Sermon on the Mount: On Prayer

Sermon on the Mount – On Prayer

Matthew 6:5-8

Matthew 6:5–8 ESV

5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

1. Introduction – Last week we started looking at a section on the SM where Jesus talks about outward acts of righteousness.

a. He knows that even as we are striving for maturity, growing in grace and in righteousness…there is a propensity to do the right things in the wrong way.

i. There is a tendency to be motivated by the wrong things.

1. And in each case, we’ll see that the wrong motivation is the praise of fellow human beings…

a. And the proper motivation is the glory and God and the praise of his name.

ii. We saw it last time with giving to the poor…and we’ll see it today when we talk about prayer.

b. We were introduced to the repeated pattern of this section…

i. When you…give, pray, fast, Jesus starts out…

1. Don’t be like the hypocrites…don’t play a part.

a. Instead…and Jesus goes on to give instructions on proper giving, praying and fasting.

i. And in this section on prayer that we’ll look at today – the pattern is repeated twice.

ii. In vv.5-8, Jesus addresses two common problems that hampers prayer.

1. But as he always does – not only does Jesus address the problem, he gives us solutions…

a. And he goes on to give us the reasons for those solutions.

i. Hear God’s Word – Matthew 6:5-8.

2. The Problems – So much like we saw last time with giving – in Jesus’ day, praying was also turned into an act of vanity.

a. It was not a simple conversation that one had with God…

i. It was a show – a long, drawn out ordeal…done to win the praise of humanity.

1. There are 2 main problems that Jesus addresses in this section. 2 problems, with 2 solutions and 2 reasons. That’s how we’ll look at this section today.

a. The 2 problems that Jesus addresses are loud public prayers.

i. And long rambling prayers.

1. We’ll look at each problem individually.

b. The first problem that Jesus addresses is loud, public prayers.

i. Don’t do as the hypocrites – who pray loudly on the street corner or in the synagogue.

1. Now, hear me on this – Jesus isn’t condemning public prayers.

a. He isn’t saying that his followers will never pray in public – let alone pray out loud in public.

ii. Praying out loud in public is something we do every week in our services.

1. The prayers of the people – the gathering of our prayers requests each and every week are some of the most meaningful and worshipful times of our service.

a. Praying together here, praying together in our homes or on the street is absolutely important…fundamental to our growth as a church…a necessary part of the Christian life.

i. If Jesus was condemning public prayers as a whole – his disciples didn’t listen very well, because throughout the book of Acts we have numerous prayer meetings recorded.

iii. Jesus isn’t telling his followers to put a wholesale stop to public praying…but Jesus is exposing the motivation behind showy and loud prayers.

1. In Jesus day – people were making a show of prayer – whether on the street or in the synagogue…

a. They were doing so in order to win the approval of their audience – in order to boost their religious clout.

iv. Jesus is addressing a real concern…a real temptation. When one is praying in public – there is a temptation to pray to one’s audience instead of praying to God.

1. There’s a temptation to use flowery language and acceptable cliches, to use well-place dynamics and fervency in order to win the audience’s approval.

a. I get it…as someone who prays in public on a regular basis – this temptation is real.

i. Every week we gather requests and I pray for those requests.

1. And as I’m praying, there is a real temptation to pray to you.

a. To pray so that I will hear you agreeing with me as I pray…

ii. There’s a temptation to use fancy words and pray eloquently, so that the “Amen” that’s said after this week’s prayer was louder than the one from last week.

2. It’s a real problem…to pray for the approval of the audience…to pray to you…and not to God.

a. But that is not what praying…what public praying is all about.

i. It’s not an opportunity for me to wax eloquence praying for your approval.

