In the previous chapter, Christ warned His disciples against the perverted teachings and concepts of the scribes and Pharisees, especially in their interpretation of the law (which He called leaven, 16:12);
in this chapter He warns them against the evil practices of the Pharisees, against two sins which, although they did not justify in their teaching, they nevertheless practiced in their behavior and thus recommended them to their worshipers. These sins were hypocrisy and worldliness, against which all believers should be most vigilant, since these sins most easily take hold of those who avoid the gross filthiness of the world, produced by the lusts of the flesh, and therefore are the most dangerous. Here we are given a warning:
I. Against hypocrisy; we must not be like hypocrites, and we must not act like hypocrites:
1. In works of mercy, v. 1-4.
2. In prayer, v. 5-8. Christ teaches us what and how to pray (vv. 9-13), how to forgive when praying, vv. 14, 15.
3. In fasting, Art. 16-18.
II. Against worldliness:
1. In our choice of treasure (v. 19-24), which is the fatal sin of the hypocrites.
2. In our concern, what is the sin of many good Christians, v. 25-34.
Verses 1-4. We must do better than the scribes and Pharisees, avoiding sin in the heart - adultery in the heart, murder in the heart, and also maintaining and maintaining godliness in the heart so that what we do is done from the heart, from the life principle, in order to earn the approval of God, and not people's praise that is, we must beware not only of the teaching of the Pharisees, but also of hypocrisy, which is the leaven of the Pharisees, Luke 12:1. Almsgiving, prayer and fasting are the three great duties of a Christian, the three foundations of the law, as the Arabians say; in them we worship and serve God: in prayer with our souls, in fasting with our bodies, in beneficence with our property. We must not only turn away from evil, but also do good, and do it well, and then we will abide forever.
In these verses Christ warns us against hypocrisy in charity. Beware of it. The command to beware of hypocrisy indicates that it is a sin.
1. The danger of falling into this sin is great, because hypocrisy is a subtle sin. Vanity seeps into our affairs before we are aware of it. The disciples were tempted to this sin by the power that was given to them to work miracles, as well as by association with those who admired them, and with those who despised them, since both of them produced in them the desire to show themselves.
2. This sin puts us in great danger. Beware of hypocrisy, for if it seizes you, it will destroy you. They are dead flies, which spoil and make foul-smelling the fragrant ointment of chrism, Ecclesiastes 10:1.
There are two points in mind here:
I. The doing of alms is a great duty, and all the disciples of Christ, to the best of their ability, should be zealous for the fulfillment of it, in order to abound in this virtue. It is prescribed both by the law of nature and by the law of Moses, and the prophets placed special emphasis on it. In various manuscripts in this verse, instead of rrjv iAoauvqv - your charity, it is written rrjv Smoauvrjv - your righteousness, for charity is truth, Ps 111:9; Prov 10:2. The Jews called the box for the poor the box of truth. It is said (in the English Bible. Note ed.) That what is due to them is given to the poor, Prov. 3:27. This duty does not become less important and less excellent because the hypocrites have forced it to serve their pride. If the superstitious papists took credit for works of mercy, this does not excuse the stingy Protestants who are fruitless in these good works. It is true that we cannot earn heaven by good works, but it is also true that we cannot reach heaven without good works. This is pure godliness (James 1:27) and will be the standard in the day of the great judgment. Christ takes it for granted that His disciples give alms, He does not recognize as His own those who do not do it.
II. Almsgiving is such a duty, for the performance of which a great reward is promised, but this reward is lost if it is performed hypocritically. Sometimes he is generously rewarded with earthly goods (Prov. 11:24,25; 19:17), saving from poverty (Prov. 28:27; Ps. 37:25), help in the day of distress (Ps. which persecutes those who least seek it, Ps. 112:9. However, on the Sunday of the righteous he will be rewarded with eternal blessings, Luke 14:14.
Quas dederi, solas semper habebis, opes. The wealth you share with another is the only wealth you will keep forever. With this in mind, we now note:
1. What was the practice of the hypocrites in the performance of this duty. They fulfilled it, but not out of the principle of obedience to God and not out of love for man, but out of vanity and pride; not out of compassion for the poor, but solely in order to show themselves, to be extolled as good people, in order to gain the respect of the people, which they would be able to turn to their advantage and gain much more than they gave. Pursued by this desire, they chose places such as synagogues and streets where many people gathered to watch them to do works of mercy. People praised their generosity because they used it, but were so ignorant that they did not notice their disgusting pride. They probably liked to give alms in the synagogues, where collections were made for the poor, and also in the streets and roads where the beggars used to walk. There is nothing illegal in this - to give alms when people see you; we can do it and we should do it, but not for the sake of people seeing us; on the contrary, we should choose the least conspicuous objects of mercy. When the hypocrites give alms in their own house, they blow their trumpets under the pretense of calling the poor to minister to them, but in reality they do it for the purpose of publicizing their charity, drawing attention to themselves, and becoming the subject of conversation.
Notice the judgment Christ pronounces on the hypocrites: "Truly, truly, I say to you, they have already received their reward." At first glance, these words may seem like a promise - if they receive a reward, then this is quite enough, but two words make it threatening.
(1) They receive a reward, but it is their reward. Not the good reward that God promises to those who do good, but the one that they promise themselves, and this reward is pitiful: they are looking for people to see them, and people see them, they have chosen their own dreams, with which they deceive themselves, and they will have what you choose. Carnal believers seek favors, honor, riches from God, and their stomachs will be filled with all this (Ps. 16:14), but let them not expect more. This is their comfort (Luke 6:24), this is their good (Luke 16:25), and with that they will remain. “Is it not for a denarius that you agreed with me? That's all you can count on."
(2.) They already receive their reward, that is, at the present time, and in the future no reward awaits them. They now already have everything they wanted to receive from God, they receive their reward here, and they have nothing more to expect. Apphispa tdulovdu. It means to receive in full. The reward that godly people have in this world is only a part of the payment, a very small one, then something more, much more awaits them. But hypocrites have everything of their own in this world, such is their sentence, such is their own decision. For the saints, the world exists only to provide for them, it is their pocket money, so to speak, but for the hypocrites, the world is their reward, their lot.
2. What is our Lord's commandment in this matter, v. 3-4. He who Himself was a wonderful example of humility requires it from His disciples as an absolutely necessary condition for God's approval of their works. “Let your left hand not know what your right hand is doing when you are doing alms.” Christ is probably alluding here to the box for the poor, into which they threw their offerings, and which was placed on the right side of the entrance to the temple, so that they threw their coin into it with their right hand. Or giving alms with the right hand means our readiness for this and determination, the purity of our intentions, the ability to give alms without offending the recipient. The right hand can be used to minister to the poor in some other way, such as helping them, writing something for them, bandaging their wounds. “But whatever good your right hand does, let your left hand not know, hide as much as possible, try to keep it secret. Do a good deed because it is good, and not because by doing so you acquire a good name for yourself. In omnibus factis re, non teste, moveamur - In all our affairs, we must think about those we help, and not about those who look at us. This means the following:
(1) We must not allow others to know about our good work, even those standing on our left hand, that is, people very close to us. Instead of telling them about your good deeds, hide them if possible, but show your desire to hide it so that they politely pretend not to notice anything, let only you and no one else know about your good deeds.
(2) And we ourselves should not concentrate too much in our thoughts on our good deeds, the left hand is a part of ourselves, we should not think too much about the good we have done, admire ourselves and praise ourselves in our hearts. Self-conceit and self-satisfaction, the worship of one's own shadow are the sisters of pride, they are just as dangerous as vanity in front of people. We know that they will be rewarded with the memory of their good deeds, which they themselves forgot about them: “Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty?”
3. What is the promise to those who sincerely and humbly give alms. So that your alms may be in secret; and then your Father, who sees in secret, will notice you.
Note, When we ourselves pay as little attention as possible to our good works, then God notices them most of all. Just as God notices evil done to us when we do not notice it (Ps 37:14,15), so He also sees good works done by us when we do not see them. God sees the secret, these words are terrible for hypocrites and comforting for sincere Christians. But that's not all, God will not only see and praise, but will reward clearly.
Note: who, doing alms, seeks to show himself before God, he turns to Him as to his Treasurer. The hypocrites seize the shadow, but the righteous strives for the essence. Notice how it is emphasized here that the Father himself will reward them, Heb. 11:6. Let him alone do it in his goodness, and he himself will be your great reward, Gen. 15:1. He will reward you, not as a master who pays his servant for what he has worked, and no more, but as a Father who gives to His Son who serves Him generously and without reproach. He will reward clearly, if not now, then on a great day, when there will be praise from God for everyone, obvious praise, God will recognize you before people. If the work is secret, the reward will be clear, and that is better.
Verses 5-8. In prayer we have a more direct communion with God than in doing good, and therefore we must be even more concerned about our sincerity, which is what it says here: And when you pray ... (v. 5). It goes without saying that all disciples of Christ pray. Paul began to pray immediately after his conversion. Just as a living person cannot stop breathing, so a living Christian cannot help but pray. For this, every righteous person will pray to You. Not to pray is to be outside of grace. “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, do not be like them” (v. 5).
Note, He who does not want to act like hypocrites in his walk and in his actions, he must not be a hypocrite in character. Christ does not specifically name anyone here, but from ch. 23:13 it is clear that He had in mind mainly the scribes and Pharisees.
Two great errors are noted which the hypocrites make in their prayers, vanity (v. 5-6) and verbosity (vain repetitions), v. 7-8. It is against them that Christ warns us.
I. We must not be proud and conceited in prayer, we must not seek praise from men. Notice
1. What were the ways and practices of the hypocrites. In all their pious exercises they aimed chiefly to earn the approval of their neighbors, and profit from it for themselves. When, it seemed, they soared high in prayer (if the prayer is correct, then it is the ascension of the soul to God), then even then their eyes were fixed downward, on the prey. In doing so, note:
(1.) What places they chose for prayer. These were synagogues that were really meant for prayer, but for the general, and not for the personal. They thought they were honoring the congregation by their prayers, but in reality they were glorifying themselves. They also prayed at the corners of the streets, in the wide streets (as the word means in the original), which were especially crowded. They went there as if in a fit of piety, which did not allow delay, but, in reality, this was done by them in order to be noticed.
(2) What posture they adopted during prayer. They prayed standing up. This posture was permitted, legal (March 11:25 ...when you stand in prayer...), but kneeling prayer testifies to humility and reverence (Luke 22:41; Acts 7:60; Eph 3:14), while while the hypocrites' standing prayers showed their pride and self-confidence, Lu. 18:11. The Pharisee stood up and prayed...
(3) How their pride was shown in their choice of public places for prayer:
They loved to pray there. They loved prayer, not for its own sake, but for the fact that it gave them the opportunity to be noticed. Circumstances may arise in such a way that it becomes necessary to reveal one's good deeds, so that they become obvious to others and are approved by people. But sin and danger appear when we like it, when we find pleasure in it, because it satisfies our pride.
They wanted people to see them; they did not seek to be heard, accepted by God, but wanted to be the object of admiration and approval of people, so that it would be easier for them to seize the property of widows and orphans (who would not trust such pious people?) and swallow it without arousing any suspicion (ch. 23: 14), but achieving their goals in the enslavement of the people.
(4) The result of all this they have already received their reward. They had already received all the reward for their service that they could expect from God, and it was miserable. What use is it to us from the kind words of our co-workers, if the Lord Himself does not say a good word of approval to us? But if during prayer, when a person communicates with the great God Himself, we can take into account such a trifle as human praise, then it will be quite fair if this praise will be our entire reward. They pray that people see them and people see them and that's all they get.
Note, Those who wish to show the purity of their piety before God must pay no heed to the praise of men. We do not pray to people, and we do not expect an answer from them, they are not our judges, they are the same dust and ashes as we are, therefore we should not look at them, people should not see what is happening between God and our soul. In our meetings we must avoid anything that might draw attention to our personal worship of God, and strive to have our voice heard on high Isaiah 58:4. A public place is not a place for personal prayer to God.
2. What is the will of Jesus Christ regarding prayer, as opposed to the customs of the hypocrites. Humility and sincerity - these are the two lessons that Christ gives us: When you pray, go into your closet...” (v. 6), be yourself and forget about those around you. This assumes that personal prayer is the duty of all disciples of Christ and should be their daily practice.
Observe, (1.) What instructions are here given concerning secret prayer.
Instead of praying in synagogues and at street corners, go into your room, to a secluded place. Isaac went to the field (Genesis 24:63), Christ - to the mountains, Peter - to the roof of the house. No place should be considered unsuitable if it serves the purpose.
Note: Secret prayer must be performed in solitude, away from human eyes, so as to avoid boasting, and away from human ears, so that one can freely pour out one's soul in a calm atmosphere, without distraction. However, if the circumstances are such that we cannot go unnoticed, then we should not, for this reason, neglect our duty, for it is better for someone to watch our prayer than to commit a greater crime by leaving it.
Instead of praying to be noticed by people, pray to the Father who is in secret. For me... (Zech. 7:5,6). The Pharisees prayed rather to people than to God: whatever the form of their prayer, its purpose was to earn the praise of people and ingratiate themselves with them. “You pray to God, and may that be enough for you. Pray to Him as a Father, as your Father, ready to listen and answer, in His generosity inclined to pity, to help and support you. Pray to your Father who is in the secret."
Note, In secret prayer we look to God present in every place; He is also in your room when no one else is in it, here He is especially close to you when you call on Him. By our secret prayer we give glory to God as the Omnipresent (Acts 17:24) and find solace in ourselves in this.
(2.) What encouragement is here given to us in connection with secret prayer.
The father sees the secret. His eyes see you to receive you when no man sees you who can praise you: While you were under the fig tree, I saw you, John 1:48. He saw Paul, in what street, in what house he prayed, Acts 9:11. There is no such secret, hidden sigh of prayer that God would not notice.
He will definitely reward you. The hypocrites who pray openly receive their reward, and you will not lose your reward by praying in secret. But this reward is by grace, and not by duty: what merit can the one who asks have? The reward will be obvious, those who pray will not only receive it, but will receive it with reverence. A clear reward is what the Pharisees love so much, but they don't have the patience to wait for it; sincere Christians are indifferent to it, and they will have it in abundance. Sometimes secret prayers are clearly rewarded already in this world in the form of significant answers concerning the conscience of opponents of the praying children of God. On the day of the great judgment, all the praying children of God will be clearly rewarded when they appear in glory with the Great Intercessor. The Pharisees receive their reward in front of the whole city, and this is just a flash, a shadow, but true Christians will receive their reward in front of the whole world, angels and people, and this will be eternal glory.
II. One must not say too much in prayer, v. 7-8 (eng. do not make empty repetitions. - Approx. translator.). Although the essence of prayer is to lift up the soul and pour out the heart, nevertheless, the words of the prayer also matter, especially in joint prayer, in which they are absolutely necessary and which, probably, our Savior has in mind here, for above He said : "When you pray," here it says: "When you pray." The prayer of our Lord that follows after this is a common prayer. He who speaks on behalf of others is most tempted to boast of his style and expressions, against which Christ warns us. Do not say too much, neither when you pray alone, nor when you pray with your brethren. The Pharisees were inclined to this, they prayed long (ch. 23:14), they cared only about one thing - to lengthen their prayers. Note:
1. What is the error condemned here - in turning prayer into mere speaking, when it becomes a ministry of the tongue and ceases to be a ministry of the soul. This is expressed in two words: rattaAowa, loLiLoush (1) Empty repetition - tautology, aimless, empty repetition of the same words (like Battus, Sub illis montibus erant, erant sub montibus illis), imitation of the verbosity of fools, Ecclesiastes 10:14: Man does not know what will happen, and who will tell him what will happen after him? This is indecent and disgusting in any conversation, and even more so in a conversation with God. Not every repetition in prayer is condemned, but only empty, aimless. Christ Himself used the same words in prayer (ch. 26:44), being at the same time in a very strong struggle, Luke 22:44. So did Daniel pray, Dan 9:18,19. There are very elegant repetitions of the same words, "> Ps 135 Such repetitions are necessary both to express our own feelings and to evoke corresponding feelings in others. papists, when they endlessly read the prayers of Hail Mary and the Our Father from the rosary, empty and impassive repetition of the same words only in order to stretch out the prayer and show feelings that are not really there.When we talk a lot, but our words do not have a definite , an objective goal, then neither God nor reasonable people can like it.
(2) Verbosity, artificial prolongation of prayer, caused by pride, or superstition, or the belief that God needs us to inform Him and bring our arguments to Him, or stupidity and insolence, when we talk a lot, because we like to listen to ourselves myself. Not all long prayer is forbidden. Christ prayed all night, Luke 6:12. Solomon's prayers were also very long. When we have unusual work to do, when we experience unusual feelings, long prayer is justified. But here the artificial lengthening of the prayer is condemned, as if a long prayer pleases God more and He answers it sooner. It is not that we pray a lot that is condemned, on the contrary, we are called to pray constantly; but to speak much in prayer is what is subject to condemnation. The danger of this error lies in the fact that we only speak in prayer and do not pray. Solomon warns us against this (Ecclesiastes 5:1): “Let your words be few, considered and weighed”; Hosea: "Take prayer words with you" (Hosea 14:2);
Job: "Look for words (Job 9:14) and don't say too much."
2. What arguments are given against verbosity in prayer.
(1.) This is the custom of the Gentiles: like the Gentiles. It is not proper for a Christian to worship his God as the pagans worship their gods. The pagans are by nature taught to worship God, but, having become futile in their speculations about the object of worship, they have become futile in relation to the form of worship, in particular, prayer. Thinking that God was the same as themselves, they imagined that He needed to talk a lot to make Him understand what they wanted to tell Him, or to force Him to grant their requests, as if He were weak, ignorant and intractable. So the priests of Baal from morning until almost night stubbornly repeated: "Oh, Baal, hear us," but in vain they called out to him. And Elijah, acting seriously and with restraint, short prayer sent down fire and water from heaven, 1 Kings 18:26-36. The work of the tongue in prayer, even if it works well, is an empty work.
(2) “Do not be like them, for your Father in heaven knows what you need before you ask Him, so there is no need for such an abundance of words. It does not at all follow from this that you should not pray, for the Lord commands that by your prayers you recognize your need for Him, your dependence on Him and express joy over His promises, therefore you must open your situation to Him, pour out your heart before Him and then leave everything to Him. Let's take into account that:
The God we pray to is our Father as Creator and also Father by Covenant, so we must approach Him freely, naturally, and sincerely. Children do not turn to their parents with long speeches, when they want something from them, it is enough to say: "My head, my head." Let us come to Him like children - with love, reverence and trust, and then we will not need to say many words, for the Spirit of adoption will teach us to say what is only right: Abba, Father.
He is the Father who knows our situation and our needs better than we do. He knows what we need, His eyes scan the earth to watch over the needs of His people (2 Chronicles 16:9), and often He answers us before we call Him (Isaiah 65:24), and does the most what we ask, Ephesians 3:20. If He does not give His people what they ask, it is because He knows that they do not need it, that it will not be good for them, since He judges better than we do. We don’t have to pray long and we don’t need many words when we state our need before God: God knows it better than we can tell Him about it, He only wants to hear about it from us (“What do you want me to do for you?” ?”);
having told Him of our need, we should turn to Him with the words: “Lord, all my desires are before You” (Ps 37:10). The duration of the prayer and the words of the prayer have no effect on God, on the contrary, the most powerful intercessions are those that are made with inexpressible groans, Rom. 8:26. We must not prescribe to God, but subscribe to His will.
