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About Worship Bible Camp Outreach Sermons Links Contact

Look At Me

LOOK AT ME!

Matthew 6:1-4

I am glad that you are here today…Happy Mother’s Day to all.

Let’s look at the passage that was read…In this passage Jesus continues talking to us about having a “righteousness that exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees.”

Well, in chapter 5 starting in vs. 21 to the end of the chapter Jesus gives us 5 instances where he contrasts what the scribes and Pharisees were doing with what we need to do.

Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.

So look at the first area of “religious activity” that He speaks of…look at vs. 2:

“When therefore you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 3 “But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing 4 that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

 Here is what Jesus is saying about giving.

Giving to the needy, to the poor was considered the highest calling.

Now where they gave was in very public places. They were giving in the synagogues and apparently out in the market places where people were.

And so the scribes and Pharisees or the Rabbi would again raise up the horn and blow another blast…and then a third time…and even longer until finally there is a lot of poor people around and a lot of others watching.

Jesus says, “Give in such a way that no one knows, that no one sees.”

Now Jesus speaks to us about prayer. Look at vs. 5:

“And when you pray, you are not to be as the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners, in order to be seen by men.

Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 6 “But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

The Hebrew people the Jewish people had a prayer for everything. (Look sometime on Wikipedia)

And for some of them they loved standing on the street corners and praying for everything just to show everyone how righteous and religious they were.

And all the people around them are in amazement and they are saying, “Wow, the Rabbis are really great men of prayer.”

So Jesus comes a long and He says that it is good to pray and it is good to pray all day, and it is good to pray 3 times a day, and to pray to God and to pray in the temple, prayer is good and keep praying.

When Jesus says here to “go into your inner room and shut the door”, don’t take that to extremes.

And look at verse 7: And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition, as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. 8 “Therefore do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need, before you ask Him. 9 “Pray, then, in this way:

Vs. 9: ‘Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name.

10’Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.

11’Give us this day our daily bread.

12’And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

13’And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.]’

How long did it take to read that prayer?

Then the third thing Jesus talks about is fasting; vs. 16.  “And whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face (what is a gloomy face…what does that look like?) as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance in order to be seen fasting by men. 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 you may not be seen fasting by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

What is Jesus talking about? He is saying that it is not about show…that you need to be sincere… there needs to be a relationship between you and your heavenly Father that is pure, and good, and healthy, and holy.

In verse 2, 5, and 16 Jesus says “don’t do as the hypocrites do.”