INTRODUCTION
‘Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. ‘So, when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honoured by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.’ Matthew 6:1-4
DOING GOOD TO PLEASE GOD
Our Saviour here teaches the general principle that man must not engage in acts of ‘righteousness’ in order to receive the attention and praise of other men. This truth is applied to three actions in this chapter: charitable deeds, praying and fasting.
These were three major areas in which the Pharisees of Jesus’ day clearly manifested their hypocrisy and impure motives. True followers of the Lord must exceed their type of righteousness, Matthew 5:20.
Jesus declares that those who perform acts of righteousness in order to obtain praise from men will receive just that, the praise of men, Matthew 6:2 / Matthew 6:5 / Matthew 6:16.
They won’t enjoy any spiritual benefit from the heavenly Father for those actions, though they could have. God will only reward acts of righteousness that result from proper motives.
A good example of a person doing a charitable deed with a proper motive can be seen in the Parable of the Good Samaritan, Luke 10:25-37. The Samaritan acted benevolently toward the man in need. Of course, had there been an audience when the priest or Levite went by, the man in need probably would have received help sooner!
Here Jesus speaks about the genuine and eternal reward in heaven, on the one hand, there is ‘blowing your own trumpet’, so to speak, this speaks of the reward being short-lived, uncertain, and unsatisfying reward of popular applause or approval.
Some believe that this practice of ‘sounding a trumpet’, Matthew 6:2, before doing a charitable deed was literally practised, others understand the reference figuratively.
In either case, the hypocrites of today don’t blow literal trumpets to foretell their acts of benevolence, yet they certainly do use methods to call attention to their generosity that they might receive personal glory.
Notice Jesus uses the word ‘when’, not if, Matthew 6:3. When we do good for someone else, ‘our left hand shouldn’t know what the right hand is doing’, Matthew 6:3. The idea here is that a Christian’s generosity should be a natural part of their life.
It should come so spontaneously, and with so little thought, that one part of the body should almost be able to engage in it without the other parts knowing. This figure of speech clearly forbids us from boasting about personal acts of goodness.
The Christian should always have respect for the greater. Christians shouldn’t give for public display, ‘look at what I’m doing’ so to speak but their giving should be as private as possible in order that our motives for giving be kept pure.
The statement doesn’t demand that good works be done secretly or that they cannot be made known by others, Mark 12:41-44 / Acts 4:32-37 / 2 Corinthians 8:1-5. Jesus is not forbidding the publicity of good works, He is forbidding the attitude that desires publicity.
Are we certain Jesus isn’t teaching us to do all good deeds secretly? Yes, even though the next verse mentions good deeds being done in secret and rewarded openly, Matthew 6:4. If we conclude that all good deeds must be done secretly, then we will contradict what our Lord taught earlier in Matthew 5:16.
A Christian’s goal in life should be to work in such a way that others will not see them but their good deeds. That’s what the focus should be on, the good deed, not the mortal man or woman doing good. This is the difference between ‘letting our light shine’ and ‘shining our light,’ Matthew 5:16.
It’s worth noting that there are essential requirements for secrecy in this area of righteousness. Secrecy in giving personal aid and assistance to helpless or unfortunate people is commanded by Christ and has these obvious qualities to commend it.
1. It assures the purity of motive in the heart of the giver by removing the temptation to hypocrisy.
2. It protects and honours the privacy of the recipient, a privacy that is crucial to their recovery and restoration.
3. It protects the benefactor from receiving a load of call upon his generosity.
4. It provides a decent basis for the development of true love and friendship between the helper and the person helped.
5. It honours this specific commandment of Christ, and, to the Christian, this is the most important of all, Romans 12:6-8.
In what ways can we give? We can give our time, our energy, our ears, our finances, food, water, shelter etc.
How does giving help us in terms of evangelism? Giving helps because when we give, we’re demonstrating Christ-likeness, we’re pointing people to Jesus through our giving and when we do it secretly, we’re helping prevent boasting in ourselves. This is one reason why giving is a gift, it’s not just the ability to give but the ability to give secretly.
Ultimately, we must desire that the praise be given to God for good works accomplished and not to ourselves, Matthew 5:16. We shouldn’t rob God of the glory that is rightfully His by focusing our praise upon the creation rather than the Creator, and we shouldn’t rob ourselves of the ‘reward’ that Almighty God has in store for us when we seek His approval rather than the glory of men, Matthew 6:4.
HOW TO AND HOW NOT TO PRAY
‘And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.’ Matthew 6:5-8
Many passages in the New Testament emphasise the importance and necessity of prayer for all Christians. However, Jesus addresses the subject with the most depth, giving practical advice on how to pray and how not to pray.
Jesus expects His disciples to pray, such is clear by His use of the word ‘when’, not ‘if,’ Matthew 6:5-6. Jesus is emphasising the need to be ‘sincere’ in prayer. Those who pray to be seen by men, as those who do charitable deeds with the same motive, have no reward from the heavenly Father, Matthew 6:5.
Hypocrites or pretenders are often diligent to exercise their ‘religiousness’ in the most obvious way in order to gain the acclaim of others. These individuals are full of pride and lovers of themselves. Such does not please the Lord, Luke 18:10-14 / James 4:6 / Matthew 23 / 2 Timothy 3:2-9.
Going into a room and closing the door to pray, Matthew 6:6, suggests that Jesus is stressing the advantage of solitude in prayer. We can more easily develop sincerity in prayer privately.
Generally, there will be fewer distractions and disturbances since we can better control the environment when isolated from others. The essence of prayer is seeking after God, and it is undoubtedly easier to seek Him out in solitude because the temptation to pray to be seen by men is removed.
