The Sermon On The Mount
Adult Class-Spring 2004
Lesson 7
Beginning in Matthew
5, Jesus taught about the kingdom of God
and the kind of people that are at home there. As we pass away from the new
attitudes that must change because we are citizens of the kingdom, Jesus begins
to teach about religious activities. He speaks about the right kind of actions
that flow from a heart inclined toward God.
In the mind of the first-century Jews, there were three essential
actions found in right living: giving to the needy (alms), prayer and fasting.
Many people wanted to be known for their righteousness, so they went to
elaborate (and often silly!) lengths to be sure that all bystanders were aware
of their dealings. In Matthew 6:1-18, Jesus insists on a different way of life
that has become "common sense" to us by now. It must be stressed, though, that
when Jesus spoke these words, they were radically different from common practice
and established custom.
Before we look at His specific teaching, though, we must acknowledge
what Jesus is not teaching. He is not teaching that we should hide our
good deeds. He already told us to be visible in doing good (Matthew 5:16). In
addition, His example is one of repeated, public acts of mercy and love. The
crucifixion is history's greatest display of mercy and it was extremely public.
Jesus calls us here to do the right things for the right reasons-not merely for
public acclaim. As citizens of the kingdom of God, we are to be the kind of
people who are reflexive about our religious acts. We don't create an open show,
and we are free from the pressure of others' opinions about our walk with
God.
Matthew 6:1-4-Kingdom mercy
From the beginning, Jesus stresses a principle that will govern
all our religious activities: if you want a reward from people, you shouldn't
expect one from your Father in heaven, too. We cannot seek the approval of God
and mankind (Galatians 1:10).
Notice that Jesus assumes we will be generous toward the needy.
Helping the poor is certainly not discouraged! Remember that in the ancient
world, without welfare, social programs, or even a strong culture of helping,
destitute people depended on the generosity of the pious. His warning to us is
that we must not do this in a way calculated to gain the respect of witnesses.
In issuing this warning, Jesus used an old word in a new way-and forever changed
our language.
The word hypocrite literally meant
"actor." Jesus lifted the
word to express disdain for all pretense and false dealing. Before His use of
the word in this way, there is no evidence that anybody else was so vivid. Soon
after the establishment of the church, the word is frequently found to describe
a person who seeks to put on a false impression. We must realize that a
hypocrite is not somebody who tries to do the right thing but makes a mistake. A
hypocrite is somebody who consciously tries to make you think he is something
that he knows he is not! Jesus exaggerates for the sake of emphasis to show the
intensity of the idea. You should be so reflexive about your giving that it is
automatic.
Matthew 6:5-15--Kingdom prayer
A similar problem crops up when hypocrites pray. They stand up
in the synagogues, or stop on street corners and pray long and loud, and
everybody is impressed
with their devotion. So, their prayers have been answered. By contrast, kingdom
prayer is addressed to God (consider Luke 18:11). It needs no human audience if
it really is directed to God. Likewise, prayer is not done for the purpose of
impressing God-as if our eloquence could move Him or our repetition could
manipulate Him.
We must always be on guard against treating prayer like a magic
spell, as if God could be forced to do our will or be used like a tool against
others. The story in Acts 19:11-17 makes this same point! Prayer is serious,
heart-to-heart conversation with God, who already knows what you need. Elsewhere
Jesus urges persistence in prayer (Luke 18:1-8), but our prayers must have real
meaning, not just senseless repetition.
Jesus provides a pattern for prayer that shows the deepest insight
into our relationship with God. He calls God "Our Father," claiming for us an
intimate closeness. He opens the prayer with an expression of praise to God for
who and what He is, "hallowed be your name." He drives home the realization that
in everything, we must pray that God's will be done and not just our own, "your
kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." He points out that
the necessities of life should be requested from the Creator of life, "Give us
this day our daily bread." The necessities of spiritual life come from Him,
too-especially the forgiveness of our sins, "Forgive us our debts, as we also
have forgiven our debtors." Never forget that our forgiveness is conditional on
our forgiveness! We need God's spiritual protection, so we must ask for it, "Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one."
This pattern sets the tone for all our prayers, but Jesus nowhere
commands fine language, theatrical tones or archaic terms, as if they somehow
sanctified our words. He insists on sincere, heart-felt conversation with the
Father, unmoved by the opinions of those who may hear our prayers.
Matthew 6:16-18-Kingdom fasting
Fasting is a spiritual discipline in which you deny yourself in
order to more greatly affirm God. It is a planned attempt to shift the focus
away from my desires to concentrate on what God wants from me. It is an
opportunity for me to experience the truthfulness of the Lord's statement, "Man
does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of
God" (Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4). But note the irony of "focusing on God" by
broadcasting my pains to humanity! Where is the focus?
Jesus assumed that fasting would take place among His followers, but
Jesus requires us to treat that day like any other: shower and dress and go on
about your business without drawing attention to your situation. The object is
to get closer to God, not to men. God will reward us appropriately-and many have
praised the results of a sincere, thoughtful fast.
The commission to keep our spiritual communion between us and God is
a real problem for many. Some go on the mission field because "it is expected"
by family, friends or others. Others lust for the title "elder" or "deacon" to
be exalted in the eyes of others. Some become resentful because they have taught
Bible classes or served in some other capacity without "proper recognition." We
all have to remember that we serve Christ because we love Him and we expect to
gain His approval. If, in the process, we happen to gain the approval of the
church, too, that will be nice but not important.
The kingdom heart is all about focusing intently on God.