Luke 11:1Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The scripture informs us that “Christ prayed alone,” yet He is indeed God and the Son of God over all creation. He provides every creature with what it needs to thrive and exist; He is in no way at a loss, for He is "full," as He stated Himself. One might ask, "What need does He have, who by divine nature possesses all that belongs to the Father?" For He explicitly declared, "All that the Father has is Mine." The Father, by His nature, overflows with goodness and possesses attributes fitting to the divinity, and this fullness also belongs to the Son. The saints declare, "Of His fullness we have all received." If He shares from His divine abundance, what could He possibly lack from the Father, as if He doesn’t already possess it? What, in truth, does He seek in prayer if He is complete and lacks nothing that pertains to the Father?

We respond that He voluntarily engages in human actions as dictated by the circumstances surrounding His incarnation, without facing reproach for it. If He partook of food, drink, and even rest, it is no wonder that He humbly offers prayers in fulfillment of human obligation. However, it is important to remember that He lacks nothing, for He is "filled," as we have previously mentioned. So, for what reason did He pray, and what essential duty was being fulfilled? He intended to instruct us to maintain diligence in prayer, being steadfast and earnest, avoiding the public showmanship exhibited by some in Israel, such as the scribes and Pharisees. He calls us not to perform our prayers for the sake of appearance but to converse with God in solitude with a sincere and unobstructed mind. This principle is further clarified when He criticizes those who flaunt their prayers, saying, "For they love to pray standing on the corners of the streets and in the synagogues. But you, when you pray, go into your house and shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you."

There are indeed those who seek to cultivate a reputation for piety—outwardly diligent yet inwardly consumed by vanity. Upon entering a church, they scan the crowd for numbers and the presence of spectators. Once satisfied, they elevate their hand to their forehead and repeatedly make the sign of the cross. They recite long, self-imposed prayers loudly, as if addressing an audience rather than God. These individuals fulfill their own desires for recognition; as the Savior stated, "Ye have obtained your reward." They seek the admiration of men instead of earnest supplication to God. Your aspirations have been satisfied; you have gained fleeting praise for your piety and have labored in vain; you have sown seeds that will yield no harvest. Are you aware of the outcome of your cleverness? Hear the words of the blessed David: "God has scattered the bones of those who please men." By "bones," he does not refer to physical bones, which cause no harm, but rather to the faculties of mind and heart capable of producing goodness. The qualities of the soul are those earnest traits that lead to perseverance, spiritual maturity, patience, and endurance. God disperses these traits among those who seek the favor of men.

Thus, as we strive to steer clear of such disgraceful practices and escape the traps into which those who seek to appease men may fall, let us offer to God prayers that are holy, pure, and undefiled. Christ sets an example for us by withdrawing from those who were with Him and praying in solitude. It is fitting that our leader and teacher in every virtuous endeavor should be none other than He who reigns supreme and receives the prayers of all, alongside God the Father, granting all who ask what they require. Therefore, when you observe Him praying as a man to teach you how to pray, maintain your faith and understanding that, being God by nature and the source of all things, He became like us in human form, fulfilling the duties of humanity as required by divine purpose, while still reigning in heaven with the Father, dispensing from His fullness to all and receiving the prayers of those on earth and the spirits above, crowned with their praise.

For He did not cease to be God by taking on humanity; He remained unchanged, for it is fitting for Him to retain His essence since He is immutable, as Scripture states, not even subject to "the shadow of transformation." Since elaborating on this matter would require lengthy discourse, we will reserve further explanation for the future, when we gather again in the presence of Christ, our Savior: to Him, alongside the Father, be glory and power with the Holy Spirit forever and ever, Amen.

When He finished praying, one of His disciples said, as recorded. The writer Matthew, aligning with Luke in presenting the Lord's Prayer, does not associate it with this specific occasion but instead includes it within the Sermon on the Mount (Luke 6:9 ff.). If we do not assume that the Lord repeated this prayer for the disciples, it is plausible that Matthew, based on the context of His teaching, incorporated it into the Sermon on the Mount; in contrast, Luke places it in the account of the moment it was first spoken.

As John also instructed his followers: The Gospels do not provide details about the specific prayer John taught his disciples, yet the current context indicates that he indeed gave them instruction, with an earlier reference made as well (Luke 5:33).