How Christ-Followers Are to Pray - Part 3

Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread

            Once we have focused appropriately on God’s glory and aligning ourselves with His purposes, we then come to the point where we express our needs to God. Prayer, as Jesus shows here, is about depending on God. This is a hard thing for many Americans to grasp, particularly on the level of everyday physical needs, such as food and shelter. We believe that we can provide for ourselves; after all, there is an abundance of resources at our disposal. But when Jesus says to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” He is showing that, in reality, God is the one who supplies for us. An overarching theme of Scripture is that God is the true source and supplier of all that is found in nature. Praying before a meal to thank God for food, then, is not a formality, it is to be the heartfelt acknowledgement  that the food which nourishes us comes as a gift from God, and it reminds us of our dependency on Him to meet our needs. Not only are we to depend on Him for food but for everything we need. The apostle Peter says to “Cast all your anxiety on [God] because he cares for you” (I Peter 5:7, NIV). Prayer is certainly a time for us to express our needs to God because He, as a loving Father, cares about us.

Forgive Us Our Debts

            Lest we be presumptuous, however, assuming that God ought to meet our expectations, Jesus says we should also seek God’s forgiveness for our debt against Him. Prayer, as mentioned earlier, is not to be presenting a wish-list; it is about relating rightly to God and others. We can have confidence that God will forgive us, but we must be consistent in relation to others. “For if you forgive men their trespasses,” Jesus states, “your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14–15). This is reminiscent of a story Jesus tells elsewhere in answer to a question posed by Peter.

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

“At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.

“His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’

“But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.

“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” (Matthew 18:21–35, NIV)

            Prayer is a means of helping us to put things into perspective. It is easy to be bitter and demanding toward others when they have wronged or failed us, but when we see our own sin and need of forgiveness before God, it ought to lead us to be merciful toward others. So Jesus instructs us to pray, “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.”

Do Not Lead Us into Temptation, but Deliver Us from the Evil One

            This request concerning temptation and being delivered from the evil one shows that prayer is also about gaining spiritual victory. We may not realize it, but great people of God have been people of prayer. Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. . . If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” Those who know and follow Christ can expect to have their prayers answered, and they must remember that without Christ, they cannot be successful spiritually. The Scripture teaches that, in the realm of spirituality, there is a battle taking place between the forces of light and darkness (cf. Eph. 6:12). This manifests itself on a physical level, but it takes place behind the scenes, so to speak. Prayer affords us the opportunity to be prepared to face the situations that will be brought our way with confidence in God and His power resting upon us. When Daniel (in the Old Testament) was under the imperial decree forbidding prayer, he went on as usual with his worship practices. This led him to be thrown into a den of lions as punishment, but he faced it with courage and dignity because of the fortitude received from time with God.

            An important principle we must always keep in mind is that private practice determines public performance. We can be inspired by a great athlete or musician and be amazed at their ability. We may even say that these people are so gifted, and we wish we could do those things. But what is easily overlooked is the amount of time spent working on developing and perfecting their abilities. Perhaps we could be quite good at a sport or an instrument if we put the hours and hours of toil necessary to become proficient. In the same way, if we are going to be spiritually proficient, we must privately prepare with discipline in order to see spiritual growth and productivity. We must seek God regularly in prayer and time in His Word, asking Him for help in the spiritual battle we face.

The Reason for Prayer

“For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”

This final phrase brings us back to where we began in this prayer: God’s glory. Though this phrase is not found in all of the ancient manuscripts, it does provide us with a Scripturally- based conclusion to the prayer (cf. I Chronicles 29:11). We pray, not out of duty or selfish motives, but because of who God is: the One who possesses the ultimate authority, power, and glory forever.  And so Christ-followers are to be people of prayer, following the pattern presented by the Lord Jesus in this passage. This is why the “Lord’s Prayer” was given to us, not a prayer to recite thoughtlessly, but a model for how to pray effectively.

