GIVING, PRAYING, & FASTING
Matthew 6:2-18
As we look at these verses this morning, we are dealing with what you might call the leftovers. I hope you don’t take that in a bad way. I hope it doesn’t sound like a crude way to categorize God’s Word. But there is a sense in which we are circling back to take another sweep through.
Again, last week we covered verse 1. We talked about our motives and how we (as sinners) have a tendency to be pious little pre-madonnas. There can be a tendency to do our religious deeds not for God’s glory, but for our own attention. We have this incessant desire for admiration. And that desire often will be what drives us to do certain religious things.
That was the point that Jesus made in verse one when he said, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people to be seen by them.” And what happens is that in the following verses Jesus takes that concept and illustrates it in three different ways. He addressed the people of his time and three common ways they were show boating their faith. They would give to the poor. And when they did, they would make a parade out of it so that people would notice how much they gave and how often they gave.
Then in verses 5-14 he talks about prayer. And he tells us that we should not be like the hypocrites who love to pray in public places so that they could be seen and heard by others. Their attitude was not that of humility before God and an earnest seeking of God’s kingdom. They were seeking their own recognition.
And then in verses 16-18 he illustrates his point with the way they practiced fasting. People would have disfigured faces (maybe they were putting on make-up or just looking forlorn) so that they could be noticed that they were going without food. And they could ooo and awe over how pious they were.
Of course, we looked at several places of our own day where we might be tempted to attract people’s praise. I would probably say that we do not have the same areas where we seek to be lauded. Rather, we will put ourselves out there when it comes to our Scripture memorization, our speaking opportunities, and our social media presence. All in all, we like attract worship from our fellow Christians just the same; we simply change the protocols and practices wherein we do it.
So, there is a real sense in which we have covered this material already. And as we come to our passage today, we don’t need to re tread this ground. No doubt, I do not think that it should be skipped. As my professor used to say, “Repetition is the mother of learning.” And if there is ever anything we need reiterated, it is the fact that we can be tempted to be little gods in our own religion.
So as we go through this section, I hope you do hear this bell being rung again and again. I hope you do take note of what Jesus is saying.
But what I want to do today is pick up the leftovers. By that I mean I want us to look at the secondary themes in these passages. There are some subsidiary lessons in these verses that I think deserve our attention. Or, shall I say, there are some other truths to uncover that are related to the overarching theme of praise.
So our outline today will be a simple one. We are just going to tackle each of these three subjects one by one: the alms giving, prayer, and then fasting. And, we’ll probably run quickly through each of these points.
So let’s begin by talking about the financial side of things. Giving to the poor. Or, as some of your versions may have it, the giving of alms.
I. Alms
This is found in verses 2-4. And what I want you to notice from this passage is that you are to have a real concern for helping people who are in physical need. Look at verse 2. He says, “When you give to the needy.”
Now, he goes on to criticize the way the people of his time often did it. They would make a show of it. Jesus says, “Don’t sound a trumpet.” There’s no archeological evidence that people literally blew trumpets when they gave. A lot of commentators think that Jesus is exaggerating here. He’s likely referring to what happened in the theater. When actors would come out on stage, they sometimes would be accompanied by a trumpet fanfare.
And that fits with his comments later about the hypocrites. A hypocrite, in their day, was an actor. Actors would wear masks in order to get into character. And Jesus is saying that a lot of the people who are giving and praying are actors. They are playing the part of a religious person, when in fact they really probably were not all that religious. Their faith is rather doubtful.
But the main point that Jesus is seeking to make, of course, is that there should be a discreteness to our giving. We should not try to make a show of our charity.
What I want you to realize though is that this act of charity is still very important. You see, in our day we have a different pitfall. We live in a materialistic age. I doubt that we have a problem with trying to attract attention to our giving. That’s because we are much more tight fisted when it comes to our finances. We are much less likely to part with our finances.
What I want us to realize that when someone is found to be in need, we must be ready to act. Taking care of those who are, by God’s providence, in a desperate or downtrodden state, is a divine imperative.
