February 18th, 2023

This Sunday is the last Sunday of the season of Epiphany, with that manifestation theme dedicated to a specific focus; it is named ‘the Transfiguration of Our Lord’. The gospel text for this Sunday [Matthew 17:1-9] is at approximately a halfway point into the ministry of Jesus according to this gospel account, and that text is an important one since it is literally a ‘high point’ along the way of Jesus, as he finishes his work at the cross and the tomb.

The writings for the last few weeks have looked at another high point in the ministry of Jesus, that of the Sermon on the Mount. Most recently we have looked at that contrast between what was said in days of old and what Jesus was saying at that very moment in time. As the sermon progressed, Jesus called God not just ‘my Father’, but ‘your Father’. And the very last point of last week’s portion had the command to be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.

It should be said this part of last week’s sermon had the first use of ‘therefore’ with an actual command. There were two mentions of the word ‘therefore’ before this, at 5:19 and 5:23, but they are connected only to the possibility of a reality, a conditional sentence. The use of the ‘therefore’ at 5:48 is a significant one and one that is grounded in reality: ‘Therefore, be perfect….’

If the sermon had ended there, that would have been interesting. And that would be a particularly difficult command, especially since such a difficult command was one that was grounded in reality. But thankfully the sermon does not end there. And it is interesting that the next section of the Sermon on the Mount has to do with how the Christian is related to others. Christianity is not an individualistic religion, although sometimes there is that perception.

One way in which connections to others have been made—although somewhat dismissed—is what is known as the Lord’s Prayer. This prayer is not only prayed with other Christians, but in it there is a connection to Jesus as well. He is the Head of the Church. And he was the One who said we could call the creator of heaven and earth OUR FATHER. (It should also be noted that the middle word of the Lord’s Prayer is another high point. The word is usually translated as ‘daily’, but it has no previous history, so a translation of such a word is a difficult thing. The first part of the word is a prefix usually meaning ‘over’ or ‘above’. The second part is essentially the same word as ‘substance’ in the Nicene Creed. The word ‘supersubstantial’ is used below, and it is essentially a word in the Vulgate manuscript of the text. It is nice that Latin words sometimes make suitable English words as well.)

What follows is a somewhat-literal translation of this next section of the sermon [Matthew 6:1-15]:

Now take heed the righteousness of you not to do before the men in order to be viewed by them. Otherwise, reward not you have with the Father of you, the One in the heavens. Therefore, when you do merciful deeds, not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be glorified by the men. Amen, I am saying to you, they received the reward of them. Now you, doing merciful deeds, not let know the left of you what does the right of you, so that they may be of you, the merciful deeds, in the secret. And the Father of you, the One seeing in the secret, will repay you.

And when you pray, not you be as the hypocrites, because they love in the synagogues and in the corners of the open streets, standing, to pray, so that they appear to the men. Amen, I am saying to you, they received the reward of them. Now you, when you pray, enter into the private room of you, and having closed the door of you, to pray to the Father of you in the secret. And the Father of you, the One seeing in the secret, will repay you. Now praying, do not utter empty words as the nations, for they think that, in the multiple words of them, they will be heard.

Therefore, do not be like them, for he knows, the Father of you, of what things you have need before you ask him. Therefore, thus pray you:

Father of us, the One in the heavens, let be hallowed the name of You. Let come the kingdom of You. Let happen the will of You, as in heaven, also on earth. The bread of us, the supersubstantial, give to us today. And forgive us the debts of us, as also we ourselves forgave the debtors of us. And not bring us into temptation, but on the contrary, rescue us from the evil.

For if you forgive the men the trespasses of them, he will forgive also to you, the Father of you, the heavenly. Now if not you forgive the men the trespasses of them, neither the Father of you will forgive the trespasses of you.
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The most important connection is to God himself, and Jesus is there for that purpose. There is a connection to others, but it is made through God, our Father, and the Father of Jesus. The use of ‘therefore’ in the text above leads us away from others and toward ‘Our Father….’ If we try to make it up by ourselves, we usually fail.