10 But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. Lk 14:10 (ESV)

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Observe how Jesus encourages those who attend the wedding to sit in the lowest place and allow the host to invite them to “move up higher.” In so doing, they would be honoured before the guests and those who sat at the table with them. Let’s consider three aspects of what Jesus is saying here.

First, consider the words; “when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place,” Listen to the words of Jesus in Luke 19:17 as he tells the parable about a nobleman who went on a trip and left his servant in charge.  When he returned home and found  his servant had been faithful in what he had entrusted to him, he said:

(17) ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ – Luke 19:17 ESV

Consider also God’s words to the prophet Jeremiah who complained about how difficult things were becoming in his ministry:

 (5) “If you have raced with men on foot, and they have wearied you, how will you compete with horses? And if in a safe land you are so trusting, what will you do in the thicket of the Jordan? – Jeremiah 12:5 ESV

We don’t take the lowest place because we are unworthy. The fact of the matter is that even those in the highest place are unworthy. The lowest place is a place of learning and growth. It is here we learn the skills necessary to “compete with horses” or to be “faithful in much.” All too many people skip the lowest place to their harm. They never learn the basic skills necessary to enable them to function at a higher level. They are trying to write books without ever learning their ABC’s. Sitting in the lowest place is essential if we are going to be equipped to move higher.

Second, note that Jesus speaks in his parable about the host going to the person in the low place and inviting him to move higher. Observe that it is the host who takes the initiative to move this guest higher. We have all met people whose goal is to move themselves. They are constantly pushing for greater things. This happens even in ministry. The problem is that God is not always in what they are doing. You see, even unbelievers can build great and successful businesses and make lots of money. They don’t take God into their ventures at all. 

Listen to the words of Moses when he was called to take the whole nation of Israel to the Promised Land. Speaking to God, he said:

 (15) And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. – Exodus 33:15 ESV

God knows when you are ready to “move higher.” He knows the purpose He has for you. Don’t rush ahead of Him. Let Him lead you in His time. Be content with the “lowest place” for now. This is where He needs you for the moment. You don’t need what He does not give. You don’t want to be where He does not lead.

Finally, Jesus tells us that if we are willing to learn in the lowest place, and wait for him to call us higher, we will be “honoured in the presence of all who sit at table with us.” The word translated “honour” here is δόξα (dóxa) which means to recognize, to praise or to give glory. 

Consider the words of the master to the faithful servant in Matthew 25:23:

(23) His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ – Matthew 25:23 ESV

Listen also to the words of Jesus in Matthew 10:32:

(32)  So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, – Matthew 10:32 ESV

Can you imagine the joy of hearing that Lord say to you at the end of your life: “Well done good and faithful servant?” What would it be like to have the Lord Jesus acknowledge your name before the Father as one who has faithfully served and lived for Him? The pathway to this honour, is to sit in the lowest seat and learn, and wait for the Lord to move us higher in His way and His time. 

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24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ 26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ 28 In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. 29 And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God. Luke 13:24-29 (ESV)

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Verse 24

Jesus answers the question in verse 23 about whether there will be only a few people saved. Note several details here.

First, Jesus told His listeners that they were to strive to enter through the narrow door. The word strive comes from the Greek word ἀγωνίζομαι (agōnízomai) with means to contend, fight or take pains. It is a strong word that implies that we are to do everything in our power to enter that door. Our lives are at stake and that door is the only means of salvation. Finding it and entering into it then, should become our greatest purpose in life.

Second, observe that the door through which we must enter is narrow. While many would like to think that there are different ways to get to heaven, this is not the case. There is only one way and that is through the Lord Jesus Christ. Consider what Jesus said in John 10:

(7) So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.  (8) All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.  (9) I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. – John 10:7-9 ESV 

Jesus is the narrow door. In his name alone is victory and salvation. As the apostle Paul said:

(12) And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” – Acts 4:12 ESV

To find the door, you must find Jesus for He is the only way to the Father. 

Third, Jesus told His listeners that many would seek to enter the door but would not be able. There may be several reasons why someone would seek to enter the door and not be able. 

A rich young ruler came to Jesus and asked what he needed to do to obtain eternal life. Jesus told him to sell his possessions, give the money to the poor and follow Him. Unwilling to part with his riches, the young man walked away. You see, he could not get through that narrow gate with his backpack of worldly goods. These things had to be surrendered at the gate. There are many that want the salvation of Jesus who are unwilling to part from their sin. The door through which we must pass is narrow and those who pass through it must lay everything down before they enter. You cannot enter loaded down with the things of this world occupying your passions and desires. He must be Lord. He must be our passion and greatest desire.