Now recognize why giving to the needy was so blown out of proportion. There is so much emphasis in Scripture (especially the OT), when it comes to caring for the poor, the widows, the foreigners, and the orphans.
Deuteronomy 15:7-8
“If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, 8 but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be.
Various places in Deut. Also talk about a special tithe every 3 years that was to be taken in order to support the Levites and the poor within the city.
Furthermore, there are the gleaning laws. There were special regulations that were designed to assist those who were in dire need. For instance, farmers were to leave the corners of your fields in the time of harvest so that the poor could have something to eat. Then every 7th year you were supposed to let your fields be fallow. And any crop that did spring up was not to be touched. These crops were to be specifically for the poor of the land.
Beyond that there are many many Scriptures that encourage a liberal spirit. For instance, Psalm 41 is a whole Psalm about how blessed the man is who considers the poor. The idea is that God is taking care of him because he is taking care of those who cannot provide for themselves.
Proverbs 19:17
Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and will be repaid in full.
Now, I’ve cited a number of passages. But you should know that I have not even begun to scratch the surface. In the OT there are no less than 160 passages that deal with the poor, the widow, the orphan, and the foreigner who is needy. And to be very clear: That’s not 160 verses. That’s 160 passages, many of which have two or more verses. And that is just the OT. That’s not even including what the NT says about the subject.
I might mention one text from the NT. It is from Eph. 4. Paul says, “Let the one who steals, steal no longer, but rather let him work, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.” It may be said that one of the main purpose of our occupation is not so that we can buy a bigger house and nicer car, but that we might be able to help the downtrodden.
To be sure, there’s more that could be said. The phrase, “when you give to the needy” actually could be translated “when you do your mercies.” It’s the idea of helping in general; not just financially, but also in terms of your time, energy, and other means of care beyond that of your finances.
But I don’t have time now to develop that. What I want us to think about here is simply the OT background and the incredible emphasis that God puts on caring for people in need. When an opportunity presents itself, we should be very proactive. We should be on the front lines of caring for those who are financially disadvantaged and seeking to provide a way for them to not only meet their needs, but actually begin building wealth of their own.
So let us take note of our tendency to be admired, but let us also take note of our tendency to be stingy. God wants us to cultivate a spirit of generosity and liberality.
But let’s now move to the second passage, which is found in verses 5-15. It is the section on prayer.
II. Prayer
Now again, we don’t need to re tread all the ground that we have already covered. The main purpose of this portion of Scripture is that we ought not to pray for praise. That’s what the actors (or the hypocrites) were doing.
What can we say about prayer though? Let me point out three things. When you pray, think that it should have three basic elements: Your prayers should be sincere, simple, and in sync.
A. Our Prayers must be Sincere
When I say our prayers should be sincere, I’m talking about the fact that they should be between us and God. Jesus says that you should “go into his closet and pray to your father in secret.” Notice his emphasis on praying to the father.
This concept of the fatherhood of God is really brought out in this section. There’s a sense in which Jesus puts a new emphasis on how God has a distinct, personal relation to us. He is to us a caring and loving father.
Now, I understand that there can be some who have had bad experiences iwth their earthly fathers. I’ve heard that it is hard to relate to God in this way because of that. But the biblical father is one who is tender, caring and attentive. He’s one who has great affection for his children and loves them deeply.
And Jesus says that should be the focus of your prayers. That relationship. It’s not the attention you get from men, but the opportunity to sincerely come and meet with the God who loves you and has every intention of caring for you.
You might say that this sincerity should be the foundation of your prayer life.
But your prayers should not just be sincere, they should also be simple.
B. Our Prayers must be Simple
I believe that is the point of the Lord’s Prayer. Look at verse 7f. Jesus says, “Don’t be like the Gentiles who babble on and on and pile up all kinds of verbiage. They are involved in superstition. They think that God is activated by means of magic formulas and empty rituals. If you say the right words or enough words, then God will act.
