New Testament 62

Looking toward Deganya Alef — Near the south end of the Sea of Galilee
(Please click to enlarge, and again to enlarge further.)

Compare Mark 11:25-26; Luke 11:1-4

Today’s reading is “the Lord’s prayer,” as it’s called.

It deserves a book. (It’s received books.) And I’ve actually thought about writing one. But not today. Not here.

It’s passages like this that tempt me to violate my self-imposed rule not to try to post exhaustive commentary but to limit myself to merely an observation or two. I simply don’t have time to do more, and I would soon be unable to do this at all if I were giving an unsustainable amount of time and energy to it.

So I’ll confine myself to one brief point:

“Forgive us our debts,” goes the prayer, “as we also have forgiven our debtors.”

This strikes me as a rather dangerous prayer. Those who pray it are essentially recognizing the divine standard of forgiveness, and stating their acceptance of it:

“For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:14-15)

That’s a demanding rule.

So, in order to cheer us all up, I end with a joke:

“Lead us not into temptation,” says one wit. “We can find it easily enough on our own.”