The Lord’s Prayer – The Start

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The Books from Matthew and Luke record Jesus’ teaching about prayer – Matthew 6: 9 – 13 (6:5-15 + 7:7-12); Luke 11: 1-4 (11:1-13). Matthew’s version is part of the Sermon on the Mount. Luke’s comes after a prayer session and then much of the “Sermon on the Mount” is presented. The Holy Spirit directed these writers, and I feel it is important to include the whole teaching as part of this study. Actually, I have already written about bread, epiousios (daily), and hallow (more to come).

Jesus was teaching Jews who had knowledge of the Hebrew scriptures and traditions. So, as the Master Teacher He presented a prayer that has many layers and references that deserve looking into. I will get to the “support” text but the two versions of the Prayer have more than enough in them to start.

Reference materials have been important for this study, I have used The Blue Letter Bible text analysis, Bible Hub, Stong’s Concordance, Mounce Greek Interlinear, and I have viewed other translations in Bible Gateway. Lately, I have preferred the NASB version. Matthew has been my focus for a while, so bookmark both Gospels and be prepared to “flip pages”.

Our

In Matthew, I noticed that Jesus used three possessive adjectives in this section on prayer and in the Sermon: your, our, and My. He used these with Father to get the people thinking about the righteous relationship the Father has wanted with His children. In verses 6:5-8 “your Father” is used three times; then for the prayer He changes it to “our Father”. Simple and subtle but take a moment to reflect on that. In the Greek text Luke does not start with Our but uses hemon or “of us”. (G1473 – ego.)

Our Father

If you use a word-search tool you will find hundreds of times “father” is used in the Bible. So, I added “your” and looked for “your Father”, that narrowed the entries a lot and I went to the Minor Prophets and Psalms and found what I was looking for. (Yes, I may have missed some and this is NASB.)

Psalms 2:7 and 89:26 are verses where the Father and Son are talking to each other (Righteous relationship). Malachi 2:10 includes everyone in the Father/child relationship. There are not a lot of references like these, so they are precious and very informative. To show what Jesus was bring, as part of the Kingdom, Matthew 5:16 to 7:21 has many your Father, our Father, and My Father references.  

In Heaven

I see Jesus giving this phrase to not only say who He was praying to, but giving a definite location. Remember, the Jews were surrounded by countries who had many gods that were connected to geographical locations and temples. This also prepared the way for this prayer to go beyond the borders of Israel and still connect to Jehovah.

If “epiousios bread” had not been included Moses or David could have written this centuries before Jesus and it would have been a great Hebrew prayer to HaShem.     

Bible 911 – 1 Chronicles 9:11

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1 Chronicles 9:11 And Azariah the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the ruler of the house of God (KJV) See Nehemiah 11:11.

Aaron’s family from the Tribe of Levi are the main focus of this edition of Bible 911. In between King David’s family and the Trible of Benjamin, especially King Saul’s family, the journey of the Tribe of Levi is well documented in the Bible. Levi and Simeon led the “pillaging” of Shechem in Genesis 34 when their sister was defiled. Remember, these guys were in their teens when they took matters into their own hands. The history in 9:11 starts in the time of Samuel, goes through David’s rule, and is talking about family around the time of Jeremiah and beyond. (1 Samuel 14:3 and Ezra 7:2) This family and tribe played important roles throughout Israel’s history for both good and bad.

Priest not after the Order of Aaron

  • Samuel was not a priest after Aaron. He was a servant to Eli that God elevated to prophet and judge. Any sacrifice he made was not in connection with the Tabernacle or Ark.
  • David was a priest after the Order of Melchizedek. (Psalms 110)
  • Jesus is our High Priest in the Order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 4 and 7)
  • We are kings and priest because we are in Jesus; so, being like Melchizedek.

