People sometimes ask what influenced the wisdom of Jesus. Jesus had the Hebrew Scriptures. He had the psalms, the proverbs, and the prophets. Jesus used the tradition that influenced him. The Lord’s Prayer is one such example. Proverbs 30.7-9 is this prayer:

7 Two things I ask of you;
   do not deny them to me before I die: 
8 Remove far from me falsehood and lying;
   give me neither poverty nor riches;
   feed me with the food that I need,
9 or I shall be full, and deny you,
   and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’
or I shall be poor, and steal,
   and profane the name of my God.

“Give us today our daily bread” is clearly a summary of “Do not make me rich and do not make me poor, feed me with the food that I need.” To pray this proverb is counterculture: we are not praying for immense wealth, we are standing against poverty and we are exposing our vulnerability in asking for our needs to be met, our daily bread. The living out of this prayer is the salvation of society, the end to violence and the healing of all the struggles our sin has created. 

Luke 11:1-13

1 He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” 2 He said to them, “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread. 4 And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And do not bring us to the time of trial.” 5 And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.’ 7 And he answers from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs. 9 “So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? 12 Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”