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17. Radical Love: The Ethic Of Kingdom Citizens (Matthew 5:43-48)

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“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ and ‘hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be like your Father in heaven, since he causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the tax collectors do the same, don’t they? And if you only greet your brothers, what more do you do? Even the Gentiles do the same, don’t they? So then, be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Matthew 5:43-48 (NET)

How can we practice the radical love of the kingdom?

In this text, Christ gives believers the highest standard one can aim for—being like God. He says, “Be perfect, as your heavenly father is perfect” (v. 48). The word “perfect” can also be translated as “mature.” It has to do with an end, an aim, a goal, or a purpose.1 In the context, this goal is to love like God. In fact, Christ says that when we love our enemies, we show ourselves to be children of God—mature children that look like him.

In this part of the Sermon on the Mount, Christ continues teaching how the believers’ righteousness must surpass that of the Pharisees and teachers of the law in order to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matt 5:20). He has tackled five misinterpretations of the law where the religious leaders lowered God’s standards: murder, adultery, divorce, oaths, and eye for an eye. This is the sixth and final one where Christ discusses love for our enemies.

True salvation changes a person’s life, and this is most clearly seen in the radical way a believer loves. There should be a supernatural love in the life of believers, which distinguishes them from the world. In Matthew 5:47, Christ says, “And if you only greet your brothers, what more do you do? Even the Gentiles do the same, don’t they?” Christians should be marked by “more”—they should have a radical love.

In this study, we will consider principles about this radical love. As we consider these, we must ask ourselves, “Is the radical love of the kingdom being demonstrated in my life?”

Big Question: What principles about the kingdom’s radical love can be discerned from Matthew 5:34-48?

Radical Love Should Be Demonstrated to All People

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ and ‘hate your enemy.’

Matthew 5:43

Interpretation Question: How did the Jews interpret “love your neighbor” (Lev 19:18)?

Who one’s neighbor was, was a running theological debate among the Jews. When Christ taught that loving God and loving one’s neighbor were the greatest laws, a Jew questioned, “Who is my neighbor?” as though it wasn’t obvious (Lk 10:29). Christ answered by teaching the Parable of the Good Samaritan (v. 30-37). Jews hated Samaritans, so it would have challenged their thought of who a neighbor was. A Jewish man was hurt and, while religious leaders walked by and did nothing to help him, a Samaritan cared for him and gave him the help needed.

At this point in history, the religious leaders taught a very limited view of “love your neighbor.” It referred only to Jews—not to Gentiles, and certainly not to one’s enemy.

Interpretation Question: How did they come to the conclusion that loving their neighbor only referred to fellow Jews?

Leviticus 19, where the Jews were called to love their neighbor (v. 18), begins with “Speak to the whole congregation of the Israelites” (v. 1). Moses wrote this to the Jewish nation, so they argued that loving one’s neighbor was limited by that context. However, even within chapter 19, there are many calls to love Gentiles. Leviticus 19:33-34 says:

“‘When a foreigner resides with you in your land, you must not oppress him. The foreigner who resides with you must be to you like a native citizen among you; so you must love him as yourself, because you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.

This was a choice omission by the religious leaders. Among Jews living in Christ’s day, this belief was very common. The Qumran sect who preserved the Dead Sea Scrolls had a common saying, “Love the brother; hate the outsider.” Essentially, many Jews believed it was their duty to love fellow Israelites and hate outsiders.2 Instead of love, racism and ethnocentrism were exalted.

Sadly, these types of views, though not explicitly taught, are not uncommon among Christians today. It has often been said that Sunday morning is the most segregated day of the week. It is the time where people of the same ethnicity and socio-economic status gather to worship God—away from those outside of that community. Of course, there is nothing wrong with gathering with those like us; however, there is a problem when others are intentionally excluded and racist and classist views are harbored. It’s not uncommon for a Christian of one race or socio-economic background to not be allowed to date or marry a believer from another race or socio-economic background. The rich and educated are often exalted and the poor and less educated are commonly looked down on. The church often doesn’t love its neighbor—it has a limited love like the world. Racism and partiality flood our churches.

Paul describes the acts of our sinful nature this way: “idolatry, sorcery, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish rivalries, dissensions, factions” (Gal 5:20). Until the death of our bodies or Christ’s return, we will harbor a sinful nature and therefore, struggle with a propensity to get into factions based on race, culture, wealth, education, and even secondary doctrines. Sadly, the teachings of our spiritual leaders often facilitate these wrong views, even if they only come from parents. This discord was evident in the early church as Greek widows were being neglected in preference for the Jewish widows in Acts 6. In Galatians 2, Paul confronted Peter for shunning the Gentile Christians when other Jewish leaders were around. This partiality was also happening among the Jewish Christians in James 2, as they were favoring the wealthy over the poor. This divisive, worldly spirit is still as prevalent in the church today as it was in the early church.

In Matthew 5:43-48, Christ properly interpreted the law—leaving no room for racism and partiality. People of the kingdom of heaven should not practice racism, classism, ethnocentrism, or general dislike for those different from us, whether that be because of personality or background. Christ’s death on the cross purchased a people for God of every race, tongue, nationality, and socio-economic background. What was separated because of sin, Christ brought together through his death. The body of Christ is a Jewish and Gentile bride without factions of any kind—no first or second-class citizens. Therefore, we should be characterized by a radical love for all.

What are your views towards outsiders—those of a different race, ethnicity, and socio-economic status? Do you treat them differently than those who are like you? Have you conquered the spirit of hate, dissension, and factions in your heart? Kingdom citizens should be radically different than this racist and divided world. Are you truly loving your neighbor—including people who are different from you?

Application Question: In what ways have you seen or experienced racism, classism, and ethnocentrism in our contemporary culture? How have you seen it operating within the church? How should we conquer this worldly spirit—in our lives and others?

Radical Love Should Be Demonstrated Specifically to Enemies

But I say to you, love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you.

Matthew 5:44

Interpretation Question: How did the religious leaders conclude that the Jews should hate their enemies?

Not only did the religious leaders of Jesus’ day teach the need to dislike Gentiles but also to hate one’s enemies. Again, they limited the understanding of “loving your neighbor” to Jews and likeable people. However, Christ’s teaching to love one’s neighbor even applied to one’s enemies. In fact, this was taught throughout the Jewish law. Consider the following verses:

“If you encounter your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering off, you must by all means return it to him. If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen under its load, you must not ignore him, but be sure to help him with it.

Exodus 23:4-5

If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, for you will heap coals of fire on his head, and the Lord will reward you.

Proverbs 25:21-22

These verses emphasized how Jews should treat those who personally harmed them. It did not refer to judicial situations like war or a civil court case.

Well, then we must ask, “How did the religious leaders come to the conclusion that the Jews must hate their enemies?” It’s not hard to understand. The leaders considered how the Lord commanded the Jews to wipe out all the Canaanites—not sparing any of them—and applied that to enemies in general. They also drew this conclusion from the imprecatory Psalms which often displayed a great animosity towards one’s enemies. (Imprecatory means to call down curses upon.) For example, Psalm 139:19-22 says:

If only you would kill the wicked, O God! Get away from me, you violent men! They rebel against you and act deceitfully; your enemies lie. O Lord, do I not hate those who hate you, and despise those who oppose you? I absolutely hate them, they have become my enemies!

These are difficult verses; they ask for God to slay the wicked. David declares that he hates and abhors those who rebel against God, and that he counts them as enemies. It is not hard to understand how the religious leaders came to the conclusion that Jews should hate their enemies.

With that said, it is clear that the Old Testament taught the Jews to love their enemies in many passages including the ones we just considered (Prov 25:21-22, Ex 23:4-5). And it is also clear that some passages seem to teach hate for enemies by doctrine and example.

Interpretation Question: How can we reconcile these two seeming contradictions—the call to love enemies and the animosity seen in the slaying of the Canaanites and the imprecatory Psalms?

Here are a few thoughts:

  1. Verses that emphasize hate, especially in the imprecatory Psalms, are written from a judicial standpoint and not a personal one. For example, David writes as the King of Israel who was called to execute judgment on the Canaanites—a sinful people God had called Israel to wipe out. God was going to wipe them out as an act of justice because of their excessive and violent sins: They sacrificed their children to false gods and practiced gross immorality and violence like the people in Sodom and Gomorrah. Israel was called to execute God’s wrath and anger on these people. Romans 13:1-5 teaches that this is the government’s role—officials are God’s servants called to execute wrath on wrongdoers. Therefore, the execution of the Canaanites and the imprecatory Psalms express this judicial role. Properly interpreted, they don’t teach Israelites, or us, to practice personal animosity towards enemies (cf. Prov 25:21-22). That was the misinterpretation of the religious leaders, which Christ was correcting.
  2. In addition, God’s judgment, as expressed towards Canaan and in the imprecatory Psalms, reflects God’s righteous anger, which we should also have. Ephesians 4:26 actually calls us to “Be angry and do not sin” (ESV). Sometimes we’re in sin because we’re not angry. We should be angry when God is dishonored and people hurt (cf. John 2:13-16). However, in response to personal wrong, we should be gentle, even as Christ was (cf. 1 Pet 2:21-23).

Often, we only emphasize that God is love, as he epitomizes it. But God also epitomizes perfect anger and wrath. God is holy, and he hates sin. In contrast with our common saying, “Hate the sin and not the sinner,” Scripture doesn’t really separate sin from the sinner. A person who lies is a liar. A person who commits adultery is an adulterer. A person who commits murder is a murderer. Believe it or not, God hates sin and the sinner, and at the same time, loves them. That is why Christ died for sinners; he died for sinners to demonstrate God’s love for them but also to pay the penalty for their sins by bearing God’s wrath. It’s a paradox—God both loves and simultaneously hates. Consider the following verses:

For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16

The Lord approves of the godly, but he hates the wicked and those who love to do violence.

Psalm 11:5

Certainly you are not a God who approves of evil; evil people cannot dwell with you. Arrogant people cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who behave wickedly. You destroy liars; the Lord despises violent and deceitful people.

Psalm 5:4-6

In the New Testament, this hate or anger is often called God’s wrath. John 3:36 says, “The one who believes in the Son has eternal life. The one who rejects the Son will not see life, but God’s wrath remains on him.” This is the state of all of mankind apart from Christ. God loves them, as he desires for them to repent of their sin, believe in Christ, and follow him as Lord and Savior. But he also hates both the sinner and the sin itself—his wrath abides on sinners and on the cross his wrath abided on Christ for sinners. If we will not repent and accept his Son, God will judge us eternally. Therefore, both love and hate are characteristics of God. And as we follow him, they should both manifest in our lives. We must love, and we must hate. However, Scripture teaches that our hate must not be selfish and vindictive—concerned with personal retaliation (Matt 5:43-44). It must be concerned with God’s glory and the benefit of others. John Stott put it this way:

The truth is that evil men should be the object simultaneously of our ‘love’ and of our ‘hatred’, as they are simultaneously the objects of God’s (although his ‘hatred’ is expressed as his ‘wrath’). To ‘love’ them is ardently to desire that they will repent and believe, and so be saved. To ‘hate’ them is to desire with equal ardour that, if they stubbornly refuse to repent and believe, they will incur God’s judgment. Have you never prayed for the salvation of wicked men (e.g., who blaspheme God or exploit their fellow humans for profit as if they were animals), and gone on to pray that if they refuse God’s salvation, then God’s judgment will fall upon them? I have. It is a natural expression of our belief in God, that he is the God both of salvation and of judgment, and that we desire his perfect will to be done.3

The Preacher’s Outline and Sermon Bible adds:

We cannot love with a perfect love, nor can we hate with a perfect hatred. But God can both love and hate perfectly, because He is God. God can hate without sinful intent. He can hate the sinner in a perfectly holy way and still lovingly forgive the sinner at the moment of repentance and faith (Malachi 1:3; Revelation 2:6; 2 Peter 3:9).4

The Pharisees’ misinterpretation of the law allowed people to hate those who wronged them—apart from a judicial context and in a selfish manner. However, Scripture does not allow that. We are called to love our enemies. There is a righteous anger, especially towards those who dishonor God and hurt people; however, we tend to fall short of the righteous anger of God, as it becomes selfish anger (cf. Jam 1:20). Like Stott said, we must love in the sense that we want people to repent and turn to God, and we should go out of our way to act lovingly towards these people. But we must hate in the sense that if people continue in rebellion towards God, that we desire for God to vindicate himself and bring justice. Ultimately, when we pray the Lord’s Prayer—your kingdom come, your will be done—we are praying for his justice (Matt 6:10). When Christ brings his kingdom, he will judge the earth. This is what the martyrs in heaven cry out for in Revelation 6:9-11, as they ask for the holy God to judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge their blood. The Jews wrongly applied this reality to their honor instead of God’s honor, and they applied it to personal situations rather than judicial. Therefore, they neglected to practice God’s radical love for all, including their enemies, and kept the Jews from practicing it.

Observation Question: How should we demonstrate radical love towards our enemies?

Christ implies two ways:

1. Love must be demonstrated in acts of kindness.

When Christ calls us to love our enemies, he uses the Greek word “agape.” This word is not primarily an emotional love but a volitional love. It is an act of the will, and therefore implies acts of kindness. In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul uses fifteen verbs to describe agape: love is kind, love is patient, love perseveres, love never thinks the wrong, etc.5 Agape certainly involves attitude, but it is best described by what it does. In fact, in the parallel passage of Luke 6:27, Christ said, “love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.” This is the way God loved us: Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Though we were enemies and separated from God, God acted in love towards us by dying for us. We must do the same to those who wrong us. We must love them by performing acts of kindness to them. Romans 12:20-21 says: “Rather, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing this you will be heaping burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

However, it also must be noted that by acting in kindness to them, our emotional love for them will also grow. C.S. Lewis’ comments on loving our neighbor, and thus our enemy, are helpful:

The rule for all of us is perfectly simple. Do not waste your time bothering whether you ‘love’ your neighbour; act as if you did. As soon as we do this we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him. If you injure someone you dislike, you will find yourself disliking him more. If you do him a good turn, you will find yourself disliking him less. … The difference between a Christian and a worldly man is not that the worldly man has only affections or ‘likings’ and the Christian has only ‘charity.’ The worldly man treats certain people kindly because he ‘likes’ them; the Christian, trying to treat every one kindly, finds himself liking more and more people as he goes on—including people he could not even have imagined himself liking at the beginning.6

As we show acts of kindness to others, especially our enemies, we will find our love for them growing.

2. Love must be demonstrated through prayer.

Out of love, the Lord also calls us to pray for those who persecute us.

Application Question: What types of petitions should we request for our enemies in prayer?

(1) Certainly, we should request for God to forgive them. In Luke 23:34, we saw this with Christ who prayed on the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” The imperfect tense of that prayer suggests that he didn’t only pray this once, this was his continual prayer. He continually asked for their forgiveness, as they hammered spikes into his hands and feet, and raised his body up on the cross. As they continually mocked and derided him, Christ continually went into God’s presence pleading for their forgiveness. We should continually do the same, even in the midst of people hurting us or when the bad memories come back. (2) In our prayer, we should also request that the Lord restore and heal our relationships with our enemies. It’s God’s desire for us to live at peace with others (Rom 12:18). (3) In addition, we should also continually plead for their salvation and correction (1 Tim 2:1-4).

John Stott said this about praying for our enemies:

Moreover, if intercessory prayer is an expression of what love we have, it is a means to increase our love as well. It is impossible to pray for someone without loving him, and impossible to go on praying for him without discovering that our love for him grows and matures. We must not, therefore, wait before praying for an enemy until we feel some love for him in our heart. We must begin to pray for him before we are conscious of loving him, and we shall find our love break first into bud, then into blossom.7

In the Cost of Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer who pastored and eventually was killed in Nazi Germany described Christ’s call to pray for our enemies as the “supreme demand.” He said, “Through the medium of prayer, we go to our enemy, stand by his side, and plead for him to God.”8

Are you willing to plead for your enemies in obedience to Christ’s command? By doing this, you not only love your enemies but also grow in love for them. You also take part in God’s plan to redeem or correct these people. Let us remember that those who persecute us are the very ones God is calling us to pray for—they should be first on our prayer list. In a sense, by their constant antagonizations and our memories of those hurts, the Lord strongly encourages us to intercede on their behalf. Let us imitate Christ’s example by loving our enemies radically both by our acts of kindness and prayers.

Application Question: Why is it so difficult to do good to our enemies and pray for them? Describe a time that you acted kindly to your enemy and prayed for them instead of returning evil for evil. What were the results on your own life and the person?

Radical Love Proves the Salvation of Disciples

so that you may be like your Father in heaven, since he causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

Matthew 5:45

Interpretation Question: What did Christ mean by saying that showing love towards our enemies makes us “like” our Father in heaven?

In Matthew 5:45, Christ gives believers incentive for showing radical love to our enemies. The reason is that we may be like our “Father” in heaven. Other versions translate this “so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven” (ESV) or “that you may be children of your Father in heaven” (NIV). What did Christ mean by this? Obviously, no one enters the family of God, and therefore is saved, by loving others. Christ meant that this radical love distinguishes a child of God and, therefore proves that we are born again.

This is a very important doctrine and endeavor for everyone who professes Christ. This has been lost in much of Christendom, but there is a need to prove our salvation. At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Christ warns:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of heaven—only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons and do many powerful deeds?’ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Go away from me, you lawbreakers!’

Matthew 7:21-23

Among those who profess Christ, there are many who are self-deceived. Instead of obeying the will of the Father, they practice a lifestyle of evil. When others mistreat them, in rebellion towards Christ’s words, instead of loving and praying for them, they return evil for evil. Christ says in the last days, he will say to many professed believers, “I never knew you. Go away from me, you lawbreakers!” Love in a believer’s life is the proof of purchase. Christ said it this way, “Everyone will know by this that you are my disciples—if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35). Radical love, even for enemies, should mark believers in this world.

John, the disciple of love, said:

By this the children of God and the children of the devil are revealed: Everyone who does not practice righteousness—the one who does not love his fellow Christian—is not of God.

1 John 3:10

If anyone says “I love God” and yet hates his fellow Christian, he is a liar, because the one who does not love his fellow Christian whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.

1 John 4:20

Does radical love for believers and also your enemies mark your life? The absence of this love could prove that one is illegitimate—not a child of God. It is not natural for a person to love their enemies. It is a supernatural work from God in the life of someone who is truly born again. Romans 5:5 says “the love of God has been shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit” (paraphrase). At salvation, God pours out his “agape” in our hearts to love both him and others. To lack it to the least extent, might prove that we have never received it. God loves both the good and the evil. He provides rain and sunshine for those who don’t love him. He also sent his Son to die on the cross for those antagonistic towards him. To love “like” him is to prove that we are his children and therefore affirm our hearts before him.

It is important for each professed believer to have assurance of salvation; for within the church are both wheat and weeds, good fish and bad fish, sheep and goats. Therefore, Scripture calls for us to prove our salvation by our works. Consider the following verses:

but I declared to those in Damascus first, and then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds consistent with repentance.

Acts 26:20

Put yourselves to the test to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize regarding yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you—unless, indeed, you fail the test!

2 Corinthians 13:5

Therefore, brothers and sisters, make every effort to be sure of your calling and election. For by doing this you will never stumble into sin

2 Peter 1:10

Are you demonstrating your repentance by your deeds? Are you examining yourself to see if Christ is in you? Are you making your calling and election sure? The primary way we do this is by our love. Radical love is a proof that Christ—the one who died for his enemies and prayed for them on the cross—is in us. This doesn’t mean we won’t fail at this. We will. But when we do, we should repent and come to Christ for grace to try again. If we are content to simply live a life of bitterness and unforgiveness towards those who have failed us, maybe we have never truly received the mercy of God (cf. Matt 5:7).

Does the way you respond to those who harm you confirm your citizenship? Remember Christ is teaching that if our righteousness doesn’t surpass that of the Pharisees and teachers of the law, we will not enter the kingdom of heaven (Matt 5:20). The Pharisees and teachers of the law were jealous, vengeful, and unforgiving. Though religious, they cursed, lied about, and murdered our Lord. If our love is no different than theirs, we have never truly been saved, and therefore, we will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Application Question: In what way have you experienced a change in the way you respond to those who harm you since following Christ? How do you still struggle in this area? What should a person do if they have never experienced a change in their response to those who hurt them—in that they are still vindictive and unforgiving?

Radical Love Will Be Rewarded by God

For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the tax collectors do the same, don’t they? And if you only greet your brothers, what more do you do? Even the Gentiles do the same, don’t they? So then, be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Matthew 5:46-48

Another incentive for demonstrating radical love is the fact that we will be rewarded for it. In Matthew 5:46, Christ begins to teach on the reality of heavenly reward. He continues this teaching throughout Chapter 6. He calls the disciples several times to not perform their works of righteousness (giving, praying, and fasting) to be seen by others—lest they lose their reward (6:1,3-4, 6, 17-18). He even commands them to store up riches in heaven instead of on earth (Matt 6:19-20). Christ wants his disciples to receive rewards from their Father. Rewards are the culmination of God’s approval and affirmation on our lives. Every believer should desire them (cf. Matt 25:14-30, 1 Cor 9:24-27).

In considering his kingdom, Christ said his disciples should live in such a way that they will be rewarded. They will be rewarded by practicing a life of secrecy instead of doing their works to be seen by others. They will be rewarded for living by faith instead of living for the things of this world. But they also will be rewarded for practicing a radical love to all, including those who harm them.

In 1 Corinthians 3:12-15, Paul said,

If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, each builder’s work will be plainly seen, for the Day will make it clear, because it will be revealed by fire. And the fire will test what kind of work each has done. If what someone has built survives, he will receive a reward. If someone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss. He himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

One day, the works of believers will be tested by God and the works that last will be rewarded. One primary concern will be that of motives. Was everything we did motivated by love? In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul said we can do many radical things for God and others like speaking in the tongues of men and angels, prophesying great mysteries, having faith to move mountains, and offering all we have to the poor; however, if we don’t have love—agape—it will profit us nothing (v. 1-3). Only what is done out of agape—God’s radical love—will be recognized and rewarded.

Sadly, often the reason we serve others is to be seen, applauded, and potentially get promoted—we love to receive in return. That is how the world loves. However, receiving is not a condition for agape love. Agape love only cares about the object of its affection. This is how God loves us. He showers his rain and sunshine on the good and evil, without the condition of love being returned. In fact, he knows that we can’t return it, apart from his grace (cf. Rom 8:7). This is the type of love that God will test our hearts for, recognize, and reward in this life and throughout eternity.

What type of love are you showing to others? Is it a selfish love that needs to be seen, recognized, and returned by others? If so, it may profit others, but it will profit you nothing (1 Cor 13:3). Only agape love—radical love—will be honored and rewarded by God. Will your love be rewarded?

Application Question: What are your views on heavenly reward? Does the prospect of heavenly reward motivate you to serve God more faithfully and love people more radically? Why or why not?

Radical Love Distinguishes Believers from the World

For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the tax collectors do the same, don’t they? And if you only greet your brothers, what more do you do? Even the Gentiles do the same, don’t they? So then, be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Matthew 5:46-48

Interpretation Question: Who were the tax collectors and how were they viewed by the Jews?

Finally, Christ challenges his listeners by using the examples of tax collectors and pagans. The Pharisees and scribes considered tax collectors and Gentiles the lowest of the low—they were outside of God’s grace. Certainly, of all people, the religious leaders were better than them. Tax collectors were employed by the Roman government to collect a certain amount of taxes from the Jews, and whatever they collected over that amount was theirs to keep. Therefore, this led to widespread bribery, extortion, and overall corruption.9 The term ‘tax collector’ was essentially synonymous with being a crook—a rich crook. In addition, Jews hated tax collectors simply because they were employed by their enemies—the pagan Romans. Therefore, the examples of the tax collectors and pagans would have greatly challenged the spiritual leaders and Jews as they considered themselves God’s chosen, and everybody else, especially the tax collectors and pagans, was outside of God’s grace.

