Dear Faith Family,
Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when Jesus finished, one of his disciples said to Jesus, 'Lord, teach us to pray as John taught his disciples.'
(Luke 11:1)
"teach us to pray" is a relatively simple request, don't you think? Praying, after all, is something everyone does at some point in life, whether they believe in God or gods or nothing much at all.
Yet Jesus heard in the disciple's elementary question an honest hunger for something more than a religious routine or doctrinal description. Something fundamentally more genuine. Something more abundant. Something more akin to "the good portion" (Lk. 10:42) over a moral obligation. Something elemental to Jesus' own life--the source of his power, joy, and fullness.
And so, Jesus responds with nothing less than model words, but also with something more. Jesus heard in his friend's request a desire for what Jesus had, life with a good good Father.
In his prayer, parable, and poem (Lk. 11:1-13), Jesus invites us into the life he shares. A life of God with him, God for him. God giving, revealing, and welcoming.
Jesus taught his friends to pray with his same character and expectations. But Jesus also shows us how we too can invite others into the heart of their desires. To listen to them and speak to them, inviting them to ask and receive, seek and find, knock and be welcomed.
What if we were to listen to our children this way? Our spouse? Our roommate? Coworker, boss, neighbor, or friend? What if their most elementary question or comment about faith or spirituality or hurt or need was met not with rehearsed words but with an invitation to speak straightforwardly with a good good Father and Friend. What if we, like Jesus, recognized their honest desire and, like Jesus, believed "the Father who conceived them in love will give the Holy Spirit when they ask him?" (Lk. 11:13)
So this week, think about what Jesus' recognizes and how he responds to his friend's elementary request. I know I will be! And then together, let's be ready to invite others into the life we share with Jesus.
Love you, faith family! God bless.