Of Sunday's
Mathew 6 and Secrets
I am finding it harder and harder to write "what catches my eye" for all the words are so nourishing; so if you will, read the chapter instead of a commentary by me on about every verse.
As I am doing this somewhat more for myself now, so that I am reflecting deeper and deeper on God.
(1) "Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise you have no reward of your father which is in heaven."
I find this passage beginning with this verse very intiguing. In my personal life, I sometimes have tangled myself in this verse. In high school, I remember seeing some attractive girl who had a table set out for a charity. I wanted to give to the charity, but felt that in order to do so I would be too public about giving, and therefore, after much contemplation did not give.
You also have to think of different situations of 'famous people'...I wonder about people like Tim Tebow...this world says that you can use 'fame' for good, and therefore broadcast your charity giving to others in an attempt to get others to do the same. It is interesting that Jesus did not believe in this model, ut instead believed that you should give "in secret" so that only God knows what you have given...
Verse 4- That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
I just reread this verse that I focused on, on Sunday, and I saw the contrast in this verse profound. We are to do charity in secret, and God will reward you "openly" in KJV--I see that NIV and other translations omit this word "openly." But anyhow, I believe the meaning being that God desires us to be as anonymous as possible in our giving, and then He will spiritually and otherwise reward us openly.
(5) And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when tou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
I wonder about this as well. I question myself and wonder if I am too public with prayer from time to time. I have taken a model that suggests that I should pray when asked for prayer out loud, right then, lest I forget and do not pray for said person...and I was more shy about public prayer a long time ago, but I still believe in open prayer somewhat. Maybe the key to this verse is that "they did it to be seen of men" whereas I do not like being seen by men or do it for onlooker's attention, but truly do it only for the person I am praying and to God. I have told others before that the room we are suppose to be retreating to is the room of our hearts, and when we are there it matters not if we are in public or not--because we are praying in the secret place either way.
It is interesting how he states that we should not repeat ourselves in prayer, "as if God were hard of hearing."
(8b) your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask of him.
Extraordinary verse. God who knows all, knows what we need to succeed more than we do; all we need to do in prayer is come with faith and he will grant what we need of Him.
The Lord's Prayer
(11) Give us this day our daily bread.
For if you do not, whatsoever shall we eat?
(14-15) For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly father will also forgive you: b ut if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
I find it interesting that this is conditional in the Lord's prayer, and even emphasized afterwards here. If we do not forgive, we won't be forgiven--it is that simple. We must give up everything, including other's offences against us when we come to God, or else our sins and faults will not be washed clean either.
Fasting (16-17)
But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father which seest in secret, shall reward thee openly.
I wonder why the KJV has this word 'openly' as well as the Amplified whereas NIV and NAS continually leaves it off...but anyway, I find it sometimes difficult to hide when I am fasting. When you are over a friends house and they ask if you want something to eat, I usually go with "I am not hungry" [for I am feeding on God], leaving off the last part obviously. But they usually know...sometimes I believe when his disciples came back to the well and Jesus responds to their entreaty to eat with "I have food to eat that you know not of"--that perhaps, he was fasting? It is probably all in the heart again, are you doing it to be seen of men? Then your heavenly gift is lost; but if men find otu about a fast and you were doing it for God and didn't want them to know anyway, then you have not lost your heavenly sweets.
(19-21) Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where theives break in and steal;but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where theives do not break through nor steal: for where you treasure is, there will your heart be also.
I was actually thinking about this verse the other day, when I had some new item that I did not want to perrish and wanted to be a good steward of. I got to thinking how all things in this world are bound to perrish and how futile it is to look after perishable things whether than the soul, which does not perrish. No matter what you cherrish, the physical things are all bound to decay. As Eccliasiastes states, what is now will soon be forgotten by the next generation. News flash, you know what your belongings will become? Trash. Most all things you own physically will be trashed when you die. Either immediatly or over time, and then what good would it have been for you to strive after them. If that is what you focused on, you like them will perrish as well...but if you focus on God, who does not change like shifting shadows, then you, like Him, will live eternally.
(22-23) The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
I find through four translations, the word clear, sound, good, or single translated in this verse. Anyhow, I think the word single is good, because when our eyes are good or sound we are focused on one thing and let not our eyes go askance after the distractions of this world. I pray that I return to the time when I was more dilligent with keeping my eyes straight ahead. Was it nor perhaps a glance that led David into his mischeif with Bethsaida? ou never know when a glance could lead to your undoing, so it is good to be dilligent in disciplining our eyes by keeping them focused on the prize.
(24) No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
I was actually going to skip this verse, until I noticed how this ties the whole passage together. From focusing on wealth to having our eyes either focused on God's kingdom or the things of this life, to hear stating straight out "You cannot love God and the things of this world, for either you will love God and desire what pleases Him; or you will love the things of this world, and leave the thoughts and beliefs of Jesus behind. And this lends itself into the final parable...
(31-34)
Therefore take no thoguht, saying, What shall we eat? Or What shall we drink? or Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the gentiles seek) for your Heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow; for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
So, now it takes our faith to the extreme. We are not even to worry about what to eat or drink or wear, for Jehovah Jireh will take care of us. I also noted in typing this that we are to seek God "and his righteousness"...Righteousness/holiness is too often given a backseat to "love" in most churches, I feel, and it is only in righteousness that we can truly see God and understand what his love is.
God bless
tony