The Lord’s Prayer

How do we pray? What should we say? During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus answered these questions for his disciples, and for us. In a beautiful section, he showed us just how we should approach God.

As much as I enjoy using the English Standard Version of the Bible, there are still some passages of Scripture that work better in the King James Version. I suppose this is because I first learned them in that version, and old habits are hard to break. But you have to admit there is a certain beauty of the language of that time period.

The 23^rd Psalm is one such passage, as is the Lord’s Prayer. As we continue on with our study of the Sermon on the Mount, I wanted to take a brief look at the various parts of this prayer. And, to begin that look, I wanted to post the prayer as it appears in the King James Version of the Bible. Here it is:

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

                                                                               Matthew 6:9-13

 

My First GA

Well, last week I attended my first PCA General Assembly in Dallas. It was an experience.

I would have liked to have seen the debate on erecting a study committee on women as deacons continue a little longer. I had bounced back and forth on the issue, and I would have loved to have someone convince me to change my vote. Sadly, I was not impressed with all the talk. There were some good points made, but nothing earth-shattering.

I do have one major complaint, though. Where were the ruling elders? According to the Stated Clerk’s statistics, there were 262 of us registered, vs. over 800 teaching elders. Pardon me, but that is pathetic! I actually had two teaching elders pat me on the back and say, “Wow! A ruling elder. Welcome, brother.”

I have been told that ruling elders outnumber teaching elders in the PCA 5 to 1. I think it is inexcusable that we made up only about 1/4 of those in attendance. How do we expect to do anything regarding the future of our denomination?

I’ve heard all the arguments about costs and lack of “weight” in arguments. However, I think there’s another problem at the root of this. I believe it is a combination of apathy and vacation. I wonder how many ruling elders really don’t want to get involved. Just let the teaching elders do all the work. That’s why we pay them the big bucks. I also think too many don’t want to give up 4 or 5 days of vacation just to discuss church business.

Well, I for one, enjoyed my time in Dallas. I got to meet a number of people that I knew only through email discussions. I also got to meet some men whose work I regularly read on the internet in preparation for my Sunday School class and my Bible study. Although my pastor told me I might not want to let anyone know too soon, I plan of attending GA next year in Orlando.

 

Do Not Boast

Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

 

Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

 

And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

 

And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Matthew 6:1-8

 

We began our study of the Sermon on the Mount by looking at the life of a Christian as pictured in the Beatitudes in the first part of Matthew 5. We then saw the Christian reacting to the world, and the world reacting to him. The last half of chapter 5 dealt with the Christian obeying the true law of God and living in the world. Chapter 6 is a new section showing the Christian living in the world in the presence of God the Father. It is further illustration of how the Beatitudes are lived out daily.

 

In Matthew 5:16, Jesus told His disciples to “let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Now He tells them not to practice their righteousness before other people. Do these two statements contradict each other? Or, is there more to this than meets the eye?

 

The phrase “in order to be seen by them” explains the seemingly contradictory statements of Jesus. Showing forth the righteousness which we have received from God is not wrong. What can be wrong is the reason we show others. If we do things to gain the respect, envy, and admiration of other men, then we have done them for the wrong reason. All our actions should be done to bring glory and honor to God. It is His favor and His reward that we seek.

 

Jesus says, “When you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you.”  Scripture, in many places, commands the giving of alms to the poor. Once again, however, even this should not be done with an eye to the praise of others. When we receive such praise, Jesus says we have received all we will get. When we do it to God, however, we will receive our reward from God; not men. And living to God is what we have been called to do. Jesus indicates that our giving should be so secret that even our hands do not know what the other is doing.

 

Jesus then moves to the subject of prayer. Like the Pharisee in the parable, some people stand at the front of the synagogue so everyone can see them as they pray. They pray in a loud voice so they will be heard, and everyone will know how pious they are. There were, in Jesus’ day, certain times of the day set for prayers at the temple. Some people, to show that they were very pious, would stand on the street corner and pray. It was as if they were so pious they couldn’t wait to get to the temple. They just had to stop and pray where they were.

 

Rather than this, Jesus urges his hearers to “go into your room and shut the door.”  This is not a condemnation of public prayer. It must be remembered that Jesus is talking about the attitude of the one praying. Is he praying to God, or for others to see? He also warns against the use of empty phrases.  When you pray, don’t heap up a lot of words trying to impress either God or man. Prayer should be coming in love and awe before our Creator and Father. It is not a time to impress with our extended vocabulary.

 

All of these warnings are warnings against boasting before men. Again, we are called to show forth the righteousness of Christ so that others will see our good works and praise God; not man. In the words of the Reformers, “Soli Deo Gloria!” To God alone be the glory!