Verse 25

Jesus reminds us here that there is only a limited time that this door to eternal life and salvation will be opened. The day is coming when it will be shut, and no one else will enter. 

Consider what took place in the days of Noah. As Noah built a great ark, he warned his friends and neighbours about the coming flood. They mocked him and considered him a fool. The day came when the water of heaven began to pour out on the earth. Noah and his family entered that ark, and the Lord shut the door. When the door was shut and the waters fell, no one else could enter that ship. Everyone perished that day who refused to enter the door of the ark.

The day is coming when the last person will enter through that narrow gate and it will be shut. The offer of salvation and forgiveness will be no more. All hope will perish and those who have never entered will be eternally lost.

Jesus illustrates this point with the story of a master who shuts the door of his house. Imagine that the night has fallen and the master of the house rises up, locks his doors and retires to his bedroom for the night. Strangers arrive late at night, and knock on the door asking him to open for them. Inside the house the master says: “I do not know where you come from.” He refuses to answer because he has already shut the doors for the night and is unwilling to entertain strangers at that time of the day. How important it is to enter the door while it is still open. The offer of salvation has an expiry date.

Verse 26

Continuing His illustration, Jesus recounts the response of those standing at the locked door. These strangers remind the master that they had eaten and drank with him and that he had taught in their streets. 

Those begging entrance had heard the master of the house teach. They were among the sinners who sat down to eat with him. They did not enter through the narrow door, however. The fact that they had heard him teach and rejected what he said had sealed their fate.

Verse 27

The master in Jesus’ parable holds his ground. He tells those seeking entrance to his house that he did not know them and they were to leave him and his property.

The master did not know these individuals because they were not part of his household. All who belonged to him were safe and secure in his home.

Observe here what the master calls these strangers standing at the gate – “workers of evil.” These strangers did not belong to him. They were sinners who had never come to Jesus the door. They had never stove to enter the narrow gate. They lived for themselves. They had rejected Jesus and His offer. The time had come for them to receive their judgement. That judgement was never to enter the presence of the master, but to live forever separated from him.

Verse 28

There can be no doubt here about the meaning of this parable of Jesus. When the master of the home tells the strangers at his door to depart from him, he has a very specific place in mind. That place is described as a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth. The word used for weeping here is κλαυθμός (klauthmós) and speaks of wailing, lamentation or affliction. The place reserved for them was a place to great sorrow and suffering.

Observe how these strangers would see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but they themselves would be cast out. There is here a sense that those who are forever separated from God have an awareness of the blessedness of those who belong to Him. This would only increase their sorrow and pain in their place of suffering and separation. 

The idea of being cast out here does not imply they were ever part of that kingdom. The sense is that they would be denied any access to the kingdom of God or its blessings. This, according to Jesus, is the destiny of all who refuse to enter by the narrow gate.

Verse 29

While many will be denied entrance to the kingdom of God, Jesus reminds His listeners that people would come from the east, west, north and south and recline with Him at table in the kingdom of God. That is to say, people from every nation, tribe and language would open their hearts to Him and enter that narrow gate. 

The offer of salvation is not just for the Jews, but for every nation. The message of the kingdom of God will spread around the world. Heaven will be a reflection of the diverse cultures and languages God has placed on this earth all under one banner – the banner of Jesus Christ.

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35 “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, 36 and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. – Lk 12:35-37 – ESV

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Verse 35

Jesus challenges those who belong to Him to do two things in this verse.

First, we are to stay dressed for action. The original language reads, αι οσφυες περιεζωσμεναι (the loins gird round). To gird up the loins in the New Testament is to be ready or protected. Consider what the apostle Peter says in 1 Peter 1:13:

 (13) Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; – 1 Peter 1:13 KJV

Note how Peter uses the expression, “gird up the loins” along with being sober and having hope to the end. Imagine a soldier in time of battle, with the enemy drawing nearer each moment to his camp. The night dawns but gunshots crack all around. The soldier is now getting ready for bed. He takes off his clothes, arranges them along with his weapons neatly in a closet and jumps into his bed falling sound asleep. What is missing in this picture? — the fact that the enemy is just outside the camp threatening to break through at any moment! If they are successful, this soundly sleeping warrior would be unprepared to defend his camp. To be prepared he needs to sleep with his clothes on and his weapon securely at his side listening for any indication of enemy breakthrough. 