Cohen or Kohen – Aaron’s Family

A very important thing to remember when studying names, especially in the Levities, is that names are reused to honor family. So, a casual glance may not work well as there could be multiple Ahitub’s, or Zadok’s, or Ananias’. Family linage was/is important in the Jewish community, just look in Matthew 1 and Luke 3. Matthew 1 focuses on Joseph and Luke 3 is Mary’s. They have a common point after the exile in Babylon with Zerubbabel and Shealtiel. No, I do not know how that works, but Mary’s is through Nathan not Solomon.

(A side note.) I know there are other cultures that might be able to trace their families back many generations, but the recorded historical legacy of the Hebrew people is amazing.

Here are a few Cohens in the Bible.

  • Hilkiah was an important priest; you will find his name mentioned many times in 2 Chronicles, 2 Kings, and Jeremiah. He is not the only Hilkiah mentioned in the Bible.
  • Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Ezra were priests.
  • Ezra may have been the “author” of Chronicles and Malachi. Jeremiah/Baruch may have complied Kings. Both probably used common source material, there are many “lost” writings mentioned in the Bible.
  • Much of Jeremiah’s trouble came from family members (Sons of Hilkiah, the priest).
  • Azariah or Seraiah was after the captivity of Babylon. (In 9:11)
  • At the time of Eli, in 1 Samuel, there were two branches of the family of Aaron. (2 Samuel 8:17 and shows the name Seraiah) Eleazar and Ithamar were the branches, the other two sons died – Leviticus 10:1 and 6.
  • See Samuel and the Priest, Priest, Priest 2
  • Because of Eli, his side of the family was downgraded, but not removed from being priest; that extended into King Saul (1 Samuel 22:9), David, and Solomon reign’s.
  • At the time of Luke 1 the High Priest office was “bought” from Herod. The selling of sacrifices and money exchanging in the Temple was a lucrative concession. (Josephus) 
  • Zechariah (Luke 1) and his son John the Baptist were priest.
  • There are good records from this time that can be found on the internet about the High Priest in Jerusalem before 70 AD.

1 Chronicles 9, for me, is a transition chapter. Chapters 1 – 8 are family lines and a wealth of information. Chapter 8 ends with the linage of King Saul past Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth or Meribbaal. This works into the Book of Esther. Chapter 9 begins with the return of exiles from Babylon and repeats King Saul’s family line. It connects with the work of David and Samuel, and lays the foundation for the positions of responsibility in the Second Temple. Chapter 11 begins David’s time as king.

9:3 adds an interesting historical footnote, Ephraim and Manasseh (Joseph’s sons) are included in those who returned. Their ancestral lands were in the Northern Kingdom, that was carried into exile by Assyria. In Kings and Chronicles there are verses that some returned to the South and the Temple before that exile. There is no indication that these families came from the Habor Valley, but they might have.

Zechariah and John

The role that these two Cohens play in life of Jesus should not be limited to His birth. Zechariah was behind the curtain offering incense. In Leviticus 23 this was done in the “seventh month” on the Day of Atonement (See Leviticus 16). His self-centered lack of faith got him nine months of silence. Contrast this to his very vocal son announcing the need to repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand. The father stood in an empty room, where the Mercy Seat should have been, confessing the sins of Israel. The son announced in the open, that the Lamb of God was here to take away the sins of the world. Now contemplate the symbolic transfer from the Law, that was about to be fulfilled, to Mercy and Grace when Jesus put His blood on the heavenly Mercy Seat.

The “name change” from Zechariah to John is another indicator of this shift. Zechariah means “God remembers” and John means “God is gracious”. Something should be noted here. The Law and the priest worked under the watchful eye of Herod. John lost his head to an entertainer at a party under the same watchful eye of Herod.

Jesus’ Family Line

As Christians we have a natural and a spiritual family line. Tribes and nations are important to the Father, He ordained them. So, research and learn about your natural family, it may be very long and have many fathers and mothers in it. Your spiritual family line is shorter. What would your family branch look like if it was in the Book of Luke Chapter 3? It may look like this – (Your name), the son or daughter of God. 2 Corinthians 6:17-18 NASB – Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST – Bible Gateway    Galatians 3:26 NASB – For you are all sons and daughters of – Bible Gateway

Paul

Paul, who was from the Tribe of Benjamin, wrote about genealogies and sons.