 

 

 

Love Your Enemies

You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and send rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. - Matthew 5:43-48

Following on from his comments about living a life of love rather than retaliation, Jesus now moves to the idea of loving one’s neighbors. Something which might be unheard of by many.

 

The command to love your neighbor is given in Leviticus 19:18. There God warns against seeking vengeance and urges His people to love their neighbors as they do themselves. When asked which was the greatest commandment, Jesus quoted this as the second in importance. It is the summary of the second table of the law – commandments five through ten.

Hate your enemy is not found anywhere in the Old Testament. We can only assume that it was taught by the scribes and Pharisees at the time of Jesus as a way of keeping the second table of the law. In other words, in keeping the law, hate those who do not keep it.

By making a sharp distinction between neighbors and enemies, a wall of separation was erected; first between Jews and Gentiles, then between good and bad Jews. It was this wall of separation which Jesus came to destroy (Ephesians 2:14-16).

While hating one’s enemies is not taught in Scripture, love your enemies is taught in the Old Testament. Exodus 23:4-5 speaks of offering assistance even to one’s enemies. Also, rather than retaliate, Jesus says to pray. Pray for God to have mercy on them. Pray for their salvation.

Forgiving and praying for our enemies does not make us sons of God. That is already a fact, and it is purely by grace that we are. Forgiving and praying for our enemies shows that we are sons of God, because He shows mercy, and He forgives.

Jesus speaks of God making the sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sending rain on the just and on the unjust. There is a special love which God shows toward those who are His own. But, there is also something called common grace. There are certain blessings which God bestows on all mankind, because they are His creatures. Although many misuse the blessings of God (often to their own harm), God still sends the sun and rain upon the whole earth. In these general blessings He does not discriminate.

Jesus ends this section of his teaching with what seems to be an impossible command. “Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Many times in Scripture God calls His people to be holy – separated from evil and the world. Here Jesus calls us to be perfect. We know, of course, that we cannot, in this life, be completely blameless and spotless. In this instance, perfect means “brought to completion, full-grown, lacking nothing.” Jesus calls us to not become satisfied with halfway obedience. Because God loves us full, we are to love Him, our neighbors, and our enemies fully. That is simply obeying the two greatest commandments.

 

Retaliation

You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. - Matthew 5:38-42

The Old Testament lists certain laws for the civil courts as they dealt with injuries. Exodus 21:24-25 speaks of eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe. In Leviticus 24:20 we read of fracture for fracture. And, Deuteronomy 19:21speaks of life for life. While these may be seen by some as extreme punishments, they were actually given as discouragement to private revenge and retaliation. Knowing the wicked heart of man, God set bounds beyond which a victim could not go, in exacting punishment upon a violator. These should not be seen as the punishment which must be exacted. Rather, they were limits.

Continuing which this idea of moderation in seeking justice, Jesus urges His followers to resist the urge to retaliate. Whether a slap on the face, the taking of clothes needed for warmth, or the pressing into service of another, Christians are to do all things in love, always thinking of others instead of themselves.

The Scriptures are full of examples of godly people who showed love rather than retaliate against those whom had done them an injustice. Genesis 14 tells of Abraham letting Lot choose which portion of the land he would take. After the death of Jacob, Joseph’s brothers came to him in fear of what he might do to them. However, rather than retaliate against the injustice done to him as a boy, Joseph said, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones” (Genesis 50:19-21). On two different occasions, David spared Saul’s life, when Saul meant to kill him. We are reminded of Stephen’s prayer as he was stoned, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:60). And, of course the most telling example of love rather than retaliation is Christ during his Crucifixion. As the soldiers nailed his hands and feet to the cross, he prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).

So, that is to be the way of the true believer. Knowing that God has forgiven us for a multitude of sins, we should loving forgive those who seek to harm us. Rather than spend the rest of our lives devising ways of exacting revenge upon our enemies. We are to love them and forgive them.

 

Oaths

But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King (Matthew 5:34-35).

The Old Testament commands from God forbad the taking of oaths in vain. God warned against swearing falsely. Thus, Leviticus 19:12 would read, “You shall not swear by my name falsely.” The scribes and Pharisees had changed the emphasis to, “You shall not swear by my name falsely.” By focusing on  the keeping of oaths in God’s name, they decreased the significance of oaths by other things.

Rather than swearing by God himself, many would swear by those things associated with God, such as heaven, the earth, or the holy city of Jerusalem. Since they swore by something other than, and less than, God, they never intended to keep their oaths. They sounded sincere, but they were under no conviction, because they had not sworn by God, Himself.

