“Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Matthew 6:10-12
“Jesus then gave His disciples the “Our Father,” or the “Lord’s Prayer.” Actually, the “Lord’s Prayer” is a better designation for John 17, whereas the model given here might be better entitled “The Disciples’ Prayer”…
“Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” expresses the desire that the acknowledgment of God’s reign and the accomplishment of His purposes take place in this world even as they already do in God’s throne room. The first half the prayer thus focuses exclusively on God and His agenda as believers adore, worship, and submit to His will before they introduce their own personal petitions…
The meaning of v. 11 depends largely on the very rare adjective epiousios. In addition to the traditional translation, “daily” bread, it could also mean bread for tomorrow (taken either as the next period of twenty-four hours or as the coming fullness of the kingdom) or necessary for existence. The best lexical research suggests the noneschatological interpretation of “bread for tomorrow” may be best.
Christians therefore should pray daily for the next day’s provision of life’s essentials as they recognize that all sustenance for one’s life comes from God and that He makes no long-term future guarantees. The average affluent Westerner more than likely plans and prays for “annual bread” except perhaps in times of extreme crisis. It is also worth noting that the prayer makes request for our needs and not our greed (cf. James 4:3).
“Forgive us our debts” renders the Greek literally…Spiritual debts to God are first of all in view. Our plea for continued forgiveness as believers, requesting the restoration of fellowship with God following the alienation that sin produces, is predicated on our having forgiven those who have sinned against us…without this interpersonal reconciliation on the human level, neither can we be reconciled to God.”
Craig L. Blomberg in Matthew: An Exegetical and Theological Exposition of Holy Scripture (NAC; Broadman Press: Nashville) 118-20.
I made it safely home last night from the SBL event in Utah. I had at least three unforgettable moments while I was there.
Firstly, getting to put on white gloves and handle papyri pressed in glass cases was a new experience for me. This one (pictured above) particularly struck me. It’s a small scrap of Coptic (Egyptian) papyri with the three verses of today’s Scripture. Read it again in English and imagine if that’s all you had of the Word of God. In a sense it would be all you needed!
Secondly, having a prolific scholar and friend like Dr. Craig L. Blomberg, Denver Seminary Distinguished Professor of New Testament, sitting in the room to encourage me as I presented my paper on “Demystifying Gender Issues in 1 Timothy 2:9-15 with Fresh Assistance from Artemis” gave me a generous sense of encouragement. I was also blessed by the thoughtful reception of it from many others.
Thirdly, reading Craig’s Matthew commentary afresh on these verses was just that: refreshing. He reminds us to trust God for the bread for tomorrow rather than worry about the future. When we pray, we must make “requests for our needs not our greed.” And we must remember that our “plea for continued forgiveness…is predicated on our having forgiven those who have sinned against us.”
Thanks for the gift of these three moments to me, Lord. May your kingdom come in each of our lives. Supply our bread for tomorrow. Encourage fellow disciples generously through us. Forgive us as we us forgive others. And teach us to depend on you, prayerful for our needs and not our greed!