Special Training of the Twelve

JESUS gave much consideration to the preparation of his apostles for their future ministry. He gave them his Father’s Word, although until the Holy Spirit came upon them at Pentecost, there was much that they did not understand. (John 17:8) When they observed his miracles and marveled, he said that they would do the same works and even greater ones. (John 14:12) Peter and John seemed to have been given special consideration in some matters, and this was probably because Jesus knew that they were to be especially used in writing messages that would serve the entire church.

MARK 6:30-32—Because in this passage is recorded Jesus’ invitation to his disciples to come apart with him and rest awhile, it has been cited as an example of the manner in which he trained them for future service. We think, however, that this is a wrong application of the Master’s words. When he extended this invitation, he evidently had no other thought than that they all were in need of physical rest. It was not an invitation to enjoy with him a special season of instruction, meditation, and prayer, as is frequently assumed.

The context indicates that circumstances had for a time been more than usually strenuous. The beheading of John the Baptist was one of the factors which contributed to this, and when the disciples brought the report to the Master, telling him also of what they had been doing, he doubtless observed that they were both excited and exhausted, hence that a brief period of rest, away from the milling crowds, would do them a lot of good.

Actually, however, they did not obtain this much needed rest, for the account indicates that they did not succeed in getting away from the people, although they tried to do so by entering a boat and crossing to the other side of the lake. However, the crowd hurried around the shores of the lake and were waiting for Jesus and his disciples when their boat arrived. But Jesus had compassion on them, and taught them many things. Later, toward the close of the same day, he performed that outstanding miracle of feeding them—the feeding of the five thousand. Following this miracle, Jesus sent his disciples back across the lake, and he went up into a mountain to pray.

LUKE 11:1-4, 9-13—In this passage is a lesson to the disciples—and in fact to the entire church—which is of profound importance: a lesson on prayer. If the apostles were to be successful representatives of the Master they would need to be men of prayer, and would need to know how to pray; for a Christian can pray wrongly as well as he can make mistakes along other lines. James wrote that we “ask, and receive not, because we ask amiss.”—James 4:3

Prayer has been defined as the vital breath of the Christian, and this is probably true, symbolically speaking. But this expression comes short of describing the full meaning of prayer. We live by breathing, and if we think of prayer merely as the vital breath of the new creature we are thinking of it too much from the standpoint of our own self-interest. True Christian prayer is more than a medium for securing blessings for ourselves.

The disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. They noted that Jesus was a man of prayer, and observed also, apparently, that his prayers were more than an emotional outpouring of his soul to God—that they had design and purpose in them, so much so that if they were to follow his example in praying they would need to be taught the essential elements of prayer.

Jesus replied to his disciples’ request by outlining to them what is familiarly known as “The Lord’s Prayer.” Briefly, this model prayer exalts the name of the Heavenly Father; requests the fulfillment of his promises to establish a kingdom and bless the world; asks for our own daily needs; and seeks forgiveness of our trespasses. Within this framework a Christian can offer his praise to God and seek divine blessings, knowing that he will be heard.

A new element of prayer so far as the apostles were concerned was that of addressing God as “Father”—“Our Father which art in heaven.” This approach to God is calculated to induce confidence, a feeling of going to one who is sympathetically interested in us. But to avoid the familiarity that one might assume proper when coming into the presence of a parent, Jesus added the words, “Hallowed be thy name.” A proper reverence for God, and a desire to glorify his name, should be the primary motive back of all our praying—not merely a phrase with which to open our petitions to him. A proper reverence for God will induce us to approach him through the only name that will make us acceptable—the name of Jesus.

“Thy kingdom come.” Here is a request for the blessing of the world, and in the order stated by Jesus it is interesting to note that this prayer for others—for all others—comes ahead of what we ask for ourselves. Thus it would seem that even in our prayers the Lord is pleased for us to manifest an interest in all those whom he loves, and that a self-centered prayer will not be heard by him.

