Jesus & the Law – on prayer & praying … (12/03/18)
While it is true that Jesus obviously agreed with the Law’s clear contention that prayer was a crucial part of Jewish life, it is just as true that Jesus took great exception to the way prayers were traditionally conducted as well as to the compulsory nature of the same. Consider …
*Whereas the Law required that prayers be offered statically every day (via Exodus 23:25, Deuteronomy 6:13, Deuteronomy 10:20, & Deuteronomy 11:131 – with three daily prayers being seemingly mandated by Psalm 55:18 & Daniel 6:11, and dozens of regulations related thereto being seemingly required by the various chapters of the Mishnah Berakhot) and after every meal (see Deuteronomy 8:10), Jesus let his prayers flow spontaneously (see Matthew 14:23, Matthew 26:36, Mark 1:35, Mark 6:46, Luke 5:16, Luke 6:12, Luke 9:18, & Luke 11:1 et al).
*Whereas the Law required that the Shema be said verbatim every morning & every evening (see Deuteronomy 6:7 – along with Mishnah Berakhot 1:1-3), Jesus railed against the rote recitation of the same (see Matthew 6:7‘s “When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases like the Gentiles, for they [incorrectly] believe they will be heard because of their many words”).2
*Whereas the Law seemed to imply that prayers were to be offered in public (see “among the people” in Leviticus 22:32 & the “congregation” mentioned in Leviticus 19:2 et al – along with Matthew 6:5 where Jesus calls out all “hypocrites, [who] love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners”), Jesus makes it clear that it is far more preferable to pray anonymously and in private (see Matthew 6:6).
*Whereas the Law seemed to demand that prayers were especially viable whenever offered up by groups of ten or more worshipers (called a Minyan – see Mishnah Megillah 4:3, Talmud Megillah 4:4 & Talmud Megillah 23b), Jesus openly stated that the Divine is present “wherever two or three gather” (Matthew 18:20) and that of those two (or three) God counts as one of them (see John 8:17-18) – meaning, of course, that the Divine is fully present even when praying alone and in secret.
*Whereas the Law seemingly required Jews to cry out to God whenever in personal want or fear (see Numbers 10:9), Jesus encouraged his listeners to worry not about the things that they themselves might lack (see Matthew 6:25-33, Luke 12:22-32, Luke 21:34-36, & John 4:31-38) – to be serenely silent during times of personal discomfort (see Matthew 6:16-18) and think not about their own desires, but rather desire to fulfill the needs of those in need (see Matthew 24:12-14 & Matthew 25:35-40 – also Mark 14:32-42, Luke 22:40-46, John 12:27-28, John 18:11b, & Matthew 26:39‘s “Father, let not my own will but rather thine be done”).3
*Whereas the Law clearly proscribed prayer as being words that evidenced a subservient obedience to God (see see Leviticus 22:32 & Deuteronomy 6:5 – also Deuteronomy 28:9), Jesus redefined what it meant to pray – centering the same on actions done in the service to and for the betterment of others (see Matthew 7:21‘s “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only those who do the will of my Father” – also Matthew 13:18-23, Matthew 24:12-14, Luke 6:46, Luke 13:25-29, & John 13:15-17 et al). Indeed, this is why the crux of Jesus’ entire ministry hinged on encouraging others to “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is even now at hand.” (see Matthew 4:17 – also Matthew 3:8, Mark 1:14-15, Luke 4:14-21, Luke 5:31-32, Luke 17:3, & Luke 24:46-48)4
“The Way of Jesus Christ cannot be imposed upon others without their will, nor can it be mapped by one’s mind without boldly walking its narrow path. Indeed, a full recognition of The Way requires an active participation in following Jesus Christ – in humbly emulating his life and boldly embodying his Love. And this is how we become truly reborn; only while taking his hand, closing our eyes, opening our hearts, and walking through sometimes strange and ever threatening territories – in circumstances that are often daunting and happenstances that seem more than dangerous. Here and here alone can we reawaken to what we have known since our beginning. Here and here alone can we have our prayers answered – by turning them into deeds of peace.” ~ inspired by Eugene Peterson
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1 The Talmud notes that the Hebrew word translated as “serve” in these verses (abad, Strong’s #5647) refers to prayer.
2 NOTE that immediately thereafter Jesus offers up what is now commonly known as The Lord’s Prayer (see Matthew 6:9-13 & Luke 11:1-4 – also Psalm 91); verses that were therefore not meant to be cited word-for-word in church on Sundays, but rather verses that set forth a collection of general themes (humble reverence, selfless thanksgiving, unconditional forgiveness, & inevitable redemption) that provided an overarching framework for all spontaneously flowing prayers.
3While it is true that Jesus regularly implied that those who prayed for personal wishes would have the same granted by the Father, it is important to look at the wording of those particular verses and the contexts surrounding them. Matthew 7:7 does indeed have Jesus stating “ask and you shall receive” and yet it does so immediately after Jesus admonishes his listeners to avoid wasting their gifts on unwilling recipients and just before citing the giving-based Golden Rule as the bellwether for moral choices (see Matthew 7:6-12). Luke 11:9 makes the same claim, and yet immediately after speaking about desiring to give to others (see Luke 11:5-8). Matthew 18:19 seems to imply that prayers for personal benefit will be granted by God “whenever two of you agree on earth” – a condition that is the heart of loving harmony. Matthew 21:22 & Mark 11:24 have Jesus stating that whatever is prayed for “in faith” will be granted, and yet the latter of which is immediately followed by the selfless admonition “whenever you stand praying, forgive,” and both do so in the context of the withered fig tree – a symbolic reference to the replacement of Jewish legal traditions by The Way of Christ (see pages 34-35 herein). Finally, the Gospel of John contains three references to the fulfillment of personal prayers. Two of them have Jesus requiring said prayers to be made “in my name” (John 14:13 & John 16:23) – something that can only be done when praying in alignment with the actual meaning of Jesus’ name (Yeshua – a Hebrew name which essentially means “God is an internal guide”); a meaning that can only be embodied while praying to be of service to the needs of others. The final reference has Jesus requiring that the relevant prayer be made while “you abide in me and my works abide in you” (John 15:7) – a mandate that cannot be fulfilled except while praying to serve rather than to be served.
4Critical here is the correct understanding of the Greek word translated as “repent” (metanoeo, Strong’s #3340) – a word that did not mean “regret” or “self criticize” or “admit fault,” but rather meant “to wholeheartedly alter &/or renew one’s complete way of being.”
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