By the same token, swearing by one’s head was considered to be swearing by something other than, and less than, God. However, it was not as far removed from God as many would like to think. Jesus indicates that it is God, alone, who can change the color of one’s hair. Therefore, swearing by ourselves, a creation of God, is, ultimately, swearing by Him.

When Jesus says, “Do not take an oath at all,” he does not condemn the act of swearing an oath. At times it is appropriate (i.e. Paul in Acts 18 and God in Hebrews 6). What He proposes here is that Christians be people of integrity. As we live the live described in the Beatitudes, it should be evident that we are men and women of our word. A simple “yes” or “no” should suffice, without our even having to swear by anything in all creation.

 

Marriage, Adultery, and Divorce

In this section, Jesus continues with His teaching concerning the letter and the heart of the law. It must be remembered that He is not speaking against the seventh commandment; but, against it’s interpretation by the scribes and Pharisees.

In speaking of looking at a woman in lust, Jesus shows the heart of the law. It is very easy to see one who, by his actions, breaks the law of God. But, looking at someone with a lustful heart is not something that is outwardly visible to us. As always, the law and our obedience to it, is a matter of the heart. In breaking this commandment, one is also breaking the tenth commandment to not “covet your neighbor’s wife.” It shows a lack of satisfaction with one’s current situation and what God has given, and it is an inward commission of infidelity.

Jesus uses the breaking of this seemingly insignificant commandment to show the true character of sin. Sin is a thing which is ugly in the sight of God. It is a thing to be avoided at all costs. Jesus is speaking hyperbolically. He is not advocating the actual throwing away of our body parts. What He does call for is the strongest avoidance of anything which might cause us to sin. After all, we are to avoid the mere appearance of sin at all times. Once again, our walk in the Lord is important.

The certificate of divorce is not spoken of in the Ten Commandments, but in Deuteronomy 24:1-4. The passage speaks of a man not remarrying his wife if he has given her a certificate because of her infidelity. The scribes and Pharisees had taken the phrase “some indecency” and applied it to a number of issues not related to infidelity. As given through Moses, the law regarding divorce required it to occur only for certain reasons; required the giving of a certificate; and forbad the man from remarrying the woman. It was never intended to be as loosely interpreted as the men of Israel wanted.

To understand the teaching of causing a woman to commit adultery, we must look to Christ’s words in Matthew 19:3-9. The main point of Jesus’ teaching is that the bond between a man and his wife is unbreakable except by death. If a man “puts his wife away” for any reason which would not break that bond, he causes her to commit adultery if she marries another man. She is still bound to her first husband.

 

Murder and Anger

After telling His disciples that their righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus now turns to an explanation of how that comes about. How is the Christian more righteous and in-line with God than the leaders of the nation of Israel in the 1^st century? In this section of the Sermon, Jesus shows, through six examples, that the spirit of the law exceeds the letter of the law. As always, obedience toward God is a matter of the heart.

When He says, “you have heard,” just what does Jesus mean? Is He referring to what was said to those in the past, or by those in the past? Clearly He is not showing any disrespect for the law as given through Moses. From the context, and to show the continuity of the message, it would appear that He is speaking of the misinterpretation of God’s law by the scribes and Pharisees – their adding of tradition and the restricting of the law, which eventually overburdened the very people it was meant to inform. Jesus follows this with, “but I say to you.” Here we have the ultimate Authority speaking of the ultimate standard. The Lawgiver is commenting on the law He has given.

The Pharisees had weakened the commandment by limiting it just to murder. While there are instances when killing may be legitimate (i.e. punishment, war, etc.), the taking of a life for no reason is wrong. The Pharisees had “changed” this so that they could claim they had never murdered; therefore, they had never sinned. They had also weakened the punishment. No longer was it that God would judge those who sinned by murdering their fellow man. It was not a matter for the much lower and lesser civil magistrates and courts.

Murder is wrong, because it destroys the image of God (Genesis 9:6).Anger also disparages that image and is, therefore, a sin. Anger and hatred of our brother (neighbor) contradict the second great commandment to love our neighbor. It is actually a breaking of the last six of the Ten Commandments which are summarized in the commandment to love our neighbor as ourselves.

In speaking of offering a gift, Christ shows that our dealings with our fellow man have an impact upon our worship of God. We should come before God with a clean heart; not guilty of strife and conflict with our brother. It is interesting that Jesus mentions an instance when our brother has something against us. It is not that the one offering the gift has something against his brother. We must always act positively, to remedy any conflict with our brother.