That’s not how God wants to relate to you. He wants simple prayers. That’s why he says, “Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, hallowed (or holy) be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done.”
The beauty of the Lord’s prayer is that it is short and sweet. It covers everything, but it is not long and drawn out.
And this may be so key for some of you. You might be intimidated by prayer. You think you have to make a full blown dissertation out of it or have it be real formal. Not at all. God loves miniature prayers. You don’t have to have your prayers all dressed up in some formal attire. You can just let your heart speak, and it doesn’t have to be overly long.
If you’ve ever read the book of Nehemiah, you know what I mean. The book of Nehemiah has several prayers sprinkled throughout it. And they are all short, one liners. “Lord, help” is the basic theme. As a matter of fact, I think that’s one of the most profound prayers that you can pray.
There’s one more thing to note about your prayers. They should be sincere, simple, and (I’m going to say they should be) in sync.
C. Our Prayers must be in Sync
Look at verses 14-15. Jesus says, “If you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your heavenly father forgive your trespasses.
Do you see what I mean when I say your prayers should be in sync? The way you live, should be in sync with the way you pray. There should be a correspondence between the grace you seek from God and the grace you are showing to the people around you.
I’m going to pick on the Calvinists here. It never ceases to amaze me that those who tout the doctrines of grace the most, can sometimes be some of the most ungracious people that we ever meet. That shouldn’t be the case. There should be some equilibrium between the doctrines and the actions.
And maybe Jesus throws this in here because those who are proud and who love attention, maybe they are some of the most unforgiving people there can be.
I think it is good to come back to this point every once in a while. It’s always good to be reminded of how we need to be willing to forgive. Jesus finds this so important that he not only mentions it in the Lord’s prayer, but he circles back to highlight it again in these verses.
And it is a sobering thing that we should all take to heart. If we are not displaying grace--if we are not willing to forgive and seek to renew the relationships that have been broken, then we shouldn’t think that God is listening to our prayers. We shouldn’t think that God is casting the net of his forgiveness over us.
It’s just a simple logic. If our lives are not in sync with our prayers, then there’s something that is terribly wrong.
The last section deal with fasting.
III. Fasting
And once again, you know the main point that Jesus is making. People in his day were making sure that people knew when they were fasting. They’d make themselves look gaunt and miserable. And someone would ask, “You don’t look good. Are you feeling okay?” “O, don’t mind me, I’m just fasting…again.” So there would be a chance for them to say, “O wow. He’s so spiritual.”
Again, this is here to remind us how easily we can slip into this spiritual vanity.
But I don’t want you to miss the discipline that is mentioned. We could easily throw the baby out with the bathwater and say, “Well we shouldn’t fast at all.” That’s now what Jesus is wanting us to do at all. He does not condemn the practice of fasting, he is concerned with our motives in it.
I think that we would do well to try it from time to time.
You can scan through the Scriptures and find various reasons why people fasted. Sometimes it was a way of showing remorse for sin. Sometimes it was because the people of God needed the Lord to deliver them or answer a prayer.
But what it ultimately boils down to is what you find in the Beatitudes: It is about hungering and thirsting for righteousness. It’s a time to set aside your physical hungers and focus in an express way on your spiritual hungers.
And you see that there is some good return for this practice. Our passage says that, “Your Father, who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”
There’s a promise that this discipline will bring about some good in your life. Your prayers will be heard and your life will somehow benefit.
Again, I mention this because we Americans have so much food. Our comforts in life are pretty excessive. And we probably gravitate towards gluttony and self sufficiency. And we might have a hard time denying ourselves food for a short length of time.
But that’s just all the more reason why it might be good to try to implement this practice on a regular basis. Maybe once a month or once a week make a habit of doing it and devoting yourself to a time of specific, concentrated prayer for some need. I think you’d be amazed at how you may see the Lord moving in your life.
Conclusion:
Well, that brings us to the end of our passage. I hope that you will continue to meditate on these leftovers, as I’ve called them. As you can see there has been still much to take from these passages. As you take note again of the call to do your acts of righteousness with pure motives, I hope you are challenged be more mindful of the needy, be more engaged in prayer, and maybe even stirred to begin a new practice or renew the practice of fasting.
