Monthly Archive for May, 2008

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Matthew 6:19f

Published on May 10, 2008 in Matthew. 1 Comment
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Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

 

6:19
Jesus next spoke about our attitude towards wealth as a gauge of our spirituality.
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth,
The idea behind “laying up” is to store up; it puts emphasis on hording for oneself. If our essential scale of values is based on things of earth, we will miss eternal orientation. Jesus was not making an absolute prohibition against gathering wealth to oneself, but rather teaching that money is to be used for eternity rather than time. This is an issue of personal policy.
where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;
Treasures on earth are subject to decomposition. Moths eat through clothes, a value of considerable importance in the ancient world. “Rust” comes from the word eats. The idea is to corrode. Rust consumes and causes items to disappear. Earthly treasures ultimately disappear.
To “break in” is literally to dig through. Walls in Palestine were often made of dried mud. A burglar could dig through a wall to steal one’s possessions. Again this emphasizes the transient nature of earthly possessions.
6:20
but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,
When we use all our possessions for God, we lay up treasures in heaven. Jesus says in effect, “Focus on things of eternal consequence.”
where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
Treasures on earth are temporal. They only last in time, not eternity.
6:21
For where your treasure is,
Our treasure is what we value most.
there your heart will be also.
What we love is where we place our priorities. What we love most is our god. Our hearts are right when we devote time and possessions to eternal things.
PRINCIPLE: Our best investment is in eternal things.
APPLICATION: We cannot divide life into spiritual and material, because Jesus made no such division. A proper attitude towards wealth is to use all that we have for eternity.
It is not wrong to possess things, but it is wrong for things to possess us. When things possess us, it is spiritual slavery. Temporal possessions will enslave our hearts. Putting all our efforts into earthly pursuits will distort eternal values.
And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 1 Ti 6:8-10
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Matthew 6:16f

Published on May 10, 2008 in Matthew. 0 Comments
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Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

 

6:16
We now come to the third example of pseudo-righteousness—phony fasting.
“Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites,
Pharisees fasted to impress people. They fasted two times a week (Lu 18:12). Fasting had to do with denying self, but the Pharisees glorified self.
with a sad countenance.
The word “sad” carries the idea of dreary. This is an appearance of settled grief as well as affected sullenness.
For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting.
These people conceal their true attitude by disfiguring their faces. The idea is of outward appearance of humility accompanying fasting.
Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
The Pharisees received their full reward with their phony fasting. Their reward was to be seen of men.
6:17
But you,
The “you” here is emphatic. There is strong contrast to the followers of Christ who operate on reality rather than appearance.
when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
Genuine believers appear normal physically. They do not change their outward appearance to impress others.
6:18
so that you do not appear to men to be fasting,
Appearance has to do with reputation, not character.
but to your Father who is in the secret place;
The Father is the only one we need to impress. Fasting is an issue simply between the believer and God.
and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
True fasting is between God and the believer done in secret. Our only motive should be to please God.
PRINCIPLE: Hypocrisy preempts genuine relationship to God.
APPLICATION: Jesus fasted (Mt 4:3) and the early church fasted (Ac 13:2). The purpose of fasting is to wholly concentrate on God. There is no intrinsic value to fasting. The idea is to give maximum time to God. In order to do so, this person would not prepare or eat food.
Hypocrisy places priority on reputation rather than character. Phony religion of appearance will strip us of reward in eternity. Some movements in evangelical Christianity place great emphasis on reputation and appearance rather than on the authenticity of Christianity. Everything is about giving an impression rather than about the gospel itself. The motivation behind these movements appears to be the desire to impress those without Christ by image rather than reality. This approach has lost confidence in the power of the gospel and puts trust in the machinations of men.
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Matthew 6:14f

Published on May 3, 2008 in Matthew. 0 Comments
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For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

 

6:14
Verses 14 and 15 are an addendum to and explanation of verses 12 and 13.
“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
God does not base forgiveness of sin on our forgiveness of others. There is a link between God’s forgiveness and our reciprocal forgiveness towards others. There is direct correspondence between the way God forgives and the way we forgive. Our forgiveness of others takes incentive from God’s forgiveness.
The word “trespass” means to cross over a line. The idea is intentional violation of God’s standard. We step over a clear line drawn by God.
6:15
But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Non-forgiveness does not imply that the death of Christ for our sins has no effect if we do not forgive others; however, non-forgiveness does affect our fellowship with God on a daily basis.
PRINCIPLE: Our view of forgiving others is an indication of our view of God’s forgiveness.
APPLICATION: The idea of forgiveness is to release other people from their obligation towards us. We grant them freedom from their wrong towards us. Forgiveness is costly.
If we retaliate against someone for an offense against us, that is the opposite of forgiveness. It is a tit-for-tat mentality. This makes us judges who dispense whatever judgment we deem necessary.
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Matthew 6:13

