Sep 23 2008
Matthew 5:48 – 6
“Our Father who art in heaven” – Green points out (p100) that this is known as the ‘Lord’s prayer’ not because it was the prayer Jesus himself prayed (as he did not need to ask for forgiveness) but that it was the prayer he gave to us. We are united to him in the prayer because it is through him that we have gained the right to call God ‘Abba’ (the original of ‘πατερ’ according to Green, referring to Rom 8:15 “Abba, Father”). Chrysostom (p134) writes that this opening phrase calls us up to heaven through intimacy and the recognition of God. We approach collectively in the ‘our Father’ and in this multitude we approach together, whether king or servant, the Father of us all.
In this longing for heaven (“thy kingdom come”), Chrysostom says, we should work to make the earth more like it, and that means aiming for perfection (5:48: “be ye perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect”). Green has trouble with this saying, and wishes the ‘τελειοι’ to be not ‘perfect’ but ‘mature’ (p101). While this is technically a possible interpretation of the Greek word, it would be unusual to describe God as ‘mature’ – ‘the Ancient of Days’ (Dan 7:9) perhaps, but this would not fit the context of 5:48 (and in any case is usually taken to be a reference to God as eternal). Thus it seems necessary to take this word here as referring to completeness or perfection.
Chrysostom says “there is nothing to hinder our reaching the perfection of the powers above… even while abiding here” by virtue of the grace from above (p135). On the other hand, further on in the Lord’s prayer we assume our sinfulness, asking for our sins (or ‘debts’) to be forgiven. Even in the midst of our sinfulness we still must look forward to becoming the person God calls us to be, and that involves perfection.
To sustain us on this journey towards perfection, we ask for ‘our daily bread’ (‘τον αρτον υμων τον επιουσιον’ – the ‘essential’ – sometimes translated ‘super-essential’ – bread) to be given to us ‘this day’. Chrysostom (p135) takes this absolutely straightforwardly, as being our needs for the current day, with no worry about the morrow, referring us forward to v25-31 where this is what Jesus teaches us. Green agrees, but also suggests a possible interpretation of the Greek phrase as ‘the bread of tomorrow’, pointing to this being a foretaste of the eternal Bread which sustains not only our bodies but our souls. Augustine (‘Our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount’ Book 2, VII:25 – NPNF vol.6 p41) suggests three possible interpretations: our daily needs (but unlike Chrysostom he sees v25-31 as an objection to this interpretation), the Eucharistic mysteries (but he notes that these are not taken daily in the East), or a reference to spiritual ‘food’ or precepts which we live by daily. He inclines towards the last interpretation, but accepts that all are acceptable. Perhaps the fullest understanding of this petition comes from holding all three together.
