The Redeemed Can Pray with Confidence :: Psalm 66:17-20 (Isaiah 48:20b)
The word for our meditation today comes from the ending of our Introit, with the addition of verse 18. Today is Rogate Sunday. The Latin word Rogate means to ask in prayer. Therefore, the theme of our day and our text is ...
REDEEMED BY THE CROSS OF CHRIST, PRAY WITH CONFIDENCE
I. All of our readings today should give you confidence to do this.
In our Old Testament reading from Numbers, Moses teaches us to keep our eyes on the cross as we pray for ourselves in faith (Num 21:4-9). In our epistle reading, Paul urges us to pray for each other in faith that we may lead quiet and peaceful lives, godly and dignified in every way (1 Tm 2:1-2). When we do this, Jesus taught us therefore that whatever you ask the Father, he will give to you in his name (Jn 16:23).
II. That naturally leads us to the beginning, to the Lord’s Prayer, the one we most often pray with confidence.
No other section of the Bible is so well-known as the Lord’s Prayer, which comes in the name of Jesus, and fully expresses God’s will for us. What you probably have never heard before is how difficult it is to understand this prayer. At the heart of the Lord’s Prayer, we plead ... Give us this day our daily bread.
What does this mean?
To be clear, we don’t fully understand. There is a Greek word here in the midst of this petition that we simply don’t know how to actually translate. You could say, it’s a mystery word. One of our St Louis seminary scholars who is also New Testament editor at Concordia Publishing House, translates the fourth petition this way ... Give us today our bread that is coming from you. ... But, he says, it could also mean: Give us the bread that came into being. ... Or, Give us today the bread that exists ... or, Give us today the bread we need for tomorrow (Mt 6:11).
You could say, therefore, the fourth petition, taught by our Lord, refers not only to everything that has to do with the support and needs of the BODY, but also for our support and needs of the SOUL. God cares about body AND soul.
III. God cares about our bodies and souls so much that he became incarnate ... that is, in the flesh.
We couldn’t go to God ... we were dead in our sins and trespasses (Eph 2:1) ... so he came to us in the body of Jesus to give us what we need: The Daily Bread of Life. We couldn’t call on him, so he called on us. The Creator of the World came to eat and drink with us ... to feed us ... to heal our broken bodies ... to take our death and give us New Life ... His Life. Ultimately, he will come again to raise all of our bodies and to raise us from this valley of sorrows to himself in heaven. He does all this so that with all boldness and confidence we may ask him as dear children ask their dear father.
There is nothing at all unsanctified in praying for things we need in this life, as Luther teaches us, things like: food, drink, clothing, shoes, house, home, land, animals, money, goods. We need these fourth-petition gifts, which match the first-article gifts outlined in the Creed. We need these to support our body and lives. And our Heavenly Father, the maker of heaven and earth, knows this. He wants us to pray for these first-article, fourth-petition temporal blessings because our bodies matter to our Lord.
He also wants us to pray for things that nurture our soul ... including a devout husband ... a devout wife ... devout children. Our husband or wife may very well be the person most influential in keeping us in the faith, persevering to everlasting life. Through our marriages God sanctifies our children and increases his kingdom (1 Cor 7:14). He also does this through devout workers, devout and faithful rulers, good government, good weather, peace, health, self-control, good reputation, good friends, faithful neighbors, and the like.
But let us not make the common mistake in drawing a chasm of distinction between spiritual and physical gifts ... our temporal and sacramental gifts. Let us not make the mistake of prioritizing one over the other ... of setting one against the other ... of thinking one is more important than the other. As we heard last week, every good and perfect gift comes down from the father of lights, in whom there is no variation or shadow due to change (Jas 1:17).
So why does God give us first article, fourth-petition gifts?
Is it because of God’s general goodness or love?
No. The FIFTH petition of the Lord’s Prayer reminds us that EVERY blessing of the Lord ... physical, spiritual, first article, fourth petition, second article ... all come to us for the VERY SAME REASON. As Paul teaches us in our epistle reading: God desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tm 2:4). He uses multiple means of grace ... His Word and Sacraments, which go together ... to sustain us ... to nourish us ... to give us life ... to reconcile us ... to unite us. He cares about body and soul.
This is why he serves us in his worship. This is why he keeps us in Baptism. This is why he proclaims Absolution, and gives us his Supper. In his Divine Service ... (in other words, his service to us) ... he strengthens and keeps us firm in Word and faith. He alone brings us together in Him. This is where and how He unites us first to himself, and then to each other (2 Cor 5:18). He does this through the cross.
IV. On account of the cross of Christ, we can therefore have confidence in our prayers: Every blessing in the name of Jesus is pleasing to our Heavenly Father.
Please open your [Lutheran Service Book] now to page 324, and join me in confessing this faithful doctrine of the Lord’s Prayer. ... What is the Fifth Petition of the Lord’s Prayer? ... What does this mean?
Now hear our prayer again from Psalm 66, verses 17-20.
I called out to him with my mouth,
and exaltation was under my mouth.
If I perceived iniquity in my heart,
YHWH would not hear.
Surely God has heard.
He has given himself reason to listen to the sound of my prayer.
Blessed be God, who was not caused to turn away from my prayer,
or his steadfast, covenantal and faithful love from me (Ps 66:17-20).
Brothers and sisters in Christ, if we were still in our sin, then our sin would stand between us and our Holy God ... and he would not hear us ... EVER. As we just confessed, We are neither worthy of the things for which we pray, nor have we deserved them, for we daily sin much, and deserve nothing but punishment. But God has redeemed you on account of Christ. The Lamb of God has taken away the sin of the world.
On the cross of Christ, God silenced our sin, and crucified it with Christ. Through the resurrection, God has given you New Life that is pleasing to him. Now you can be doers of the Word and not hearers only (Jas 1:22). Now you can not only receive the forgiveness of sins but share the forgiveness of sins with each other ... along with the life and salvation and unity that come with it.
Blessed be God who through the cross of Christ, unites you in baptism, making you holy just as he is holy (Lv 19:2). In Baptism, he clothes you in His robes of righteousness, and gives you the sandals of peace.
Blessed be God who on account of the cross of Christ declares you forgiven and free. He now delivers to you the body and blood of the Sacrament of the Altar to restore unity to his family. In this world, you will have tribulation. But take heart, Jesus says, I have overcome the world (Jn 16:33).
Yes, Blessed be God who continues to give you second article gifts ... the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation on account of the cross of Christ.
Therefore, let it be known ... with a ringing cry! Declare it, and cause it to be heard to the end of the earth, YHWH has redeemed you (Isa 48:20b) ... and the hungry soul he fills with good things (Ps 107:9) ... in Jesus’ name.