Today is the 38th day of Lent, a 40 day season of spiritual reflection, repentance, and renewal. During these 40 days we’ll explore the prayer life of Jesus, walking chronologically through every mention of Jesus’ prayer life and prayers in the Gospels.
I Howard Marshall (“Jesus—Example and Teacher of Prayer in the Synoptic Gospels,” in Into God’s Presence: Prayer in the New Testament Edited by Richard N. Longenecker (Eerdmans, 2002)) points out why the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ prayers are so important. He notes that the Gospels do not usually record normal life situations like Jesus eating, or Jesus sleeping, or Jesus washing himself. For the most part, the Gospels take for granted that Jesus did such things. But when the Gospels do stop to indicate that Jesus ate, or slept, or washed himself, they do so because something unusual is taking place (e.g., Jesus is entering a deliberate fast or Jesus is sleeping at an unusual time).
In the same way, Marshall writes, the Gospels take for granted that Jesus prayed. Prayer for Jews was a normal practice of everyday life. They, and Jesus, would have prayed set prayers in the synagogue, spoken grace before meals, and uttered personal prayers in the morning, in the afternoon, and in the evening. When the Gospels do stop to highlight some prayer practice of Jesus, the do so because there is something unusual or out-of-the ordinary taking place. For example, we are told that Jesus often prayed in the early hours of the morning. This is mentioned largely because it is outside of the norm. The average pious Jew would not have engaged in such a practice. In addition, we are told that after feeding the crowd, Jesus spends the late night period in prayer. This also seems to be mentioned because it is outside of the norm. The average pious Jew would not have done such a thing.
The point is that Jesus not only prayed. But he prayed above and beyond the religious expectations and norms. His prayer-life stood above that of other pious Jews. It was literally extra-ordinary.
Too often I am content if I can point to the way in which my prayer-life is keeping up with other people whom I consider pious. As long as my prayer-life is nearly equivalent to prayerful people whom I admire, I am satisfied. When I look to Jesus, however, I am forced to stretch and push and grow. Because he prayed even beyond the norm, I am also compelled to do so.
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