30:8-10.. Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.
When this wise man said, Give me only my daily bread, he clearly meant give me only what I need! And that is the way the ancient Greek Translation translates his words: Appoint me what is needful and sufficient. Here in the Lord’s Prayer.. Jesus teaches us to pray like that.. for needs.. not wants.. to satisfy our need.. not our greed. The Apostle Paul also would have prayed like this. He wrote.. 1 Timothy 6:8-10.. If we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. An early Christian preacher.. Gregory of Nyssa [4thC].. put it like this: So we say to God: Give us bread. Not delicacies or riches.. or landed estates.. We pray to satisfy our need.. not to satisfy our greed! And when we pray this prayer.. Give us today.. our daily bread.. we focus not on the future that may never come.. but on today. And this is just what Jesus encourages us to do in Matthew 6:34.. Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
A wealthy businessman came across a fisherman sitting lazily beside his boat. He asked him, "Why aren't you out there fishing?" The fisherman responded, "Because I've caught enough fish for today," The rich man was annoyed, "Why don't you catch more fish than you need?" The fisherman said, "What would I do with them?" Now the rich man was really annoyed, "You could earn more money and buy a better boat so you could go deeper and catch more fish. You could purchase nylon nets, catch even more fish, and make more money. Soon you'd have a fleet of boats and be rich like me." The fisherman said, "Then what would I do?" The rich man answered, "You could sit down and enjoy life," And the fisherman replied, "What do you think I'm doing now?"
He had it right! He was not greedy. He was content! He lived a day at a time. And that gave him time for the important things in life! Be like him.. But what about saving for the future? Put money aside.. but leave the worrying to God!
I cannot pray this prayer for daily bread without thinking of something else Jesus said. He had gone into the desert and fasted for 40 days. In Matthew 4:3,4 we read.. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” We do not live on bread alone.. but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. We need to listen to God. Our number one need is to live in listening relationship with Him! When we get that right.. everything else will fall into place! If we keep this in mind when we ask God to give us what we need for today.. we will focus on God.. and not on bread. And as we focus on God.. we will find peace and contentment. How do we live in a listening relationship with God? We read the Bible.. listen to what God says.. respond.. day by day. What a joy it is to sit quietly before God each day.. and re-focus our lives.. It is there that worries disappear and contentment takes hold.
When we pray this prayer..
When I pray, Give us today our daily bread.. I recall the way God fed His people in the Sinai desert on manna.. one day at a time.. with a double share on the sixth day to meet their needs on the seventh day.. the day of rest. And I recall that God did not drop the manna in their tents. He expected them to do as He told them to do.. to go out and collect it. As I pray this prayer.. I picture first century laborers praying this prayer as they step out to go to work. Sometimes they were hired on a daily basis.. For them this prayer would have meant simply.. give me work today so that my family may eat! Long before the time of Jesus, Moses pictured a time when his people would be wealthy and said.. Deuteronomy 8:18.. Remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth.. Yes.. you worked.. but God gave you the ability. Remember that.. We can turn that around: God meets our needs by giving us the ability to work! God-given ability and our effort go hand in hand. In Thessalonica it seems some of the believers were taking life really easy.. The Apostle Paul wrote to them.. 2 Thessalonians 3:11,12.. We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat. These people were not unemployed because they could not get work. They were unemployed because they chose not to work. They were not job seekers. And Paul commanded them to work. What would he say to jobseekers? He would say to them, Keep on seeking work.. and would say to the rest of us.. pray for them.. help them!
When we pray this prayer we are saying something like this.. Father.. we know that You intend us to work.. to earn our daily bread.. please.. give us.. give me.. give my friend.. the health.. strength.. energy.. to work.. and give us.. give me.. give my friend.. the opportunity to work!
When we pray this prayer..
Jesus did not teach us to pray, Give me.. but, Give us.. today.. our daily bread! An anonymous person has said..You cannot pray the Lord's Prayer and even once say "I." You cannot pray the Lord's Prayer and even once say "My." Nor can you pray the Lord's Prayer and not pray for one another. And when you ask for daily bread, you must include your brother. For others are included ... in each and every plea, From the beginning to the end of it, it doesn't once say "Me."
The Jewish New Testament Commentary says this ‘is characteristically Jewish, focusing on the group rather than the isolated individual.’ When we think about this.. and deliberately pray.. not give me.. but give us.. It will keep us from selfish prayers.. from asking for something at the expense of others.. It will remind us to pray for others And it will challenge us to reach out and help them. The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy.. 1 Timothy 6:17,18.. Command those who are rich in this present world.. to be generous and willing to share. And he practiced what he preached. He gave himself in service of others. He tells us he had a right to be paid.. but did not insist on that right.. rather he gave himself and his preaching and teaching freely. His trust was in God to give him what he needed.. and he was content with what God gave Him. The Philippians sent him help when he was in prison. This is how he responded.. Philippians 4:10,11.. I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Paul was content with what God gave him.. and that set him free to be generous to others!
It is some prayer this prayer, Give us today our daily bread. Let’s take it to heart.. and pray it often.. acknowledging that God is the great Provider.. asking Him to give us what we need.. committing ourselves to do our part.. to work or look for work.. praying not only for our ourselves.. but for others.. and praying for those who can’t get work! If we pray it often.. we will learn to be content with what God gives us.. and that will set us free to be generous to others!
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