Verses 9-15. Having condemned what was done wrong, Christ points out how to do it better, for His reproaches also carry instruction. We do not know what to pray for, as we should, and He goes to meet our infirmities, putting the words into our mouths: “Pray thus” (v. 9). So much error had crept into the prayer ministry of the Jews that Christ found it necessary to give new instructions about prayer in order to show His disciples what the content and form of their prayers should be. To do this, He provides words that we can use as a model for expressing our specific needs. This does not mean that we should use only this form of prayer, or always use it as a means of consecrating all our other prayers, but we are prescribed in what spirit we should pray, with what words, and for what purpose. The prayer given in Luke is somewhat different from this one; we never read that the apostles prayed this prayer; we are not taught here to pray in the name of Christ, as will be taught later; we are taught to pray for the coming of the Kingdom, which came when the Holy Spirit was poured out, and, despite all this, this prayer, of course, should be used as a model, there is a pledge of the fellowship of saints in it, since for many centuries it has been used by the church, at least measure (considers Dr. Whitby, Whitby) from the third century. This is the prayer of our Lord, He compiled it, and He gave it to us, it is short, and at the same time very meaningful, in comparison with our feeble prayers. The content of the prayer includes the most necessary, carefully chosen, the order of prayer is instructive, the expressions are clear and precise. A lot is contained in a few words of this prayer, we need to understand its meaning and meaning, for its use will be correct only when it is pronounced consciously, and not repeated thoughtlessly.
The Lord's Prayer (as, in essence, any other prayer) is a letter sent from earth to heaven. The letter has an inscription, which indicates: the addressee - Our Father, and the destination - in heaven. This is followed by the content, consisting of a series of petitions, then the conclusion - for Yours is the kingdom, and the seal - Amen! And if you like, it even has a date: today.
Thus, the prayer consists of three parts.
I. Introduction: "Our Father who art in heaven." Before we get down to business, it is necessary to make a solemn appeal to the One to whom we come with it: Our Father. The appeal of the Our Father implies that we must pray not only on behalf of ourselves and for ourselves, but also on behalf of others and for others, for we are members of one body and are called into fellowship with one another. It tells us to whom we should pray: only to God alone, and not to angels and not saints, for they do not know us, they are not entitled to the honors that we give with our prayer, and they are not able to give us the favors about which we please. It teaches us how we should address God, what title to give Him: one that expresses more His goodness than His majesty, for we must come boldly to the throne of grace.
1. We must address Him as our Father, and so we must call Him. As the Creator, He is the Father in general of the whole human race, Mal 2:10; Acts 16:28. To the saints who have received adoption and regeneration, He is the Father in a special sense of the word (Eph. 1:5; Gal. 4:6), which is their inexpressible privilege. Thus, while praying, we should look to Him, have good thoughts about Him, encouraging, and not frightening us. There is nothing more pleasing to God and more pleasing to us than to call God the Father. Christ called God the Father in His prayers. If He is our Father, then He will be indulgent to our infirmities and imperfections (Ps 112:13), will have mercy on us (Mal 3:17), will accept our efforts, although they are far from perfect, will not deny us any good , Luke 11:11-13. We have free access to Him as our Father, we have an Advocate with the Father and the Spirit of adoption. When we come in repentance of our sins, like the prodigal son, we too must look to God as our Father, Lu. 15:18, Per 3:19. When we come to ask for gifts, peace, inheritance, and the blessing of our sons, we should be encouraged that we come to God, not as an irreconcilable, vengeful Judge, but as a loving, generous Father who has reconciled us to Himself in Christ, Per 3: four.
2. We must address God as our Father in heaven. He is in heaven, and also everywhere, for heaven cannot contain Him. However, it is in heaven that he manifests his glory, for heaven is his throne (Ps. 112:19), and for believers this throne is the throne of grace, where we should direct our prayers, because there is our Mediator Christ, Heb. 8:1. Heaven, the world of spirits, is invisible, and our prayerful communion with God in prayer must be spiritual; it is a world above, therefore we must lift ourselves up in prayer above this world, lift up our hearts, Ps. 24:1. Heaven is a place of perfect purity, therefore we must lift up pure hands, strive to hallow the name of Him who is holy and dwells in a holy place, Lev. 10:3. From heaven God looks down on the sons of men, Ps. 32:14,15. In prayer we must see His eye fixed on us: He clearly and perfectly sees from heaven our needs, burdens and our desires, as well as all our infirmities. Heaven is the firmament of his power, with which he surveys the whole earth, Ps. 110:1. He not only, as a Father, desires to help us, but, as a Heavenly Father, He can help us more than we ask or think; He has everything we need to meet our needs, for every perfect gift comes from above. He is our Father, and therefore we may come to him with boldness, but the Heavenly Father, therefore we must come to him with reverence, Ecclesiastes 5:1. Thus, all our prayers should be in line with what constitutes our great goal as Christians, which is to be in heaven with God. God and heaven, the ultimate goal of our earthly journey, must be before our eyes in our every prayer, this is the center to which we aspire. We send our prayers to where we ourselves are going to go one day.
II. Petitions. There are six of them: the first three directly concern God and His honor, and the last three - our personal interests, earthly and spiritual, just as in the ten commandments the first four commandments teach us our duty to God, and the last six teach us our duty to our neighbors. The order of this prayer teaches us that we must first of all seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and then hope that everything else will be added to us.
1. Hallowed be thy name.
(1) We give glory to God. This phrase can be regarded not as a petition, but as a worship similar to the expression May the Lord be magnified or glorified, for God's holiness is the majesty and glory of all His perfections. We must begin our prayer by praising God. God must be satisfied first, He must be given glory before receiving mercy and grace from Him. Let us glorify His perfections, and then we will benefit from them.
(2) We see our goal in that God be glorified, and this is the right goal, we should strive for it, and it should be the main and final goal of all our prayers, all our other petitions should be subordinate to this goal and contribute to it achievement. “Father, glorify Thyself by sending me my daily bread and forgiving my sins,” etc. Since everything is from Him and through Him, everything must be to Him and for Him. Our thoughts and feelings during prayer should be directed most of all to the glory of God. The main object of the prayers of the Pharisees was their own name (v. 5, to appear before men), in contrast to this, we are commanded to consider the name of God as the main object of our prayers, let all our petitions be centered on this and guided by this. “Do this and that to me for the glory of Your name, and to the extent that it will serve his glory.”
(3) We wish and pray that the name of God, that is, God Himself, be hallowed and glorified in everything in which He has revealed Himself to us, glorified by us, by others, and especially by Himself. “Father, let Your name be glorified as the Father, and the Heavenly Father; may Your goodness, Your majesty and Your mercy be glorified. Hallowed be Thy name, for it is holy, no matter what happens to our unclean names, but what will You do with Your great name? If we ask that the name of God be glorified,
We do virtue out of necessity, for God will glorify his name, whether we desire it or not: ... I will be exalted among the nations, Ps. 45:11.
We ask for what will undoubtedly be granted to us, for to the prayer of our Savior: “Father, glorify Your name,” the answer was immediately given: “I have glorified and will glorify again.” 2. Thy kingdom come. This petition has a clear connection with the teaching that Jesus preached at that time, and before Him John the Baptist, and which He subsequently commissioned His apostles to preach, namely: the doctrine of the approach of the Kingdom of Heaven. The kingdom of your Father which is in heaven, the kingdom of the Messiah is at hand, pray for it to come.
Note, We must turn the word we hear into a prayer, our heart must respond to the word. The Lord promises: "Behold, I come quickly." Our hearts must answer: "Yes, come." Ministers should pray for the word being preached; when they preach that the kingdom of God is at hand, they should pray, "Thy kingdom come." We must pray for what God has promised, for the promises are given to us not to crowd out our prayers, but to quicken and inspire them, and when the fulfillment of the promise is at hand, at the door, when the kingdom of heaven draws near, we must pray for it more zealously, "Thy kingdom come," as Daniel turned his face to the Lord, in prayer for the deliverance of Israel, when he saw it drawing near, Dan. 9:2. See Luke 19:11. The daily prayer of the Jews was: "Let His kingdom reign, let His deliverance be accomplished, let the Messiah come and deliver His people." Dr. Whitby, ex Virtinga. “Let Your Kingdom come, let Your gospel be preached to all nations and accepted by them, let everyone accept the testimony given by God about the Son, and the testimony of the Son Himself as their Savior and Master. May the boundaries of the Evangelical Church expand, may the kingdom of the world become the Kingdom of Christ, may all people become its subjects and live worthy of this title.
3. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. We pray for the coming of the Kingdom of God, that we and all others will be obedient to all its laws and statutes. May obedience to the will of God show that the kingdom of Christ is at hand; let it bring heaven to earth, and through this it will be revealed that it is the kingdom of heaven. If we, calling Christ King, do not fulfill His will, then we make Him only a nominal king. When we pray for His management, we are praying that we may be governed by Him in all things. Note:
(1) What we ask - Thy will be done. “Do with me and with what belongs to me whatever you please, 1 Samuel 3:18. I commit myself into Your hands, I fully agree that all Your intentions regarding me will be fulfilled. In this sense, Christ also prayed: "Not My, but Your will be done." “Give us the ability to do what You please, give us the necessary grace for a clear understanding of Your will and the fulfillment of it pleasing to You. Help us faithfully to do Your will, and not our own will, not the will of the flesh or mind, not the will of man (1 Peter 4:2), and even more so not the will of Satan (John 8:44), so that we do not grieve God in anything what we do (ut nihil noptrum displiceat Deo), and not be upset by anything he does” (ut nihil Dei displiceat nobis).
(2) An example of the fulfillment of His will: so that here on earth, in a place of trials and temptations (where we must do our work, otherwise it will never be done), it is done just like in heaven, in a place of peace and joy. We pray, therefore, that the earth, through the observance of the will of God, will become more like heaven (because of the dominion of the will of Satan on it, it will become more like not hell) and that the saints will become more like angels in their worship and obedience to God. Thanks be to God, we are still on earth, not underground; we only pray for the living, not for the dead who have gone down to the grave.
4. Give us our daily bread for this day. Since our natural being is necessary for our spiritual well-being in this world, after praying for the glory of God, for His Kingdom and His will, we pray for the necessary means of subsistence for our temporary life. They are God's gifts, and therefore one should ask God for them, Tdv dprov imoumov - bread for the coming day, for the rest of life. Bread for the time to come, or bread necessary for our existence, that which is appropriate to our position in the world (Prov. 30:8), bread that is suitable for us and for our families, according to our position and condition.
Each word in this request contains a lesson:
(1) We ask for bread. This teaches us modesty and moderation, we do not ask for delicacies and some excesses, but healthy, although not exquisite, food.
(2) We ask for our bread; this is a hint that we should be honest and hardworking. We do not ask for another's bread taken out of another's mouth, for bread obtained in iniquity (Prov. 20:17), but for bread obtained in an honest way.
(3) We ask for our daily bread. This teaches us not to worry about tomorrow (v. 34), but to remain in constant dependence on God's care, living one day at a time.
(4) We ask God to give us bread, not to sell, not to lend, but to give. The greatest of men must turn to the mercy of God for his daily bread.
(5) We pray: "Give us, not only to me alone, but also to others along with me." This teaches us mercy and compassion, care for the poor and needy. It also indicates that we should pray with our families: we eat together with our household, so we should pray together.
(6) We pray that God will send us bread for this day. This teaches us to renew the desires of our souls before God just as the needs of our body are renewed, to pray to the Heavenly Father constantly at the right time, just as the day comes constantly and in due time, and to consider that we cannot live the day without prayer, as we cannot live without bread.
5. And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. This petition is related to the previous one, and the word forgive indicates that if our sins are not forgiven, then we will not have the comfort or support of life. Our daily bread will only feed us like lambs to the slaughter if our sins are not forgiven us. This implies that we should pray for daily forgiveness just as we pray for daily bread. He who is washed must wash his feet.
Note:
Our sins are our debts. There is a duty of reverence which we, being His creatures, are obliged to render to Him as the Creator; we cannot ask for release from this debt, but if it is not paid, another debt arises - the debt of punishment. Disobedience to the will of God exposes us to the wrath of God, disobedience to the ordinances of the law obliges us to punishment. As a debtor is subject to judgment, so are we; as a criminal is a debtor to the law, so are we.
The constant desire of our hearts and our daily prayer to the Heavenly Father should be - forgive us our debts, so that He annuls our debt of punishment, so that we do not fall into condemnation, so that we can receive freedom and comfort in it. In pleading for the forgiveness of our sins, we can plead the satisfaction of God's justice in the death of the Lord Jesus Christ, our Guarantor, or rather the Guarantor of the cause, who took upon Himself the cause of our deliverance.
(2) An argument that strengthens this request: "As we also forgive our debtors." This is not a reference to our merits, but a petition for mercy.
Note: one who comes to God for the forgiveness of his sins against Him must in good conscience forgive his offenders, otherwise, by saying the Lord's prayer, he curses himself. Our duty is to forgive our debtors. As for a money debt, we should not ruthlessly demand payment of it from a person who cannot repay it without ruining himself and his family in the process. Here, however, debt implies resentment. Our debtors are those who have committed an offense against us, struck us (ch. 5:39,40) and are subject to legal prosecution for this. But we must endure, forgive and forget the insults inflicted on us and the evil done to us. it moral basis for our forgiveness by God and reconciliation with Him; this gives us the right to hope that God will forgive us, for if we find such a generous disposition, then it is produced by God within us and, therefore, is a perfection that comes from His own excellence and perfection. If God has made us able to forgive, then this is evidence that He has forgiven us.
6. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. This request is expressed:
(1) In the negative form: Lead us not into temptation. Having prayed that God would remove the guilt of our sin, it is now quite natural to ask that we never again return to this madness, so as not to fall into temptation again. This does not mean that God can tempt sin; but: “Lord, do not give freedom to Satan, bind this roaring lion, for he is cunning and evil. Lord, do not leave us to ourselves, for we are extremely weak, Ps. 18:14. Lord, do not lay before us stumbling blocks and nets, do not put us in such circumstances that may become a reason for us to fall. We must pray against temptations, because they cause us restlessness and anxiety, and expose us to the danger of being overcome by them, which entails guilt and sorrow.
(2) Positively: But deliver us from the evil one; ano tou rrovrjpou - from the devil, the tempter. "Save us either from his attacks, or from defeat through these attacks." Or: from evil (in the English text the word "evil" is translated as "evil." - Approx. translator.), That is, from sin, the worst of all evils; from evil in general, which God hates and with which Satan tempts and destroys people. “Lord, deliver us from the evil of this world, from the corruption of lust that reigns in the world, from all the evil of this world, from the evil of death, from the sting of death, which is sin; deliver us from ourselves, from evil people so that they do not become a snare for us, and we become prey for them.
III. Conclusion: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen. Some see here a connection with David's praise (1 Chronicles 29:11): Your Lord is greatness, might and glory.
1. This is an argument that strengthens the previous petitions. We must intercede before God in prayer, bring arguments (Job 23:4), not to influence Him, but to influence ourselves - encourage our faith, arouse zeal in ourselves and prove the presence of both . The best arguments in prayer are those based on the properties of God Himself, on what He has revealed to us about Himself. We must wrestle with God in His own strength, both in regard to the nature of our arguments and the presentation of them. This petition has a special connection with the first three: “Our Father who art in heaven, let your kingdom come, for yours is the kingdom; Thy will be done, for Thy strength is; hallowed be thy name, for thy is the glory." And for us, these words are an encouragement: “Your is the Kingdom, You rule the world and protect the saints, Your faithful subjects.” God gives and saves as King. "Your power is to preserve and maintain this kingdom and to carry out all your good intentions for your people." Yours is the glory - as the ultimate goal of all that is given and done for the saints in answer to their prayers, for their praise belongs to Him. It brings encouragement and holy boldness in prayer.
2. It is a form of praise and thanksgiving. Nai The best way to reach God by prayer consists in praising Him. This is the way to gain subsequent grace, as it makes us worthy of it. In all our appeals to God, there should be a significant share of praise, for praise is due to the saints, they are destined by God for praise. This is just and right: we thank and praise God, not because He needs it (He is glorified by the whole world of angels), but because He deserves it, and our duty is to give Him glory, since it is for this purpose that He gives us revelations about Himself. The glorification of God is the bliss of heaven, it is a work done in heaven, and all those who are going to heaven should already begin their heaven here. Notice how rich this doxology is: The kingdom, the power and the glory are all yours.
Note, We must be generous in glorifying God. A true saint never thinks that he has sufficiently glorified God: for this, sublime eloquence is necessary, and this must be done forever. In ascribing glory to God forever, we acknowledge that it is our eternal duty, and that we earnestly desire to do it forever with the angels and saints in heaven, Ps. 70:13.
Finally, to all this we must add our Amen - truly so. God's Amen is a donation, His decree that it be so; our Amen is only a summed desire, our consent, so be it; it is a guarantee of our desire to be heard and confidence in this. Amen applies to all previous petitions. Thus, condescending to our infirmities, Christ teaches us to unite everything in one word and to gather together all the details that we have missed and escaped our attention. It is good to finish every exercise in piety with some warmth and energy, so that after it our spirit will be fragrant. Pious people from time immemorial had the custom to end each prayer by saying aloud the word Amen. It is a meritorious custom, if it is observed intelligently, as the apostles taught (1 Cor. 14:16), and sincerely and lively, with inward feelings corresponding to outward expressions of desire and confidence.
Most of the petitions contained in the Lord's Prayer were usually used by the Jews in their prayers, if in other expressions, then with the same meaning. However, the phrase contained in the fifth petition, just as we forgive our debtors, was completely new. Therefore, the Savior here explains the reason why He adds it - not in order to personally condemn people of this kind in quarrelsomeness, quarrelsomeness and malevolence (although there were enough reasons for this), but only in order to show the necessity and importance of forgiveness as such. God, forgiving us, converts Special attention how we forgive others who harm us. Therefore, when asking for forgiveness, we must mention our conscientious performance of this duty, and not only remind ourselves of it, but also oblige ourselves to it. See the parable in ch 18:23-35. Our selfish nature is not inclined to forgive, so Christ emphasizes this in v. 14-15, citing:
1. Promise. For if you forgive people their sins, then your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. This does not mean that only this condition is required, but repentance and faith and renewed obedience are also required. But just as if other virtues are true, this virtue will also exist, so the presence of this virtue will serve as proof of the sincerity of all our other virtues. Whoever is indulgent towards his brother testifies that he has repented before his God. What in prayer are called debts are here called transgressions, debts of offenses, harm done to our body, our property or our reputation. Sin is a crime in a mild form of expression, laraltiata - a mistake, a mistake, a fall.
Note, When we call a wrong done to us by soft, diminutive names, it shows that we have forgiven our brother, and it helps us to forgive him. Call them not a betrayal, but a sin, not a conscious sabotage, but an accidental oversight, negligence. Perhaps this is an oversight (Gen. 43:12), so let us put up with this chagrin. We are obliged to forgive, because we hope to be forgiven, therefore we must not only not be angry with him, not take revenge, but not even reproach our brother for the harm done to us, not rejoice when any misfortune befalls him, but be ready to help him, to do him good, and if he repents and wants to restore friendship, then they should be sincere and friendly in dealing with him, as before.
