October 13-Sermon on the Mount
Write out the Scripture.
Matthew 6:1, “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
Observe what it is saying.
“Practice your righteousness” is the outward demonstration of one’s piety, which in Judaism often centered on giving alms, praying, and fasting. Jesus addresses these three issues in the verses ahead first describing how they were abused by the religious leaders. The Pharisees’ proud performance of these acts was as if they were on a stage to receive the applause of the crowd. They performed them to gain favor with God and attention from people, both of which were wrong motives. No amount of doing or giving can purchase salvation, for salvation is the gift of God. And to live for the praise of people is a foolish thing because human glory does not last. Jesus says if you are living for the glory of others that will be the only reward you will receive. The focus of such acts of righteousness is to be for the benefit of deepening your spiritual walk with Christ and quietly helping others who are in need. Jesus asks us to check our motives as we go about our personal and public piety. Are our motives pure or mixed? Are they for personal praise or for great spiritual gain?
Relate it to your life.
My walk with Jesus should result in my life becoming more about Him and less about me.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, just as John the Baptist said, I also ask that You may increase and I will decrease in the attention being sought and given. Amen.
October 14-Sermon on the Mount
Write out the Scripture.
Matthew 6:2, “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
Observe what it is saying.
Performing deeds of lovingkindness was one of the pillars of Jewish life in Israel. Simeon the Just said, “By three things is the world sustained: by the Law, by the temple service, and by deeds of loving-kindness.” The people of Israel took seriously the obligation to provide for the poor. Deuteronomy 15:11, “There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.” By the time of Jesus, the phrase “to do mercy” had become a technical expression for doing mercy to the poor by giving alms. Some think that a literal trumpet is in mind to call the people to fasts and almsgiving or to signal an especially large gift being given. Another suggestion is the sound of coins being tossed into the trumpet-shaped money chests (“shofar-chests”) in the temple used for collecting alms. However, Jesus may be drawing on a vivid piece of irony, as in our day, the same metaphor is well known of a person who wants to “toot his/her own horn.” The term “hypocrite” was used for actors on a Greek stage who put on various masks to play different roles. Today it designates a person who says one thing and lives a different way. Jesus indicted the religious leaders for their pious acts that masked their own spiritual corruption. They were performing them for the sole reason of being celebrated by others.
Relate it to your life.
If I have a selfish or wrong motive in performing holy acts, I negate the intrinsic value in doing so.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, check my heart and motives in all that I do. Alert me to where I do so selfishly. Amen.
October 15-Sermon on the Mount
Write out the Scripture.
Matthew 6:3-4, But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Observe what it is saying.
Our sinful nature is so subtle that it can defile even a good thing like sharing with those in need. Self-glorification is always a present danger for any good act we do. In contrast to the religious leaders who gave for show for their own praise, Jesus offered the antidote to such a proud attitude. The way to avoid hypocrisy is not to stop giving but to do so quietly, even with secrecy, so that we do not broadcast it nor do we dwell on it in our own minds. We do our best to forget about it. We not only try to hide it from others, but we attempt to hide it from ourselves! As Jesus' disciples, we must be so given to God that our giving is prompted by our deep love for Him and desire to demonstrate that love through compassionate giving. We are promised, that though no one else may see what we are doing, our Father in heaven does. We trust that He will reward us in the present and in eternity. That reward may be the simple blessing knowing that God used us to benefit someone else. So, if our motive is to serve God in love and please Him, then we will give our gifts without calling attention to them. As a result, we will grow in spiritual maturity, God will be glorified, and others will be helped.
Relate it to your life.
I need to focus on how I can give most generously for the sake of the kingdom in the eyes of the King alone.
Do something.
King Jesus, Help me to be generous in all my living and giving and trust You for the results. Amen.
October 16-Sermon on the Mount
Write out the Scripture.
Matthew 6:5, “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
Observe what it is saying.
Jesus called it like it was when he declared the religious leaders were hypocrites! He was not afraid to openly reveal they were leading the nation astray in a proud, spiritually corrupt way. Everything they did was for show. They had a way of making the most spiritual practices a self-glorified demonstration. Jesus then took the opportunity to address the second type of piety that Jews were known for- prayer. Although individual prayer was appropriate at any time, pious Jews prayed publicly at set times: morning, afternoon, and evening. When the set time of prayer arrived, they would stop what they were doing and pray. This could be done discreetly or with a great deal of display. To Jesus, the critical element was not the location or position of the one praying, but why they were doing so. Motive has everything to do with what we do in the kingdom of God.
Relate it to your life.
Do I have a tendency to make everything I do about myself?
Do something.
King Jesus, prayer is such a wonderful gift and intimate time to share with You. Do not let me rob it of its beauty by making it a show or a way to bring attention to myself. Amen.
October 17-Sermon on the Mount
Write out the Scripture.
Matthew 6:6, But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Observe what it is saying.