While this picture may seem a bit extreme, understand that it happens every day. There is an intense spiritual battle all around us, waging war for the souls of men and women. This battle assaults our eyes, ears, minds and hearts day after day.  This relentless bombardment is wearing down the soldiers in our camp. Who among us has not felt weary from the constant enemy attack? We have friends and loved ones falling to the arrows of Satan’s bow. This is not a time to take off our clothes and relax. It is not a time to put our weapons aside and sleep. The enemy assaults our gate, pounding it with his canons. We must be dressed and ready for action.

Second, Jesus tells us to keep our lamps burning. Understand something about a burning lamp. First, it reveals your presence to those who are lost. Like a lighthouse, it shows the way for those who could be easily deceived and stumble. Second, it also makes you visible to the enemy. That light will invite the enemy arrow. It is for this reason that you need also to be dressed and ready for action. We must let our light burn. People all around us need to know the way to the Saviour. They need to be warned of the danger before them. Your light may be the only one they see in the darkness. Don’t let down your guard. Lift the light of Christ up for all to see but in doing so be sure you are also dressed with the armour of God. 

Verse 36

Jesus illustrates His point in verse 35 through the picture of a wedding. The master of the house is getting married. As the wedding celebrations unfold, at home, the servants prepare for his return. They don’t know how long the celebrations will continue into the night but it is their responsibility to welcome their master with his new bride when he returns to their home together as a couple.

For these servants to be ready, they have to be clothed and prepared for action with their lamps burning. When the master returns with his bride, he will be welcomed by well dressed servants, honouring the occasion, with lights brightly shining to light his way.

Verse 37

When the master returns with his bride, those servants who are awake and ready for his return will be blessed. The illustration is more than a story about a master’s wedding. It is a parable about the return of the Lord Jesus to be with His bride, the church. As His servants alive on this earth, awaiting His return, we must be fully dressed in His armour, and the fruit of His Spirit with the light of Christ burning brightly in us. 

Note what Jesus says about the blessedness of those servants He finds ready at His return: “Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them.” 

The Lord Jesus rewards those who are faithful. He laid down His life for them on the cross, but observe here that He will minister to them as they “recline at table, and he will come and serve them.”

One day, Jesus offered to serve Peter by washing his feet. Peter struggled with the Lord ministering to him in this way. Listen to the exchange between Peter and the Lord in John 13:5:

 (8)  Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him,  “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” – John 13:8 ESV

Jesus told Peter that if He did not allow Him to wash his feet, he would have no part of Him. It is true that we are unworthy of Jesus’ service. The reality of the matter, however, is that unless He serves us we have no part of Him. Unless He dies, we cannot be forgiven. Unless His Spirit indwells and empowers us, we cannot live for Him. Unless He open the doors of heaven we will have no eternal life with Him. Unless He gives us breath, we have no physical life. We are completely and totally dependant upon His ministry. To reject His service, is to reject life and every blessing, for everything comes from Him.

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32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. -Luke 12:32-34 (ESV)

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Verse 32

Observe the gentle words of Jesus here: “Fear not, little flock.” Jesus makes this personal by calling those who belong to Him His “little flock.” He is their Shepherd who cares for them and has their interest in mind. The word “little” used here is μικρός (mikrós) and refers to something small or not fully grown. The sense is that these sheep need a Shepherd’s care because they are vulnerable. There may also be a sense of endearment expressed in this phrase.

The fact that the Shepherd has to tell the sheep not to fear is an indication that they are indeed fearful. He steps in, however, to comfort those fears and anxieties with a promise: “It is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

First, what is the concern of these little sheep? Is it not that of verse 29? They are looking for food to fill their empty bellies. 

Second, note the response of the Father to these empty-bellied sheep – He gives them the kingdom with all its riches and blessings! The purpose of the Father is so much greater than any of those sheep could ever imagine. They want grass. He offers them a kingdom filled with more than they could ever need in a lifetime.

Third, observe the attitude of the Father in ministering to this “little flock” in the words “your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Consider these words in the context of the prophecy of Isaiah 53:

(10) Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. – Isaiah 53:10 KJV

Notice how the King James Version tells us that it pleased the Lord to bruise His Son and make Him an offering for sin. The sin He died for was ours. It was His death that procured the kingdom for us.

What do we have to fear when our Father is willing to lay His only Son on the cross to give us the kingdom? We worry about grass, but His great desire and passion are to provide us with an eternal kingdom.

