Luke 11 1-13 Analysis

Luke 11:1-13 demonstrates the disciple’s desire to become more like the one they are following, Jesus, through their prayer life. As his close followers, they have the ability and insight to understand that prayer is the most crucial aspect of Jesus’ rule and reign here on earth, more so than his ability to perform miracles or speak eloquently in parables. The disciples ask for guidance in what they deem the most important feature of life, be it theirs or Jesus’. As Jesus provides them with the guidance they request, he gives them an outline to follow—he is not saying that they must pray for the exact things that he does, but rather, that there is a proper way to address God; it is a way of humbly beseeching God for what they need while still …show more content…
Here, Luke changes the word found in Matthew, debts, for a new word, sins, “probably to make the petition more intelligible for Gentile Christian readers”, as the word for debts does not fully contain a religious sense to the readers of that period (Fitzmyer 906). Nolland draws a parallel between the fact that just as we have a daily need for food, “we also have a daily need for the forgiveness of God” (620). This petition is the longest, as it continues into a second line where it draws a distinction between the receiving of forgiveness from God and the forgiveness we are able to grant to others. This second line applies more directly to the lives of the disciples, and therefore us, as they and we are called to forgive as we have been forgiven. This statement can be difficult to choose to apply to our own lives, but through the close pairing of the two lines, it is clearly shown that, regardless of our feelings, we are called to forgive and show grace just as Jesus forgives and shows us grace every day, much like he meets our needs each and every day. Expounding on this idea, Fitzmyer says “that forgiveness becomes universal…and is related to God’s present forgiveness”