Lord, teach us to Pray
Luke 11:1-13
Rev. Dewey E Brown Jr

By the time one of the disciples says to Jesus, "Lord, teach us to pray…" those disciples have already been taught some pretty amazing things.

Dropping their nets and leaving their homes each of the disciples has seen their quiet lives turned completely upside down.

Strange events have begun to seem almost normal, and ordinary things, like breaking bread and pouring out wine is beginning to take on a whole new meaning.

Everywhere they go it seems the crowds- the dirty, noisy, needy crowds are always right behind.

Each day it seems as if everything they have ever been taught (PAUSE) about enemies and neighbors— about sin and forgiveness is being called into question.

Each day Jesus calls them To forget everything they know about clean and unclean, right and wrong good and bad.

It was almost as if Jesus is inviting them to learn everything afresh to see the world for the first time.

In following Jesus, they brush up against everyone they have been taught to avoid and are told to embrace everything they have been taught to fear.

These disciples find themselves standing next to harlots, mingling with tax collectors and eating with outcasts.

They find themselves Sitting with and talking to women like Martha at Jesus’ feet, they learn that the poor are blessed and listen as Jesus praises a Roman's- yes, even a Roman's!-- amazing faith.

By the time they ask "Lord, teach us to pray…" they have already seen a cripple walk and a blind man regain his sight. They have watched devils run away and they have touched a leper's hand.

They learn that five loaves and two fish can feed a multitude and that even a Samaritan can be a neighbor and a friend.

By the time they ask, "Lord, teach us to pray…" they have already begun to realize that the Kingdom Jesus speaks of must be a very strange place, indeed.

It is enough to make them wonder What kind of Kingdom is Jesus building? What kind of God teaches these lessons? And if we ever could figure out such a God, what would we say him? What words do we use? How can we pray to a God like this?

Is it any wonder, after all this, that one of the disciples comes to Jesus and begs, "Lord, teach us to pray!"

After everything they have seen, and everything they have experienced, They must be reeling. is it any wonder that they want some words- some guidelines- Is it any wonder they issue a cry for help? Lord, teach us to pray!

Even though Those of us at St. John’s are separated from the first disciples by time- and culture- and language… from time to time we to can have that nagging feeling that the Kingdom we hear Jesus speak of must be a very strange place, indeed.

Jesus calls each of us To leave our homes behind And turns our quiet lives upside down Jesus calls us to travel through our own Samaria’s to lands filled with outcasts with those who are different and like the early disciples we may even have moments where we think- "I don't care what anyone says, these people are NOT my neighbors!"

As we journey with Jesus We too can find ourselves bewildered, reeling, confused to the point we too need to beg "Lord, teach us to pray!"

We are not unfaithful people for having these moments. We have them because We have been raised And conditioned by our society and our culture to avoid the dirty, noisy, needy crowd to switch places when we find ourselves standing next to harlots and to avoid having dinner with thieves.

When we try follow Jesus’ invitation to learn everything afresh To gain our kingdom vision to see the world for the first time through God’s eyes.

We can find our faith is tested by pains we can't hide by questions we can’t answer and by fears we can't shake.

We may even find ourselves wondering “What kind of God teaches these lessons?" and "Just what kind of Kingdom is Jesus building?"

often We too to cry out to Jesus Give us some words! Teach us how to pray! Give us some guidelines- some help!

Jesus, knowing that God is as close to us as our own heartbeats, simply tells us to pray

"Holy is God's name. Pray that God's Kingdom, as strange as it may sometimes seem to us, will come. Pray each day for our bread, for our lives- for they both come from God.

Pray that our own sins will be forgiven. Pray that we will have the courage to forgive the debts and sins of others."

In this simple prayer Jesus taught his disciples then And teaches us today About this strange and wonderful Kingdom Of God

That it is not so much the words that matter when we pray. It's not so much the length of the prayer, nor is it the eloquence that God hears.

Jesus teaches us about the glory Of God’s Kingdom, a kingdom in which our prayers are not judged, but received. They are not measured, but heard.

In this strange and wonderful Kingdom, our prayers, like our lives, are gifts to be offered to God The loving God who gives, Who opens and who allows us to find him each and every time we pray

Pray these simple words Jesus says And you will come to understand That prayer is not effective because of our cajoling, or our body position when we pray or because we use just the right words

Prayer changes us and the lives of others because of God’s very nature Prayer changes us and the lives of others Because the one who hears our prayers Is God the father, who loves each of us as his children and wants to give us what we need

Jesus assures us If we ask God will teach us some pretty amazing things. If we seek God will turn our lives completely upside down and if we knock that the very door to the kingdom will be opened.

Pray, Jesus says And Strange events will begin to seem almost normal, we will learn to love God with our whole heart and we will learn to love our neighbor as ourselves and ordinary things, like breaking bread and pouring out wine will take on a whole new meaning.

Amen