The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-07-21

up steadfastly and trustingly and say,
Father"
The character of mans conception
of God is going to determine the char
acter of mans relation to man. There
is no incentive to human brotherhood
to equal this one of divine fatherhOod-
In high and worthy sense this
God who is our Father is also a jeal-
Gus God. He cares for his own rights
and prerogatives. A father must have
authority as well as love. So, after
addressing the Father. the model pray
er continues, "Hallowed by thy name. "
or as in modern phrase, May thy
name be held holy" Reverence for
the divine is indispensable to the
growth of the human. The tendency
to irreverence is not exclusively a
a twentieth century sin. although
these times are irreverent enough. So
great a consideration is the holding
holy of the name of the Supreme Be
ing that it Is put as the first petition
of the model prayer. Lacking rever-
ence, soul lacks the very essential
nature of refinement and greatness and
the first qualification for having his
prayers heard and answered. Gods
greatness must first be recognized be
fore mans needs can be me.
Goal to Live For.
Beneath the superficial aspects Of
the life of today. may be discerned an
increasing seriousness of purpose and
catholicity of interest on the part Of
thinking people. There is no more
cheering fact concerning twentieth
century Christianity than the large
ness of its conceptions. and its solicit
tude for the whole wide world of men.
Lives little and great. in all spheres,
have as their chief endeavor, the pros
perity of all mankind. The sea mistress
in a New England village shares with
the conspicuous religious leader an in
terest in the progress of the kingdom
of heaven in the remote places of the
earth. and a passion for the lifting up
of the whole universal brotherhood of
man.
In this his followers are in unity
with Jesus. He cared supremely for
the kingdom Of heaven. Tt was that
which He came to establish. Its well
fare was a constant burden upon His
soul The prayer which He taught His
own companions dwelt ceaselessly in
His own spirit-tThy kingdom come
For the coming of that kingdom He
was giving His best service and was
ready to offer up His life itself. So
important did He count this supreme
end that alongside of it nothing else
mattered. No labor, no sacrifice, no
hardship is worth reckoning If It helps
to bring in the kingdom of God. They
live in fellowship with the aim Of
Jesus who live for the fulhllment of
this great prayer. And who can
doubt that one factor in elevating
mans conception of life has been the
daily repetition of this darling desire
of humanitys Captain?
For Each Day Its Meat.
The lofty spiritual level maintained
by this model prayer which Jesus
taught only once descends to make
petition for temporal needs-W-he rein
It Is in sharp contrast to the beggar-
~ prayers which most of us utter. The
petition for daily bread, one day at
time. as the original implies indicates
that God cares for whatever Is mans
care. no concern of His children is
too small to concern Him The fact
that the most pressing and present
problem of the great mass of man
kind is, What shall we eat and where
withal shall we be clothed2'' is not
matter of Indifference to the Father
above. He would not be true to His
nature did He ignore that which of ne
cessity is a matter of daily interest to
His children. The completeness of the
heavenly care is comfortingly shown
by this passage in the prayer taught
by Jesus, which indicates that God,
who giveth to everything it's meat in
due season, wants to be held RESPONSE
Bile for each days sustenance of His
children.
Without stretching the interpreta-
ton of primary meaning of the pass
age. it is plain that within the phrase
daily bread" is comprehended what
ever makes for the sustenance of life.
The Russian translation of this pray
er is said to imply bread and butter,
too. Whatever a life needs is wrapped
up in this pregnant phrase. Some
times the daily bread most needed is
adversely, trial hardship. self denial.
and the opportunity for the growth of