2. Threat. “And if you do not forgive those who have harmed you, then this is a bad sign indicating that you and other conditions have not fulfilled and do not deserve forgiveness, therefore your Father, the One whom you call Father and Who offers you His grace on fair conditions, will not forgive you your trespasses. If in other virtues you are sincere, but you greatly lack the spirit of forgiveness, then you cannot expect the comfort of God's forgiveness, your spirit will be crushed by this or that grief until you submit to this duty.
Note, Those who wish to find mercy with God must be merciful to their brethren. We cannot hope that God will stretch out his hands to us in favor, if we do not lift up clean hands to him without wrath, 1 Tim. 2:8. If we pray in anger, then we have every reason to fear that God will answer us in anger. Someone said, "Prayers spoken in anger are written in gall." Why should God forgive us the 10 6 talents we owe Him if we are unwilling to forgive our brother the 100 denarii he owes us? Christ came into the world as the great Peacemaker to reconcile us not only to God but also to one another, and we must submit to Him in this. To treat lightly this matter, to which Christ attaches such great importance, is a manifestation of great arrogance and threatens with dangerous consequences. The passions of men will not make the word of God powerless.
Verses 16-18. Here we have a warning against hypocrisy in fasting, as above - against hypocrisy in prayer and almsgiving.
I. This implies that religious fasting is a duty required of the disciples of Christ when God in his providence calls them to it, and when the state of their own souls, for whatever reason, requires it. The days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast, ch. Fasting is the last thing Christ speaks of, because fasting is important not in itself, but as a means of disposing us to the performance of other duties. Prayer occupies a place between works of mercy and fasting, for it is the soul and life of both. Christ is chiefly speaking here of personal fasting, which a man imposes upon himself as a voluntary sacrifice, as practiced among the pious Jews; some fasted one day a week, others two days a week, others less frequently, as they saw fit. During the days of fasting, they did not eat until sunset, and after it they ate in moderation. Christ condemned the Pharisee, not because he fasted twice a week, but because he boasted of it, Luke 18:12. This custom is commendable, and we have every reason to regret that fasting is universally neglected by Christians. Anna fasted very much, Luke 2:37. Cornelius fasted and prayed, Acts 10:30. The early Christians also fasted much, Acts 13:3; 14:23. Includes personal posts
1 Corinthians 7:5. Fasting is an act of self-denial, mortification of the flesh, the imposition of a holy penalty on oneself and humility under the strong hand of God. The most mature Christians thus admit that they have nothing to boast of, that they are not even worthy of their daily bread. Fasting is designed to curb the flesh and its lusts, it makes us more energetic in the exercises of piety, while a full stomach makes us sleepy. Paul often fasted, subduing and enslaving his body.
II. Christ warns us not to fast like the hypocrites, lest we lose our reward from God. The heavier the debt, the more insulting it will be to lose the reward for its performance.
1. The hypocrites claimed to be fasting when they had none of the humility and contriteness of spirit which are the life and soul of fasting. Their fasts were feigned, ostentatious, a shadow without a real essence, they represented them as more humble than they really were, they were an attempt to deceive God, and this was the greatest insult to Him that only hypocrites could inflict on Him. Is this the fast that God has chosen, the day on which a man torments his soul, bends his head like a reed, and spreads sackcloth and ashes under him? We are quite mistaken if we call it a fast, Isaiah 58:5. Bodily exercises, when the entire fast is reduced only to them, are of little use, since God does not consider this a fast.
2. They proclaimed their fasts and performed them in such a way that everyone around them could notice that they were fasting. It was on these days that they appeared on the streets, while they should have been in their rooms. The feigned downcast gaze, the sad expression of the face, the slow and solemn tread and the completely disfigured appearance were supposed to show the people how often they fast, so that everyone would admire them as very pious people who mortify their flesh.
Note: It is very regrettable when people who to some extent enslave their whims, the filth of the flesh, destroy themselves with their pride, which is the filth of the spirit, no less dangerous. In this, too, they already receive their reward, that is, the praise and approval of the people who have been harassed so much; they have it, and that's all they have.
III. We are instructed how to conduct a personal fast: we must keep it secret, v. 17, 18. The Lord does not say how often we should fast; Circumstances change, so we need wisdom in this regard and the promptings of the Holy Spirit into our hearts. But we must make it a rule for ourselves - whenever we fast, to seek the approval of God, and not the good opinion of people, modesty should always accompany our humility. Christ does not indicate that one can somehow weaken the fast, He does not say: "You can eat and drink a little or take medicine." No, “let the body suffer, but put aside all show and appearance of fasting: facial expression and appearance should be normal. Refusing food reinforcement, do it in such a way that no one notices it, even those closest to you: let you have a pleasant appearance, anoint your head and wash your face, as you do on ordinary days, to hide that you are fasting. And you will not be left without praise in the end, although you will not receive it from people, but you will receive it from God. Fasting is humility of the soul (Ps. 34:13), this is the inner essence of fasting, so take care of this first of all; what about outside post, then do not try to make it visible to others. If we are sincere and humble in our fasts, if we trust the omniscience of God as our witness and His goodness in determining our reward, then we will be convinced that He sees the secret and rewards openly. Religious fasts, if properly observed, will soon be rewarded with an eternal feast. The approval of our fast by God will make us indifferent to people's praise (we should not perform this duty in the hope of it) and their criticism (we should not shrink from fulfilling it for fear of their condemnation). David was reproached with his fasting (Ps. 69:11), and yet he says in v. 13: "And I, whatever they may say, with my prayer to Thee, O Lord, at a pleasing time."
Verses 19-24. Love of the world is as common and dangerous a symptom of hypocrisy as any other. By no sin can Satan so firmly and securely hold souls who outwardly profess religion as by love for the world. Therefore, having warned us against seeking human praise, Christ next warns us against striving for the riches of this world. We must beware of this, lest we become like the hypocrites and do as they do; their main mistake is that they choose this world as their reward. Therefore, we must beware of hypocrisy and love of the world when we choose for ourselves the treasure, the goal of life and our master.
I. About the choice of treasures* that we collect. Each person makes something his treasure, his inheritance, to which he clings with his heart, for the sake of which he makes all his efforts and what he hopes for as a support for the future. This is what is good, which is the chief good, as Solomon says, Ecclesiastes 2:3. Every soul has something that it appreciates as the best, in which it takes pleasure and in which it is most sure. Christ does not intend to deprive us of our treasure, He only wants to show us how to choose it.
1. He warns us not to make the visible and temporal our treasure, and not to place our happiness in it. Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth. The disciples of Christ left everything to follow Him, may they keep this good mood! A treasure is an excess of something that in itself, at least in our opinion, is precious and useful, which can be useful to us in the future. Therefore, we must not lay up for ourselves treasures on earth, that is:
(1.) We must not regard earthly goods as the best, most valuable and most useful things for us, we must not boast of them, like the sons of Laban, but we must understand and acknowledge that all their glory is nothing compared to eternal glory.
(2) We must not desire an abundance of these goods, strive to capture them as much as possible, accumulate them, as people do with what they consider their treasure, not knowing the measure of their desires.
(3) Should not rely on them as a guarantee of a secure future; we must not say to gold, "You are my hope."
(4) We must not be content with them, as if they were all we need or desire: we must be content with little in regard to our earthly wandering, but not in what pertains to our lot. Earthly goods should not be our comfort (Luke 6:24), our good, Luke 16:25. Let us remember that we do not collect for our prosperity in this world, but for ourselves in the next world. We are offered a choice, and we become, as it were, the stewards of our own destiny - what we collect for ourselves will be ours. This obliges us to be wise in our choice, for we choose for ourselves and we will have what we have chosen. If we know and understand who we are, what we are created for, how vast our abilities are and how long the duration of our existence is, that our souls are ourselves, then we will understand what madness it is to collect treasures for ourselves on earth.
(1) From internal decomposition. Moth and rust destroy earthly treasures. If this treasure is expensive beautiful clothes, then moths wear them away, they imperceptibly deteriorate and disappear, while we think that they are completely safe. If it is grain or other foodstuffs, like that of a man who filled his barns (Luke 12:16), then rust (as it is written here) destroys them, they are ppdiaig - eaten, eaten by people, for it is said: Property is multiplied, multiplied and those who consume it, Ecclesiastes 5:10. They are devoured by mice and other pests, worms start in manna; or they become moldy, musty, spoiled, covered with dirt; fruits rot quickly. If by treasures we mean silver and gold, then they grow dull, wear out from use, and deteriorate when stored (James 5:2,3);
rust appears in the metal itself, and moths in the clothes themselves.
Note: Worldly riches themselves contain elements of destruction and corruption, they dry out by themselves and make wings for themselves.
(2) From external violence. Thieves break in and steal. The robber always seeks to penetrate into that house where treasures are accumulated; nothing can be so securely hidden, hidden, that it cannot be stolen. Numquam ego fortunate credidi, etiam si videretur pacem agere; omnia illa quae in me indulgentissime conferebat, honores, gloriam, eo loco posui, unde posset ea, since metu meo, repetere - I never relied on fate, even if it seemed favorable to me; no matter how generously she gave me her blessings, whether it be wealth, honor or glory, I disposed of them in such a way that she, depriving me of them, did not cause me any anxiety. Seneca. console. ad Helv. It's crazy to make something that can be so easily stolen from us as your treasure.
3. Good advice is to look for the joys and glory of the other world, to look for your treasure in invisible and eternal things and to place your happiness in them. Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.
Note:
(1.) There are treasures in heaven as well as on earth, and these heavenly treasures are the only true treasures. In the hand of God are the riches, glory, and enjoyment that truly sanctified souls find when they reach perfect holiness.
(2.) We act wisely when we lay up our treasure in heaven, heavenly treasure, when we make every effort to secure for ourselves the right to eternal life in Christ, when we live in this hope and look at all earthly things with holy contempt, as if they were nothing. incomparable to eternal life. We must firmly believe that such bliss exists and resolve not to be satisfied with anything less than it. As we make the treasures of heaven our own and gather them up, we can hope that God will keep them for us. Let us turn all our thoughts there, direct all our desires there, and direct all our efforts and best feelings. Let us not burden ourselves with money, which only burdens, corrupts, and will surely ruin us, but let us store up good pledges. The promises are bills of exchange by which all true believers send their treasures to heaven as solvent in the coming Kingdom. In this way, we will secure a secure future for ourselves.
(2) It is a great encouragement to us in laying up treasures in heaven that they are perfectly safe there: they will not rot, neither moth nor rust will destroy them, thieves will not break in and steal, no power and no deception do not deprive us of them. To have an incorruptible inheritance, not dependent on any changes and accidents of this age, is the highest happiness.
4. The reason why we should choose the treasures of heaven and not of earth, and evidence that we have done so (v. 21): Where your treasures are, on earth or in heaven, there your heart will be also. We must be wise in choosing our treasure, because the mood of our mind, and therefore the course of our whole life, will be respectively carnal or spiritual, earthly or heavenly. The heart reaches out to treasure like a needle to a magnet, or like a sunflower to the sun. Where the treasure is, there is what we cherish and what we value, what we love and what we are attached to (Colossians 3:2), all our desires, goals and intentions are directed there, and everything is done with the thought of it. Where the treasure is, there is our care and fear of losing it, all our attention is focused on it, there is our hope and our hope (Prov. 8:10,11), there will be our joy and delight (Ps 119:111), there will be thoughts ours: innermost thought, first thought, involuntary thought, constant thought, frequent thought, habitual thought. The heart by right belongs to God (Prov. 23:26), and in order for him to have it, our treasure must be laid with him, and then our souls will be lifted up to him.
This instruction regarding the laying up of treasures may well be connected with the previous warning that we should not do any pious deeds so that people can see. Our treasures are our alms, prayers and fasts, as well as the reward that we get for them. If we do all this just to get approval from people, then we collect treasures on earth for ourselves, give it into human hands and never hear anything about it again. But this is madness, for the praise of man, which we so crave, is also subject to corruption: it rusts, is eaten by moths, and tarnishes; a little foolishness, like a dead fly, can ruin everything, Ecclesiastes 10:1. Gossip and slander are like thieves who break in and steal, and we lose the treasure of our deeds - we ran in vain, we labored in vain, because we labored with wrong intentions. The hypocrites, by their service, will gather nothing in heaven (Isaiah 58:3), when their soul is called to God, they will not receive a reward for it. But if we pray and fast and give alms sincerely and faithfully, looking to God, with a desire to please Him and prove ourselves to Him, then we lay up treasures in heaven, for a book of remembrance is written before His face, (Mal. 3:16) and our deeds written in it will be rewarded, we will gladly meet them again on the other side of death and the grave. The hypocrites are written in the dust (Jer. 17:13), but the names of the faithful children of God are written in heaven, Luke 10:20. God's approval is a treasure in heaven that cannot be spoiled or stolen. His approval will stand forever, and if we lay our treasure in heaven with God, then our heart will be with Him. Where else is there a better place?
II. We must beware of hypocrisy and worldly inclinations in choosing the goal towards which our eyes are directed. Our concern for this is here represented by a pure and evil eye, v. 22-23. The expressions used here are not entirely clear, due to their brevity, so we will consider them in various interpretations. The lamp for the body is the eye, this is understandable: the eye sees and directs, without this lamp we would have very little use for the luminary of the world; a bright look gladdens the heart (Proverbs 15:30), but here it is compared with an eye in the body:
1. The eye, that is, the heart (as some understand). A pure heart - haplous - is a generous and merciful heart (this is how this word is translated in Rom. 12:8; 2 Cor. 8:2; 9:11; Jas. 1:5; we read about a generous heart in Prov. 22:9). If the heart is generous, inclined towards goodness and mercy, then it will induce a person to Christian deeds, all his behavior will be full of light, full of proofs and manifestations of true Christianity, pure and blameless piety before God and the Father (James 1:27), full of light good works, which are the light that shines before men. But if the heart is evil, covetous, cruel and envious, miserly and quarrelsome (such a disposition is often expressed by the words an envious eye, ch. 20:15; Mk. 7;22; Prov. all human behavior will be non-Christian, pagan. The deceitful also have disastrous actions, but the honest one thinks about honesty, Isaiah 32:5-8. If the light that is in us, that is, the inclinations that should impel us to good deeds, is darkness, if they are vicious and worldly, if there is nothing good in a person, not even good inclinations, then how great is the corruption of this person and how great is the darkness in which it is located. This meaning seems to agree with the context: we are to lay up treasures in heaven, giving alms generously, not with chagrin, but with joy, Luke 12:33; 2 Corinthians 9:7. However, in a parallel passage, the words about the eye are not given for this reason (Luke 11:34), so the connection with the context here in Matthew does not unequivocally determine the meaning of these words.
2. The eye, that is, understanding (as others understand it), practical prudence, conscience, which plays the same role for other faculties of the soul as the eye does for the body, controlling its movements. So, if your eye is pure, if it makes right and just decisions, is able to distinguish good from evil, especially in the matter of collecting treasures (how to right choice in this), then it is able to correctly guide feelings and actions, and they are filled with the light of grace and comfort. But if the eye is evil and perverted, if it, instead of controlling base feelings, is influenced by them, if it is led astray and makes mistakes, then the heart and life will be full of darkness and all human behavior will be wrong. It is said that he who does not understand walks in darkness, Ps. 81:5. It is sad when the spirit of a man that should be the lamp of the Lord turns out to be a wandering light, when the leaders of the people and the leaders of souls lead astray, for in such a case those who are led by them will perish, Isaiah 9:16. Errors of practical judgment are fatal, they lie in the fact that evil is called good, and good is evil (Isaiah 5:20), so we must take care of the correct understanding of things, of anointing the eyes with eye ointment.
3. Eye, that is, goals and intentions. With our eyes we set before ourselves the target, the target at which we shoot, the place towards which we are going, we keep this in our field of vision and direct our movements accordingly. In all our religious affairs we pursue this or that goal, our eye is fixed on something. So, if our eye is pure, if our goals are honest and just, if we correctly follow them, if our aspirations are pure and directed only to the glory of God, if we seek His honor and favor for ourselves, if we direct everything towards this, then the eye ours is clean. Such was Paul's eye when he said, "To me life is Christ." If everything is in order with us in this matter, then our whole body is light, all our actions are correct and noble, pleasing to God and bring us comfort. But if our eye is evil, if, instead of seeking the glory of God and His approval, we look around, seeking praise from people, if, professing the worship of God, we worship ourselves and, pretending to seek Christ, we really seek of his own, then everything is defiled by this, all our behavior will be perverted and unstable, - since the foundation is not laid evenly, then in the building itself there can be nothing but disorder and everything bad. Draw lines from the circle to any point outside the center of the circle and they will intersect. If the light that is in you is not just dim, but darkness itself, then this is a fundamental mistake, destructive to everything else. The goal determines the action. The most important thing in religion is to be truthful, sincere in your aims, to make your aim not the visible but the invisible, 2 Corinthians 4:18. A hypocrite is like a rower who looks one way and rows the other way, but a true Christian is like a traveler who goes to his goal. The hypocrite soars high like a kite, but his eyes are fixed on the prey, to which he is ready to descend as soon as an opportunity arises. A true Christian is like a lark that rises higher and higher, forgetting what is left below.
III. We must beware of hypocrisy and worldliness also in choosing the master we intend to serve, v. 24. No one can serve two masters. A man with a pure eye cannot serve two masters, for the eyes of a servant are fixed on the hand of his master, Ps. 112:2. Our Lord Jesus exposes here the self-deception of those who think they can be divided between God and the world, have treasure on earth and treasure in heaven, please God and please men. "Why not? say the hypocrites. “It’s good to have a lot of means to achieve your goals.” They want to force their piety to serve their worldly interests, to turn all means to their advantage. Pretending to someone else's child, she agreed to cut him, the Samaritans mixed the service of God and idols. “No,” says Christ, “it is impossible, it is only a figment of the imagination, as if godliness is for profit” (1 Tim 6:5). It is given here:
1. Statement of the general rule. Among the Jews, there was probably a saying in use: No one can serve two masters, and even more so two gods, for their commands will someday intersect or contradict each other, and their interests will come into collision. As long as two masters walk side by side, a servant can serve both, but if they separate, you will see to whom he belongs, he will not be able to love both, serve and remain faithful to both. If one, then not the other, either one or the other he will hate and despise in comparison with the other. In everyday life, this is a fairly simple and understandable truth.
2. Application of this truth to the subject under consideration. You cannot serve God and mammon. Mammon is a Syriac word meaning profit. Everything that is or is considered by us in this world as profit, profit, is mammon, Phil 3:7. Everything that is in the world - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life, is mammon. For some mammon is their womb, and they serve it (Phil 3:19), for other mammon their rest, sleep, entertainment (Prov 6:9), for the third - earthly wealth (Pak 4:13);
for the Pharisees, Mammon was honors and privileges, human praise and approval. In a word, mammon is our ego, a sensual, secular “I”, the focus of the trinity of this world: joint service to mammon and God is impossible, because service to mammon will necessarily lead to rivalry and contradiction with service to God. The Lord does not say that we should not or that we should not serve, but that we cannot serve God and mammon; we will not be able to love both (1 John 2:15; Park 4:4), hold on to both, or give attention to both, obedience, trust, depend on both, for they are completely opposite to each other. God says, "My son, give me your heart." Mammon says, "No, give it to me." God says, "Be content with what you have." Mammon says, “Grab whatever you can. Rem, rem, quoncunque modo rem - Money, money, honest means or dishonest, but money. God says, "Don't cheat, don't lie, be honest and just in all your dealings." Mammon says, "Deceive your own father if it benefits you." God says, "Be merciful." Mammon says: "Keep everything to yourself, these alms will completely ruin." God says, "Don't worry about anything." Mammon says: "Everything must be taken care of." God says, "Holy the Sabbath." Mammon says, "Use this day like any other, for peace." So conflicting are the commands of God and Mammon that we cannot serve both. So let us no longer vacillate between God and Baal, but let us now choose whom we want to serve, and let us firmly hold on to our choice.
