Compassion and Reward

“Be careful not to perform your righteous acts before men to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven…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. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:1, 3-4)

Be careful not to perform supposed godly acts with manufactured and false compassion so that people will perceive you as righteous. If you act with false godliness, you will have no spiritual reward from your Heavenly Father. Your reward will be people's praise.

What did Jesus mean when He said, “Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing?” Your left hand, in some Jewish teachings, denotes weaknesses. The right had, in some Jewish teachings, denote strengths. Jesus’ phrase here means do not let your baser intentions and emotions attach themselves to your intention of giving to help someone in need. Instead, let honorable intentions and emotions be your motivator. When honest intentions to motivate people occur, the glory and honor go to God. When baser intentions motivate giving charity, the desire of the person is to take the honor and glory for himself, not God. Do charity secretly, to avoid people putting you on a pedestal and not to become prideful. Instead, give honor to God, who told you to help the person and gave you the means to help him.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warned against seeking greatness and receiving adoration. People should focus on God. Instead of seeking personal adoration, Jesus taught people to give secretly. Help a person discreetly. The heavenly Father, who sees what someone does in secret, will reward him. God’s rewards are heavenly and eternal.

Jesus taught how to give:

·       In secret, privately

·       With righteous intentions, to help the person and not highlight oneself.

·       Not to grow one’s reputation or receive honor.

Why should you give this way?

·       If you act intending to make yourself known as great, then earthly honor is all you will receive.

·       If you act in compassion, which comes from God and is good, and you shine the resultant thanks towards God, the One who gives all good things, then other people see God more than oneself and God receives the honor.

What will occur if you act godly?

·       God will reward you. Jesus doesn’t say in verses one through four what the reward will be. Verses thirty-three and thirty-four do. People, God’s creation made in His image, who revere and follow Him, can be certain that their good God will provide for their needs. Remember, God is always faithful to His word.

·       The reward for God’s people is His care now and forever. This promise is for everyone who believes in Jesus as their Savior and Lord.

Jesus concludes Matthew 6 with a promise. This promise tells of the reward for those who “do not let their left hand know what their right hand is doing.” He said,

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things (your needs) will be provided to you. So do not worry about tomorrow” (Matthew 6:33-34a).

Do godly acts of charity to help a person and honor God. God gives you the motivation in your new heart. He gives you the resources to help the person. Understand that God will provide all your needs, so follow as He leads you to love others, just as He loved and loves you.

 

Desire of My Heart

 

“Good teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17 [NASB])

Jesus spoke to the rich man (the rich, young ruler) who sought to be closer to God. This wealthy man asked Him what he must do to inherit eternal life. Notice a couple things in this passage. The man recognized who Jesus is. Jesus recognized the desire in the man’s heart and what kept him from absolute surrender to God.

Jesus asked why he called Him good; only God is good. He noticed this man recognized God in Him. People who do good things or teach well are not inherently good. Goodness comes as a gift from God to those who are in a relationship with Him. For the rich man to call Jesus good meant He saw God in Him. This man saw Jesus’ relationship with the Father. A person can only have a relationship with holy God when he or she is holy. No person is holy innately. Each person sins and falls short of God’s glory, His holiness (Romans 3:23). God will not be around unrighteousness. Like darkness and light cannot exist in the same place, holiness and sin cannot exist in the same place. This rich man recognized Jesus’ holiness, His absolute goodness, which comes from being part of the triune Godhead. He called Him good.

Another thing we should notice is Jesus looked at the rich man, his external dress, which proclaimed his wealth, and his heart, which had kept God’s Ten Commandments. The man did everything he knew God wanted but still recognized he did not have the relationship with God his heart desired and was not innately good. Jesus understood these things about the rich man and recognized the one thing he had not given or acknowledged as coming from God, the gift God had given him, his wealth. Many people who have a gift from God forget they did not earn the benefits of that gift by themselves. God gave them the ability. For this rich man of Mark 10, God gave him the mind to create and steward wealth. This means God gave him the wealth since He gave him the ability to become wealthy and steward it wisely.  Jesus met the rich man at this point in his relationship with God. This rich young man had kept the Commandments. He sought God. The rich man strove to be closer to God. Yet, when Jesus explained the thing that kept him from his desired closeness to Him, the man hung his head in sorrow. He refused to give up his wealth to be closer to God. This rich man had not come to the place in his spiritual growth to recognize or be willing to recognize God gave and would continue to provide for him after he gave back to God what He had given him. God gave the rich man the gift of prosperity. The rich man held onto it as if he owned it since he thought he created it. He was unwilling to recognize his wealth came from God and, therefore, if God asked for its return, he should give it. The rich man was just the steward of God’s wealth for a time.

Jesus acknowledged the rich man saw Him correctly. He has a close relationship with the Father. This rich man recognized Jesus’ holiness and sought the answer to his heart’s desire - how he could have a closer relationship with God. Jesus commended the man. Then, He looked at the man and saw his heart. This rich man had followed the Ten Commandments given by God through Moses. Yet, he truly was not ready to have a relationship with God because He was unwilling to acknowledge from Whom his gifts came and to Whom they ultimately belonged.