1 Timothy 1:4 and Titus 3:9 advise each of his “sons in the faith” to avoid the trap of genealogies because they do not support the “plan of God”. I get the feeling that people were claiming importance because of their heritage and demanding certain Laws must be followed.

Our 9:11 verse made me think of long family lines to prove you are connected to God, He made a much shorter path.

1 Timothy 1:2, Titus 1:4, and Galatians 3:7 NASB – Therefore, recognize that it is those – Bible Gateway  talk about an intriguing father/child relationship that can happen because of faith. 

Bread in the Bible – The Meal He Wanted to Share

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The trail of “breadcrumbs” in the Book of Matthew starts with the devil tempting Jesus, goes to the Sermon on the Mount, nourishes thousands (including Gentiles), rises to challenge Pharisees and Sadducees, and comes to Matthew 26:26 and His last meal before the crucifixion. Those loaves of bread, leavened and unleavened, were physical and metaphorical. That bread feeds the body and soul of the Kingdom Jesus brought to His people and the world.

A true smorgasbord of facts, opinions, beliefs, and doctrines have fed the Christian world for hundreds of years. I have read recipes, mixed ingredients, risen and kneaded this study for a while. When heat is applied, a crust will still form with a soft inside and supply energy to the eater, but I am sure not everyone will want to finish their piece.   

Food, Eating, and a Meal

As this post I pondered, my mind wandered through the Bible from beginning to end. Our story (people) began in a garden eating and goes to a garden city where we will have a banquet. Many of our Bible stories and favorite characters have food or eating as part of their story. Jesus’ parables frequently featured food, fishing, farmers, or feasting. This last koinonia or fellowship Jesus wanted to share with His disciples was an evening meal. He sent John and Peter to prepare/arrange for the meal (Luke 22), they “sat” at a table, Jesus even washed the disciples’ feet (part of the “greeting” going into a Hebrew home). This party even had singing.

The Sacrament of Christian Communion started as two parts of a Jewish dinner. “Breaking bread” (G2800) and “broke bread” (G2806) both have references to eating a regular meal and communion (See Luke 24:30). Jesus’ last meal had unleavened bread (no yeast, it was Passover), it may have been a “matzah”. Not all “flat breads” are dry, hard crackers or convenient, tasteless wafers. I will stop and leave our denominational traditions alone.

This is a list of communion references, this is not a list of “body and blood” references Paul uses in his Letters – Matthew 26, Luke 22, Mark 14, John 6, and c. John’s reference about Jesus’ Body and Blood is in Chapter 6 after the Feeding of the 5,000 when Jesus is addressing people on the other side of Lake Galilee. John’s account of the last meal is in Chapter 13. Okay, I am going back to bread and SOME of the symbolism of His Body.

Bread

As I thought about bread in the Bible, the Holy Spirit reminded to include the seeds or grain, in this Kingdom teaching, that the finished loaf is made from. Oil, water, salt, yeast, and flavorings may be added as another study, but not today. Jesus used a sower, farmers, gardeners, and a bread maker when He taught about His Kingdom. Joseph saving grain in Egypt, Gideon preparing and protecting his grain, and Ruth in the fields of Bethlehem are important introductions of God’s thoughts on His Kingdom.

Passover is at the beginning of barley harvest; the wheat harvest is around Pentecost (See Ruth). Both of these grains were important to Israel. Sometimes it clearly says barley or wheat, but not always. Flour is ground up seeds of grain and does not always mean wheat. Unless it was a new crop, the bread that Jesus’ broke was stored away from the previous harvesting season and could have been either barley or wheat.