Verses 25-34. There is hardly any sin against which our Lord Jesus warns His disciples more fully and more earnestly, against which He arms them with a greater variety of arguments, than the sin of restless, anxious, tormenting cares about earthly needs, which is a bad sign that our treasure and heart ours are on the ground. That's why He dwells on it so extensively. Here are:
I. Prohibition. The Lord Jesus advises and commands that we should not care about earthly things: "I tell you." He says this as our Legislator, as the King of our hearts, and as our Comforter, who contributes to our joy. What does He tell us? He who has ears, let him hear what He says. Care not for your soul, nor for your body, v. 25. Do not worry and do not say: "What shall we eat?" (Article 31). Don't worry, meme PT1mute - don't worry, st. 34. Both against hypocrisy and against worldly cares, the warning is repeated three times, and this is not an empty repetition: commandment upon commandment, rule upon rule are given for the same purpose, and yet this is not enough. This is the sin that stumps us. The repeated warning against him means that Christ wants us to live without worries, and that this is in our own interests. The Lord Jesus repeats the command three times to His disciples, so that they do not tear their souls apart with worries about worldly things. There are such worldly concerns that are not only legal, but also obligatory, and they are approved in a virtuous wife. See Prov. 27:23. The same word is used of Paul's concern for the churches, and Timothy's concern for the state of souls, 2 Corinthians 11:28; Phil 2:20.
But the following concerns are prohibited:
1. Restless, tormenting thoughts, leading our minds into confusion, into a state of anxious expectation, preventing us from rejoicing in God and clouding our hope in Him; they disturb our sleep, hinder our comfort in ourselves, in our friends, and in what God has given us.
2. Worries bordering on despair and disbelief. God promised to provide His children with everything necessary both for life and for piety, to provide food and clothing for this temporary life, not delicacies, but essential goods. He never said, "They will feast," but, "Truly, they will be satisfied." So, excessive anxiety about the future and fear of want arises from distrust of the promises, wisdom and goodness of Divine Providence, which is the evil of such concerns. As for the means of subsistence for this day, we can and must use legal means to obtain them, otherwise we tempt God. We must work hard, balance our income wisely with our expenses, and pray for our daily bread. When there is no other way, we can and should seek help from those who are able to provide it. He who said that he was ashamed to ask (Luke 16:3) was not one of the best of the human race, not like one who desired to feed on crumbs (v. 21). But as for the future, we must cast our cares on God and not care about anything, because it looks like distrust of God, who knows how to meet our need, but we do not know how to do it. May our souls rest in peace! This blessed carelessness is the same as the sleep which God gives to his beloved, in contrast to those who are weighed down by the labors of the world, Ps. 116:2. Notice the caveats here:
(1) Don't worry about your soul. Life is the greatest value in this world. Everything that a person has, he is ready to give for his life. And yet, you shouldn't take care of it.
Don't care about its duration; leave it to God to lengthen or shorten it as He pleases. My days are in Your hand, and this hand is kind.
Not to care about the comforts of this life; leave it to God to make it bitter or sweet as He pleases. We need not worry even about the necessary provision of this life, about food and clothing, for God has promised us all this, and we can confidently expect from Him. Don't say, "What shall we eat?" So say people who are in a difficult situation and almost despaired, while many good people who have little prospects for the future have everything they need in the present.
(2) Do not worry about tomorrow, that is, the future. Do not worry about your future, how you will live next year, in your old age, or what you will leave behind. Just as we should not boast about tomorrow, so we should not worry about it, about what will happen tomorrow.
II. Reasons and arguments reinforcing this prohibition. It would seem that one command of Christ should be enough to keep us from this insane sin of restless, anxious worries, regardless of the comfort of our souls, which they directly concern. But, desiring to show how close it is to his heart, and what satisfaction he finds in those who trust in his mercy, Christ supports his command with strong arguments. If we listen to the voice of reason, we will definitely try to free ourselves from these thorns. To help us get rid of and drive away worrying thoughts, Christ invites us to fill our minds with comforting thoughts. It is worth working on our own heart to convince it to leave disturbing thoughts and make ourselves ashamed of them. Worrying thoughts can be eased by reason, but they can only be overcome by active faith.
1. Isn't the soul more than food and the body more than clothes? (Article 25). Yes, no doubt it is; it is He who understands the true value of all things, for He Himself created them, holds them, and sustains us with them. Besides, things speak for themselves.
Note:
(1.) Our life is much more precious than the means that support it. It is true that life cannot exist without the necessary means; but food and clothing, which are here presented as less valuable than soul and body, are food and clothing that serve to delight and adorn, for it is these that we tend to care for. Food and clothing are meant to sustain life, and the end is always superior to and nobler than the means. The finest food and the finest clothing came from the earth, and our life comes from the breath of God. Human life is a lamp, and food is only oil that sustains the light, so that the difference between the rich and the poor is very small: in the main they are equal and differ only in the inessential.
(2) Trust in God, who provides us with food and clothing, should encourage us and free us from anxious cares. God gave us life and gave us a body, it was an act of His power and His favor, and He did it without any care on our part. Having done all this, what will He be unable or unwilling to do for us? If we care about our soul, about eternity, which is much more important than the body and its life, then we can entrust the care of food and clothing, which are less than the life of the body, to God. God has sustained our lives to this day, even if sometimes only with beans and water, even that served the purpose. He protected and kept our lives. He who guards us from the evils to which we are subject in this world will also provide us with all the good that we need. If He wanted to kill us or starve us to death, He would not have commanded His angels to guard us.
2. Look at the birds of the air and look at the lilies of the field. Here, as an argument, the Lord cites God's care for the lower creatures and their trust, to the best of their ability, in His Providence. What has fallen man come to, that he is sent to the school of the birds of the sky, that they may teach him! (Job 12:7,8).
(1.) Look at the birds, and learn from them to trust in God for food (v. 26), do not worry yourself about what you have.
Watch how God takes care of them. Look at them and learn. There are different types of birds, many of them, some of them predatory, but they all get food suitable for them and are satiated. Few of them starve to death, even in winter, and it takes a lot of food to feed them all year round. Birds serve man less than all other creatures, therefore he cares least of all about them; people often eat birds, but rarely feed them. However, they are full, and we do not know how. Some of them feed best in the most severe winter, and your Heavenly Father feeds them. He knows all the wild birds on the mountains better than you know your own in your own yard, Ps. Not a single bird descends to the earth for a grain without God's providence, extending to the most insignificant creations. But the main thing that we are obliged to pay attention to is that they eat without caring or bothering about it in the least: they neither sow, nor reap, nor gather into barns. The ant and the bee work and give us an example of prudence and industry, but the birds of the air do not work, they do not make any provision, and yet every day food is prepared for them, and their eyes are fixed on God, this great and good steward, who provides food for all flesh.
Let us derive from this encouragement for ourselves in our hope in God. Are you much better than them? Yes, you are definitely better than them.
Note, The heirs of heaven are much better than the birds of the air, nobler and more excellent than them, and by faith they can soar above them. In their nature and development they are much higher than the birds, they are wiser than the birds of the air, Job 35:11. Although the sons of this age, who do not know the judgments of God, are not as wise as the stork, the crane, and the swallow (Jer. 8:7), yet you are dearer to God and nearer to Him than the birds that fly in the firmament of heaven. He is the Creator and Lord for them, their Lord and Master, but for you, above all this, He is also the Father, in His eyes you are much better than them. You are His children, His firstborn, and if He feeds His birds, much less will He let His children die of hunger. Birds trust in your Father's care, can't you trust Him? Relying on Him, they do not care about tomorrow and therefore live a joyful life, like all creation: they sing among the branches (Ps 113:12) and praise their Creator with all their might. If we, living by faith, were not as concerned about tomorrow as they were, we could sing just as joyfully as they do, for it is worldly concerns that darken our joy and our joy and drown out our praise.
(2) Look at the lilies of the field, and learn from them how to trust God in the matter of clothing. This is another part of our concern, what to wear to cover our body for the sake of decency and to keep it warm for the sake of protection from the cold. But many do it for the sake of decorating their appearance, for the sake of giving it a stately appearance, to look important and beautiful; they care so much about the elegance and variety of clothes that this care becomes almost as daily for them as the care of their daily bread. So, to get rid of these worries, look at the lilies of the field, not just look at them (everyone does this with pleasure), but think about them.
Note, There are many useful lessons to be learned from what we see every day, if we only meditate on what we see, Prov. 6:6; 24:32.
Think how fragile these lilies are, this is the grass of the field. Although it is distinguished by a variety of colors, it remains just grass. So all flesh is grass: although some are endowed with both beauty of body and mind and worthy of all admiration, like lilies, yet they remain only grass, grass in their nature and constitution; they stand on the same level as everyone else. The days of man are at best like grass, like a flower in the field, 1 Peter 1:24. This grass exists today, and tomorrow it is thrown into the oven; a little while later our place no longer recognizes us. The grave is a fire into which we shall be thrown, and we shall perish in it, like grass in fire, Ps. 49:15. That is why we should not worry about tomorrow, what to wear, because tomorrow, perhaps, we will be dressed in a shroud.
Consider that the lilies are free from all worries, they do not work like men to earn clothes, or like servants to earn a livery. They do not spin like women do to make clothes. It does not follow that we should neglect our duties or take our work lightly. A virtuous woman is praised for stretching out her hands to the spinning wheel, and her fingers taking the spindle, Prov. 31:19,24. To be idle, lazy means to tempt God, and not to trust in Him. But it follows from this that He who nourishes the lower creatures without any labor on their part will take much better care of us, blessing our work, to which He has obliged us. If we are unable to work and spin due to illness, then God will provide us with everything we need.
See how beautiful and tender the lilies are, how they grow and where they come from. The root of a lily or tulip, like other bulbous plants, is dead and buried under the ground in winter, but as soon as spring comes, it comes to life and quickly sprouts. That is why God promised Israel that they would bloom like a lily, Hos. 14:5. See how they grow. Rising from the darkness, they become so beautiful and smart in a few weeks that even Solomon in all his glory did not dress like any of them. Solomon's royal attire was extremely magnificent and magnificent: he who owned the treasures of kingdoms and provinces, who loved luxury and sophistication, had, of course, the richest clothes sewn by the best craftsmen, especially at a time when he was at the height of his glory. And yet, no matter how beautiful he put on, he was very far from the beauty of lilies, and a bed of tulips would have eclipsed his bed of ivory. Let us rather seek the wisdom of Solomon, in which no one has been able to surpass him (wisdom to do his duty in his place), rather than his glory, in which the lilies surpass him. The superiority of a person lies in his knowledge and virtues, and not in beauty and, moreover, not in fine clothes. It is said of God here that this is how He dresses the grass of the field.
Note, The excellencies of every creature proceed from God their Source. It was He who gave the horse its strength, the lilies its beauty; every creature is only as good as God made it good.
Let us see how instructive all this is for us, v. thirty.
First, regarding beautiful clothes. The example of the lily teaches us not to care about clothing, not to covet it, not to be proud of it, and not to make it our adornment, for, in spite of all our cares about it, lilies will far surpass us. We won't be able to dress as beautifully as they are, so why should we try to compete with them? Their beauty will soon perish, and so will our beauty; lilies will wither today, and tomorrow they will be thrown, like other garbage, into the fire. So the clothes that we are proud of wear out, lose their attractiveness, colors fade, style goes out of fashion. Such is the man in all his splendor (Isaiah 40:6,7), even the rich man (James 1:10) fades in his ways.
Secondly, regarding the necessary clothing. This example teaches us to leave the care of clothing to Jehovah God. Trust the One who dresses the lilies to clothe you too. If He dresses the grass so beautifully, how much more will He provide suitable clothes for His children, which will keep them warm, not only when He calms the earth with the south wind, but also when He disturbs her. north wind Job 37:17. He will clothe you all the more because you are a more excellent, more wonderful creation. If God so dresses the grass, the age of which is very short, how much more will He clothe you, who were created for immortality. If God preferred the Ninevites to the tree (Jonah 4:10), how much more so the sons of Zion, who are in covenant with Him. Notice how He calls them "the unfaithful" (v. 30). This can be understood:
1. As an encouragement to their sincere, albeit small, faith, which gives them the right to Divine care and the promise of the satisfaction of every need. Great faith deserves approval and produces great deeds, but even small faith is not rejected by the Lord, even if it gives a person only food and clothing. Sincere believers will be provided for, even if they are not strong in faith. Babies in the family are fed and dressed in the same way as adult members of it, and even with more care and tenderness, so do not say: "I'm just a baby, just a dry tree." But, most likely, this remark should be understood:
2. As a rebuke for their weak though sincere faith, ch. 14:31. This shows what lies at the root of our over-concern - weak faith and a remnant of unbelief. If we had more faith, we would have fewer worries.
3. And who among you, the wisest, the strongest, taking care, can add even one cubit to his height? (v. 27), add to his age, as some understand. However, a cubit measure signifies that here we are talking about growth, the longest life is just a span, Ps. 38:6. Let's think about that:
(1.) We grow and achieve a certain amount of growth, not by our own efforts or cares, but solely by God's care. An infant a few inches long grows into a man six feet tall; how did his height increase, elbow by elbow? Not by his own foresight or ingenuity, he grows, not knowing how it happens, grows by the power and grace of God. So, the One who created our bodies, and created them exactly this size, will certainly take care of them.
Note, It must be acknowledged that the increase of our bodily strength and growth is the work of God, and we must trust in his care for the means necessary for this, because he has shown us that he cares for our bodies. Adolescence is a thoughtless, carefree age, and yet we are growing. Is it possible that the One who raised us up to now will not take care of our further growth?
(2) We cannot change our height at will. How stupid and ridiculous it would be if a person of small stature was worried, did not sleep at night and racked his brains because of his height, constantly thinking how to increase it; he knows that all this is useless, so it is better to put up with such growth as it is. We are all different heights, but the difference in height between us is not so significant and does not matter much. A short person would like to be tall, but he knows that it is pointless to want this, and therefore he is content with him. So, what attitude we have to our physical growth, we should have the same attitude to our earthly condition.
We should not desire an abundance of earthly goods, as well as the addition of our height by a cubit - this is too much for a person; grow an inch - and that is quite a lot, but the addition of growth by a cubit would make a person clumsy, cumbersome and would be burdensome for himself.
We must resign ourselves to our material situation just as we resign ourselves to our height; we must oppose convenience to inconvenience, and thus turn necessity into virtue; what cannot be fixed must be accepted. We cannot change the decrees of Divine Providence, so we must agree with them, adapt to what He has provided for us, and, as far as possible, cope with our inconvenience, as Zacchaeus did when he climbed a tree.
4. Because all this is what the Gentiles seek, v. 32. Thinking about earthly things is a sin of the pagans, it is not proper for Christians to think about this. The pagans are looking for this, because they do not know the best, they are attached to this world, because the best world is alien to them, unknown. They seek all this anxiously, with anxiety, because they live without God (godless in this world) and do not understand His providence. They tremble before their idols and worship them, but cannot rely on their help and support, so they have to take care of everything themselves. But shame on Christians who are based on nobler principles, which the religion they profess teaches not only that there is God's Providence but that there are promises concerning earthly things, teaches him to trust God and despise the world, and gives good reasons for both; it is a shame for them to do as the pagans do, to fill their minds and hearts with earthly things.
5. And because your Heavenly Father knows that you need all this. Food and clothing are necessary things, and He knows our need for them better than we do; though he dwells in heaven, and his children on earth, yet he knows the needs of the smallest and poorest of his people (Rev. 2:9): I know your poverty. You are sure that if your good friend knew about your needs and difficulties, he would soon come to your aid. Your God knows about them, and He is your Father, who loves and pities you, and is ready to help you; He has the means to meet all your needs, so away from all anxious thoughts and worries, go to the Father, tell Him, He knows that you need all this, He asks you: “Children, do you have any food? » (John 21:5). Tell Him if there is or not. Though He knows our needs, yet He desires us to tell Him of them; having told Him everything, with a calm heart, rely on His wisdom, strength and goodness. We must lay aside our burdens and cast them on him, for he cares for us, 1 Peter 5:7. Why all our troubles? If He cares, why should we care?
6. Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all this will be added to you, v. 33. Here is a double argument against the sin of preoccupation. Do not worry about your life, about the life of the body, for:
(1.) You have something greater and better to look after, namely, the life of your soul, your eternal happiness. This is the only thing you need (Luke 10:42), which should occupy your thoughts, but which is usually neglected by those whose hearts are dominated by worldly concerns. If we were more concerned with pleasing God and working out our own salvation, we would be less concerned with pleasing ourselves and gaining a position in the world. Taking care of the soul is the most the best remedy against earthly concerns.
(2) You have a safer and easier, safer and shorter way to achieve everything necessary for this life than the path of endless cares and worries, namely, seek first the Kingdom of God, make religion the main business of your life. Don't say it's the best way to starve to death, no, it's the best way to provide for yourself well, even in this world. Note here:
Our great duty, which is the essence and totality of all our duties: "Seek first the Kingdom of God, religion should be your first and foremost concern." Our duty is to seek the Kingdom of God, that is, to desire it, to strive for it, and to make it our goal. This word “seek” speaks of that favor towards us that is the essence of the New Testament: although we have not achieved, although we have many failures and shortcomings, the Lord accepts our sincere search (careful care and sincere striving). Now let's notice
First, that the goal of these searches is the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. We must think of heaven as our goal and holiness as the way to it. “Seek the comforts of the Kingdom of grace and glory as your blessedness. Strive for the Kingdom of Heaven, strive to enter it, apply diligence to it, do not put up with the fact that you cannot reach it, seek its glory, honor and immortality. Prefer heaven and heavenly blessings to all earthly and all earthly pleasures. We gain nothing from our faith unless we gain heaven. Together with the bliss of the Kingdom of God, seek its righteousness, the truth of God, which God requires, so that it is accomplished in us and by us and so that it surpasses the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. We must have peace and holiness, Heb. 12:14.
Secondly, the sequence of searches. Seek first the Kingdom of God. Let your worries about own souls and the other world will take first place among all other concerns, subordinate all concerns about this life to concerns about the next life. We must seek not so much our own as what pleases Jesus Christ, and if our interests collide with His interests, then we must remember what should be given preference. “Seek God first. First of all - means at the very beginning of your life. Let the morning of your youth be dedicated to God. Seek wisdom early, it is very good when we become pious early. Seek Him first of all at the beginning of each day - let your first thought upon awakening be about God. Let it be your rule to do first what is most necessary, and give precedence to Him Who is First.