Each of us at points in our lives seeks to be closer to God. The nature He put within us when He created us craves closeness with Him. As we seek this closeness, God helps us realize what may stand in our way of having this closeness with Him. Like Jesus, He shows and tells us what we need to give up to have a closer relationship with Him. For some people, God may ask they be willing to work among the homeless. For others, He may ask they give up some of their personal resources. Still others, God may them to join a Bible study or to believe in Jesus Christ for salvation. For every person, God asks we give back to Him the gifts He gives to us. These gifts could be the ability to make wealth, be athletic, be a scholar, be organized and a good planner, be a good woodworker, plumber, roofer, gardener, or do whatever is your gifting. Each of these are gifts from God. These gifts are a person’s wealth. Gifts often interfere in our having a close relationship with God. We want to keep them to ourselves because people identify us by these wonderful things we do and are. We like people to acknowledge we are good at something and give us praise and admiration. People’s applause for us is important to our psyche and ego. Until we can give everything to God that He gave us, wealth or any kind of acuity, we will not have a close relationship with Him. These gifts become an idol or god in our minds. The rich man did not want to give to God his personal wealth. He did not recognize it was already God’s, and he was just the steward. This man’s wealth kept him from the closer relationship with God that he wanted God does not give gifts for us to hoard for ourselves, but to serve a purpose in His plans, to bring Him glory, and to draw us and other people closer to Him.

What gift do you have that you refuse to part with so you can be closer to God? What are you hoarding instead of acknowledging as God’s and being His steward? Will you give back to Him for His purposes what He gave to you - wealth, skills, mental acuity, efficiency, organization skills, patience, joy, musical ability, athleticism, and the glory that comes from people because of these? Or, will you keep them for yourself and not refuse the close relationship with God that your heart, mind, and spirit desires? I need to give back to Him the gifts He gave me to use for His purposes (organization, efficiency, and planning skills) instead of allowing them to determine my day and what gets done. What about you?

“Delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4 [NASB])

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21 [NASB])

Beware and Seek

“Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33

Jesus taught His Sermon on the Mount to a multitude of people. Some were Jews, others were seekers, and some were His disciples. Jesus began this part of His sermon the way He ended it, with a command. He began the first command on a negative note. Jesus ending command was positive.

Jesus said in verse one, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them.” He put people on notice not to do something in verse one. Jesus taught the people not to do things to “be noticed,” to receive honor, prestige, and glory. If you aim to do good things, those good deeds are ideas from God and He should receive the glory, not you. When you give to the poor, no one besides the person who you helped, God, and yourself should know. Jesus said the same thing about praying. You should not pray so people will notice you, but instead pray to God for Him to notice you, and to develop your relationship with Him. Prayer is about building your relationship with God and staying in a close relationship with Him. If you pray so others will see you and give you honor and praise, that will be your only reward. You get what you wanted-honor and glory. Your intention for prayer would not be for God to hear you, for you to hear from Him, and to have a deeper relationship with Him, but for people to recognize how “devout” you are. This desire for honor and glory is not righteous. Taking the honor and glory steals from God and makes you unrighteous.

What happens, though, when you pray so people will see or hear you or when you do good works so people see you doing them, the deeds God initiated in your heart? When you do these things to receive honor for yourself, the focus of your heart has changed from God to yourself. Instead of living a “top-down” life, that is acknowledging God and His will as primary in your life, you live an upside-down life with your will being primary in your thoughts, words, and actions. This leaves God to be secondary or non-existent in your life. The latter is of what Jesus told His hearers to “beware.” If you live an upside-down life, then your honor and glory, and your desires are primary motivators in your life. But, as Jesus pointed out in this chapter, you will end up worried and concerned about daily life things such as clothing, food, and drink. You might receive honor for yourself, but you end up worrying how you will provide for yourself and your family, basic things of life. You will have excluded God from your life and trust in Him that He will provide all your needs is nonexistent.

Why does this happen? It happens because God is not primary; He is not Lord of your life. When God is primary in your life, you can pray as Jesus taught in verses nine through thirteen. You reverence God and acknowledge He is the true God, and He is holy, not you. You seek His kingdom, His reign and wisdom, to come rule over earth just as it is in heaven. You desire God’s reign in your own life, too. For this to occur, you recognize only God is righteous and makes people righteous. In being made righteous by God, you want and sometimes must apply discipline to seek a growing relationship with Him. Your growing relationship with God teaches you that God will always take care of your needs. Just as He beautifully clothes relatively small, inconsequential creations like birds and the lilies of the field, He will clothe you, a human made in His image. As long as you stay in a relationship with God, Jesus said, you need not worry about what your body needs.

Jesus basically said to stay in a “top-down” relationship with God as primary in your life. With God at the head of your life, you recognize Him as God and King over you. You receive your righteousness from Him and acknowledge He is Lord. Your main goal in your connection with God who gives you righteousness is to stay in a growing relationship with Him. When you choose as the main thing in your life to have a growing relationship with God, then all other things fall into place. God remains King of your life, you give Him honor and glory, He provides everything you need, and your love for Him deepens so you obey Him.

 This is what Jesus meant in verse thirty-three when He told His followers, “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you.” Jesus emphasized this point for a second time in this chapter. At the beginning of the chapter, He spoke about it in a negative format using the command “beware.” At the end of this chapter, Jesus used the positive command “seek.” “Beware” of doing this (seeking your own glory) and, instead, “seek” for God is what He told His hearers. What did Jesus mean when He told the people to seek God’s kingdom?

Our primary task as Christians is to stay in relationship with the God of our salvation and righteousness. That should remain our focus. Being in a close relationship with Him means we will obey Him when He tells us to do good, pray, fast, visit the sick, teach, preach, or any other thing He commands us to do. Our obedience shows our love for God. When we seek a growing relationship with God so that our will is to obey Him, that is “seeking first His kingdom.” Because we seek God, He will provide for all our needs. We will not put our glory or honor first and seek to provide for ourselves what we think we need. Instead, we seek God first. Instead we give God the glory. Instead we let God take care of us.

As Jesus said, we cannot serve two masters-God and our own self. We will end up hating one and loving the other. Instead of trying to make yourself master of your life and ending up worrying how you will give all your family needs, pay your bills, or bring your prodigal home, let God be Master of your life. Let Him provide for you. Let Him bring your prodigal home. Let Him be your Lord and Savior, your King. Anything you give yourself and family will be destroyed, rust, or rot. God gives what you need, and it will last forever. Instead, do as Jesus taught and don’t worry.