However, the love of the Pharisees and scribes was no different than theirs. They loved those who were likeable and hated those who were not. All they had was a human love instead of a supernatural love. Christian love should be noted by “more”—more than what the world offers. Christ calls us to be salt and light of the world and that is primarily demonstrated through our radical love.

Kent Hughes said it this way:

The question we must each ask is, is there a “more” in my love? Is there something about my love that cannot be explained in natural terms? Is there something special and unique about my love to others that is not present in the life of the unbeliever? These are important questions because if there is not a “more” to our love, if we love only those with whom we have something in common and who treat us well, if there is nothing more than that, we are perhaps not Christians at all. Notice, I did not say we must perfectly exhibit the “more” of his love. But is there a “more”?10

Are you living a life of more—a life of radical, kingdom love? Or is your love natural—only loving those who are friendly and likeable? Does your love distinguish you from the world?

Application Question: In what ways are you experiencing the growth of your love for God and others? In what ways are you experiencing the life of “more” (Matt 5:47)? How is God challenging you to grow in loving others, especially your enemies?

Conclusion

It has been said that, “To return evil for good is devilish; to return good for good is human; to return good for evil is divine.”11 Christ taught that this divine love—this radical love—will be demonstrated in the lives of kingdom citizens. They will be persecuted and hated for their faith (cf. Matt 5:10-12), but they will respond with radical love. Radical love is the Christian ethic—it should define believers. What are characteristics of this radical love?

  1. Radical Love Should Be Demonstrated to All People
  2. Radical Love Should Be Demonstrated Specifically to Enemies
  3. Radical Love Proves the Salvation of Disciples
  4. Radical Love Will Be Rewarded by God
  5. Radical Love Distinguishes Believers from the World

Copyright © 2019 Gregory Brown

Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

BTG Publishing all rights reserved.


1 Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible - Commentary - The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible – Matthew I.

2 Hughes, R. K. (2001). The sermon on the mount: the message of the kingdom (p. 141). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

3 Stott, J. R. W., & Stott, J. R. W. (1985). The message of the Sermon on the mount (Matthew 5-7): Christian counter-culture (p. 117). Leicester; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

4 The Preachers Outline and Sermon Bible, “Matthew 5:43-48”.

5 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1985). Matthew (p. 345). Chicago: Moody Press.

6 Boice, J. M. (2002). The Sermon on the Mount: an expositional commentary (p. 144). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

7 Stott, J. R. W., & Stott, J. R. W. (1985). The message of the Sermon on the mount (Matthew 5-7): Christian counter-culture (pp. 118–119). Leicester; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

8 The Cost of Discipleship, trans. R. H. Fuller [2d rev. ed.; New York: Macmillan, 1960 

9 Carson, D. A. (1999). Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and His Confrontation with the World: An Exposition of Matthew 5–10 (p. 56). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.

10 Hughes, R. K. (2001). The sermon on the mount: the message of the kingdom (pp. 142–143). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

11 Hughes, R. K. (2001). The sermon on the mount: the message of the kingdom (p. 141). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

Related Topics: Christian Life, Kingdom

18. Practicing Radical Generosity (Matthew 6:1-4)

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“Be careful not to display your righteousness merely to be seen by people. Otherwise you have no reward with your Father in heaven. Thus whenever you do charitable giving, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in synagogues and on streets so that people will praise them. I tell you the truth, they have their reward. But when you do your giving, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your gift may be in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

Matthew 6:1-4(NET)

How can we live lives of radical generosity?

God is a giver. He gave his only begotten Son to die for the sins of the world. Not only that, he gives us life, breath, sunshine, rain, and everything else. As his children, we should be givers as well. The previous verse of Matthew 5:48 says, “Be perfect, as your heavenly father is perfect.” Christ teaches on giving right after calling us to be perfect like our Father. Therefore, one of the ways we should aim to be perfect like our Heavenly Father is by generous giving.

In this section of the Sermon on the Mount, Christ again confronts the error of the religious leaders. In Matthew 5:20-48, he confronted their misinterpretations of the law. They lessened God’s commands on areas like murder, adultery, divorce, oaths, loving one’s neighbor, etc. In Chapter 6, he confronts the wrong manner in which they did their acts of righteousness: giving, praying, and fasting. The entire context follows Christ’s strong words in Matthew 5:20 that if our righteousness doesn’t surpass that of the Pharisees and teachers of the law, we will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, Christ is warning his followers to bear fruits that match their kingdom citizenship.

In Matthew 6:1-4, Christ teaches principles about how to live radically generous lives that resemble God and please him.

Big Question: In Matthew 6:1-4, what principles can be discerned about living a radically generous life?

Believers Must Practice Giving as a Spiritual Discipline

Thus whenever you do charitable giving

Matthew 6:2

Interpretation Question: What does the fact that Christ says “whenever you do charitable giving” imply about his expectation of his followers?

The fact that Christ says “whenever you do charitable giving” and not “if you do charitable giving” implies that God expects believers to give and be generous like him. This was clearly commanded in the OT law:

“‘If your brother becomes impoverished and is indebted to you, you must support him; he must live with you like a foreign resident. Do not take interest or profit from him, but you must fear your God and your brother must live with you.

Leviticus 25:35-36

There will never cease to be some poor people in the land; therefore, I am commanding you to make sure you open your hand to your fellow Israelites who are needy and poor in your land.

Deuteronomy 15:11

In fact, many rabbis over-emphasized the need to give—taking the doctrine above Scriptural boundaries. Some taught that giving would actually atone for one’s sins. This is taught within the Apocrypha, which was written during the intertestamental period before the writing of the New Testament. Tobit 12:8 says, “It is better to give to charity than to lay up gold. For charity will save a man from death; it will expiate any sin.” The Wisdom of Sirach 3:30 says, “As water will quench a flaming fire, so charity will atone for sin.”1 In the 1500’s, the Roman Catholic church canonized the Apocrypha for this very reason, as it supports salvation by works; however, it wasn’t recognized as canon previously.

Though the Rabbis overemphasized the importance of giving, as all believers are saved by faith and not works (Eph 2:8-9), God certainly commands and expects his people to give generously. Christ taught that this righteousness will be in kingdom citizens. Giving will be their consistent practice and discipline. The Greek word for “give” actually means an act or deed of mercy.2 Since believers received mercy from God in their salvation, they will be known for showing acts of mercy to others (cf. Matthew 5:7).

Application Question: What are some general principles for Christian giving?

1. Christian giving naturally happens when Christ is truly first in our lives.

In 2 Corinthians 8:2-5 (NIV), Paul describes how the poor Macedonian Christians financially supported the struggling Jerusalem church. He said,

In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us.

Though the Macedonian churches were extremely poor themselves, they begged Paul to allow them to support their brothers in Jerusalem. Therefore, radical generosity is not primarily rooted in what we have but who we have. Paul said they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to others. If God isn’t first in our lives, then we won’t be generous givers. Instead, we will be selfish—concerned primarily with our personal benefit.

Are you giving yourself fully to the Lord—your time, money, goals, and aspirations? If not, you won’t be radically generous.

2. Christian giving should be planned and intentional—not haphazard.

Second Corinthians 9:7 says, “Each one of you should give just as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, because God loves a cheerful giver.” The fact that we must decide in our heart implies that our giving should be prayerfully and wisely planned.

Application Question: What should our planned giving include?

  • Our plan for giving should include regular offerings to our local church.

First Corinthians 16:1-2 says,

With regard to the collection for the saints, please follow the directions that I gave to the churches of Galatia: On the first day of the week, each of you should set aside some income and save it to the extent that God has blessed you, so that a collection will not have to be made when I come.

Paul taught that every time they gathered on Sunday, in keeping with their income, they should set aside money to give. We should do the same. As the Lord provides income, whether that be every two weeks or once a month, we should prayerfully give to the ministries of our local church.

  • Our plan for giving should include setting aside money for the urgent needs of others.

Ephesians 4:28 says, “The one who steals must steal no longer; rather he must labor, doing good with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with the one who has need.” Having something to share with those in need seems to be above one’s regular giving to the church. These needs might include helping a student go on a mission trip, helping somebody who is struggling financially, supporting an orphanage, or even responding to a world catastrophe.

People often ask me, “Can I give my offerings to other ministries or needs instead of to my church?” I always say, “Do both!” First Timothy 5:17-18 says,

Elders who provide effective leadership must be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard in speaking and teaching. For the scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and, “The worker deserves his pay.”

One of the main reasons we must give offerings to our local church is to support its ministers. God has commanded for ministers to earn their living from the church, since a worker is worthy of his wages. If we don’t support our ministers, then they won’t be able to serve the church and take care of their families at the same time. Galatians 6:6 says, “Now the one who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with the one who teaches it.” Sharing “all good things” includes, but is not limited to, financial remuneration.

But God also commands us to help those in need, which is often random. Again, Ephesians 4:28 implies that we should plan to be able to meet those needs. It is good to put in one’s budget regular church offerings and also flexible money for random needs. If there are no random needs, then give that money to the church or save it for when other needs occur. Certainly, it is good to regularly support outside ministries that care for the poor or send missionaries; however, it shouldn’t replace our giving to our local church. It should be above that giving.

God calls for our giving to be decided in the heart; therefore, it must be prayerfully and wisely planned.

3. Christian giving must be offered with a joyful heart.

As mentioned in 2 Corinthians 9:7, God wants our giving to be done with a right heart—one of joy—since he loves a cheerful giver. It should not be out of reluctance or compulsion—God doesn’t need our money. He wants our worship. Therefore, we must be joyful in our giving; this joy comes from our desire to please our Father and help others.

4. Christian giving should be sacrificial.

Throughout the Old Testament, we see that God commanded people to bring their best. They were not to bring the lame or diseased lamb (cf. Mal 1:8); they were to offer the lamb without blemish (Ex 12:5). We should also always offer our best. In fact, that seems to be the reason Cain’s offering was rejected while Abel’s was accepted. Genesis 4 says Cain gave some of the fruits of his field, while Abel gave the fat portions of the firstborn of his flock. The firstborn and the fat portions were considered the best in those days. Cain’s was rejected while Abel’s was received. Cain wanted the best part for himself—there was no sacrifice in his life. That is how a lot of our offerings are given in the church today. There is no real sacrifice—there is no heart that says, “God, you are the best and worth more than I can offer!” In 2 Samuel 24:24, David said, “I will not offer to the Lord my God burnt sacrifices that cost me nothing.’”

Is your giving sacrificial? Or are you just giving “some” of the fruit of your field—like Cain—the left-over change in your pocket? God wants our best. Our giving must be sacrificial.

  1. 5. Christian giving should ideally be continually increased.

Second Corinthians 8:7 says, “But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, and in all eagerness and in the love from us that is in you—make sure that you excel in this act of kindness too.”

Often churches emphasize giving one’s tithe—10% of our income—which was commanded in the Old Testament. Though I think this is a good percentage to begin our giving at, it is never commanded in the New Covenant. The epistles commonly emphasize how we are no longer under the Old Covenant (Rom 6:14, 7:6). We are not bound to practice the food laws, the sabbath days, etc. Many laws continue, but not because we are under the Old Covenant, but because they are repeated in the New Covenant. In the New Testament, there are never any numerical percentages required of our giving. However, we do have teachings like 2 Corinthians 8:7 which says we must seek to excel in giving. This means 10% is a great place to start, but if we stay there we are not obeying the New Covenant. We should seek to excel in our giving.

First Corinthians 16:2 says we should give according to “the extent that God has blessed you” or it can be translated, “in keeping with how he prospers” (HCSB). This means that many people should be giving way more than 10% because the Lord has prospered them so much. Instead of getting a new phone, new car, or new house, when their finances increase, they should seek to excel in their giving. Are you striving to excel in your giving?

Christ said, “when you give” not “if you give.” Our giving is expected, and therefore it should be a regularly practiced spiritual discipline.

Application Question: Are any principles on this list new to you? If so, which? What are some principles that you have found helpful with your regular giving? What are your thoughts on whether Christians must practice the OT tithe?

Believers Must Guard Against Wrong Motives in Their Giving

“Be careful not to display your righteousness merely to be seen by people. Otherwise you have no reward with your Father in heaven. Thus whenever you do charitable giving, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in synagogues and on streets so that people will praise them. I tell you the truth, they have their reward. But when you do your giving, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your gift may be in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

Matthew 6:1-4

In Matthew 6:1, Christ warns his disciples to not practice their righteous deeds in front of others to be seen by them. In the rest of Matthew 6, he focuses not only on giving but praying and fasting—two other works God expects believers to practice.

The phrase “be careful” has the sense of “being on guard.”3 There is a danger that comes along with all ministry. It is hard not to perform them without concerns about what people think about us or how they perceive our ministry. This is a virtual stronghold for many who serve in public ministry. It can cause great discouragement or great pride. Both are problems, as they are symptoms that prove our ministry is not being done for God alone. Christ warns us of this reality, and we must heed it well.

Seeking the praise of others instead of God was the primary sin of the Pharisees and scribes. John 12:43 said, “they loved praise from men more than praise from God.” Christ called them “hypocrites.” The word literally means “to wear a mask” and was used of an actor.4 An actor takes on a false identity and puts on a theatrical performance in order to receive applause. Sadly, that is how a lot of Christian works are done—preaching, teaching, praying, and, as mentioned in this passage, giving.

Christ describes how the hypocrites would sound the trumpet so that all would know they are giving to the poor. Calvin speculated that maybe they did this under the guise of calling for the poor.5 In considering the trumpets, we don’t know if Christ was being literal or metaphorical. Either way, his point was that these people wanted everybody to hear and see. They essentially cried out: “Look at how much I am giving! Look at how sacrificial and holy I am!”

We must be very careful of this in our ministries. It is sad that something so good as giving to the poor can be turned into a PR stunt that is all for our benefit. However, this is natural to our sin nature—it is consumed with self-glory.

Application Question: How can we know if we are doing our giving and other good works to be seen by others instead of for God?

We can tell by asking ourselves some pointed questions:

  1. Is it important for others to see or hear about our good works and accomplishments? Do we always have to tell others about our successes? If so, maybe the pride of the Pharisees is in our hearts.
  2. How do we respond when others praise us? Are we overly excited? If so, maybe it reveals a desire for self-glory.
  3. How do we respond when people criticize us or don’t recognize our accomplishments? Does this overly discourage us or even make us upset? If so, our focus might not primarily be on serving God and blessing others.

Certainly, all of us have experienced these negative tendencies in some way. It is a reminder that we are sinners, and that we must always guard our hearts (Prov 4:23). God’s honor and pleasure must always be our primary pursuit, even before the benefit of others.

Observation Question: How should believers guard their hearts from wrong motives in their giving and other good works according to Matthew 6:2-4?

Thus whenever you do charitable giving, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in synagogues and on streets so that people will praise them. I tell you the truth, they have their reward. But when you do your giving, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your gift may be in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

Matthew 6:2-4

1. To guard our hearts from wrong motives in our good works, we must practice secrecy when performing them.

Christ said to not announce them with trumpets (v. 2). We must aim to practice our good works and giving in secret. Now it is not a sin for others to see; many times, we cannot avoid being seen. Christ said a city on a hill cannot be hidden, in referring to believers being the light of the world (Matt 5:14-16). The problem is our hearts are prone to being consumed with the thoughts and approval of others instead of the Lord’s. So as much as possible, we should practice secrecy in our giving and other good deeds. With our giving, we should try not to tell others—God’s knowledge of our works is enough. With other ministry successes, we should also keep those a secret, unless we deem it more beneficial for others to know. Paul didn’t share many of his visions and spiritual experiences until it was absolutely necessary and beneficial for others to hear (2 Cor 12). He didn’t want them to think too highly of him (12:6).

2. To guard our hearts from wrong motives in our good works, we must practice immediately forgetting what we’ve done by not self-consciously dwelling on them.

When Christ says to not let our left hand know what our right hand is doing, since most people are right-handed, he assumes most will give with their right hands. While giving, one should make sure the left hand is unaware of what the right hand is doing. He uses this metaphor to say that we should even hide our good works from ourselves. The point is that even though others might be unaware of our good works, many times we are still self-conscious of them. We continually replay our giving, teaching, serving, and other good works over and over in our head—leading either to pride or insecurity. We either puff ourselves up—thinking how great we are—or we get really discouraged because we think we failed. Both of these thought processes reflect that our primary goal in serving is not honoring the Lord and bringing him glory. It is too easy for ourselves and our own approval to become the focus of our good deeds, instead of God. This was exactly how the Pharisees and scribes did their good works. In Luke 18:11-12, a Pharisee, who was praying, continually boasted before the Lord, “Thank you, Lord, that I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get” (paraphrase). Though his works weren’t currently in front of others, they gave him great pride, as he boasted before the Lord about them. When practicing our good works, we must be careful of being self-conscious.

Prepare, do your best to honor the Lord and help others, but entrust the results and glory to God. Certainly, there is a place for constructive reflection and evaluation, so we can improve in order to better honor God and bless others. But after doing that briefly, we should forget our works (Phil 3:13)—lest they turn into a boast or an insecurity, which are both rooted in pride.

Christ said those who do their works for others to see have received their reward (v. 2). The “have” used here, or “have received” in other versions, is a commercial term meaning to “receive a sum in full and give a receipt for it.”6 It meant that they will receive nothing else. Their reward is the congratulations of others or their self-congratulations, but they will receive nothing from God. In performing good deeds, including our giving, we must be satisfied with God being our only witness and having only his approval.

Application Question: Why is seeking the approval of others such a danger for those serving in ministry? How have you experienced the sinful propensity to be “self-conscious” over our good works—making them essentially about us instead of God? What are common fruits of being self-conscious in our life and ministry? How can we guard ourselves against the tendencies of seeking the approval of others or our own approval in ministry?

Believers Must Pursue God’s Reward for Selfless Giving

And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

Matthew 6:4

Finally, Christ encourages his listeners to practice secrecy in their giving because it will be rewarded by God. This is taught throughout the entire Bible, as giving is part of the Lord’s cycle of blessing.7 Consider some of the following verses: Proverbs 11:25 (NIV) says, “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” God promises refreshment to those who refresh others by their generosity. When they open their homes for others, or give sacrificially, the same will happen to them. Psalm 41:1 says, “How blessed is the one who treats the poor properly! When trouble comes, the Lord delivers him.” Those who care for the poor and struggling, God will deliver in times of trouble. What they do for others, God will do for them.

Second Corinthians 9:8 (NIV) gives this as a promise for cheerful givers: “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” The promise is twofold: (1) God will make sure givers never lack. This promise is probably broader than just financial provisions; it could also refer to God meeting their emotional, social, and physical needs. (2) God will make them abound in every good work. If God can trust us with money, he can trust us with reaching souls, understanding and teaching the Bible, caring for the poor, etc. He will increase the righteousness of givers. Second Corinthians 9:10 re-enforces this: “Now God who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will provide and multiply your supply of seed and will cause the harvest of your righteousness to grow.”

As a general principle, our effectiveness in ministry correlates to our faithfulness and generosity with God’s money. In Luke 16:10-11, Christ said it this way:

“The one who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and the one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you haven’t been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will entrust you with the true riches?

“True riches” don’t just apply to righteous works on earth, but eternal riches in heaven. In Luke 19, the reward for those who were faithful with God’s minas was ruling over cities in the coming kingdom.

John MacArthur’s comments on the correlation between the faithful use of finances and ministry are helpful. He says,

Many young men have dropped out of seminary because they could not handle money, and the Lord did not want them in His ministry. Others have begun in the ministry but later dropped out for the same reason. Still others remain in the ministry but produce little fruit because God will not commit the care of eternal souls to them when they cannot even manage their own finances. Spiritual influences and effectiveness have a lot to do with how well finances are handled.8

Are you being a radical giver? If so, God will radically reward you and that reward includes provisions on earth and expanded righteousness both in heaven and on earth. Those who sow sparingly will also reap sparingly and those who sow generously will reap generously (2 Cor 9:6).

How is God calling you to be a radical giver?

Application Question: What promises stood out to you most when considering the reward for givers? How have you seen the principle of giving and receiving at work in your life—either negatively or positively (cf. Mal 3:8-12)?

Conclusion

The members of Christ’s kingdom will be radical givers. Their righteousness will surpass that of the Pharisees and teachers of the law. What are some principles about practicing radical generosity?

  1. Believers Must Practice Giving as a Spiritual Discipline
  2. Believers Must Guard Against Wrong Motives in Their Giving
  3. Believers Must Pursue God’s Reward for Selfless Giving

Copyright © 2019 Gregory Brown

Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

BTG Publishing all rights reserved.


1 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1985). Matthew (p. 355). Chicago: Moody Press.

2 Stott, J. R. W., & Stott, J. R. W. (1985). The message of the Sermon on the mount (Matthew 5-7): Christian counter-culture (p. 128). Leicester; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

3 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1985). Matthew (pp. 353–354). Chicago: Moody Press.

4 Stott, J. R. W., & Stott, J. R. W. (1985). The message of the Sermon on the mount (Matthew 5-7): Christian counter-culture (p. 129). Leicester; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

5 Stott, J. R. W., & Stott, J. R. W. (1985). The message of the Sermon on the mount (Matthew 5-7): Christian counter-culture (pp. 128–129). Leicester; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

6 Stott, J. R. W., & Stott, J. R. W. (1985). The message of the Sermon on the mount (Matthew 5-7): Christian counter-culture (pp. 129–130). Leicester; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

7 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1985). Matthew (p. 358). Chicago: Moody Press.

8 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1985). Matthew (Vol. 1, p. 359). Chicago: Moody Press.

Related Topics: Christian Life, Kingdom

21. May Your Name Be Honored (Matthew 6:9b)

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Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored

Matthew 6:9b (NET)

In Matthew 6:9-13, Christ gives his disciples a pattern of prayer. It is not meant to be repeated verbatim, though there is nothing wrong with doing so, as long our hearts and minds are engaged. It was meant to be a primer and pattern. We are to take the petitions and add our own words and thoughts.

As a matter of review, the first three petitions are consumed with God—his name, kingdom, and will. The next three are consumed with us—our daily bread, debts, and temptations. Prayer is first consumed with God and then us. Because of this reality, prayer is one of the primary ways which God conforms our mind and will to his. In prayer, we are made into his image. In prayer, we begin to see the world and our problems in light of God’s power and sovereignty.

The invocation of the Lord’s Prayer is “Our Father in heaven.” For the Jewish mind, this was revolutionary. At the time Christ taught this prayer, Jews would no longer say God’s covenant name, Yahweh. It was too holy. And though the Jews recognized God as the Father of Israel, he was not a personal father. To call him Father would have been disrespectful and even blasphemous. When Christ called God, “Father,” the Jews sought to kill him (John 5:18).

However, the disciples knew that Christ was, in a unique way, the Son of God. Therefore, it was proper for him to call God, “Father.” In Psalm 2, God calls the messiah his Son and declares that the nations will be his inheritance and the ends of the earth his possession (v. 7-8). But for the disciples to call God, “Father,” was another story. Again, in their culture, it was disrespectful, blasphemous, and could have led to their stoning.

In the New Covenant, God grants all believers the privileges of his Son. On the cross, Christ took our sin and gave us his righteousness (2 Cor 5:21). Therefore, God sees us in the same light as his Son—we are all his children. We have immediate access to him, with the right to intimacy and all his resources, as we are co-heirs with Christ (Rom 8:17). We must know God as Father and grow in relating to him as such. The doctrine of God’s fatherhood is one of the most healing doctrines in all of Scripture. And when we pray to our Father, we develop our understanding and practice of this reality.

After the invocation, Christ gives the first petition—"may your name be honored.” In this study, we will study this petition with a focus on the names of God. We will study these in hopes of faithfully praying for God’s name to be hallowed in the world and in our lives.

Big Question: What does it mean for God’s name to be honored, and what are some applications of it?

Name

Interpretation Question: What does the term “name” refer to as Christ uses it? How were God’s names used in the OT?

