Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Scripture Text: John 4:50
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From the Word: Jesus said to him, “Go; your son lives.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and departed. (John 4:50)
From the Confessions: The Small Catechism
The Conclusion
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
What does this mean?
It means that I should be certain that such petitions are acceptable to our heavenly Father and are heard by him, for he himself has commanded us to pray in this manner and has promised to hear us. So we pray with confidence: “Amen,” meaning, “Yes, it shall be so.”
Pulling It Together: “Thy will be done.” We may pray this, meaning, “Please, Lord, do my will. Make my will your own.” Instead, our weekly, if not daily, prayer must also be a confession to ourselves that it is God’s will that must be done, that it is our will that God’s will be accomplished, even if it is not the outcome we may have wanted. We must believe the word of Christ Jesus and depart, be on our way to live the day ahead of us. This was the experience of David and Luther. Unlike the father in today’s verse, each would send his child to heaven, David a newborn, and Luther his 13-year-old Magdalena. David prayed for a different outcome but resigned himself to the Lord’s will. “Who knows whether the Lord will be gracious to me, that the child may live?” (2 Sam 12:15–23). Luther, also, prayed fervently that his daughter might live but added to his prayers, “If it is thy will, O God, to take her from us, I will be glad to know that she is with thee.” David knew much the same, saying, “I shall go to him, but he will not return to me” (2 Sam 12:23).
It is God’s kingdom, not ours. To him belongs the power to add to his glory in the fashion he knows to be best. The Lord hears our prayers, and answers them as may be expected of a loving Father, with the authority of a wisdom far beyond our own. Knowing this, we may confidently add the “Amen” to our prayers. May it be so; may your will be done no matter my own wishes.
Prayer: May your will be done in my life today. Amen and amen.
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The Power of Lent is a series of Lenten dramas pairing two characters each week from the story of Jesus' Passion; bearing witness to what they saw, heard, and felt. Each pair of biblical characters reflects upon a similar theme for the week, showing how the same events brought about very different reactions to Jesus and his identity.
Author
Rev. Mark E. Ryman serves as Pastor for St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Salisbury, NC. Previously, Pastor Ryman has served other congregations in North Carolina and Ohio, as well as a call to specialized ministry with Sola Publishing.
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