Chapter 5 began with the Beatitudes (blessings), then followed a series of “You have heard that it was said, but I tell you that…” statements. These appear to be Jesus critiquing the Law of Moses, but really they are aimed at the interpretations that had softened some laws, narrowed some laws, and generally shifted them in a direction that favored the rich and powerful in society. Some interpretations drew false conclusions, such as the extension of “love your neighbor” to also mean, “hate your enemy.”
At the end of the chapter, Jesus says, “For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?” Jesus contrasted the way current society follows the Law with the way that life in the Kingdom of Heaven will be. Not that it ‘ought to be’; because when all is said and done, ‘it will be’ because those who don’t change their behavior won’t be in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Jesus’ comments put the audience in the same category that the audience puts the worst sinners, and thus they ought to be nervous about their own practices and their own future. Then comes a difficult challenge: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” This does not mean, ‘do not make a mistake’. Rather it means to practice the virtues that define God, things like righteousness, mercy, and justice for all. Now, in Chapter 6, Jesus instructs his disciples in some of the ways that their practices must change.
6: 1. “Beware of practicing your righteousness before others in order to be seen by them, for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.
The logic here is simple. If you practice your righteousness in order to be seen by others, then you got what you wanted. You were seen by others. There will be no further reward in heaven. ‘Beware’ or ‘Be careful’ does not mean that you are to avoid doing righteous acts in public, fixing a widow’s house has to be done in public. Rather, it is a warning about the motivation for doing righteousness; be careful that you do not act “before others in order to be seen by them.”
6: 2-4. “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. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
The quintessential form of righteous behavior in First Century Judaism was alms-giving for the poor and taxes for the temple. The is no evidence that anyone actually sounded a trumpet to draw attention to his alms-giving, so this is likely hyperbole spoken to emphasize the difference between giving in order to be seen and giving quietly with no false motive. Jesus notes that those who want to be seen, “have received their reward,” that is, others see what they do and say, “Oh, what a pious man he is.”
‘Not letting the left hand know…’ is probably a phrase that emphasizes the routine nature of alms-giving. It becomes so normal that you do not notice it.
6: 5-6. “And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Praying is the second of the three most righteous acts for First Century Jews: alms-giving, praying, and fasting. Just as the previous admonition was not about public alms-giving, so this warning is not about public prayer. As with the whole Sermon on the Mount, the focus is on interior dispositions more than external behavior. Can a person pray in a synagogue or in a church? Of course they can. Can a person pray in a crowd? Yes, certainly. The issue is whether the prayer is to impress others, or the prayer has God as its audience. If praying before others is a temptation, then find a secluded place to pray.
6: 7-8. “When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
A prayer for show impresses the crowd or congregation with lofty phrases and occasional shouts to emphasize emotions. Gentiles, that is, those who believe in different gods, often do these things to attract the attention of the gods, to convince the gods of their need, and to make sure that all the bases are covered.[1]
Jesus’ words here indicate something different about prayer to the Father. Such prayer is not voiced in order to attract God’s attention, nor to inform God about a particular need, as if God didn’t already know. Then what is the purpose of prayer? Perhaps the meaning is found in the first words: “Our Father.” As in any relationship, limited conversation means a limited relationship. One can reveal to God what is in one’s heart, and then listen and learn what is God’s will. Prayer is for ‘relationship building’.
6: 9-13. Pray, then, in this way:
“Our Father in heaven,
may your name be revered as holy.
May your kingdom come.
May your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread [bread for tomorrow].
And forgive us our debts [sins, trespasses],
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And do not bring us to the time of trial [testing],
but rescue us from the evil one.”
In the Gospel According to Luke, the setting for the Lord’s Prayer comes long after the Sermon section. The prayer follows the disciples asking, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples” (Luke 11: 1). If you read the prayer, you will see the differences between the two. You might think, Matthew was there but Luke was not. Actually, it looks like neither one was there since, in Matthew’s Gospel, Matthew himself is not called to be a disciple until Chapter 9. So, it is probable that both of them had to depend on other accounts, both oral and written.