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

How Christ-Followers Are to Pray - Part 2

The Requests of Prayer

Hallowed Be Your Name

            I mentioned before how people can pray this prayer without really giving thought to what it means. It reminds me of children learning to pledge to the U.S. flag in school but not really understanding what it means until someone explains it, or upon reflection when they are older. Many have heard or prayed “hallowed be Your name” but do not have a clear idea of what this means. “Hallowed” carries the idea of being set part in an important way. We, if we are not careful, can approach prayer as if we are presenting a wish list to Santa Claus, whereas Jesus says our first priority is to be about God’s name, God’s honor, God’s reputation.

            Prayer, then, is about bringing glory to God, and God is honored (hallowed) when we praise Him and when He is seen to be at work through our prayers. In the book of John, we hear Jesus saying, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” When God’s people are answered by their Father in Heaven, people are able to see God for who He is. Pastor J. D. Greear tells of one of his experiences:

When I lived among Muslims in Southeast Asia, there were times I just didn’t know what to do or say to make Jesus known to them. So I’d offer to pray for sick people. I laid hands on dozens of people and prayed for them in Jesus’ name. Some of them got better. I’ll never forget the day a group of 12-year-old boys rang my doorbell so one could ask me to pray for his mother. I heard a kid in the back of the group say, “Why are you asking him to come? He’s not a Muslim.” The other boy said, “Yes, but this is a man God listens to.” (Greear, 233–234)

            Followers of Christ are to pray in order that God will be exalted as He does His mighty work. So our first request is “Hallowed be Your name.”

Your Kingdom Come, Your Will Be Done

            The next two requests continue with the priority of focusing on God, and they show that prayer is about aligning ourselves with God’s purposes. When Jesus Himself was facing His impending crucifixion, He went to a garden to pray, and this is what Matthew recounts:

Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.” And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.”

He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”

Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

                Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” (Matthew 26:36–42)

            Jesus was in agony over what He was about to face. Clearly His own desire was to avoid bearing sin on the cross and drinking the cup of wrath, but repeatedly, after pouring out His emotions, He submissively prays, “Your will be done.” If the Son of God struggled in prayer, it is to be expected that we will have to struggle in prayer at times. But prayer is meant to bring us to the place where, in drawing close to God with our inmost feelings, we can ultimately say that we want His will to be done.

            Praying for God’s kingdom to come entails a desire to see God at work in the lives of others, that His rule in the hearts of people will be advanced, but it also entails a desire for Christ to come again and rule on earth in His righteous kingdom. Followers of Christ should desire that more and more people will be brought into right relationship with the King of Heaven and be prepared for His rule on earth. I am happy to say I have seen God tremendously answer prayer for His work in changing people’s lives. On the other hand, when we pray with wrong, self-centered motives, we cannot expect that prayer to be answered. This explains why people who blame God for not answering prayer have a misconception of how God works. Jesus says prayer is not for expecting whatever we may wish but for aligning ourselves with God’s purposes and praying for Him to bring about what He deems best: “Your kingdom come, Your will be done.”

Works Cited:

J. D. Greear, Gospel: Rediscovering the Power that Made Christianity Revolutionary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2011).

All Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

How Christ-Followers Are to Pray

“And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.

“Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive

you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive

your trespasses.” (Jesus, Matthew 6:7–13)

It is ironic that the prayer given by Jesus in this passage has been used in a rigidly repetitious manner, to the point that many who know the “Lord’s Prayer” have not thoroughly considered what it means. And this is right after Jesus finishes saying not to use “vain” or “empty” repetitions. What Jesus says is that we are to pray “in this manner.” In other words, this prayer provides a pattern for us to follow, not a prayer that we are obligated to repeat word-for-word (though this is not wrong to do provided we mean what we are saying).

The Recipient of Prayer

            First, Jesus shows that we must consider to whom we are praying. He refers to God as “our Father.” The Scripture teaches that all who have faith in Christ have become the children of God, and are given the “Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father’” (Romans 8:15b).

