The Lord's Prayer.
The First Petition.
Which is the First Petition?
_Our Father who art in heaven. Hallowed be Thy name._
What does this mean?
_God's name is indeed holy in itself; but we pray in this petition that
it may be holy among us also._
How is this done?
_When the Word of God is taught in its truth and purity, and we, as the
children of God, also lead a holy life according to it. This grant us,
dear Father in heaven. But he that teaches and lives otherwise than
God's Word teaches, profanes the name of God among us. From this
preserve us, Heavenly Father!_
1. _"Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name,"_ this is our
first petition. It is a matter of utmost importance that God's name be
hallowed among us; for this reason our Lord teaches us to pray for it in
the first place. _"God's name is indeed holy in itself."_ God has a name
above every other name. In heaven and earth there is no name higher or
more sacred than the name of our heavenly Father; no name can be
compared with it. It is holy in itself. We cannot and we need not _make
it holy._ What, then, do we ask for in this petition? Since the name of
our Father in heaven is so holy and so exalted, we pray _that it may be
holy among us also,_ that we, His children, may hold it sacred and use
it rightly both in words and deeds.
2. _How is this done?_ We shall place God's name above every other name
in heaven and on earth and hold it holy, sacred, only when we rightly
_know God as He is, and what He has done and will do for us His
children._ God has revealed Himself and His great name _only in His
Word._ There alone we learn to know our heavenly Father and the great
things He has done for our temporal and eternal welfare. We shall hold
His name holy and sacred "when the Word of God is taught in its truth
and purity." God's Word must be preached among us without the admixture
of any human thoughts and errors, just as God has given it to us, just
as it reads. In God's Word we learn how great God, our Father, is, the
perfectly holy and just God, and yet gracious, ever ready to forgive all
our sins and heal all our transgressions, when we come to Him in the
name of Christ; the almighty Ruler of heaven and earth and yet our dear
Father in Christ, who pities those that fear Him, as a father pities his
children Ps. 103,13. The more we learn from His Word how great our God
is, the more we shall hold His name sacred, the more we shall exalt and
praise it.
3. It is not enough that God's Word is taught and preached among us in
its truth and purity, that we only hear it; we must also, as God's
children, _lead a holy life according to it. By a holy life we honor the
name of our Father._ If a child disobeys his father, if he leads a bad
life, committing sins and crimes, he will not only bring dishonor upon
himself, but he will also disgrace his father's name. Remember how the
sons of Eli, the high priest, brought dishonor upon their father's fair
name. 1 Sam. 2,12. When, on the other hand, a child is obedient to his
father, doing the will of his good father, leading an upright and honest
life, his father will be honored by the good deeds of his son. We are
children of God. We confess that He is our true Father. If we were to
lead an ungodly life, how would His name be dishonored among men! But
when we live according to our Father's Word and will, if we live in
accordance with the Word of God, our friends and neighbors will see our
good works. By our godly life we shall help others, too, to know and
honor the great name of God. Our Savior says: _"Let your light so shine
before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father
which is in heaven."_ Matt. 5,16.--By our own strength we cannot
preach the Word of God in its truth and purity among us, nor can we by
our own strength lead a holy life according to it; therefore we pray:
_Grant us, O Heavenly Father, the pure doctrine of Thy Word and a Holy
life according to it._
4. As the name of our Father is glorified here on earth by the preaching
of His pure Word and by our holy life, so it is dishonored by _false
doctrine and an ungodly life._ In our sinful hearts we are always
inclined _to teach and live otherwise than God's Word teaches,_ and thus
to profane the name of God. _"Thou that makest thy boast of the Law,
through breaking the Law dishonorest thou God. For the name of God is
blasphemed among the Gentiles through you."_ Rom. 2,23.24. Therefore we
pray: _Preserve us, O Heavenly Father, for Christ's sake, from false
doctrine and an ungodly life!_