Friday, January 13, 2012
An Audience of One
Matthew 6:1-18
Matthew 6:1-18
1 “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of
righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no
reward from your Father in heaven.
2 “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 honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in
full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand
know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in
secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 5
“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 men. I tell
you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6 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. 7
And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they
will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them,
for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 “This,
then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10
your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11
Give us today our daily bread. 12 Forgive us our debts, as we also
have forgiven our debtors. 13And lead us not into temptation, but
deliver us from the evil one. 14 For if you forgive men when they
sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But
if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. 16
“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure
their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have
received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your
head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to men
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.
These are important
and challenging words from Jesus.
Challenging because these words are meant to check our motives. These words are challenging us to ask the
questions, “Why I am doing this? For whom am I doing this?”
These words are
important because Jesus outlines for us three disciplines his followers should
be practicing – Giving, Praying and Fasting.
Notice Jesus doesn’t say “If you give…or if you pray…or if you fast – He
says “when”. Jesus is not teaching
whether we should give or pray of fast, he assumes we will. Jesus is teaching how we should give and pray
and fast and especially how not to do it.
The main point is that we should be very careful not to do our acts of
righteousness for the applause of men.
Rather we should seek the audience of One. We should give for Him. We
should pray to and for Him. We should
fast for Him.
I hope and pray that
each of you reading this will reflect and meditate on this passage for a
while. Here are some questions to help
you in your meditation.
1) Is giving, praying
and fasting a part of my spiritual discipline? If not, why not?
2) What is my focus
in giving, praying and fasting – God or men?
How can I be more God-centered in my spiritual disciplines?
3) Specifically, what
is Jesus teaching you about giving?
Praying? Fasting?
Prayer – Lord, I want
the reward that God gives more than any reward that man gives. As I give and
pray and fast, I do so for You and You alone. You are the audience that
matters. Let me live my life for Your glory today. AMEN!
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