The Lord's Prayer

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 30, 1862

The Lord's Prayer.

THE following comments upon the Lord's Prayer, by Luther, are taken from D'Aubigne's History of the Reformation, pp. 86, 87:

"When thou prayest," said he, "let thy words be few, but thy thoughts and feelings many and deep. The less thou speakest, the better thy prayers. Few words and much thoughts is a Christian frame. Many words and little thought is heathenish."

"The prayer that is external and of the body, is that mumbling of the lips, outward babble—gone through without attention, and heard and seen of men; but prayer, in spirit and in truth, is the inward desire, the motions and sighs that proceed from the depth of the heart. The former is the prayer of the hypocrites, and of those who trust in themselves; the latter is the prayer of God's children, who walk in his fear."

Passing on to the opening words of the Lord's Prayer, he thus expresses himself: "Our Father," "Of all names, there is not one which more inclines us toward God, than the name of Father. We should feel less love, and derive less consolation, from addressing him as Lord, or God, or Judge. By that word, Father, his bowels of compassion are moved; for there is no sound more sweet or prevailing with a father, than the voice of his child."

He continues; and on the words, "Who art in heaven," he says, "Whosoever professes that he has a Father in heaven, acknowledges himself to be a stranger upon earth; hence, there is in his heart an ardent longing, like that of a child that is living among strangers, in want and grief, afar from its father-land. It is as if he said, 'Alas! my Father, thou art in heaven, and I, thy suffering child, am on earth, far from thee, encompassed with danger, wants, and mourning.'"

"Hallowed be thy name." "He who is passionate, abusive, envious, and slanderous, dishonors the name of God in which he has been baptized. Profaning to impious uses a vessel that God has consecrated to himself, he is like a priest who should take the holy cup and give drink to swine, or gather dung into it."

"Thy kingdom come." "Those who amass property and build magnificent mansions, who strive after what the world can give, and utter this prayer with their lips, resemble those huge organ-pipes which incessantly sing with all their power in the churches, without speech, feeling, or reason."

Further on, Luther attacks the error of pilgrimages, which was then so prevalent: "One goes to Rome, another to St. James, a third builds a chapel, and a fourth endows religious houses, in order to attain to the kingdom of God; but all neglect the one thing needful, which is to become themselves his kingdom! Why seek the kingdom of God beyond the seas? It is in thy heart it should arise."

"It is an awful thing," he continues, "to hear us offer this petition, 'Thy will be done.' Where in the church do we see this 'will of God'? One bishop rises up against another bishop; one church against another church. Priests, monks, and nuns, quarrel, and thwart and wage war with each other, and everywhere discord prevails. And yet each party declares that there is good will and upright intention; and so, to the honor and glory of God, they altogether do the Devil's work. . . ."

"Why do we use the words, 'our bread?'" he continues, expounding these words, 'Give us this day our daily bread.' "Because we do not pray for the common bread that heathens partake, and which God gives to all men—but for 'our' bread, the bread of those who are 'children of the heavenly Father.'"

"And what then is this bread of God? It is Jesus Christ our Lord. 'I am the bread of life which came down from heaven, and giveth life to the world.' Therefore let no one be deluded: whatever sermons and instructions do not exhibit and make known Jesus Christ, cannot be the daily bread and nourishment of souls."

"Of what use is it that such bread has been provided, if it is not served up, and so we are unable to partake of it? It is as if a noble feast were prepared, and none were ready to distribute the bread, to place the meat on the table, or fill the cups, and so the guests should be reduced to feed on the mere sight and smell. Therefore, we must preach Christ alone."

"But, say you, what is it to know Christ? and what good will come of it? I answer, to learn and know Christ, is to understand what the apostle declares, namely, that 'Christ is made unto us of God, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.' Now you understand that, if you acknowledge all your wisdom mere blameworthy foolishness, your righteousness a criminal iniquity, your holiness a guilty pollution, your redemption a miserable sentence of condemnation; if you feel that you are truly, before God, and before all creatures, a fool, a sinner, an impure and condemned man; if you manifest, not by word alone, but from the bottom of your heart and by your works—that there is neither salvation nor comfort for you, save only in Christ. To believe is nothing else than feeding on this bread from heaven."