There are two important aspects to this petition—understanding what “name” means and what “honored” (or “hallowed” as some translate it) means. For the Hebrews and much of the ancient world, one’s name was more than what one was called. It referred to one’s person or character. Today, parents often name their children before they are even born. However, in the ancient world, it was common to name children after discerning their character. For example, with the twins Esau and Jacob, the firstborn came out of the womb and they called him Esau because, even as a baby, he was hairy. (“Esau” means “hairy.”) Since the second born came out of the womb grasping Esau’s foot, they called him Jacob, which means “heel grabber” (Gen 25).

Therefore, when Christ referred to God’s “name,” he referred to God’s person and characteristics. Whenever God reveals himself by a specific name in Scripture or people address him by one, it represents his character.

Application Question: Why is it so important to know God’s character? How is this beneficial to believers?

Prominent Names of God

Because of this reality, “may your name be honored” is the perfect place to pray the names of God. In the Old Testament, the names of God were commonly used in acts of prayer and worship. In the Psalms, when talking about warfare, they might use Yahweh Sabaoth, the Lord of Hosts (Ps 46:7, 11). God is constantly fighting our battles and giving his angels charge over us. When the Angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon and he didn’t die, Gideon built an altar to worship God and called it Yahweh Shalom, the Lord is Peace (Judges 6:22-24). He recognized God’s character of peace and worshiped him as such. God has given us peace with him through his Son (Rom 5:1), and he has also given us his peace to comfort us in whatever circumstances we go through (Phil 4:7).

No doubt, when Christ petitioned that the Lord’s name be hallowed, many names of God came to the disciples’ minds, which they had probably often used in prayer and worship. We should commonly use the names of God in prayer and worship as well.

Application Question: What are some prominent names of God that we can use in the acts of prayer and worship?

1. Yahweh

Yahweh is the most frequently used name of God in the Old Testament, and it is commonly translated as LORD, with all capitals.1

Yahweh was the name used by Eve (Gen 4:1), Noah (Gen 9:26), and Abraham (Gen 12:6). But it was with Moses and Israel that it took on a greater significance. When Moses was told to set Israel free, he asked God what name he should call him by and God replied with, “I AM” (Ex 3:14).

(1) This name refers to his “eternality.” He has no beginning and no end. (2) It also speaks of his “independence.” I am because of my mother and father, but God simply is—he needs no one. It also represents his “unchangeability” or “immutability,” as some call it. He doesn’t call himself “I will be” or “I was.” God will always be the same, and that is why we can trust him. He doesn’t change. Therefore, when he revealed himself to Israel as “I Am,” it represented those characteristics. When we pray with the name Yahweh, we recognize his eternality, independence, and immutability. (4) We also recognize that he is a God of covenant, as he covenanted with Israel to bring his kingdom to the nations while using this name.

Next, we will consider a few compound forms of the name Yahweh.

2. Yahweh Jireh: The Lord Will Provide

In Genesis 22, after God provides a lamb in the thicket, so Abraham would not have to sacrifice his son, Abraham named that placed Yahweh Jireh—the Lord will provide. God is still providing for people today. He provides rain and sunshine for the just and the unjust. He provides for our daily bread, and he commands us to bring our needs and cares before him (1 Pet 5:7).

We live in a world with a lot of uncertainty—uncertainty about the economy, future employment, retirement, the education system, etc. God wants us to know that his name is Yahweh Jireh; he is faithful, and he will provide. As we pray this name, we recognize that God both knows our needs and will provide for them.

3. Yahweh Rapha: The Lord Who Heals

Yahweh Rapha is a name given by God to Israel while they were in the wilderness. While journeying, they encountered bitter water at a place called Marah (Ex 15:23). However, God told Moses to throw wood into the water; as the wood entered the water, it would heal the water. After this, God told Israel if they obeyed him, he would be their healer. Listen to what he says in Exodus 15:26:

He said, “If you will diligently obey the Lord your God, and do what is right in his sight, and pay attention to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, then all the diseases that I brought on the Egyptians I will not bring on you, for I, the Lord, am your healer.”

God also heals us. It is part of his character; God is a healer. He heals us emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Certainly, healing is at the discretion of God; not everybody will receive physical healing in this life. Sin is in our bodies, and therefore, they decay and get old. However, it is often his will to heal us in various ways. And one day, the great Healer will raise our bodies from the dead (Rom 8:11), and there will be no sickness and no more pain. Our God is a healer. He is Yahweh Rapha—the God who heals us.

4. Yahweh Roi: The Lord Is My Shepherd

Yahweh Roi is the name that David used of God in Psalm 23. He says, “The Lord is my Shepherd; I lack nothing” (Psalm 23:1).

We can be sure that as David was caring for his sheep—feeding and protecting them—his mind began to contemplate how God did the same for him. Similarly, the Lord is our Shepherd and we shall lack nothing (Psalm 23:1). This speaks of the weakness of his children. We are prone to wander; we cannot protect or feed ourselves. Therefore, we need a shepherd who leads, provides, and protects us; a shepherd who gives us rest and makes sure that we have no lack. God is that shepherd.

In fact, what makes our Shepherd so wonderful is that he even died for us. Shepherding during David’s time could be very dangerous. Shepherds were exposed to extreme temperatures, wild animals such as lions and wolves, and even robbers. A shepherd who did not really care for the sheep would simply run away when attacked. But good shepherds were willing to give their lives for the sheep. Christ said this about himself: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11).

Our Lord is not just a shepherd; he is the good Shepherd. He provides for us, cares for us, and even gave his life for us. He is our Yahweh Roi. We must recognize and pray this reality often.

5. Elohim: God

Elohim is the second most used name of God in the Old Testament. It is a general name for God. The word “El” comes from a root that means strong or power and, therefore, has the connotation of “Strong One” or “Mighty Leader.”2

Because Elohim’s root means power or might, the name is commonly used in verses that demonstrate the power or awesomeness of God. For example, Jeremiah 32:27 says: “I am the Lord, the God of all humankind. There is, indeed, nothing too difficult for me.” It is also the first name used of God in the Bible. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen 1:1).

One of the interesting things about the name “Elohim” is that it is a plural noun that always is used with a singular verb. Because of this, many have seen implications of Trinitarian doctrine in the use of Elohim. The word “Elohim” would then not only be a reference to God’s strength but also imply his “plurality” and yet “oneness.” He is plural, but at the same time one. Deuteronomy 6:4 says, “Listen, Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!”

As we pray with the name Elohim, we remember that God is the powerful Creator and that we have purpose. We are not random accidents of evolution. We also recognize that he is transcendent—there is nothing like him. He is a trinity—three in one: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

We’ll briefly look at a few compound names with El.

6. El Elyon: Most High or Most High God

The name El Elyon designates God as the sovereign ruler of all the universe.3 It emphasizes God’s supremacy and sovereignty over everything. We see this name used in reference to Abraham and his defeat of four kings in Genesis 14. Even though Abraham only had 318 trained men and a few allies, he took on the four kings and their armies and defeated them. In response to this victory, the King of Salem, Melchizedek, blessed Abraham. He said: “Worthy of praise is the Most High God, who delivered your enemies into your hand” (Gen 14:20).

Melchizedek blessed Abraham by blessing God. He said that El Elyon, God Most High, delivered Abraham from his enemies. This victory was so spectacular that it was clear that it could have been accomplished only by the Most High God—the one who rules over everyone and everything.

The name El Elyon should comfort us because it teaches that God is in absolute control. There is nothing on earth that happens apart from his control. He is sovereign over all things. God is in control of random events, planned events, the evil of men and Satan (Eph 1:11). He is in control and uses all for his glory and the good of his people (Rom 8:28). This characteristic of God is a tremendous comfort to people, and we should recognize it often in prayer.

7. El Shaddai: The Sovereign God or God Almighty

El Shaddai is used when God promises to give Abraham a son at the age of ninety-nine. Genesis 17:1 says, “When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am the sovereign God. Walk before me and be blameless.”

God was declaring to Abraham, through his name, that he was about to do something impossible. He was about to demonstrate his power through the supernatural birth of his son, Isaac. The Almighty God would give Abraham a son, even though he and his wife, Sarah, were past the age of child bearing.

However, this is not the only time we see God Almighty accomplish things that are impossible. The Scripture is full of his mighty works: He created the heavens and the earth with spoken words. He delivered Israel from the oppression of Egypt, parted the Red Sea so they could walk through it, and then closed the Red Sea to destroy the Egyptian army that was chasing them. He is God Almighty.

When Christ came on the earth, he spoke peace to raging storms. He multiplied bread and fish to feed the multitudes. The Almighty God did what was impossible. In fact, the greatest work that El Shaddai has done is to save sinful man. Christ said this in reference to the possibility of a people being saved: “This is impossible for mere humans, but for God all things are possible” (Matt 19:24–26).

It is impossible for people to save themselves. This is what every religion has tried to accomplish from the beginning of time. Like the rich man who sought to justify himself through his works (Matt 19:17–20), the religions of the world have sought salvation through prayer, works of kindness, sacrifice, etc. Because of their works, they assume that they can merit salvation before a holy God. However, Christ says that this is impossible. People cannot save themselves. It is something only God can do. Salvation is monergistic—a work that can only be done by God. Even a believer’s faith is a gift from God in salvation (Eph 2:8–9).

The God who did something impossible by allowing Abraham and his wife, Sarah, who were past childbearing age, to welcome their son, is the same God who reaches into the deadness of our sin and brings new life (Eph 2:1–5). He saves us and makes us new creations in Christ (2 Cor 5:17). He is the same God who is doing miracles today. That is his name because it is part of his character. He is El Shaddai. When we pray with the name El Shaddai, we recognize God’s miracle working character.

8. Adonai: Lord or Master

Adonai is the third most used name of God in the Old Testament, and it is a plural noun similar to “Elohim.”4 Therefore, many scholars see this as another implication of the Trinity in the Old Testament. The name is translated “Lord” or “Master.” Psalm 8:1 says: “O Lord, our Lord, how magnificent is your reputation throughout the earth! You reveal your majesty in the heavens above!”

It could be translated “O LORD, our ‘Master,’ how majestic is your name.” This was a declaration that not only was Yahweh God, but also, he was the Master of all people. This is important to say for there are many who recognize the God of the Bible as God but will not honor him as Lord and Master of their lives. James confronted scattered Hebrew Christians about the impossibility of this type of faith being salvific. In James 2:19, he says: “You believe that God is one; well and good. Even the demons believe that—and tremble with fear.”

James says it is possible to believe in one God, be monotheistic, and yet not truly be saved. The demons have orthodox theology as well, but they do not have orthopraxy—they do not submit to God as Lord and Master of their lives. They live a life of rebellion against his Lordship.

The name Adonai reminds us that not only is the God of the Bible, God, but he is our Master as well. We are to submit to him and seek his guidance. When we pray with the name Adonai, we recognize that God is our master and that we are his servants.

9. Abba: Father

Something new to New Testament thinking was the revelation of God as Father. As mentioned, the name Father is only used fourteen times in the Old Testament and never personally. However, in the New Testament, it occurs 245 times.5 The name Abba can be translated “Father” or “Dearest Father.” It shows the intimacy and care of God for his children. Most likely, this was the Aramaic name that Jesus taught his disciples to use in the Lord’s Prayer (Matt 6:9), which was later translated into Greek.

In the context of the Lord’s Prayer, “may your name be honored” probably primarily refers to the name ‘Father.’ Our God cares for us like a father. He provides, directs, disciplines, and leads us into righteousness, and our desire must be for others to know God and honor him as Father.

God is still revealing himself to the world today—just like he revealed himself to Abraham, Moses, and Israel. New seasons of life and new trials are opportunities for God to reveal a new name to us—a new aspect of his character and person.

As we worship God and pray for his name to hallowed, like the Old Testament saints, we should routinely use his various names. They are his self-revelation to us, and it should be our desire for the whole world to know and honor them.

Application Question: Which name (or names) stand out most to you and why? Have you ever used the Lord’s names in prayer and worship? If so, how was it helpful or not helpful? Which name do you feel most called to currently pray and use in worship, and why?

Honor

Interpretation Question: What does the word “honor” (or “hallowed”) mean when used of God’s name?

The word “honor” means to “set apart as holy,” “treat as holy,” or “consider holy.” It means to “reverence.”6 It must be understood that “honored be your name” is not a declaration, as many think—it is not simply declaring that God is holy. It is a request—a petition—that others, including ourselves, would declare that God is holy and give him the highest respect, reverence, and worship.

In Psalm 34:3, David says, “Magnify the Lord with me! Let’s praise his name together!” This is the heart of the first petition in the Lord’s Prayer—for others to glorify God.

Application Question: In what ways should the Lord’s name be honored? How does this happen?

1. The Lord’s name is honored when people know God and his characteristics.

As mentioned, we can pray for this by specifically using God’s names, as they represent his characteristics. We should pray that people would know Elohim—God as the Creator. People are not accidents; they have a Creator who made them with a purpose. We should pray that all people would know Yahweh—the God of the covenant, who wants to covenant with them to bring his kingdom. We should pray that they would know Adonai—God as their Master. We should pray for them to know El Shaddai—the God of miracles. We must pray for people to know God’s names and characteristics. He is loving, just, sovereign, and merciful. These are revealed both through Scripture and creation. In all these characteristics, God is absolutely perfect. That is why his characteristics are often called his perfections. We must pray for God’s name to be honored, as people learn his characteristics.

2. The Lord’s name is honored when people know and obey God’s will.

Whenever people disobey God’s will with their hearts or actions, they dishonor his name. Therefore, we must pray for people to know God’s Word and obey it. We are praying for those who do not obey God to obey him, and those who already obey him to obey him more. When we are obeying God’s will, as revealed in his Word, God’s name is honored.

3. The Lord’s name is honored when people worship God both privately and publicly.

This is a request for people to continually honor God and thank him—when working, socializing, resting, and worshiping. Colossians 3:17 says, “And whatever you do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” To do it “in the name of the Lord Jesus” means to do it in such a way that he is honored and praised. We should request that people gather to declare the goodness of God and praise his name corporately in church, small groups, prayer meetings, and other places of worship.

4. The Lord’s name is honored when people revere God and do not take his name in vain.

If you were going to make ten laws that all people would obey, surely you would include things like not murdering, lying, and stealing; however, God not only included those, but he also included not using his name in vain. In fact, he makes it the third law—right after having no gods before him and the command to make no idols (Ex 20:3-7). This shows how important God’s name is to him. Therefore, to pray for God’s name to be honored means that every person would speak of God in a reverential way—not a flippant or demeaning way.

We must pray for God’s name to be honored in all these different ways—as people know him, obey him, worship him, and honor his name instead of dishonoring it.

Application Question: In what ways is God’s name continually profaned throughout the world today? Why is it so easy to neglect God’s glory and will in prayer and instead focus on our individual glory and will?

Conclusion

The first petition of the Lord’s Prayer is consumed with God’s name and it being set apart as holy and not common. Therefore, to truly pray is to humble ourselves before God and pursue his being exalted as our first desire. As we pray this way, God is not only exalted in our lives but also throughout the world. Lord, honor your name both in our lives and everywhere else!

Copyright © 2019 Gregory Brown

Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

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1 Charles C. Ryrie. Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1999), 51.

2 Charles C. Ryrie. Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth. Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1999), 51.

3 Kay Arthur. Lord, I Want to Know You: A Devotional Study on the Names of God. (The Doubleday Religious Publishing Group, 2009), 15.

4 Charles C. Ryrie. Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth. (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1999), 51.

5 Charles C. Ryrie. Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth. (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1999), 57.

6 Hughes, R. K. (2001). The sermon on the mount: the message of the kingdom (p. 163). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

Related Topics: Christian Life, Kingdom

22. May Your Kingdom Come (Matthew 6:10a)

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May your kingdom come

Matthew 6:10a (NET)

In the Lord’s Prayer, Christ teaches his disciples how to pray. Though the disciples had probably prayed their whole lives, they still struggled with it and were confused about it. We’re often like that as well.

Christ teaches that our first petitions should be consumed with God—his name, kingdom, and will. Then our prayers should be consumed with others and ourselves—our daily bread, trespasses, and deliverance.

When we come into God’s presence, we must recognize him as our heavenly Father. He cares for us, loves us, and has good plans for us. However, he is not just our Father individually, but also corporately. Christ taught us to pray “our Father”—meaning that we must bring what’s best for the family before him and not just our own requests. “In heaven” reminds us of God’s rule. He rules heaven and everything under it (Ps 103:19), and therefore, he must continually be revered.

“May your name be honored” reminds us that we must be consumed with God’s fame—people knowing and honoring him. We must pray for that continually. The great problem of humanity since the fall has been us being consumed with our name and glory, instead of God’s. That was the first temptation—to be like God. It was not only how Adam and Eve fell (Gen 3), but also how the people at the Tower of Babel fell—they wanted to make a name for themselves (Gen 11). In prayer, we must be consumed with God’s name and not our name.

Next, Christ calls believers to pray for God’s kingdom to come. What is God’s kingdom and what does it mean for it to come? As we consider this petition, we’ll answer these questions and apply it to our lives.

Big Question: What is God’s kingdom and how do we pray for it to come?

The Kingdom of God

Interpretation Question: What is the kingdom of God? Are there different aspects to it?

The kingdom of God is a major theme in the New Testament. In the first three Gospels alone (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), it is mentioned 103 times.1 John the Baptist taught that the kingdom of heaven was near (Matt 3:2). Christ preached the kingdom from village to village (Mk 1:14, 38, Luke 4:43). This means that the Jews were aware of this kingdom and waiting for it. It was already a major part of their theology before John and Christ arrived.

Therefore, what was Christ referring to in his petition for the kingdom to come? There seems to be various aspects to the kingdom of God, which has created a lot of confusion.

God’s Universal Kingdom

Scripture teaches that God sovereignly rules over everything as king. Consider these Psalms:

Your kingdom is an eternal kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations.

Psalm 145:13

The Lord has established his throne in heaven; his kingdom extends over everything.

Psalm 103:19

The Lord owns the earth and all it contains, the world and all who live in it.

Psalm 24:1

This is often called God’s universal kingdom2, which is an unchanging and everlasting rule. Everything in the universe and all who live in it are part of this kingdom (cf. 1 Chron 29:11-12, Dan 4:34-35). God is always in control, and in one sense, his will is always done (Eph 1:11). However, Christ seems to be referring to a different aspect of God’s kingdom, since it is still to come in its fullness.

What then is he referring to?

God’s Earthly Kingdom

Christ is referring to God’s earthly kingdom, which won’t be fully realized until Christ returns and reigns on the earth.3 This is clarified by the third petition in the Lord’s Prayer, “may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” On earth, God’s will is not always done, and therefore, his earthly kingdom has not fully come.

When did God’s earthly kingdom begin?

There are past, present, and future aspects to this kingdom. It began with earth’s creation. When God created the earth, he was the king, and Adam and Eve were to rule under him as vice regents. He told them to rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, to till the garden, and to fill the earth (Gen 1:28). However, when Adam and Eve sinned, God’s kingdom was lost (Gen 3). Satan, who tempted Adam and Eve, became the ruler of this world (2 Cor 4:4, John 12:31, Eph 2:2)—even though his rulership was still under God’s sovereign rule. The world now does not submit, as it should, to God’s rule. Men and women seek their own kingdoms, and they war to have it. Satan rules men through his invisible forces (Eph 6:12). His desire is to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). He continually fights against God’s plan and rule on this earth.

In Genesis 3:15, after the fall, God prophesied that there would be a male child who would come from the woman who would crush the head of the serpent. Satan and his dominion would not rule forever. There would be a seed who would destroy it. From there, the prophecies about the seed continue: He would be the seed of Abraham and all the nations would be blessed through him (Gen 22:18). He would be the seed of Judah, and he would be a king whom all the nations would submit to. Genesis 49:10 says: “The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs; the nations will obey him.”

When God delivered Israel from Egypt, he again established his kingdom on the earth. His plan was that through Israel, and eventually the messiah, the nations would be brought to worship God. On Mount Sinai, God gave them his laws. As they obeyed his laws, the surrounding nations would declare how great and wise they were and be drawn to Yahweh (Deut 4:6-8). God ruled over them and gave them the land of Canaan.

However, like Adam and Eve, Israel began to reject God’s rulership. When Samuel was judging Israel, they asked for a king like the nations around them. This is how God responded to Samuel, “Do everything the people request of you. For it is not you that they have rejected, but it is me that they have rejected as their king” (1 Sam 8:7).

However, God would use even this. After their first king, Saul, who was a bad king, God gave them David, a good king, though he had many flaws. God promised David that from his seed there would come a king who would have an everlasting rule. Second Samuel 7:13 says, “He will build a house for my name, and I will make his dynasty permanent.” This was the messiah promised to Eve, Abraham, and Judah. He would be the King of Israel and rule the earth from there.

The Prophetic books abound with prophecies of the Davidic King and his rule. Probably the most significant are the prophecies in Daniel. Daniel 2:44 says:

“In the days of those kings the God of heaven will raise up an everlasting kingdom that will not be destroyed and a kingdom that will not be left to another people. It will break in pieces and bring about the demise of all these kingdoms. But it will stand forever.

Daniel had just finished interpreting the dream of Nebuchadnezzar. He described how there would be four major kingdoms successively ruling, and finally, a last kingdom that would rule forever. The first was Babylon, the second Persia, the third Greece, and then Rome; the final kingdom would be the kingdom of God. It would crush all the kingdoms and bring them to an end.

Daniel 7:13-14 shares more about this final kingdom:

I was watching in the night visions, “And with the clouds of the sky one like a son of man was approaching. He went up to the Ancient of Days and was escorted before him. To him was given ruling authority, honor, and sovereignty. All peoples, nations, and language groups were serving him. His authority is eternal and will not pass away. His kingdom will not be destroyed.

The coming ruler, the messiah, is called the “Son of Man.” This is Luke’s favorite term to use of Christ. Luke 19:10 says, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” It was a messianic term. He was the coming king who would rule the world. This is what John the Baptist was referring to when he declared, “The kingdom of heaven is near!” This is what Christ was referring to as well. In accordance with Daniel’s prophecy, Christ brought an eternal kingdom during the rulership of Rome that would eventually crush all the kingdoms of this world (Dan 2:44).

However, in what would seem to be a tragic turn of events, when the King came, he was rejected by his people. The Jews rejected the promised Davidic King—the Son of Man.

What happened to this final kingdom conquering the kingdoms of this world, as Daniel 2 prophesied? Even within Daniel, the first and second comings of Christ are not distinguished. Yes, the final stage of Christ’s kingdom will conquer all the kingdoms of this world. He will be given the kingdom from the Ancient of Days, and then he will come to the earth on the clouds (Dan 7:13, Mk 13:26, Rev 1:7). However, at his first coming, he came as an infant, born to a virgin. He came as a poor, humble king. Before going to the cross, he declared that his kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36)—it was a spiritual kingdom (Lk 17:21). But at Christ’s second coming, when he comes in the clouds, his kingdom and will, will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Rev 11:15, Matt 6:10).

This is why many Jews were so confused and some rejected him. They were expecting the messiah to immediately conquer all kingdoms and all sin and bring an everlasting righteousness and rule on the earth. However, those accompany his second coming.

Mysteries of the Kingdom

The Interim Stage

While on earth, Christ taught what he called “secrets” or “mysteries” of the kingdom (Matt 13:11). These realities were not fully known in the Old Testament—he revealed them through his teaching on the earth. He taught that there would be an interim period before the final stage of the kingdom. When Christ came, he brought a spiritual kingdom. He told the Jews that the kingdom of God was in their midst (Lk 17:21). Christ brought a spiritual rule. Amongst the kingdoms of this world, there is a spiritual kingdom that will eventually become a physical kingdom on the earth.

In Luke 19:11-27, he gave the Parable of the Minas, where he describes this interim period: A man from a noble birth distributes minas to his servants and then goes to another country to be recognized as king. In the meantime, these servants were to faithfully use their minas—referring to gifts and talents—to make a profit. When the anointed king returned, he rewarded his servants with the administration of cities. In Acts 2, Peter said that at Christ’s ascension, Christ sat at the right hand of God until all his enemies were made a footstool for his feet (32-36). When Peter preached this, he quotes Psalm 2, a royal psalm. He was declaring that Christ was the promised king. In heaven, Christ has been anointed; we are now waiting his return. When he returns, the faithful stewards will be rewarded, and the unfaithful judged.

