Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
Hey, Look at Me!
Matthew 6:1-9
Vs. 4a. So that your
alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
In a small college town a pub frequented by students ran the
following ad in the campus newspaper before the Parent’s Weekend: “Bring your
parents for lunch on Saturday. We’ll pretend we don’t know you!”
The college chaplain decided to post a revised version on the campus bulletin
board which read, “Bring your parents to Church on Sunday. We’ll pretend
we know you!”
Genuineness is a virtue of true Christian living. This
passage is a section of the Sermon on the Mount of Jesus Christ. It
addresses the nature of hypocrisy that permeates the religious realm of worship
and witness. Christ notes that faith expression is related to the purity
of intention; in other words, the “why” [are we doing it] and the “who” [are we
doing it for] of every spiritual act. Therefore, genuineness in our
relationship with Christ is a spiritual testimony as opposed to a physical
measure of words and deeds. However, let us not forget that faith without
works is dead (James 2:17). This passage posits relevant lessons for developing
a true Christian character of prayer and faith.
Holiness of
Righteousness
In the first few verses of Matthew 6, Jesus focuses on the subject
of righteous deeds. He instructs the people to not seek attention or
praise when they have helped the poor. Instead, Jesus indicates that your
giving to the poor should be “in secret” or without fanfare. It is in
this way that God may be understood as the true source of the help received and
the faithful as a medium of His blessing. It is also in this manner that
one may relate to the less fortunate in an honorable dignified manner of love
and comradeship, instead of from a privileged hierarchal stance.
Essentially, the message denotes that the one who has is not above the one who
does not have; rather, it is responsibility of the one who has more to give to
the one who has less. Thus, it is not charity that the poor need but, love in
the experience of self-denial. It is in this witness of love that true
holiness may be realized. Holiness in Christian life stems from being set
apart for righteousness through sincere acts of mercy and
love. Let our righteous deeds truly be the fruit of our holy
lives.
Piety
of Prayer
In verses 5-8, Jesus instructs concerning undue motives behind
prayer. Christ points out that prayer must not become an occasion for
self-glorification whether it be “in the synagogue” or “on the street
corners”(v.5). Furthermore, prayer should not be mindless “babble”
(v.7). The piety of prayer refers to the reverence that one must offer
not simply through words but, through a dialogue of the heart to the Eternal
God. It is not a religious act but, a humble commitment of faith.
Christ is truly challenging the people to have a change of heart and
mindset. That is, not to view prayer as an entitlement to abuse as one
desires but, as a precious gift of conversing with the Divine. It is the
humble acceptance of God as Father of our life and source of all
blessings. It is to this spiritual awareness and to the denial of selfish
aims that Christ invites the faithful to in the experience of prayer.
Moreover, Christ communicates the necessity of a proper atmosphere during
prayer that is free of distractions such as, the desire to please others over
God. How genuine is your Christian life? Has hypocrisy crept into
your witness?
PRAYER
O Lord God, may I live
in your holiness so that I may shine forth your righteousness to the world.
AMEN.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
If a man will be
righteous and equal, let him see, with his neighbor’s eyes, in his own case;
and with his own eyes, in his neighbor’s case. – Benjamin Whichcote
Rev. Jaisen Thomas, St. Thomas MTC, Yonkers, NY
Christian Education Forum, Diocese of NAE of the Mar Thoma ChurchRev. Jaisen Thomas, St. Thomas MTC, Yonkers, NY