In the Torah and the Injil, prayer is not a text that a slave recites to satisfy his master; rather it’s a free and personal way to communicate with “our Father in heaven” (6:9). The Scriptures contain many prayers, not to be recited as such but as examples to follow in prayer. Jesus’ prayer, known as The Lord’s Prayer, is no exception. However, Christians often say it because of its deep meaning, relevance and simplicity, learning it by heart to appropriate its meaning for themselves. In fact, the Messiah gave it to us for our benefit (6:9). It’s a wonderful model to follow!
A Good and Trustworthy Father
Jesus then shows us that God is good and generous, caring even for the birds and the flowers, which are insignificant in our eyes. That’s why we shouldn’t worry about tomorrow: we are called to rely on him completely for all our needs, just as Jesus models so very simply in The Lord’s Prayer (6:11). This trusting dependence for our daily provision, like a child towards its father, guards us from focusing on seeking wealth, which amounts to idolatry, for it makes money our god (6:24). But, when we seek spiritual riches, we are truly submitted to God who is worthy of first place in our hearts (6:19-21, 33).
Translated and adapted from the commentary of the book
L'Injil de Jésus le Messie, Excelsis, 2021