In the second scenario, Jesus turns from a brother to an adversary. Even in instances of conflict with our enemies, we should strive to bring reconciliation. Thus, Paul writes, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all” (Romans 12:18).

 

Law and Righteousness

I don’t know why it’s so hard to write something here, but I haven’t done anything since October of last year. Let’s pick back up with the Sermon on the Mount.

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Many of Jesus’ opponents saw Him as a revolutionary who had come to overthrow the old, established ways and to establish a new order. This was the exact opposite of His mission, for what He taught was the kingdom of God rightly understood. Thus, He begins this passage by assuring His disciples that He had not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets – the Old Testament. In fact, that is the very thing He was teaching (Luke 24:27).

Psalm 119 refers to God’s commandments, law, precepts, promises, rules, statutes, testimonies, and word. The psalmist declares that these are priceless, sweet to the taste, and eternal. God’s word does not change. It is fixed by Him, and it will not fail.

Verse 17 has caused the most controversy and disagreement throughout the years. We know what abolish means. It means to do away with; to abrogate; to remove. The problems arise when we try to define fulfill. Just what does Jesus mean when He says He came to fulfill the Law and Prophets?

Some focus on the fulfillment of the Law, and teach that the Old Testament Law has little, or nothing to do with 21^st-century Christians. It has been fulfilled by Christ, and thus done away with. Others focus on the non-abolishment of the Law and teach that the Old Testament Law, in detail, is still relevant today.

The correct interpretation of Jesus’ statement is somewhere between these two. Because God’s word is eternal, it has not been completely done away with. On the other hand, because Christ has come and fulfilled many of the prophecies about Himself, as well as many of the Old Testament laws and sacrifices which were types of Him, not all of the Law and Prophets are still in effect.

Many divide God’s word as law into three parts for ease of understanding. The civil laws regulated Israel’s separation from the surrounding nations. Ceremonial laws related to the sacrifices which must be brought to acquire atonement before God. And, ethical laws are those laws which govern how the people of God act.

The civil laws have been abolished by Christ, as Paul mentions in Ephesians 2. The ceremonial laws have been fulfilled and abolished by Christ’s sacrificial death. No other sacrifice is necessary for the people of God. The ethical laws have not been abrogated. Although we are saved by grace, we do not have the right to now kill, steal, and commit adultery. The ways in which God’s people act are still applicable.

The religious leaders of Jesus’ day continually accused Him of not being righteous. However, their main accusation was that He did not obey their traditions and man-made laws. They had completely covered over the true Law of God with their own regulations. Instead of bringing people closer to God as they saw what He required, these man-made traditions and regulations became a burden to the people. The scribes and Pharisees refused to even lift a finger to relieve the burden, so Jesus tells the people that their righteousness must exceed that of the religious leaders. The rest of the Sermon on the Mount is a listing of some specifics regarding this righteousness required of God’s people.

 

Salt and Light

You are the salt of the earth.

The Beatitudes show us the character of the Christian. They end with a view of how the world treats the Christian. But, how does the Christian treat the world? How does his Christianity manifest itself, and does it have any impact or influence upon the world around him?

Salt has two primary functions, one positive and one negative. Positively, it adds flavor. It keeps food from being bland. Negatively, it prevents decay and rot. For ages – before refrigeration – salt was used to keep meat from spoiling.

In the same way, the Christian is to have both a positive and a negative influence upon society. Positively, Christianity keeps life from being bland. Only as we realize, as true believers, that every good gift comes from God, can we fully enjoy the things with which He has blessed us. Non-believers are always trying to add things to their lives (drugs, alcohol, sex, material things, etc.) to enhance their enjoyment, yet they never fully appreciate what they have. Negatively, Christianity prevents decay and rot in society as non-believers realize that there are certain things which Christians do not enjoy or will not tolerate.

You are the light of the world.

In Scripture, light reveals and gives life. It is the symbol of good as opposed to darkness, the symbol of evil. Light was the first thing created by God, and Scripture even says that God is light. Light reveals those things which are hidden in darkness. It shows them as the “dark” things that they are. It also shows where they are, so they can be avoided.

Light not only exposes darkness; it also dispels darkness and shows the way out of darkness.

The essential characteristic of light is that it shines forth. If we cover it or hide it in any way, we make it useless, like tasteless salt.

As we stated earlier, the person who has the Christian character presented in the Beatitudes will be noticed, and he will be persecuted. A true Christian cannot be hidden. As a matter of fact, part of the reason God has called us is to be an influence upon those around us. Thus, we are to shine to the glory of God, and we are to always be ready to answer the questions that will arise as people realize we are different.