A Mixture of True and False Disciples

In Matthew 13, in the Parables of the Weeds and Wheat (v. 24-30, 34-38), Christ taught that this kingdom would be a mixture of the saved and unsaved. There would be many who profess Christ but live lives of iniquity—proving that they are not truly born again. At the end of the age, the angels will take the weeds—those who don’t truly know Christ—and throw them into hell, while the true disciples—the wheat—will enter the kingdom. Sowing weeds in a field was not uncommon in ancient times. When farmers wanted to harm their competitors, they would sow weeds in their fields. They did this to hinder the harvest. Satan is doing that today with God’s kingdom. Because many in the church profess Christ but live like their father the devil, people commonly become disillusioned with the church or leave the faith altogether. They’ve seen so much hypocrisy and corruption in the church that they find the faith hard to believe. This is the current state of the kingdom.

This same principle is taught in the Parable of the Net (Matt 13:47-50). A net is thrown into the sea—gathering good fish and bad fish. The net is the kingdom and the fish are people in the kingdom. The bad, which are false professors, are thrown into the fire by the angels. This is the state of the current kingdom—a mix of false and true believers. We must understand this lest we become disillusioned and also turn away.

Application Question: In what ways have you seen or experienced this corruption in the church? How have you seen or experienced people who have turned away because of it or who are disillusioned? How do you minister to those people?

Explosive Growth of the Kingdom and Filtration of Evil

In Matthew 13:31-33, Christ gives two parables: The Parable of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast. These two seem to illustrate some of the same truths. In the Parable of the Mustard Seed, a tiny seed is planted but grows into a large tree where birds come and nest. This illustrates the explosive growth of the kingdom. When Christ died, he had 120 followers praying in an upper room (Acts 1:15). However, in Acts 2, the Spirit falls, Peter preaches, and 3,000 accept Christ. Later, another 5,000 men come to the Lord, not including women and children (Acts 4:4). The kingdom rapidly expanded and continued to expand as missionaries began to spread throughout Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth. Now, Christianity is the largest religion in the world with billions of followers—one-third of the world’s population.

When the parable describes the birds nesting in the tree, it probably represents the influx of evil into the church—false teachers and false doctrine. In an earlier parable, the Parable of the Sower, the birds represented the devil stealing the Word from people’s hearts (Matt 13:4, 19). In the same way, there is a new cult every day. There are many damning doctrines throughout the church—drawing professing Christians away from the narrow way to God. It’s amazing to watch historically conservative denominations around the world continually become liberal—far away from their founding beliefs and practices.

As mentioned, the Parable of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast are similar. Yeast is put into sixty pounds of flour until it worked all the way through the dough (Matt 13:33). There are differing interpretations of this parable: It could represent the explosive growth of the kingdom or it could again represent the evil (false teaching, false teachers, and acts of evil) that would be in this temporary kingdom. Those who think it represents evil focus on the fact that yeast, or leaven, is a common symbol for sin throughout Scripture. Christ warned the disciples to be careful of the yeast of the Pharisees—referring to their false doctrine (Matt 16:6, 12). In referring to sin, Paul said that a little yeast affects the whole batch of dough (1 Cor 5:6).

This spiritual kingdom would have explosive growth, but as it grew, the enemy would sow not only false believers but also lots of false doctrine—leading to many evil acts. Certainly, this has been seen throughout the history of the church. In the Crusades, thousands of Jews were killed in the name of Christianity. In the Middle Ages, many believers were put to death by other “believers” over their beliefs—sometimes these beliefs were orthodox. During this interim period, there are weeds, bad fish, birds, and yeast—all referring to something evil.

Application Question: In what ways have you seen or experienced the continual leavening of true doctrine with the false throughout the church? How can believers know what is true? How can we help those who are caught in false teaching?

The Millennial Kingdom

Before Christ ascended to heaven, the apostles asked him this in Acts 1:6: “So when they had gathered together, they began to ask him, ‘Lord, is this the time when you are restoring the kingdom to Israel?’” They were still waiting on the kingdom where Christ would rule from Israel as the Davidic king. It is interesting to note that Christ doesn’t rebuke them. He simply says, “You are not permitted to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority” (v. 7). The fulfillment of this happens in what is called the millennial kingdom in Revelation 20, which will happen after Christ returns and ultimately in the eternal state referenced in Revelation 21. Revelation 20:4-6 says:

Then I saw thrones and seated on them were those who had been given authority to judge. I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. These had not worshiped the beast or his image and had refused to receive his mark on their forehead or hand. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were finished.) This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who takes part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

There is some controversy over the millennium. Some believe that there is no future 1,000-year millennium and that we are currently in the millennial kingdom. This belief is called amillennialism. When amillennialist read Revelation 20, which talks about the binding of the devil, the resurrection of those who died during the tribulation period, and the 1000-year rule of Christ, they believe that refers to Christ ruling in heaven now, that Satan is in some way currently bound, and that Christians have been spiritually resurrected with Christ—for them it doesn’t refer to a bodily resurrection. After this period of time, Christ will return and bring the eternal state (Rev 21)—with perfect righteousness—which is the kingdom we are all ultimately praying for.

Another view is called post-millennialism. Like amillennialism, post-millennialist don’t believe in a literal 1,000-year kingdom but that we are in this millennial kingdom now. Postmillennialism differs with amillennialism in that it believes the earth will continually get better, as the gospel spreads, until the earth is converted into a peaceful and righteous utopia, and then Christ will return. When Christ returns to this perfect utopia, that will be the eternal state—the final stage of the kingdom for which we are praying. This view is not very popular today.

Historically, the most popular view is called premillennialism, which takes a plain, or more literal, reading of Revelation 20. After Christ’s return, he will rule in Jerusalem for a thousand years (v. 4, 9). As this reign begins, those who died in the tribulation will be resurrected to reign with Christ (v. 5). The believers who never died in the tribulation will have children who will eventually rebel against Christ after the 1000-year reign when Satan is set free to tempt the nations (cf. Is 65:17-25, Rev 20:7-10).

During the millennial kingdom, there will still be evil on the earth. Initially, it will just be the evil within the hearts of those who don’t have redeemed bodies yet or who haven’t yet been born again. Because of this, Christ will rule the earth with an iron scepter (Rev 2:27, 12:5, 19:15, Ps 2:9). Zechariah 14:16-19 describes Christ’s rule during the millennial period:

Then all who survive from all the nations that came to attack Jerusalem will go up annually to worship the King, the Lord who rules over all, and to observe the Feast of Temporary Shelters. But if any of the nations anywhere on earth refuse to go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord who rules over all, they will get no rain. If the Egyptians will not do so, they will get no rain—instead there will be the kind of plague which the Lord inflicts on any nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. This will be the punishment of Egypt and of all nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.

Isaiah 2:4 says Christ will “judge disputes between nations; he will settle cases for many peoples.” Christ will rule with an iron scepter until Satan is released and causes the final rebellion. Revelation 20:7-10 describes this rebellion and Christ’s judgment:

Now when the thousand years are finished, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to bring them together for the battle. They are as numerous as the grains of sand in the sea. They went up on the broad plain of the earth and encircled the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and devoured them completely. And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are too, and they will be tormented there day and night forever and ever.

Some struggle with God setting the devil free again during the millennial kingdom. They say, “Why? That doesn’t make sense!” However, we could make the same argument for God allowing Satan to roam the earth and tempt the nations during this stage of redemptive history. In some way, Satan, as all things, works for the glory of God and the benefit of his people. Romans 9:22-24 says:

But what if God, willing to demonstrate his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience the objects of wrath prepared for destruction? And what if he is willing to make known the wealth of his glory on the objects of mercy that he has prepared beforehand for glory— even us, whom he has called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?

Eternal Kingdom

Finally, after Christ again wipes out all evil in the millennial kingdom, there will be a rule of complete righteousness. Revelation 21 says that there will be a new heaven and a new earth, where there will be no more death, sickness, or sin. This is the final stage of God’s kingdom. This is the kingdom that we are ultimately praying for.

Application Question: In what ways is God’s kingdom past, present, and future? What mystery aspects of the current kingdom stood out to you and why? What are your views on the controversial text of Revelation 20? Is the millennium something that is happening currently or will happen in the future? How should Christians handle secondary doctrines like the millennium, where many orthodox Christians differ in their beliefs?

Praying for the Kingdom

Interpretation Question: What does it then mean to pray for God’s kingdom to come?

1. To pray for the kingdom to come means to pray for the salvation of souls.

Since this kingdom is currently present in spiritual form, it expands as people truly receive Christ and enter his kingdom. When we pray for the kingdom, we should pray for the gospel to be preached, missionaries to be sent out, and for people to receive Christ as their Lord.

2. To pray for the kingdom to come means to pray for people to obey God’s will.

Every kingdom has its rules and norms that citizens must follow, and that is true for God’s kingdom. His laws are found in God’s Word. In fact, many believe the third petition, “your will be done,” is simply a form of Hebrew parallelism.4 That means it is restating “your kingdom come” in a different way. When the kingdom comes, all people and the rest of creation will obey God’s perfect will. Further support for this is found in the fact that in Luke’s rendition of the Lord’s Prayer, “your will be done” is omitted (11:2-4). When God’s kingdom comes, his will, will be done. We should pray for world leaders to submit to and defend God’s laws, for parents to teach them, for children to obey them, and all people to proclaim and practice them. The final stage of the kingdom is the place where the King’s will is always done. We must continually pray for this.

3. To pray for the kingdom to come means to pray for Christ’s return and his eternal rule on the earth.

God promised that a future king would come and crush the head of Satan (Gen 3:15, 49:10). Christ accomplished this through his death and resurrection, but the ultimate fulfilment of this promise won’t happen until Christ throws Satan into the lake of fire, from where he will never tempt anyone again (Rev 20:10). We should pray for Christ to come and bring eternal justice, righteousness, and peace.

4. To pray for the kingdom to come means that we are willing to be a part of bringing this kingdom.

Though God promised that his kingdom will come, he has chosen to use both the prayers and the acts of his saints to bring it. Hypothetically, if believers don’t pray, then his kingdom won’t come (cf. Ez 22:30). Therefore, when we pray for his kingdom to come, we are taking part in God’s kingdom work. Prayer is as important, if not more important, than evangelism, teaching God’s Word, caring for the hurting, etc. When we pray for the kingdom to come, we willingly submit ourselves to the King’s Lordship and take part in bringing his kingdom to fruition.

Are you willing to daily pray for the kingdom to come?

Application Question: How can we reconcile the need to pray for the coming kingdom when God has already promised it? What does this teach us about God’s purpose in prayer? How should this affect how we pray for other prophecies?

Conclusion

This petition of the Lord’s Prayer is probably the petition most people tend to pray in vain. Literally, “your kingdom come” can be translated, “your kingdom come now.”5 It is a desire for it to happen immediately. Are you really ready for Christ to come today? Most would probably say, no. They want Christ to come after they finish graduate school, after they get married, after they have kids, or after they retire and enjoy it for a little while. The reality is most don’t really want Christ’s kingdom to come now. They want their own. Therefore, as we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we must constantly repent of selfishness—our desire for our own kingdom. We must repent of our plans and bring them before the Lord and say, “Your will be done.” Are you really ready for God’s kingdom? If so, let’s pray until God brings it in its fullness. Lord, come! Lord, come! Amen.

Application Question: Do you feel like you are ready for and desire that Christ would come immediately? If not, why not? If so, why?

Copyright © 2019 Gregory Brown

Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

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1 Hughes, R. K. (2001). The sermon on the mount: the message of the kingdom (p. 170). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

2 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1985). Matthew (p. 380). Chicago: Moody Press.

3 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1985). Matthew (p. 380). Chicago: Moody Press.

4 Barclay, W. (2001). The Gospel of Matthew (Third Ed., p. 243). Edinburgh: Saint Andrew Press.

5 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1985). Matthew (p. 381). Chicago: Moody Press.

Related Topics: Christian Life, Kingdom

23. May Your Will Be Done (Matthew 6:10b)

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May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven

Matthew 6:10b (NET)

In Matthew 6:9-13, Christ teaches his disciples the Lord’s Prayer. It is the ideal prayer—meant to be the Christian’s primer and pattern. It is not that a Christian cannot pray without going through this pattern. Certainly, there are times, like when Peter was sinking into the water, that we just cry out, “Lord, save me!” (Matt 14:30). However, in this pattern, we see the priority of prayer which is often neglected when we pray without its structure. The invocation of the prayer, “Our Father in heaven” sets the atmosphere. We are praying to our all-loving, all-knowing, and all-powerful Father. We must pray with trust and out of love. This intimacy with God was purchased by Christ on the cross; therefore, we can come into God’s presence at any time.

The first three petitions are consumed with the Father’s name, kingdom, and will. Often, we enter prayer as though the priority is our name, kingdom, and will. It is not. In fact, when we pray properly, prayer conforms our desires to the Father’s. Therefore, prayer is a tremendous part of our sanctification process. For this reason, those who spend little time in prayer often care little about the things of God. They typically are very consumed with self and anything that negatively affects themselves instead of with God and others. True prayer delivers us from our natural selfishness.

The petition that probably delivers us most from the rule of self is “your will be done.” Martin Luther called it a “fearful prayer.”1 Kent Hughes said this about praying “your will be done”:

In praying this we invite God to conquer us, and that is why this petition is so scary. When we pray this prayer, we are asking God to do what is necessary to make his will prevail in our lives. And God then comes with gracious, kind violence to root out all impediments to our obedience. To pray this prayer may terrify us, but it will also deliver us from ourselves. It can truly be said that we have not learned to pray at all until every request in our prayers is made subject to this one. “Your will be done” is the petition that determines the authenticity of the other upward petitions, for if we do not mean it, we cannot truly pray, “hallowed be your name” or “your kingdom come.” Truly praying “your will be done” is fundamental to all true prayer.2

As we pray through this petition, we bend our desires to that of the Almighty. It is here where we choose to trust God, even when circumstances are difficult and don’t make sense. It is truly a scary prayer.

In this study, we’ll consider the meaning and applications of this petition in the hope that it will further conform our will to that of God’s.

Big Question: What does it mean to pray “your will be done”? What are some applications of this prayer?

God’s Will

Interpretation Question: What is Christ referring to with the petition, “your will be done”? What are different aspects of God’s will?

One of the most controversial aspects of Christian doctrine is understanding the will of God. It is common for believers to be confused and have questions concerning it: “What is God’s will? How should one find it?” There is good reason for this confusion: When considering Scripture’s teaching on God’s will, it is clear that there are different aspects of it. One could say there are three wills of God. There is:

1. God’s sovereign will

God’s sovereign will is the aspect of God’s will that is always done. It includes things like election, creation, the fall of man, the coming of the messiah, and his eventual return. It is the comprehensive, tolerating will of God that includes good, evil, intentional, and unintentional acts—all working together for God’s glory and the benefit of his people. Ephesians 1:11 says that God “accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will.” Amos 3:6 says, “…If disaster overtakes a city, is the Lord not responsible?” Amos does not deny that disasters have secondary causes like evil men or the devil. But Amos sees evil men and the devil submitting to God’s sovereign will. This is how Moses could write in Exodus that God would harden Pharaoh’s heart (Ex 4:21) and then later say that Pharaoh hardened his own heart (Ex 8:2). Similarly, Peter could say that Christ being handed over to the Jews and Romans for execution was part of God’s will. In Acts 2:23, he says, “this man, who was handed over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you executed by nailing him to a cross at the hands of Gentiles.”

This is a mysterious aspect of God’s will because, at the same time, Scripture says that God does not commit evil, nor can he be blamed for evil. James 1:13 says, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one.” First John 1:5 says, “… God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all.” Creatures are to be blamed for their sins and not God. However, Scripture does say that God controls evil and evil events in such a way that he can be said to cause them, as in the case of God hardening Pharaoh’s heart (cf. 1 Kings 22:19-23, 2 Sam 24:1, 1 Chr 21:1).

Again, this is a mystery to us, but it is not a mystery to God. Finite creatures cannot fully comprehend an infinite God. What he has revealed about himself, we must believe even if it is paradoxical. This is true with other mysteries like the Trinity and the full humanity and deity of Christ. Though we may not fully understand them, we must accept them. If we reject them or twist these mysteries so that we can better understand them, we do this to our own peril and that of others.

The doctrine of God’s sovereign will is always taught in such a way as to give believers comfort. Evil people are not in control; Satan is not in control, and neither are we. God is in control, and he works all events, even the sins of his creatures, for the good of his people and in accordance with his sovereign will (cf. Rom 8:28, Eph 1:11). Without accepting the reality of God’s sovereign will, we will become anxious, angry, and even unforgiving. When Joseph looked at the evil his brothers had done to him, he said, “As for you, you meant to harm me, but God intended it for a good purpose, so he could preserve the lives of many people, as you can see this day” (Gen 50:20). He could forgive his brothers because he saw God as being in control and using it for the good. This is one aspect of God’s sovereign will.

Application Question: How do you reconcile God’s sovereign will with the free will of others and evil within the world? Is God’s sovereign will comforting to you or terrifying, and why?

2. God’s ethical or preceptive will

This is what we see in the commands of Scripture. Repent and believe in the gospel (Mk 1:15). Flee from all appearance of evil (1 Thess 5:22). Flee from sexual immorality (1 Cor 6:18). Love the Lord with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself (Matt 12:30-31). It is this aspect of God’s will that is not always done. People reject the gospel. They enjoy evil conversations, entertainment, and thoughts. People pursue sexual immorality instead of fleeing from it. God’s ethical will is not always done. In fact, since Satan is the ruler of this world, the opposite is commonly done instead.

3. God’s will of desire

This aspect refers to God’s disposition or inclination. Like God’s preceptive will, this is an aspect of God’s will that is not always done. For example, in Luke 13:34, Christ said this about Jerusalem:

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would have none of it!

God repeatedly sent prophets to Jerusalem. He sent his Son to preach repentance and perform miracles before them; however, they still rejected God, and the majority still reject him today. Though he longed to gather them as a hen gathers her chicks, they would not allow it.

We also see an aspect of God’s desire in 2 Peter 3:9. It says, “The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some regard slowness, but is being patient toward you, because he does not wish for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” Of course, this verse is not referring to God’s sovereign will because other Scriptures tell us that all will not be saved. It is referring to his disposition or inclination. God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but desires that they would turn from their ways and live (Ez 33:11).

Interpretation Question: What aspect(s) of God’s will is Christ referring to with the third petition of the Lord’s Prayer?

Some believe Christ is referring to God’s ethical will (and possibly God’s will of desire), since this aspect of God’s will is not always done, unlike God’s sovereign will.3 However, in the previous petition, Christ calls for us to pray for his kingdom to come (Matt 6:10a). Certainly, this includes praying for God’s sovereign will, since Scripture promises that Christ will return and bring his kingdom to this earth (Rev 11:15). God has chosen to establish his kingdom, as well as other aspects of his sovereign will, through the prayers of his people. In fact, God’s ethical will and will of desire are, at times, part of God’s sovereign will when they are accomplished. Therefore, “your will be done” probably is comprehensive—referring to all aspects of God’s will. Christ prayed for God’s will to be done even when it included his murder by evil men, which clearly wasn’t part of God’s ethical will—though it was part of his sovereign will (Lk 22:42). This is hard to comprehend, but again, God uses all things to bring what is ultimately good on this earth. This means that true prayer includes us trusting our all-wise, all-just, and all-powerful God.

It must be recognized that in some way or another, when people don’t pray, God’s will is not done. In Ezekiel 22:30-31, God said:

“I looked for a man from among them who would repair the wall and stand in the gap before me on behalf of the land, so that I would not destroy it, but I found no one. So I have poured my anger on them, and destroyed them with the fire of my fury. I hereby repay them for what they have done, declares the sovereign Lord.”

It is for this reason that God commonly gives people prayer assignments. In Isaiah 62:6-7, God says,

I post watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they should keep praying all day and all night. You who pray to the Lord, don’t be silent! Don’t allow him to rest until he reestablishes Jerusalem, until he makes Jerusalem the pride of the earth.

Even as he has burdened some to continually pray for the nation of Israel, which will one day repent (Rom 11:25-27), God still places burdens on people to pray for nations to repent, friends and family members to get saved, and families to be restored. We must be sensitive to these burdens for this is how God’s will gets done on earth. He finds a few watchmen who are willing to watch and pray.

Battle of Wills

As we consider this, it must be remembered that initially, when God created the heavens and the earth, everything was good because there was only one will—God’s. However, when Satan rebelled against God because of pride, there became two competing wills—one good and one corrupt. When the angels and people fell, there became billions of competing wills, but only one of them is perfect, and that is God’s.4 Therefore, all that is bad, evil, and destructive in the world comes from rebellion against God’s will. James Boice said it this way:

If we are to understand the fullness of what this statement means, we must begin by realizing that all the troubles that exist in this world exist because someone, or some group of people, wants man’s will instead of the will of God. The Bible says, “As for God, his way is perfect” (2 Sam. 22:31; Ps. 18:30). Only God is perfect. Consequently, any way that is not God’s way is imperfect; it is sinful, and thus it is contributory to the problems of this world.5

When people ultimately submit to God’s will and only his, there will be complete righteousness, peace, and joy (Rom 14:17). That is why God has given us his Word and his Holy Spirit to save us and enable us to obey him. When people rebel against God’s will, there is lack of peace, discord, war, and ultimately death. Therefore, the third petition of the Lord’s Prayer cries out for God’s will to be done, which will ultimately restore every good thing to this earth.

Application Question: Why is it important to pray for God’s will to be done? What burdens has God given you to pray for until they happen? How do you reconcile the need for man to pray, even though God is sovereign? Should believers pray for God to bring to pass prophetic events, which God has promised will happen? Why or why not?

Praying for God’s Will to Be Done

Application Question: How can we pray for God’s will to done? What does this mean practically?

1. To pray for God’s will to be done means that we cannot pray for anything immoral.

It’s unfortunate that this needs to be said, but we should not pray for grace to cheat on a test or to not get caught in a lie. Prayer is about God’s will, and therefore, true prayer is always moral and conforms to God’s will. James 4:2-3 says, “…You do not have because you do not ask; you ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, so you can spend it on your passions.” First John 5:14 says, “And this is the confidence that we have before him: that whenever we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” That’s really what Christ meant when he called us to pray in his name (John 14:13-14). It doesn’t mean to tack his name on the end of our prayers. It means that we should pray in line with his character and purpose. Therefore, to pray outside of God’s ethical will is to pray amiss.

2. To pray for God’s will to be done means for people to be committed to pursuing the knowledge of God’s will.

To pray effectively, we must know God’s will. The primary way we know God’s will is by knowing Scripture. The more people know what Scripture says about parenting, dealing with conflict, serving, working, decision-making, marriage, etc., the more they can obey God’s will. Sadly, even the church is woefully ignorant about what Scripture teaches. Kent Hughes gives a stinging rebuke when considering this reality. He says:

It pains me to hear Christians insist on the authority and infallibility of the Scriptures, if those same Christians do not diligently work at learning the Scriptures. What are the themes of Zechariah and Galatians? What do we learn of God’s will from Exodus and Ephesians? How do the portraits of Jesus painted by Matthew and John differ from and complement each other? In studying God’s will, what have we learned this week that has prompted improvements in our lives?6

To pray for God’s will to be done is to commit ourselves to reading, studying, memorizing, and applying Scripture. It also means praying for others to do the same.

Are you committed to understanding God’s will through the diligent study of Scripture?

3. To pray for God’s will to be done means that we must pray for God’s commands to be obeyed throughout the world, especially in areas where they are disregarded.

“Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” means that we should pray for people to be obedient just as the angels and saints obey God in heaven. Psalm 103:20-21 says, “Praise the Lord, you angels of his, you powerful warriors who carry out his decrees and obey his orders! Praise the Lord, all you warriors of his, you servants of his who carry out his desires!” Those in heaven always obey God’s will immediately and without delay. That should be our constant prayer for ourselves and others.

We should pray for governments to practice God’s ethics—that there would be no corruption in our politics. We should pray for parents to raise their children in the Lord and that children would honor their parents. We should pray for the church to be holy, preach God’s Word, evangelize, serve the needy, and impact society in a way that draws people towards God.

In one sense, to pray this petition is to pray for righteous rebellion. It is to pray that people would be like Christ was, as he lived in a demonically influenced culture. When God was dishonored and people cheated in the temple, Christ flipped tables and rebuked the religious establishment (John 2). Where there was false teaching, he corrected it. We must do the same in our societies as evil plagues our education system, our government, and even our churches. Christians must not passively accept abortion, trafficking, the redefinition of marriage, the watering down and secularizing of our churches, etc. They must fight against immorality just as Christ did. John MacArthur explains it this way:

To pray Thy will be done, on earth as it is heaven is to rebel against the worldly idea that sin is normal and inevitable and should therefore be acquiesced to or at least tolerated. It is to rebel against the world system of ungodliness, the dishonoring and rejecting of Christ, and also the disobedience of believers. Impotence in prayer leads us, however unwillingly, to strike a truce with wrong. To accept what is, is to abandon a Christian view of God and His plan for redemptive history.7

4. To pray for God’s will to be done means to pray that people would obey God’s will joyfully.

In heaven, God’s will is not done with bitterness. It is not done out of resignation, like one who is defeated by God: “Fine, Lord! Your will be done.” It is done with joyful obedience. In Romans 1:21, Paul describes the world as unthankful towards God. He says, “For although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or give him thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts and their senseless hearts were darkened.” The world rejects God—it doesn’t glorify him or give thanks to him. Sadly, many Christians don’t even give God thanks. They obey him with angry or defeated hearts, rather than joyful ones.

To pray this prayer is to pray that people would obey God, just as those in heaven. In the book of Revelation, we are shown visions of the heavenly court where continual worship, praise, and glory are offered to God and Christ from angels and people (Rev 4, 5). Lord, let that happen here on earth.

5. To pray for God’s will to be done means we must submit to God’s perfect wisdom and sovereignty, even when going through trials.

We see this with Christ’s prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. There he prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me. Yet not my will but yours be done” (Lk 22:42). As he considered bearing the sins of the world and being separated from God, he asked God if there was another way. Certainly, Christ knew that this was the only way. He previously declared that he came to give his life as a ransom for many (Mk 10:45). Therefore, the reason he prayed this way was for us (cf. John 11:41-42). Christ is our example in prayer. When we encounter hard times and difficulties, which is part of God’s sovereign will to conform us into the image of his Son (Rom 5:3-4), we must trust and submit to God. Like Job, we should pray, “Lord, you give, and you take away. Blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21, paraphrase). We must cry out in faith, “Lord, I trust you. Your will be done.”

It should be noted that this conflicts with the popular understanding about how to pray in faith taught in many churches today. Often it is said that praying in faith simply means that we must speak and declare something, without any doubt, until it comes to fruition. However, true faith is always based on revelation—what God has said. Where we have a clear promise, we should pray with no doubt. To doubt would be to call God a liar and say he is untrustworthy. But, there are some things that God hasn’t promised clearly. For example, it is not God’s will for all people to be physically healed. Scripture clearly teaches that it was appointed for people once to die and then the judgment (Heb 9:27). We all will die at some point. Therefore, we cannot pray with absolute confidence for healing from every disease or ailment. Similarly, we can’t pray in absolute confidence for God to give us a specific job or get us into a specific school. God has promised to meet all our needs (Matt 6:33, Phil 4:19), but not all our wants. In areas where we don’t have clear promises, we must pray with faith in his character. We must pray, “Your will be done.” It is a prayer that says, “Where you lead is always best!” Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding.”

Are you submitting to God’s will no matter the situation? Praying “your will be done” helps us do this.

6. To pray for God’s will to be done means that we must pray for God’s final kingdom, where the Father’s will is always done.

As mentioned in the past study, “your will be done” is probably a form of Hebrew parallelism. When we pray, “your kingdom come,” we are praying for the will of the King to be done on the earth. Therefore, this prayer is, in part, eschatological. It looks forward to the coming of Christ and the time when all people will know Christ and obey him. There will be no more murder, discord, or lies. There will be complete righteousness, peace, and joy throughout all creation.

Application Question: In what ways is God challenging you to grow in praying for his will to be done in your life, community, nation, and throughout the world? Are there specific acts of disobedience in your community or nation that especially burden you and that you feel God is calling you to intercede on behalf of? How do you reconcile our call to pray in faith and yet our call to pray, “your will be done”? Is there a conflict between faith in prayer and submission in prayer?

Conclusion

As mentioned, praying for God’s will to be done is a sanctifying grace for us individually. It delivers us from pride and selfishness and conforms us into God’s image. It also is the way that God sanctifies our friends, families, churches, communities, and nations. As we pray it, we must pray it in faith, because one day, all will bow to Christ as Lord and all will obey his will (Phil 2:9-11). Lord, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Amen!

Copyright © 2019 Gregory Brown

Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

BTG Publishing all rights reserved.


1 Hughes, R. K. (2001). The sermon on the mount: the message of the kingdom (p. 175). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

2 Hughes, R. K. (2001). The sermon on the mount: the message of the kingdom (p. 177). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

3 R.C. Sproul. The Prayer of the Lord (Kindle Locations 518-522). Kindle Edition.

4 Boice, J. M. (2002). The Sermon on the Mount: an expositional commentary (p. 185). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

5 Boice, J. M. (2002). The Sermon on the Mount: an expositional commentary (pp. 184–185). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

6 Carson, D. A. (1999). Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and His Confrontation with the World: An Exposition of Matthew 5–10 (p. 72). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.

7 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1985). Matthew (p. 384). Chicago: Moody Press.

Related Topics: Christian Life

24. Our Daily Bread (Matthew 6:11

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Give us today our daily bread

Matthew 6:11 (NET)

One of the great lessons of the Lord’s Prayer is for us to seek God’s interests first and then our interests. We should come before God seeking that his name be honored, his kingdom come, and his will be done. Then we should bring our interests before God.

The fourth petition is a request for God to supply our daily bread. It seems strange that after asking for such great things as God’s kingdom to come that we should ask for something so insignificant as our daily bread. However, this shows God’s great concern for us and reminds us that not only is God our King but also our Father. As King, we are his subjects who do his bidding. As Father, we are his children who enjoy his presence, care, and provision.

In this study, we’ll consider what it means to pray for our daily bread and applications that stem from this request.

Big Question: What does it mean to pray for our daily bread, and what applications can we take from this request?

Prayer for Our Physical Needs

Interpretation Question: What does it mean to pray for our daily bread?

Bread was the basic sustenance for many in the ancient world and, therefore, was at times used metaphorically to refer to physical needs. Sometimes this is still true today. For example, the person in a household who makes the most money is often called the “bread-winner.”

When we ask God for our bread, we are asking him to supply our basic needs. Martin Luther said, “everything necessary for the preservation of this life is bread, including food, a healthy body, good weather, house, home, wife, children, good government, and peace.”1

Though this petition seems rather simple, there is also a little controversy over it. The controversy comes from doubt over what exactly the Greek word used for “daily” means. The reason for this is because its placement in the Lord’s Prayer is the only time this word is found in popular Greek literature (cf. Matt 6:11, Lk 11:3). Third-century, theologian Origen thought that Matthew invented the word.2 However, more recently, this word was found on an ancient shopping list in Egypt. The person was writing down exactly what things to purchase for the day.3 The word seems to be an adjective meaning “of the day that is coming.” If we pray it in the morning, we are asking for provision for the day. If we pray it at night, we are asking for the next day’s provisions.4

In the ancient world, this petition was very relevant. Commonly, laborers were paid on the very day that they worked. The pay was typically very low, and it only provided enough to purchase food for that day. It was almost impossible to save money.5 This prayer would have given these day laborers great hope—God would meet their needs for the day, just as he did the day before.

Though in many developed nations, people have food stored up for weeks and savings accounts to take care of them in an emergency, we still need to pray this petition and maybe even more so. We need to pray it to remind us that God is our provider and that we are dependent upon him. He gives us life, breath, and everything else (Acts 17:25). James 1:17 says that every good and perfect gift comes from above. God is the one who meets our needs. Therefore, we don’t need to be anxious or worried about the future. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t plan—we should. However, when we do, we must trust and submit those plans to God (Jam 4:13-15). God is the one who speaks and the bread comes. He speaks and a job opens up right on time. He speaks and there is strength and energy to work. When he speaks, provisions become available in times of need. He makes sure his children lack no good thing (Ps 23:1).

Application Question: Share a story of how God miraculously met your needs or how he continually meets your needs.

Prayer for Our Spiritual Needs

Though the petition for bread refers to our physical needs, it also refers to our spiritual needs. We can discern this by how Jesus uses the word in the Gospels. In John 6:35, he said, “‘I am the bread of life. The one who comes to me will never go hungry, and the one who believes in me will never be thirsty.” We need Jesus more and more each day, and therefore, we should cry out for him. James 4:8 says to draw near to God and he will draw near to us. One of the ways we draw near God is in prayer—seeking to know him and his presence more. In Matthew 4:4, Jesus said, “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” God’s Word is our bread. Like David, we should constantly petition that God would open our eyes to see wonderful things from his law (Ps 119:18). In addition, Christ uses food, in general, to refer to doing God’s will. In John 4:32 and 34, he said to the disciples, “I have food that you know nothing about; my food is to do the will of the Father and finish his work” (paraphrase). Here we must petition for opportunities to share the gospel, to disciple, and to serve others. Our bread is Jesus, his Word, and his works.

Application Question: How would you gauge your spiritual hunger on a scale from 1 to 10? What aspect of your spiritual needs do you most hunger for and what do you least hunger for and why (cf. God’s Word, prayer, God himself, evangelism, etc.)? How should one increase his or her spiritual hunger?

General Applications

Application Question: What applications can we take from our need to pray for our daily bread?

1. This petition reminds us to ask for our needs based on God’s generous, fatherly nature.

In Matthew 7:7-11, Christ says:

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you then, although you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

Christ encourages the disciples to not only pray but also to continually pray. It literally can be translated “ask and keep asking, knock and keep knocking.” Why? Because God is a Father who loves to provide good things for his children. Christ makes the argument that if a natural father provides, how much more will our heavenly Father—who lacks no resources and is not impeded by any sin in himself. In James 1:5, it says, “If anyone lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives liberally” (paraphrase). God is a lavish giver. He likes to provide for his children, and therefore, we should constantly come before him to ask for our needs to be met.

In Luke 11:13, the parallel passage, Christ says, “If you then, although you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” In the original, there is no article before Holy Spirit. When this happens, it typically refers to the gifts or ministries of the Holy Spirit instead of his person.6 Therefore, this fits perfectly with God’s desire to bless us with spiritual bread. Do you want to know the Word? Ask and keep asking. The Holy Spirit will enlighten you. Do you want spiritual strength to serve? Ask. The Holy Spirit will empower you. Do you want wisdom to disciple others? Ask in faith. The Holy Spirit provides lavishly. God not only wants to provide our physical needs but also our spiritual needs.

Application Question: Why is it important to be persistent in prayer—to ask and keep asking?

2. This petition reminds us to be content with our needs.

When Christ refers to bread, he is referring to basic sustenance that any commoner would need. He doesn’t say to ask for steak, wine, or dessert. Sometimes in popular Christianity, it is taught that God wants to make every person wealthy. However, that is not biblical. The majority of Christians throughout the centuries have been poor and that includes Christ and the disciples. God promises to meet our needs and tells us to pray for them (Matt 6:33, Phil 4:19). Now, it’s not necessarily wrong to pray for wants, but in the Lord’s Prayer, we are taught to pray for our needs. Therefore, the implication is God wants us to learn contentment with having only our needs met.

In 1 Timothy 6:6-8, Paul teaches Timothy the same. He says, “Now godliness combined with contentment brings great profit. For we have brought nothing into this world and so we cannot take a single thing out either. But if we have food and shelter, we will be satisfied with that.” The word “shelter” can be translated “covering” and therefore could refer to clothing and shelter. If we have food, clothing, and shelter, we should be content. However, most of us are not content with our needs, and therefore, we are prone to covet what others have, become jealous, and even complain. In the wilderness, God disciplined the Israelites for the sin of complaining, and he will do the same with us. First Corinthians 10:10 says, “And do not complain, as some of them did, and were killed by the destroying angel.”

This petition reminds us to be humble and content with God’s provision. If he gives us more, praise God! If he gives us just enough, praise God! If we seem to have less than enough, pray in faith. He is faithful to his promises. God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory (Phil 4:19).

Application Question: Why is it so difficult to be content with our needs? How should a person learn contentment? Is it wrong to pray for our wants and desires?

3. This petition reminds us of how God cares for our bodies and not just our spirits.

Often people have struggled with the concept of a God that cares for our bodies. Greek philosophy considered the body evil and the spirit good. Regrettably, this has shown up in Christianity in various ways throughout the centuries. Sometimes people practiced ascetism—a rigid discipline of the body. Other times, it’s shown up in hedonism—the pursuit of pleasures, even sinful ones, based on the thought that our bodies don’t really matter. However, we must remember that the promise of salvation is not just a salvation of our spirits but a salvation of our bodies. One day we will be resurrected and have perfect bodies like our Lord. In 1 Corinthians 6:13, Paul said that our bodies are for the Lord and the Lord for our bodies. Later in verse 19, he says we were bought with a price and therefore we should honor God with our bodies. God cares not only for our spirits but also our bodies—that’s why this petition for daily bread has both spiritual and physical implications. In fact, we saw this in Christ’s ministry—he spent a lot of time healing people’s bodies and satisfying their physical hunger.

Certainly, this reminds us to stay away from harmful things like sexual immorality, gluttony, and addictions. It also challenges us to take care of our bodies by eating right, exercising, and getting good rest. Our body is the Lord’s. In this petition, we are asking for him to provide good things for our bodies, so they can serve and honor him. One day, he will raise our bodies from the dead; he cares for them and so should we.

Application Question: How do you take care of your body and seek to honor God with it? Are there some ways God is challenging you to be a better steward of your body?

4. This petition reminds us that no request is too small for God.

Sometimes people only pray when it comes to major events—a terrible accident or sickness, or when a need seems insurmountable. However, God wants us to bring all our cares before him. In 1 Peter 5:7, it says, “Cast your cares before the Lord for he cares for you” (paraphrase). The word “cares” literally means a “dividing of the mind.” We should bring anything that divides our mind—anything that makes us worry—before the Lord. However, we should not just bring our anxieties but also our joys, questions, and desires. God wants to know. This is a reminder of his love for us. Everything matters to him. Scripture says he puts our tears in a bottle and that the hairs on our head are numbered (Ps 56:8, Lk 12:7). God knows and cares about every detail of our lives, and he wants us to bring them before him at all times.

5. This petition reminds us to not worry about the future.

This does not remove prudent planning. But as we plan, we must understand how God works. He often only gives us the bread for today and not tomorrow. He often provides right when something is needed and not before, so we stay totally dependent upon him. When the Israelites were in the wilderness and God provided manna from heaven for them, he chose to provide it every morning and commanded them to not store up for the next day. When they disobeyed, the food spoiled (Ex 16). God was teaching them to trust in him, and he often does the same with us. He provides just enough, so we will learn to trust him for our daily needs. When we need to know the next step, he makes it clear. When we need the extra money, he provides it. In all of this, God teaches us to be anxious for nothing (Phil 4:6).

Are you worried? Trust him. He is faithful.

Application Question: What types of worries do you commonly struggle with? How can praying the fourth petition of the Lord’s Prayer help you and others have peace?

6. This petition reminds us to pray for others and help in providing for their needs.

The Lord’s Prayer begins with the plural “Our,” and the last three petitions are also in the plural—our daily bread, our debts, and deliver us. Sadly, prayer is often rooted in selfishness, like most of the human life. However, in true prayer, not only are we concerned with ourselves, but more importantly with God and others. In this petition, we must lift up the needs of others—bringing them before our gracious God.

Also, when we pray this, we implicitly commit to help provide for others’ needs, not only through prayer but also through other means. James said it this way:

If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm and eat well,” but you do not give them what the body needs, what good is it? So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead being by itself.

James 2:15-17

Can we really only pray if we have the ability to help someone? James says, no. By praying, we are committing to being part of the solution to somebody else’s problem. The problem with the world today is not that we don’t have enough resources to take care of everyone; the problem is distribution of resources. Through praying for bread for those who lack it, we are committing to being part of God’s hands who provide it.

Are you willing to help provide bread for others?

7. This petition reminds us of how God’s providence and people’s diligence works with prayer.

If we pray for our daily bread and yet do nothing, most likely we will starve or lack resources. God’s means of providing for us is primarily through our own labor. The farmer ploughs the field, sows seed, and reaps a harvest. By seemingly natural means, God provides for the farmer’s daily bread. This is true for us as well. Certainly, God can miraculously provide manna from heaven, send ravens with food, or multiply a few loaves to feed a multitude. However, that is not his primary way of answering prayer. People pray and work, and God’s grace abounds over that work. For example, if a person wants a godly mate, one should prepare himself to be godly and maybe even put himself in a position to meet somebody. If a person wants to be a doctor, one should study diligently and go to medical school. If a person wants to save souls, one must pursue opportunities to share the gospel. In the same way that faith without works is dead (Jam 2:17), prayer is often dead and useless without work. It has often been said that we should pray as though it all depends on God and work as though it all depends on us. There is some wisdom to this saying.

Application Question: What is the proper balance between prayer and diligence? What is the improper balance and how can we avoid it?

8. This petition reminds us to give God thanks.

Every good and perfect gift comes from God (Jam 1:17). Did you have lunch today? Give God thanks. Did he help you resolve some conflict? Praise him. Do you have strength and health to work? Give God thanks. Did he provide you with spiritual manna through God’s Word and prayer? Praise his name. Are you alive? Give God thanks. He gives us life, breath, and everything else. Are you going through a trial? Worship him. Trials develop perseverance, character, and hope in God (Rom 5:3-4). The reality that God is constantly providing our daily bread should always draw us to the throne of grace to give him thanks. Thank you, Lord!

Application Question: What are you thankful for today? How has God been providing for your daily bread?

Conclusion

First, prayer begins with God, and then it turns to us. In the fourth petition, we recognize our dependence upon God for all resources. He is the provider of life, breath, and everything else. We must daily humble ourselves before God in prayer—trusting him to meet our needs and that of others.

Copyright © 2019 Gregory Brown

Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

BTG Publishing all rights reserved.


1 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1985). Matthew (p. 388). Chicago: Moody Press.

2 Barclay, W. (2001). The Gospel of Matthew (Third Ed., p. 250). Edinburgh: Saint Andrew Press.

3 Boice, J. M. (2002). The Sermon on the Mount: an expositional commentary (p. 191). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

4 Carson, D. A. (1999). Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and His Confrontation with the World: An Exposition of Matthew 5–10 (pp. 72–73). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.

5 Carson, D. A. (1999). Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and His Confrontation with the World: An Exposition of Matthew 5–10 (p. 73). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.

6 MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. (A. Farstad, Ed.) (p. 1413). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

Related Topics: Christian Life, Kingdom

25. Forgive Us Our Debts (Matthew 6:12, 14-15)

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And forgive us our debts, as we ourselves have forgiven our debtors… For if you forgive others their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive you your sins.

Matthew 6:12, 14-15 (NET)

When Christ gave us the Lord’s Prayer, he gave us our pattern and primer for prayer. We begin with the Lord’s name, kingdom, and will. Then we bring our petitions to the Lord and that of others. First, we ask for our daily bread. Though God is our King, he is also our Father. He cares for both our physical and spiritual needs. In the fifth petition, we ask for our Father’s forgiveness. In the final petition, we ask for spiritual protection—deliverance from temptation and the evil one.

In this study, we’ll consider the fifth petition—a petition for forgiveness.

Big Question: What does “forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” mean, and what applications can we draw from this?

Our Need to Pray for God to Forgive Us

Interpretation Question: What does this petition tell us about the Christian’s relationship to sin?

When Christ calls for believers to pray for forgiveness of their debts, he is referring to their sins. In the parallel version of the Lord’s Prayer in Luke 11:4, the word “sin” is used instead. The word “debt” means “a failure to pay that which is due” or “a failure of duty.”1 All people are in debt to God because he is our ruler, and he has given us many commands and duties to fulfill. Primarily, we have been called to love God with all our hearts and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Nobody has ever perfectly obeyed these two commands, which essentially summarize all other commands (Matt 22:37-40). We have put ourselves and our needs before others. We have put our entertainment, education, jobs, and friendships before God. We have fallen short of God’s glory (Rom 3:23) and, therefore, failed our duty—we are debtors to a holy God.

A Battle with Sin

The fact that Christ adds this petition to his ideal prayer means that we will always struggle with sin until we die or Christ returns, whichever happens first. Unfortunately, at times throughout history, the doctrine of perfectionism has been taught. This is the belief that after a person is saved, they can reach a point where they no longer sin. This seems to have been one of the perversions of the false teachers in the Ephesian church.2 In 1 John 1:8, John combats this by saying, “If we say we do not bear the guilt of sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.” A person who believes they have never sinned or that they are without sin is not truly saved. The truth of the gospel is not in them (cf. 1 John 5:13).

Therefore, Christ is implying through this petition that believers will never, during this stage of their redemption, be without sin. There will always be a battle between their flesh—their unredeemed nature—and their new nature. Galatians 5:17 says, “For the flesh has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires that are opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition to each other, so that you cannot do what you want.” Even Paul attested to this battle inside him; in Romans 7, he bemoaned how the things he wanted to do, he didn’t do, and the things he didn’t want to do, he did. He cried out, “Who can save me from this body of death?” (v. 24, paraphrase).

True Confession

Because of this reality, believers must continually practice confession before God. We must confess our debts—the ways that we’ve failed God in thought and action. First John 1:9 says, “But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness.” The word “confess” means “to say the same thing as.” Confession is simply agreeing with God that we were wrong—our thoughts and motives were ungodly, and our actions dishonored the Lord and hurt others. Included with confession is turning away from our sins. Second Corinthians 7:10 (ESV) says, “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.” True confession brings repentance—a change of mind that leads to a change of direction.

This is necessary for our spiritual health, as we will always struggle with sin. When we confess, we will find peace, joy, and righteousness. When we hold on to sin, we will lack joy and peace, and be led into further sin. John Stott said this about confession, “One of the surest antidotes to the process of moral hardening is the disciplined practice of uncovering our sins of thought and outlook, as well as of word and of deed, and the repentant forsaking of them.”3

Though confession seems easy, it is not. Our flesh, worldly influences, and Satan fight against it. We have a tendency to not recognize our sins, minimize them, or, at times, even promote them as being righteous. However, true confession is seeing our sins as God does. He hates them. Our sins put his Son on the cross; they dishonor him, and they hurt ourselves and others. In order to have true confession, we must see sin as Gods sees it, by knowing his Word (cf. 2 Tim 3:16-17).

Sadly, instead of seeing sin as we should, our views often conform to that of our secular culture (Rom 12:2). Sin is acceptable, normal, and at times, even to be desired. We say, “Everybody illegally downloads, it’s not that bad.” “Everybody cheats on their taxes.” “Why would somebody not have sex and live with their mate before marriage?” Society embraces and promotes sin, which makes it harder for us to recognize certain actions and thoughts as sin and truly confess them.

