Bible Study - Follow Jesus - Right Motives - Matthew 6 - September 16, 2012

Bible Study – Follow Jesus – Right Motives – September 16, 2012

This is lesson three (3) in our series entitled “What It Means to Follow Jesus.”

Our scripture is Matthew 6:1-13, 16-18.

JESUS was prompting HIS disciples and all who were listening to dig deeper internally to consider their motives when they do something spiritual that others can observe. Were they play-acting or were they truly honoring GOD through their actions? Their motives define which is true.

JESUS cites some examples. Let’s explore.

Let’s read Matthew 6:1-4:

How to Give

1 “Be careful not to practice your righteousnessa Other mss read charitable giving in front of people, to be seen by them. Otherwise, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2 So whenever you give to the poor, don’t sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the •synagogues and on the streets, to be applauded by people. •I assure you: They’ve got their reward!b Mt 23:5; Lk 6:24
3 But when you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.c Other mss read will Himself reward you openlyd Jr 17:10; Lk 14:14; Col 3:23-24; Heb 4:13

 

Giving is a sensitive subject in most churches. Many of us have heard, “Every time I go to that church all I hear is that they need money.” In many churches that may be true because churches depend upon donations from those involved in that church.

JESUS addressed the issue of giving in HIS Sermon on the Mount and HE used the word “righteousness.” HE said, “Don’t practice your righteousness in front of people.” Righteousness embodied the subjects in today’s lesson – giving, praying and fasting. They are some of the overt ways to express your relationship with GOD. Righteousness means “to be in right standing with GOD.” Giving, praying and fasting are some of the ways Christians reflect their relationship with GOD. This can be genuine or manufactured depending on their motive.

 

JESUS said when you give do not draw attention to yourself. I know in some churches when they have a special offering for certain projects or programs, they ask the congregation to come to the front of the church to place their contribution in the offering plate or on the altar. What is the motive of the church leaders when they ask people to do this? Some look at it as a special moment for them to give to this special program. However, when 80-90 % of the congregation goes forward to place their offering at the designated location those left standing or sitting in the pew stand out. This places a lot of pressure on those not going forward even though they may have already quietly given to the fund raising effort.

 

Some people want others to know that they have means to give and enjoy boasting about it. Others are very quiet and you never know they have given unless you happen to stumble across it.

 

In JESUS day there were those who enjoyed the fanfare of giving to the poor. I am sure the poor did not care what the giver did as long as they received whatever the boisterous giver was offering to them. JESUS was concerned about the heart of the giver. Motives reveal the heart of the person. Motives can be honorable or self-serving, only we know the truth behind what we do.

 

I understand in JESUS day there was a trumpet like device located in the temple where worshippers could place their contributions. The giver could make a sound come from it as they gave depending on what and how much they placed into it. When they made such a noise what was their motive, to draw attention to themselves or to honor GOD?

 

GOD knows our hearts and HE knows our motives. When we want others to see what we are doing by bringing attention to ourselves rather than honoring GOD, that is our reward. People may recognize and applaud those who have given with the right motive and tried to keep it quite but someone let the cat-out-of-the-bag. People are curious and want to know who gave this or provided this? Even if the giver is discovered and revealed, I believe GOD honors what that person or persons did because HE knows the givers’ hearts.

 

Giving goes far beyond monetary giving. JESUS said in Matthew 10:42 – 42 And whoever givesn Mt 25:40; Mk 9:41; Heb 6:10 just a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a discipleo Lit little ones in the name of a disciplep Mt 28:19; Lk 14:26; Jn 8:31; 13:35; 15:8; Ac 6:1—I assure you: He will never lose his reward!” The key to all giving is the attitude of our hearts.

Let’s read Matthew 6:5-13:

How to Pray

5 “Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people. I assure you: They’ve got their reward!e Mt 6:16; Mk 11:25; Lk 6:24; 18:11
6 But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.f Other mss add openlyg 2Kg 4:33; Isa 26:20; Mt 6:18
7 When you pray, don’t babble like the idolaters,h Or Gentiles, or nations, or heathen, or pagans since they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words.i 1Kg 18:26; Ecc 5:2
8 Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask Him.j Mt 9:12; Mk 2:17; Lk 5:31; 9:11; 10:42; Ac 2:45

The Model Prayer

9 “Therefore, you should pray like this:k Lk 11:1-13
Our Father in heaven, Your name be honored as holy.l Lk 11:2; 1Co 7:14
10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.m Ps 103:20; Mt 3:2; 4:17; 26:42; Lk 22:42; Ac 21:14
11 Give us today our daily bread.n Or our necessary bread, or our bread for tomorrow
12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.o Pr 30:8; Rm 4:4; Gl 5:3
13 And do not bring us intop Or do not cause us to come into temptation,q Mt 26:41; 1Co 10:13; 2Pt 2:9but deliver us from the evil one.r Or from evils  Mt 5:37; Jn 17:15; 2Th 3:3; 2Tm 4:18[For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. •Amen.]t   Other mss omit bracketed text

14 “For if you forgive people their wrongdoing,u Or trespasses your heavenly Father will forgive you as well.v Mk 11:25; Eph 4:32; Col 3:13
15 But if you don’t forgive people,w Other mss add their wrongdoing your Father will not forgive your wrongdoing.x Or trespasses

JESUS addressed prayer. Prayer is talking to GOD and HE is ready to listen to us 24/7. JESUS was not putting down public prayer. Again, HE was addressing the motive and the attitude of the heart regarding prayer.