            At one time, I worked as an afterschool caregiver for an elementary school children near Boston, MA. The particular community that I worked in had a fairly high Jewish population, and I distinctly remember one of the little Jewish boys running up to his father saying, “Abba! Abba!” This is a term denoting affection and close relationship, and this little boy was so happy to see his father that he could not help crying out with loving joy at the sight of him. The Scripture teaches that we can know God as our Father, even as a Father we are close enough to speak of as “Abba.”  Jesus says that when we approach God in prayer, we are to think in relational terms. We are not praying in some abstract sense, merely voicing our thoughts and wishes into the great unknown. We are speaking to a Person, whom we relate to as our adopted Father.

            Jesus adds, however, that God is “our Father in heaven.” I was taught to pray, “Dear heavenly Father” based on Jesus’ teaching here, but having heard and used this so much, it is easy to forget what this really means. It reveals that we are privileged to pray to the One who is in heaven and is above and in control of all things. The songwriter Steven Curtis Chapman addresses this theme:

The morning finds me
Here at heaven's door,
A place I've been
So many times before.
Familiar thoughts
And phrases start to flow,
And carry me to places that
I know so well.

But dare I go
Where I don't understand?
And do I dare
Remember where I am?
I stand before
The great eternal throne,
The one that God
Himself is seated on.
And I, I've been invited as a son.
Oh I, I've been invited to come and

Believe the unbelievable,
Receive the inconceivable,
And see beyond
My wildest imagination.
Lord, I come with
Great expectations.

Sometimes prayer can be perceived as a boring or superfluous activity, but if we

remembered that we are praying at the “great eternal throne” then we would truly come with wonder, humility, and anticipation, and this is what Jesus desires us to do.

Works Cited:

“Great Expectations” by Steven Curtis Chapman

© 1999 Sparrow Song (a div. of EMI Christian Music Publishing)

Primary Wave Brian (Chapman Sp Acct) (Admin. by Wixen Music Publishing, Inc.)

Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version.  Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

How Christ-Followers Are to Approach Religion

One of the greatest indicators of human depravity is our capacity to take something as good and wholesome as godly religion and twist it for self-centered purposes. This is what Jesus is dealing with here, and it is something He sought to address often in His ministry. Of the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus commented that “all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi’” (Matthew 23:5–7). This is a warning that we must not assume that simply because we engage in religious practices, we are truly honoring and pleasing God. Jesus declares that His followers are to be people who use religion rightly, and this is found in having the right motive. It is not enough to do good things, we must do them for the right reasons.

He presents three religious practices in order to reveal the wrong approach to religion and to instruct His followers how to engage in these practices rightly.

Charity

“Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.” (Jesus, Matthew 6:1–4)

            It is easy to assume that if one is engaged in a good endeavor, then that person is acting in a righteous manner. But Jesus reveals once again that righteousness is not only a matter of our outward behavior but of our heart as well. The first example can be seen in relation to giving to the needy. Surely this is a morally upright thing to do. But Jesus points out that some people do this for the sake of reputation, not out of love for God or others. A graphic example of this is found in a situation that took place very early in church history when church members were selling what they owned in order to supply for their needy brothers and sisters in Christ. Luke recounts in the book of Acts:

But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? ⁴ While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.” When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him.

After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.” And she said, “Yes, for so much.” But Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things. (Acts 5:1–11, ESV)

God was obviously not pleased in this situation. Even though Ananias and Saphira sold property and gave money to others, they lied about it and said they were giving all the money they had made. It seems they wanted to be known as having been sacrificial and generous, to the point that they were willing to lie to the apostle Peter (and ultimately God Himself). This duplicitous behavior was judged severely by God, but the church learned a valuable lesson.

Jesus teaches that those who give in order to bolster their reputation, sounding a trumpet

(metaphorically) so that others will see what they have given, will only receive the reward of immediate recognition. The correct approach is to give without making sure that others know, and then we have the assurance of receiving God’s approval and reward.