God rewards those who petition Him in a proper spirit by granting their requests that are made in accordance with His will, 1 John 5:14-15. We mustn’t conclude that Jesus is here prohibiting public prayer.
The New Testament authorises Christians to engage in public prayer, Acts 2:42 / 1 Timothy 2:8 / James 5:16, although it should be noted that Christ seemed to pray more often when He was alone, Matthew 14:23 / Matthew 26:36-46 / Mark 1:35 / Luke 5:16 / Luke 6:12 / Luke 9:18.
Our Lord underscores the need for ‘simplicity’ in prayer, Ecclesiastes 5:2. We must avoid using meaningless, mechanical phrases. The pagans were often guilty of such, 1 Kings 18:26 / Acts 19:34.
Note that Jesus doesn’t condemn repetition in prayer, He condemns ‘babbling’ which is a vain repetition, Matthew 6:7-8. A prayer can be repetitive and still be meaningful, Matthew 26:44. Offering thanks for food at every meal could turn into vain repetition, but not if we are truly grateful and mindful of the fact that God is the One who gives all things.
The beauty of the Lord’s model prayer, which we will consider shortly, is its simplicity. It is less than sixty words in Greek. If we follow Christ’s example, our public prayers will be shorter and our private prayers will be longer.
To have God as our Father is to have the ‘security’ of knowing that our prayers are heard, thus, vain repetition is unnecessary. Our needs are known even before the first petition is uttered, Matthew 6:8.
Consequently, some wonder why prayer is necessary. It cannot be said that God is ignorant and in need of being informed, nor is He reluctant that we need to persuade Him. It appears that God imparts His gifts in response to our eagerness to receive them, Luke 11:5-13 / James 4:2.
Even if this weren’t the case, we should pray simply because we are commanded to do so, 1 Thessalonians 5:17. Since such is physically impossible, perhaps the meaning is that God expects His children to have a mindset that continually seeks to be in tune with Him. If such is correct, then to ‘pray without ceasing’ is to be mindful always of the Lord and His will in our everyday decisions and activities.
It’s to communicate with the Lord silently and informally throughout our day, offering brief words of thanks and praise as well as confessing shortcomings and expressing petitions. These brief prayers can and should be offered regularly as we go about our business.
Let me hasten to state that I am not advocating that all of our prayers be brief, isolated thoughts. I believe it is wise to also make a custom of offering more in-depth prayers at certain times during the day. Daniel is an excellent example of this, Daniel 6:10.
God must be approached with confidence, not doubting, in prayer, Hebrews 4:16 / James 1:5-8. Even if we feel inadequate to express ourselves fully before God, we can be comforted in the realisation that God knows our hearts, Romans 8:26-27.
Patience and persistence are also required, Luke 18:1-8. It must be remembered that the Father ‘is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think’, Ephesians 3:20.
There’s nothing more terrifying when a person becomes a Christian and they don’t know how to pray, they don’t know what to say or how to say it, they don’t where to begin and where to end.
This is to be expected, after all, Jesus’ own disciples didn’t know how to pray, even though they had heard and seen many people pray. But there must have been something about the way Jesus prayed and the words He used that encouraged the disciples to want to learn, Luke 11:1.
‘This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.’ Matthew 6:9-13
In addition to the principles of prayer that Jesus shared with His disciples, He also offered an example for them to consider and learn from.
There are a few religious groups who repeat this prayer every time they meet together, but Jesus never intended for these words to be recited week in and week out. If He wanted this prayer to be recited, then this would go against everything He taught earlier about vain repetition in prayer, Matthew 6:7.
Notice that Jesus’ didn’t tell them they were to use these exact words, He said this is HOW we should pray, we should pray in this manner, Matthew 6:9. We would call it a model prayer because the prayer itself reminds us of what our prayers should be about.
When Jesus prayed, He always addressed the heavenly Father, Matthew 6:9, and He did so in a reverent manner, Psalm 145:1 / Mark 14:36.
God is our Father and we are His children. Many times, Jesus got into trouble with the religious leaders because He called God, His Father. This is all about our relationship with God and so, when we pray, it’s always good to begin our prayer by recognising who He is and who we are in relation to Him.
The word ‘hallowed’, Matthew 6:9, is similar to the word ‘holy,’ which means to be separate for God’s purpose, to be dedicated to Him. Remember that God is a Holy God and His name is holy and He deserves our respect because He is in heaven.
It’s here we see the balance of our relationship with the Lord, yes, He is our Father, but He is also to be hallowed by us, kept holy, we must respect Him when we’re speaking to Him in prayer.
God’s Name should be considered holy, it is not common or something to be treated lightly. When we address the Father in prayer, we should be as respectful as possible.
After all, we’re not just speaking to anybody but to the Almighty, the only true and living God! If we give respect and honour to our earthly father, how much more should we give to God!
Jesus told then to pray that God’s kingdom come, Matthew 6:10. At the time these instructions were given to the disciples, the kingdom of God hadn’t yet come, Matthew 16:18-19 / Mark 9:1 / Acts 2.
The kingdom of God has come, and Christ is now reigning, Colossians 1:13 / 1 Corinthians 15:24-25. Instead, we should pray that the kingdom is enlarged.
The disciples were to pray that men would accept the kingdom reign of Jesus in the sense that the will of the Father be done on earth as it is done in heaven, Matthew 6:10.
As the will of the Father is done in the hearts of men and women on earth as it is done in heaven, then the kingdom comes. Jesus here asks the disciples to pray that people accept the heavenly kingdom’s reign in order that they accept His kingship that was yet to come.