JESUS began by using the word “hypocrite.” A hypocrite was a play actor. They were playing a role that had nothing to do with the attitude of their hearts. They wanted to be applauded for their wonderful speech and the elegance of their words which reflected a special devotion and relationship with GOD. But their hearts were empty of any true relationship with GOD, they were just pretending.

Christian jargon can be learned and used to lure other Christians into believing these phonies are genuine Christians. GOD gives Christians the gift of discernment. As a Christian, when you feel something is not right pay attention. Look at what a person says and what he/she does. Look at the fruit from a person, is it good or bad. 

Those who worshipped pagan gods believed that many words uttered to their pagan gods would bring a response from them. So they babbled and wanted to be seen by their fellow worshippers for being so pious and verbose.

When we pray, JESUS said when we pray to GOD, our FATHER, to pray to HIM in secret. GOD already knows our needs and provides for them even before we ask. If that is the case, why pray? It is for our good. Prayer or talking with GOD is a special time of communicating with HIM to remove the burden from us and give it to HIM to take care of. It is a time when HIS children can come before HIM with praise, adoration, thanksgiving, to seek HIS help, comfort, assurance, confirmation and wisdom.

Then JESUS gave the “Model Prayer” commonly referred to as the “Lord’s Prayer.”

The Model Prayer is in two sections. The first section is related to GOD – GOD’S name, location and will. The second section focuses on human need – daily need, forgiveness and deliverance from temptation.

JESUS addressed the prayer to “our Father.” HE did not say MY Father or your Father, HE said “our Father.” Those who are born-again in their spirit are conceived by the Spirit of GOD, thus all Christians have the same Spiritual Father, Who is also JESUS’ Father. Thus, Christians are brothers and sisters in the family of GOD, which makes JESUS their brother.

To prevent confusion about which father JESUS was referring, HE said, “our Father Who is located in heaven.” Because HE was referring to the true GOD, HIS Father and the Father of all Christians, the creator of all things, including every human, HIS name is to be honored.

JESUS knew the importance of GOD’S Kingdom being established in the hearts and lives of every person who believes in HIM. All who believe in HIM through faith in CHRIST are to obediently serve HIM out of love, honor and respect for HIM. Obedient service comes from the human will being relinquished to GOD to allow HIM to lead and guide their lives through the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Since we are humans and the human body requires food, JESUS stated that we need to look to GOD to provide for our daily needs. HE provides needs sufficient for the day. Providing daily needs also embraces the idea that GOD prepares today what is sufficient to provide for the needs for the coming day.

JESUS addressed debts or sins next. As Christians, we all commit sins of commission and omission. We know in 1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgives Ps 103:3; Jr 31:34; Mt 9:6; 26:28; Col 1:14; Jms 5:15 us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say, “We don’t have any sin,” we make Him a liar, and His wordt Lk 8:21; Heb 4:12 is not in us.u

When we petition GOD to forgive us, the measure for our forgiveness is based upon how well we forgive others. Forgiveness is a two-way street. Those who seek forgiveness from GOD need to be willing to forgive others to reflect GOD’S love through them.

We know that GOD does not tempt anyone but we are led into temptation by our own desires. James 1:13-15:

13 No one undergoing a trial should say, “I am being tempted by God.” For God is not tempted by evil, and He Himself doesn’t tempt anyone. 14 But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desires. 15 Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.

JESUS understood human nature and HE reminds us to not let our desires lead us into compromising our relationship with GOD. When our relationship with GOD is compromised we are vulnerable to attack by Satan and only GOD can deliver us from his attack.

The early manuscripts do not contain the bracketed words. The words are a doxology to the model prayer. It brings our attention to focus upon the eternal nature of the kingdom of GOD, HIS power, HIS glory.

Let’s read Matthew 6:16-18:

How to Fast

16 “Whenever you fast, don’t be sad-faced like the hypocrites. For they make their faces unattractivey Or unrecognizable, or disfiguredz Isa 58:5; Mt 18:35; Jms 2:13 so their fasting is obvious to people. I assure you: They’ve got their reward!
17 But when you fast, put oil on your head, and wash your face,a Ru 3:3; 2Sa 12:20; Dn 10:3
18 so that you don’t show your fasting to people but to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.b  

 

JESUS referred to “hypocrites” who were play actors. The people knew that some people tried to be more religious than they were. They wanted to appear to be fasting, so they dressed for the occasion.

In JESUS’ day, fasting was common for the religious leaders. Fasting was doing without food once or twice a week. Those fasting could have some water. JESUS made it clear that when you fast to not let those you come into contact with know it. Let their fasting be between them and GOD. But there were those who wanted everyone to know that they were fasting by making themselves look sad.

The key is that GOD knows our hearts and we cannot fool HIM but we can fool others. When we fool others, we are only fooling ourselves.

GOD’S desire is for HIS children to be honest with HIM and HE knows our hearts.

Christians need to ask GOD through the Holy Spirit to search their hearts and to reveal their true motives to us. May our walk and talk match the motive of our hearts. Blessings!!!