Title: When He Prays
Contents
The theme of the sermon we want to share with you today is 'Prayer'. We would like to examine why we should pray and how we should do it through "Jesus' prayer act in Luke's Gospel." Unlike the other Gospels, Luke's Gospel emphasizes Jesus' interest in prayer. When it comes to 'Jesus' prayer,' it is easy to remember only the blood and sweat he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane before he was crucified.
Let's look at some examples from the Gospel of Luke. First, looking at the scene where Jesus was baptized and received the Holy Spirit in the Jordan River, unlike other Gospels, Luke records that Jesus was baptized and that heaven was opened 'when he prayed' (Luke 3:21-22). In other words, it was not at the time of baptism, but at the time of prayer, that Jesus received the Holy Spirit before his public ministry. Luke considers the Holy Spirit to be a gift given in response to prayer, and this idea carries over to Acts (Acts 4:31; 8:15-17).
Also, if we look closely at the case of healing the leper, the reason Jesus went to a solitary place after healing the leper was not because Jesus himself was unclean or widely known according to the Jewish purification law, as shown in other Gospels, but because in Luke's Gospel, It is said that it was 'to pray' (Luke 5:16).
When selecting the twelve disciples, it is recorded that Jesus went to the mountain 'to pray' and 'prayed' to God all night long, and at dawn he called his disciples and chose the twelve and called them apostles (Luke 6:12- 13). The book of Acts also emphasizes that there was prayer at the time of the election of Matthias and the seven leaders (Acts 1:24; 6:6).
On the other hand, there are two articles about the Lord's Prayer in the New Testament. Unlike Matthew, Luke tells us that Jesus was praying in some place before introducing the Lord's Prayer.
' (Luke 11:1). After emphasizing Jesus in prayer first, it appears that one of his disciples, moved by Jesus' appearance in prayer, came to Jesus and asked him to teach him how to pray. So, the Lord's Prayer is a model prayer given by Jesus, who was a model for those who pray. The Lord's Prayer is what Jesus taught as he always did.
Even before asking his disciples, “Who do you say I am?” in the region of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus appears to have prayed separately (Luke 9:18), and even before announcing to Peter that he would suffer and that he would deny three times, Jesus He prayed so that Peter's faith would not fail (Luke 22:31-32). It can be said that it was thanks to Jesus' prayer that Peter later repented and became a great foundation for the growth of the early church.
In addition to that, Luke is the only one who gives lessons about prayer through special sources. 'The parable of the friend who came in the night' (Luke 11:5-8), 'The parable of the widow and the judge' (Luke 18:1-8), and 'The prayer of the Pharisee and the tax collector' (Luke 18:9-14) are from the Gospel of Luke. This is a special resource about prayers found only in .
And his final prayer on the cross, “Father, forgive their sins, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34) or “Father, into your hands I commit my soul” (Luke 23:34). Luke 23:46), etc., are found only in the Gospel of Luke.
It also reminds us of Jesus praying very earnestly in the Garden of Gethsemane before His sufferings, while the disciples were sleeping next to him. Luke is the evangelist who most vividly describes Jesus' prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. According to Luke's testimony, Jesus got down on his knees and prayed hard, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. This detailed description is unique to Luke (Luke 22:41-44).
Such a figure of Jesus contrasts with the figure of his disciples sleeping next to him. And with the command to 'get up and pray so that you may not fall into temptation', Jesus himself is presented to the disciples as a model for those who sincerely pray.
The miracle of transfiguration, the content of today's text, happened when Jesus 'prayed'. Meanwhile, the disciples, who had been sleeping next to them, woke up suddenly, witnessing only the glorious appearance of Jesus, and then they built three tents and expressed their impatient desire to share Jesus' experiences there.
