And this, not only because the season of the year must have made itinerancy difficult,
and thus have hindered the introduction to new scenes and of new persons, but chiefly
from the character of His Ministry in Perę . We remember that, similarly, the beginning
a
of Christ's Galilean Ministry had been chiefly marked by Discourses and Parables.
Besides, after what had passed, and must now have been so well known, illustrative
Deeds could scarcely have been so requisite in Perę . In fact, His Perę n was,
a
a
substantially, a resumption of His early Galilean Ministry, only modified and influenced
by the much fuller knowledge of the people concerning Christ, and the greatly
developed enmity of their leaders. This accounts for the recurrence, although in fuller, or
else in modified, form, of many things recorded in the earlier part of this History. Thus,
to begin with, we can understand how He would, at this initial stage of His Perę n, as
a
in that of His Galilean Ministry, repeat, when asked for instruction concerning prayer,
those sacred words ever since known as the Lord's Prayer. The variations are so slight
as to be easily accounted for by the individuality of the reporter.9 They afford, however,
the occasion for remarking on the two principal differences. In St. Luke the prayer is for
the forgiveness of 'sins,' while St. Matthew uses the Hebraic term 'debts,' which has
passed even into the Jewish Liturgy, denoting our guilt as indebtedness
(wnytwbwx yrm# lb qwxm). Again, the 'day by day' of St. Luke, which further explains the
petition for 'daily bread,' common both to St. Matthew and St. Luke, may be illustrated
by the beautiful Rabbinic teaching, that the Manna fell only for each day, in order that
thought of their daily dependence might call forth constant faith in our 'Father Which is
in heaven.'10 11 Another Rabbinic saying places12 our nourishment on the same level
with our redemption, as regards the thanks due to God and the fact that b oth are day by
day.13 Yet a third Rabbinic saying 14 notes the peculiar manner in which both
nourishment and redemption are always mentioned in Scripture (by reduplicated
expressions), and how, while redemption took place by an Angel,15 nourishment is
attributed directly to God.16
9. The concluding Doxology should be omitted from St. Matthew's report of the prayer. As
regards the different readings which have been adopted into the Revised Version, the
reader is advised, before accepting the proposed alterat ions, to consult Canon Cook's
judicious notes (in the Speaker's Commentary ad loc.).
10. Yoma 76 a, lines 14 -16 from top.
11. The same page of the Talmud contains, however, some absurdly profane legends
about the manna.
13. Ber. R. 20, ed. Warsh. p. 39 b, last line.
12. According to Ps. cxxxvi. 24, 25.
14. Ber. R. 97.
15. Gen. xlviii. 16.
16. Ps. cxiv. 16.
But to return. From the introductory expression: 'When (or whenever) ye pray, say' - we
venture to infer, that this prayer was inte nded, not only as the model, but as furnishing
the words for the future use of the Church. Yet another suggestion may be made. The
request, 'Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples,'17 seems to indicate
what was 'the certain place,' which, now consecrated by our Lord's prayer, became the
school for ours. It seems at least likely, that the allusion of the disciples to the Baptist