Unleavened bread (no yeast) is quick to make and bake, think about leaving Egypt. Yeast bread takes longer to make and bake and is really just a different loaf of bread. Yeast is not always bad. The grain offering at Pentecost was two loaves of yeast bread, that symbolizes Jews and Gentiles (Leviticus 23). The woman mixed yeast into a large amount of flour to represent how the kingdom should grow (Matthew 13:33).

For Jesus to have that loaf of bread to break the ground had to be prepared, seeds had to be sown, the grain was harvested and the poisonous tare seeds removed. Threshing to remove the husk was the last step before storing it until needed. Then many individual grains had to be ground together to make flour, so the final loaf of bread could be baked in a fire or hot oven. All of that sounds like Kingdom work to me.

Take and Eat

Matthew 26:26 – Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, gave it out, and said, “Take and eat; this is my body”.

1 Corinthians 10:16 – Is the cup of blessing which we bless not a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is the bread which we break not a sharing in the body of Christ? (NASB)

The Body of Christ is an important topic in Paul’s writings. 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12 highlight his vision of the Body. In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul makes a point that he got the communion service “from the Lord”. You can get the feeling that Paul had some powerful times in the Lord’s presence. As a part of that revelation Paul and Luke add that communion should be a time of remembrance of the Lord and His Body -Luke 22:19 and 1 Corinthians 11:24 and 25. That word is used only one other time, Hebrews 10:3 and it is in connection with the sin sacrifice.

κοινωνία | Free Online Greek Dictionary | billmounce.com  koinonia or fellowship

ἀνάμνησις | Free Online Greek Dictionary | billmounce.com remembrance

Final Thought

Jesus’ last meal, before He said, “Tetelestai”, had wine and bread in it. In Matthew 26:28 He said His blood was poured out for the forgiveness of sins. In 1 Peter 2:24 it says that He took our sins in His body and put them on the cross and that His wounds were for our healing. His wounds bled and covered His body with His blood so that we could be saved and healed.

Mary through the Gospels

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Zechariah and Mary each asked a question in the Gospel of Luke; Zechariah was concerned about what the future held for him and Mary asked about the present and how God would fulfill His will. Zechariah got nine months of no speech and Mary received charitoo. This study of Mary came about because I wanted to see her journey through the Gospels.

When Mary said “yes” to God, I am pretty sure she was aware of how a pregnant, unwed teenager in Nazareth would be treated. She still said, “yes” and set an example for anyone who would follow her Son and His Father. The customs and traditions of 1st century Galilee are not our modern customs or verbiage. There has been a lot of ink used on the legends, traditions, and dogma that surrounds Mary, the mother of our Lord. Hebrew thoughts and familial relationships that were recorded in Greek have occupied some of this maelstrom of ink. The multiuse thought of “brothers” and kinswoman/female-relative did show up in this study. I did find that “cousin” was used once in reference to Mark and Barnabas.

συγγενίς | Free Online Greek Dictionary | billmounce.com kinswoman used 1x for Elizabeth

ἀνεψιός | Free Online Greek Dictionary | billmounce.com  Mark the cousin of Barnabas, 1x

God, “the Father of her Child” was her shield and buckler. The words of Gabriel, Elizabeth’s greeting, and Joseph‘s dream formed a wall around the obedient, young woman. Personally, some of the things I found were interesting, but they do not change the facts. The Virgin Mary’s Son willingly offered Himself as a “sin sacrifice” and rose from the dead. He now sits at His Father’s righthand waiting to come back and claim His Bride.

To find the references to Mary was not as easy as you may think. The translation you use will affect search terms and possible the number of times something is listed. I used several translations to check myself and I am still not sure I got them all. The terms I found and used include Mary, parents, His mother, dear woman, and mother of Jesus. In the RSVCE Matthew used Mary, in referring to Jesus’ mother, five times, Mark once, and Luke twelve times. John does not use her name, Mary, at all; instead, he refers to her as “Jesus’ mother”. My takeaway, Jesus had a mother who was descended from David and was called Mary. It was clear He loved and respected her His whole life.