Published on May 3, 2008 in Matthew. 1 Comment
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And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

 

6:13
And do not lead us into temptation,
God does not lead us into temptation to sin. The word “temptation” here refers to trial. “Lead us” is permissive; the idea is, “Do not allow us to be led into trial.” Since testing is inevitable, we do not want to be carried into or caught up in the trial so as to crumble under pressure. This is a prayer for ability to stand up under pressure.
But deliver us from the evil one.
The “evil one” here is Satan. Satan uses trial to lead us into enticement to sin. This is a prayer for protection from actions of Satan.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
There is a manuscript problem with this sentence. Many translations do not include this sentence in their translations.
PRINCIPLE: God allows trials to come into our lives in order to build us in the faith.
APPLICATION: God does not solicit to evil; that is incompatible with His character. He does allow us to enter duress and pressure. We can pray that God would sustain us during duress. God allows us to enter trial for a number of reasons. We find many of these reasons in the book of First Peter.
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Jas 1:13-14
We cannot serve the Lord if duress gets us down. Soldiers in combat cannot yield to terror or their organization will fall apart. A solider cannot be a soldier who allows fear to control his decisions. We parlay faith into suffering.
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Pe 1:6-7
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Matthew 6:12

Published on May 3, 2008 in Matthew. 0 Comments
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And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.

 

6:12
And forgive us our debts,
Prayer for spiritual needs is also important. This is a prayer that Jesus could not pray.
A “debt” is something we owe. The word “debts” is a commercial term for financial debt. Matthew uses it here figuratively for sin.
As we forgive our debtors.
The word “as” introduces an analogy. Acceptance of forgiveness from God implies that we extend forgiveness to others.
PRINCIPLE: A forgiving person understands and executes the principle of grace towards others.
APPLICATION: If people wrong us, they do not have to come crawling to us for forgiveness. A grace-oriented person forgives and forgets. He does not hold a wrong against the other person. Why? Because he is the subject of grace himself.
The Father forgives us on the basis of Christ’s death for our sins. Because we have been judicially forgiven by God, we are able to functionally forgive others.
And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. Eph 4:32
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Matthew 6:11

Published on May 3, 2008 in Matthew. 0 Comments
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Give us this day our daily bread.
 
6:11
 Give us this day our daily bread.
An element of prayer is personal petition. The word “daily” only occurs here and Luke 11:3 in the New Testament and conveys the idea of “sufficient for today.” This is a prayer for basic needs.
PRINCIPLE: Believers are to live one day at a time.
APPLICATION: Believers are to live one day at a time. We cannot allow insecure thought patterns to get us down. God provides for what we need, nothing more, and nothing less. It does no good to worry about the future of our job or business. God has never been unfaithful to us and He will always be faithful.
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Matthew 6:9f

Published on May 3, 2008 in Matthew. 0 Comments
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In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.

 

6:9
Shifting from a critique of inadequate prayer, Jesus now turned to a model prayer (6:9-13). Luke also presented the Lord’s prayer (Lu 11:2-4).
In this manner, therefore, pray:
This is not the Lord’s Prayer but the disciples’ prayer. The Lord could not pray this prayer. This prayer is a model, not a liturgy. This prayer is brief and simple, yet comprehensive. Note Jesus did not say to recite this prayer word-for-word but to pray “in this manner.” This is a model prayer to establish a pattern for prayer, not a liturgical prayer.
Our Father in heaven,
Prayer begins with worship. The Father meets the needs of His children like a human father. The Father is not confined to creation but transcends the universe. He is sovereign over the universe, yet we have a paternal relationship to Him. We hold His name in reverence in prayer.
Hallowed be Your name.
The word “hallowed” means set apart. We are to set apart God’s name as distinct from other names. We are to honor His name. “Name” refers to personhood and character. His name is special.
6:10
Your kingdom come.
Part of a model prayer is to anticipate the kingdom of Jesus on earth. We should pray that God will fulfill His purpose on earth.
Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.
Jesus’ kingdom will fulfill God’s will on earth. It is impossible for this to come true today; it will come true when He establishes His kingdom on earth in the future. All prayer yields to God’s purpose and will.
PRINCIPLE: Jesus will one day fulfill the promise of His kingdom.
APPLICATION: The Sermon on the Mount was the way of life for disciples during the three years of our Lord’s public ministry. The King was on earth offering His kingdom, but Israel rejected Him as King. The King does not offer the kingdom today because He is in heaven. The Lord’s Prayer was a legitimate prayer while Jesus was on earth but it is not a valid prayer today because the King is in heaven. It is also a valid prayer for those in the coming Tribulation.
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Matthew 6:7f

Published on May 2, 2008 in Matthew. 0 Comments
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And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.

