Matthew 6:1–8, 16–18

Bible Studies for Life
Armstrong Professor of Religion, Samford University

Transformed in My Worship

Matthew 6:1–8, 16–18

In her book, Marva Dawn suggests that worship is “A Royal Waste of Time,” which the book is titled, as we immerse ourselves in awesome worship, in thankful praise, in loving adoration of a God who is worthy of honor and glory and blessing. Worship, which is not merely a private encounter with God but a corporate expression of adoration, helps us to put God first in our lives.

Give to help others and not to call attention to yourself. (1–4)

Jesus speaks of three different aspects of worship, of piety — almsgiving (vv. 2–4), prayer (vv. 5–15) and fasting (vv. 16–18). These were motivated by individual attitudes and demonstrated in private practice. Yet they were different aspects of the worship of the people of God. Jesus assumes we engage in each one of these activities and so He says throughout the chapter “when you give,” “when you pray” and “when you fast.”

The worship of God has both a vertical and a horizontal dimension. We express our love to God but we also remember the needs of others. We are to remember the needs of the poor, of those who often are oppressed in life by circumstances and the actions of others. Daniel reminds us to “show mercy to the poor” (Dan. 4.27).

The danger, however, is that we seek to draw attention to our acts of charity. If we are looking for public recognition, we get precisely that and nothing more. It does not count with God. 

In helping others, do we want our name to be placed on a plaque or a building or a scholarship, or do we simply want to help others?

Pray with humble sincerity. (5–8)

As for prayer, there is something distasteful in using an occasion to enjoy fellowship with God and turn it into an opportunity to be seen as being a pious person and gain the reputation of being a person of prayer. 

The Christian will rather discover that prayer is our vital breath and our native air and will not pile up empty phrases. The latter do not count with God. God longs for the prayers of our hearts. We meet with Him in secret and our reward is fellowship with the Father.

Jesus uses the word “hypocrites” on several occasions in the Sermon on the Mount. It means “play acting” and refers to people who go through the motions of charity and prayer to be seen by others and receive their applause.

Deny yourself without making a show of it. (16–18)

Fasting played an important part in the Jewish faith in which Jesus was nurtured. Yet the Hebrew Bible recognizes the dangers of fasting. 

Giving up food for a period of time was not the essence of what fasting was all about. Isaiah reminds the people of Israel that “this (is) the fast that I choose … to loose the bonds of injustice … to let the oppressed go free. … Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house? … Then you shall call and the Lord will answer” (Isa. 58:6–9).

Fasting should be both voluntary and private, never a way of drawing attention to ourselves. It is not a means of acquiring credit either with God or other people. It is all too easy to follow rules and regulations in religious practice which are right and proper, but which we do in order to win the favor of other people rather than God. If this happens then we are the play-actors of the 21st century just as much as the Pharisees were in our Lord’s day.