This requirement is supplemented by a generous promise: And this everything, everything necessary for the maintenance of your life, will be added to you, that is, it will be given beyond that. You will have what you seek, the kingdom of God and His righteousness - for he who seeks earnestly never seeks in vain - and besides this you will have food and clothing as a supplement, just as a buyer receives in addition to his purchase packing material - paper and twine. Godliness is profitable in all things, having the promise of the present and future life, 1 Tim. 4:8. Solomon asked for wisdom, and he received it, and much more besides, 2 Chronicles 1:11,12. Oh, what blessed changes would take place in our hearts and in our lives, if we firmly believed the truth that the best way to provide ourselves with everything necessary for life in this world is to strive most for the other world. We then set to work from the right end when we start it from God's end. If we exert diligence to achieve the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and leave everything that concerns earthly goods to the discretion of God (Jehovah Jira), then the Lord will provide us with them to the extent that He deems useful for us, and we must not wish for more. If we have entrusted to Him a share of our inheritance, which we strive for as our goal, then shall we not entrust to Him a share of our cup, which we drink on the way to this goal? God not only brought the people of Israel to Canaan, but also provided them with everything they needed during their journey through the wilderness. Oh, if we thought more about the invisible, the eternal, then we would worry less, there would be less need to worry about what is visible, what is temporary! And do not spare your things, Genesis 45:20,23. 7. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of its own: every day its own care is sufficient, v. 34. We should not worry too much about the future, because every day brings with it its own burden of worries and sorrows; if we look around us without fear that we will be left without the support of grace and reason for this day, then it will bring with it its strength and provision. So what it says here is:
(1.) That there is no need to worry about tomorrow: So let tomorrow take care of itself. If new needs and experiences arise every day, then help and support are also renewed every day. The mercy of God is renewed every morning, Pl. Jer 3:22,23. Saints have a Friend, He is their muscle with early morning He strengthens them every day (Isaiah 33:2) according to the ordinance of each day (Ezra 3:4) and thus keeps His people completely dependent on Himself. Let's leave tomorrow's work and tomorrow's burden on tomorrow's forces. Tomorrow, together with its needs, will be provided without us, why should we depress ourselves with worries about what has already been so wisely taken care of? This does not rule out prudent foresight and necessary preparations, but it forbids restless concern and anxiety about difficulties and troubles, which may not be at all, and if they happen, they can be easily overcome, we will be protected from them. This means: let us attend to today's duties and leave the course of events in the hands of God; Let us do today's work today and leave tomorrow's work to do.
(2.) That concern for the morrow is one of those foolish and harmful lusts into which the rich fall, and one of the many afflictions to which they subject themselves. Enough for every day of your worries. Every day has enough of its worries that require our attention, it is not worth increasing your burden with a premonition, foreseeing future experiences, there is no need to add worry about tomorrow's problems to today's experiences. It is not known what worries may be tomorrow, but whatever they may be, there will be plenty of time to think about them when they come. What folly is it to trouble ourselves today with those worries and fears that belong to another day and which will not be relieved by our worries when that day comes? Let us not take upon ourselves at once all that Providence has wisely distributed to bear in parts. From all that has been said, the conclusion follows that the will and commandment of our Lord Jesus is that His disciples should not torture themselves, that with gloomy forebodings they should not make their journey in this world more joyless and difficult than the difficulties intended for them by Christ Himself do. By our daily prayers, we can gain strength to endure our daily sorrows and arm ourselves against all the temptations that accompany them, and then nothing will lead us astray.
Commentaries (introduction) to the entire book "From Matthew"
Comments on Chapter 6
INTRODUCTION TO THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW
SYNOPTIC GOSPEL
The gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke are commonly referred to as synoptic gospels. synoptic comes from two Greek words that mean see together. Therefore, the above-mentioned Gospels received this name because they describe the same events from the life of Jesus. In each of them, however, there are some additions, or something is omitted, but, in general, they are based on the same material, and this material is also located in the same way. Therefore, they can be written in parallel columns and compared with each other.
After that, it becomes quite obvious that they are very close to each other. If, for example, we compare the story of the feeding of five thousand (Matt. 14:12-21; Mark. 6:30-44; Luke 5.17-26), it is the same story told in almost the same words.
Or take, for example, another story about the healing of a paralyzed (Matt. 9:1-8; Mark. 2:1-12; Luke 5:17-26). These three stories are so similar to each other that even introductory words, "said to the paralytic", stand in all three stories in the same form in the same place. The correspondences between all three gospels are so close that one has to either conclude that all three took material from the same source, or two based on a third.
FIRST GOSPEL
Studying the matter more carefully, one can imagine that the Gospel of Mark was written first, and the other two - the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke - are based on it.
The Gospel of Mark can be divided into 105 passages, of which 93 occur in Matthew and 81 in Luke. Only four of the 105 passages in Mark are found in neither Matthew nor Luke. There are 661 verses in the Gospel of Mark, 1068 verses in the Gospel of Matthew, and 1149 verses in the Gospel of Luke. At least 606 verses from Mark are given in the Gospel of Matthew, and 320 in the Gospel of Luke. Of the 55 verses of the Gospel of Mark, which not reproduced in Matthew, 31 yet reproduced in Luke; thus, only 24 verses from Mark are not reproduced in either Matthew or Luke.
But not only the meaning of the verses is conveyed: Matthew uses 51%, and Luke uses 53% of the words of the Gospel of Mark. Both Matthew and Luke follow, as a rule, the arrangement of material and events adopted in the Gospel of Mark. Sometimes there are differences in Matthew or Luke from the Gospel of Mark, but they are never both were different from him. One of them always follows the order that Mark follows.
IMPROVEMENT OF THE GOSPEL FROM MARK
In view of the fact that the Gospels of Matthew and Luke are much larger than the Gospel of Mark, one might think that the Gospel of Mark is a summary of the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. But one fact indicates that the Gospel of Mark is the earliest of them all: if I may say so, the authors of the Gospels of Matthew and Luke improve on the Gospel of Mark. Let's take a few examples.
Here are three descriptions of the same event:
Map. 1.34:"And He healed many suffering from various diseases; expelled many demons."
Mat. 8.16:"He cast out the spirits with a word and healed all sick."
Onion. 4.40:"He laying on everyone of them hands, healed
Or take another example:
Map. 3:10: "For many he healed."
Mat. 12:15: "He healed them all."
Onion. 6:19: "...power went out from him and healed them all."
Approximately the same change is noted in the description of Jesus' visit to Nazareth. Compare this description in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark:
Map. 6:5-6: "And he could do no miracle there... and marveled at their unbelief."
Mat. 13:58: "And he did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief."
The author of the Gospel of Matthew does not have the heart to say that Jesus could not perform miracles, and he changes the phrase. Sometimes the writers of the Gospels of Matthew and Luke omit little allusions from the Gospel of Mark that might somehow belittle the greatness of Jesus. The gospels of Matthew and Luke omit three remarks found in the gospel of Mark:
Map. 3.5:"And looking at them with anger, grieving for the hardness of their hearts..."
Map. 3.21:"And when his neighbors heard him, they went to take him, for they said that he had lost his temper."
Map. 10.14:"Jesus was indignant..."
All this clearly shows that the Gospel of Mark was written before the others. It gave a simple, lively, and direct account, and the writers of Matthew and Luke were already beginning to be influenced by dogmatic and theological considerations, and therefore chose their words more carefully.
TEACHINGS OF JESUS
We have already seen that there are 1068 verses in Matthew and 1149 verses in Luke, and that 582 of them are repetitions of verses from the Gospel of Mark. This means that there is much more material in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke than in the Gospel of Mark. A study of this material shows that more than 200 verses from it are almost identical in the authors of the Gospels of Matthew and Luke; For example, passages such as Onion. 6.41.42 and Mat. 7.3.5; Onion. 10.21.22 and Mat. 11.25-27; Onion. 3.7-9 and Mat. 3, 7-10 almost exactly the same. But here is where we see the difference: the material that the writers of Matthew and Luke took from the Gospel of Mark deals almost exclusively with events in the life of Jesus, and these additional 200 verses, common to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, do not concern that Jesus did, but that he spoke. It is quite obvious that in this part the authors of the Gospels of Matthew and Luke drew information from the same source - from the book of sayings of Jesus.
This book no longer exists, but theologians called it KB, What does Quelle mean in German? source. In those days, this book must have been extremely important, because it was the first anthology on the teachings of Jesus.
THE PLACE OF THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW IN THE GOSPEL TRADITION
Here we come to the problem of Matthew the apostle. Theologians agree that the first gospel is not the fruit of Matthew's hands. A person who witnessed the life of Christ would not need to turn to the Gospel of Mark as a source of information about the life of Jesus, as does the author of the Gospel of Matthew. But one of the first church historians named Papias, Bishop of Hierapolis, left us the following extremely important news: "Matthew collected the sayings of Jesus in Hebrew."
Thus, we can consider that it was Matthew who wrote the book from which all people should draw as a source if they want to know what Jesus taught. It is because so much of this source book was included in the first gospel that it was given the name Matthew. We should be eternally grateful to Matthew when we remember that we owe him the Sermon on the Mount and almost everything we know about the teachings of Jesus. In other words, we owe our knowledge of the life events Jesus, and Matthew - the knowledge of the essence teachings Jesus.
MATTHEW-COLLECTOR
We know very little about Matthew himself. AT Mat. 9.9 we read about his calling. We know that he was a publican - a tax collector - and therefore everyone must have hated him terribly, because the Jews hated their fellow tribesmen who served the conquerors. Matthew must have been a traitor in their eyes.
But Matthew had one gift. Most of Jesus' disciples were fishermen and had no talent for putting words on paper, and Matthew must have been an expert in this business. When Jesus called Matthew, who was sitting at the tax office, he got up and, leaving everything but his pen, followed Him. Matthew used his literary talent nobly and became the first person to describe the teachings of Jesus.
GOSPEL OF THE JEWS
Let us now look at the main features of the Gospel of Matthew, in order to pay attention to this when reading it.
First and foremost, the Gospel of Matthew it is a gospel written for the Jews. It was written by a Jew to convert the Jews.
One of the main purposes of the Gospel of Matthew was to show that in Jesus all Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled and therefore He must be the Messiah. One phrase, a recurring theme, runs through the entire book: "It came to pass that God spoke through a prophet." This phrase is repeated in the Gospel of Matthew at least 16 times. Birth of Jesus and His Name - Fulfillment of Prophecy (1, 21-23); as well as the flight to Egypt (2,14.15); massacre of the innocents (2,16-18); Settlement of Joseph in Nazareth and education of Jesus there (2,23); the very fact that Jesus spoke in parables (13,34.35); triumphal entry into Jerusalem (21,3-5); betrayal for thirty pieces of silver (27,9); and casting lots for the garments of Jesus as He hung on the Cross (27,35). The author of the Gospel of Matthew set as his main goal to show that the Old Testament prophecies were embodied in Jesus, that every detail of the life of Jesus was foretold by the prophets, and, thereby, to convince the Jews and force them to recognize Jesus as the Messiah.
The interest of the author of the Gospel of Matthew is directed primarily to the Jews. Their conversion is nearer and dearer to his heart. To a Canaanite woman who turned to Him for help, Jesus first replied: "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (15,24). Sending the twelve apostles to proclaim the good news, Jesus said to them: "Do not go to the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter the city of the Samaritans, but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (10, 5.6). But one must not think that this gospel excludes the Gentiles in every possible way. Many will come from the east and the west and lie down with Abraham in the Kingdom of Heaven (8,11). "And the gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world" (24,14). And it is in the Gospel of Matthew that the Church is given the order to go on a campaign: "Go, therefore, make disciples of all the nations." (28,19). It is, of course, obvious that the author of the Gospel of Matthew is primarily interested in the Jews, but he foresees the day when all the nations will gather.
The Jewish origin and Jewish focus of the Gospel of Matthew is also evident in its relationship to the law. Jesus did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it. Even the smallest part of the law will not pass. Don't teach people to break the law. The righteousness of the Christian must surpass the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees (5, 17-20). The Gospel of Matthew was written by a man who knew and loved the law, and who saw that it has a place in Christian teaching. In addition, it should be noted the obvious paradox in relation to the author of the Gospel of Matthew to the scribes and Pharisees. He recognizes special powers for them: "The scribes and Pharisees sat on the seat of Moses; therefore, whatever they tell you to observe, observe and do" (23,2.3). But in no other gospel are they condemned so strictly and consistently as in Matthew.
Already at the very beginning we see the merciless exposure of the Sadducees and Pharisees by John the Baptist, who called them the offspring of vipers. (3, 7-12). They complain that Jesus eats and drinks with publicans and sinners (9,11); they claimed that Jesus cast out demons not by God's power, but by the power of the prince of demons (12,24). They plot to destroy him (12,14); Jesus warns the disciples not to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees (16,12); they are like plants that will be uprooted (15,13); they can't see the signs of the times (16,3); they are the killers of the prophets (21,41). In the whole New Testament there is no other chapter like Mat. 23, which condemns not what the scribes and Pharisees teach, but their behavior and way of life. The author condemns them because they do not at all correspond to the doctrine that they preach, and do not at all achieve the ideal established by them and for them.
The author of the Gospel of Matthew is also very interested in the Church. Of all the synoptic gospels, the word Church found only in the Gospel of Matthew. Only in the Gospel of Matthew is there a passage about the Church after Peter's confession in Caesarea Philippi (Matt. 16:13-23; cf. Mark 8:27-33; Luke 9:18-22). Only Matthew says that disputes should be decided by the Church (18,17). By the time the Gospel of Matthew was written, the Church had become a large organization and indeed a major factor in the lives of Christians.
In the Gospel of Matthew, an interest in the apocalyptic was especially reflected; in other words, to what Jesus said about His Second Coming, about the end of the world and the Day of Judgment. AT Mat. 24 a far fuller account of the apocalyptic discourses of Jesus is given than in any other gospel. Only in the Gospel of Matthew is there a parable about the talents (25,14-30); about the wise and foolish virgins (25, 1-13); about sheep and goats (25,31-46). Matthew had a special interest in the end times and the Day of Judgment.
But this is not the most important feature of the Gospel of Matthew. This is a highly inclusive gospel.
We have already seen that it was the Apostle Matthew who gathered the first assembly and compiled an anthology of Jesus' teachings. Matthew was a great systematizer. He collected in one place everything he knew about the teachings of Jesus on this or that issue, and therefore we find in the Gospel of Matthew five large complexes in which the teachings of Christ are collected and systematized. All these five complexes are connected with the Kingdom of God. Here they are:
a) The Sermon on the Mount or the Law of the Kingdom (5-7)
b) Duty of Kingdom Leaders (10)
c) Parables of the Kingdom (13)
d) Majesty and Forgiveness In the Kingdom (18)
e) The Coming of the King (24,25)
But Matthew not only collected and systematized. It must be remembered that he wrote in an era when there was no printing yet, when books were few and rare, because they had to be copied by hand. At such a time, relatively few people had books, and therefore, if they wanted to know and use the story of Jesus, they had to memorize it.
Therefore, Matthew always arranges the material in such a way that it is easy for the reader to remember it. He arranges the material in triplets and sevens: three messages of Joseph, three denials of Peter, three questions of Pontius Pilate, seven parables about the Kingdom in chapter 13, seven times "woe to you" to the Pharisees and scribes in chapter 23.
A good example of this is the genealogy of Jesus, which opens the gospel. The purpose of the genealogy is to prove that Jesus is the son of David. There are no numbers in Hebrew, they are symbolized by letters; moreover, in Hebrew there are no signs (letters) for vowel sounds. David in Hebrew will be respectively DVD; if these are taken as numbers and not as letters, they add up to 14, and the genealogy of Jesus consists of three groups of names, each with fourteen names. Matthew goes to great lengths to arrange the teaching of Jesus in such a way that people can absorb and remember it.
Every teacher should be grateful to Matthew, because what he wrote is, first of all, the gospel for teaching people.
The Gospel of Matthew has another feature: dominant in it is the thought of Jesus the King. The author writes this gospel to show the royalty and royal lineage of Jesus.
The bloodline must prove from the very beginning that Jesus is the son of King David (1,1-17). This title Son of David is used in the Gospel of Matthew more than in any other Gospel. (15,22; 21,9.15). Magi came to see the King of the Jews (2,2); Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem is a deliberately dramatized statement by Jesus of His rights as King (21,1-11). Before Pontius Pilate, Jesus consciously assumes the title of king (27,11). Even on the Cross above His head stands, albeit mockingly, the royal title (27,37). In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus quotes the law and then refutes it with royal words: "But I tell you..." (5,22. 28.34.39.44). Jesus declares: "All authority has been given to me" (28,18).
In the Gospel of Matthew we see Jesus the Man, born to be King. Jesus walks through its pages, as if dressed in royal purple and gold.
THE MOTIVE OF REWARD IN CHRISTIAN LIFE (Matt. 6:1-18 (continued))
As soon as we begin the study of chapter six, we are faced with the question: what place does the idea of reward occupy in the Christian life? In this passage, Jesus says three times that God will reward those who serve Him in His own way. (Matt. 6:4.6.18). This question is so important that it is better for us to stop here and deal with it before turning to the detailed study of the chapter.
It is often argued that the idea of reward has no place at all in the Christian life. It is believed that we must be good simply in order to be good, and that virtue will be the only reward, that the idea of retribution should be banished from the Christian life in general. One Christian said that he would put out all hellish fires with water and burn all heavenly joys with fire, so that people would strive for virtue solely for the sake of virtue, and in order to completely banish from life the idea of reward and the idea of punishment.
At first glance, this is a very beautiful and noble idea, but Jesus did not think so. We have already seen that Jesus speaks of retribution three times in this passage. The one who does alms correctly, who prays correctly, who fasts correctly will be rewarded.
And this is not the only instance in which the idea of reward occurs in Jesus' teaching. He says that great will be the reward of those who remain faithful in persecution, who endure insults without malice. (Matt. 5:12). Jesus says that whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup to drink cold water, in the name of the disciple, will not lose his reward (Mam. 10:42). At least part of the teaching of the parable of the talents is that the faithful servant will be rewarded. (Matt. 25:14-30). In the parable of the last judgment, the teaching is clear that a person can be rewarded or punished by how he responds to the needs of his fellow men. (Matt. 25:31-46). Jesus did not hesitate to talk about reward and punishment. And we must be especially careful not to try to become more spiritual than Jesus in the matter of reward. Some obvious facts should be noted.
1. Life clearly shows that all actions that do not achieve any result are useless and meaningless. Virtue and generosity that does not achieve the desired result is a meaningless virtue. As it is rightly said: "What is unsuitable for its intended purpose is useless." If there is no goal in the life of a Christian, the achievement of which brings him joy, it loses its meaning to a large extent. A person who believes in the Christian way of life and in the Christian promise cannot but believe that virtue will not bear fruit in the world to come.
2. To banish from religion any idea of reward and punishment is to say that, in the end, injustice will always prevail. It would be simply unreasonable to suppose that a good, virtuous person and a bad person meet the same end; this would mean that God is completely indifferent to whether a person is good or bad. Roughly speaking, this would simply mean that there is no point in being good and virtuous, and that there is no need for a person to lead such a lifestyle, and not another. To exclude from religion any idea of reward and punishment is to say that in God there is neither justice nor love.
Punishments and rewards are necessary to bring meaning to life.
1. The Christian Idea of Retribution
Having thus considered the idea of reward and reward in the Christian life, we need to be clear about a few things.
1. Speaking of reward, Jesus obviously did not mean material rewards. True, in the Old Testament the ideas of virtue and prosperity are closely linked. If a person prospered, if his fields were fertile and he got a good harvest, if he had many children and a large fortune - this was considered proof that he was a good person.
