This week’s Red Letter Challenge comes from Matthew 9, verse 38. Most English translations translate this as “Pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into His harvest.” Some use the more archaic, “Beseech the Lord…” But the Greek word “deomai” is probably just as well translated “beg”.
“Beg” is a challenging word. We’re probably pretty ok with “praying earnestly.” We’re even likely to be ok with “beseeching God,” (especially if we like throwing aroung those Thee’s and Thy’s…). But begging? Do we really have to BEG God for stuff? Maybe it sounds offensive or unnecessary. Maybe it sounds undignified. Maybe you should get over that.
Martin Luther’s last words were, “We are beggars. That is the truth.” Jesus said it. Martin got it.
Maybe it is offensive to our sensibilities to think about “begging” God when we pray. Maybe that’s because we often don’t treat beggars very well ourselves. But God is a friend of beggars. Jesus loved healed them, hung out with them, loved them. They knew what they really needed from Him, and that made their asking all the more fervent. They knew who they were, and that made His grace all the more sweet.
So it’s Lent. Put away your dignity. Beg. And find that Jesus is the friend of beggars.