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Revelation, which deals with this period, speaks of things which must "shortly come to
pass". All this being so then, we should expect the prayer to have some application at the
time given. This is so with respect to the missionary efforts of the disciples.
The twelve disciples were appointed "that they should be with Him, and that He might
send them forth" (Mark 3: 14). In Luke 9::
"Then He called His twelve disciples . . . . . and He sent them to preach the kingdom
of God . . . . . and He said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor
scrip, neither bread, neither money . . . . ." (verses 1-3).
"After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two
before His face . . . . . I send you forth as lambs among wolves, Carry neither purse, nor
scrip, nor shoes . . . . ." (Luke 10: 1-4).
The disciples were entirely dependant for their needs upon their reception in the places
to which they came. They were sent forth both unarmed and without bread. It would not
be surprising for such to pray, "Give us this day our daily bread . . . . . deliver us from the
evil".
A Rabbinic "fountain" prayer.
Although the Lord warned the disciples not to be called Rabbi, both He and John the
Baptist accepted the title. In John 1: 38-40 Christ is viewed as a traveling Rabbi lodging
in the area where John and his disciples were. The disciples are directed to the Lord as
"the Lamb of God" and they followed Him.
"Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye?
They said unto Him, Rabbi . . . . . where dwellest thou? He saith unto them, Come and
see. They came and saw where He dwelt, and abode with Him that day . . . . ."
The outcome of this meeting was (verse 41) "We have found the Messiah". The
disciples become followers of this traveling Rabbi, and in common with other Rabbis of
the time, He teaches them a "fountain" prayer.
"In the time of Christ, among the Jews of Palestine, there were prayers and prayers:
there were those that were full and regular, and there were those that were brief or
summary in form: and both were proper as having been duly sanctioned by the Rabbis.
The brief, or summary, form was called a `Fountain', and those who could not pray the
prescribed prayer in its fullness were expected to pray the `Fountain' . . . . . it was the
recognized habit of teachers to give forth short prayers for their students, or followers . . .
thus providing `Fountains' for special classes and exceptional circumstances."
(The Lord's Prayer by J. W. Thirtle).
The travels of the Lord and His disciples would exclude them from the normal
synagogue worship, and so these `exceptional circumstances' called forth the "Lord's
Prayer" from the greatest Rabbi that ever walked this earth. He gave them a `Fountain'
prayer.
These `Fountain' prayers seem also to have given a `tone' to the particular Rabbinic
school in question, as indeed this prayer did for the Lord's school of disciples.