In Jesus’ day, common people did not often have separate, private rooms in their homes. The space He referred to may have been a storeroom for grain or other food. The main point was they would do so privately as Jesus did when He rose early to spend time with His Father away from others. It is clear that Jesus does not condemn public prayer, because he prayed publicly himself and so did the early church. However, the public versus private prayer is a good test of one's motives. Those who pray more in public than in private reveal that they are less interested in God's approval than in human praise. They do not pray to have a deeper relationship with God but to have a better reputation before others. If such was the motive, then it was far better to deal radically with this hypocrisy and pray privately. The focus is on intimacy with God, which is at the center of all prayer, whether it happens to be given publicly or privately. Jesus gives valuable instruction that to grow our intimacy we need to find our own private place. It may not be easy if you have a house full of kids or spend a long day at work, but having a healthy relationship with the Father requires moments in private with Him. Depending on our schedules, it works well if we can plan a time and a place each day to do so.
Relate it to your life.
What is my time and place to enjoy a private conversation with Jesus?
Do something.
Jesus, help me to find a place and time each day where I can regularly enjoy a few moments to grow my relationship with You. Amen.
October 18-Sermon on the Mount
Write out the Scripture.
Matthew 6:7-8, And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Observe what it is saying.
A couple of biblical examples of the pagans babbling include the priests of Baal who continued from morning until noon to cry, “O Baal, answer us” (1 Kings 18:26). The second is the multitude in the theater at Ephesus who shouted for two hours “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians” (Acts 19:34). This babbling does not forbid reciting fixed prayers or repeating the same concerns, but it does prevent us from trying to manipulate God through prescribed formulas or meaningless verbiage. The pagans also called on the long list of names of their many gods, hoping they would get the attention of one of them who could answer them. A request becomes “babbling” if it is a mindless reciting of memorized prayers or utterances of words that have no heart in seeking to please God and do His will. Such long meaningless praying does not make prayer more effective. We need to remember we are speaking to our Father who already knows what we need before we utter a word in prayer, and we can come to Him knowing that He loves us as His dearly beloved children who gives good gifts to all.
Relate it to your life.
I want to make sure my every prayer is based on a relationship with my Heavenly Father who doesn’t need a long mindless prayer but a heart that knows how loved I am by Him.
Do something.
Father, at the heart of my prayers is the knowledge that You love me and You already know what I need. With that knowledge I come to You in childlike faith revealing my heart to You. Amen.
Write out the Scripture.
Matthew 6:1, “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
Observe what it is saying.
“Practice your righteousness” is the outward demonstration of one’s piety, which in Judaism often centered on giving alms, praying, and fasting. Jesus addresses these three issues in the verses ahead first describing how they were abused by the religious leaders. The Pharisees’ proud performance of these acts was as if they were on a stage to receive the applause of the crowd. They performed them to gain favor with God and attention from people, both of which were wrong motives. No amount of doing or giving can purchase salvation, for salvation is the gift of God. And to live for the praise of people is a foolish thing because human glory does not last. Jesus says if you are living for the glory of others that will be the only reward you will receive. The focus of such acts of righteousness is to be for the benefit of deepening your spiritual walk with Christ and quietly helping others who are in need. Jesus asks us to check our motives as we go about our personal and public piety. Are our motives pure or mixed? Are they for personal praise or for great spiritual gain?
Relate it to your life.
My walk with Jesus should result in my life becoming more about Him and less about me.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, just as John the Baptist said, I also ask that You may increase and I will decrease in the attention being sought and given. Amen.
October 14-Sermon on the Mount
Write out the Scripture.
Matthew 6:2, “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
Observe what it is saying.
Performing deeds of lovingkindness was one of the pillars of Jewish life in Israel. Simeon the Just said, “By three things is the world sustained: by the Law, by the temple service, and by deeds of loving-kindness.” The people of Israel took seriously the obligation to provide for the poor. Deuteronomy 15:11, “There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.” By the time of Jesus, the phrase “to do mercy” had become a technical expression for doing mercy to the poor by giving alms. Some think that a literal trumpet is in mind to call the people to fasts and almsgiving or to signal an especially large gift being given. Another suggestion is the sound of coins being tossed into the trumpet-shaped money chests (“shofar-chests”) in the temple used for collecting alms. However, Jesus may be drawing on a vivid piece of irony, as in our day, the same metaphor is well known of a person who wants to “toot his/her own horn.” The term “hypocrite” was used for actors on a Greek stage who put on various masks to play different roles. Today it designates a person who says one thing and lives a different way. Jesus indicted the religious leaders for their pious acts that masked their own spiritual corruption. They were performing them for the sole reason of being celebrated by others.
Relate it to your life.
If I have a selfish or wrong motive in performing holy acts, I negate the intrinsic value in doing so.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, check my heart and motives in all that I do. Alert me to where I do so selfishly. Amen.
