A man bet his friend $20, he could not quote the Lord’s Prayer. His friend quickly replied, “And now I lay me down to sleep. A bag of peanuts at my feet If I should die before I wake; Give them to my brother Jake.”  As the man pulled out his wallet for the $20 to give to his friend, he said, “Here’s your $20, I didn’t think you knew it!”

Years ago in Israel, I climbed a mountain above the beautiful Sea of Galilee – the mustard seeds of the parables were in bloom. The lilies of the field flooded the sea of green and gold with their brilliant crimson blooms. I sat on a rock by an ancient Roman road.  I fixed my gaze on the ruts in the road made by chariot wheels two thousand years ago, imagining a centurion whipping his magnificent steeds down the rugged mountain to the shore.

I drifted back in time, seeing a multitude seated in that natural amphitheatre. I imagined myself sitting among them, listening to the words of the greatest Teacher who ever lived.   I read the Sermon on the Mount – it came alive!  As I prepared this study, contemplating this world for which Jesus Christ died almost two thousand years ago, I asked myself, “Had His plans for the world come to pass?” I considered the Lord’s Prayer – the disciple’s prayer actually.