Again, last week we covered verse 1. We talked about our motives and how we (as sinners) have a tendency to be pious little pre-madonnas. There can be a tendency to do our religious deeds not for God’s glory, but for our own attention. We have this incessant desire for admiration. And that desire often will be what drives us to do certain religious things.
That was the point that Jesus made in verse one when he said, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people to be seen by them.” And what happens is that in the following verses Jesus takes that concept and illustrates it in three different ways. He addressed the people of his time and three common ways they were show boating their faith. They would give to the poor. And when they did, they would make a parade out of it so that people would notice how much they gave and how often they gave.
Then in verses 5-14 he talks about prayer. And he tells us that we should not be like the hypocrites who love to pray in public places so that they could be seen and heard by others. Their attitude was not that of humility before God and an earnest seeking of God’s kingdom. They were seeking their own recognition.
And then in verses 16-18 he illustrates his point with the way they practiced fasting. People would have disfigured faces (maybe they were putting on make-up or just looking forlorn) so that they could be noticed that they were going without food. And they could ooo and awe over how pious they were.
Of course, we looked at several places of our own day where we might be tempted to attract people’s praise. I would probably say that we do not have the same areas where we seek to be lauded. Rather, we will put ourselves out there when it comes to our Scripture memorization, our speaking opportunities, and our social media presence. All in all, we like attract worship from our fellow Christians just the same; we simply change the protocols and practices wherein we do it.
So, there is a real sense in which we have covered this material already. And as we come to our passage today, we don’t need to re tread this ground. No doubt, I do not think that it should be skipped. As my professor used to say, “Repetition is the mother of learning.” And if there is ever anything we need reiterated, it is the fact that we can be tempted to be little gods in our own religion.
So as we go through this section, I hope you do hear this bell being rung again and again. I hope you do take note of what Jesus is saying.
But what I want to do today is pick up the leftovers. By that I mean I want us to look at the secondary themes in these passages. There are some subsidiary lessons in these verses that I think deserve our attention. Or, shall I say, there are some other truths to uncover that are related to the overarching theme of praise.
So our outline today will be a simple one. We are just going to tackle each of these three subjects one by one: the alms giving, prayer, and then fasting. And, we’ll probably run quickly through each of these points.
So let’s begin by talking about the financial side of things. Giving to the poor. Or, as some of your versions may have it, the giving of alms.
I. Alms
This is found in verses 2-4. And what I want you to notice from this passage is that you are to have a real concern for helping people who are in physical need. Look at verse 2. He says, “When you give to the needy.”
Now, he goes on to criticize the way the people of his time often did it. They would make a show of it. Jesus says, “Don’t sound a trumpet.” There’s no archeological evidence that people literally blew trumpets when they gave. A lot of commentators think that Jesus is exaggerating here. He’s likely referring to what happened in the theater. When actors would come out on stage, they sometimes would be accompanied by a trumpet fanfare.
And that fits with his comments later about the hypocrites. A hypocrite, in their day, was an actor. Actors would wear masks in order to get into character. And Jesus is saying that a lot of the people who are giving and praying are actors. They are playing the part of a religious person, when in fact they really probably were not all that religious. Their faith is rather doubtful.
But the main point that Jesus is seeking to make, of course, is that there should be a discreteness to our giving. We should not try to make a show of our charity.
What I want you to realize though is that this act of charity is still very important. You see, in our day we have a different pitfall. We live in a materialistic age. I doubt that we have a problem with trying to attract attention to our giving. That’s because we are much more tight fisted when it comes to our finances. We are much less likely to part with our finances.
What I want us to realize that when someone is found to be in need, we must be ready to act. Taking care of those who are, by God’s providence, in a desperate or downtrodden state, is a divine imperative.
Now recognize why giving to the needy was so blown out of proportion. There is so much emphasis in Scripture (especially the OT), when it comes to caring for the poor, the widows, the foreigners, and the orphans.