1. M. Lloyd-Jones writes this:

a. “public prayer should be such that the people praying silently and the one who is uttering words should no longer be conscious of each other…

i. But should be carried on the wings of prayer into the very presence of God.”

v. Public prayer is vitally important, in our day, in Jesus’ day…

1. But in Jesus’ day it was getting out of hand…showy, flashy, public displays of prayer…what’s the solution?

a. We’ll look at that in just a bit.

c. Because there was another prayer problem Jesus addressed.

i. Jesus addressed the problem of long winded and rambling prayer…

1. And he addresses the problem of uselessly chanting or repeating words and phrases.

a. Notice that Jesus changes the pattern here a little bit.

i. Instead of referencing the actions of the hypocrites, Jesus instead talks about the pagans, the Gentiles, people of other religions.

1. Here’s how the pagans prayed to their gods.

ii. Some thought that if they named all their gods, addressed their petitions to each other them…

1. Repeated themselves a few times…then they would have a better chance of having their prayers heard and answered.

a. Seneca wrote about fatiguing the gods, and someone else word that one should wear himself out with his petitions.

i. Some thought that the gods were reluctant to hear unless the prayers were long…

1. And they would only listen when a petitioner had proved himself worthy.,

2. In order to catch the ear of a god…you first had to prove yourself.

d. Do you see how these ideas don’t jive with what we know about the God of the Bible?

i. Do you see how this problematic?

1. The idea of coming before God with incessant repetitions and useless babbling denies the very nature of God.

a. Yes, we have to recognize that God is holy and awesome, all-knowing, all-powerful…

i. He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness…

1. And while he is truly all of these things – Jesus teaches us to address him as Father.

ii. Repeating things incessantly or uselessly babbling the same things over and over treats God as a reluctant giver…when the exact opposite is true of him.

1. God is a willing listener…he doesn’t need to be buttered up in order for your prayers to be heard…yes we are to spend time praising his name in prayer, as the Lord’s Prayer will teach us…

a. But he doesn’t need to be buttered up…he is a willing listener…a willing giver…more willing to give than we are to receive.

iii. What’s the solution to useless repetition that de-deifies God?

1. What’s the solution to mindless repetition because we think that’s how we’ll be heard?

a. We’ll find out in just a bit?

3. Jesus’ Solutions – We’ve looked at 2 prayer problems…now let’s look at Jesus’ solutions to those problems.

a. First, in order to solve the issue of praying loud public prayers that are seen and heard by all…

i. Jesus tells his followers to go into a private room and lock the door.

1. Jesus’ first instruction on prayer stresses privacy first of all.

a. And there’s actually a clue here as to what kind of room Jesus is referring to.

i. He says “Lock the door…”

2. In 1st century Palestine…there was only 1 room in the entire house that had a lock on it.

a. No, it wasn’t the bathroom…it was actually the supply room…the storage room.

ii. There, with the flour and yeast…with small animals, with feed, with tool and who knows what else…

1. Jesus says, “Go there…go there, lock the door and pray.

a. In one sense – it was the least sanctified room in the house…

i. But Jesus says – take that unsanctified storage room…and turn it into a holy place.

1. Turn it into a place of prayer…a place where you meet God.

iii. We can’t understate what Jesus just said here. For most of their existence, Israelites thought that they had to go to the Temple in order to meet with God.

1. They thought that God’s presence only resided in the Holy of Holies.

a. But with one simple sentence – Jesus revises that view.

i. No longer is the Holy of Holies that special meeting place between God and believer…

1. It is the room with a lock…it is a private place of prayer…it can even be a dirty storage room.

iv. One last thing about private prayers – learning about private prayer teaches us about our public prayer.

1. Public prayers are not sermons…preaching to the people…public prayer isn’t evangelism.

a. Public prayer is an out pouring of our private prayer.

i. As said before – when we prayer in public it isn’t to the audience, it is to God.

1. It is simply a continuation of your private prayer…only done in a public forum.

b. And look at Jesus’ solution to long rambling and repetitious prayers.

i. Jesus says don’t be like them, in other words…

1. Prayer doesn’t consist of heaped-up phrases, idle repetitions and ridiculous assumptions.

a. The probability of getting answer is not in direct correlation to the number of words that are used.

i. The writer of Ecclesiastes knew this when he wrote in Eccl. 5:2 – let your words be few.