God is holy, and he hates sin. Hebrews 12:14 (NIV) says, “without holiness no one will see the Lord.” Our God is so holy, we can’t have a relationship with him because of our sin. It was his holiness that compelled him to send his Son to die on the cross for our sins (John 3:16). Christ paid our sin debt. He took all our sins—past, present, and future—and bore God’s wrath for them on the cross. It is for this reason that we can be saved and have eternal life. On the cross, there was a great exchange; Christ took our sins and gave us his righteousness (2 Cor 5:21). For those who receive him by faith as Lord, God imparts Christ’s righteousness to their lives and accepts them into his family—they become his forgiven sons and daughters (John 1:12, Eph 1:5).

Application Question: Why is it so hard to have true confession—saying the same thing as God does about sin? What factors make this difficult, and how have you experienced this difficulty in confession/repentance?

Two Types of Forgiveness

Interpretation Question: Why must we still confess our sins to God if he forgave them all when Christ died on the cross?

Because of Christ’s death, God forgave us judicially. Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Justification is a legal declaration. It means we are no longer guilty before God—we no longer have a sin debt. Christ paid it. However, the forgiveness Christ refers to in the Lord’s Prayer is not judicial, it’s familial. The Lord’s Prayer was not given to unbelievers. It was given to Christians—those who, because of Christ’s work, have been adopted into the family of God and are now his children (cf. Matt 6:9). This relationship can never change any more than a human father/child relationship. There can be distance between a father and a child. They might not speak to each other because of some evil. Parents might even “disown” their child. However, that doesn’t change their blood relationship. The father and mother will always be the biological parents. In the same way, at salvation, believers become children of God and that relationship will never change; however, because of sins on our part—not God’s—there is at times distance. Therefore, we need to continually confess our sins to God (and at times to others) to restore fellowship. Again, Christ is referring to familial or parental forgiveness, not judicial.

Since we’re so prone to sin against God, we must confess our sins all the time. When we do, God promises to forgive and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Proverbs 28:13 says, “The one who covers his transgressions will not prosper, but whoever confesses them and forsakes them will find mercy.” There is always mercy, forgiveness, and cleansing for those who confess.

Cleansing from Guilt and Shame

Confession is especially important when considering the guilt people often carry from their failures or the failure of others. People harbor guilt from divorces they experienced, sexual experiences (voluntary and involuntary), neglect of loved ones (or being neglected), etc. These leave deep wounds that the enemy often uses to condemn people. In his book Confess Your Sins, John Stott quotes the head of a large mental hospital as having said, “I could dismiss half my patients tomorrow if they could be assured of forgiveness.”4 People must understand that Christ bore our shame and guilt on the cross. After confessing our sins, those burdens no longer need to be carried. We must accept God’s forgiveness and his cleansing. Hebrews 9:14 says: “How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our consciences from dead works to worship the living God!”

Guilt and shame keep us from fully worshiping and serving the living God. When we accept Christ’s forgiveness, it allows us to serve him and others with delight and joy. He forgives and restores us. Therefore, we must reject the devil’s lies and condemnation.

Are there any sins that you have not confessed before God? David said, “If I cherish iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me” (Psalm 66:18, paraphrase). God will not hear our prayers when we are holding on to grudges, an ungodly relationship, or some other wrong heart motive or action. They hinder our relationship with him.

Have you accepted his forgiveness for your failures? Are you still accepting condemnation from the devil by harboring a defiled conscience? Accept God’s mercy, forgiveness, and cleansing. God is gracious. When we confess, he cleanses us from the sin we are aware of, and even sins we are not aware of. That’s the promise of 1 John 1:9— “But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness.” Our God is faithful and abundantly gracious with forgiveness.

Application Question: What sins is God calling you to confess and repent of? How have you experienced condemnation from the devil over failures committed by you or to you? How can believers be set free from sin and condemnation?

Our Need to Pray for God to Forgive Others (Matt 6:12a)

And forgive us our debts

Matt 6:12a

Interpretation Question: What does the “our” in “forgive us our debts” imply about how we should pray?

The “our” implies that we should pray for the forgiveness of others as well. How should this be done? This happens in two ways:

1. We should confess the sins of our communities, as we recognize how our sins contribute to the corporate debt.

Nehemiah prayed this way in Nehemiah 1:6:

May your ear be attentive and your eyes be open to hear the prayer of your servant that I am praying to you today throughout both day and night on behalf of your servants the Israelites. I am confessing the sins of the Israelites that we have committed against you—both I myself and my family have sinned.

In confession, we recognize ourselves as part of a community and that our sins have contributed to the corporate sin debt. Sometimes, our contributions may primarily be sins of omission (Jam 4:17)—meaning, we have not done the good we should have done. We have not shared the gospel as we should; we have not cared for the poor and needy as we should—we have been selfish. Therefore, we must come before God in confession—recognizing the sins of our peers and ourselves.

2. We should confess the sins of others, even if we have not participated in their sins.

Christ did this on the cross when he prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing” (Lk 23:34). Similarly, Stephen prayed this before he was martyred, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:60).

Interpretation Question: What happens when we pray for God to forgive others? Does God forgive them based on our prayers?

Of course, we must recognize that God does not forgive people apart from their repentance. When Christ and Stephen asked for pardon for their enemies, it seems their prayers were petitions for God to be merciful and remove his judgment. These prayers would be in line with Abraham interceding on behalf of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 18) and how Moses prayed for God to not destroy Israel (Ex 32:10-11).

We should routinely intercede on behalf of others—asking for God to be merciful to them. Ezekiel 22:30-31 says that God sought for a man to stand in the gap but found none, so he destroyed the land. God is looking for people to cry out on behalf of friends, family members, cities, and nations. The whole world has accrued a sin debt and is under God’s wrath. Therefore, Christians should constantly intercede on behalf of others.

As we pray this petition, we not only ask for God to be merciful, but also that God might grant them repentance, so they’ll be restored to a right relationship with him.

Are you confessing the sins of your friends, communities, and nations? Are you asking for God to be patient and merciful, so others might repent? When we do this, we are like Christ and other godly saints before us. In response, God often removes his wrath, grants repentance, and brings cleansing.

Application Question: Who is God calling you to intercede on behalf of? How is he calling you to confess the sins of yourself, your community, and your nation?

Our Need to Forgive Others

And forgive us our debts, as we ourselves have forgiven our debtors.…For if you forgive others their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive you your sins.

Matthew 6:12, 14-15

After asking for forgiveness of sins, Christ adds “as we ourselves have forgiven our debtors.” It’s a condition for God forgiving us. In order for God to forgive us, we must forgive others. If there were doubts about the meaning of this, he essentially repeats it in verses 14 and 15. If we forgive others, God will forgive us. If we do not forgive others, God will not forgive us. In one sense, Christ adds both a blessing and a curse to this petition. When we forgive, we bless ourselves by paving the way for God to forgive us. If we do not forgive, we curse ourselves. Charles Spurgeon stated it this way, “Unless you have forgiven others, you read your own death-warrant when you repeat the Lord’s Prayer.”4 No doubt, many have repeated this prayer and yet held a death grip on anger and unforgiveness. In considering this reality, C. S. Lewis said:

No part of his teaching is clearer: and there are no exceptions to it. He doesn’t say that we are to forgive other people’s sins provided they are not too frightful, or provided there are extenuating circumstances, or anything of that sort. We are to forgive them all, however spiteful, however mean, however often they are repeated. If we don’t, we shall be forgiven none of our own.5

This reciprocal promise is repeated in many other passages as well. In Matthew 5:7, Christ said, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” James 2:12-13 says, “Speak and act as those who will be judged by a law that gives freedom. For judgment is merciless for the one who has shown no mercy. But mercy triumphs over judgment.”

Our relationships with others are a picture of our relationship with God. Therefore, the way we treat others who hurt us reflects how God will treat us. We get a good picture of this in the Parable of the Merciless Servant (Matt 18:23-35). In this story, a master forgives a servant a great debt—one that he could never pay back. However, the servant had a fellow-servant who owed him money. When that servant asked for leniency, the forgiven servant threw him into jail. When the master heard about this, he was furious. He similarly threw the merciless servant into jail to be tortured. This is how Christ applied this parable to his disciples: “So also my heavenly Father will do to you, if each of you does not forgive your brother from your heart” (v. 35). God will hand us over to the torturers if we don’t forgive others from the heart.

Who are these torturers? No doubt, they represent the devil and his demons. In Scripture, we commonly see God hand people over to the devil, as an act of discipline. For the man having sex with his father’s wife in 1 Corinthians 5:5, Paul told the Corinthians to hand that man over to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord. By removing him from the congregation, Satan would have a greater ability to tempt and bring affliction. In 1 Timothy 1:20, Paul talked about two false teachers that he handed over to Satan. In addition, we have the story of Saul, who was given a tormenting demon because of his rebellion against God (1 Sam 16:14).

This discipline may show up in various ways. The Corinthians experienced sickness, depression, and even death because of their abuse of the Lord’s Supper and the divisions which came from that abuse (1 Cor 11:18, 29-30). Therefore, we must remember that not forgiving others is a serious issue to God. When we harbor unforgiveness, we come under God’s discipline and open the door for Satan into our lives and relationships. Ephesians 4:26-27 says, “‘Be angry and do not sin’; do not let the sun go down on the cause of your anger. Do not give the devil an opportunity.”

It is good for us to remember that our horizontal relationships reflect our vertical relationship. If we are constantly in discord with others, it probably pictures the discord in our relationship with God. In Matthew 5:23-24, Christ told the disciples that if they went to the altar to offer a gift and realized that somebody had something against them, they should leave the gift, go make right with the other person, and then offer the gift to God. Reconciliation with others is more important than worship. In fact, unwillingness to reconcile spoils our worship, as God will reject it. He won’t forgive us, if we won’t forgive others.

Those who harbor unforgiveness will find leanness in their spiritual lives—they won’t get much from their devotions, sermons will be dry, and worship will be a burden. However, the person who forgives experiences God’s abundant grace, mercy, and forgiveness. Psalm 133 describes how pleasant it is when people dwell in unity—it’s like the oil on Aaron’s beard and the dew on Mount Zion. It’s there where God’s blessing abides, even life everlasting (v. 3). It’s when we’re walking in unity with others and not discord that we begin to experience the fullness of our eternal life.

Application Question: In what ways have you experienced spiritual dryness when in discord with others? How have you experienced spiritual abundance when walking in right relationships?

Proof of Salvation

In fact, it must be noted that a person whose character is consistently unforgiving and vengeful probably proves that they never have experienced God’s mercy and are not saved. If we have received mercy from the Lord, we will show it to others. As the Matthew 5:7 beatitude says, it is the merciful who receives mercy. All eight of the Beatitudes are characteristics of those who are part of God’s kingdom. They begin and end with “the kingdom of heaven belongs to them” (Matt 5:3, 10). Only people with these characteristics are part of God’s kingdom. Therefore, true believers are marked and identified by being forgiving and merciful. They are the sons and daughters who turn the other cheek when slapped, and who bless their enemies instead of cursing them (Matt 5:38-48).

This doesn’t mean that true believers won’t struggle to forgive. They will. Often, we will forgive, and those angry feelings will come back. However, when they come back, we need to fight to forgive again. Mercy is a characteristic of those who are truly saved. If we are vengeful and unforgiving, we should question if we are really saved. Kent Hughes said it this way:

Let me extend the principle even further. If we will not forgive, we are not Christians! This is a frightening statement, but it is true, for when God’s grace comes into our hearts, it makes us forgiving. We demonstrate whether we have been forgiven by whether or not we will forgive. So if I refuse to forgive, there is only one reason—I am outside grace and I am myself unforgiven. These are hard words, but they are graciously hard, words especially needing to be heard by the religious person who can state all the answers, who attends church, who leads an outwardly moral life, but who holds a death grip on his grudges. He will not forgive his relatives for some infraction. He has no desire to pardon his former business associate. He nourishes hatreds, cherishes animosities, revels in malice. Such people had better take an honest inventory of their lives and see if they really know Jesus.6

Do your reactions to those who hurt you prove your salvation or put your salvation in doubt?

Application Question: How have you experienced this propensity to forgive and show mercy to others after following Christ? In what ways do you still experience a battle to forgive?

How to Practice Forgiveness

Application Question: How can we forgive others, especially when emotionally, we don’t want to?

1. We must try to understand those who have failed us.

There is always a reason people act the way they do. Often, it’s because of what others have done or not done to them. Getting to know others and their backgrounds will often help us be more merciful and forgiving.

2. We must remember our own sins.

Often, we hate the very things in others that we once struggled with. We must remember that we also struggled with lust, anger, lack of wisdom, immaturity, and many other vices. In addition, the weaknesses others struggle with might not be our struggles, but we certainly have our own. When we remember this reality, it will help us better minister to others. It has been said that until we see ourselves as the “chief of sinners,” as Paul did (1 Tim 1:15), we are not yet ready to minister. When we realize the depth of our own sin, not only will we forgive, but we’ll be better equipped to help others change.

3. We must learn to forget.

In Isaiah 43:25, God says, “I, I am the one who blots out your rebellious deeds for my sake; your sins I do not remember.” Certainly, God doesn’t forget in the sense that he can’t remember. God is omniscient. He forgets in the sense that he no longer holds it against us. We should do the same. Colossians 3:13 says, “Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also forgive others.” This means we also should not hold people’s sins over them. In 1 Corinthians 13:5, Paul said that love holds no record of wrongs. To forget as God does, we can’t be historians—always condemning people by bringing up their past failures or playing their failures over and over again in our minds. We must practice a holy forgetting.

4. We must learn to love.

Romans 12:20-21 says, “Rather, ‘if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing this you will be heaping burning coals on his head’. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

When we act in loving ways towards those who hurt us—like serving them—not only does it often overcome evil in their hearts, but it also overcomes evil in us. By acting in love instead of hate, we lead our emotions instead of allowing them to lead us. This helps us forgive those who have harmed us.

5. We must learn to pray for those who have failed us.

This corresponds with the last point. In Matthew 5:44, Christ said: “But I say to you, love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you.” Often, it is in the midst of praying for those who’ve failed us that God gives us a heart for them. He removes the bitterness and pain in our hearts and gives us grace to love them.

6. We must learn to forgive in faith.

We may not feel like forgiving someone, but forgiveness is an act of faith. We forgive because God commands us to and because we desire to not displease him or invoke his discipline. Therefore, we must choose to forgive those who hurt us and not hold their failures against them. Often, even when we forgive in faith, certain events may trigger bad memories and all the raw negative emotions. In those moments, we’ll have to forgive again in faith. This forgiveness might not be based on any merit of the person; it is based on obedience to God and remembering the mercy we’ve received from him.

Application Question: Share a story of God giving you grace to forgive someone who was especially difficult to forgive. Which principles listed have you found most helpful in forgiving others? Are there any other principles or practices that you have found helpful in learning to forgive?

Conclusion

In this life, we will never be free of sin. (1) Therefore, we must daily repent of wrong thoughts and actions that offend God and others. By doing this, we maintain and increase our spiritual health and vibrancy. (2) But also, because we live in a world full of sin, we will often get hurt by others and, in response, need to practice forgiveness. When we do this, we bring God’s blessing and forgiveness in our lives. When we don’t, we harm ourselves, as God will discipline us. (3) Finally, because of the rampant sin in the world, we need to constantly pray for others—asking for God to forgive, hold back his wrath, and grant them repentance. When we do this, we are like our Lord, who did the same. Therefore, seeking forgiveness and forgiving must be the continual discipline of believers. Lord, forgive us our debts, even as we forgive our debtors!

Copyright © 2019 Gregory Brown

Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

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1 Barclay, W. (2001). The Gospel of Matthew (Third Ed., pp. 255–256). Edinburgh: Saint Andrew Press.

2 Sauer, R. (2014). 1 John. In M. A. Rydelnik & M. Vanlaningham (Eds.), The moody bible commentary (p. 1976). Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers.

3 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1985). Matthew (pp. 393–394). Chicago: Moody Press.

4 Boice, J. M. (2002). The Sermon on the Mount: an expositional commentary (p. 195). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

5 Hughes, R. K. (2001). The sermon on the mount: the message of the kingdom (p. 189). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

6 Hughes, R. K. (2001). The sermon on the mount: the message of the kingdom (pp. 189–190). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

Related Topics: Christian Life, Kingdom

26. Deliver Us From The Evil One (Matthew 6:13)

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And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Matthew 6:13 (NET)

The Lord’s Prayer is meant to be our pattern of prayer. Often, we struggle with what to say when coming to God in prayer. Christ’s sample prayer helps us with this. With each of the six petitions, we are called to add our own words and thoughts. The first three are concerned with God: his name, kingdom, and will. The last three focus on our needs: bread—referring to our physical and spiritual needs—forgiveness of sins, and finally, deliverance from the evil one.

In the fifth petition, forgive us our debts, we focused on past sins. In the last petition, deliver us from evil, we focus on future sins. In the fifth, we asked for forgiveness from actual sins. In the last, we ask to be delivered from potential sins.1

In this study, we will consider the last petition of the Lord’s Prayer—lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Big Question: What does the final petition of the Lord’s Prayer mean and what are its applications?

Do Not Lead Us into Temptation

Interpretation Question: What does the petition “do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” mean?

The sixth petition is probably a form of parallelism.2 Deliver us from the evil one is another way of restating do not lead us into temptation. Some versions translate “evil one” as “evil.” Both are correct translations, and there is really no consensus on which is better. There is probably a nuance of both— “evil one” and “evil”—in the word.3 We need to be delivered from not only Satan, but also from evil in our flesh and in the world, and we must recognize that God is the only one who can help us.

This petition provokes some hard questions: How can we ask God to lead us not into temptation? Isn’t that a foregone conclusion? James 1:13 says, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one.” God does not tempt anyone. He is holy and just. Therefore, why does Christ encourage us to ask God to not lead us into temptation?

People have reconciled the petition in different ways:

1. Some reconcile the petition by translating the word “temptation” as “test.”

In English, the word “temptation” has a negative connotation. It means to “entice to sin.” However, in the Bible, that is not necessarily true. The word is neutral. It also can be translated as “test.”4 When used of Satan’s testing of people, it is translated “temptation.”5 However, since the context is prayer, many would argue for translating it as “test,” since God will not tempt anyone. The Good News Bible actually translates it, “Do not bring us to hard testing.”6

God will not tempt us, but he certainly will test us. We get a good picture of this when God approached Abraham and told him to sacrifice Isaac. Genesis 22:1 begins with, “Some time after these things God tested Abraham.” God tested Abraham to see what was in his heart. Did he truly love God more than his son? Was God truly first in his life? As with Abraham, God often tests us in areas that are closest to our heart—areas that we are most tempted to put before him. Are we passionate about some hobby? Are we consumed with our appearance or some relationship? Often, that is where God will test us. We must always guard our hearts against any type of idolatry—anything that might come before God.

Another prominent test in Scripture is when God tested Israel in the wilderness after delivering them from Egypt. There he allowed them to hunger and thirst. Deuteronomy 8:2 says: “Remember the whole way by which he has brought you these forty years through the desert so that he might, by humbling you, test you to see if you have it within you to keep his commandments or not.”

God tested them for many reasons: (1) He wanted to change them. Moses said that God humbled them through the testing. Pride keeps us from God and his blessing. James 4:6 says, “‘God opposes the proud, but he gives grace to the humble.” Literally, God fights against the proud. Pride shows up in our being independent from God. We don’t rely on his Word, his saints, or his presence. But when God humbles us, we realize that we need him, and we therefore draw near him more faithfully. Humility is the place of blessing. God humbled Israel in the wilderness by their hard circumstances. (2) He also tested them to know what was in their hearts. It is not that God didn’t know. He did. The trials really revealed Israel’s heart to themselves. In the wilderness, they complained, which showed they really didn’t trust God. They desired to go back to Egypt—which showed their love for the world. They also began to worship idols and practice sexual immorality—revealing how they loved sin and not God’s Word. Testing does the same for us. It is gracious of God to show us what’s in our hearts, so we can repent. We need trials to keep us humble and help us rely on God. And when he allows them, Scripture calls us to rejoice because we understand their purpose. James 1:2-4 says:

My brothers and sisters, consider it nothing but joy when you fall into all sorts of trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect effect, so that you will be perfect and complete, not deficient in anything.

With that said, though we should rejoice in trials and be faithful in them because trials help mature us, we should not pray for them or seek them out. In fact, we should ask God to deliver us from them. One would think this would not need to be said, but at times, throughout history, believers have developed a martyr spirit. In understanding the grace and blessing of trials, they would seek to be persecuted or would create trials that humbled them. I remember meeting a professing Christian in college that walked around with rocks in his shoes, as a way of taking up his cross for Christ. This is not a biblical understanding of trials. We should ask God to deliver us from them—not create them. When God allows them, we should rejoice and persevere in them. We certainly should continue to ask God to remove them, if that be his will, but whether he does or not, we must remain faithful in them.

However, others reconcile the petition of “do not lead us into temptation” in a different way.

Application Question: What things has God revealed about your heart through experiencing certain tests?

2. Others reconcile the petition by recognizing God’s sovereignty over all temptation and evil.

We get a good picture of this in the story of Job. In Chapter 1, God boasted to Satan about how faithful Job was. Satan replies, “Of course he is faithful, you have put a hedge of protection around him” (v. 10 paraphrase). He then challenges God to strike all that Job has, saying that Job would surely curse God because of it. God agrees and says: “All right then, everything he has is in your power. Only do not extend your hand against the man himself!” (1:12). God allows Satan to both test Job and tempt him to curse God. The only regulation was that Satan could not touch Job himself. Job lost his children and his wealth but still didn’t curse God. Chapter 2 is similar: God boasts about Job, and Satan challenges God to strike his flesh and bones, assuming if God did this, Job would curse God to his face. God replies, “All right, he is in your power; only preserve his life” (2:6). In this scenario, the only stipulation was that Satan not kill him.

God Limits Our Temptations

With each temptation/trial that Job went through, God set the limits on Satan—to not touch his body and later to not take his life. Similarly, God holds the temperature gauge on each trial and temptation we may encounter. He will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able to bear. First Corinthians 10:13 says:

No trial has overtaken you that is not faced by others. And God is faithful: He will not let you be tried beyond what you are able to bear, but with the trial will also provide a way out so that you may be able to endure it.

The ability to escape or endure often is accessed by taking advantage of the grace available to us, such as: the fellowship of the saints, God’s Word, prayer, serving, etc. For most of us, we will never encounter something like Job, because we would not be able to bear it. God reserves his greatest trials for those he has sufficiently prepared.

It must be noted that in both tests, Job was tempted by the devil to curse God, but only after God gave Satan permission. In one sense, it could be said God “led” Job to temptation by allowing him to be tempted. This reflects God’s sovereignty over evil.

Contrary to Dualism

Sometimes dualistic thought has crept into the church. Dualism teaches that in this universe there are two equal opposing forces—one for good and one for bad. In Christianity, this might reflect an eternal battle between God and Satan. However, Scripture does not teach this. Satan is not equal to God—nor is he eternal. Satan is a created being who depends upon God to exist just as all created things (cf. Col 1:17, Heb 1:3). He is a dependent creature and, therefore, to some extent, must submit to God. This is clearly displayed in the story of Job.

Further Examples

When considering the rest of Scripture, we see other times where God uses Satan for his eternal purposes—including the sanctification of believers. For example, in 1 Corinthians 5, Paul encourages the Corinthians to hand over a man having sex with his father’s wife to Satan. This handing over seems to represent excommunication from the church. When a believer is no longer functioning as part of the body, it opens the door for Satan to attack and tempt him more fully. First Corinthians 5:4-5 says,

When you gather together in the name of our Lord Jesus, and I am with you in spirit, along with the power of our Lord Jesus, hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.

What was the purpose of handing over this man to Satan? It was redemptive, as all discipline should be. This would allow for the destruction of flesh—probably referring to physical suffering (cf. 1 Cor 11:30) or experiencing the consequences of unbridled sin (cf. Lk 15:11-32)—so that the offender would ultimately be saved—representing repentance.

