I heard something astonishing on a podcast this week, and as soon as I had the chance I checked it out on the internet. The preacher was Scot McKnight, a university Professor and expert on the historical Jesus. His sermon as a guest preacher at Mars Hill was about the Lord's Prayer, a theme about which I have heard many sermons, and preached a few myself. McKnight has written a book called The Jesus Creed, where he expands on the notion that Jesus' core message was a midrash on the Shema, built around his two great commandments, loving God and loving others. The Lord's Prayer too can be seen this way. Three sections are about loving God (hallowing his name, bringing about his kingdom,. and doing his will), and three about loving others (supply our bread, forgive us as we forgive, and lead us not into testing, or as McKnight said, our corporate provision, healing and protection).
So Far so Good. Then came the astonishing part. Jesus' words, said McKnight, are directly lifted from the Kaddish, a Jewish prayer that Jesus would have said three times a day, at
the temple or as part of his own devotions. What? In all my theological training, years of postgraduate study, and hundreds of sermons, I had never heard this. Of course, I have heard of Kaddish. First through Jewish writers like Chaim Potok who referred to the prayer as one said after a family death. And later, through Jewish friends in a Reformed synagogue in New Zealand, who explained that there are various short and long forms of the ancient Aramaic prayer, which is still used as a kind of punctuation mark in Jewish worship. But the idea that Jesus said a particular prayer three times a day, and that he then expanded that to teach his disciples to pray, that was new to me. I had always seen the Lord's Prayer as a kind of template, a pattern demonstrating the the way that prayers should be structured, rather than an actual prayer to be prayed. That is probably my non-liturgical Reformed heritage coming out - and so this suggestion that Jesus prayed a kind of daily liturgy was new, just the kind of intriguing historical detail I love to know. And the preacher's evidence seemed compelling. Look at the Kaddish:
the temple or as part of his own devotions. What? In all my theological training, years of postgraduate study, and hundreds of sermons, I had never heard this. Of course, I have heard of Kaddish. First through Jewish writers like Chaim Potok who referred to the prayer as one said after a family death. And later, through Jewish friends in a Reformed synagogue in New Zealand, who explained that there are various short and long forms of the ancient Aramaic prayer, which is still used as a kind of punctuation mark in Jewish worship. But the idea that Jesus said a particular prayer three times a day, and that he then expanded that to teach his disciples to pray, that was new to me. I had always seen the Lord's Prayer as a kind of template, a pattern demonstrating the the way that prayers should be structured, rather than an actual prayer to be prayed. That is probably my non-liturgical Reformed heritage coming out - and so this suggestion that Jesus prayed a kind of daily liturgy was new, just the kind of intriguing historical detail I love to know. And the preacher's evidence seemed compelling. Look at the Kaddish:May the great Name of God be exalted and sanctified, throughout the world, which he has created according to his will. May his Kingship be established in your lifetime and in your days, and in the lifetime of the entire household of Israel, swiftly and in the near future; and say, Amen. May his great name be blessed, forever and ever.Blessed, praised, glorified, exalted, extolled, honored elevated and lauded be the Name of the holy one, Blessed is he, above and beyond any blessings and hymns, praises and consolations which are uttered in the world; and say Amen. May there be abundant peace from Heaven, and life, upon us and upon all Israel; and say, Amen.
For anyone familiar with the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6: 9 - 13) , the textual similarities are eery. Worshippers are enjoined to bless God's name, and to establish his Kingship, now and in the future. This section, said McKnight, was Jesus' take on the commandment to "love God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength." The second part, not found in the Kaddish, is his Midrash (a Jewish form of sermon or explanation) on the second commandment, to love your neighbour as yourself. Awesome! McKnight painted a picture in my mind of Jesus going to the temple or up on a mountain to pray, chanting this kaddish three times daily, and then rephrasing it for his disciples to help them understand his mission.
The only trouble is, that isn't quite how it happened. At least as far as we can tell. Although some sources claim the Jewish prayer of praise is over 2000 years old, historians tell us the Kaddish did not become prominent in daily synagogue liturgy until the close of the Talmudic period (5th century) and is mentioned for the first time as part of the daily prayers in the Tractate Soferim (6th century CE). It may have existed in a primitive form earlier than that, but the idea that Jesus was familiar with the Kaddish used liturgically today is very likely to be an anachronism.