It is this failure that lies at the heart of the Book of Job. Job is out of luck. His friends come to him and claim that his misfortune is the result of his sin, and Job very passionately rejects such an accusation: “Remember, then,” says Eliphaz, “whether an innocent person perished, and where were the righteous uprooted?” (Job 4:7).“And if you are pure and upright,” said Bildad, “then today He will stand over you and pacify the dwelling place of your righteousness.” (Job 8:6).“You said: “My judgment is right, and I am pure in Your sight,” said Zophar, “but if God spoke and opened His mouth to you, and revealed to you the secrets of wisdom, what would you have to bear twice as much!” (Job 11:4-6). The book of Job was written to refute the idea that virtue goes hand in hand with success in life. “I was young, and I grew old,” said the psalmist, “and I did not see the righteous man left behind and his descendants asking for bread” (Ps. 36:25)."A thousand will fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand," says the psalmist, "but they will not come near you. Only you will look with your eyes and see the retribution of the wicked. For you said:" The Lord is my hope "; You chose the Most High as your refuge. evil will befall you, and the plague will not come near your dwelling" (Ps. 90:7-10). But Jesus would never say that. No, Jesus did not promise material prosperity to His disciples, but He promised them hard trial and misfortune, suffering, persecution and death. It is clear that Jesus was not thinking about material things here.
2. Still it is necessary to pay attention to the fact that the one who strives to acquire it never acquires the highest reward.
The man who is always seeking a reward, weighing and counting what he thinks he deserves, will not get the reward he seeks, because he has a wrong view of God and of life. A person who constantly calculates his reward sees God as a judge or an accountant, but looks at life in categories law. He thinks that he has done so much and deserved so much; that life is a ledger of income and expenses that will hand the bill to God and say, "Now I want my reward."
This approach is erroneous primarily because life is viewed in terms of law, not in categories love. When we deeply and passionately, timidly and self-sacrificingly love a person, then, no matter how much we give him, we will always consider that we are indebted to him; even if we give him the sun, the moon and all the stars, it will still not be enough. He who loves is always in debt, and the least of all can come to his mind is the thought that he deserves some kind of reward. Man talking about life in terms of law can constantly think about the reward he deserves; if a person looks at life in terms of love he would never have such a thought.
The greatest paradox of Christian recompense is this: the one who calculates what recompense is due to him will never receive it, but the person who is motivated only by love and who does not think at all that he is worthy of a reward will actually receive it. It is striking that Christian retribution is both the result of the Christian life and its ultimate goal.
2. Christian reward
And now we must ask ourselves the question: "What is the Christian reward?"
1. First, we will pay attention to one fundamental and well-known truth. We have already seen that Jesus Christ did not think about retribution in material terms at all. Retribution in the Christian life is a retribution only for spiritually and exalted people; for people concentrating on material values, this will not be a reward and a reward at all. Christian retribution is a retribution for Christians only.
2. The first Christian reward is satisfaction. Doing righteous deeds, obeying Jesus Christ, following His path gives a Christian satisfaction, whether he gets something for it or not. It may well be that a person, doing righteous deeds and obeying Jesus Christ, will lose his fortune and his position, end up in prison or even on the scaffold, end up in complete obscurity, notoriety, loneliness, but he will not lose inner satisfaction, which no one can take away from him. This satisfaction cannot be valued in currency and there is nothing equal to it in the whole world. It is the crown of life.
The English poet George Herbert organized with his friends something like an amateur musical orchestra. One day, on his way to a rehearsal, he passed a draft cab stuck in the mud. He put aside his musical instrument and hurried to the aid of the cabman; it took a long time and when they finished, Herbert was covered in mud, and when he came to his friends, it was already too late to make music. He explained to his friends the reason for the delay, and one of them said: "You missed all the music." "Yes," replied Herbert, "but at midnight I will be listening to songs." He was satisfied because he had done a Christian work.
Here's what they have to say about one of England's biggest plastic surgeons. During the war, he left his private practice, which gave him a lot of money, and devoted himself entirely to the restoration of the faces and bodies of pilots burned and mutilated in battle. "What is your purpose in life?" they asked him. "I want to be a good master," he replied. Big money did not go to any comparison with the satisfaction that selfless work brought him.
One day, a woman stopped a pastor in the street. "God bless you," she said, and without giving her name, she moved on, only thanking and blessing him. For a moment the pastor stood despondent. "But," he says, "the fog cleared, the sun came out, I breathed in the fresh and free wind of God's heights." Materially, he did not receive anything, but the deep satisfaction from the fact that he helped someone gave him countless treasures.
The first Christian reward is this satisfaction, which no amount of money can buy.
3. The second reward for a Christian is that he should do even more work. The paradox of the Christian reward lies in the fact that a job well done does not give the right to rest, peace and comfort, but brings with it even greater demands and requires even more energetic efforts. In the parable of the talents, the reward for the faithful servant was an even greater task. (Matt. 25:14-30). A brilliant young musician is given more difficult, rather than simpler, things to play. A boy who has played well in the second squad is not sent to the third squad, where he could calmly walk around the field, but to the first, where he will have to strive very, very hard. The Jews had interesting saying. They said that a wise teacher "treats the student like a young bull, gradually and daily increasing the load." The Christian reward, the Christian reward, is something quite different from the worldly reward. The worldly reward is that a person gets a simpler deed; the Christian reward is that God puts on man more and more difficult tasks that he must perform for Him and for his fellow men. The more difficult the task is entrusted to us, the greater the reward.
4. And finally, the third and last Christian reward is what people in all ages called vision of God. For a worldly person who has never thought about God, meeting with God will bring not joy, but horror. The man who walks his own way moves farther and farther away from God; the gulf between him and God widens and widens, until God finally becomes for him a gloomy stranger whom he would like to avoid meeting. And if a person has striven all his life to walk before God, if he has striven to obey his Lord, if he has always sought virtue, then all his life he becomes closer and closer to God, until he finally approaches, without any fear and with a radiant joy in the presence of God - and this is the greatest of all rewards.
RIGHT ACTIONS FROM BAD MOVEMENTS (Matt. 6:1)
In the sphere of religious life for a Jew there were three great, extremely important deeds: charity, prayer and fast. Jesus would not dispute this for a moment, but He was concerned that the most beautiful things are so often done from bad motives.
It is strange, but it is a fact that these three great deeds were often used by people for bad purposes. Jesus just warns that deeds that are performed solely out of vanity, in order to attract attention, lose their value. A person can give alms not to help a person, but to show everyone his generosity and enjoy the warmth of someone's gratitude and the praise of everyone. A person can also pray in such a way that his prayer is actually addressed not to God, but to his brothers; he can pray solely to show everyone his special piety. A person can fast not for the good of his soul, not in order to show his humility to God, but in order to demonstrate to the whole world how well he controls himself. A person can do good deeds only in order to receive the praise of people, to raise his prestige, to show the world his virtue.
In the eyes of Jesus and for such deeds, people will receive their reward. He says three times the phrase, which in the Bible is translated as follows: "Truly, I say to you, they already receive their reward." (Matt. 6:2.5.16). But it would be better to translate it like this: "They have already received their full." The Greek text uses the word apehein, and it was a special commercial term with the meaning received the full payment. This word was used on receipts for receipt. For example, one person gives another receipt: "I received (apeho) rent from you for the olive press you rented." The tax collector gave the following receipt: "I received (apeho) the tax due from you." A man sells a slave and gives this receipt: "I received (apeho) all the price due to me."
Jesus, in fact, says this: "If you give alms to show your generosity, you will achieve the admiration of people - you receive in full what is due to you. If you pray to flaunt your piety in front of people, then you will gain a reputation a very pious man, but that's all, and you get everything in full. If you fast in such a way that all people know about it, you will get a reputation for being moderate in food and ascetic, but that's all; it's your pay in full." That is, Jesus says: "If your only goal is to receive worldly reward, then you will certainly receive it, but do not expect a reward that only God alone can give." He who clings to fleeting rewards and misses the reward of eternity is an unfortunate and short-sighted person.
HOW NOT TO GIVE alms (Matt. 6:2-4)
Almsgiving and charity were the most sacred duties among the Jews. How holy these duties were is already shown by the fact that the Jews have one word tzedakah means at the same time righteous and alms. Giving alms meant being righteous. Giving alms meant gaining merit in the eyes of God and even receiving forgiveness for past sins.
The rabbis had a saying: "The one who gives alms is greater than the one who makes sacrifices." Charity was at the top of the list of good deeds.
And therefore, it is quite natural and inevitable that a person who wanted to be virtuous and good would diligently give alms. In its highest manifestation, the teachings of the rabbis corresponded with the teachings of Jesus. The rabbis were also against ostentatious beneficence. "He who gives alms in secret," they said, "is higher than Moses." In their opinion, such a good deed saves from death, "in which the recipient does not know from whom he receives, and the giver does not know to whom he gives." One rabbi, if he wanted to give alms, threw it back over his head so as not to see who would pick it up. "It is better," they said, "to give a man nothing, than to give him something and humiliate him with shame." There was such a beautiful custom in the Temple. There was a room called the Room of Silence; people who wanted to be cleansed for any sins left money there, from which they provided secret assistance to impoverished members of noble families.
But very often the practice was very different from the commandment. People gave alms in such a way that everyone could see the gift, and they gave more in order to bring glory to themselves than in order to help someone. During the service in the synagogue, sacrifices were collected for the poor, and many tried to do everything so that everyone could see how much they gave. Information about such an ancient oriental custom has been preserved: “There is so little water in the east that sometimes you need to buy it. If a person wanted to do a good deed and thereby earn a good deed for his family, he went to the water carrier and said to him:“ Give the thirsty one to drink. The water carrier filled his waterskin, went to the marketplace and shouted: "O thirsty ones, go to drink the sacrificial offering." And the one who sacrificed stood by and said: "Bless me, who gave you drink." hypocrites who do such things. hypocrite - it's in greek artist. Such people acted out the scene of almsgiving in order to become famous.
MOTIVATIONS FOR GIVING ALMS (Matt. 6:2-4 (continued))
Consider now the motives for which people gave alms.
1. A person can give from sense of duty. He can give, not because he wants to give, but because he feels that he cannot avoid the duty of giving. A person may even think, although unconsciously, that the poor exist in the world so that he can fulfill his duty and thereby have merit in the eyes of God.
In her autobiographical book Awakened, Catherine Carswell tells of her early days in Glasgow: "The poor, so to speak, were our favorites and darlings. They were decidedly always near us. We were taught to love, honor and entertain the poor." Giving was considered a duty, but charity was often associated with moral sermons and self-satisfied enjoyment of the giver. At that time, Glasgow was a drunken city on a Saturday night. Katherine Carswell writes: "During years my father went around the holding cells on Sunday afternoons, freeing Saturday drunks for fifty dollars so they wouldn't lose their jobs on Monday morning. He asked everyone to sign a vow and return his fifty kopeck piece from a week's salary. "He was absolutely right, no doubt, but he gave out of self-satisfied superiority and accompanied his good deed with a moral lecture. He considered himself to be a completely different moral category of people than those who were he gave. Of one great but arrogant man, someone said: "With what he gave, he never gave himself." When a person gives from above, as if from his pedestal, always with some calculation, when he gives from a sense of duty, even out of a sense of Christian duty, he may generously give things, but he never gives himself, and therefore his giving is not complete.
2. A person can give from prestigious motives. He can give in order to win the glory of the giver. Therefore, it may be that when no one finds out about it, or if it is not associated with wide publicity, he will not give it at all. If he is not thanked, or praised and honored, he will be sadly disappointed and annoyed. Such a man gives, not for the glory of God, but for his own glory; not to help the poor, but to satisfy their vanity and feel their strength and power.
3. A person can give simply because he should give, because the love and kindness that overwhelms his heart does not allow him to do otherwise. He gives because, no matter how hard he tries, he cannot get rid of his sense of responsibility for the needs of others.
The eighteenth century English writer Samuel Johnson was a very kind man. In his house lived the unfortunate creature Robert Levett, who was once a waiter in Paris and later became a doctor in the poor quarters of London. With his manners and behavior, he, as Johnson himself put it, "repelled the rich and scared the poor." And so he somehow settled in Johnson's house. Johnson's friend explained the situation this way: "He (Levett) is poor and honest, and this is very good recommendation for Johnson. He has become unhappy, and this secures Johnson's protection for him." Misfortune served Levett as a pass through the heart of Samuel Johnson.
James Boswell tells of Samuel Johnson: "While returning home one evening, he saw a poor woman lying in the street, so exhausted that she could no longer walk. He put her on his back and carried her to his home, where he learned that she was alone of women who fell to the very bottom of vice, sickness, and poverty.Instead of starting to sharply reproach and scold her, he tenderly cared for her for a long time, spending quite a lot of money until she recovered, and put a lot of effort into so that she embarks on the path of virtue." Johnson's reward was only unworthy suspicion, but his heart demanded that he give.
One of the most beautiful pictures in the history of literature is Samuel Johnson himself in a beggarly state, coming to the embankment in the predawn hours and thrusting pennies into the palms of vagrants and homeless people sleeping in the doorway and in the entrance. When once asked how he could bear to have his house filled with poor and unworthy people, Johnson replied: "If I did not help them, no one would help them, but they should not be lost due to the fact that They don't have the essentials." This is true giving, coming from the fullness of love in the human heart; a giving that comes, so to speak, from the fullness of God's love.
An example of such perfect giving is given to us in Jesus Christ Himself. Paul writes to his friends in Corinth: "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, he became poor for your sake, that you might be rich through his poverty" (2 Cor. 8:9). We should never associate our giving with a sense of inevitable duty and self-satisfaction, still less should it contribute to our glory or prestige among people; it must come from the abundance of a loving heart. We must give as Jesus Christ Himself gave.
HOW NOT TO PRAY (Matt. 6:5-8)
The Jews had the highest of all nations the ideal of prayer; in no religion has it been given such importance as in Judaism. "Strong is prayer," said the rabbis, "stronger than all good deeds." Another saying of the rabbis about prayer in the family circle is beautiful: "He who prays in his house surrounds it with walls that are stronger than iron." The rabbis only regretted that it was impossible to pray all day.
But certain shortcomings crept into the custom of praying among the Jews. Here it should be noted that these shortcomings are by no means peculiar only to the Jewish conception of prayer; they can occur everywhere, but they could only occur in a society where prayer was taken very seriously. These shortcomings are not at all due to carelessness or neglect; they spring from misunderstood piety.
1. Prayer became more and more formal. The Jews were prescribed two things to pray daily.
Firstly, shema, which consists of three passages of Scripture: Deut. 6.4-9; 11:13-21; Number 15:37-41. Shema - is the imperative mood of the Hebrew verb with the meaning listen and it takes its name from the verse which is the essence and central point of all: "Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one."
Every Jew had to read the entire prayer every morning and every evening. It had to be read as early as possible, when there was enough light to distinguish blue from white, in any case before the third hour, that is, before 9 o'clock in the morning, and before 9 o'clock in the evening. When the last moment came, when it was still possible to read shemu, wherever a person was - at home, on the street, at work, in the synagogue - he had to stop and say it.
many loved Shemu and repeated it with a feeling of reverence, admiration and love, but even more people quickly and incomprehensibly pronounced it and went on their way, and Shema could well turn into a meaningless repetition, like a magic formula and a spell. It is not for us Christians to criticize, because everything that has been said about formal muttering Shema, and can be attributed to a prayer that is read before dinner in many homes.
In addition, every Jew should have read Shemonech esrech that means eighteen. It consisted of eighteen prayers and was, and still is today, an important part of the service in the synagogues. Over time, the number of prayers increased to nineteen, but the name remained the same. Most of these prayers are small in length and almost all of them are downright beautiful. So, the twelfth prayer sounds like this:
"Show, O Lord, Your mercy to the honest, obedient elders of Your chosen people Israel, and to the remnants of their teachers; be favorable to the pious foreigners living among us and to all of us. Reward those who sincerely believe in Your name and let it come true our destiny in the world to come, and may our dreams not be in vain. Blessed are You, O Lord, the hope and faith of those who believe."
And the fifth prayer goes like this:
"Turn us back to Your law, O our Father; turn us back, O King, to Your service; turn us back to You through true repentance. Blessed are You, O Lord, who accepts our repentance."
There is no more beautiful liturgy in the Church than that which was in Shemonekh esreh. According to the law, the Jews had to read them three times a day: in the morning, at noon and in the evening. And here the same thing happened: a pious Jew read them with love and piety, and for many this collection of beautiful prayers became formal mumbling. A sort of summary was drawn up that a person could read if he did not have time, or if he could not memorize and repeat all eighteen prayers. Repetition Shimoneh esreh became nothing more than a superstitious spell and magic formula. And again, it is not proper for us Christians to engage in criticism, because we often do exactly the same thing with the prayers that we have learned.
2. In addition, in the Jewish liturgy there were ready-made prayers for all occasions. There was hardly such an event or circumstance in life for which there would not be a ready prayer: prayers before each meal and after each meal; prayers concerning light, fire, lightning; at the sight of a new moon or comets; on the occasion of rain or storm; at the sight of the sea, lakes, rivers; when receiving good news; on the occasion of the purchase of new furniture; when entering the city or when leaving it. There was a prayer for every occasion. There was, of course, something beautiful about it: behind it was the desire to bring all aspects of life into the presence of God.
But precisely because the prayers were so precisely prescribed and worked out, the whole system tended to be formalized and there was a danger that the prayers would slip out of the tongue without any meaning. There was a tendency to glibly say the right prayer at the right time. The great rabbis knew this and tried to warn against it.
“If a person,” they said, “reads a prayer as if he needs to complete a task assigned to him, then this is not a prayer at all.” "Don't look at prayer as formal duty but as an act of humility, in order thereby to obtain mercy." Rabbi Eliezer was so alarmed by the danger of formalism that he took it upon himself to compose a new prayer every day so that his prayers would not be repeated. It is quite obvious that this danger threatens not only Judaism.
3. Moreover, the devout Jew had fixed hours of prayer. These were the third, sixth, and ninth hours, that is, at 9 o'clock in the morning, 12 o'clock, and 3 o'clock in the afternoon. Wherever a person was at that time, he had to pray. Of course, he could really remember God, or he could perform the usual formality. These are the customs of modern Muslims. It is wonderful when a person remembers God three times, but there is a danger that this will come down to the fact that he will only quickly mutter his prayer without thinking about God at all.
4. There was a tendency to associate prayers with certain places, especially the synagogue. No doubt there are places where God seems especially close, but some rabbis went so far as to say that prayer has the desired effect only if it is said in the Jerusalem Temple or in the synagogue, and therefore it has become a habit to go to the Temple at hours prayers. In the early days Christian Church even the disciples of Jesus thought in these terms, because we read that Peter and John went together to the Temple at the ninth hour of prayer (Acts 3:1).
There was a danger in this that a person would begin to think that God is associated with certain holy places, and that he will forget that the whole world is the Temple of God. The wisest of the rabbis saw this danger. They said, "God says to Israel, 'Pray in the synagogue of your city; if you can't, pray in the field; if you cannot, pray in your house; if you can't, pray in your bed; if you can't, talk to your heart on your bed, and be silent."
The danger of any system lies not in the system itself, but in the people who use it. A person can turn any system of prayer into an instrument of piety or into a formality that must be clearly and without hesitation carried out.
