The Simple and the Spectacular
January 17, 2015
Life is a combination of many things, including the combination of simple things and spectacular things, boring things, breathtaking things, average things and awesome things, ordinary things and extraordinary. However, for many, myself included at times, it is easier to focus on the simple rather than the spectacular, our present temporal circumstances rather than our future eternal circumstances as if this world were our home.
Yet, the Lord’s Prayer, as written in Matthew 6:9-13, encourages us to think of the simple and spectacular through an everyday and eternal lens:
9 Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread,
12 and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
It is worth noting the prayer has two parts. The first spectacular part (verses 9-10) and the second everyday part (verses 11-13) has three petitions. The first three petitions are:
For God’s name to be hallowed
For God’s kingdom to come
For God’s will to be on earth as it is in heaven (as the angels do it perfectly, obediently and joyfully in heaven)
We are asking God to bring these things about concerning His name, His kingdom, and His will. Pretty spectacular!
The second three petitions are:
Give us this day our daily bread
Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil
We are asking God to provide for our needs concerning our food, our forgiveness, and our holiness. Pretty everyday-ish!
We can feel the difference between the two halves of the prayer. The majestic and the mundane. The lofty and the lowly. The big and the little. The spectacular and the simple. The eternal and the everyday! And that’s the way life is–a combination of the simple and the spectacular. And that’s the way the Lord’s Prayer is–a combination of the everyday petitions and the eternal perspective!
Let’s keep our feet on the ground and focus on the simple things of everyday, but let’s also keep the eyes of our heart on the spectacular name, kingdom, and will of God!