The words, ‘Your will be done’ is a petition of the present, Matthew 6:10. This has everything to do with the will of God and our prayers need to be in accordance with the will of God.
To offer such a prayer is to commit ourselves to the doing of God’s will as well as to the teaching of that will to others and encouraging them to also submit to it.
This is essentially a prayer for the spread of the Gospel and obedience to it. We should pray that God’s will be done everywhere, at all times, and by all beings.
The whole point of this is basically praying that those in the world who don’t have Christ will accept what God has done for them and come to be obedient to Him and His will, and so, enjoy the benefits of living in God’s kingdom.
Notice also that God is the focal point in the prayer, we start by praising Him, for who He is, whilst recognising His holiness and then we pray that God’s deepest desires and will for mankind, will be established on earth, just as it has been established in heaven. To know what the Lord’s will is, we need to study His Word, Romans 12:1-2, and spend time with mature Christians.
Notice how we’ve moved from the focus of being on God to ourselves in Matthew 6:11. Notice that He speaks our our daily needs.
In the A.A. they have a saying which says, ‘keep it in the day,’ which basically means take one day at a time. I think that’s good advice because this is what Jesus says over and over again, Matthew 6:28-34.
Notice our daily needs are the basic requirements for life, food, clothing and drink. When the Israelites were in the desert God provided Manna ‘daily’, Exodus 16:21.
The petition for ‘daily bread’, Matthew 6:11, isn’t for milk and honey, the symbols of luxury, but for bread that will be sufficient for this day, Exodus 16:12-31.
God will supply all necessary daily needs if we seek His kingdom first, Matthew 6:25-33 / Philippians 4:19. Of course, we must realise that there is a difference between our wants and our needs. We must be careful not to let prosperity interfere with thankfulness for daily needs, Proverbs 30:8-9.
None of us has a promise that we’ll be here tomorrow that’s why we have to learn to live and rely on God ‘one day at a time’, as Lina Martell once sang.
God is the one who is the giver of all blessings and He’s the one who will take care of our needs, but we need to learn to put our trust in God to provide what we need today, even though there may be times when we can’t see what will happen tomorrow, 1 Timothy 6:7.
Jesus uses the word ‘debts’ here in Matthew 6:12, in a spiritual way. Our sins are like spiritual debts to God, Matthew 18:21-35. Jesus elaborates upon this thought immediately after the close of this model prayer.
It’s difficult enough to pray for forgiveness when our hearts are broken because we know we’ve hurt God with our actions or thoughts, but it’s even more difficult to forgive those who have hurt us, especially if they are Christians who should know better.
But notice the condition that Jesus places upon our prayer for forgiveness, He says we can only ask for forgiveness when we have also shown forgiveness toward others, Matthew 6:12. In other words, we can’t expect God to forgive us, if we’re not willing to forgive others.
Now we can fight and try and justify our unforgiveness to others but notice that Jesus stresses this point again in Matthew 6:14-15. It never ceases to amaze me that people hold on to grudges for years, I was speaking to someone recently who was telling me about a brother really offending him many years ago and he still has the emails to prove it!
We need to remember that we have all sinned against each other at one time or another and we need forgiveness as much as the next person.
Do we really believe that God will forgive us if we’re holding people’s sins against them? Yes, it’s hard, yes, we can’t forget, as God can forget, but we must forgive, otherwise, there’s no forgiveness for us.
Jesus is also teaching us here that we need to admit that we sin, and we too need forgiveness and so when we become Christians confessing our sins to God is really important, otherwise, no forgiveness will be available to us, 1 John 1:8-10.
Jesus made this request of the Father, ‘Do not lead us into temptation’, Matthew 6:13. This request may seem somewhat troubling in light of James 1:13. Why would anyone pray that the Father does not lead him or her into temptation if God does not tempt anyone in the first place?
The solution is that this phrase could be translated, as ‘Do not lead us into trials’. There are plenty of trials to deal with in life without us praying for anymore! Of course, when trials are present, we learn to face them joyfully, James 1:2-4.
Jesus isn’t saying that God will lead us into temptation, James 1:13, but what He is saying is that we need to ask God for deliverance from temptation, in order to help us with our weaknesses, and to strengthen us against the works of the devil. If we want to resist the devil so that he flees from us, we need to stay close to God and submit to His ways, James 4:7-10.
Many people misinterpret 1 Corinthians 10:13. Yes, we all get tempted, yes, God won’t allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear, but He doesn’t provide a way of escape from the temptation.
The Greek text in 1 Corinthians 10:13, implies that God will give you the strength to endure the temptation, in other words, God will be with you and help you through that temptation.
Next is an element of prayer that is rarely heard publicly, ‘deliver us from the evil one’ or keep us from evil, Matthew 6:13 / Luke 22:31-32. Prayers for forgiveness are heard regularly, but not for the prevention of sin.
Faithful disciples of Christ should pray to be delivered from the evil one, they should pray to be able to escape the severe temptations that the devil may present to them. The second half of this verse highlights the fact that our prayers and life should always praise God.
Prayer is critical in the life of the Christian and the ‘Lord’s Prayer’ or maybe we should call the ‘disciple’s prayer’, after all, He’s teaching them how to pray, and we see the example of how to pray.
A parallel to this section of text can be found in Luke 11:1-4. Therein Jesus’ disciples ask Him to teach them how to pray. The Lord then proceeds to utter a prayer very similar to the one Matthew records. The fact that Jesus responds to His disciples’ requests implies that we can learn how to pray.