Prayer

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (Jesus, Matthew 6:5–8)

            Prayer is another religious activity that obviously is a good thing. But once again, Jesus shows how people use it for wrong purposes. A sign of the misuse of prayer is either praying for show or praying ritualistically. Some people would make sure to pray where they would be seen or, as Jesus mentions elsewhere, pray long prayers to impress others (cf. Matthew 23:14). As foolish as this sounds, the human heart has such a strong tendency to do things for the wrong reasons, and that is exactly what we must look at in our lives.

            Praying ritualistically is going through the motions of prayer in order to make sure we get what we want or out of obligation. There are many variations of ritualistic prayer, as John MacArthur points out:

Many Buddhists spin wheels containing written prayers, believing that each turn of the wheel sends that prayer to their god. Roman Catholics light prayer candles in the belief that their requests will continue to ascend repetitiously to God as long as the candle is lit. Rosaries are used to count off repeated prayers of Hail Mary and Our Father, the rosary itself coming to Catholicism from Buddhism by way of the Spanish Muslims during the Middle Ages. Certain charismatic groups in our own day repeat the same words or phrases over and over until the speaking degenerates into unintelligible confusion (John A. Broadus, Matthew [Valley Forge, Pa.: Judson, 1886], p. 130). (MacArthur, 368–369)

And in case there are any others whose toes have not been stepped on, MacArthur goes on to say,

All of us, of course, have been guilty of repeating the same prayers meal after meal and prayer meeting after prayer meeting—with little or no thought of what we are saying or the One to whom we are supposedly speaking. Prayer that is thoughtless and indifferent is offensive to God, and should also be offensive to us. (MacArthur, 369)

Jesus presents an entirely different perspective on prayer than how many approach it (which we will look at more thoroughly in a future post on “The Lord’s Prayer”). But the main point here is to recognize that prayer is to be about truly relating to God. It is not for showing others our religiosity or for somehow meriting our wishes. It is a means to draw near to God, and an indication that we are truly seeking God is that we spend time with Him privately in prayer. Praying with the right motives pleases and is rewarded by God.

Fasting

“Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” (Jesus, Matthew 5:16–18)

If there is any act that seems to demonstrate self-denial, fasting (going without food) ranks highly. But even this religious activity, Jesus says, can actually be an act of self-promotion. After all, the more drastic our endeavor is, the more potentially impressed others may be at what we are doing. The funny thing to picture is the religious people Jesus speaks of, who “disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting.” They make sure everyone knows how uncomfortable they feel. This applies to our own lives, not only in the case of fasting, but with any act of sacrifice or self-denial. If we are doing it for the wrong-reason we will either make sure others know or we will resent when we are not recognized for our “selfless efforts.” But if we are fasting or sacrificing out of love for God, then there is no reason to be concerned about others knowing, which is why Jesus instructs His followers to act and look like normal when they fast.

Conclusion: On Christians Putting On a Show

In this portion of the sermon, Jesus has dealt heavily with using religion for selfish purposes. In the age of American Idol and large stadiums filled with screaming fans, Christ-followers need to take a hard look at whether they are getting caught up in the pursuit of self-glorification. While it may seem this problem is relegated mainly to the context of secular entertainment, Christianity has built up its own platforms for granting celebrity status to individuals. This is not to say that being well-known is wrong, but Jesus shows that when we are using religion to become celebrities, whether in front of 1,000, 100, or 10 people, we are only getting a physical, temporary reward. A realistic view tells us that, at best, our popularity will last several decades but will not benefit us beyond the grave. Jesus is showing that living for God’s glory will gain His reward, which is beneficial in both this life and in the next.

Work Cited:

John F. MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Matthew 1–7 (Chicago: Moody Press, 1985).

