UK 11{The Word of God and prayer necessarily go together for the spiritual life and progress of the soul. As we read the Word it is the voice of God to us. And prayer is our soul’ link of communion with God. We cannot do without these in our every day life. Here, as in other parts of Scripture, we get them together. Mary sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word; then follows this lesson on prayer.
Verse 1. Jesus Himself was praying in a certain place and when He ceased one of His disciples said unto Him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”
Verses 2-5. It is not a form of words to repeat, but words given that lead their thoughts in true, earnest desire up to God. The words of this prayer in the (R. V.) are: "Father, Thy name be hallowed, Thy Kingdom come. Give us each day our needed bread. And forgive us our sins, for we forgive every one indebted to us, and lead us not into temptation." "Father," expresses their!)place as children. "Hallowed be Thy name," is the desire to have Him glorified, whatever it may cost us. It, puts the Father's glory first in all things. "Thy Kingdom Come,"-the desire to have all in accordance with the will of God, and that everything be removed that would hinder it. "Give us each day our needed bread," expresses our dependence on God' for every day. "And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive every one indebted to us"-this is the desire for grace to forgive others as we have been forgiven. "And lead us not into temptation:" in this we admit our weakness and that we cannot stand, because the flesh is in us, except His grace is with us.
This prayer is intentionally different from Matt. 6:9-13,9After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11Give us this day our daily bread. 12And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. (Matthew 6:9‑13) this one being more in keeping with the Christian position, but now, that the Holy Spirit is come, we know our place as children better. (see Rom. 8:1515For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. (Romans 8:15); Gal:. 4:6.) And we learn from John 16:23, 24,23And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. 24Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. (John 16:23‑24) to ask in the name of the Lord Jesus; and we learn from Rom. 8:2626Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. (Romans 8:26) to depend on the Holy Spirit for words to utter.
Verses 5-8, encourage us in earnest persevering prayer. (see Acts 12:55Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. (Acts 12:5); Rom. 12:1212Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; (Romans 12:12); Eph. 6:1818Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; (Ephesians 6:18); Phil. 4:6,76Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6‑7); Col. 4:2, 3,122Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; 3Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: (Colossians 4:2‑3)
12Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. (Colossians 4:12).) Supplications prayer intensely earnest. This man was heard for his earnest importunity that implored and persevered till he received what he needed. What encouragement for us to persevere in our supplications.
Verses 9-13 still presses this home on our hearts. "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." This reminds us of the Father's goodness that delights to bless His children. Now that the Holy Spirit has come, we cannot ask for Him to be sent, but we can ask His help, and guidance, and teaching, and that we may be filled with the Spirit, for though He dwells in us we are not always filled, we should seek to be filled (Eph. 5:18,18And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; (Ephesians 5:18)) with the Spirit.
Verses 14-16. His power is here manifested in grace in casting out the dumb devil, so that the dumb spake and the people wondered, but the enmity of the natural heart of the religious leaders imputes to Him the power of the prince of devils, while others seek a sign of Him from heaven. Could there be greater blindness! and this is from the cultured pharisee, but it is man's heart all the same.
Verses 17-22. The Lord answers their thoughts and proves that their opposition is to God; that He was against Satan and Satan was against Him. He could not build up Satan's kingdom, but He had brought the Kingdom of God to them. Satan was the strong man, but the Lord was the stronger who overcame Satan and took his armor wherein he had trusted, and divided his spoils. The delivered man was a proof of His power.
Verse 23. But he that was not with Him was against Him. And this was plain with them; they did not gather with Him so they scattered.
Verses 24-26. They were outwardly cleansed from pollutions, yet they did not receive Him. And with all their profession, they would go back to seven times worse idolatry than before, and the last state of such an one would be worse than the first-the sad result to every one who rejects Christ.
Verse 27. As He spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and spoke of the blessedness of being His mother, but that was only a natural affection, though wrought by miraculous power.
Verse 28. He tells of greater blessing. "Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it." This brings abiding blessing and pleasures for evermore.
Verses 29-36. Curiosity brought a thick crowd together, but He began to say, "This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; but there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet." Jonas preached to Nineveh without any other sign. The Ninevites heard and repented. The queen of Sheba came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and a greater than Solomon and Jonas was there.
The Son of Man was there bearing witness by word of God and miracles of grace, yet they would not believe. God had sent Him, and He was the light set plainly before them, but their eye was evil, they were guided by a false light of their own; it was darkness. If God and Christ were before their eye, the whole body would be full of light, as when the clear shining of a candle doth give the light. Self was in their eye while they professed to serve God. How often we need to search our hearts and to see that we are seeking only Christ's glory. We may be little, but if Christ is before us, how happy our souls can be.
Verses 37-44. A Pharisee besought Him to dine with him. He goes, but it is to Witness to the truth, and thus to give them a lesson. The pharisee wondered to see Him sitting down without first having washed as was their custom: (Mark 7:3, 43For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. 4And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brazen vessels, and of tables. (Mark 7:3‑4).) The Lord uses the occasion to expose the hollow hypocrisy of outward cleanness and inward filthiness: a show of religion while their inward parts were full of ravening and wickedness. They would tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs growing in their garden, and rob widow's houses at the same time, passing over judgment, and the love of God, and loved to exalt themselves before men, in the synagogues and markets.
They were as graves that appear not: a fair show outside, inside full of dead men's bones.
Verses 45-54. The lawyers felt His scathing judgment on the Pharisees and protested that this condemned them also. And He pronounces judgment on them likewise, as men that laid burdens on others which they would not touch with one of their fingers. Also they rejected the prophets' teachings while they professed to honor them, their fathers had done the same. And now the wisdom of God said that when God sent them the truth by apostles and prophets, some of them they would slay and persecute, and bring upon themselves the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world. Alas! the blood of Christ they were guilty of also, and it shall be required of them. They also took away the key of knowledge; they entered not into the true knowledge of God themselves, and others who would enter they hindered.
The Lord had gone in to dine at the request of the Pharisee, but it was a stormy meal, for He told them the truth. And they vehemently tried to urge and to provoke Him to say things they could find fault with, that they might accuse Him. How, little they knew who was there! And that He was manifesting their satanic opposition which He in mercy to others denounced unsparingly.