Another example of this would be the Holy Spirit leading Christ in the wilderness to be tempted by the devil (Matt 4:1). Again, God’s purpose in allowing this temptation was not for Christ to fall into sin, but for Christ to be made strong by persevering through it. Hebrews 2:10 says Christ was “made perfect” through what was suffered. To be our faithful high priest, he had to be able to relate to us and understand our suffering and temptations (cf. Heb 4:14-16). Therefore, his experience of temptation by the devil was necessary for him to save us completely (cf. Heb 7:25).

Application Question: What can we discern about God’s purpose in allowing temptations and trials?

(1) God’s purpose in allowing temptation and trial is never for us to fall into sin. That is Satan’s desire, but not God’s. Again, God cannot be tempted, nor does he tempt anyone (Jam 1:13).

(2) God’s purpose in allowing temptations and trials is to make us stronger and more faithful. If we resist temptation and persevere through the trial, we will grow closer to God, be more faithful to him, and be more equipped to help others (cf. James 1:2-4, Rom 5:3-4, 2 Cor 1:3-6). God’s ultimate desire is to bless us and not curse us through trials. After Abraham passed the test of offering his son, Isaac, God confirmed his previous promises and promised to bring the messiah through his lineage. After Job passed his test, God blessed him with double blessings. When Christ passed the test in the wilderness, God empowered him through the Spirit to begin his ministry.

(3) God’s purpose in allowing temptation and trials is to reveal what is in our hearts. Do we love God more than sin? Will we obey him no matter the situation, even if it leads to our pain? What do our responses to trials say about our heart and devotion to God?

Application Question: How do you understand the controversial petition of “do not lead us into temptation”? How should we reconcile this petition with God’s goodness and holiness? Share a trial that God allowed in your life and how God used it to mature you and bless you.

Deliverance from Evil

Application Question: How can we be delivered from evil or the evil one?

The word “deliver” is a very aggressive word in the original language. It can also be translated “to snatch.”7 We are asking God to snatch us from the clutches of evil. As with praying for our daily bread, God’s usual way of providing is not by miraculous means. When we pray for our daily bread, God may choose to provide food by ravens or to multiply bread, but not normally. God provides opportunities and strength to work, and through working and earning a wage, we provide bread for ourselves. It’s the same with being delivered from evil. Sometimes, it may be miraculous, but most times, God works through our prudence and diligence, as we take advantage of his means of grace. Therefore, we must ask, “How can we be delivered from evil?”

1. To be delivered from evil, we must consistently pray for deliverance.

Before Christ went to the cross, he told Peter and the disciples that Satan had asked to sift them like wheat (Lk 22:31). He also told them that they would all fall away from him. After this, Christ took Peter, James, and John—the leaders of the disciples—to pray with him in the Garden of Gethsemane. He says to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation” (Luke 22:39). Christ told them they were going to deny him, but he provided a way of escape (1 Cor 10:13)—prayer. In fact, they needed to not only pray but to specifically have an intense, fervent time of prayer. Christ told them to pray for an hour (Mk 14:37). They needed both quality and also a significant quantity of time with God. No doubt, we often fall into temptation because we are not faithful in prayer. Like the disciples, we sleep, work, or entertain ourselves, when we should be praying. This is part of the reason the Christian church, in general, is so weak and ineffective. Increasingly, prayer meetings are being removed from the church or sparsely attended. The church no longer prays. If we are going to conquer evil in our lives and in society, we must be people of prayer. We must pray for protection from the evil one, to be set free from besetting sins, and to be kept from trials that might overwhelm us.

Application Question: In what ways do you incorporate petitions for spiritual protection into your prayer life?

2. To be delivered from evil, in humility, we must recognize our weakness and vulnerability to it.

On our own, we cannot defeat the pull of sin in our flesh, the attraction of the world, and the power of the devil. These temptations are too strong for us—we need God’s grace.

Again, this is where many Christians fail. They unwittingly think they are too strong or live as though they are. Because they are so “strong,” they open the door to sensual music and TV shows. They surround themselves with those who are not serious about God and aren’t seeking to obey him. They are “too strong” and therefore that makes them weak.

Part of growing in spiritual maturity is recognizing our weakness. Paul said that nothing good dwelled in his flesh (Rom 7:18), and he called himself the chief of sinners (1 Tim 1:15). He recognized his great weakness, and that is what made him strong.

It was Peter’s boast, “If they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away!” that made him weak (Matt 26:33). He boasted in his strength to withstand temptation, and then he not only denied the Lord but also began to swear like the world to prove he didn’t know him (Matt 26:74). First Corinthians 10:12 says, “So let the one who thinks he is standing be careful that he does not fall.”

There is nobody who is not vulnerable. Because Moses disobeyed God, he was forbidden from entering the promised land and died outside its boundaries. The last story we read about Noah, the man who walked with God and was saved from the flood, was him being drunk, naked, and shamed by his son. David, a man after God’s own heart and the ideal king of Israel, in a moment of weakness, committed adultery and then had the husband, one of his best friends, killed. These stories are included in the Bible as warnings for us. Everybody is vulnerable to the temptation of sin! That is why Scripture commonly calls us to “flee sexual immorality,” “flee youthful lusts,” and “avoid all appearance of evil.” We are extremely vulnerable, and that is why we must constantly pray, “Lord, deliver us from evil.”

Application Question: How can we know if we are “too strong,” which ultimately makes us weak and vulnerable to spiritual attack? How have you experienced pride coming before the fall?

3. To be delivered from evil, we must understand that we are not alone.

The “us” implies that Satan is not only attacking us individually but also others. First Peter 5:8-9 says,

Be sober and alert. Your enemy the devil, like a roaring lion, is on the prowl looking for someone to devour. Resist him, strong in your faith, because you know that your brothers and sisters throughout the world are enduring the same kinds of suffering.

Peter says that one of the ways that we resist Satan is by remembering that other believers are undergoing the same sufferings. We must understand that we are not in this battle alone and, therefore, must rely on other saints. We must seek their counsel, accountability, and prayers. When Christ was weary unto death before going to the cross, he called his most trustworthy disciples to pray with him for an hour. We should similarly ask others to continually pray for us and with us when going through difficulties or struggling with sin. This means we must be transparent and open with others. Sadly, many are not. They are too ashamed to share their struggles, and consequently, their struggles only deepen.

In addition, we must not only seek support from other believers but also provide the same for them. We should pray for hedges of protection around our friends, family members, churches, and nations. We must constantly pray for other believers. After stating the various parts of the armor of God that believers must put on to stand firm in spiritual warfare, Paul calls believers to always be alert and keep on praying for all the saints (Eph 6:18). This is part of our duty in warfare. Christ prayed this way in John 17:15, “I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but that you keep them safe from the evil one.” We must continually pray this way for others as well.

We must understand that it is the Christian who is all alone—unsupported and not supporting others—who is most vulnerable to the evil one. They attend church but have no accountability, no mentorship, no one to be transparent with, and the enemy has a field day with them. Let this solo spirit not be in us.

Application Question: Why is supporting others and receiving support so important in being delivered from temptation and evil? Share how someone supported you and helped you get free from some besetting sin.

4. To be delivered from evil, we must be committed to God’s Word.

Though not referred to in this petition, it certainly must be practiced if one is going to conquer temptation and evil. David declared, “I have stored up your word in my heart, so I will not sin against you” (Ps 119:11). It was by studying, understanding, and memorizing God’s Word that David conquered sin and temptation in his life. Similarly, when Christ was being tempted by the Devil in the wilderness, he always responded with Scripture (Matt 4). We must do the same when tempted. If we don’t know God’s Word, we won’t be able to recognize or conquer temptations that come our way.

Being in a Bible preaching church that teaches the whole counsel of God is a great protection for believers. Daily meditating on God’s Word gives believers power to stand against the evil one. Studying the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, understanding its major doctrines, and memorizing it, and not just skimming Psalms and Proverbs for encouragement, is a tremendous grace for believers. It will enable them to stand in trials and temptations.

Application Question: Why is the Word of God so important in spiritual warfare? In what ways have you experienced conquering sin and temptation as you have faithfully studied and internalized God’s Word?

Doxology

Most older versions of the Lord’s Prayer add the doxology, “for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.” Newer versions typically add it in brackets or place it in the footnote section, as it lacks manuscript support—being that it was not included in the earliest and most reliable manuscripts.8 Since Jews typically ended prayers with a doxology9 (and probably because “deliver us from evil” seems to be a rather abrupt ending), a scribe most likely modified David’s doxology in 1 Chronicles 29:11 and added it to the Lord’s Prayer around the second century, as a part of the church’s liturgy.10 First Chronicles 29:11 says, “O Lord, you are great, mighty, majestic, magnificent, glorious, and sovereign over all the sky and earth! You have dominion and exalt yourself as the ruler of all.”

It is a beautiful and biblical doxology worth praying, as it focuses on God’s preeminence—though it was probably not in the original.

Application Question: Did you grow up memorizing the Lord’s Prayer with the doxology attached? Should people pray it, even if it is not in the original?

Conclusion

In line with the final petition of the Lord’s Prayer, Jude 1:24 says, “Now to the one who is able to keep you from falling, and to cause you to stand, rejoicing, without blemish before his glorious presence.” God is able to keep us and present us without fault; however, much of this grace is only given when we faithfully cry out, “Lord, do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” Prayer is key to spiritual protection and spiritual victory. It’s a recognition of our weakness and God’s strength. As we pray this, may the Lord aggressively snatch us out of the clutches of habitual sin, the draw of the world, and the traps of the devil. May we faithfully pray this for our own good and that of others.

Copyright © 2019 Gregory Brown

Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

BTG Publishing all rights reserved.


1 Towns, Elmer L. Praying the Lord's Prayer for Spiritual Breakthrough (p. 167). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

2 R.C. Sproul. The Prayer of the Lord (Kindle Locations 797-800). Kindle Edition.

3 Green, M. (2001). The message of Matthew: the kingdom of heaven (p. 101). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

4 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1985). Matthew (p. 395). Chicago: Moody Press.

5 Morris, L. (1992). The Gospel according to Matthew (p. 148). Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press.

6 Morris, L. (1992). The Gospel according to Matthew (p. 148). Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press.

7 O’Donnell, D. S. (2013). Matthew: All Authority in Heaven and on Earth. (R. K. Hughes, Ed.) (p. 172). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.

8 O’Donnell, D. S. (2013). Matthew: All Authority in Heaven and on Earth. (R. K. Hughes, Ed.) (pp. 172–173). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.

9 Morris, L. (1992). The Gospel according to Matthew (p. 149). Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press.

10 Biblical Studies Press. (2005). The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible. Biblical Studies Press.

Related Topics: Christian Life, Kingdom

27. How To Fast Properly (Matthew 6:16-18)

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“When you fast, do not look sullen like the hypocrites, for they make their faces unattractive so that people will see them fasting. I tell you the truth, they have their reward. When you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others when you are fasting, but only to your Father who is in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

Matthew 6:16-18 (NET)

In Matthew 6, Christ deals with three commonly abused religious practices in Israel—giving, praying, and fasting. The religious leaders had made things that were good in and of themselves into bad things. The rituals of giving, praying, and fasting had become a form of self-worship. They did those acts to be seen and praised by men instead of to honor God and receive his approval.

It is appropriate that right after teaching about proper prayer, Christ focuses on fasting. One can pray without fasting, but one cannot fast biblically without prayer. They go together. Therefore, in one sense, Christ is continuing his teaching on prayer.

Fasting literally means “not to eat.”1 It is giving up food to focus on seeking God over some matter. It is to be so consumed with this matter that it becomes more important than food.2 Fasting, therefore, is a way to enhance our prayer life and our relationship with God.

Though fasting was very common in Israel, the Day of Atonement was the only required fast. On that day, they were called to “deny” themselves (Lev 16:29, 23:27), which was a Hebrew expression that included forsaking food.3 In addition, during the exile, Jews added specific months of fasting. They would fast on the fifth and seventh months (Zech 7:5)—probably as a way of seeking God to restore them to the land. Also, it is clear from at least four scribal additions of the word “fasting” in the New Testament, which are not in the earliest and best manuscripts (cf. Matt 17:21, Mark 9:29, Acts 10:30, 1 Cor 7:5), that it was strongly practiced and possibly overemphasized by early Christians.4

Obviously, in the New Testament, we no longer practice the Day of Atonement, as Christ paid for our sins once and for all on the cross. With that said, though we are never commanded to fast in the NT, it is clear that Christ expected believers to fast. In Matthew 6:16, he said, “when you fast,” implying that we would. Also, in Matthew 9:15, Christ declared that while he was alive, his disciples had no reason to fast, but after his death, they would fast. As many great saints before us fasted, including Moses, Samuel, Daniel, Christ, and the apostles, we must fast also.

In this study, we will consider how to properly fast.

Big Question: According to Matthew 6:16-18 and the rest of Scripture, what does proper fasting entail?

Proper Fasting

“When you fast, do not look sullen like the hypocrites, for they make their faces unattractive so that people will see them fasting. I tell you the truth, they have their reward. When you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others when you are fasting, but only to your Father who is in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

Matthew 6:16-18

Observation Question: According to Jesus, what practices were associated with the hypocrites and their fasting?

In Matthew 6:16, Christ describes how the religious leaders commonly abused the discipline of fasting. They would purposely look sullen by disfiguring their faces. “Disfigure their faces” literally means “covering their faces.”5 They commonly would do this with dirt and ashes—so that everybody could see. In addition, they would wear their oldest and dirtiest clothes during their fasts to be noticed by others.6

The Pharisees fasted on Monday and Thursday. They claimed that the reason was because Moses ascended and descended from Mount Sinai, where he received the law, on those days.7 However, those days just “happened” to be major market days, where people from the country would crowd the towns and cities to buy and sell.8 Clearly, those were the days the religious leaders had the biggest audience. Christ called them “hypocrites,” which was a word used of actors (v. 16). Their fasting was about putting on a show and receiving applause. They had received their reward in full, which was the praise of people, but they would receive no reward from God. Therefore, Christ warned his disciples to not fast like them.

Application Question: How should we practice proper fasting?

  1. When fasting, we must practice secrecy. Of course, when we choose to not eat, others may notice. But we should practice, as much as possible, not sharing this discipline with others. Why? It’s not because telling others is bad; it’s because our hearts are bad. They are too prone to spiritual pride and loving the praise of others. We practice secrecy to protect our sin-filled hearts. Certainly, there may be times to share that we are fasting—such as with a corporate fast or for accountability sake—but as a general principle, we must practice secrecy.
  2. When fasting, we should act normal. When Christ said that the disciples should put oil on their heads and wash their faces, he was not describing extravagant practices. These were normal acts of body care and grooming in ancient times. Oil was often scented and used, at least partially, as perfume. 9
  3. When fasting, we must focus on God alone and not others. He is the purpose of our fast—to seek his face in a special way. As we do this, God will reward our faithfulness.
  4. When fasting, we must fervently pray. As mentioned, one can pray without fasting, but not fast without praying. In every biblical account, the two are linked together.10 If we have no extra prayer and time in God’s Word, we are just not eating—which, by itself, brings no spiritual benefit.
  5. When fasting, we must practice obedient living. In Zechariah 7:4-5 and 8-10, God rebukes Israel for fasting without the accompanying righteousness. The text says,

The word of the Lord who rules over all then came to me, “Speak to all the people and priests of the land as follows: ‘When you fasted and lamented in the fifth and seventh months through all these seventy years, did you truly fast for me—for me, indeed? …Again the word of the Lord came to Zechariah: “The Lord who rules over all said, ‘Exercise true judgment and show brotherhood and compassion to each other. You must not oppress the widow, the orphan, the foreigner, or the poor, nor should anyone secretly plot evil against his fellow human being.’

To seek the Lord by fasting or any other religious act and yet to continue in unrepentant sin is worthless. Why seek the Lord in fasting if we plan to continue in sin and unrighteousness? That is exactly what the Pharisees were doing. It was just hypocrisy! Fasting must be accompanied by righteousness. David said if he cherished iniquity in his heart the Lord would not hear him (Ps 66:18).

Application Question: What has been your experience with fasting? How have you found it beneficial or not?

Reasons to Fast

Interpretation Question: What are some common reasons for fasting, as seen in Scripture?

1. Fasting is appropriate when mourning over some great pain or loss.

In Matthew 9:15, Christ said this in reply to the question of why his disciples didn’t fast, “‘The wedding guests cannot mourn while the bridegroom is with them, can they? But the days are coming when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and then they will fast.” When Christ died, the disciples would fast and mourn. Often when people are hurting over the loss of a loved one or some great pain, they don’t desire to eat. This is totally normal. But to biblically fast while mourning, we must direct those emotions and thoughts to the Lord, as we mourn in hope.

2. Fasting is appropriate when mourning over sin.

In Ezra 10, when the Israelites were intermarrying with unbelieving Gentiles, Ezra confessed their sins and mourned with fasting. Ezra 10:6 says, “…he did not eat food or drink water, for he was in mourning over the infidelity of the exiles.” He was hurting over their sins and desiring for them to repent.

At times, we also see fasting with national repentance. When Jonah called Nineveh to repent, they responded with mourning and fasting. The Ninevite king commanded for both people and animals to abstain from food and water, as they called upon the Lord and repented (Jonah 3:7-9). In addition, when Ezra and Nehemiah led Israel in repentance, the nation corporately fasted and confessed their sins together (Neh 9:1-3).

Similarly, when our family members, churches, and nations are in great sin, it is appropriate to mourn, confess their sins, and fast—seeking for God to turn them back to himself. It is also appropriate to mourn and fast when we are struggling with habitual sin.

Fasting is a natural response to mental, spiritual, or physical pain. Our problem is that sin often doesn’t deeply affect us. Sadly, we’re often too comfortable with it; therefore, we eat, drink, and continue as if nothing is happening. Matthew 5:4 says, “Blessed are those who mourn.” God blesses those who mourn, fast, and repent because of their sin and that of others.

3. Fasting is an appropriate means of seeking to conquer sin and temptation.

Similar to the last point, Isaiah 58:6 (NIV) says, “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?” Certainly, we should fast as a means of conquering sin and temptation in our own lives. Christ was fasting when he conquered Satan’s temptations in the wilderness (Matt 4). We should consider this when constantly plagued by a reoccurring depression, a stronghold of lust, or an addiction. Fasting is also a great way to confront cultural and societal evils like abortion, trafficking, government corruption, and discord in the church and family. God desires for fasting that loosens the chains of injustice, unties the cords of a yoke, and sets the oppressed free. Lord help us to fast in such a way.

4. Fasting is appropriate when seeking God’s favor in a desperate situation.

When David’s first child was ill unto death, he fasted and prayed that God would spare the infant (2 Sam 12:16). Similarly, in Nehemiah 1, Nehemiah fasts and prays for God to forgive Israel’s sin and that God would give him favor with the Persian king, as he desired to help rebuild Jerusalem. Likewise, when Israel was about to be slaughtered in Persia, Esther asked the people to fast as she sought the King’s favor. Esther 4:15-16 says:

Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: “Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa and fast in my behalf. Don’t eat and don’t drink for three days, night or day. My female attendants and I will also fast in the same way. Afterward I will go to the king, even though it violates the law. If I perish, I perish!”

When we encounter desperate situations, it is appropriate to seek God’s favor through fasting and prayer.

5. Fasting is appropriate when seeking wisdom and revelation from God.

In Daniel 9 and 10—on two separate occasions—Daniel fasted, and God gave him revelation through an angel. Also, in Exodus 24, Moses received the law from God while fasting on Mount Sinai. Similarly, it was while the elders in Antioch were fasting that the Holy Spirit called Paul and Barnabas to global missions (Acts 13). It was that revelation that led to much of the Gentile world being reached. Certainly, we should employ fasting and prayer when seeking God’s guidance, making a big decision, and even trying to understand God’s Word. Our lack of fasting often shows how little we desire to know God’s will and understand his Word. MacArthur shares:

We often fail to understand God’s Word as fully as we ought simply because, unlike those great people of God, we do not seek to comprehend it with their degree of intensity and determination. Skipping a few meals might be the small price we willingly pay for staying in the Word until understanding comes.11

In what ways is God calling you to seek wisdom for a current situation, the future, or understanding from his Word through fasting?

6. Fasting is appropriate when preparing for some great ministry or task.

In Luke 4, Jesus fasted for forty days before beginning his ministry. After finishing, he left the wilderness in the Spirit’s power (cf. Lk 4:14). In addition, when elders were set apart for ministry in the early church, it was commonly done with prayer and fasting. Acts 14:23 says, “When they had appointed elders for them in the various churches, with prayer and fasting they entrusted them to the protection of the Lord in whom they had believed.” Fasting and prayer was preparation for their great work—it was a recognition that ministry could not be effectively done in human power. We need God’s grace for ministry, and we should seek it through prayer and fasting. No doubt, we often lack power for ministry because we lack intense times of prayer and fasting.

7. Fasting is appropriate for developing self-control.

In describing how Christians must be like spiritual athletes, Paul said, “Instead I subdue my body and make it my slave, so that after preaching to others I myself will not be disqualified” (1 Cor 9:27). William Barclay’s comments are helpful in considering how fasting can be helpful for discipline:

There are not a few of us who indulge in certain habits because we find it impossible to stop them. They have become so essential that we cannot break them; we develop such a craving for certain things that what ought to be a pleasure has become a necessity; and to be cut off from the thing which we have learned to desire so much can be a purgatory. If we practiced a wise fasting, no pleasure would become a chain, and no habit would come to rule our lives. We would have control over our pleasures, and not our pleasures over us.12

Fasting can help us avoid becoming slaves of our desires, and instead have control over them.

8. Fasting is appropriate in helping us extend mercy to others.

This might be implied by Isaiah’s rebuke in 58:6-7:

No, this is the kind of fast I want … I want you to share your food with the hungry and to provide shelter for homeless, oppressed people. When you see someone naked, clothe him! Don’t turn your back on your own flesh and blood!

It is appropriate to not eat out or abstain from some other luxury, so we can share with those who have needs. It seems Israel was fasting and yet there were people around them without food and clothes. God says that type of fasting is useless. We should fast in order to practice mercy.

Application Question: Which reason for fasting was new to you or stood out the most? Is there a specific purpose or matter you feel God is calling you to fast about?

Practical Tips for Fasting

Application Question: What are some practical tips to be applied when fasting or initially trying out fasting?

1. When initially beginning to fast, start out small.

Don’t try a forty day fast for your first time. Try skipping a meal or two. After skipping a meal or two, try fasting for a day or more. Typically, during the first day of fasting, one experiences headaches as the body gets rid of toxins. However, after the first day or so, one begins to experience a fasting high where they feel like they can keep going. As one feels more comfortable with the discipline of fasting or compelled to seek the Lord in a greater way, then he or she can gradually increase the time given to fasting.

2. When beginning a fast, one must decide what type of fast they will perform.

In Scripture, there are all types of fasts: (1) Most people will employ some type of partial fast—like drinking water but not eating food. People can only survive around thirty to forty days without food. In a partial fast, one must consider what types of food/drink to abstain from. In Daniel 1:12, the four Hebrews chose to eat only vegetables and drink only water. This is often called a Daniel fast. (2) Others practice absolute fasts—without food and water. People can only survive without liquid for a short period of time—only about three days—so that type of fast should be limited.

3. When fasting, it must be remembered that fasting is not simply giving up something—it is giving up something to pursue something greater, which is God.

Therefore, one must consider how he will spend that time with or for God that would normally be given to eating and drinking. It should be used to pursue God through prayer, worship, Bible study, service, etc.

Application Question: What are some other tips or practices you have found helpful or not helpful when fasting?

Fasting from Other Things

Application Question: Can believers fast from things other than food and drink?

In Scripture, fasts only included giving up food and drink. However, if we consider the ‘essence’ of a fast—giving up something important to focus more on God—then certainly giving up things other than food and drink might be more beneficial.13 We must ask ourselves, “Is there anything that is keeping me away from devotion to God or serving others?” There are many things that can distract us from God—some of them being good things, like social media, TV, sports, video games, relationships, etc. It is good for us to ask the Lord if he is calling us to fast from something in order to better seek him.