It isn’t a gift that is possessed by some and not by others but a talent in which we may grow and develop. One of the greatest needs in growing as Christians are to learn to be more prayerful.
To do such will teach greater dependence upon God and cause all to be more introspective. Our Father wants us to be prayerful people, He wants us to be sincere and feel secure in the prayers we offer to Him.
May we always be mindful of the beauty of simplicity when it comes to talking to Him, as well as the benefits of seclusion. Let’s strive to recognise God’s awesome nature in our prayers as well as His plan for our lives.
May we appreciate the providence of God which sustains us on a daily basis and utter prayers that reflect our reliance both physically and spiritually upon Him. Let’s strive to manifest a gracious disposition to others as we endeavour to more fully comprehend our own personal need for forgiveness.
We must remember who God is, we must remember that He is a Holy God, and speak to Him with the uttermost respect, we must remember that our prayers need to be in accordance with His will, and He is desperate for His will to be carried out here on earth.
Take one day at a time and trust God to provide our daily needs, not our daily greeds, ask God to help us to forgive others whilst we ask God to forgive us, and finally ask Him to help us through those temptations which the devil sends our way.
FORGIVENESS
‘For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.’ Matthew 6:14-15
Here are the terms and conditions for forgiveness. We must be willing to forgive others, as we received forgiveness from God at our baptism, Acts 2:38.
Having a forgiving spirit identifies us as possessing the nature of God who forgives, Ephesians 4:32 / Colossians 3:13. If we cannot forgive our people, then certainly we aren’t of the nature of God, and thus, not a candidate for heaven, Matthew 9:2-6 / Matthew 18:21-35 / Luke 17:3-4 / James 2:13.
When I was younger I was made to apologise to my brother for something I hadn’t done. Needless to say, I wasn’t very happy about it but as my parents left me no other choice, I had to apologise. I remember afterwards my brother just smiling and mocking me because he knew I didn’t do anything wrong against him.
Being accused of something you haven’t done isn’t a pleasant experience but when it comes to sin, we’re all guilty. You don’t have to look very far to see all the evil which is in our world, it’s all over our newspapers and television screens.
Sadly, when it comes to sin many people are in the habit of comparing their sins with others. However, we can’t compare our sin with others and say, ‘at least I’m not a murderer, I only stole some sweets from the shop’. ‘At least I’m not an adulterer, I only told a lie’, Romans 3:10.
No! God has no standard of sin, in His eyes, sin is sin and we’re all just as bad as one another, no matter what sin we commit, Romans 3:23.
God asks us to look deep within ourselves and admit our guilt because if we don’t admit guilt we can’t accept forgiveness, 1 John 1:8-10. Anyone who says they aren’t guilty can’t accept forgiveness because forgiveness is only for guilty people!
In other words, you can’t forgive innocent people if there’s nothing to forgive! As long as we insist on our innocence we can never accept forgiveness at the hand of God.
So God insists that we admit our guilt because He wants so much to forgive us and because He wants so much to live with us in loving fellowship, Isaiah 59:1-3. But there can be no loving fellowship unless our rebellion against God is dealt with and it cannot be dealt with unless we admit sin exists.
The Bible insists that Christ died for every one of us and that He died to rescue us from sin, John 3:16 / 1 John 2:2. Christ comes confronting us with our sin and tells us, that He is the way out! John 14:6.
Instead of shutting God out of our lives, we must let Him work with us and in us to deliver us from the power of sin that’s much too strong for us. When we admit our own sinfulness, we will readily be able to forgive others as God has forgiven us.
Stott, says the following.
‘Once our eyes have been opened to see the enormity of our offence against God, the injuries which others have done to us appear by comparison extremely trifling. If, on the other hand, we have an exaggerated view of the offences of others, it proves that we have minimized our own.’
The cross doesn’t make forgiveness easy, but it does make it possible, Luke 23:34. We must learn to root out any bitterness we have towards others, Ephesians 4:26-27 / Ephesians 4:31 / Hebrews 12:14-15. We must learn to bless those who hurt us, Romans 12:14. We must forgive others as God forgave us, Matthew 6:12 / Matthew 6:13-14.
FASTING IF APPROPRIATE
‘When you fast, do not look sombre as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.’ Matthew 6:16-18
Our Lord begins by saying ‘when you fast’, not ‘if you fast’, Matthew 6:16. He implies that His disciples will practice fasting, i.e., abstaining from food and perhaps fluids for an extended period of time.
The hypocrites in Jesus’ day made sure they looked like they were fasting by purposely neglecting to wash their faces and anoint their heads, Matthew 6:17-18. They wanted to appear miserable so everyone would know what they were ‘enduring’.
Those who fast in this manner are not pleasing the Lord, and they won’t derive any spiritual blessings from such, Matthew 6:16. It is best to conceal our fasting, Matthew 6:17-18, if possible since the act is intended for self-abasement, not the cultivation of pride.
Much can be learned about fasting by analysing Bible examples of it. There appear to be both physical and spiritual reasons for fasting. Please reflect upon the following reasons.
1. When a friend or loved one is sick, fasting is appropriate.
David ended up fasting for a week in that context for his child who was ill, 2 Samuel 12:15-16 / Psalm 35:13.
2. When a friend or loved one has died, fasting is appropriate.
At the death of King Saul and his sons, the people fasted, 1 Samuel 31:13.
3. When we desire to seek the Lord and His blessings, fasting is appropriate.
The first reference to fasting is in the Book of Judges, Judges 20:26. The last reference to fasting in the Book of the prophet Zechariah and devout Jews fasted, Zechariah 8:19.
