Who are you trying to please?

More instructions for kingdom living

In chapter-5 we looked at who are kingdom citizens and many of the qualities of them. We looked at some comparisons of the law and the spirit of the law.

Now we start to look at some more actions. Today we will look at “who are we trying to please “God or man” regarding works and prayer.

Who are you trying to please - with your good deeds?

Mt6:1-4 “1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. 2 “So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 3 “But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”

Q: There are a few assumptions that Jesus makes in this passage, can you pick them out?

You are doing, practicing good works (righteousness); and that you are giving.

Q: Jesus gives a warning too in this section, what is it?

There is a warning that you can do the practicing, and the giving with the wrong purpose

God’s standard: Previously Jesus has shown God’s standard

Murder starts in the heart

Adultery starts in the heart

Oaths not needed and should not be entered into

Go the extra mile

Love your enemies

That is where Jesus had shown His standard, and why previously He had said:

Mt5:20 “20 “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Jesus knew the mind of man that it would be easy to cultivate the thought “hey look at me, what I’m doing” not that what I’m doing is bad, it’s good, see me, see me. They will be impressed by it. Maybe they will join in it.

There is a danger of cultivating an image of righteousness to be seen instead of be righteous for the kingdom sake not man’s sake.

We know what it says:

Mt5:16 “16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

This is doing it for God’s glory not your’s. It is not to get attention for you, it is to bring attention to God that others may glorify your Father who is in heaven.

It is much better that we receive our reward in heaven, and store up our treasures in heaven - - - and we will really get to these verses in a couple of weeks, so here is a preview:

Mt6:19-20 “19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;”

The important part of the deed is doing the deed. God does care about how we do our deed, and the motive in which we do the deed. He knows we can do the right thing with the wrong heart so he is warning about that in this section.

France says: “Jesus thus begins to deal with three spiritual disciplines: giving, prayer, and fasting. “these three were (and are) the most prominent practical requirements for personal piety in mainstream Judaism. . . these same three activities, together with the specifically Islamic requirements of the Hajj and recitation of the creed, constitute the also the five pillars of Islam.”

Examples: Both of Bad, and Good

Q: According to this passage how were people drawing attention to themselves be it literal or figurative?

Q: How can people draw attention to themselves today?

They may have wanted to be seen so they would be known as generous people, today could be for the same reason. That is one reason the offering is kept private, something between you and God and anything done for benevolence is asked to be kept private between you and God.

Jesus said these type of people are hypocrites (v.2)

defined as “actors” - playing a part, a role, of pious, holy, trying to playing a certain standard but are none of the above. It is falsely claiming something, to be living a way in which is false. You are living a double standard.

Trapp said: “Oh,let us rather seek to be good than seem to be so”

PAID IN FULL

The hypocrites already have been paid in full, they have their reward. You have your’s in heaven. They get their applause now, you get yours from God, well done good and faithful servant.

Matthew 6:3 NLT

3 But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.

Here is that assumption that you are giving.

And since you are giving. You are giving to the poor (those who have a need; see a need, meet a need). Do it in secret (privately). Your Father in heaven knows. Man does not need to know

The wrong way is to announce it (blow a trumpet) for people to applaud you for it.

Clarke says: “We should ever remember that the eye of the Lord is upon us, and that He sees not only the act, but also every motive that led to it.” - - - so do it with the right heart, and do it for God’s pleasure and purpose not for man’s pleasure.

Mt6:5-6 “5 “When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may 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, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”

Just as Jesus made the assumption they would give, and would give to the poor; He assumes they would pray

Q: What is the hypocritical way, and the right way to pray in this section?

Q: Is this literal or conceptional?

Q: Should all prayer be done in private?

Q: Is public prayer wrong?

There were times of/for public prayer at that time

9am, noon and 3pm.

There are times today too, can you think of any?

Jesus very seldom prayed in public

Before the 5,000 (Mt14:19) and the disciples (Jn17) these are a couple of examples, but it was not His practice

Now, back to the hypocrites and the time of prayer, the hypocrites would plan to be in public at the time of prayer (9, 12, 3) so they would have to stop and pray to be seen by man. They wanted to be seen by man, not heard by God. They are trying to impress man, not God

Why do it in our private place? Because it is just us and God, there is no one else there to impress, just us and God.

God does not forbid public prayer, but the purpose, the intent, the focus of prayer must always be God and not towards pleasing man.

So, to wrap this up today. Who are you trying to please? Are you trying to please, God or man?

You are already giving, Do it to please God. Give to the poor to meet a need, do it between you and God

You are already praying. Pray in keep God as the focus, do it giving all glory to God. Most of our prayers should be private where it is just us and God.

Remember we should live and breath to please God not look for the applause of man. Our rewards are in heaven. If we seek the applause of man we are paid in full here with no reward in heaven. We are to store up our treasures in heaven!

(Prayer)