Verse 33

To those who are concerned about what they should eat and where the next meal is going to come from, Jesus says: “Sell your possessions, and give to the needy.” At first glance, this may appear to be heartless, but consider what Jesus has just told them in verse 32:

 (32)  “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. – Luke 12:32 ESV

Jesus told a parable in Matthew 13 about a man who found a pearl of great value:

(45) “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls,  (46) who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it. – Matthew 13:45-46 ESV

What would you do if you found what your soul had been looking for for years? Would you not give everything for it? Jesus promises those He asks to sell everything, something of infinitely greater value. The things of this world cannot compare to the blessings and riches of the kingdom of God, both here now and in eternity to come. He calls those who belong to Him to surrender themselves and everything they have to Him. He must be Lord of all their possessions. In return, He offers them something of much greater value — the Kingdom of God and all its riches throughout all eternity.

Instead of living for this world, its possession, and pleasures, notice what the Lord asks “His little sheep” to do. They were to provide themselves with moneybags that would never grow old, filled with treasure in heaven that can never be taken from them. What we invest in on this earth will one day be stripped from us. We will leave it behind, or it will decay with age. Jesus tells us to stop investing in a sinking ship and instead, to invest in those things that are eternal, that can never be taken from us.

Verse 34

Jesus concludes this section with the words: “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” What we treasure will be evident in how we live our lives. We focus our attention on what we value most. It is quite easy to deceive ourselves into thinking that we love the Lord and His kingdom. The proof of our love, however, is not in what we say or think but in how we live our lives. Do you say you love Jesus but only have time for him on Sunday morning? Do you say you love the kingdom of God and what it stands for, but invest very little time and resources into it? Take a moment to examine your life. What does it reveal to you about your priorities and treasures in life? Where is your heart really?

A Reflection on Luke 11:33-36

Verse 33

Not everyone openly rejected Jesus, accusing Him of ministering in the power of Satan (see Luke 11:15). Some had not made up their minds and were demanding further proof (Luke 11:16). There was also a third group among the crowd that thronged Jesus that day. These individuals believed Him but feared the response of their religious leaders, family or friends. Jesus appears to speak to these individuals here. 

Jesus shares a parable with those who feared to be known as His followers. Imagine lighting a lamp and putting it in a cellar or under a basket, Jesus tells them. What would be the purpose of this? A lamp is lit so that it gives light to those around. It is displayed where it will benefit people the most — on a stand where it will shine brightly for all to see.

Observe that the lamp in Jesus’ parable is lit. The individuals Jesus speaks about here have the light of Christ in them. The problem is not with the light, but with the willingness of the individual to allow that light to shine. 

Are you among those who fear to shine your light? What Jesus is telling you here is that if He has lit a light in you, He intends it to shine. I am not saying that it will blind everyone you see, but it will certainly point them, in one way or another, to the work of the Saviour in your life. Don’t be ashamed of the Lord who has lit that light in you. Show Him your gratitude by allowing Him to reveal Himself through You.

Verse 34

Jesus adds another dimension to the illustration of the lamp in verse 33. Let’s consider what He teaches here. 

First, Jesus tells us that the eye is like a lamp. If you close your eyes, what do you see? Is not everything plunged into darkness? When you open your eyes again it is like you turn on the light. Like a lamp, your eyes bring light to the body and allow you to see what is around you.

Second, if the eye is healthy, according to Jesus, your whole body is filled with light. Your eyes let the light into your brain and your body responds appropriately to what it sees. You step around that chair instead of walking into it. You stop before you hit the wall. You recognize your friends and loved ones and respond to them. If your eyes are unhealthy, however, they may fail to see that obstacle on the floor in front of you and you will trip and fall. They may not be able to read what it on the page or recognize your friend at a distance. Unhealthy eyes will have a direct impact on your quality of life. If your eyes are unhealthy, they may not see light at all and your whole world is plunged into darkness. 

Verse 35

Jesus has just shown us the blessing of healthy eyes. Note here now how He tells us to be careful lest the light in us be darkness.

Observe first that we are to be careful. Good eyesight must never be taken for granted. We must protect our eyes if we are going to maintain good vision. It is amazing to see how many believers do not understand this principle on a spiritual level. How easy it is to allow immoral and ungodly things to enter our minds and heart through our eyes. The eyes especially need to be guarded. In a fraction of a second we see something that will disturb us for years to come and impact our thoughts and attitudes. Ungodliness, immorality, and other types of evil can quickly enter through our eyes and impact our spiritual life and thoughts. This is why Jesus tells us to be careful. We must guard our eyes.