Most of the fasting was undertaken voluntarily and was not undertaken at the command of God but devout Jews undertook to fast for at least two reasons.
Not for health reasons, but,
1. Because they believed it was a way of attracting the attention of God. If they fasted, they thought that God noticed them.
2. Because they thought that, if they fasted, God would be prepared to do something about the situation that had caused them to fast.
If you think about this second reason, you will see that if a man thought his fasting had influenced God to act, it was very easy for him to imagine that he, personally, was someone special!
The reality, although, through the centuries, the Jew, especially after the Babylonian Captivity, introduced fasts for a whole range of reasons, but only one fast was specifically commanded by God, and that was the fast associated with the Day of Atonement, the most important and solemn Day in their religious Year, Leviticus 16:29.
In Leviticus 16:29, the expression, ‘deny yourselves’ or ‘afflict your souls’ is the expression for fasting, and this was the only fast that the Jews observed faithfully every year.
When we examine the New Testament, it surprises some people to find that the Lord only mentioned fasting twice, Matthew 6:16-18 / Mark 2:18-22.
Notice that both passages above, record Jesus’ response to the practice of that time. But also, notice, although about 16 times He says, ‘it was said by those of old time…. but I say to you’, Jesus doesn’t use these words because this kind of fasting about which He was speaking wasn’t covered by the Mosaic Law, but because it was something that the people had taken on themselves in the old law.
In Acts 13:1-3, Luke records that the church in Antioch sent Barnabas and Paul on the First Missionary Journey, with prayer and fasting, they fasted in connection with the appointment of Elders, in the congregations that they established during that journey.
Please note that the whole church didn’t fast, it was only those mentioned in Acts 13:1 ‘Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen and Saul.’
In 1 Corinthians 7:1-5 Paul mentions sexual fasting but neither here nor anywhere else, does he impose it as a command. In 2 Corinthians 6:5, and 2 Corinthians 11:27, he refers to what he suffered for the sake of the Gospel and speaks of times when he went without food. But this wasn’t because he was ‘fasting’, but because he had no food to eat!
There are times in life when we are in need of spiritual renewal or special help and guidance. Such times require a deeper focus that fasting can help provide.
For example, consider the following, 2 Chronicles 20:1-3 / Esther 4:3 / Esther 4:16 / Acts 10:30 / Acts 13:1-3.
4. When we are grieving over some calamity, fasting is appropriate.
In Ezra 10:6 it is recorded that Ezra ‘ate no bread and drank no water, for he mourned because of the guilt of those in captivity.’ Nehemiah 1:2-7 / Daniel 6:18-28.
5. When we are repenting of sin, fasting is appropriate.
Jonah records the penitence of the Ninevites after Jonah preached to them, Jonah 3:5 / Jonah 3:10 / Acts 9:9.
I don’t claim that the items on this list are exhaustive or mutually exclusive, though I do believe they cover the primary reasons why those of old fasted.
All of these reasons are still relevant for us today and those seeking to do God’s will should still fast at appropriate times, Matthew 9:14-15. Fasting should be considered an aid to meditation and prayer, Matthew 17:21 / 1 Corinthians 7:5.
However, since the New Testament doesn’t regulate the frequency or duration of fasting, such must be left up to each individual. We have no right to bind or create laws where the Lord has not, but we most certainly should stress the importance of fasting for those who are physically able to participate in such.
The answer to the question, should a Christian fast? is, therefore, ‘yes! If they want to!’ but remember that fasting, like ‘bodily exercise’ may do a little good, but ‘godliness is profitable for all things!’ 1 Timothy 4:8.
TREASURES IN HEAVEN
‘Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.’ Matthew 6:19-21
A topical study of the Gospels reveals that Jesus spoke on the subject of money or materialism often. He evidently considered the love of money and material things to be a serious problem that needed to be addressed continually, 1 Timothy 6:10. We haven’t changed much in the last 2000 years, the problem remains today.
In the first century, the idea of a secure bank was unknown, and the safest way to keep their money was to bury it, Joshua 7:21 / Matthew 25:18. However, doing such would subject the money, which was composed of metal, to rust and corrosion, Matthew 6:20-21.
They could choose to keep their treasure above ground but then took the risk of having it stolen by a thief breaking in, Matthew 6:19. In actuality, the Greek words here literally indicate that the ‘thieves dig through.’
This statement is accurate since houses of that day were frequently made of loose stone or sun-dried bricks. It was easier for a thief to dig through the wall than attempt to break through a more secure door.
Thus, there really was no absolute way to protect their physical treasures. Any of them could be stolen, metal was subject to corrosion, and clothing could be destroyed by moths.
To ‘treasure’ something is to love that object more than anything else. To ‘treasure’ the things of this world are foolish because they are both uncertain and temporary.
Happiness may be found in such ‘treasures’ for a while, but not true, lasting joy. These verses don’t teach that it is sinful to be materially rich in the present world. To be rich is dangerous, but not sinful, Matthew 19:23-24.
However, this passage does teach that we must ‘possess’ whatever material goods we are blessed with and not vice versa. To possess a large amount of money or resources isn’t wrong, but to love those things and consider them to be a ‘treasure’ is to fall into Satan’s trap, 1 Timothy 6:7-10 / Luke 12:15 / Hebrews 13:5.
Anyone with such a mentality will hoard these possessions to harm others and himself. Instead, those who are rich should be careful to remember that they can only trust in God and not in themselves or their earthly treasure. Let them do much good with the things the Lord has entrusted them with, 1 Timothy 6:17-19.
