The Lord’s prayer was the next topic in the sermon on the mount in Matthews’ Gospel, starting with:
This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name…'”
If we are to pray this truthfully, the following points are essential:
- We must be able to perceive who God really is. If we consider how vast the universe is, where even our nearest star takes four years to reach at the speed of light, and the furthest known stars are at mind boggling number of light-years away. Yet God cannot be contained by the universe, even the heaven of heavens cannot contain him. He is the creator and sustainer of all things. He is holy and righteous, he is eternal and he is love.
- If we truly perceive God for who he really is, our purpose will be to glorify him, for he alone is worthy of glory. We need to change our whole attitude, from glorifying ourselves, to giving all the glory to God.
- If we understand the two points above, we will pray this prayer with a passion, not out of duty but out of love and reverence. For God loved us before we loved him, he gives us everything we need.
However, before any of this can happen, we must remember the Sermon on the Mount was aimed at those who are poor in spirit, those who realise they are incapable of pleasing God through their own efforts, but can only please God through faith in Jesus Christ. Only by the grace and power of God can we truly appreciate what it is to say “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name”.
This evening’s sermon was on the words of the apostle Paul, to the church at Ephesus, on anger. Is it ever right be angry?
Anger in itself in not a sin as God himself is recorded as being angry at various times throughout the Bible. However, God is holy and righteous, whereas we as humans are not holy. How we are affected by anger is different from how God is affected by anger. Within humans, anger can either be controlled by us, or anger can control us.
If we are not to be controlled by anger, our anger should not be allowed to resort to rage which is entirely uncontrolled, nor should it be triggered by resentment, for that should be resolved through communication.
Our anger should be the result of righteous indignation, and at the same time controlled. We should be angry at injustice, and all that is not holy but always keeping it under control and in check, and using it for God’s glory.
Even a non-believer is capable of controlling their anger, for example, a couple may be having a heated argument, but as soon as the phone rings it is answered with composure. How much more should a christian be able to control their anger, being indwelt by the Holy Spirit, of who’s fruit is partly comprised of self-control?