5. The Jews had an obvious tendency to long prayers, which, however, is also characteristic not only of the Jews. In Scotland in the eighteenth century, the duration of worship was identified with piety. We read Scripture for an hour, then another hour of sermon. The prayers were long and impromptu. The effectiveness of prayer was judged by zeal and fluency, and no less by its ardor and length. Rabbi Levi once said: "He who prays for a long time will be heard." And the Jews also had a saying: "When the righteous pray for a long time, they are heeded."
There was a notion that if a man knocked on God's door long enough, God would answer him; that God can be persuaded to be lenient. The wisest of the rabbis saw this danger as well. One of them said: "It is impossible to draw out the praise of the Almighty, because the Psalter says:" Who will speak the power of the Lord, will proclaim all His praises? (Ps. 105:2). Only who can do it can drag out his praise and say it - but no one can do it.""Do not hasten with your tongue, and do not let your heart hasten to utter a word before God; for God is in heaven, and you are on earth; therefore, let your words be few" (Eccl. 5:1)"The best worship is to remain silent." It is not difficult to confuse verbosity with piety, and fluidity of speech with prayer, and many Jews fell into this error.
HOW NOT TO PRAY (Matt. 6:5-8 (continued))
6. There were, of course, other forms of repetition, which the Jews, like all Eastern peoples, liked to use. The Eastern peoples had a habit of hypnotizing themselves with an endless repetition of a phrase or even just one word. AT 3 Kings 18.26 we read that the prophets of Baal cried out: "Baal, hear us!" from morning to noon; in Acts. 19.34 We read that the Ephesian crowd shouted for two hours: "Great is Artemis of Ephesus!"
Muslims can repeat the sacred syllable for hours on end hee, running in circles until they bring themselves into ecstasy and, finally, fall without strength and consciousness. The Jews did the same Shemop. It was a kind of substitution of self-hypnosis for prayer.
But there were other cases when the Jews used repetitions during prayer. There have been attempts to heap all sorts of titles and adjectives in the address of the one praying to God. One famous prayer begins like this:
"Holy, blessed, and glorified, exalted, exalted and highly revered, praised and exalted be the name of the Most High."
There is one Jewish prayer that actually begins with sixteen adjectives for the name of God. The Jews were, one might say, infected with words. When a person thinks more not about what he prays about, but about how he prays, his prayer dies on his lips.
7. Finally, Jesus notes and reproves the Jews for praying to be seen by the people. The Jewish system of prayer greatly contributed to such a display. The Jews prayed standing up, with their arms outstretched, their heads bowed forward. Prayers had to be read at 9 in the morning, 12 o'clock and 3 o'clock in the afternoon, wherever a person was at that time, and a person could well calculate in such a way that he would be at that time at a busy intersection, or in a square crowded with people, so that the whole world could see how devoutly he prays. It was easy for a man to stop on the upper step at the entrance to the synagogue and pray there for a long time and defiantly, so that all people could admire his exceptional piety; it was easy to act out a scene of prayer that the whole world could see.
The wisest of the Jewish rabbis clearly saw this trend and condemned it unreservedly. "A hypocritical person invites wrath upon the earth and his prayer will not be heard." "Four types of people will not see the face of the glory of God: scoffers, hypocrites, liars and slanderers." The rabbis said that a person in general can only pray when his heart is attuned to prayer. They stated that for real prayer, an hour of preparation in seclusion was needed, and after prayer, an hour of meditation. But the whole Jewish system of prayer itself gravitated toward ostentation if there was pride in a person's heart.
Jesus lays down two supreme rules for prayer.
1. He insists that true prayer must be directed to God. The main mistake of the people whom Jesus reproved was that their prayers were addressed to people, and not to God. Regardless of whether a person prays for a long time or in public place, he should have only one thought about God, and in his heart only one desire.
2. Jesus says that we must remember that the God we pray to is a God of love and that He is more ready to answer us than we are to pray. There is no need to forcefully draw gifts and grace from Him. We go to God, who does not need to be persuaded to answer our prayers, or constantly pester Him, or even beat out this answer by force. We go to the One who has only one desire - to give. If we keep this in mind, then, without any doubt, it is enough to come to God with a desire in our hearts and with the words on our lips: "Thy will be done."
PRAYER OF THE DISCIPLES (Matt. 6:9-15)
Before we begin to speak of the Lord's Prayer or the Lord's Prayer in detail, it is good to note some general facts.
First of all, it should be noted that by this prayer Jesus taught His students how to pray; Matthew and Luke are clear about this. Matthew generally cites the entire Sermon on the Mount in connection with the disciples (Mat. 5:1), and Luke says that Jesus said a prayer in response to the request of one of the disciples (Luke 11:1). The Lord's Prayer is a prayer that only a disciple can offer; it can only be put into one's mouth giving it true meaning by a person who has dedicated himself to Christ.
The Lord's Prayer is not a child's prayer, as many often believe; in fact, she says nothing to the child. The Lord's Prayer is not a family prayer, as it is often called, unless, of course, under family we do not understand Church. The Lord's Prayer is for students, and only in the mouth of the disciples does it acquire its full meaning. In other words, only a person who knows well what he is saying at the same time can offer the Lord's Prayer, and he cannot know this if he has not become a disciple.
pay attention to order in which there are appeals and requests in this prayer. The first three references are to God and to the glory of God; the next three are to our wants and needs. In other words, first God is given his proper supreme position, and then, and only then, do we turn to our needs and desires. It is only when God is given his proper place that all other things take their proper place. Prayer should never be an attempt to connect the will of God with our desires; prayer should always be an attempt to bring our desires into subjection to the will of God.
The second part of prayer, which relates to our needs and wants, is unity. It affects the three most important human needs and the three dimensions of time in which a person lives and rotates. First, it is a request for bread, which is necessary for maintenance and preservation of life, which brings before the throne of God our current, current needs. Secondly, it is a request for forgiveness and thus, before the throne of God, our past; and thirdly, it is a request for help against temptation and, thus, all our future. In these three brief requests, we are directed to bring our present, our past, and our future to the footstool of the throne of God's grace.
In prayer, not only is our whole life offered before God, but God in His fullness enters into our life. When we ask for bread to maintain our earthly existence, this request immediately turns our thoughts to God the Father, Creator and Preserver of all life. When we ask for forgiveness - it immediately directs our thoughts to God the Son Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer. When we ask for help against future temptations, our thoughts immediately turn to God the Holy Spirit, Comforter, who gives us strength, shines on us, guides and keeps us on the way.
In the Lord's Prayer, Jesus teaches to offer our whole life before God and receive God in our whole life.
THE FATHER WHO IS IN HEAVEN (Matt. 6:9)
It can be said that the word Father used in relation to God, conveys in brief the entire content of the Christian faith. The great meaning of this word Father lies in the fact that through it all the relationships of our life are established.
1. It establishes our relationship to the invisible world. The missionaries say that one of the greatest reliefs that Christianity brings to the mind and heart of the Gentile is the realization that there is only one God. The pagans believe that there are many gods, that every stream and every river, every tree and every valley, every hill and every forest and every natural force has its own god. The pagan lives in a world filled with gods; moreover, all these gods are jealous, envious and hostile, and they all need to be appeased and appeased. A person can never be sure that he has not forgotten to pay honor to any of these gods, and therefore he constantly lives on guard before these gods. His religion does not help him, but persecutes him. One of the most remarkable ancient Greek legends is the legend of Prometheus. Promethius was one of the gods; it was at a time when people still did not know how to use fire, and life without fire was uncomfortable, uncomfortable and joyless. Out of pity for people, Promethius took fire from the sky and brought it as a gift to people. Zeus, the king of the gods, was very angry at this, and therefore he ordered Promethius to be chained to a rock, where he was tormented by heat and thirst during the day, and cold at night. Moreover, Zeus sent an eagle to tear the liver of Promethius, which grew again in order to be torn out again. That's what happened to a god who tried to help people. The whole idea boils down to the fact that the gods are jealous, vindictive and envious, and that the last thing the gods would want to do is help people. This is how the pagans imagined the attitude towards the people of the other world, invisible world. The pagan is driven by fear of jealous and envious gods. And therefore, when we learn that the God to whom we turn our prayers has a name and a heart father, then the world changes completely. There is no need to shudder before a host of jealous gods; you can rest in a father's love.
2. It determines our relationship with the visible world around us, with the world in time and space in which we live. It is not difficult to start thinking that this world is hostile to us. Life changes, it brings good and bad luck. There is iron laws the universe and the cosmos, which we violate at our own peril and risk; there is suffering and death. But if we can be sure that beyond this world, not a capricious, jealous and mocking god awaits us, but God, whose name is the Father, then, even if much still remains gloomy and dark, everything is easier to bear, because behind all this love is worth it. It will always be easier for us if we consider that this world is so organized because we have to go through a certain school in it, and not just live for our own pleasure.
Take for example pain. You can decide that pain is a bad thing, but pain also takes its place in the providence of God. Some people do not feel pain at all, and such a person is a danger to himself, while for others he creates many problems. If there were no pain, we would never know that we were ill, and we would die before measures could be taken against the disease. This does not mean that pain sometimes cannot become an extremely unpleasant thing, but it means that very often pain is a red light that God warns us that danger lies ahead of us.
If we can be sure that the name of God who created the world is Father, then we can also be sure that this universe is in principle benevolent. Name God Father means to establish our relationship with the world in which we live.
3. If we believe that God is the Father, then this establishes our relationship with our brethren. If God is the Father, then He is the Father of all people. The Lord's Prayer teaches us to pray Our Father, but not My father. It is noteworthy that in the Lord's Prayer there is no word at all me, me and my; it is fair to say that Jesus came to remove these words from life and put words in their place we, us, us, ours. God is not anyone's exclusive property. The very phrase "Our Father" suggests exclusion of any "I". The relationship to God as to the Father is the only possible basis for brotherly relations between people.
4. If we believe that God is the Father, then this establishes our relationship to ourselves. At times every man hates and despises himself; he realizes that he has sunk below every reptile on earth. Bitterness comes into the heart of everyone, and no one realizes his unworthiness better than the person himself.
English pastor Mark Rutherford would like to supplement the list of beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount with one more: "Blessed are those who deliver us from self-contempt." Blessed are those who restore our self-respect. And that's just what God does. In these terrible, dark, depressing moments, we can remind ourselves that by the infinite mercy of God we are of royal lineage, children of the King of kings. 5. If we believe that God is our Father, this establishes our relationship with God. No, this does not at all eliminate the power, majesty and power of God, it does not at all diminish His importance, but it makes available to us this power, this greatness and this power.
There is a story about the triumph of the Roman emperor. It was a privilege that Rome gave only to generals who had won major victories to march through the streets of Rome with their troops, with captured booty and trophies, and with captured captives. Now, this emperor marched with his troops through Rome. Romans cheering and tall legionnaires lined the streets to hold back the crowd. The empress and her family sat on a specially constructed platform, watching the emperor proudly marching past in triumph. Next to the empress on the platform was a little boy - the youngest son of the emperor. As the emperor's chariot approached, the boy jumped off the platform, made his way through the crowd, and tried to slip between the legionary's legs to run out onto the road and meet the emperor's chariot. The legionary bent down and stopped him, then lifted him up in his arms and said, "Boy, you can't do this. Don't you know who's in the chariot? It's the emperor. You can't run out to his chariot." And the boy laughed from above: "He may be the emperor for you, but he is my father." This is precisely the attitude of Christians towards God. His might, His majesty, and His authority is the might, majesty, and authority of Him whom Jesus taught us to call Our Father.
THE FATHER WHO IS IN HEAVEN (Matt. 6:9 (continued))
So far, we have only talked about the first two words of this appeal to God - Our Father. But God is not only our Father: He is the Father, existing in heaven.
These last words are of paramount importance. They contain two great truths.
1. They remind us of holiness God. It is not difficult to belittle your idea of the fatherhood of God, to reduce it to sentimentality, and to make of it an excuse for your carefree and convenient religion. As the great nineteenth-century German poet Heinrich Heine said of God: "God will forgive. That is his trade." If we were to say Our Father and stop there, then such an attitude would still be somehow justified, but we lift up a prayer to our Father, existing in heaven. There is indeed love here, but there is also holiness here.
It's amazing how rarely Jesus uses the word Father(Father) towards God. The gospel of Mark was written before everyone else, and therefore in it we have the most accurate account of what Jesus said and did, and in the gospel of Mark, Jesus names God father only six times and never outside the circle of disciples. For Jesus the word Father was so holy that He could hardly use it, and even then only in the presence of those who at least understood something of its meaning. And therefore we, too, should never use the word Father flippant, casual, or sentimental. God is not a careless parent, condescendingly closing his eyes to all sins, shortcomings and mistakes. To that God whom we can call the Father, we must address with reverence and worship, reverence and amazement. God is our Father who is in heaven, in whom and love and holiness.
2. They remind us of authorities God. Human love is often confused with the tragic feeling of dashed hopes. Maybe we love a person, but we are not able to help him achieve something, or discourage him from doing something. Human love can be strong, and at the same time completely powerless. Every parent who has a naughty child knows this, or anyone who loves a fickle person. But when we speak Our Father who art in heaven we put next to each other love God's and power God's. We tell ourselves that the authority and power of God is always moved by the love of God and is always manifested only for our benefit. We tell ourselves that the love of God is backed up by His power and strength, and therefore His purposes will never be in vain. When we lift Our Father, we must always remember the holiness of God, and also the power and strength that governs love, and love that has the invincible power of God behind it.
HONORING THE NAME (Matt. 6:9 (continued))
"Hallowed be thy name" - of all the requests of the Lord's Prayer, it is most difficult to explain the meaning of this particular one. Let us first look at the literal meaning of the words.
Let it shine - is a form of the Greek verb hagiadzesfay, cognate with an adjective hagios, and it means treat a person as a saint, or a thing as sacred. hagios usually translated as St, and its original meaning is different or isolated. A thing or object characterized as hagios, different from other things or objects. The person described as hagios, isolated from other people, secluded. That is why the Temple is characterized as hagios, because it is different from all other buildings. The altar is characterized as hagios, because it is intended for other purposes than ordinary things and objects. Lord's Day hagios, because it is different from other days. Priest hagios, because he separate, different from all other people. And so this prayer means this: "Treat the name of God differently from all other names; give the name of God a very special, unique place."
But something else needs to be added to this. In the Hebrew word name it means not just the name by which a person is called - John or James; in Hebrew it also means nature, character, personality, individuality man, inasmuch as they are known or told to us. This becomes clear if you look at how it is used by biblical authors. The psalmist says: "Those who know will put their trust in you your name" (Ps. 9:11). It is quite obvious that this does not mean at all that everyone who knows that the name of God is Yahweh will trust in Him, but this means that everyone who knows what God is will trust in Him. The Psalmist also says: "Some with chariots, others with horses, but we glory in the name of the Lord our God" (Ps. 19:8). It is quite obvious that in difficult times the psalmist will remember and think not about the fact that the name of God is Yahweh, which means that at such moments some people will rely on human help and material means of protection, and the psalmist will remember what nature is and the character of God. He will remember what God is like and this memory will give him confidence.
Now let's combine these two ideas. Hagiadzesfay, which is translated here as let it be holy means be very special, take a very special place; a name - this is the nature, nature, character, personality, individuality of a person, since they are open and told to us. And therefore, when we pray, "Hallowed be Thy name," it means, "Give us the ability to give You a completely unique place, as befits Your nature and Your character."
Prayer for Reverence (Mat. 6:9 (continued))
Is there such a word in Russian or in another language that would assign God or represent that unique place that His nature and character require? There is, perhaps, such a word, and it will be awe. Thus, it is a plea that God will enable us to have the reverence for Him that is due to Him. True reverence includes four necessities.
1. To experience reverence for God, one must believe that God exists. We cannot be in awe of one who does not exist; we must first be sure of the existence of God.
It may seem strange to a modern person that nowhere in the Bible is a single attempt made to prove the existence of God. For the Bible, His existence is an axiom, that is, an initial position accepted without proof, which underlies the proofs of the truth of other positions. So, for example, the positions "a straight line is the shortest distance between two points" and "two parallel lines will never intersect, no matter how we continue them in space" are axioms.
The biblical writers would say that it is superfluous to prove the existence of God, since they felt the presence of God in every moment of their lives. They would say that a man has just as much to prove the existence of God as the existence of his wife. He sees his wife every day and every day he meets God.
But let's say we would need to prove the existence of God with our minds. Where would we start then? We could start from the world in which we live. Let us suppose that a man is walking along the road and stumbles over a clock; let us suppose that he has never seen a clock before, and he does not know what it is. He picks up this watch, sees that it consists of a metal case, inside of which there is a complex mechanism of wheels, levers, springs and precious stones. He sees that the whole mechanism is in motion and works very well; he also sees that the hands of the clock move on the dial in a given order. What will this person say? Will he say: “All these pieces of iron and precious stones, by themselves, quite by chance gathered from all over the earth, accidentally formed into wheels, levers and springs, accidentally gathered into a mechanism, accidentally wound up and went and accidentally earned very well? No, he say: "I found the watch; so there must be a watchmaker somewhere."
Order presupposes the presence of reason. We look at the world and see a gigantic machine in perfect working order: the sun rises and sets in an unchanging pattern; how the tides come and go according to the schedule; the seasons follow each other in a fixed order. We look at the world and the universe and we are forced to say: "Somewhere there must be the Creator of this world." The very fact of the existence of this world leads us to God. As one English mathematician, physicist and astronomer James Jean (1877-1946) stated: "No astronomer can be an atheist." The order in which the world exists requires the mind of God behind it.
We can also start with themselves. Man has never created life. Man can change, rebuild and reshape all sorts of things, but he cannot create a living creature. Where did we get our life from? From our parents. Yes, but where did they get theirs from? From their parents. But where did it all start? Once upon a time, life had to appear on earth, and it had to appear from outside, because a person cannot create life, and this again pushes us to God.
When we look inside - at ourselves, and outside ourselves - at the world - this pushes us towards God. As the German philosopher Immanuel Kant said long ago: "The moral law is within us and the starry sky above us" pushes us towards God.
2. In order to feel a sense of reverence for God, we must not only believe in the existence of God, but we must also know what this God is like. No one can feel a sense of reverence for the Greek gods with their love affairs and wars, their hatred and adultery, their fraud and deceit. No one can be in awe of capricious, immoral, impure gods. The God we know has three great attributes: holiness, justice, love. We should have a sense of reverence for God, not only because He exists, but also because He is as we know Him.
3. But a person can believe in the existence of God; he can intellectually understand that God is holy, just, and loving, and yet have no reverence for him. In order to be in awe of Him, one must constantly feel His presence in the world. To experience reverence for God means to live in a world in which God is everywhere and always; live a life in which God is never forgotten. This feeling should not be associated only with the church or with other holy places; this feeling should be in a person everywhere and always.
The tragedy of many people is that they only occasionally experience a sense of the presence of God. This sharp feeling comes only in certain places and is completely absent in others. Reverence is based on a constant sense of the presence of God.
4. But reverence has another characteristic. We must believe in the existence of God; we must know what God is; we must constantly feel His presence. Some people have all this, but still do not have a sense of reverence, because in addition to all these qualities, a person also needs humility and obedience to God. Reverence is knowledge a plus obedience. The great German reformer Martin Luther asks in his theses the question: "How is the name of God hallowed among us?" and answers: "When both life and doctrine are truly Christian"; that is, when both our beliefs and our actions are fully in accordance with the will of God. Know that God exists; to know what He is; always to feel His presence and always to be obedient to Him is what reverence is, and this is what we pray for when we pray, "Hallowed be thy name." Let us show before God the reverence due to His nature and character.
THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND THE WILL OF GOD (Matt. 6:10)
Expression Kingdom of God characteristic of the New Testament. No other phrase occurs more frequently in prayers, sermons, and Christian literature than this one. And therefore it is extremely important to understand for yourself what it means.
It is clear that the Kingdom of God is central to the good news of Jesus. Jesus first appeared on the historical stage when He came to Galilee preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. (Map. 1.14). Jesus Himself spoke of the preaching of the Kingdom of God as an obligation placed upon Him: "The Kingdom of God must also be preached to other cities, for to this I have been sent" (Luke 4:43; compare Mark 1:38). Luke describes the activity of Jesus as walking around cities and villages, preaching and proclaiming the Kingdom of God. (Luke 8:1). It is clear that we must try to understand the meaning of the Kingdom of God.
In trying to understand the meaning and meaning of this phrase, we come across some startling facts: Jesus spoke of the Kingdom of God in three different ways. He spoke of the Kingdom as existing in the past. He said that Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all the prophets are in the Kingdom of God (Matt. 8:11; Luke 13:28). From this it is clear that the Kingdom of God goes back to ancient times. He spoke of the Kingdom as existing present:"The kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:21). Therefore, the Kingdom of God is a reality given to us here and now. And He spoke of the Kingdom of God as of a lying in future, because in His prayer He taught people to pray for the coming of the Kingdom. How can this Kingdom be simultaneously in the past, in the present and in the future? How can this Kingdom be something that has been, is, and is to be prayed for?
The key to this problem lies in this double supplication in the Lord's Prayer. One of the specific elements of the style of the Jews was the so-called parallelism. The Jews had a tendency to say everything twice: first in one form, and then in another, repeating, amplifying or explaining the first statement. This parallelism can be seen in almost every verse of the Psalter; almost every verse of the psalms is divided in the middle, and the second part repeats or strengthens the first half. Let's take a few examples and everything will become clear.
"God is our refuge and strength, a quick helper in trouble" (Ps. 45:2).
"The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our intercessor" (Ps. 45:8).
"The Lord is my shepherd; I will not need anything; He makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me to still waters" (Ps. 22:1.2).
Let us now apply this principle to these two supplications of the Lord's Prayer. Let's put them one next to the other:
"Thy Kingdom come - Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."
Let us suppose that the second supplication explains, strengthens, and establishes the meaning of the first. Then we have a different definition of the Kingdom of God: The Kingdom of God is a society on earth in which the will of God is carried out just as perfectly as it is done in heaven. Here is an explanation for the fact that the Kingdom can be simultaneously in the past, present and future. Every person who has ever done the will of God perfectly in history has been in the Kingdom; every person who perfectly does the will of God is in the Kingdom; but in view of the fact that our world is very far from the fact that in it the will of God is carried out in perfection everywhere and by everyone, the completion of the Kingdom is still in the future, and therefore we need to pray for it.
To be in the Kingdom is to obey the will of God. We immediately see that the Kingdom from the very beginning had nothing to do with peoples, countries and nations: it has something to do with each of us. The kingdom of heaven is, in fact, a highly personal matter. The Kingdom of Heaven Requires Submission my will, my hearts, my life. The kingdom of heaven will come only when each of us makes a personal decision and obeys.
Chinese Christians used to offer the well-known prayer "Lord, revive Thy Church, beginning with me," and we can paraphrase it and say: "Lord, establish Thy Kingdom, beginning with me." To pray for the Kingdom of God means to pray that we could completely subordinate our will to the will of God.
THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND THE WILL OF GOD (Matt. 6.10 (continued))
From what he sees it becomes clear that the most important thing in the world is obedience to the will of God; and the most important words in the world are "Thy will be done." It is also clear that it is extremely important in what mood and what tone these words are spoken.
1. A person may say "Thy will be done" in a tone of acknowledgment of defeat. He can say this, not because he wants to, but because he has agreed that there is nothing left for him to say, since he has recognized that he can do nothing against the power of God, and that it is pointless to beat his head against the walls of the universe. He can say this with only the inescapable power of God in his grasp. A person can accept the will of God only because he has realized that there is nothing left for him to do.
2. A person may say "Thy will be done" in a tone of bitter resentment or indignation. The great German composer Beethoven died alone, and it is said that when his body was found, his lips were drawn into a growl and his fists were clenched as if he were raising them before God Himself and heaven. Man may regard God as his enemy, but such a strong enemy that it is impossible to resist Him; and therefore he accepts the will of God, but with a feeling of extreme indignation and burning anger.
3. A person can say "Thy will be done" with a feeling of perfect love and trust; he can say it with joy and willingness, no matter what that will be. It shouldn't be difficult for a Christian to say just that, "Thy will be done," because a Christian can be absolutely sure of two things.
a) He can be sure wisdom God. Having decided to build, build, change or repair something, we go to a specialist for advice. He gives some advice and we often say: "Well, okay. Do what you think is best. You are an expert." God is an expert in matters of life and His guidance will never lead you astray.
When Richard Cameron, leader of the Covenant, an association of Scottish Presbyterians, was killed, a certain Murray cut off his head and hands and brought them to the capital of Scotland, Edinburgh. Richard Cameron's father was in prison for his religious beliefs; his enemies brought his son's head and hands to him to increase his grief, and asked him if he recognized them. Taking his son's head and hands in his hands, he kissed them and said: "I know them. I know them. These are the head and hands of my dear and beloved son. This is the will of the Lord. Good is the will of the Lord, who cannot harm either me or my loved ones, and His goodness and mercy accompany us all our days." When a person is sure that his life is in the hands of the infinite wisdom of God, it is not at all difficult for him to say: "Thy will be done."
b) He can be sure love God's. We do not believe in a mocking and capricious God, nor in blind and iron determinism. Paul said, "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all, how with him will he not give us everything" (Rom. 8:32). No man can look at the Crucifixion and doubt the love of God, and when we are sure of the love of God, it is not difficult to say, "Thy will be done."
OUR DAILY BREAD (Matt. 6:11)
It could be denied that there can no longer be any doubt about the meaning of this supplication in the Lord's Prayer. At first glance, it seems to be the simplest and most direct of all. But, as the facts show, many commentators gave completely different interpretations of it. Before turning to its simple and most obvious meaning, let's look at some of them.
1. Bread is identified with the bread of the sacrament, with the bread of the Lord's Supper. From the very beginning, people have closely associated the Lord's Prayer with the Lord's Supper. Already in the earliest liturgical manuals that have come down to us, it has always been pointed out that the Lord's Prayer is read during communion; and some commentators thought it was a plea to give a person the right and privilege to take the sacrament every day and partake of the spiritual food that he receives there.
2. Bread was identified with the spiritual food of the word of God. And therefore we understand this prayer as a prayer for the true word, for the true teaching laid down in the Scriptures, which are really food for the mind, heart and soul of a person.
1 Be careful not to do your charity in front of people so that they can see you: otherwise you will not be rewarded from your Father in heaven.
2 Therefore, when you do almsgiving, do not blow your trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that the people may glorify them. I tell you truly, they already receive their reward.
3 But when you do charity, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4 so that your charity may be in secret; and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you openly.
5 And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites who love in synagogues and on street corners, stopping to pray so that they can appear before people. I tell you truly, they already receive their reward.
6 But when you pray, go into your closet, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you openly.
7 But when you pray, do not talk too much like the Gentiles, for they think that in their verbosity they will be heard;
8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9 Pray like this:
Our Father who art in heaven! hallowed be thy name;
10 Thy kingdom come; may Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
11 Give us this day our daily bread;
12 And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors;
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
14 For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you,
15 But if you do not forgive people their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses.
16 Also, when you fast, do not be despondent like the hypocrites, for they put on gloomy faces in order to appear to people who are fasting. I tell you truly, they already receive their reward.
17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
18 to appear to those who fast, not before men, but before your Father who is in the secret; and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you openly.
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal,
20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal,
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 The lamp for the body is the eye. So if your eye is clear, then your whole body will be bright;
23 But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be dark. So if the light that is in you is darkness, then what is the darkness?
24 No one can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one and love the other; or he will be zealous for one, and neglect the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
25 Therefore I say to you, worry not for your soul what you should eat or drink, nor for your body what you should wear. Is not the soul more than food, and the body more than clothes?
26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow, nor reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you much better than them?
27 And which of you, by taking care, can add even one cubit to his stature?
28 And why are you concerned about clothing? Look at the lilies of the field, how they grow: neither toil nor spin;
29 but I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory did not dress like one of them;
30 But if the grass of the field, which is today, and tomorrow will be thrown into the oven, God so clothes, how much more than you, you of little faith!
31 So worry not, and say, What shall we eat? or what to drink? Or what to wear?
32 because all these things are sought by the Gentiles, and because your Father in heaven knows that you have need of all this.
33 Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34 So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of its own: enough for each day its own care.
1 Doctrine of almsgiving; 5 about prayer; 9 "Our Father..."; 16 about fasting; 19 about treasure; 22 eye - a lamp; 24 serving two masters; 25 about worries.
1 Be careful not to do your charity in front of people so that they can see you: otherwise you will not be rewarded from your Father in Heaven..
2 Therefore, when you do almsgiving, do not blow your trumpets before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that people may glorify them. Truly I say to you, they already receive their reward.
3 But with you, when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.,
4 so that your charity may be in secret; and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you openly.
5 And when you pray, don't be like the hypocrites who love in synagogues and on street corners, stopping to pray in order to appear before people. Truly I say to you that they already receive their reward..
6 But you, when you pray, go into your closet, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you openly.
7 And when praying, do not say too much, like the pagans, for they think that in their verbosity they will be heard;
8 do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9 Pray like this: “Our Father who art in heaven! hallowed be thy name;
10 let your kingdom come; may Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
11 give us our daily bread for this day;
12 and forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors;
13 and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen".
14 For if you forgive people their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you.,
15 but if you do not forgive people their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses.
16 Also, when you fast, do not be despondent like the hypocrites, for they take on gloomy faces in order to appear to people who are fasting. Truly I say to you that they already receive their reward..
17 And you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
18 to appear fasting, not before men, but before your Father who is in the secret; and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you openly.
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,
20 but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal,
21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 The lamp for the body is the eye. So if your eye is clear, then your whole body will be bright;
23 but if thy eye be evil, thy whole body shall be dark. So if the light that is in you is darkness, then what is the darkness?
24 No one can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one and love the other; or he will be zealous for one, and neglect the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
25 Therefore I say to you: do not worry about your soul what you will eat and what you will drink, nor about your body what you will wear. Is not the soul more than food, and the body more than clothes?
26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow, nor reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you much better than them?
27 And which of you, by caring, can add to his growth although one cubit?
28 And what do you care about clothes? Look at the lilies of the field, how they grow: neither toil nor spin;
29 but I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory did not dress like one of them;
30 But if the grass of the field, which is today, and tomorrow will be thrown into the oven, God dresses like this, how much more than you, you of little faith!
31 So don't worry and don't say, "what shall we eat"? or "what to drink"? or “what to wear?”
32 because the Gentiles are looking for all this, and because your Heavenly Father knows that you need all this.
33 Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all this will be added to you..
34 So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow myself will take care of his own: enough for everyone day of care.
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Gospel of Matthew, chapter 6
Be careful not to do your alms before people so that they can see you: otherwise you will not be rewarded from your Father in Heaven. Having raised to the highest virtue - love, the Lord now rises against vanity, which follows good deeds. Notice what it says: beware! speaks as if of a fierce beast. Take care that he does not tear you apart. But if you know how to do mercy in front of people, but not in order to look, you will not be condemned. But if you have vanity as your goal, then even if you did it in your cell, you will be condemned. God punishes or crowns the intention.
Therefore, when you do almsgiving, do not blow your trumpets before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that people may glorify them. The hypocrites did not have trumpets, but the Lord here mocks their intention, since they desired that their alms be trumpeted. The hypocrites are those who appear to be different from what they really are. So, they seem to be merciful, but in reality they are different.
I tell you truly, they already receive their reward. For they are praised, and they have received everything from people.
But with you, when you give alms, let your left hand not know what your right hand is doing. He said this exaggeratedly: if possible, hide it from yourself. Or put it another way: the left hand is vain, and the right hand is merciful. So let vanity not know your charity.
So that your alms may be in secret; and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you openly. When? When everything is naked and open, then you will be most famous.
And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites who love in synagogues and on street corners, stopping to pray in order to show themselves before people. I tell you truly, they already receive their reward. And he calls these hypocrites, because they seem to listen to God, but in reality they listen to people from whom they receive, that is, receive, their reward.
But you, when you pray, go into your closet, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you openly. So what? Will I not pray in church? Absolutely not. I will pray, but with a pure intention, and not in such a way as to show myself: for the place does not harm, but the inner disposition and purpose. Many, praying in secret, do it in order to please people.
And when you pray, don't talk too much like pagans. Polyverb is empty talk: for example, to pray for something earthly - for power, wealth, victory. Polyverb is also inarticulate speech, like the speech of children. So, don't be an empty talker. One should not make long prayers, but short ones, but unceasingly abide in a short prayer.
Don't be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. We pray not in order to teach Him, but in order to distract ourselves from worldly worries, to receive benefit by talking with Him.
Pray like this: Our Father who art in heaven! A vow is one thing, prayer is another. A vow is a promise to God, such as when one promises to abstain from wine or anything else; prayer is asking for blessings. Saying "Father", he shows you what blessings you have received by becoming the son of God, and with the word "in heaven" he pointed you to your fatherland and your father's house. Therefore, if you wish to have God as your Father, then look to heaven and not to earth. You do not say: "My Father," but "Our Father," because you must regard all of your children as brothers of one Heavenly Father.
May your name be hallowed, that is, make us holy, so that Your name may be glorified, for as God is blasphemed through me, so through me He is also hallowed, that is, glorified as a Holy One.
May your kingdom come that is, the second coming: for a man with a clear conscience prays for the coming of the resurrection and judgment.
May Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. As the angels, he says, do Thy will in heaven, so grant us to do it on earth.
Give us our daily bread for this day. By "daily" the Lord means that bread which is sufficient for our nature and state, but He takes away the concern for the morrow. And the Body of Christ is the daily bread for whose uncondemned communion we must pray.
And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. Since we sin even after baptism, we pray that God will forgive us, but forgive us just as we forgive. If we hold a grudge, He will not forgive us. God has me, as it were, by His example, and does to me what I do to another.
And lead us not into temptation. We are weak people, therefore we should not expose ourselves to temptations, but if we have fallen, we must pray that temptation does not consume us. Only he who is absorbed and defeated is drawn into the abyss of trial, and not he who fell, but then won.
But deliver us from the evil one. He did not say, "From evil people," for they do not harm us, but the evil one.
For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Here he encourages us, for if our Father is a King, strong and glorious, then we will certainly overcome the evil one and in the coming times we will be glorified.
For if you forgive people their sins, then your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. Again teaches us not to remember evil and reminds us of the Father, so that we are ashamed and not become like beasts, being His children.
And if you do not forgive people their trespasses, then your Father will not forgive you your trespasses. Nothing the meek God hates so much as cruelty.
Also, when you fast, do not be despondent like the hypocrites: for they take on gloomy faces in order to appear to people who are fasting. I tell you truly, they already receive their reward. "Deterioration of the face" is pallor. Reproaches when someone does not seem to be what they are, but pretends to take on a gloomy look.
But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you will appear fasting not before people, but before your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. As the ancients, as a sign of joy, anointed themselves with oil after washing, so you show yourself rejoicing. But by oil is meant almsgiving, and by our head is Christ, who must be anointed with alms. "To wash the face" means to wash the senses with tears.
Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal. Having banished the disease of vanity, the Lord further speaks of lack of possessions, for people are concerned about acquiring many possessions because of their vanity, He shows the futility of earthly treasures, because worms and aphids destroy food and clothing, and thieves steal gold and silver. Then, lest anyone should say: "not everyone steals," He points out that at least nothing of the kind happened, but isn't the very fact that you are nailed by concern for wealth a great evil? That is why the Lord says:
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The lamp for the body is the eye. So if your eye is clear, then your whole body will be bright; but if your eye is evil, your whole body will be dark. So if the light that is in you is darkness, then what is the darkness? He says this: if you have nailed your mind with concern for property, then you have extinguished your lamp and darkened your soul, for just as the eye, when it is clean, that is, healthy, illuminates the body, and when it is bad, that is, unhealthy, it leaves it in darkness. so the mind is blinded by care. If the mind is darkened, then the soul becomes darkness, and even more so the body.
No one can serve two masters. By two masters he means those who give opposite orders. We, for example, make the devil our master, as we make our belly a god, but our God by nature and truly is the Lord. We cannot work for God when we work for mammon. Mammon is all unrighteousness.
For either one will be hated and the other loved; or he will be zealous for one, and neglect the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Do you see that it is impossible for the rich and unrighteous to serve God, for covetousness separates him from God?
Therefore I say to you: do not worry about your soul what you will eat and what you will drink, nor about your body what you will wear."Therefore", that is, why? Because people are torn away from God by property. The soul, as having no body, does not eat, but the Lord said this according to the general custom, for the soul, apparently, cannot remain in the body if the flesh is not fed. The Lord does not forbid work, but forbids giving oneself entirely to cares and neglecting God. You should also engage in agriculture, but you should also take care of your soul.
Is not the soul more than food, and the body more than clothes? That is, He who gave more, forming soul and body, will He not give food and clothing?
Look at the birds of the air: they don't sow, they don't reap, they don't gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you much better than them? The Lord could point to Elijah or John as an example, but He mentioned the birds to shame us that we are more foolish than them. God feeds them by putting natural knowledge into them for gathering food.
And who among you, by taking care, can add even one cubit to his stature? The Lord says: "No matter how much you care, you will not do anything apart from the will of God. Why are you bothering yourself in vain?"
And what do you care about clothes? Look at the lilies of the field, how do they grow? They don't work, they don't spin. But I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory did not dress like one of them. Not only with foolish birds He puts us to shame, but also with krines that dry up. If God so adorned them, though it was not necessary, how much more will He satisfy our need for clothing? It also shows that even though you cared a lot, you will not be able to adorn yourself like kreen, for the wisest and most pampered Solomon throughout his reign could not put on anything like that.
But if the grass of the field, which is today, and tomorrow will be thrown into the oven, God dresses like this, how much more than you, you of little faith. From this we learn that we should not care about adornment, as is characteristic of perishable flowers, and that everyone who decorates himself is likened to grass. You, he says, are rational beings for whom God created a body and a soul. All who are mired in worries are of little faith: if they had perfect faith in God, they would not care so intensely.
So don't worry and don't say: what shall we eat? or: what to drink? or what to wear? Because all this is what the Gentiles are looking for. It does not forbid eating, but it does forbid saying: "What shall we eat?" The rich say in the evening: "what will we eat tomorrow?". Do you see what He forbids? Forbids effeminacy and luxury.
And because your Heavenly Father knows that you need all of this. Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all this will be added to you. The Kingdom of God is the enjoyment of good things. It is given for life in truth. So, whoever seeks the spiritual, to him, by the bounty of God, the bodily is also added.
So, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of its own: enough for each day of its own care. Under the care of the day he means contrition and sadness. It is enough for you that you have lamented this day. But if you begin to take care of tomorrow as well, then, continuously taking care of yourself because of your bodily things, when will you have leisure for God?