It sounded a good story, but it didn't stand up to scrutiny. I thought of that a few days later while visiting my parents in Taupo. We were talking over family stories to be told at my Dad's ninetieth birthday, coming up in June. One story, I said, that I have often told family and friends, is the one about how my dad gave up smoking. He smoked heavily in my childhood, a habit started at school in the 1930's but consolidated by wartime years as a POW in Austria. He smoked 40 a day, Capstan Cork in packs of ten, 1/3 from the corner dairy. When I was 14, the link with lung cancer was being validated more scientifically, and then he started coughing up blood. He made the decision to stop, and took himself off to a programme run by the Seventh Day Adventists. He attended motivational lectures every day for a week, took twice-daily baths to flush out the nicotine from his system, turning the water bright yellow, and never touched another cigarette. His improved appetite and money to spare for bacon and eggs, meant he put on four stone, and at a family event six months later, his own brothers didn't recognise him. In June 2010 he will be 90 and he has no heart disease, emphysema or cancer. PTL.
It sounded a good story, but it didn't stand up to scrutiny. I thought of that a few days later while visiting my parents in Taupo. We were talking over family stories to be told at my Dad's ninetieth birthday, coming up in June. One story, I said, that I have often told family and friends, is the one about how my dad gave up smoking. He smoked heavily in my childhood, a habit started at school in the 1930's but consolidated by wartime years as a POW in Austria. He smoked 40 a day, Capstan Cork in packs of ten, 1/3 from the corner dairy. When I was 14, the link with lung cancer was being validated more scientifically, and then he started coughing up blood. He made the decision to stop, and took himself off to a programme run by the Seventh Day Adventists. He attended motivational lectures every day for a week, took twice-daily baths to flush out the nicotine from his system, turning the water bright yellow, and never touched another cigarette. His improved appetite and money to spare for bacon and eggs, meant he put on four stone, and at a family event six months later, his own brothers didn't recognise him. In June 2010 he will be 90 and he has no heart disease, emphysema or cancer. PTL.
It's a good story and one I have told my children many times. The only problem, says Dad, is that it isn't true. Yes, he did give up smoking virtually overnight. and yes he became so healthy and chubby, his family didn't know him. But it wasn't coughing up blood that convinced him, it was a physician friend telling him that 99% of the people he treated for lung cancer at Wellington Hospital that year were smokers. And he didn't go anywhere near a Seventh Day Adventist Church. Two of the men at our church went to the course and stopped smoking; they lent Dad the booklet, which he followed for himself. But yes, the bath water did go bright yellow. (I saw that myself, at least I think so!!)
Oh well, the core of the story is true, and it has an uplifting effect on those who hear it. And perhaps the same goes for Jesus and the Kaddish. Jesus was Jewish and he did pray. he probably prayed in Aramaic words very similar to those the rabbis later formalised in the synagogue liturgy. And the Kaddish and the Lord's Prayer have similar roles in their respective faith communities, binding people of many cultures and generations with familiar words and rhythms. I wont be recycling McKnight's claim that Jesus prayed the Kaddish three times a day. But I might well remind people that Jews and Christians share a common prayer heritage that is worthy of study and deep respect.
To Chew Over: Have you ever tried saying the Lords Prayer as a daily ritual? How did that feel?
Our Father in heaven
May we honour here on earth
Every sign of your presence
Every act of your rule
Every item of your plan
As it stands in heaven.
Give us what we need each day, a day at a time,
and forgive us the wrong we have done,
as we have already forgiven those who wronged us.
Don't bring us to breaking point
but lead us out of harm's way,
For you are the one who can do all this;
Nothing will ever overpower you;
the highest honour is yours always.
May we honour here on earth
Every sign of your presence
Every act of your rule
Every item of your plan
As it stands in heaven.
Give us what we need each day, a day at a time,
and forgive us the wrong we have done,
as we have already forgiven those who wronged us.
Don't bring us to breaking point
but lead us out of harm's way,
For you are the one who can do all this;
Nothing will ever overpower you;
the highest honour is yours always.
Caryl Micklem.
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