Lord's Prayer Pt. 4 - Give Us Our Daily Bread

In my blog posts, I try to be very honest with you, the reader. I try to be honest about failures and successes, no matter how weird they may make me appear. Today’s post is no exception.

I have never really been comfortable with the phrase in the Lord’s Prayer, “Give us this day our daily bread.” It has just never really made much sense to me, an American Christian.

Even when I was a teenager and it was just my mother and I basically living paycheck to paycheck, our refrigerator was full of food. I’ve never felt like I actually needed to ask God for my daily bread. 

As I became older and got an undergrad theology and seminary degree, I heard spiritualized interpretations of this prayer, as if it was simply reminding us that God meets our needs for today and tomorrow. However, as with this subject and countless others, I was never taught what the early Christians believed about this line of the Lord’s prayer.

I think there may be a nefarious reason for these omissions. For instance, read Cyprian’s explanation of the line in question:

“Give us this day our daily bread.” … We who have renounced the world, and have cast away its riches … should only ask for ourselves food and support, since the Lord instructs us and says, “Whosoever does not forsake all that he has, cannot be My disciple.” … And the Lord moreover promises and says, “Take no thought, saying, ‘What shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or where withal shall we be clothed?’ For after all these things do the nations seek. And your Father knows that you need of all these things. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” – Cyprian 250CE, Volume 5, p. 791-792 [CD-ROM]

As you can see, the early Christians took Jesus’ words simply and seriously. They viewed the prayer for daily bread as a call to radical simplicity and generosity. And here’s where I get even more honest with you.

The more I read the earliest Christian writings, the more I feel like I understand why many modern leaders in Christian places of learning seem to keep their writings away from Christian learners. The writings of the early Christians are threatening because the early Christians actually lived out Jesus’ words simply, and Jesus’ words are threatening. Jesus' words, taken simply and seriously, threaten my money, my security, my safety, and my right to say, “My” in the first place.

Here are some examples of what I mean:

“But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full. Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you shall be hungry. … Whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back.” – Luke 6:24-25, 29-30

“Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” – Luke 12:33-34

“When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, otherwise they may also invite you in return and that will be your repayment. But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” – Luke 14:12-14

“None of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.” – Luke 14:33

This kind of generosity seems radical to us, yet it was normal to the early Christians. One reason it was normal to them is because they had already surrendered all of their possessions to the Lord to use as He saw fit. 

Soon after Cyprian gave His life to Jesus, he literally sold all he had and gave the money to the poor. I think that seems radical to me because, when I’m being honest, I trust more in earth than I do in heaven. 

All of these passages I've quoted where Jesus calls His followers to deep levels of generosity come in the context of Him speaking about heaven. I don’t think very much about heaven, but I sure do spend a lot of time thinking about things of this earth. Maybe that’s why I’m so threatened by so many of the things Jesus says.

Interestingly, Jesus says He is the bread of heaven, and He, not this world, is the true food we need (John 6:51, 55). Lord, I believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!