“Give us this day our daily bread.” This is not an extravagant request—merely an indication that we recognize our dependence upon the Lord, and have confidence that he will care for us according to the riches of his grace in Christ Jesus. We might well expand the meaning of the expression, “our daily bread,” to include all that the Father sees we need as new creatures in Christ Jesus—including the experiences of life: our trials and our joys.

“Forgive us our sins.” This is an appropriate and essential part of every acceptable prayer, for daily, yea hourly, we come short of the glory of God and need the covering robe of Christ’s righteousness. And here too our prayers should reflect the character likeness of the God to whom we pray, for coupled with our request for forgiveness is the thought of our forgiving those who sin against us. If we are not fully assured that God forgives us perhaps one reason is that we have not complied with this condition.

“And lead us not into temptation.” The Emphatic Diaglott translates this, “Abandon us not to trial,” but apparently there is no justification in the Greek text for changing the meaning of the King James translation. Students have shied away from what they have considered an implied suggestion that God might lead us into temptation, but there seems to be no good reason for reading this thought into Jesus’ words.

Prayer, in so far as our petitions are concerned, is the claiming of God’s promises. Let us briefly apply this thought to the Lord’s Prayer and see if it is not true. The first request in this prayer is, “Thy kingdom come.” Why is it proper to make a request of this kind? It is because God has promised to establish such a kingdom. God does not formulate his plans on the basis of our prayers. Over and over again he has promised the kingdom, and when we pray, “Thy kingdom come,” we are merely asking God to fulfill these promises.

The same is true when we ask God to supply our daily needs. This he has also promised to do, and more abundantly than we could possibly ask or think.

And how thankful we should be that God has promised to forgive our sins. Just think of the many reassuring promises he has made along this line! “If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” (I John 2:1) So here again we see that our petitions should be merely for those things which our Heavenly Father has promised.

Now there are some things which God will not do, and he has given us assurance to this end. One of them is that he will not lead us into temptation. James wrote, “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.” (James 1:13) It seems eminently proper therefore that in our prayers we should claim this assurance also, and in claiming it, rejoice in the security which it affords. God proves us by setting before us the opportunity to lay down our lives in sacrificial service for him, but we have his assurance that he will not tempt us to do wrong; and by claiming this assurance in our prayers we are by no means conceding that he might do otherwise.

God has also promised to deliver us from evil, and from the evil one, the devil. As individuals we experience this deliverance every day. We know not what pitfalls of error and sin from which we are daily delivered. When, by divine grace we are victorious, from beyond the veil we will be able to look back and note the many wondrous ways divine power was exerted to deliver us from the “snare of the fowler.”—Psalm 91:3

And there is even a greater deliverance which the Father has promised, a deliverance from this vile body of flesh into that glorious liberty of divine sons of God—a deliverance that will be wrought for each one of the overcomers in the first resurrection. (Phil. 3:21) God has promised this great deliverance, and in petitioning him for it we are merely praying for the fulfillment of his promise.

God’s promises of this great deliverance take on an added meaning in this end of the age because their fulfillment is near. Speaking of the conditions we see all about us in the world today Jesus said, “When these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption [Greek, deliverance] draweth nigh.” (Luke 21:28) What a glorious prospect this is for every true Christian in the fear-filled world of today!

That the apostles learned well the lessons which Jesus gave them on prayer, and along other lines pertaining to their ministry as his ambassadors, is evidenced throughout their writings. In all their epistles Jesus is set forth as the great Exemplar of the church, the touchstone to regulate all our thoughts and words and deeds. May each one of us look unto him more earnestly for wisdom, and with a more resolute determination to follow him to the very end of the narrow way.

QUESTIONS

Were the apostles, prior to Pentecost, able to understand fully all the lessons which Jesus gave them?

What did Jesus have in mind when he said to his disciples, “Come ye yourselves apart, … and rest a while”?

Why do the prayers of Christians sometimes go unanswered?

How did Jesus safeguard his followers against selfish prayers?

Is there a danger that God may lead us into temptation if we should fail to ask him not to?

When will the entire church be delivered from evil?

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