Title: Pray like this / Matthew 6:5-13
If there is one thing that makes the Christian life different from other people, what is it? In a word, this can be said to be living consciously of God. It means living before God. It means living my life believing that God is watching my life. The words of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7 teach Christians how to live in the presence of God.
In particular, in Matthew 6:1-18, there are three important lessons on how to live reverently before God. They teach about almsgiving, prayer, and fasting. Giving alms and prayer Fasting are things that Christians must do if they want to live a godly life. We Christians will make a special effort. Relief (charity, service) is a duty to the poor. Prayer is a duty to God. Fasting (temperance) is a duty to oneself. Giving, praying, and fasting are essential to our godly life. However, there are a few things to keep in mind when doing this. It is to give, pray, and not fast in order to be seen by people. This is a lesson not to make almsgiving, prayer, or fasting something that people are proud of, but rather do it before God.
In 6:1, when giving alms, it is said, “Be careful not to practice your righteousness before men to be seen by them.”
In 6:5 it says, "When you pray, do not be like hypocrites. They love to stand in the synagogues and at the entrance to the streets to be seen, to pray." Even when praying, do not try to be seen by others.
6:16 says, "When you fast, don't look sad like the hypocrites, for they disgrace their faces to show people what they are fasting." Even when you are fasting, do not try to be seen by others.
Today's reading is a message of instruction about prayer. First, it talks about two false prayers, and then presents what kind of true prayer is.
1. Wrong prayers are prayers that try to appear to people like the Pharisees.
Verse 5 says, "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites. They love to stand in the synagogues and at the entrances of the streets to be seen by men. Truly I tell you, they have already paid their reward. got it."
Here, “hypocrites” refers to the Pharisees and scribes. These were the religious leaders of the time. These were the people Jesus rebuked the most. Matthew 23 is full of rebukes to the Pharisees and scribes. Jesus rebuked seven times, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!"
So what do you mean by "eating out"? Literally, it means to decorate the exterior. It means that the inside and the outside are different.
The Pharisees and scribes tried to show the people that they were leading a godly life. So I prayed in a synagogue where many people gather, or at the entrance of a street that many people pass by. Their prayer was not a prayer to God, but a prayer for people to hear. Jesus said this in a parable. In other words, he contrasted the prayers of the Pharisees and the publicans.
It is recorded in Luke 18:9-14.
"And he spoke this parable to those who believed in themselves righteous and despised others, saying, Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed by himself, saying, 'God, I I thank you that I am not like men, extortioners, unrighteous, adulterers, and not like this publican. Twice a week I fast and I tithe my income.' He could not see, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, for I am a sinner.' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified than the other. Anyone who exalts himself will be humbled and humble himself. He who exalts will be exalted."
In this parable, the prayers that the Pharisees pray are the prayers that people ask to be heard and the prayers of hypocrisy. Don't pray like this.
Verse 6 says, "When you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. Your Father who is in secret will reward you." He told me to pray in a secret place. He told me to go into the closet and pray. I told him to pray to God. Then God will repay you.
2. Wrong prayer is prayer that repeats over and over like a Gentile.
The prayers of the Pharisees and scribes are not prayers to God, but false prayers that people boast about to hear. The prayers of the Gentiles are also not prayers to God. It is a wrong prayer because it is praying to an idol. Moreover, the problem was not how earnestly the Gentiles prayed, but how long they prayed for.
Verse 7 says, "And when you pray, do not keep babbling like the Gentiles. They think that they need to talk a lot in order to be heard. Therefore, do not be like them."
E. M. Bounds, called the saint of prayer, said: “Public prayer (public prayer), the shorter it is, the better, and the private prayer (私祈禱, private prayer), the longer it is, the better.”
"Don't gossip," he said. Gentiles, heathens, and idolaters thought they could call on the gods for help by repeating the same thing. But the God we believe in already knows everything we need before we even pray. Nevertheless, we pray because God wants to talk with us about our concerns.
3. Jesus taught the model of true prayer.
Jesus taught his disciples a model of prayer.
The Lord's Prayer is overall simple and straightforward. Children also memorize well. But it is the deepest and noblest exemplary prayer.
Verse 9 says, “Therefore, pray like this.” Then he presented a model of prayer.
If we just recite this short Lord's Prayer without knowing its meaning, it will become a prayer repeated over and over like a Gentile.
The Lord's Prayer is structured in an introduction, body, and conclusion.
1) Introduction: Prayer begins by calling on the name of God, the object of prayer.
It's a short call, "Our Father who art in heaven." But it has a deep meaning. It clearly reveals what kind of being God is the object of our prayers.
According to the original Hebrew Bible, the phrases "Our Father who art in heaven" are in the order "Father, who is in our heaven."
(1) He is the Father.
that you become a father. It means that He loves us.
(2) He is our Father.
He is not the father of "I" individuals, but "our" father. Of course, Jesus also called God “my God.” God is my God, but he is also our God. The Lord's Prayer is not an example of prayer offered alone, but an example of prayer offered by disciples in fellowship.
(3) He is from heaven.
When you say that you are in heaven, you say that you are not human. It means being holy. It means that God is omnipotent and rules over all things in the universe.
2) Body: There are two main contents of prayer.
That is, prayer for God and prayer for man. But subdivided into six. There are three prayer topics for God and three prayer topics for people.
(1) Three prayer topics for God and his kingdom
end). May God's name be hallowed. May God be exalted.
I). God's kingdom come. May God rule us.
All). God's will be done on this earth. May God's good and pleasing will, God's plan of salvation, be fulfilled.
(2) Three prayer topics for people
end). Give us today our daily bread. It is a prayer for our daily bread, our bread for today. It is a prayer for our bodies. A prayer for the present.
I). Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. It is a prayer to forgive our neighbors. It is a prayer for our souls. A prayer for the past.
All). Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. It is a prayer for victory over evil. A prayer for the future.
3) Conclusion: This can be seen as Song Young.
"For you are the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen."
This is called Songyeong. It is a word that glorifies God.
"For all things come from the Lord, and through the Lord and to the Lord. Glory to him forevermore. Amen" (Romans 11:36)
"To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen" (2 Tim. 4:18).
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power for ever and ever” (Revelation 5:13).
“Hallelujah, salvation and glory and power belong to our God” (Revelation 19:1).
The last "amen" means "truly yes" or "confirm".
When we begin the Lord's Prayer, we say, "Our Father who art in heaven," but at the end we say, "You are with us forever." It starts with father and ends with father.
We should always pray. But especially during Lent, it is a time for prayer. Let us strive to pray according to the example the Lord has taught us.