“Seek first His [God’s] kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” [NASB]

Lord, please forgive me for trying to rule my own life. You’ve been patient and watched me as I tried and fumbled. Lord, I recognize You as my Savior and King. Please forgive me and take control of my life. Help me grow in my relationship with You each day. Give me the burning desire to seek You daily. Use me for whatever you want. Lead me in your ways. May You receive all the honor and glory. Provide everything I need. Help me not to worry but give all my cares to You. I am taking my hands off the steering wheel of my life, Lord. I give its control to You. Thank you for being King and ruling with unconditional love and wisdom. Amen.

Cloth and Wine: A New Life

Matthew 9:14-17

Jesus’ first teaching on fasting was in Matthew 6. In that chapter, Jesus taught that other people should not notice when a person fasts. Fasting should only be visible to God because it is a method of humbling self before God. So that we are not mistaken on this teaching, Isaiah 58 and Zechariah 7 both said this. God told the Israelites through these prophets that if their fasting was just motions they went through and they were not taking care of the hungry, poor, naked, and unsheltered, then He would not hear them. God requires a whole life given over to His service, not just outward actions. God looks at a person’s heart behind the actions. Jesus repeated this in Matthew 6. The Pharisees showed they were fasting by not bathing, anointing their heads with oil, and by wearing sackcloth and ashes. They were seeking acknowledgement by people. Jesus told them they received what they desired, public acknowledgement. On the other hand, they did not receive acknowledgement from God. They received and earthly reward, not heavenly.

In Matthew 9:14-17, the topic of fasting arose again. This time John's disciples asked Jesus directly about fasting. John’s disciples approached Jesus and asked why His disciples did not fast like the Pharisees and them. We need to understand this situation better. John’s disciples were still Jews. The disciples were sad and at a loss of what to do about John being imprisoned by Herod (Matthew 4:12). In the past (the Old Testament), people often fasted when seeking God’s guidance or expressing grief. John’s disciples acted as most Jews did when they fasted. They did not know a new day had come with a new covenant, even though John testified to it when he said “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). They did not hear Jesus’ teaching on fasting or the new covenant.

What is interesting is that the Pharisees are involved in this passage. Often when people challenged Jesus on a point of Jewish religious life, the Pharisees were the challengers. We note that the scribes and Pharisees were near when Jesus spoke to John’s disciples. (See 9:3, 11.) The Pharisees probably instigated this questioning so that John’s disciples spoke the challenge to Jesus. The Pharisees forever tried to catch Jesus in blasphemy or breaking Jewish religious laws. Another thing in this passage we need to note is Jesus made a point that showed His disciples are different from John’s disciples and the Pharisees. He called His disciples “attendants of the bridegroom” (vs. 15). “Attendants of the bridegroom” means sons, descendants, or heirs of the bridegroom. Jesus called His disciples his descendants, His heirs. His disciples are new children in Him and are heirs of the Father now. They will receive God’s love, grace, and salvation, as well as live with Him for eternity. Paul said this in Romans 8:17. We can imagine the slap the Pharisees felt when Jesus said this. They felt Jesus slapped them by saying they would not inherit eternal life with the Messiah. This may have enraged them. We do not know for sure how they took Jesus’ words at this point. We do know they never gave up their relentless pursuit to trip Jesus. They wanted to imprison and kill Jesus. Jesus told them the attendants of the bridegroom do not fast. He separated His disciples from the Pharisees and John’s disciples. By Jewish religious law, people at a wedding did not fast. Weddings lasted seven days and they did not fast for those seven days. Jesus’ disciples are not like John’s or like the Pharisees at this time. Jesus equated His disciples with being wedding attendants, but not just any wedding attendants; they were co-heirs with the bridegroom, with Christ.

Jesus punctuated this proclamation with two parables, the parables of the new cloth and the new wine. In these parables, Jesus did not speak specifically to fasting, but to the new covenant and new life in Him. He said, “no one puts a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch pulls away from the garment and a worse tear results. A couple of things we should notice here are the old garment needed a patch and patches came from shrunk cloth. First, the garment needed patching. The garment needing a patch was the old way of relating to God. Prior to Christ, the Israelites came to God through sacrifices for sin, which never took away all sin. They had to repeat sacrifices regularly. Also, within the religious life of the Israelites, there were arguments and divisions over how to live before Yahweh. The strict Jews required obedience to 613 laws. The stringency of these laws often did not allow for giving of mercy or compassion on the Sabbath. A chasm between the different forms of Judaism occurred because of their interpretation of the Law. The people did not need their old ways, the old garment, mended. They needed a better way to be in a right relationship with Yahweh God. Jesus came to earth to bring that better way, the New Covenant. The new cloth represented the better way. Trying to sew a patch of new unshrunk cloth onto old cloth will not work. These disciples of Jesus were new disciples. They had not had a chance to wear the cloth, their new life long enough to allow it to fit them well. The cloth/life was not yet tried, tested, and shrunk to become a familiar, loved garment. They were just learning about the new garment. Also, the patch of unshrunk cloth will pull away from the old cloth, but new life in Christ is not to be an add-on to an already existent life. Jesus came to bring a new way and a new covenant with God. He fulfilled the old covenant. The old has gone the new has come, as Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:17. When a person becomes a follower of Jesus, the person has a new life and it does not fit with the old life. The habits of the old life do not go with the new life Jesus gives us. A person must choose which life they will lead. The Pharisees and other Jews could not realistically expect the new believers in Christ to follow their old methods of coming before God and of living on the earth. Thus, Jesus stated, they will not fast according to the old customs of the Jews. (Remember, nowhere in the New Testament does God mandate His children must fast. Fasting is one way of humbling oneself and seeking God, but God does not mandate it. The Jews must realize Jesus wove a new cloth to make them a new set of clothes, not something just to patch an old cloth. Jesus provided a better way, the new covenant. He fulfilled the old covenant.