October 15-Sermon on the Mount
Write out the Scripture.
Matthew 6:3-4, But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Observe what it is saying.
Our sinful nature is so subtle that it can defile even a good thing like sharing with those in need. Self-glorification is always a present danger for any good act we do. In contrast to the religious leaders who gave for show for their own praise, Jesus offered the antidote to such a proud attitude. The way to avoid hypocrisy is not to stop giving but to do so quietly, even with secrecy, so that we do not broadcast it nor do we dwell on it in our own minds. We do our best to forget about it. We not only try to hide it from others, but we attempt to hide it from ourselves! As Jesus' disciples, we must be so given to God that our giving is prompted by our deep love for Him and desire to demonstrate that love through compassionate giving. We are promised, that though no one else may see what we are doing, our Father in heaven does. We trust that He will reward us in the present and in eternity. That reward may be the simple blessing knowing that God used us to benefit someone else. So, if our motive is to serve God in love and please Him, then we will give our gifts without calling attention to them. As a result, we will grow in spiritual maturity, God will be glorified, and others will be helped.
Relate it to your life.
I need to focus on how I can give most generously for the sake of the kingdom in the eyes of the King alone.
Do something.
King Jesus, Help me to be generous in all my living and giving and trust You for the results. Amen.
October 16-Sermon on the Mount
Write out the Scripture.
Matthew 6:5, “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
Observe what it is saying.
Jesus called it like it was when he declared the religious leaders were hypocrites! He was not afraid to openly reveal they were leading the nation astray in a proud, spiritually corrupt way. Everything they did was for show. They had a way of making the most spiritual practices a self-glorified demonstration. Jesus then took the opportunity to address the second type of piety that Jews were known for- prayer. Although individual prayer was appropriate at any time, pious Jews prayed publicly at set times: morning, afternoon, and evening. When the set time of prayer arrived, they would stop what they were doing and pray. This could be done discreetly or with a great deal of display. To Jesus, the critical element was not the location or position of the one praying, but why they were doing so. Motive has everything to do with what we do in the kingdom of God.
Relate it to your life.
Do I have a tendency to make everything I do about myself?
Do something.
King Jesus, prayer is such a wonderful gift and intimate time to share with You. Do not let me rob it of its beauty by making it a show or a way to bring attention to myself. Amen.
October 17-Sermon on the Mount
Write out the Scripture.
Matthew 6:6, But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Observe what it is saying.
In Jesus’ day, common people did not often have separate, private rooms in their homes. The space He referred to may have been a storeroom for grain or other food. The main point was they would do so privately as Jesus did when He rose early to spend time with His Father away from others. It is clear that Jesus does not condemn public prayer, because he prayed publicly himself and so did the early church. However, the public versus private prayer is a good test of one's motives. Those who pray more in public than in private reveal that they are less interested in God's approval than in human praise. They do not pray to have a deeper relationship with God but to have a better reputation before others. If such was the motive, then it was far better to deal radically with this hypocrisy and pray privately. The focus is on intimacy with God, which is at the center of all prayer, whether it happens to be given publicly or privately. Jesus gives valuable instruction that to grow our intimacy we need to find our own private place. It may not be easy if you have a house full of kids or spend a long day at work, but having a healthy relationship with the Father requires moments in private with Him. Depending on our schedules, it works well if we can plan a time and a place each day to do so.
Relate it to your life.
What is my time and place to enjoy a private conversation with Jesus?
Do something.
Jesus, help me to find a place and time each day where I can regularly enjoy a few moments to grow my relationship with You. Amen.
October 18-Sermon on the Mount
Write out the Scripture.
Matthew 6:7-8, And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Observe what it is saying.
A couple of biblical examples of the pagans babbling include the priests of Baal who continued from morning until noon to cry, “O Baal, answer us” (1 Kings 18:26). The second is the multitude in the theater at Ephesus who shouted for two hours “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians” (Acts 19:34). This babbling does not forbid reciting fixed prayers or repeating the same concerns, but it does prevent us from trying to manipulate God through prescribed formulas or meaningless verbiage. The pagans also called on the long list of names of their many gods, hoping they would get the attention of one of them who could answer them. A request becomes “babbling” if it is a mindless reciting of memorized prayers or utterances of words that have no heart in seeking to please God and do His will. Such long meaningless praying does not make prayer more effective. We need to remember we are speaking to our Father who already knows what we need before we utter a word in prayer, and we can come to Him knowing that He loves us as His dearly beloved children who gives good gifts to all.
Relate it to your life.
I want to make sure my every prayer is based on a relationship with my Heavenly Father who doesn’t need a long mindless prayer but a heart that knows how loved I am by Him.
Do something.
Father, at the heart of my prayers is the knowledge that You love me and You already know what I need. With that knowledge I come to You in childlike faith revealing my heart to You. Amen.
Posted in Daily Devotionals