Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday FOR CHILDREN ONLY 2/21/07
We begin this season of Lent and I begin this 9-part sermon series. We journey toward the passion of our Lord, and with our Lord, and this band of pilgrims “walks” together in worship, contemplation, devotion, and prayer. In and through these sermons, I pray we will discover together the vital, supportive role of prayer as Jesus encountered the worst this world has to offer in order to offer us the best God has to give! We commonly introduce The Lord’s Prayer as “the prayer our Lord taught us,” but it is also “the prayer our Lord prayed.” The Lord’s Prayer is more than a “lesson,” it is a lifestyle. I believe we can see every petition of The Lord’s Prayer perfectly lived out in the Passion of our Lord. As we take this closer look at the prayer Jesus taught and prayed, be reminded that His suffering and death has earned for us the privilege to pray!

Prayer is not our idea. Prayer, the invitation and opportunity to pray, is from God. God expects us to pray, citing these familiar instructions from Jesus: “And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites,” “When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases,” and “When you pray, pray like this…”. Martin Luther, in The Large Catechism, writes: “To pray is to call upon God in every need. This God requires of us; He has not left it to our choice…It would be improper for a son to say to his father: ‘What is the use of being obedient? I will go and do as I please; what difference does it make?’ Just so, it is not left to my choice here whether to pray or not, it is my duty and obligation.” Prayer, then, is an act of Christian obedience, an acceptance of “Our Father’s” invitation to come personally unto Him.

It is either an immeasurable privilege or the height of audacity for us…sinful, fickle, selfish, greedy people…to call the Almighty, all-knowing, ever-present, eternal God “Father”! Who would ever consider speaking to God in such a personal way? No believer in the Old Testament would have dared to address God with such bold familiarity! But Jesus did, and teaches us to do the same! Jesus, the Only Begotten Son of God, and our brother, offers us this intimate access to God. This precious right of praying “Abba, Father,” is For Children Only…children of God, brothers/sisters of Jesus!

As the Son of God, Jesus dared to use the Aramaic word “Abba”, the affectionate word of address to God, just as “Imma” means “dear mother” in the same language. It was normal and natural for Jesus, the Son of God, to address God as “Abba”, as it is natural for Jordan and Hannah to address me as “Dad”. This is the address of a small child to his/her father, one of the first words a little one learns. Joachim Jeremias, in his book The Lord’s Prayer, writes: “Jesus thus spoke with God as a child speaks to his father, simply, intimately, securely, childlike in manner. It was His own unique way of talking with God.”

Twice during Jesus’ life on earth, at the times of His Baptism and Transfiguration (just this past Sunday), God the Father announced, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased.”(Mt. 3:17; 17:5) Remember when Jesus, at age 12, was found in the Temple by a frantic Mary and Joseph several days after staying behind in Jerusalem, remarked: “Did you not know that I would be in my Father’s house?” (Lk. 2:49) Consider Jesus’ comment to the criticizing Pharisees: “I testify on my own behalf, and the Father who sent me testifies on my behalf.” (Jn. 8:18) Jesus spoke this word with perfect, childlike confidence, as evidenced in His prayer on the night of His betrayal: “Abba, Father, all things are possible to Thee.” (Mk. 14:36) Before breathing His last, Jesus spoke from the Calvary Cross: “Father, into Thy hands I commit my spirit.” (Lk. 23:46) Jesus consistently refers to God as His Father in conversation and in prayer. Take a look at John 8: 16, 28, 29, 38; 10:14-17; 11:41; 14: 2,6; 17:1, 24-26 for further examples. Jesus prayed from the vantage point of a child speaking to His Father…and so can we!

Through Jesus, we are afforded this same childlike access and confidence, assured that our Father hears our every prayer! Our prayers, like those of our Lord Jesus Christ, are to be childlike, for our prayers are those of God’s children. Jesus invites, and affords to, us this prayer posture, instructing us: “Unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt. 18:3) How it saddens me…more importantly, how it saddens God…that many adults hesitate and fail to pray, for fear that their prayers might not be eloquent and flowing…self-conscious that our “Abba” Father will look with disdain upon our humble prayer…when all-the-while Jesus invites us to come before God “like children”…like a trusting child speaking with a loving “daddy”. Jesus, the Son of God who addressed God as “Father,” invites and enables us to do the same. Dare we pray the prayer Jesus taught us? Do you dare pray in the way Jesus taught us? We dare not do otherwise! AMEN.