With regard to the parable of the new wine, we must understand the method used in Bible times for making wine. The wine bag/bottle is just as important as the wine. People made the wine by pouring fresh grape juice into fresh skins/bottles. They skinned and tanned goat hides. The neck of the goat became the neck of the bag. After the person poured the fresh grape juice into the skins, over time the juice would ferment. As it fermented, it produced gases. The need for new bags was most necessary for this part of the process. The new bags were fresh, young, and expandable. They grew with the production and increased pressure of fermenting gases. Old bags were dry and inflexible. They could not withstand the pressure of the fermentation gases, but were not supple and expandable. Old bags could not grow. This analogy is what Jesus meant when He spoke to John’s disciples and others who listened. The message Jesus brought of the new covenant, the new way of relating to God, must go into new wineskins, lives made new by Christ. As people grow more in the knowledge of Christ and grow more like Him, they expand and grow just as the fermentation gases from the grape juice expand the new wineskins. The new wineskin is the new life Christ gives to people. The old way of life was stagnant, insufficient, and could not bring a person into a right relationship with God. A person must choose between their old way of life - religious and secular life - or the new life Christ gives. If we try to put the new covenant (the wine) Jesus brought into an old lifestyle (wineskins), it will not fit. The old life fights against the new wine, the new covenant, Christ brings and bursts the old wineskin, then both the old life and the new message will be lost to the person. The person will become confused and drift in life. When we allow Christ to pour the new life He brought (salvation and life with Him forever) into new wineskins (a new way of living/the new man) both are preserved, the Gospel given to the person and the person’s life.

Jesus made 4 points. One, His disciples are co-heirs with Him of eternal life with the Father in heaven. This meant that the Pharisees were not co-heirs. However, Jesus told them in verse 12, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick.” Jesus came for everyone, but only persons who recognize he or she is sick, who realize he or she is a sinner, will receive salvation. The Pharisees as a group did not recognize their sickness. Second, Jesus came to give a completely new life/cloth, not have some of what He brought for humankind added onto what they already did in life. Christianity is not a patch for our lives. It is the only way to have abundant life, to be made right before God (have salvation), and to have eternal life in God’s Kingdom. Third, the new wine must go into new wineskins. Jesus gave a new way, the new covenant, to be in relationship with God and that requires we accept and live out a new life and no longer live as we did previously. We cannot continue to live our old sinful lives and expect that since we say we believe, we will be all right with God. Our acceptance of His grace and forgiveness must bear fruit in our lives. Fruit will show by the way our lives changed from what they were to a new way of living, a life of mercy, compassion, and devotion to God. The fermentation gases represent this growth. Fourth, fasting is a personal issue. For John’s disciples, they mourned the imprisonment of John and fasted humbly to go before God asking Him to intervene for John. For the Pharisees, they fasted to advertise their piety hoping to gain praise from other people. For Jesus’ disciples at that particular time, fasting was not needed because God, in the form of Jesus Christ, was in their midst. He already acknowledged them and chose to be with them. There would be a time later, after Jesus ascended to heaven, when they might want to fast to humble themselves, recognize and repent of their sin, and ask to be in God’s presence. Fasting is just one method of coming before God. God does not mandate it. By definition, fasting is a religious exercise of abstaining from food or drink. It removes our focus from our wants and needs to focus on God. Every time we think of eating or drinking the item from which we are fasting, we remember our fast and that we are seeking God. We remember not to focus on our self, but on God. We are seeking God’s presence, His will, and His way.

I do not know if you are fasting this Lent. If you are, why are you doing it? Do you want to be part of the crowd who does? There is a better reason to fast. Being a part of the crowd will not get you acknowledged by God. See Isaiah 58 and Zechariah 7. Do you want to be in God’s presence? God desires a continual relationship with us. He created us to be in relationship with us. God created us in His image, the crowning glory of creation. We are the only ones of His creation into whom He breathed His life. It is for us that He sent His Son, Jesus, to be the once and for all sacrifice, the only sacrifice ever needed for our sin, so that we could have a renewed relationship with Him.

Are you ready to accept His love and sacrifice? Are you ready to become new wineskins for the new wine? Are you ready to put on the whole new garment that Jesus gives to you, not just the patch? What do you need to do to come before God today? Maybe fasting? We must always come to God in humility, recognizing His greatness and our sinfulness, and asking for His forgiveness, and then we can be in a renewed relationship with Him.

Christians observe Lent for forty days before Easter. At Lent Christians prepare for the celebration of Easter by humbling themselves before God with repentance, moderation in life, and spiritual discipline, some include fasting in the latter. Lent is a time to reflect on Jesus Christ’s suffering and sacrifice. Have you taken the time to consider God’s great love for you? He allowed His Son, Jesus the Christ, to be beaten and crucified for your sins. That thought is humbling. Take this time now and consider what Jesus did for you so you could be in a renewed relationship with the Father and have eternal life with Him. Whatever it takes for you to consider God’s great love for you do it because He gave everything He had to show you how much He loves you.

Seeking God Through Fasting

Matthew 6:16-18

            These three verses are part of a famous sermon by Jesus. It is part of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). Jesus taught the disciples and other of His followers important things - how to pray, how to give, how to fast, how to have a relationship with Yahweh. This week, God caught my attention with the fasting part of the passage, verses 16-18. The verses say,

16 Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward in full. 17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face 16 Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward in full. 17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face 18 so that your fasting will not be noticed my men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

            I always read this part of the sermon as not to be as the Pharisees who seek attention. That is one of the lessons taught here though not the only lesson. In the fifteen verses before this, Jesus taught His disciples how to give and pray. He preceded this with His thematic statement in verse 1, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.”