Jesus makes a strong case for laying up treasure in heaven while exposing the folly of hoarding earthly treasure by contrasting the corrupting forces of this world with the security of heaven, Matthew 6:20-21.
To practice righteousness to be seen by God and to bring glory to His name is to make a deposit in God’s heavenly ‘bank.’ There is great security in knowing that such treasures cannot be stolen or damaged. The riches of heaven are eternally secure for the person who continues to treasure them.
‘The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! ‘No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.’ Matthew 6:22-24
Jesus focused on ‘treasures’, i.e., whatever is most important to our ‘heart’, Matthew 6:19-21. It is foolish to store up earthly treasures for they do not last, but heavenly treasures are eternal.
In Matthew 6:22-24, He also addresses this theme. We cannot serve earthly riches and God simultaneously, Matthew 6:24. There can only be one master in a person’s life.
If we make physical riches our master, then we have chosen a treasure that will not last. If we make God Almighty our master, then we have wisely chosen an everlasting treasure.
What does Jesus mean when He speaks of good eyes, bad eyes, darkness, and light? Matthew 6:22-23. Understanding His point isn’t nearly as difficult when we observe that Jesus is contrasting earthly and heavenly treasures in the verses both immediately before and after. Thus, it’s reasonable to suggest that He is still addressing this theme in these verses in the middle.
The eye allows images, that is light inside the body, Matthew 6:22. Our body will be ‘full of light’ if our eye is ‘good’, i.e., healthy, and allows us to see things clearly and in proper perspective.
The person with such good spiritual ‘eyesight’ sees money as a tool to help further the Lord’s work and not as something to lavish upon themselves.
But, if our eye is ‘bad’, i.e., not healthy, then our body will be ‘full of darkness’, Matthew 6:23. We will not see things clearly or in a proper perspective, physically or spiritually.
It’s entirely possible for us to start with a healthy ‘eye,’ but it can become dimmer and dimmer until it is full of the evils of materialism and immorality.
In reference to serving two masters, Matthew 5:24, it should be remembered that God is a jealous God, Exodus 20:5. Just as no right-thinking husband will accept a rival for the affections of his wife, so God will accept no rival for our affections.
If a person loves anyone or anything more than they love God, then that person is not a true disciple, Luke 14:26-33. They are serving another ‘master.’ Also, it should be recognised that a person doesn’t necessarily love what or whom they claim, they love that to which they give foremost devotion and attention, Matthew 19:21.
Jesus contrasts ‘God’ with ‘money’, i.e., riches, Matthew 6:24. It’s impossible to serve these two masters simultaneously because the only way to obey the one is to disobey the other! If we love and treasure physical things, then we will not serve God with all our hearts, Mark 12:30-31.
God will not accept just part of our service but demands that we love Him supremely, James 4:4 / 1 John 2:15. However, the devil will gladly accept only a portion of our service, for he knows that in getting a part of it, he is truly getting all of it.
The primary thrust here seems to be pointing out the danger of self-deception. A person might falsely reason that they can serve riches as long as they are serving God by means of certain formalities. Jesus says that such isn’t possible.
We’re either with God or against Him, there is no middle ground, Matthew 12:30. Where is our treasure? If we answer that question honestly, we’ll know who our master is!
DO NOT WORRY
‘Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? ‘And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.’ Matthew 6:25-34
As we enter this part section of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, we find that He addresses the subject of worry in a most powerful way. Jesus’ use of the word ‘therefore’ indicates that He is drawing a conclusion from His thoughts in Matthew 6:19-24, namely, that we must live for God and not for the world. We must trust God and not physical riches.
When Jesus stated, ‘do not worry about your life,’ Matthew 6:25, He wasn’t making a suggestion, He was giving a command that we ought to obey. Jesus wouldn’t command us not to worry, if it wasn’t possible.
Worry is a pain we inflict upon ourselves that does not have to be there. Are you like me? You could break the commandment not worry, several times before you even get out of bed in the morning, Matthew 6:25 / Philippians 4:6.
If we are spiritually perceptive, we will realise that life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing, Matthew 6:25. After all, earthly riches can provide food and clothing, but only God can give life and a body. Since God is the giver of both life and body, certainly He is capable of sustaining the one and covering the other.
Jesus strengthens His argument by referring to the ‘birds of the air’, Matthew 6:25. They never plant, they never harvest, and they never stockpile for later. They don’t ‘treasure’ earthly things as man does, yet God takes care of them and provides for all their needs!
Surely, He will do the same for us since we are ‘of more value than they’, Matthew 6:25. We are of more value than the birds and other animals because we are made in God’s image and because of our potential to serve. Jesus wants us to trust in God’s providence. God will feed us before He feeds His birds!
Because of the previous facts, He has mentioned, Jesus asks what good does it do to worry? Matthew 6:27. Worrying is useless and nothing productive is accomplished by it. It can’t make us one inch taller, it can’t make us live one day longer, but it can shorten our lives.
Worrying has never been prescribed as a solution to a problem! Imagine a doctor recommending worrying to solve our ulcer! Imagine a preacher rebuking us for neglecting to engage in our daily worrying. Imagine a teacher urging their students to go home and worry about the test.
What good is it going to do us to worry? We are inflicting ourselves with a pain that is absolutely useless and does not help us one iota. Life is so much more than what we worry about, and worry indicates that I am allowing the external to dominate the eternal on my priority list.
If I’m counting on God not to change His mind on Judgement Day about my salvation, Romans 8:1, why do I live like He’s going to change His mind tomorrow about what I need? We act like we believe in a God that can provide salvation, but nothing else.