 

6:7
Jesus turned from the motive behind prayer to the proper method and substance of praying.
And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do.
The Greek word for “vain repetitions” originally meant to stammer and then came to mean to babble. The idea is to repeat the formula many times. The non-believer’s thoughtless recitation of prayer is meaningless from Jesus’ point of view.
For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
Religious non-believers think that God will hear their prayer if they repeat it enough. This is a merit approach to prayer. God stands ready to answer prayer. On that basis we do not need to extract an answer from Him.
6:8
“Therefore do not be like them.
Jesus’ implication was, “Do not be like people who think they can influence God by bombarding Him with repeated requests.” Biblical prayer is entirely different, for God willingly answers prayer.
For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.
The essence of prayer is dependence on God, which glorifies God. Although God knows our need before we ask Him, He wants us to trust Him in prayer. It is invalid to inform God of our situation, because He knows it better than we do.
PRINCIPLE: Stock, repetitive prayer has no value in God’s eyes.
APPLICATION: Some of us fall into the thinking that if we pray long, repeated prayers, then God will hear us. Stock, repetitive prayer does not impress God. God answers prayer on the basis of His grace found in Jesus. That is why we pray “in Jesus’ name.” Therefore, prayer is not conquering God’s reluctance to answer by repetition.
Prayer is not changing the will of God to conform to our will. Prayer is asking God to enter our situation within His will. God is not impressed by repeated asking. Neither does repetition force God to answer our prayers.
Persistence in prayer is biblical (Mt 7:7-8; Lu 18:1).
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Matthew 6:5f

Published on May 2, 2008 in Matthew. 0 Comments
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And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

 

6:5
Jesus now turned to the practice of prayer.
“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites.
A hypocrite produces an outward show that does not represent what he is inwardly. He pretends to be something that he is not. Praying for the purpose of public notice violates genuine spirituality.
For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men.
Religious leaders loved to pray in public in order to gain approbation from men.
Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
Praying to gain attention from men has its own reward but not reward from God. The Greek says that they are paid in full. They receive their reward on earth in time.
6:6
But you,
The “you” here is emphatic, making it a strong contrast to the prayer of religious leaders.
when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place;
A person who executes true prayer without an ulterior motive does it privately. He addresses prayer to the Father and does not pray with the consciousness of people listening to his prayer.
The issue here is not public prayer per se but ostentatious public prayer. Jesus Himself gave thanks for food before multitudes. The point is motivation for prayer.
and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
God rewards genuine prayer. He knows the motives of our hearts and rewards us accordingly. He will miss no point of reward. This reward may be the reward of answered prayer.
This is not a prohibition of public prayer. There is a place for public prayer (Ac 2:42; 12:12; 13:3; 14:23; 20:36; 27:35;1 Ti 2:1f). However, even in public prayer, prayer should be addressed to God and not with the foremost consciousness of the listening audience.
But “he who glories, let him glory in the Lord.” For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends. 2 Co 10:17-18
PRINCIPLE: There is nothing genuine in ostentatious prayer.
APPLICATION: Prayer is not for the purpose of calling attention to self by public exhibition. Public prayer is proper if done with the right motives.
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Matthew 6:3f

Published on May 2, 2008 in Matthew. 0 Comments
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But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.

 

Jesus turned to the positive dimension of giving in verses three and four.
6:3
But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
Charitable deeds should be done in private and not to be noticed by others. Not letting our left hand know what our right hand is doing is an idiom dealing with approbation lust. No believer is to let his ego lust control his giving.
6:4
that your charitable deed may be in secret;
The idea of “secret” is private. God knows our actions and that is all that is necessary.
and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.
God knows what we do in private. He will reward us for right motivation at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Matthew refers to reward three times in this section (6:4, 6, 18).
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Sa 16:7
PRINCIPLE: Giving for human applause is not giving but buying.
APPLICATION: Giving with the wrong motive robs us of eternal reward. Giving for human approbation and applause is not giving but buying. By buying applause from men we forfeit reward from God.
Motivation for giving rests on what Christ did for us.
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. 2 Co 8:9
We should not press the application of giving privately to the point where there is absolutely no public giving. The early church gave publically by laying down their gifts at the apostles’ feet (Ac 4:34-37).
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