            Jesus told His disciples to give in secret so that no one other than God knew who gave. He said to pray to the Father in their inner/secret room so that no one other than God knew they were praying. In these verses, 2-8, Jesus contrasted those who gave and prayed in the open so other people would see and hear them to the redeemed, righteous ones of God. He told them the people who acted so others saw sought acclamation from other people; thus, they already received their reward on earth. These hypocrites did not do these things from their heart for God, but from their need of approval by people. Jesus, in verses 9-13, taught His disciples how to pray. The prayer He taught put God’s will first, their relationship with God second, and their relationship with other people third. God is to be the priority if you are a disciple of Christ. Later in chapter 6, Jesus taught God’s love and provision for His children by showing them how much He cared for the sparrow. The analogy is that if God cares even for a sparrow, how much more does He care for His creation made in His image.

            With this setting placed before us, in this week’s study, God brought my attention to verses 16-18. These verses are on fasting. I have never studied fasting, nor have I ever fasted for my faith. When I read this, God piqued my interest. I delved into the Biblical history of fasting. My questions were: 1) What is fasting, 2) Why do we fast, 3) How do we fast, and 4) Does God mandate fasting as a part of the religious life of a church, to be on the church calendar.

As I began my study, I looked up every instance of fasting in the Bible. I found that the words “fast” and “fasting” in the Old Testament Hebrew are tsowm and tsuwm. These Hebrews words mean abstaining from foods (Old Testament Hebrew Lexicon). The prophets, priests, and kings/queens called fasts for their people. Individuals sometimes chose to fast of their own accord. These leaders called fasts to humble themselves or their people before God, to confess their sins, and to pray to God because of their need for forgiveness, guidance, God’s presence, to know God’s will, and to express their grief to God. We find these passages in Judges 20:26; 1 Samuel 7:6 and 31:13; 2 Samuel 1:12 and 12:16; 1 Kings 21:9, 12, and 27; 1 Chronicles 10:12; 2 Chronicles 20:3; Ezra 8:21 and 23; Nehemiah 1:4, and 9:1; Esther 4:3,16, and 9:31; Psalm 35:13, 69:10, and 109:24; Isaiah 58:3-6 and 10; Jeremiah 14:12, 36:6 and 9; Daniel 9:3; Joel 1:14, 2:12, and 15; Jonah 3:5; and Zechariah 7:5 and 8:19. In the New Testament, fasting and fasts, in Greek, are nesteuo and nesteia. These Greek words mean to abstain as a religious exercise from food and drink as a part of private or public religious devotion (New Testament Greek Lexicon and Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary). These words are found in Matthew 4:2, 6:16-18, 9:14-15; Mark 2:18-20; Luke 5:33-35, 18:12; and Acts 13:2-3, 14:23. These passages show the reasons people fasted in the New Testament era – to be in commune with God, to know His will, to be in His presence, and to bless and send out God’s called messengers, such as Saul and Barnabas in Acts 13:3 and 14:23.

In one of the above passages it seems God mandated a fast. Zechariah 8:19 stated the LORD declared a fast four different times a year. These fasts appear to commemorate times when the Israelites fasted previously because they were being attacked, Jerusalem destroyed, and people taken into captivity. God told the Jews that historically these four fasts were because of sadness and desperation, but now they would be for joy and gladness. Jewish rabbis, priests, and historians stated that God mandated a fast before the time of Zechariah on the Day of Atonement in Leviticus 16:29. The Hebrew word used in that instance is ‘anah and means to humble oneself, be downcast, and be afflicted. ‘Anah can be used for “humble” and other words, such as “afflicted.” The Jewish leaders stated this affliction could be the afflicting of the soul by abstaining from food, drink, anointing of the head, or bathing. The Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible) does not explain specifically what this “affliction” should be though. Since the Hebrew words tsowm and tsuwm specifically mean a fast or to fast, abstaining from food for a purpose, 'anah of Leviticus 16 is not the same. As evidence to this interpretation, that afflicting is fasting and thus fasting is required for the Day of Atonement, Jewish leaders refer to Psalm 35. Yet, when I study Psalm 35, David used ‘anah in verse 10, “Lord, who is like You, Who delivers the afflicted from him Who is too strong for him.” Later in verse 13, David used the word tsowm to speak of fasting. Since David differentiated the two words, afflicted and fasting, I do not believe we can say ‘anah in Leviticus 16:29, Leviticus 23:27-32, and Exodus 30:10 refers to a God mandated fast for the Jews on the Day of Atonement. Fasting is a purposeful humbling of one’s self before the great and majestic Yahweh. We will see, though, in Matthew 6, Isaiah 58, and Zechariah 7 that performing a fast does not make a person acceptable before God. Humbling oneself does not come from the act of fasting. Being humble before God comes from being in a relationship with Him so that our actions on earth glorify Him.

In studying the passage, the word for fasting used in Matthew 6:16-18 is nesteuo. Jesus explained to the people that when they fast they were to “anoint their heads and wash their faces so their fasting would not be noticed by men, but by their Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you” (vs. 17-18). The hypocrites purposely neglected their appearance so men would notice them. Jesus said the hypocrites already received their reward, which was recognition by men of their supposed devotion to God. He implied the Father does not recognize hypocrites. This continued Jesus’ theme from giving and praying in the preceding verses.