James Boice shares a powerful story about Pastor David Wilkerson’s time of fasting, which was the beginning of a famous ministry to gang members and troubled youth called Teen Challenge. This ministry has outlived its founder and is spread throughout the world. Boice shares:

Sometimes our fasting will lead us away from such things as entertainment, perhaps from television. This was the experience of David Wilkerson whose story is told in The Cross and the Switchblade. Wilkerson had been the pastor of a small Assemblies of God church in Philipsburg, Pa. Although the church had grown and the congregation had been able to erect several new buildings, the pastor himself was restless. One night as he sat watching the “late show” on television the thought came to him that he might profit from spending the time which he usually spent watching television, praying. In other words, he might “fast from television” and then see what happened.

Immediately he came up with a number of excuses. He was tired at night; he needed the relaxation. It was good for him to be in touch with the things most people were seeing and talking about. But his excuses were not entirely convincing. So he prayed, “Jesus, I need some help in deciding this thing, so here’s what I’m asking you. I’m going to put an ad for that [television] set in the paper. If you’re behind this idea, let a buyer appear right away. Let him appear within an hour … within half an hour … after the paper gets on the streets.”

His wife was not very impressed with the idea when he told her about it the next morning, but he went ahead and put the ad in the newspaper anyway. It was a humorous scene in the Wilkerson home the next day after the newspaper appeared on the streets. Wilkerson sat on the couch with the TV set on one side, his wife and children on the other, and the clock and the telephone before him. After twenty-five minutes, just as he was saying, “Well, Gwen, it looks like you’re right. I guess I won’t have to …” the telephone rang.

“Do you have a TV set for sale?” a man’s voice asked.

“That’s right. An RCA in good condition. Nineteen-inch screen, two years old.”

“How much do you want for it?”

“One hundred dollars,” Wilkerson said quickly.

“I’ll take it,” was the reply. “Have it ready in fifteen minutes. I’ll bring you the money.”

Well, that was the beginning. Out of the times of prayer that followed, David Wilkerson was directed by God to the plight of the teenage gang members in the heart of New York City. Out of his efforts to help them came a work that God has blessed and is continuing to bless not only in New York but in many other cities also.

I do not know how all of this will apply to you. But whatever your daily routine or habits, there are undoubtedly some things that you may want to lay aside temporarily to spend time with God. Probably you will not tell people about it. That is all right, but you have the promise of Jesus that the Father, who sees in secret, will reward you openly.14

Christ promises a ‘reward’ for those who seek the Lord with fasting and a right heart (Matt 6:18). What is God calling you to give up, so he can lead you into a deeper intimacy with him and service for his kingdom?

Application Question: If you were to begin a fast of something other than food, what would it be and why? How much time would be available if you did so?

Conclusion

Christ did not say “if you fast,” but “when you fast.” He expects his followers to fast. We live in a world that vies for our attention and affection. It is so easy to neglect the best thing for not only the good but also the bad. Fasting assures that the best thing stays the first. Are you practicing the discipline of fasting, so the best thing can remain the first thing? When you do this, God, who sees your secret sacrifices, will reward you in the open. Lord, draw your people to deep seasons of fasting and reward them with yourself and your righteousness. In Jesus Name, Amen!

Copyright © 2019 Gregory Brown

Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

BTG Publishing all rights reserved.


1 Guzik, D. (2013). Matthew (Mt 6:16–18). Santa Barbara, CA: David Guzik.

2 Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible - Commentary - The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible – Matthew I.

3 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1985). Matthew (p. 400). Chicago: Moody Press.

4 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1985). Matthew (p. 401). Chicago: Moody Press.

5 Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible commentary (p. 1152). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.

6 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1985). Matthew (pp. 400–401). Chicago: Moody Press.

7 Guzik, D. (2013). Matthew (Mt 6:16–18). Santa Barbara, CA: David Guzik.

8 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1985). Matthew (pp. 400–401). Chicago: Moody Press.

9 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1985). Matthew (pp. 404–405). Chicago: Moody Press.

10 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1985). Matthew (p. 404). Chicago: Moody Press.

11 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1985). Matthew (p. 403). Chicago: Moody Press.

12 Barclay, W. (2001). The Gospel of Matthew (Third Ed., p. 274). Edinburgh: Saint Andrew Press.

13 Boice, J. M. (2002). The Sermon on the Mount: an expositional commentary (pp. 210–211). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

14 Boice, J. M. (2002). The Sermon on the Mount: an expositional commentary (pp. 211–212). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

Related Topics: Christian Life, Kingdom

28. Practicing The Discipline Of Simplicity (Matthew 6:19-24)

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“Do not accumulate for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But accumulate for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. “The eye is the lamp of the body. If then your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is diseased, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

Matthew 6:19-24 (NET)

Application Question: What is the spiritual discipline of simplicity?

In Matthew 6:19-24, Christ continues to teach about the character of kingdom citizens. Those who are a part of the kingdom of heaven should not accumulate treasures on this earth. Instead, they should practice the spiritual discipline of simplicity—living on less to protect their hearts from materialism and to give more to kingdom work. The word “accumulate” has the connotation of “stacking or laying out horizontally, as one stacks coins.”1 It pictures wealth that is not being used—it is stored up so others can see and/or for overindulgence.2

Scripture speaks on wealth more than any other topic, as there are particular dangers that come with desiring and having wealth. It also has many stories of those who were greatly hurt by having a wrong relationship with wealth. In Israel’s conquest of the promised land, Achan took a garment from a conquered land, which God had forbidden. This led to God disciplining Israel and, ultimately, Achan’s death. Solomon fell away from God in part because of his great wealth. In the early church, Ananias and Sapphira experienced an early death because of their lying about wealth. Demas fell away because he loved this present world—possibly referring, in part, to its wealth. Here in the Sermon on the Mount, Christ teaches believers how to relate to riches. His followers should not store up wealth, which has often been referred to as the spiritual discipline of simplicity.

Simplicity is a discipline that has been lost among the church in developed nations. God has prospered much of the church; however, instead of using this wealth to have the Bible translated into foreign languages and to send missionaries, the wealth just gets stacked up and indulged.

Interpretation Question: When Christ calls believers to not store up treasures on earth, what is he clearly not referring to?

  1. Christ is not saying it is wrong to own property. In the Ten Commandments, we are commanded to not steal, this implies that we can own property and that we shouldn’t take the property of others.
  2. Christ is not teaching that we should despise material wealth. First Timothy 6:17 says God “richly provides us with all things for our enjoyment.” God gives us good things to enjoy, which often includes wealth.
  3. Christ is not teaching that we should neglect saving for future needs. Proverbs 6:6-8 tells us to consider the ant who stores in the summer. In 2 Corinthians 12:14, Paul also talks about how children don’t store up for parents, but parents for their children. First Timothy 5:8 also says whoever doesn’t provide for his family is worse than an infidel. We must provide for our families and saving is part of how we do that.

So, what is Christ talking about? Primarily, he is rebuking “selfishly” accumulating wealth. He says, “Do not accumulate for ‘yourselves’ treasures on earth.” God gives us wealth to provide for our daily bread, to help others, and to spread his kingdom. Luke 16:9 says, “And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by how you use worldly wealth, so that when it runs out you will be welcomed into the eternal homes.” We should not hoard our wealth, as though it is for our needs alone. God has called us to be channels of his blessings and not reservoirs. As with Abraham, God blesses us, so we can bless others (Gen 12:2).

In this study, we’ll consider other reasons why we should not selfishly store up wealth on this earth and instead practice simplicity.

Big Question: According to Matthew 6:19-24, why should believers not store up wealth on this earth and instead practice simplicity?

Believers Should Practice Simplicity Because Earthly Riches Are Temporary

“Do not accumulate for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But accumulate for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.

Matthew 6:19-20

Observation Question: What kinds of earthly treasures is Christ referring to in Matthew 6:19-20?

In Matthew 6:19-20, Christ basically compares earthly riches and heavenly riches. He seems to describe three of the ancient world’s riches—clothes, food, and money.3 As expensive as clothes often are, they are destroyed by moths and the process of decay. The word “rust” literally means “an eating.”4 Some versions translate it “vermin.” It seems to refer to rats, insects, foxes, etc., that eat up stored food. Other valuables like money and jewelry were often stored in one’s house—probably in a hole in the ground. Thieves would dig through the roofs and steal those valuables. For us, our valuables are lost because of inflation—the money we stored up doesn’t go as far as it used to. The housing market crashes. Our cars break down. Essentially, all earthly wealth is temporary—it will decay, or we’ll leave it at death—so we shouldn’t put our hope in it. Our hope should be in God.

In comparison, heavenly treasures cannot be stolen or destroyed—they are eternal. First Peter 1:4-5 describes our heavenly inheritance as something that is “imperishable, undefiled, and unfading” and that it is being reserved in heaven for us.

Interpretation Question: What are heavenly riches and how do we store them up?

Christ doesn’t describe what they are. But, as we study other texts, we can discern something about their character. In 1 Corinthians 3:11-15, Paul says:

For no one can lay any foundation other than what is being laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, each builder’s work will be plainly seen, for the Day will make it clear, because it will be revealed by fire. And the fire will test what kind of work each has done. If what someone has built survives, he will receive a reward. If someone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss. He himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

At the judgment seat of Christ, believers will be judged based on their works (2 Cor 5:10). They will not be judged for their sins, for that happened on the cross. Paul pictures our works as either temporary—wood, hay, or straw—or eternal—gold, silver, precious stones. Temporal works—things not truly done for the kingdom of God—will not survive Christ’s judgment. But works done to spread God’s kingdom, including our daily endeavors done with a right heart to the glory of God, will be eternally rewarded.

In the context, treasures that are hoarded and selfishly stored up will not be profitable for the kingdom. They will be left on the earth. However, treasures that are used for the kingdom will be rewarded in heaven. They have lasting value.

Christ gives this comparison to show the greatness of heavenly treasures versus earthly treasures. Logically, the natural inclination should be to store up what lasts, which is heavenly treasures.

Again, what are these heavenly treasures? They seem to be associated with rewards in heaven. In the Parable of the Minas, the master, representing God, rewards his faithful stewards with authority over cities (Lk 19:17, 19). It seems that heavenly reward has to do with ruling in the coming kingdom. In addition, it seems to have something to do with gifting in the coming kingdom—capacity to serve God and others. Again, in the Parable of the Minas, the one steward that did not invest and make a profit from his mina, the master took that mina and gave it to a faithful servant (v. 24). Those who have been faithful with their gifts on earth will be given more gifts in eternity to serve God. To add to this, Scripture also mentions various crowns, which may be part of our heavenly reward (cf. 1 Cor 9:25, 2 Tim 4:8, Rev 4:10).

Whatever the rewards are in heaven, we can be sure they will be much greater and more enjoyable than anything this world has to offer. They are everlasting, which is the major reason that Christ says we should store up wealth in heaven instead of on this earth.

How are these treasures stored up?

Heavenly treasures are stored up as we participate in works that are eternal and not just temporary: growing in Christian character, serving the Lord with all our heart in whatever endeavors God calls us to, sharing the gospel, making disciples, giving to advance the kingdom of heaven. Let us live lives that focus on the eternal instead of the temporal.

Application Question: How does Christ’s command to not accumulate riches apply towards investing for retirement? How do we balance the principle of not storing up and yet taking care of our families, including their future (Matt 6:19, 1 Tim 5:8)? What are some primary ways you are aiming to store up treasures in heaven?

Believers Should Practice Simplicity Because Earthly Riches Have a Tendency to Become Idols

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Matthew 6:21

Interpretation Question: What does Christ mean by saying where our treasure is so is our heart?

Christ commands us to “not accumulate,” not because treasures in themselves are evil but because our hearts are evil. We tend to trust in our wealth to take care of us when there is a storm or catastrophe. We tend to focus on them instead of God. We also tend to believe that treasures will satisfy our hearts, and the world continually tells us so. “This new phone, laptop, house, or car will satisfy you!” the world declares. However, temporary things can never satisfy the eternal longings in our hearts. They will always leave us dry. In Matthew 13:22, Christ called this the “seductiveness of wealth.” Many are deceived by wealth to their spiritual detriment. Christ calls us to not accumulate riches because they have a tendency to steal our hearts and become our idols.

Interpretation Question: Does Christ’s reference to treasure only apply to material wealth?

Though Christ seems to be dealing with material wealth in general here, the concept certainly applies to any type of treasure. A treasure is anything that can become an idol. It is anything we rely on to satisfy us apart from God. It can be a hobby like music, a movie collection, degrees, homes, shoes, etc. It can even be a person or a career.

Application Question: How can we discern what our treasures are?

Kent Hughes gives us five questions to search our hearts and discern our treasures:

1. What occupies our thoughts when we have nothing else to do? What occupies our daydreams? Is it our investments, our position? If so, those are the things we treasure, and that is where our hearts really are.

2. Similarly, what is it that we fret about most? Is it our home or perhaps our clothing? If so, then we know where our treasure lies.

3. Apart from our loved ones, what or whom do we most dread losing?

4. What are the things that we measure others by? (This question is a very revealing mirror because we measure other people by that which we treasure.) Do we measure others by their clothing? By their education? By their homes? By their athletic prowess? Do we measure others by their success in the business world? If so, we know where our treasure lies.

5. Lastly, what is it that we know we cannot be happy without?5

Sometimes, like the rich man, we need to get rid of our riches because of their strong draw on our hearts. Some hobbies need to be let go of and some relationships as well. Their pull is too strong. However, many of our treasures we can’t or shouldn’t get rid of. For example, though our families can become idols, we are not called to let them go or get rid of them. For many of our treasures, God simply calls us to reprioritize them by putting God first and not being engrossed in them (1 Cor 7:31). We must pray in order to discern how God wants us to treat each specific treasure.

Application Question: What are the treasures that you have to guard your heart against idolizing? How is God calling you to protect your heart?

Believers Should Practice Simplicity Because Loving Earthly Riches Creates Spiritual Blindness

“The eye is the lamp of the body. If then your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is diseased, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

Matthew 6:22-23

Interpretation Question: What does “eye” refer to in Matthew 6:22-23? What is a healthy eye and an unhealthy eye?

In the context, “eye” seems to refer to one’s heart—a person’s focus. Christ gives the illustration of an eye being the lamp of the body right after saying where a person’s treasures are, there their heart lies. Also, “eye” is commonly used in the OT as a metaphor for the heart. For example, Psalm 19:8 (NIV) says, “The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.” This is a form of Hebrew parallelism—where the second phrase repeats the first in a different way for emphasis. Precepts of the Lord represent commands, and heart represents eyes.

In Matthew 6:22, the word “healthy” can be translated “generous” as in James 1:5 where Scripture says God gives wisdom “generously.”6 In the context, that seems to be the meaning of healthy. A person with a healthy eye is a person with a generous heart. Instead of selfishly storing up wealth, they generously share it with others and use it to build God’s kingdom. The person with an unhealthy eye is therefore greedy or stingy. This fits with the Jewish colloquialism of an evil or unhealthy eye. The KJV uses the metaphor of the “evil eye” to refer to someone who is selfish: “Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye” (Prov 23:6).

Christ’s point is that people who selfishly focus on storing up wealth develop a severe spiritual blindness—they are in “darkness” and can’t properly evaluate people or life.

Application Question: In what ways do people experience spiritual blindness from focusing on wealth—how does it negatively affect them?

Again, Kent Hughes gives great insight on the spiritual blindness that comes from a grasping spirit. He says:

1. It … clouds our vision of success. Because of our grasping spirits, some of us have defined success in financial terms and have thereby condemned ourselves to perpetual failure because we never quite reach our goal. What a tragedy!

2. A grasping spirit also clouds our vision of others’ worth. If others do not join us in the scramble for the things of this world, we call them spiritless or lacking in ambition or worse. I have seen missionaries despised by Christians because of their choice to serve Christ in a way that means a lower income.

3. A grasping heart also keeps us from having a healthy vision for our children’s lives. Their chosen profession must fit our economic and social criteria, we think. Never mind that Christ was a carpenter. And our sons’ and daughters’ future spouses had better move them toward our criteria too!

4. A grasping spirit also distorts our vision of God’s will for our own lives. We selfishly assume God would never lead us onto a path that would involve a diminishing of our status, position, or bank account. How different are the Master’s words.7

5. Furthermore, and perhaps most seriously, a selfish fixation on things clouds our ability to understand and profit from the Scriptures. No wonder the Bible is so minimized and ignored by twentieth-century man.8

How many wives are neglected by husbands who have an unhealthy eye—a focus on wealth and moving up the corporate ladder? How many parents neglect their children for lack of clear vision? How many people struggle with perpetual dissatisfaction with life because of bad vision?

How is your vision? Are you missing God’s best and stumbling through life because of unhealthy spiritual sight? A generous person who stores his riches in heaven will be able to discern God’s will and what is best—his sight will be full of light. A person whose focus is storing up on the earth will wrongly evaluate God’s will and purpose for himself and others—his sight is full of darkness. We must practice simplicity to protect our spiritual vision.

Application Question: In what ways have you seen the pursuit of wealth affect people’s vision negatively? What are the effects? How have you struggled with a skewed vision because of treasuring wealth?

Believers Should Practice Simplicity Because Earthly Riches Tend to Master Us

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

Matthew 6:24

Finally, Christ says that believers should not accumulate earthly wealth because of the tendency of wealth to master and control our lives. When he says, “No one can serve two masters,” he is not using a working metaphor but a slave metaphor. Certainly, people can work multiple jobs and have multiple bosses. However, in slavery, which was common in the ancient world, the slave was owned by his master. One could not be partially owned by a master and partially owned by another.

In the same way, we can only have one master—God or something else. Money has a tendency to control people and keep them from serving Christ. Some try to live for this world—storing up its wealth and pleasures—and, at the same time, try to live for God. However, Jesus teaches this is impossible. One will love one and hate the other. Love and hate in this context should not be taken in an absolute sense. This was a common Jewish idiom meaning to strongly prefer one thing over the other.9 Christ said the same thing in referring to how a disciple must hate father and mother to follow him (Lk 14:26). Of course, it is God’s will for us to love our family. However, Christ must be first. It’s the same with how we relate to riches. God must be our master—for he will not share our allegiance with money or anything else.

Sadly, many, though professing to follow Christ, are really following money—as it controls them. You can always discern one’s master by where their devotion lies. Wealth tells them what degree to get, what job to pursue, what car to drive, what neighborhood to live in, who to marry, and who their children will marry. Wealth is really their master—not God. Financial and career aspirations keep them from ever truly being devoted to God and serving him with all their heart. Those aspirations keep them from ever being as profitable for the kingdom as they could be. It’s a sad commentary on much of the church.

MacArthur said this about the opposing commands of these two masters—God and money:

The orders of those two masters are diametrically opposed and cannot coexist. The one commands us to walk by faith and the other demands we walk by sight. The one calls us to be humble and the other to be proud, the one to set our minds on things above and the other to set them on things below. One calls us to love light, the other to love darkness. The one tells us to look toward things unseen and eternal and the other to look at things seen and temporal.10

Is God, wealth, or something else your master? We must not accumulate riches on this earth because it has a tendency to master and control us.

Application Question: In what ways have you seen or experienced how financial and career aspirations can negatively control believers in the church? How should people break free from this control?

General Principles for Practicing Simplicity

Application Question: What are some general principles for practicing the discipline of simplicity?

  1. To practice simplicity, we must learn contentment with what we have. Paul said contentment with godliness is great gain. If we have food and covering we should be content (1 Tim 6:6, 8). If we don’t learn contentment, we will be constantly dissatisfied and running after more—a new phone, computer, TV or car!
  2. To practice simplicity, we must learn to distinguish between a need and a want. This relates to the previous point. God has promised to provide our needs and not our wants. We should learn contentment with our needs. When we’re content, we won’t be continually grasping after more.
  3. To practice simplicity, we must shun anything that produces an addiction in us. Addictions become our idols and distract us from what’s best, which is God. Again, we must ask ourselves, “What is my treasure?”
  4. To practice simplicity, we must practice generous giving. One of the primary reasons that we shouldn’t store up is to help those in need and to aid the spreading of the gospel. Christ called for us to use our wealth to make friends in eternal dwellings (Lk 16:9). We must share generously so others can know Christ and fellowship with us in heaven.
  5. To practice simplicity, we must stay out of debt. Romans 13:8 says, “Owe no one anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.” Debt keeps us from loving others as we should. People can’t go to missions or seminary because of debt. They can’t serve at a ministry that doesn’t pay well because of debt—housing debt, school debt, and credit card debt. They can’t give or serve generously because of debt!
  6. To practice simplicity, we must be willing to live by faith. After Christ calls for the disciples to not accumulate riches on earth, he calls them to not worry about their future needs—what they will eat, drink, or wear (Matt 6:25-34). If they sought first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, all things would be added to them (Matt 6:33). Simplicity is a life of faith. As we pursue God and his kingdom first, we trust that God will provide our daily and future bread. This doesn’t mean we can’t save for a rainy day or for retirement, but it should rid us of the insecurity of worrying about how much is enough and simply storing up out of fear. Our first priority is God and his kingdom, and as we pursue that, we trust he will meet our daily and future needs.
  7. To practice simplicity, we must remain humble. As with giving, praying, and fasting (cf. Matt 6:1-8, 16-18), even simplicity can be practiced out of pride—leading to self-worship and judgmentalism. It is no surprise that after calling believers to practice simplicity and not worry about food, drink, and clothing (v. 19-34), that Christ tells believers to not judge lest they be judged (Matt 7:1). How God calls each believer to practice simplicity will be different. For one, he tells to leave all, like the rich man, and to serve him with only bare necessities. And to another, he calls to live in moderation. As we practice simplicity, we must remain humble—lest it turn into pride which only alienates us from God and others.

Application Question: Why is the discipline of simplicity so important? Do you practice this discipline? If so, in what ways? How is God calling you to grow in this practice?

Conclusion

One of the ways we get free of the clutches of loving, pursuing, and being controlled by wealth is through practicing the discipline of simplicity. Instead of storing up the latest electronics in our home, the fanciest cars in our driveways, etc., we aim to live on less so we can protect our hearts and give and do more for the kingdom of God.

If we choose to forsake Christ’s command to not accumulate earthly riches, the harsh words of James 5:1-3 await us. It says:

Come now, you rich! Weep and cry aloud over the miseries that are coming on you. Your riches have rotted and your clothing has become moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have rusted and their rust will be a witness against you. It will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have hoarded treasure!

Many believe James is a commentary on the Sermon on the Mount since it shares so many similar themes. The closets and garages where we have stored up needless shoes, dresses, suits, and various devices which could have been used to feed the poor and spread the gospel will testify against us in the last days. We have hoarded on the earth in these last days, instead of being generous and storing up heavenly riches. How are you using God’s wealth?

Why does Christ call for believers to practice simplicity?

  1. Believers Should Practice Simplicity Because Earthly Riches Are Temporary
  2. Believers Should Practice Simplicity Because Earthly Riches Have a Tendency to Become Idols
  3. Believers Should Practice Simplicity Because Loving Earthly Riches Creates Spiritual Blindness
  4. Believers Should Practice Simplicity Because Earthly Riches Tend to Master Us

Copyright © 2019 Gregory Brown

Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

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All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

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1 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1985). Matthew (p. 409). Chicago: Moody Press.

2 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1985). Matthew (p. 409). Chicago: Moody Press.

3 Hughes, R. K. (2001). The sermon on the mount: the message of the kingdom (p. 206). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

4 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1985). Matthew (p. 411). Chicago: Moody Press.

5 Hughes, R. K. (2001). The sermon on the mount: the message of the kingdom (p. 209). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

6 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1985). Matthew (pp. 413–414). Chicago: Moody Press.

7 Hughes, R. K. (2001). The sermon on the mount: the message of the kingdom (p. 214). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

8 Hughes, R. K. (2001). The sermon on the mount: the message of the kingdom (pp. 214–215). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

9 Carson, D. A. (1999). Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and His Confrontation with the World: An Exposition of Matthew 5–10 (p. 86). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.

10 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1985). Matthew (p. 415). Chicago: Moody Press.

Related Topics: Christian Life

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