Deuteronomy 15:7-8
“If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, 8 but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be.
Various places in Deut. Also talk about a special tithe every 3 years that was to be taken in order to support the Levites and the poor within the city.
Furthermore, there are the gleaning laws. There were special regulations that were designed to assist those who were in dire need. For instance, farmers were to leave the corners of your fields in the time of harvest so that the poor could have something to eat. Then every 7th year you were supposed to let your fields be fallow. And any crop that did spring up was not to be touched. These crops were to be specifically for the poor of the land.
Beyond that there are many many Scriptures that encourage a liberal spirit. For instance, Psalm 41 is a whole Psalm about how blessed the man is who considers the poor. The idea is that God is taking care of him because he is taking care of those who cannot provide for themselves.
Proverbs 19:17
Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and will be repaid in full.
Now, I’ve cited a number of passages. But you should know that I have not even begun to scratch the surface. In the OT there are no less than 160 passages that deal with the poor, the widow, the orphan, and the foreigner who is needy. And to be very clear: That’s not 160 verses. That’s 160 passages, many of which have two or more verses. And that is just the OT. That’s not even including what the NT says about the subject.
I might mention one text from the NT. It is from Eph. 4. Paul says, “Let the one who steals, steal no longer, but rather let him work, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.” It may be said that one of the main purpose of our occupation is not so that we can buy a bigger house and nicer car, but that we might be able to help the downtrodden.
To be sure, there’s more that could be said. The phrase, “when you give to the needy” actually could be translated “when you do your mercies.” It’s the idea of helping in general; not just financially, but also in terms of your time, energy, and other means of care beyond that of your finances.
But I don’t have time now to develop that. What I want us to think about here is simply the OT background and the incredible emphasis that God puts on caring for people in need. When an opportunity presents itself, we should be very proactive. We should be on the front lines of caring for those who are financially disadvantaged and seeking to provide a way for them to not only meet their needs, but actually begin building wealth of their own.
So let us take note of our tendency to be admired, but let us also take note of our tendency to be stingy. God wants us to cultivate a spirit of generosity and liberality.
But let’s now move to the second passage, which is found in verses 5-15. It is the section on prayer.
II. Prayer
Now again, we don’t need to re tread all the ground that we have already covered. The main purpose of this portion of Scripture is that we ought not to pray for praise. That’s what the actors (or the hypocrites) were doing.
What can we say about prayer though? Let me point out three things. When you pray, think that it should have three basic elements: Your prayers should be sincere, simple, and in sync.
A. Our Prayers must be Sincere
When I say our prayers should be sincere, I’m talking about the fact that they should be between us and God. Jesus says that you should “go into his closet and pray to your father in secret.” Notice his emphasis on praying to the father.
This concept of the fatherhood of God is really brought out in this section. There’s a sense in which Jesus puts a new emphasis on how God has a distinct, personal relation to us. He is to us a caring and loving father.
Now, I understand that there can be some who have had bad experiences iwth their earthly fathers. I’ve heard that it is hard to relate to God in this way because of that. But the biblical father is one who is tender, caring and attentive. He’s one who has great affection for his children and loves them deeply.
And Jesus says that should be the focus of your prayers. That relationship. It’s not the attention you get from men, but the opportunity to sincerely come and meet with the God who loves you and has every intention of caring for you.
You might say that this sincerity should be the foundation of your prayer life.
But your prayers should not just be sincere, they should also be simple.
B. Our Prayers must be Simple
I believe that is the point of the Lord’s Prayer. Look at verse 7f. Jesus says, “Don’t be like the Gentiles who babble on and on and pile up all kinds of verbiage. They are involved in superstition. They think that God is activated by means of magic formulas and empty rituals. If you say the right words or enough words, then God will act.
That’s not how God wants to relate to you. He wants simple prayers. That’s why he says, “Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, hallowed (or holy) be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done.”
The beauty of the Lord’s prayer is that it is short and sweet. It covers everything, but it is not long and drawn out.
