Is the "daily bread" in Luke 11:3 literal or metaphorical? Canonical Text “Give us each day our daily bread.” (Luke 11:3) Greek: τὸν ἄρτον ἡμῶν τὸν ἐπιούσιον δίδου ἡμῖν τὸ καθ’ ἡμέραν. Immediate Lukan Context The petition sits among requests for God’s name, kingdom, forgiveness, and protection (Luke 11:2-4). Each item addresses a genuine need. Physical food is the ordinary, recurring need; Luke’s Gentile readership would hear “give” in pragmatic terms (cf. Luke 12:22-24). Synoptic Comparison Matthew’s version (Matthew 6:11) lacks το καθ’ ἡμέραν but precedes with “this day,” likewise pressing ἐπιούσιος toward literal sustenance while not excluding broader sense. Old Testament Background • Exodus 16:4-21—manna gathered daily, reinforcing dependence on Yahweh. • Deuteronomy 8:3—“man does not live on bread alone, but on every word” connects physical bread to spiritual sustenance. • Proverbs 30:8—“Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with my allotted bread,” foregrounds moderated, daily provision. Patristic Voices • Didache 8.2 takes “daily bread” literally yet admonishes fasting believers to share with the poor. • Origen (On Prayer 27) sees dual reference: “the bread which is needed for the body and the bread which is the Word of God.” • Tertullian (On Prayer 6) reads literal bread first, spiritual nourishment second. Consensus: both dimensions are inseparable. Theological Synthesis 1. Providence: Psalm 145:15-16; 1 Timothy 6:8 teach God’s pledge to meet bodily needs. 2. Christological Fulfillment: John 6:35—Jesus as “bread of life” fulfills the deeper hunger. 3. Daily Dependence: Present imperative δίδου stresses continual action; disciples rely on God moment by moment. Literal Dimension • Fits the Semitic idiom of concrete petitions. • Aligns with Jesus’ feeding miracles (Luke 9:13-17) showing concern for material welfare. • Echoed in Acts 2:46 where early believers “broke bread from house to house,” reflecting answered prayer. Metaphorical/Spiritual Dimension • Scripture equals nourishment (Jeremiah 15:16; 1 Peter 2:2). • Ongoing sanctification requires steady intake of God’s Word—“day and night” (Psalm 1:2). • The Lord’s Supper, though literal elements, points to continual participation in Christ’s life (1 Corinthians 10:16-17). Philosophical Note on Dependence Human contingency demands an external ground for both existence and meaning. Prayer for bread acknowledges finite status and directs the will toward the transcendent Provider rather than autonomous acquisition—an approach coherent with historic Christian existentialism. Conclusion “Daily bread” in Luke 11:3 is simultaneously literal and metaphorical. The plain sense—ongoing bodily provision—stands immediate; the fuller biblical canon unfolds a parallel spiritual layer: Christ Himself and His Word as the believer’s indispensable sustenance. To sever one dimension from the other flattens the prayer; to hold both together mirrors Scripture’s holistic view of humanity. |
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