Notice that half of the prayer is about what the person wishes for God, not a petition for help. In the second half, the petitioner asks for daily needs and protection from undue temptation, which is attributed to ‘the evil one’.
The opening phrase reflects Jesus’ preferred address for God, that is, ‘My Father’. In the prophets, God sometimes uses the metaphor of father and child. For example, God speaks of Ephraim, one tribe of Israel that stands for all of Israel: “Is Ephraim my dear son? Is he the child in whom I delight? As often as I speak against him, I still remember him. Therefore, I am deeply moved for him; I will surely have mercy on him, says the LORD” (Jeremiah 31: 20).
Jesus’ prayer has Jewish origins, since Jesus is a Jew. “Jesus here echoes a prayer regularly recited by Jewish people, a prayer known as the Kaddish. Its earliest form began, ‘Exalted and hallowed be his great name, in the world that he created according to his will; may he cause his kingdom to reign…’.”[2]
So Jesus embraces what can be heard in the Old Testament and extends it; if we are God’s children, then God is our Father.[3] Jesus is probably looking beyond Israel to all people who believe and trust in God. This should be a reminder both of God’s love and mercy for all, as well as our common brotherhood and sisterhood with everyone, because we never know who may someday turn to God even though they do not now honor God.
What follows is a recognition that, at this point, not everyone appreciates God as they should, not anywhere do we see the full expression of God’s reign, and not everyone follows God’s will. Jesus invites us to pray that these things will happen. First, that people will recognize how holy (righteous) God is, then that they will discern what God’s expectations are for them, and finally that they will treat God appropriately.
The main petition asks for forgiveness from opheiletēs which can be translated as a ‘fault’ or an ‘offense’, as well as a ‘sin’, ‘trespass’, or ‘debt’. The notion is that someone has been offended or defaulted against, and thus the offender owes a debt that must be paid. Luke uses the word hamartia which more narrowly means ‘sins’ or ‘faults’, but then in the next phrase Luke uses the verb form similar to Matthew’s choice, “for we ourselves forgive everyone opheilōnti ‘indebted’ to us” (Luke 11: 4).
6: 14-15. “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
This is not a part of the prayer. Here, Jesus ends the recommended prayer, turns to the disciples and offers commentary. Occasionally, a preacher will say that our forgiveness does not depend on whether we forgive others. That is a difficult argument to defend. It is true that God is first to forgive. But, it is also true that, if we refuse to forgive others, then God will not continue being merciful to us. Consider this parable.
“…the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him, and, as he could not pay, the lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions and payment to be made. So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him by the throat he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt. When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” (Matthew 18: 23-35).
6: 16-18. “And whenever you fast, do not look somber, like the hypocrites, for they mark their faces to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
The big three, alms-giving, prayer, and fasting, may all become twisted when the motive behind the performance is to elicit accolades for the one who gave, or prayed, or fasted. If people notice and praise the person who fasts, then they have their reward. If we act like that, we have our reward now, not one that will be bestowed by our Father which art in heaven.
As with the Beatitudes, the focus of Jesus’ teachings, even about prayer, is on inward dispositions and the ways in which they are connected to outward actions. If we are inwardly angry or lustful or envious, be sure that, if these are not named and put under control, one day they will emerge in our behavior. If we inwardly want to be praised, and we give alms, or pray, or fast to be seen, then we are hypocrites.[4] God forgives so that our character might be changed to be more like his.
[1] The Greek word for “many words” means “to babble on.”
[2] Craig Keener and John Walton, The NRSV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, (2019), page 1635.
[3] This metaphor, like all metaphors, is not perfect since not everyone has a positive image of their own father. Perhaps it is the relationship with God that will properly critique earthly fathers’ damaged image.
[4] A Greek word that first meant play-acting in the theatre, and later came to mean displaying behavior that did not match inner emotions.