Understanding the Lord’s Pray as shared by Jesus is all we need to know about the path to a spiritually blessed life in my opinion. We say it periodically from memory without really being aware of what we are saying and affirming. Let’s take a few minutes and look at each phrase and the powerful message it conveys.
First, we should be aware that Jesus was speaking to a group gathered around him approximately 2000 years ago. Most of them were illiterate herders, farmers and tradesmen. They did not read and write, and their communication skills were lacking. To get a message across, the speaker had to choose words carefully and use a lot of metaphors and similes to help folks understand the message he was delivering.
The opening phrase in the prayer is “Our Father”. In the culture of the time, the father was the head of the family. A family included relatives, in-laws, and extended family members. The father was responsible for the welfare of his “clan” and was the final authority and source of all good. So, when Jesus instructed his followers to begin “Our Father” he was saying to speak to, “The essence of all things good that is everywhere present,” or “The power that is through out the Universe.” When he added, “which art in heaven”, he was further stating that this power of the Universe was in us as he stated in Luke 17:21. It is interesting to note the use of “who” in referring to the deity in several different translations which denotes an individual or physical entity rather than “which” that is more appropriate for describing a Universal Spirit.
The next phrase, “hallowed be thy name”, is an affirmation of the holiness of our prayer and our willingness to be humble and loving in our nature. There is also an implication that we will not use the name of God in casual conversation which was a practice at that time to use the name of “Allah” when bargaining and negotiating the price of an object
Over a few weeks I will look into the hidden meanings that Jesus was sharing with his followers that we can apply in our world today. Much of this material was first presented to me by Dr. George Lamsa and his translation of the Bible and later by Rocco Errica and his translation of the Lord’s Prayer.