And this may be so key for some of you. You might be intimidated by prayer. You think you have to make a full blown dissertation out of it or have it be real formal. Not at all. God loves miniature prayers. You don’t have to have your prayers all dressed up in some formal attire. You can just let your heart speak, and it doesn’t have to be overly long.
If you’ve ever read the book of Nehemiah, you know what I mean. The book of Nehemiah has several prayers sprinkled throughout it. And they are all short, one liners. “Lord, help” is the basic theme. As a matter of fact, I think that’s one of the most profound prayers that you can pray.
There’s one more thing to note about your prayers. They should be sincere, simple, and (I’m going to say they should be) in sync.
C. Our Prayers must be in Sync
Look at verses 14-15. Jesus says, “If you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your heavenly father forgive your trespasses.
Do you see what I mean when I say your prayers should be in sync? The way you live, should be in sync with the way you pray. There should be a correspondence between the grace you seek from God and the grace you are showing to the people around you.
I’m going to pick on the Calvinists here. It never ceases to amaze me that those who tout the doctrines of grace the most, can sometimes be some of the most ungracious people that we ever meet. That shouldn’t be the case. There should be some equilibrium between the doctrines and the actions.
And maybe Jesus throws this in here because those who are proud and who love attention, maybe they are some of the most unforgiving people there can be.
I think it is good to come back to this point every once in a while. It’s always good to be reminded of how we need to be willing to forgive. Jesus finds this so important that he not only mentions it in the Lord’s prayer, but he circles back to highlight it again in these verses.
And it is a sobering thing that we should all take to heart. If we are not displaying grace--if we are not willing to forgive and seek to renew the relationships that have been broken, then we shouldn’t think that God is listening to our prayers. We shouldn’t think that God is casting the net of his forgiveness over us.
It’s just a simple logic. If our lives are not in sync with our prayers, then there’s something that is terribly wrong.
The last section deal with fasting.
III. Fasting
And once again, you know the main point that Jesus is making. People in his day were making sure that people knew when they were fasting. They’d make themselves look gaunt and miserable. And someone would ask, “You don’t look good. Are you feeling okay?” “O, don’t mind me, I’m just fasting…again.” So there would be a chance for them to say, “O wow. He’s so spiritual.”
Again, this is here to remind us how easily we can slip into this spiritual vanity.
But I don’t want you to miss the discipline that is mentioned. We could easily throw the baby out with the bathwater and say, “Well we shouldn’t fast at all.” That’s now what Jesus is wanting us to do at all. He does not condemn the practice of fasting, he is concerned with our motives in it.
I think that we would do well to try it from time to time.
You can scan through the Scriptures and find various reasons why people fasted. Sometimes it was a way of showing remorse for sin. Sometimes it was because the people of God needed the Lord to deliver them or answer a prayer.
But what it ultimately boils down to is what you find in the Beatitudes: It is about hungering and thirsting for righteousness. It’s a time to set aside your physical hungers and focus in an express way on your spiritual hungers.
And you see that there is some good return for this practice. Our passage says that, “Your Father, who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”
There’s a promise that this discipline will bring about some good in your life. Your prayers will be heard and your life will somehow benefit.
Again, I mention this because we Americans have so much food. Our comforts in life are pretty excessive. And we probably gravitate towards gluttony and self sufficiency. And we might have a hard time denying ourselves food for a short length of time.
But that’s just all the more reason why it might be good to try to implement this practice on a regular basis. Maybe once a month or once a week make a habit of doing it and devoting yourself to a time of specific, concentrated prayer for some need. I think you’d be amazed at how you may see the Lord moving in your life.
Conclusion:
Well, that brings us to the end of our passage. I hope that you will continue to meditate on these leftovers, as I’ve called them. As you can see there has been still much to take from these passages. As you take note again of the call to do your acts of righteousness with pure motives, I hope you are challenged be more mindful of the needy, be more engaged in prayer, and maybe even stirred to begin a new practice or renew the practice of fasting.