Despite the fact, that He gives testimony through nature, that He can provide, Matthew 6:26 / Matthew 6:28. In the months ahead we will see the grass grow, the birds fly, the flowers bloom and the trees bud.
The Bible says we are in the hands of God, He opens up His hands and provides every living thing with what it needs, and we are in good hands with God, Psalm 145:16.
We should put forth the effort to dress modestly, but there is no need to worry about attire. The lilies of the field are some of the most beautiful things on Earth, yet they do not worry or work at it, God ‘clothes’ them, Matthew 6:28-29.
If God clothes the lilies which neither labour nor spin and if He clothes them more beautifully than Solomon in all his glory, then, how much more will He clothe His people? Matthew 6:30. Worry betrays a false view of human beings as if we were only machines that need to be fuelled and lubricated.
We are bombarded daily with adverts that intentionally create anxiety, with the message that we are nothing more than complex machines which require maintenance.
They tell us we need new clothes, we need a new brand of mobile phone, we need a new home, we need a new car, we need a different shaped tea bag. And if we buy these things and take care of our machine, we might get a few more miles out of it.
Jesus is here to tell us that we are more than that, we are more than just a machine to be maintained. He says that kind of orientation is absurdly unworthy of what a human being really is and He is calling us to a higher ambition. The problem with worry is it makes us forget the promises of God.
Trusting God to meet our needs doesn’t mean we don’t have to work, working is one way God gives us the ability to provide, He gives us the ability to work, Romans 8:32.
It doesn’t mean we ignore other people’s needs, when we see a need we shouldn’t say, ‘Trust in God, He’ll meet our needs’, God could be meeting that need through our generosity.
Worrying is unnecessary for the person who has faith that fully relies upon and trusts God! Who will deny that God has made the fields and flowers beautiful? If the Lord does that for something that will be burned up as fuel in an oven, will He not provide for His children’s needs even better?
Jesus begins summarising, stating that we ought not to worry about the necessities of life. God’s care for the flowers and birds, Matthew 6:28-29, should teach us to expect that He will show more interest in providing for those who have been fashioned for eternity, Matthew 6:31. After all, God gave His Son for us, why would He withhold the necessities of life? Romans 8:31-32.
Worrying is unbecoming of true disciples. It’s perhaps to be expected that those who are not believers in God would have life’s necessities as their main interest, but Jesus tells His followers that they have a heavenly Father who will provide these things for them, and they are to trust Him to provide.
This is the case because He is both knowledgeable of our needs and able to supply them. Jesus also shows worry to be destructive. Worry robs us of our spiritual values and encourages us to focus on things in this world.
An example of this can be seen in Luke 10:38-42. Martha was more concerned about being a good host, rather than learning as a disciple, her worrying wasn’t good. Today, many still allow worry to interfere with being the kind of disciples that God would have them to be.
What makes a pagan? Matthew 6:32. A pagan looks for life in the external, instead of the eternal. The pagan might be the politest, kindest, decent person we have ever met but, he’s a pagan and he’s looking for life in all the wrong places. And if we are trying to find life in the external, we will worry.
If a person seeks only the material things of life, they will likely find them, but they cannot expect the spiritual. However, if a person seeks that which is spiritual, then they can expect both. That is a wonderful promise from God!
Notice, Jesus didn’t say ‘Stop seeking,’ Matthew 6:33. That’s not the issue, the issue is, what are we going to seek this week? He tells us the thing we should want most and that is God’s kingdom and doing what God wants. We will worry tomorrow, not because our problems are too big, but because our goals are too small.
We were meant for more than just preserving the body beautiful; we were created to enjoy and to promote the Rulership of God in the world. If that is our priority, we can see that goal, which is truly worthy of what a human being really is. We can seek that goal no matter what happens.
Illness can come and we can still seek the goal of enjoying and promoting the kingdom of God. We can lose our job or a loved one through a divorce or death, an investment can go wrong. But nothing can happen to us tomorrow that can keep us from the goal that is worthy of who we really are.
Jesus didn’t say, we won’t have problems, but He did say that every day has its own troubles, Matthew 6:34. God knows what we need and God is faithful, God will see to it that we have everything we need to put His kingdom first. God’s going to make sure everything we need to be what He’s designed us to be and to pursue what He wants us to pursue, we will have.
Jesus said, ‘seek first the kingdom of God,’ Matthew 6:34. Literally, this means we are to ‘keep on seeking’. To seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness is to endeavour to live a godly, obedient life at any cost, a life that glorifies God in the church, Ephesians 3:21, which is His kingdom, Matthew 16:18-19.
To accomplish this is to live by the principles set forth in the Sermon on the Mount, as well as the rest of the New Testament. To be worried about matters of life implies that we don’t trust God completely. If we don’t trust God fully, then our treasures are on the Earth and our master is money, Matthew 6:19-24.
Such a person may be seeking the kingdom partially, but such is not sufficient. God doesn’t want to hold second or third place, or even lower, in our lives. He expects that we make Him our number one priority! Mark 12:30.
The fact is that all of our worrying will not give us control of tomorrow, it will only make us miserable today, Matthew 6:34. It’s foolish to attempt to anticipate tomorrow’s troubles today and to try to bear them today. As we noted earlier, much of our unhappiness arises from the dread of that which never comes to pass.
If there is one thing we should start tomorrow, it should be to improve our prayer lives. The biggest room in the world is the room for improvement. Can you imagine what would happen if we spent more time praying instead of worrying?
We would have much less to worry about. We can’t control tomorrow, politicians can’t control tomorrow, our friends and family can’t control tomorrow but God can.