Ecclesiastes 5:2 ESV

2 Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few.

ii. Some 1st century historical context might do us well hear.

1. Jesus isn’t speaking to a prayerless society here…he’s speaking to an audience that was actually burdened by prayer.

a. In order to be considered devout…

i. Jews had to prayer the 18 benedictions 3 times daily.

1. Twice daily one had to pray the Shema…

a. Pray before, during and after meals…and that doesn’t even count spontaneous doxologies throughout the day.

i. Burdened by prayer. It was an onerous task.

iii. Seems like that really is praying without ceasing…however, there is a danger here…

1. There’s a danger to treat these prayers as a checklist…to mindlessly repeat them over and over just to say you did it.

a. To mindlessly repeat them and have the words lose all meaning.

iv. The warning is clear – especially given that the Lord’s prayer is in the very next paragraph.

1. And sometimes Christians repeat the Lord’s Prayer as a form of repetitious babbling – mindlessly saying it without thinking about what we are saying.

a. Luther says this – prayer should be brief, frequent and intense.

v. Now don’t get me wrong – Paul’s command still stands – pray without ceasing…

1. There’s not contradiction here…but the fact is – when we are freed from the burden of much…having to get through this and that…

a. When we are freed from the burden of much, we are freed up to pray more.

4. Reasons – 2 problems, loud public prayers and the burden of thinking long rambling prayers wee the only to get heard…

a. 2 solutions – meet God in secret and pray short, fervent prayers.

i. But Jesus also gives the reasons for his solutions…actually he gives 3 reasons for his solutions.

b. Jesus says – go into your room, lock the door and pray in secret…

i. Because God sees into the secret place.

1. God is present in the secret place…the big fancy word we use for this is the word omnipresent.

a. God is omnipresent. One doesn’t have to be in a certain place at a certain time saying certain words in order to be in God’s presence…

ii. In fact, you can be in your secret place on the street corner…and God will meet you there…

1. You can pray anywhere you want, as long as you are fervently praying to God…and not to put on a show for others.

a. God will meet you in secret place because God is present everywhere.

i. He doesn’t reside in a building or in a Temple…

1. But by his Holy Spirit - he is present with you wherever you go.

c. The second reason Jesus gives for not babbling in prayer is this – God already knows.

i. We don’t need to say much – because God knows what we need before we ask.

1. Another big word we use to describe this attribute of God is omniscient – he is all-knowing.

a. Prayer is not an intelligence briefing with God…he already knows.

ii. But one might say – if God already knows what we need…why bother praying in first place?

1. Well, I see it the other way – if God already knows what we need…then we shouldn’t hesitate to ask.

a. Its those that we know the best whom we talk with…those we know best are the ones we share the most with and ask the most of…

i. And if God knows what we’ll ask even before we ask it…then we shouldn’t keep anything back from him.

1. Besides, if God didn’t already what we needed…he wouldn’t be God.

d. And the last reason for praying in this way…secretly and succinctly is this…

i. Because God is our Father. The word is often repeated in the SM…and in 2 weeks we’ll study the invocation of the Lord’s Prayer – Our Father.

1. If God is our Father – it means that he isn’t a reluctant hearer.

a. We don’t have ell or put on a show in order to get his attention. We don’t have to demands anything from him or demand that he listen to us.

ii. We don’t have to ramble on and on in hopes that he might hear us. Much is the mediator, Jesus is.

1. God is not standing in the way of what you want…he’s not a burden that needs to be removed or someone that needs to be convinced…

a. He’s our Father…a good Father at that…and God is able to be exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask or think. That’s who God is.

iii. Believe that this is who God is – omnipresent, omniscient, but also our Father…who is ready, willing and able to bless his children.

1. Believe that and go to him in simple, childlike confidence.