John – “The disciple who Jesus loved.” On the cross Jesus transferred the care of His mother to John. We know John went and spent time in Asia and we assume Mary went with him. It would seem Luke had a personal interview with her, so Ephesus seems like a great location for that to have taken place. (Or Jerusalem, when John left Judah is unclear.) At first, I thought it strange John not using the name Mary, but now I view it as respect and separating himself from any thought that she was his birthmother.

I did not expect to change anyone’s thoughts or beliefs about Mary, but here are all of the times I found her referred to in the Gospels and Acts.

 Introduction – Luke 1:27, Matthew 1:18

Mary and Gabriel – Luke 1:30,34,38

Mary and Elizabeth – Luke 1:39, 41, 43, 46-55 this is Mary’s song of praise, 56

Mary and Joseph, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem – Matthew 1:18, 20, 24;Luke 2:5, 16, 19, 33, 34, 39

Mary and the Wisemen, to and from Egypt – Matthew 2: 11, 13, 14, 20, 21

Mary and Joseph in Jerusalem at Passover – Luke 2:41, 43, 48, 51

Mary (the mother of Jesus) and the Cana Wedding – John 2:1, 3, 4, 5, 12

His/Your Mother and His/Your Brothers – Matthew 12:46, 47, 48, 50; Mark 3:31, 32; Luke 8:20

Mary and His Brothers – Part 2 – Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3; John 6:42

Mary the Mother of James. I have included these but there were many women named Mary at the Cross and Grave. Matthew 27:56 and Luke 24:10

His Mother and John at the Cross – John 19: 25, 26

Mary the Mother of Jesus – Praying   – Acts 1:14

Epiousios a Second Thought

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Bread in the Bible – Epiousios is my post on this great concept that first appeared in the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew. My second thought about this word/concept comes as I have mused on its possible meanings and origins. I will count myself as one who sees if it is in the New Testament, it has as a foundation in our Old Testament. So, what was Jesus thinking about in the Sermon on the Mount, and saying in Hebrew or Aramaic, that Matthew wrote in Greek with a brand-new word? I hope this gives you something to think about.

There are two separate provisions for food that caught my attention. I will say that even these flow from Father God’s desire for our faith to be proved as we pray for the miracle.

Manna for the Sabbath

Israel had seen the power of their God in the plagues He used to set them free. They walked through the Red Sea and danced about because of the deliverance. Then they complained instead of seeking that awesome God about water and food. What if? Father may your will be done and forgive us our debts. Yes, I have come a long way and still have some to go.

Exodus 16:22 is the instructions to collect a double portion AND that it would stay good for the seventh day. Work for six and fellowship on the seventh, nobody went hungry and not a lot of cooking. Prep and planning were needed, but that was still on the workday.  

The Year of Jubilee – This event/term gets thrown around a lot, but I am not sure that the “resting” part is properly brought into the sermons. See Leviticus 25:8. Jubilee is a second year of rest FOR THE LAND and the Children of God. It only happens every 50th year and follows the Sabbath Year of rest, see Leviticus 25:1. Yes, the Father wanted His land to rest eight years out of every fifty. The exile to Babylon is tied to Israel’s failure to give the land its rest (See 2 Chronicles 36:21). Yes, there is more to that story. Yes, other things happened during Jubilee.

Work six and rest one, does that sound familiar? The Children had to have the faith that God would provide in the sixth year for the seventh, and in Jubilee that the sixth year would produce enough for two years and the following year until the crop had matured.

I want to believe that during Joshua’s lifetime that it was observed. We have to remember that in the travels of the Exodus they did not plant or store supplies. It is not recorded anywhere that Jubilee was observed. “What if” is the only thought that echoes in my mind.

One for a Gentile Widow and Elijah

1 Kings 17 has two narratives about miraculous provision. Elijah was fed by the ravens and the widow was able to feed Elijah and her family during a drought because of believing God’s word. These may not fit the pattern I gave, but they are still part of the lesson for faith and provision.

Give us today our epiousios bread.