Second, note that if we are not careful, we can fill our minds and hearts with darkness. The light that should be in us is now replaced with dark thoughts and attitudes. All of this is through the eyes that we have not carefully guarded and kept holy.

Verse 36

Consider the benefit to having healthy eyes that bring light into the body for the brain to interpret and respond. We see the beauty of the world around us. We are able to respond to people and recognize danger when it comes. 

Not everyone, however, has perfect eyesight. Notice the phrase, “having no part dark.” The light is designed to light up everything around us. What happens however, if your peripheral vision is hindered and you can’t see what is to your side? What happens if your eyes, due to age or disease can’t read the page in front of you or can’t see the danger sign at a distance? While partial vision is better than none, it is still a hindrance to our quality of life and could cause potential danger. 

While we cannot control what our physical eyes see, we can address our spiritual blindness. Understand that we can so fill our eyes with ungodliness that they become insensitive to the purpose of God.  Through careful study of the Word of God and sensitivity to the work of the Holy Spirit in us, however, our eyes can again be opened to God’s purpose. The eye can once again see as God intended. Jesus reminds us here of the importance of our spiritual sight. How easy it is to have blind spots. Jesus calls us to seek from Him a spiritual sight “having no part dark.” 

A Reflection on the Lord’s Prayer

Luke 11:2

Jesus responds here to the disciple who asked Him to teach him how to pray. Notice the simplicity of His answer, in the words, ”When you pray, say.”  

Jesus does not go into great detail here about how to pray. He simply gives His disciple a model prayer and some guidelines in the form of illustrations. In a sense, prayer is a very personal matter that ought to come from the heart and not something that can be taught. Having said this, however, let’s take a moment to consider the elements of Jesus’ prayer here. 

Notice first how Jesus begins His model prayer with the word, “Father.” The word πατήρ (patḗr) speaks of one to whom we owe our existence. It is a recognition of our dependence on Him for life and breath.  

Second, observe the attitude we need to have toward the giver of life in the words, “Hallowed be your name.” The word “hallowed” is translated from ἁγιάζω (hagiázō), which means to revere as holy.  

Observe also that it is the name of God that is to be revered as holy. The word used is ὀˊνομα (ónoma), which does not just refer to what we call someone but also to their character or personhood. The request calls for people everywhere to recognize the Lord God as holy and perfect in character, free from sin or wrongdoing in any form. 

Third, the Lord Jesus tells His disciples to pray that the kingdom of this holy and righteous God would come. We need to see the kingdom of God in two senses here. First, consider the words of the Lord Jesus to the Pharisees in Luke 17: 

 (20) Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed,  (21) nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.” - Luke 17:20-21 ESV 

Jesus told the Pharisees that the kingdom of God was not primarily something that could be seen or observed with the eyes. The apostle Paul added: 

 (17)  For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. - Romans 14:17 ESV 

The apostle describes the kingdom of God as a reign of righteousness and peace with God through the work of His Son. It is a joyful surrender to King Jesus through the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of those who have come to faith in the Son of God. The request, “Your kingdom come,” is a passionate cry for men and women of every culture, language, and creed to bow in humble submission to Christ and the work of His Spirit in drawing them into a life of righteousness and surrender to Jesus Christ and His work of forgiveness and reconciliation. It is a cry that every knee would bow in humble and joyful surrender to the Father, His Son and Spirit.  

Scripture also speaks of a day when there will be a new heaven and a new earth. Writing in Revelation 21 the apostle John says: 

(1) Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.  (2) And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  (3) And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.  (4)  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” - Revelation 21:1-4 ESV 

There will be a physical manifestation of the kingdom of God, according to John. On that day, sin, sickness and death will be abolished and we will reign with Christ forevermore. The request, ”Your Kingdom come,” is also an expression of this yearning for a time when all enemies will be banished, and we will be forever with the Lord. 

Luke 11:3

Having recognized the Father and His reign, Jesus now moves on to speak about the needs of His servants. 

Observe first, that there are physical needs. The request, “Give us each day our daily bread,” shows us that we are dependent on God for our basic need of survival. Observe the words “each day” and “daily bread.” Our dependence on God is a daily matter. We could not survive a day if it were not for Him and His provision.  