It should be noted that there is a big difference between worrying about the future and preparing for it to the best of our ability. All are to be good stewards of God’s entrusted blessings, but none should worry about tomorrow if they are doing their best to serve God faithfully today.
God will always listen to any of our problems and by improving our prayer lives we are recognizing that it’s God that controls tomorrow, not us. When we pray, we receive the greatest cure for worry, we experience the touch of the eternal. God is going to respond to our prayers when we talk to Him about our concerns.
He will do something about that concern if it’s in accordance with His will and He is going to send us a peace that cannot be explained away.
When we pray, God sends us a peace that we simply cannot understand because it’s beyond our understanding. God protects us from unnecessary worry, when we turn the worry over to Him and leave that worry with Him, Philippians 4:6-7.
The word ‘worry’ is used repeatedly in this context, and if God is truly our Master, then there is no need to have anxiety or doubt regarding anything, God will take care of us, Romans 8:28.
The worrier doubts and is double-minded, such a person is unstable and lacking in faith, James 1:6-8. Such a person fails to realise the benefits and peace of mind that come from relying upon God and not upon physical riches or ourselves, Philippians 4:6-7.
I find it interesting that the Greek word for ‘worry’ is the word, ‘merimnao’ which basically means distraction. Read through Matthew 6:25-34 again but instead of reading the word ‘worry’ replace it with the word ‘distraction’. When you do this, I believe this puts a whole new perspective on what Jesus is teaching us here.
He’s saying we shouldn’t allow ourselves to get distracted by the everyday needs of our lives, God will take care of them for us. He doesn’t want us to get distracted, but He wants us to stay focused on serving God in His kingdom and continue to seek His righteousness.
The same idea is found in 1 Peter 5:7. ‘Peter literally says, ‘cast all our distractions upon God, because God won’t be distracted from meeting your needs.’
Perhaps this is what Peter had in mind because the word ‘worry’ or ‘anxiety’ is the Greek word ‘merimna’ and it means ‘distraction’. Peter and Jesus are both saying, don’t let your basic everyday needs distract you from seeking God’s kingdom today.
Turn your worries over to God, 1 Peter 5:7, means to let go of it, let God take care of our distractions because He’s not going to get distracted from meeting your needs.
We will still have those things on our mind, but when we give them to God, we won’t be controlled by our anxieties because we trust God to take care of them for us. We might as well give our worries over to Someone who can do something about tomorrow because we can’t.
Do you know that doctors are prescribing more and more drugs for anxiety than any other illness? Do you know that the single most common sin that will steal our joy is the sin of worry? Worry is the fine we pay when we look for life in all the wrong places.
When we look for life in things that weren’t intended to give life, worry will be the tragic, yet inevitable result. We’re all created by God to need something to live for, something to give meaning to our existence and something to set our hearts upon.
Is worry a problem in your life? This next part examines what Jesus taught about worrying and offers some practical suggestions for overcoming it. There are many enemies of the mind, but worry may be the most destructive.
Some have compared worry to a rocking chair, it gives us something to do but does not get us anywhere! Worry has also been likened to an old man with a bent head, carrying a load of feathers which he thinks are led.
Worrying is a serious problem in the 21st century. If we allow it, worry can destroy us by slowly taking over our minds and bodies! People worry about most anything and everything. For instance, people worry about things that have already happened.
Such is pointless since the past cannot be changed. One should learn from the past, seek forgiveness on God’s terms when sin has been committed, and move on, that’s what the apostle Paul did, Philippians 3:13.
People also worry about things that will inevitably happen. Many fear growing older or dying, but again, such is futile. Rather than worrying about these matters, it would be better to simply prepare for them to the best of our ability.
We must remember that death is not the end, Hebrews 9:27, and that there are blessings to be had in old age, 2 Corinthians 4:16. Additionally, people worry about things that will never happen. The fact that most of our fears will never come to pass should help us understand the futility of worrying.
Mark Twain once said, ‘I have worried over a great many things in life, the most of which never happened’.
Finally, people worry about things that God has already taken care of. In Mark 16:3, the women who went to anoint Jesus’ body early Sunday morning expressed concern over who would move the stone away from the tomb. As it turned out, God had already taken care of the matter.
Can we trust God to provide our daily needs like food, drink and clothes? Matthew 6:31. Didn’t God supply food every day for His people in the wilderness? Exodus 16:4.
Didn’t God supply water for His people to drink in the wilderness? Exodus 17:6. Didn’t God miraculously preserve their clothes and shoes for forty years? Deuteronomy 29:5.
How often does He share His compassion with us? Every day, every morning, Lamentations 3:22-23. When Jesus taught the people how to pray, He told them to pray for their daily bread, Matthew 6:11.
How many times have we missed today’s blessings by worrying about tomorrow’s possibilities? Worrying is a sin because it makes us miss today’s grace. God gave us food today, He gave us clothes today, He gave us friends today and a place to worship today. Are we missing our reason to rejoice today because of something that might happen tomorrow?
Don’t let tomorrow keep us from living today fully, Psalm 118:24. We’ve got today to hug our kids or kiss our wife or husband. We’ve got today to give someone a smile.
We’ve got today to make a new friend or do something for an elderly person. We’ve got today to read our Bibles and get down on our knees to worship God.
Jesus says, don’t let food, drink, clothes or even tomorrow distract us from serving God today because He’ll take care of those things for us.
I don’t know what will come to each and every one of us tomorrow. I don’t know what distractions will come our way, but I do know that when worry knocks, we don’t have to let it in, we can let faith in instead. Wouldn’t it make more sense to give our worries and our life over to Someone who can control tomorrow?