There is more to fasting than the act of giving, praying, or fasting. Isaiah 58 gives council on fasting. God spoke through Isaiah to the house of Jacob in this chapter. God told them it was because of their sins that He did not heed their prayers nor acknowledge their fasting. The Israelites’ lack of confession kept Him from hearing and acting for them. Jews not seeking His righteousness made Him turn His ear from them. The house of Jacob fasted and on the same day, they drove their workers hard (vs. 3). God told them He desired a fast where a person humbled himself or herself (vs. 5). God wanted a fast where the “bonds of wickedness were loosed,” “the bands of the yoke” were undone, and “the oppressed went free” (vs. 6). The “house of Jacob” was to “divide their bread with the hungry, bring the homeless poor into the house,” and cover the naked (vs. 7). God desired their righteous actions and then He would be “their rear guard” (vs. 8). He would answer when they called and their light would shine in the darkness. God would be the light of the Israelites if they sought to follow Him and His righteousness (vs. 9-10). God promised He would guide them, satisfy their desires in desolate places, give them strength, and provide them with everything they need, if they made Him their light (vs. 11).

 Matthew 6 and Isaiah 58 say that acts performed out of duty while fasting is not what God accepts as humility and righteousness. God requires His righteousness to show through by His children giving to the hungry, sheltering the homeless, releasing the captives, and clothing the naked, without drawing attention to themselves. By being in such a relationship with God that His love is enacted by His children for the less fortunate and hurting, people show God’s righteousness and their faithful following of Him. Our care of others and humility of self is what God requires even today. (As an aside, ‘anah does not show care of others, just concern of self before God.) When we are in a relationship with God, then our fasting as a method to humble ourselves and seek Him will be accepted by Him. James wrote on faith in action in James 2:18. He stated that faith is what you do for others because of God living in you.

Jesus spoke on hypocrites in Matthew 6. They gave, prayed, and fasted to be seen by other people. God did not give mandated fast days during Bible times since the time of Zechariah. God does not mandate fasting for the church calendar. When we want to come before God, we must humble ourselves, be penitent, and seek to follow God’s will on earth. One way to remind us to be humble is fasting, abstaining from food or drink. Some Christians, during Lent, choose to fast from a food or drink that does not help their bodies, the temple of God. When they think of or want to consume that item, fasting reminds them to focus on God, be humble before Him, and seek His will. Fasting at Lent also reminds each of us of God’s great love for us as expressed through the life, death, and resurrection of His Son so that we can be forgiven of our sins and live with Him forever in heaven. We fast to humble ourselves before almighty God, to be in His presence, and receive His acknowledgement.

Jesus summed up the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Whether you believe fasting should be on the religious calendar or not, what is most important is your relationship with God. Are you coming humbly before God? Are you seeking Him and His righteousness and acting it out on earth? As God said in Matthew 6, and Isaiah 58, if you are not living a righteous life, secret from the eyes of other people, then your act of fasting is not done with humility and will be rejected and go unheard by God.

This Lenten season, whether you fast or not, are you in a right relationship with God? Is it obvious by your heart actions of caring for the “least of these” that you act because of submission to God’s will? Or, do you act as if by remote? Fasting is a state of mind and includes actions that acknowledge your humility before God. This humility shows as actions lived out toward other people because of your relationship with God – actions of giving clothes, food, shelter, and freeing the oppressed and enslaved. These actions glorify God. Christ is the supreme example of living a righteous life and having a relationship with the Father. Christ showed us how to pray to God (Matthew 6:9-13), how to be humble (John 13:12-17), and how to care for the “least of these” (Matthew 25:34-40, Isaiah 61:1-3, and Matthew 11:5).

Seek God with utmost humility, confession, and prayer. Be genuine and He will hear and respond to you. Enact out of obedience God’s righteousness, which comes from a relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ, and you will be heard by God and have your reward in heaven (vs. 1).

Are you seeking God, His kingdom, and His righteousness?

           

The Lord's Prayer for Us

Luke 11:2-4 and Matthew 6:9-13 

In considering prayer, the first place one goes as a believer is to the Lord’s Prayer. The Lord’s Prayer is included in two of the Gospels, Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4. Both Luke and Matthew put the Lord’s Prayer into a context. For Matthew, the context is in how a believer is supposed to live. First he speaks of giving to the poor, then how to pray not like the religious hypocrites, and then in context to forgiving those who sin against us. Luke puts the Lord’s Prayer in the context of how to pray and how our Father in heaven would undoubtedly hear us because of His love for us, like an earthly father loves his child. In both of these passages, we are taught how to pray, but each of them speaks of it in different contexts.   

The Lukan account of the Lord’s Prayer comes about after Jesus prayed and the disciples listened. They heard the relationship with which Jesus approached Yahweh. They heard the certainty in Jesus’ voice when He prayed to Yahweh. They knew they were with a true Teacher of the Word of God. As disciples of a teacher, they asked to be mentored/taught in how to pray. He taught them to say, “Father, hallowed/holy is your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our debts (no longer keep a debt against us), for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And, lead us not into temptation (keep us from being enticed to sin).” In this prayer, Jesus taught His disciples about revering God and asking for Him to reign on earth. He also taught them how to ask for their needs, for food, forgiveness, and guidance away from temptations. Jesus told them it is not the amount of words that is meaningful, but the request and order of the words. First, as disciples, we are to revere God; we are to recognize that He is most important in the universe, not our needs. Second, Jesus shows that God’s will for earth is more important that our wills. That does not mean that these two are contrary to each other. It does mean that we should be concerned about that with which God is concerned, His people with whom He desires a relationship. Next, we can and should ask for ourselves. Once we have the perspective of God in place, His priorities of our relationship with Him and His relationship with the world, we will be in-line with His desires. We are taught then to pray for our needs. Jesus considers our physical and spiritual needs. When we are in-line with God, then we will ask for those things that are important for our body and spirit, food, clothes, shelter, relationships, forgiveness of sin, and guidance in His way. Jesus recognizes that we are created with mortal bodies that have needs. He knows that these bodies have requirements to be able to survive in the world. Without those provisions, we could not be in the world; we could not be about God’s purposes, to tell others about Him. God does not ignore our physical needs; He knows best what they are because He created them. He also knows we have spiritual needs, once again because He created our spirits. He knows that nothing in the world can fill that need within us and is teaching us through Jesus how to have those needs met. We must recognize our inability not to sin. When we do that, we will have come into the realization that there is a higher level of life than what we can experience with our five senses. We recognize there is a being who is great enough not only to create us, our bodies and spirits, but also to fulfill our needs and desires. It is this need that Jesus addresses in the Lord’s Prayer when He teaches His disciples to ask for forgiveness of sin, ask for strength of spirit to forgive others who sin against us, and to lead us so that our relationship with this higher uncreated being, Yahweh/Father God, is priority. In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus teaches His disciples to recognize the Father, rectify their relationship with the Father and with men, request guidance, and relinquish control to the Father’s better knowledge and judgment. 