We should not see the word “bread” as referring only to physical food but rather to anything that is required for our survival each day. Jesus describes himself in John 6 as the Bread of Life: 

 (35) Jesus said to them,  “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. - John 6:35 ESV 

Without this bread, we will perish. He is the source of all that I need for life. The request, “Give us each day our daily bread,” is a confession of absolute dependence on God and a recognition that without His daily and ongoing provision, we would all perish. There is a tremendous boldness to this request. Ultimately, it cries, “Give me mercy to live yet another day, for without Your provision, I perish.” How often do we take this request for granted? Jesus reminds us here, just how dependent we are on the Father. He also reminds us of how much mercy we need just to live another day. 

Luke 11:4

Our needs are not just physical. We also have spiritual needs. Jesus addresses these needs here in verse 4. 

First, Jesus calls us to seek forgiveness from the Father for our sins. Just as we need daily bread, so we need daily forgiveness and cleansing to maintain good fellowship with God. I understand that the work of Jesus covers all our sins, past, present, and future. The debt was paid for our transgressions at the cross. This, however, does not stop us from sinning. Though none of those sins keep those who have accepted the Lord from eternal life, they still offend a Holy God and disrespect His name. Living in these sins can hinder fellowship with the Father. It is for this reason that Scripture calls us to confess our iniquities: 

 (14) Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.  (15) And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.  (16) Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. - James 5:14-16 ESV 

James tells us that our sins can lead to sickness and that will need to be addressed through confession before that sickness can be healed.  

According to Jesus, our worship will be hindered if we have sinned against a brother or sister: 

 (23)  So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,  (24) leave your gift there before the altar and go. First, be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. - Matthew 5:23-24 ESV 

In this case, recorded in Matthew 5, the individual who has sinned is required to confess his or her sin to the person offended before offering his or her gift at the altar. Sin against a brother or sister affects my worship and fellowship with their Creator.

Sins need to be addressed. Jesus calls us who have fallen short to come to the Father, seeking that forgiveness so that fellowship with Him and our brothers and sisters can be restored. The phrase, “forgive us our sins,” is a recognition that we have not walked as we should, and need God’s mercy and pardon if we are to live in fellowship with Him and our brothers and sisters again. It is a call to address our shortcomings, lest they hinder our fellowship and testimony.  

Second, observe that Jesus calls those who pray, to forgive everyone indebted to them: 

“for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.”  

The phrase begins with the word “for,” connecting it to the words ”forgive us our sins.” In other words, the believer can only ask for forgiveness from God because they have already forgiven those who were indebted to them. 

We usually think of debt as a financial matter. Debt, however, may come in any form. It may be an unkind word spoken to us that places a brother or sister in our debt. It may be an irresponsible act for which they owe us something. The believer, according to Jesus,is to forgive that debt. That is to say, to hold nothing against the person for their unkindness or irresponsibility. We are to treat them as if they owe us nothing. Only when we are willing to forgive others can we expect God to forgive us. He will forgive us as we have forgiven those who have offended us.  

Understand here that there is forgiveness that keeps us from hell, and there is forgiveness that keeps us in fellowship. The pardon of Jesus Christ guarantees our eternal life and nothing can keep us from that salvation. On the other hand, even believers will stand before God having to answer for sins on earth. Consider what Paul told the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 3: 

 (13)  each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.  (14) If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward.  (15) If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. - 1 Corinthians 3:13-15 ESV 

The words “we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us” call us to understand that there is a price to be paid for not forgiving others. While our salvation is secure because of the work of Jesus, those who refuse to forgive ”will suffer loss” (1 Corinthians 3:15a).

(14)  For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you,  (15)  but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. - Matthew 6:14-15 ESV 

You will stand before God, as His child, having to answer to Him for those transgressions.  

Finally, in this verse, Jesus taught His disciples to pray that they would not be led into temptation. The phrase, “lead us not into temptation,” at first glance could be misunderstood to mean that God might lead people into sin. The word “lead” used here is εἰσφέρω (eisphérō), meaning to bring. The prayer is that God would not place His people in circumstances where the temptation to sin was too much that they would fall. This was the prayer of the writer of Proverbs 30 when he said: 

(8) Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, (9) lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the LORD?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God. - Proverbs 30:8-9 ESV  

The prayer, “lead us not into temptation,” is one that recognizes human weakness and frailty and asks for God’s sovereign intervention so that circumstances of life would not cause us to fall into temptation beyond our ability to resist. It is a prayer for protection and guidance.