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version.  Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Jesus' Application of the (Old Testament) Law - Part 3

Example #6: Application on the Issue of Love

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. (Jesus, Matthew 5:43–48)

            Love is a much talked-about (as well as written-about and sung-about) subject. Many opinions exist on what love is, how it is shown, and on what grounds we are to love people. So it is extremely interesting to note what Jesus Himself says about love. The typical sentiment of Jesus’ day was that one ought to love his neighbor but hate his enemies. And even though today we may not express this explicitly, it still is the manner in which people often operate. We love those who we feel have merited our love and do not love those who for some reason have fallen outside of our acceptance.

            On concept that Jesus clearly lays out is that it is, in fact, possible to love people who are our enemies. To get a better handle on this, it is helpful to look at a story Jesus told in response to a man who struggled with this issue. The author Luke recounts:

                And behold, a lawyer stood up to put [Jesus] to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”  And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”

But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 

Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.” (Luke 10:25–37, ESV)

Jesus’ parable has become known as the story of the “Good Samaritan.” What is important to recognize is that Samaritans were considered the enemies of the Jews in that day. Jesus shows this man who was knowledgeable about the Old Testament law that it is possible and even required to love your enemies, and Jesus demonstrates the way in which this can be done. Jesus’ ethic here is actually nothing new. The Old Testament law itself speaks of doing good toward enemies. For example, Exodus 23:4–5 says, “If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, you shall surely bring it back to him again. If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying under its burden, and you would refrain from helping it, you shall surely help him with it.” While Jews like this lawyer would have been aware of this, they seemed to believe that Samaritans fell outside the scope of this principle. It’s one thing to love a neighbor (fellow Jew) who acts like an enemy, but Samaritans were opposed to everything the Jew stood for. But this is exactly Jesus’ point: we are to love even those who stand against everything we believe and care about.

The kind of love Jesus is speaking of does not entail supporting evil behavior but rather showing kindness in the midst of wicked behavior. He says to bless, to do good, and to pray for those who are against us. Christians really need to take a look at whether they are following the ethic presented by the Lord. We may give lip service to the concept of loving everyone, but do our lives truly demonstrate showing goodness and praying for those who oppose us? If not, then Jesus says here that we are really no different than those who do not claim to follow God. Showing love only to those who are “on our side” is normal, but following Christ means displaying attributes that reflect God’s true goodness, and the fact is that God even does good toward those who oppose Him. Should not His followers do the same?

Conclusion: God’s Standard of Righteousness

            We have looked at Jesus’ view of morality in light of His application of the Old Testament law. Jesus caps off His treatment of God’s true standard by saying, “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” The reality is that when it comes to morality, God’s standard is perfection—not just being as good as everyone else, not just being admired by society, but being absolutely perfect. Jesus’ application of the law blows the religious people’s concept of self-righteousness out of the water, and it ought to do the same for us. Righteousness, as pointed out before, is by God’s grace. God justifies those who recognize their sinfulness and come to Him for forgiveness and change.

            Once God has done the work of exposing the moral destitution of our lives, we are ready for Him to show us what it really means to live in a righteous manner. But we must be careful not to affirm Jesus’ presentation only in theory. The question is whether the church is truly following the way of Christ. One song in recent years highlights the danger and repulsiveness when the church is inconsistent in practice. Mark Hall writes:

It's crowded in worship today
As she slips in trying to fade into the faces
The girls teasing laughter is carrying farther than they know
Farther than they know

A traveler is far away from home
He sheds his coat and quietly
Sinks into the back row
The weight of their judgmental glances
Tells him that his chances are better
Out on the road

But if we are the body
Why aren't His arms reaching?
Why aren't His hands healing?
Why aren't His words teaching?
And if we are the body
Why aren't His feet going?
Why is His love not showing them there is a way?
There is a way

            Christ-followers must not simply talk about the way of Christ but live the way of Christ, seeking to live by God’s standard of goodness. This is Jesus' ultimate point concerning the law.

Works Cited:

“If We are the Body” by Mark Hall © 2003 My Refuge Music

(Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)

Sony/ATV Tree Publishing (Admin. by Sony/ATV Songs LLC)

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version.  Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.