When you consider the Matthew account of the Lord’s Prayer, it is noted in context with how to be a Christian. Matthew teaches how to give to the poor, how to pray, how to forgive others, how to fast, and why not to be anxious. This is not to say that Matthew’s account of the Lord’s Prayer is less important. It is to say that it is a part of being a Christian. We are to pray this prayer regularly as being a part of God’s kingdom. We recognize God, our sins, our needs, and His guidance as we walk through the life He has given us. As we fast, we should consider the Lord’s Prayer, God is more important than our desires. As we give to the poor, their needs and God’s purpose for giving us the means to help are more important than that we helped. We should not set ourselves up so that others know we have helped someone. As we live, we should forgive people who have done things against us, as God forgives us each day we sin against Him. In addition, we are not to be anxious because, as the Lord’s Prayer teaches, all we must do is ask. By knowing to ask for our needs, we acknowledge that God is the provider for everything we need; thus, we will not be anxious. God is greater than anything we encounter and will provide all we need. 

The Lukan account teaches Jesus’ disciples how to pray. The Matthew account teaches us how to live, knowing God, pray, fast, forgive, and be assured that all our needs will be fulfilled. The Lukan account of the prayer teaches not only of God’s supremacy, but also of His sufficiency and grace. God will provide for our spiritual and physical needs. Luke, later in his Gospel, gives a prime example of this. Consider Luke 18:1-8; in this passage, we see a widow who is unashamedly persistent in asking the judge for judgment in favor of her. The woman never ceased asking but kept bringing her petition before the judge. Before the judge’s patience was worn down and because he knew it was the right thing to do, even though she could not give him anything in return, he gave in to her request for favor in the eyes of the civil law. The judge said, “For a while he was unwilling, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection; otherwise, by continually coming, she will wear me out.’” Jesus showed that even a non-God-fearing man knows what is right; how much more will your Father in Heaven, the God you recognize as supreme, will give what a person needs. The widow’s persistence paid off. God says not to give up in the face of need; ask and keep on asking and it will be given to you. Seek and keep on seeking, and you will find. Knock and keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you. For all those who ask, seek, and knock will be heard, seen, and led to God’s provision for their physical and spiritual lives. He asks once more, how much more will your Father in heaven give you good things if your earthly father gives you good things. If earthly fathers know how to give good things, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask? God knows that the Holy Spirit is what humans need most; He gives eternal life (Luke 11:9-13 NASB). Your physical needs are always met. Your spiritual needs are met, too; however, you must agree to accept this grace of God. 

The Lukan form of the Lord’s Prayer is for all of us. It teaches us to acknowledge there is a God and He is supreme. It teaches us to know there is a gift of grace given to us if we will ask for and accept it. It teaches us that God not only provides for our physical needs but also for our spiritual needs. It teaches that not only are we sinners who need to ask for forgiveness from God, but we also need to forgive others for their sins against us. Finally, it teaches that we need God’s guidance every day to be able to walk the life He has given us in the way that is most edifying for our character and for God’s glory. It is the best road; all other ways are disjointed, disappointing, and dispiriting. We must decide whether to acknowledge God’s existence, His supremacy, His love, and His grace. Which road will you choose?

To the Glory of God

Matthew 6 and 8 

As I read and studied these chapters, I noted Christ was making a point through all of the encounters and actions of the people, as He usually did. Jesus’ point was that everything they and we do should be done as to the Lord. Often times we are so caught up in doing we forget for whom we are doing it. We are so caught up in living life we forget who gave us this life to live. These need to be melded to a point where we realize from where we came and by whom we receive provision so we give back in actions and tangible gifts to others because God gave to us. We give glory to God in this way.

Consider Matthew 6. Each of the stories he shared talks about a part of life. The first part is giving to the poor. Jesus told them not to give to the poor so they can be seen, but give to the poor as if they were giving to God and to give in secret because God knows who is giving it to Him. What is important is their attitude, not their actions. Jesus said if they are doing their actions just to get approval from people, then they have their reward on earth to the detriment of their reward in heaven, a relationship with God. 

Jesus went further and said not to pray in a way to receive praise from people. They were praying on busy street corners loudly and elaborately. Jesus said they should be praying to continue in their relationship with God. If they were praying to be with God, they should go to a room or place by themselves and be with Him. 

Matthew continued by saying when they fast they should do so in a way that did not draw attention to them. Religious fasting was between God and them. Fasting is not a matter among men, so they did not have to be seen by men. 