“Lord, it is good for us to be here,” he says, “and we will build three tents” (verse 33). Tabernacles are built on the Feast of Tabernacles and symbolize the eternal tabernacle or dwelling place that will be given to the righteous in the eternal blessings of heaven. The saying that he would build a shelter and sit there clearly shows Peter's religious ignorance. It means that he will not understand the path of suffering and death that Jesus has to go, and he will havetily sit down in the present and enjoy the blessings of heaven. If we want to reign with Christ and dwell in the eternal tabernacle, we must pass through the gates of suffering and death, but Peter does not fully understand this truth.
What is interesting in the text is the fact that as soon as Peter and the two disciples went up the mountain, they were tired and fell asleep. Because of their delay, they miss the conversation between Moses and Elijah about the crucifixion with Jesus, and suddenly wake up and witness only the two of them standing with Jesus. Their drowsiness as soon as they climbed the mountain contrasts with Jesus' prayer as soon as he climbed the mountain.
The disciples, including Peter, did not understand the way of the cross even though they had been together with Jesus for three years. Where did this spiritual ignorance come from? It's not because they lack some theory or knowledge. A lack of spirituality, more narrowly, is believed to result from a lack of prayer. When Jesus prayed, pursued God's will, and completely entrusted himself to the Father, his disciples were always sleeping next to him.
I think most Korean churches are like the disciples who are dozing off right next to Jesus who is praying. He showed the wrong faith to enjoy the glory of heaven comfortably without going through the gates of suffering and death. In general, the Korean church has not taught prayer in accordance with God's will until now and did not seek his kingdom first. In order to realize justice and peace on this earth, we do not pray to give up on ourselves or to nail ourselves to the cross. As a result, they do not resemble the noble spirituality of Jesus, who thoroughly emptied himself and chose death for mankind. He showed a belief that the will of life and confession did not match.
Not long ago, while looking through my little daughter's diary, I came across this passage. 'Our church is a Saegil church. It means going to the Saegil.' The child must have thought deeply about why our church is the Saegil Church. Going the new way probably means going the way of Jesus, not another way. If so, the church should be a church that thoroughly resembles the spirituality of Jesus. We must remember that the foundation of Jesus' spirituality was 'prayer according to God's will' and that without prayer, Jesus would not have been able to carry out his ministry to the end.
Many scholars call Luke the evangelist of prayer and also call Luke the gospel of prayer. Jesus prayed at every important moment in the history of salvation, and so did the leaders of the early church. Prayer appears to play a very important role in God's work of salvation. In particular, prayer is becoming the main means of receiving the Holy Spirit. "Will you not give the Holy Spirit to those who ask?" (Luke 11:13) It is the fact that God's answer to man's prayer is the Holy Spirit.
From Luke's point of view, today's followers of Jesus should always pray and watch like Jesus did (Luke 21:36), and by praying that they would not fall into temptation and being filled with the Holy Spirit, they might participate in God's work that continues to unfold. that you have to.
After all, isn't prayer 'my death'? It would be an act of crucifying my blood, greed, and desire to settle in reality. The apostle Paul showed that his life was a daily life of carrying the cross through the confession, 'I die daily' (1 Corinthians 15:31).
You will remember the belly of the fish Jonah went into. Our little ones love these mythical stories. For Jonah, the belly of the fish is a space where he purifies himself and approaches God's will.
Getting in and out of the belly of a fish is not a one-time event, but it is considered an event that should continue for the rest of our lives. We must die every day and come back to life. I think you must have your own fish belly. There, I will have to empty myself from time to time and listen to the small voice of the Lord.
When our personal deep spirituality is gathered and it becomes the foundation, I believe that Saegil Church will exert greater and greater power. If our church is to be a lamp that erases the darkness of this earth, the oil that makes the fire burn will be our prayers.
When Jesus was 'praying', he was clothed with the power of God and was transformed into a wonderful figure. And he was able to receive the bitter cup of suffering and give life to mankind. We should imitate the image of Jesus transformed through prayer.
Lord! Grant us deep faith and broad theology. Pour out the spirit of prayer so that we may enter deeper into faith every day to understand your will, and the broad theology that we possess may become a tool that draws closer to the suffering souls of this earth. Amen