November 24, 2019 How to treat your enemies.
Matthew 6:1-4
My thesis for the study:
In the sermon on the mount, Jesus teaches us how to live in the world. Jesus gives actual instruction and formation. More than rules or law, the SOM is a set of convictions about moral truth.
“Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then
you have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2“So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites
do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell
you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give alms, do not let your left hand
know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Where? Summary: Since all of Jesus actions and teachings show us that he is not interested in mere rule-keeping righteousness, we find that he is working for restoration, and that he places high demands upon those who follow him.
INTRODUCTION
1. Cliché: Your character is how you behave when no one can see you. A godly and god-fearing person knows that God can always see what we do—whether good or bad, or just mundane. True piety and right religious character is to move much of our religious life to where only God can see us. Here is an easy relogous question: what do you do in private. Jesus seems interested in a different question: what good actions will you move or keep in private?
2. Welcome: Hi Pals, this is Blaine Hill with the Simply Stated Podcast for the Journey Sunday School class at Lake Murray Presbyterian Church in Chapin, SC. This season of the podcast is on Jesus sermon on the mount, in Matthew chapters 5 through 7. Today we are reading Matthew 6:1-. I’ll get the basic ideas of the passage simply stated, then we’ll try to draw some wisdom out of the passage (person of Jesus, theology, eternity, ethics)
3. Read 6:1-4
A BLOCK
4. Stating things Simply
“Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then
you have no reward from your Father in heaven.
a. Beware-
· first direct warning, though much of his teaching certainly cautions and warns us.
· But no a strict prohibition. Jesus seems to be moving into how we ought to act—our intentions. “in order to be seen…”
b. Practicing piety:
· Gives three examples: almsgiving, prayer and fasting.
· Language link to righteousness.
c. Reward. Jesus casually recognizes that human beings respond to incentives. Major cornerstone of modern economic theory. People want, even need, to be noticed.
d. Father-household economy, not market economy. Parents may reward children, but they don’t look at them as workers, who must produce.
e. Structure: When you give/pray/fast, don’t _____________, but _______
2“So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites
do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell
you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give alms, do not let your left hand
know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
f. Alms. Actions to assist others. Direct aid or any actions to benefit others. Charity, working for social change (19th century evangelical abolition work). Intersting that Jesus list alms first. Perhaps acting for others is the most important sort of piety.
g. Hypocrits: greek word for actor. Meaning deceivers. It seems Jesus is the person who brought the word hypocrits into moral vocab of western world (Willard Conspiracy 191)
h. Sound trumpet—did folks do so? Maybe! Could be sound of coin in trumpet shaped tubes into gift box (which I prefer). Or simply colorful language.
i. Gotten their reward—paid in full.
j. One hand/other—great image in itself. Perhaps calling for internal quiet and avoidance of self-congratulation?
k. Sees/Watching—heavenly father is paying attention to us; We don’t do good just for it’s own sake!
l. Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
m.
B BLOCK
5. Person: What do Jesus words reveals about who he is?
· Jesus easily and unproblematicly recognizes that humans respond to rewards/incentives/consequences, just as he recognized that we are tempted to nurse a grudge, shrug off a difficult relationship, want to retaliate and have enemies. How would it reshape our discipleship if we presumed an easy, comfortable and profound understanding and acceptance of human nature?
· Introduces hypocrits to moral convo. Jesus has his hand on the tiller guiding our understanding of morality in Western civilization.
·
6. Theology: What theological idea can we draw from this teaching?
· Importance of understanding God as our heavenly Father. Language is about our relationship to God, who is not distant or remote, but attentive.
·
7. Eternity: How does this teaching link our everyday life and eternity?
· Father in Heaven. Different axis and scale for our rewards.
· God’s omnipotence is meant to encourage us!
8. Ethics: What ethical teaching or guide can we take from this teaching?
(Bruner’s little steps; Willard’s dikaiosune –how is a good person to live?)
· Actions to assist others. Direct aid or any actions to benefit others. Charity, working for social change (19th century evangelical abolition work). Intersting that Jesus list alms first. Perhaps acting for others is the most important sort of piety.
· We act for the good of others because we are part of the household of God. We must assume that a caring father watches what we do to correct our error and sin, and to reward and encourage our
· Bit upside down: Americans are often quite touchy about letting others know what they do or don’t give (Al Gore? Failure to contribute; Mitt Romney [i]). Sometimes obeying this verse; sometimes hiding our lack of generosity.
CLOSING
Who is on your enemies list?
[i] https://www.politico.com/story/2012/09/romney-gives-more-to-charity-than-obama-biden-081529