Additionally, Matthew spoke of storing up produce, products, and money for a rainy day or the future, to ensure we do not have to worry about from where we will get our clothes, food, drink, and shelter. Matthew said this was unnecessary since our Creator, God, is the same God who created the birds. The birds do not worry about food, shelter, or clothing. Since God takes care of them, we can trust He will take care of us. Jesus said not to worry about our life. Anxiety does not make the worrisome part go away, trusting in God does. God, who loves us, will take care to give what we need. 

What we are to be doing is work for God, not to be seen by men, and to be in a relationship with Him, not in the public eye. It does not matter how much we show how “religious” we are, what matters is how close we are to the heart of God. If the latter is true, the above four things will occur because God’s heart through His Holy Spirit’s indwelling will show through us and our lives.

Matthew continued this similar idea in chapter 8 except he contrasted the faith of different people. In the first encounter, a leper spoke to Jesus saying if Jesus will, He can heal him (the leper). Jesus said He was willing and touched and healed him. This man had the faith to be healed. His statement as he confronted Jesus showed it as well as his willingness to go to the priests to be declared ritually clean. He did not need, for his benefit, to go to the priests to recognize he was healed, but for society and culture. They needed to hear by the priests and leaders of his healing. 

The second encounter was with a centurion, a Roman soldier. This centurion had been informed about Jesus and His healing powers and trusted the reports enough to ask Jesus to heal His servant. When Jesus listened to the story, He said He would go the centurion’s home. The centurion’s faith was strong and he felt humbled to be in Jesus’ presence. The centurion said Jesus did not need to go to his home, but just say the word and his servant would be healed. Jesus stated he had not encountered so great a faith and told the centurion to go on his way; what he had asked for had been done, as he trusted. 

After this, Jesus and his disciples went to Peter’s home where Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law. When they finished dinner, many sick and demon possessed people were brought to Him. He healed many and drove out many demons. Jesus cares about our temporal physical needs and our spiritual needs.  

The last section begins with this next story. Jesus, being crushed by the multitude of people, asked the disciples to get into a boat with Him and row to the other side. Before they were able to get in the boats, though, a scribe came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go” (8:19). Jesus  was aware the scribes were renowned for their knowledge of Scripture and their teaching. These men were often a part of the Sanhedrin, the supreme religious body of the nation of Israel. They were leaders used to leading and, most likely, wealthier than other Jews. Jesus confronted this man’s speedy avowal of discipleship by declaring even He, the Son of Man, did not have a place to lay His head or call His home (vs. 20). As we understand, God takes care of clothing, feeding, and sheltering His own. We do not read of this scribe joining Jesus and the other disciples. It is easy to be caught up in the emotions of the moment and say we are going to follow Jesus, but then not followthrough on our commitment. Jesus was confronting this man at his own level, what he considers necessary for life. 

After this, another disciple came and told Jesus to let him go bury his father first. Jesus told him to “let the dead, the non-believers, bury the dead. You must follow Me.” (Matthew 8:22, NASB). We do not see the man following Jesus after this. To make a lifelong commitment to follow Jesus requires letting others take care of tasks at home and letting the ministry to which God has called you and your relationship with Him be preeminent in your life. Jesus recognized this man was unable to do this that is why He confronted him on this point. 

While Jesus and the disciples were at sea, a great storm blew up and began to swamp the boat. The disciples grew very afraid. When they awoke Jesus they told Him they were perishing at sea. Jesus chastised their little faith, then calmed the storm and the sea. The disciples, just that day, had seen a great faith in the Roman centurion and had seen Jesus heal the sick and banish demons from people. When the disciples confronted Jesus in fear, Jesus remarked and reminded them again about the faith of the centurion. He now saw small faith in His Jewish disciples, who should have known Him better. Here they showed just how much they believed Jesus by saying, “What manner of man is this?” (Matthew 8:27, NASB). The centurion came with enough faith to trust without seeing; whereas, the disciples had to see, yet again, to believe. Jesus has shown this day that He is master over natural elements, spiritual realms, and physical beings. He is almighty God. In the end, Jesus and the disciples reached the other side of the sea and stood on land.

Two people possessed with demons confronted them and proclaimed Jesus as the Son of God without instigation. Even the demons acknowledged who Jesus was then, yet the disciples had trouble believing in the midst of a storm and with Jesus beside them. Jesus healed these people and cast the demons into the swine nearby which ran into the sea. 

What does this tell us? I tells us, as priority number one, we must have a growing, continual relationship with God. Once we are acquainted with the triune God without doubt and anxiety, we understand God will always take care of our needs. What we imagine we need and what God knows we need may be two different things. He knows He is going to call us to move to another country to minister there. We do not know exactly how He is going to use us. It could be we have allowed the secular influence to create unnecessary desires in us for the latest technology, food, alcohol, or smoking. None of these is necessary for life. As we read in the previous two chapters of Matthew, God fills our physical, psychical, and spiritual needs. He provides for us and defends us. We can choose to be like the scribe and be unwilling to live without specific things or we can be as the centurion who was familiar with Jesus based on stories. The centurion came to Him willing to believe even without seeing Him do the healing. 

From Chapter 6 and chapter 8 we read that giving to the poor, healing the sick or demon-possessed, and praying are not bad, but the attitude in which they are done is what determines if they are worthy as gifts of sacrifice and praise to God. Did we do each of these to honor God or ourselves? Obviously, the second is the wrong reason. In all we do, we should work so God receives the praise and glory. The only way in which we can make each of the things we do bring praise and glory to God is by offering our actions and attitudes to God as we act upon the love He has put in our hearts through the Holy Spirit. The question we ultimately must ask is: To whom did the praise go for this action? I hope you are staying in a continual relationship with God so that your actions, thoughts, and attitudes come from your interactions and love relationship with God.