We come today to the second main section, or the second point of Jesus sermon. The theme is in Matthew 6:1. In the 5:1-16 we saw the introduction and the background for the whole sermon. Then in verse 5:17-48 the theme verse could “Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.” And now we are on the third point of the sermon. Its about how your practice your righteousness.
In this main point he has three subsections. V. 2, “When you give,” v. 5 & 7, “When you pray,” And verse 16, “When you fast.” They all end with the same words, “and your Father who sees in secret will reward you (v. 4,6,18).” This is about having a heart that realizes it poverty and gives, prays, and fasts from that place of poverty. About a heart that is hungering and thirsting for righteousness. A heart that is humble, hungry and thirsting for God, merciful, pure, and at peace. This is about being in Christ.
The world hates hypocrisy in the church as they should. We must hate it. This is not Christianity. It is man-made religion. I think that’s why the world hates it so much, because they know it to be true of themselves. The question is do you fear God or men? Hypocrisy lives in every heart. The hypocrite is one who looks outward, and does not look inward. The Christian starts with the inward live in light of the presence of God. Since the Bible spends more time on the prayer section here, I would like to talk about it next time. Today I will talk about giving and praying
Do it because that is who you are: A child of the Father.
- Giving
- Praying (Next week)
- Fasting
Giving
“Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets that they may be praised by others.” Truly I say to you, they have received their reward.
Here is the point. Why are you giving money? Are you doing things for God, because you are his child, or for people, to make a name and leave a legacy? Are you giving so that people will see how generous you are? Are you giving because you are obligated? Are you giving because that is what your parents taught you? Why are you giving? Is about about a temporal earthly name, and legacy or eternal legacy in Christ.
Many people give to get. Like tax deductions. I find them so ironic. No one today wants to admit people are basically sinful, yet why would government offer tax deductions if people are basically good? Wont people give from the goodness of their heart, or simply based on the size of the need? Our government wisely says, “we doubt it!” people give to get. Get Publicity, earn esteem, save on taxes…
Why are you giving? Are you giving because that is just who you are as a Christian? A giver who has been given all? You see true giving flows out of an understanding of one’s own poverty, and the pity that God has shown you. True giving is done out of gratitude not out of a desire of recognition. The value of what you give is not in how much you give, but with what attitude you are giving. God does not care how much you give; he cares about what you are holding onto. What your fist wont let go of.
This is why the Lord can say the widow who gave a penny gave more than all the others. We would say no she didn’t! She was not filling up the church budget in any significant degree! The little she put into the temple offering was not paying the bills. But that is not the way it works in Gods economy. God supplies the needs of the church. Not us. He uses us.
Don’t think God needs your money. If you are saved, and you know Christ, and his work, then there is no way you will not give.
You see some give because they believe they have extra money to give. We think all the money we make is mine. To do with what I want. When we think that way, we also believe we should get some credit for giving some of “your money” away. I mean not a lot, but a little bit, right? People should know how much I sacrificed.
Sometimes the church can make this problem bigger by honoring the big givers and thinking the little gifts are less important. To God one can put in a million and the other 2 rand. If the one who put in two rand did it with the right motive it is worth more than then the million.
Jesus says if you do it to get credit, not to give credit, then you will have your reward. “Truly I say to you they have received their reward. They will notice how rich you were, and how much you gave away. Jesus say giving it away is not a defining marker of holiness. The question is where is your heart at?
You see in the church when Jesus talks about money and giving it is never about money or giving, its about your heart. Jesus never asked for money. Never took a collection. Never had a fundraising campaign to support his journey to Jerusalem. Yet he talks about money all the time. Why because your use of your stuff, is a sign of who you are.
But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
This is about the heart with which you give. An athlete knows that if you train your muscles – say to swing a bat when the ball is coming at you – you do not stop to think what you are doing. Or for a world class musician who has practiced many hours they know exactly what notes to play and when it become second nature. Its something we do without thinking about it too much.
You know the story in Matthew 25:31-40 where he speaks of his second coming and separate everyone on his right and left. Those on the right are the righteous. The sheep. They fed the hungry, clothed the naked, visited the sick and imprisoned. Do you remember their reaction when Jesus welcomes them into the kingdom telling them of their good works? What do they say? They say, “Lord when did we do all these things? They didn’t even realize what they were doing. They had a self-forgetfulness. That is just who they were.
Is your deepest desire, “look at what I am giving?” or “look at what God has given.” That is the question here. Who is central you or God? Who is the once truly giving? You or God. As James says, “every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of the heavenly lights.”
You see in giving you let go of the World, so that more and more you might lose your grip on the world and gain a grip on the Father and his love.
Your Father who sees in secret will reward you. He sees your heart. He knows you. He will bless you. He will provide for you. These blessing are of course future, but also are enjoyed in the present. The more you follow his way the less you will be controlled by money. Or by other people. You will leave fearlessless, because you fear God. You will live without anxiety because you trust God. You will live in contentment because you know God. Yes… and fasting helps us to realize this more and more.
Fasting:
And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others.
First of all just a note of clarification. It says, “When you fast….” This implies that Christians fast, but it is not commanded. Just once in the OT on the day of atonement. And that day was fulfilled in Christ. If you look in the NT for a command to fast you won’t find one. Note that. It’s important.
If you don’t fast it won’t offend the leadership of the church, the only person that will suffer loss by not fasting is you. Because biblical fasting will teach you something important. Notice I said biblical fasting. Which means that there is a way not to fast.
Let’s look at that first: Jesus says, “Do not look gloomy like the hypocrites who disfigure their faces.” The religious leaders would fast Monday and Thursday. When they fasted, they did not pay attention to personal hygiene. They would let the beards grow; they would look gloomy. They were putting on a religious superhero cape. They were the holy rollers. The better as everyone else kind of people. And they wanted everyone to know it.
But Jesus has a delightful play on words here. A hypocrite is one who would put on a mask on his face to pretend to play a character in a play. And here the religious leaders (hypocrites) disfigure their face (putting their mask on) to pretend to be someone – Godly. But the person behind the mask is not the same. They do it for the audience, and Jesus says they get their reward. The audience approves.
These days it seems like it’s a growing movement to share what you are fasting from on social media. Don’t. Just fast. Do not tell anyone. I know you won’t get as many likes. But the most important like is not on Facebook anyway.
Then he tells us the right way to fast for when we fast/ He says, “When you fast, anoint your head and wash your ace, that you fasting may not be seen by others but by your father who is in secret will reward you.”
In other words, do not put on a mask. Do not change anything. Just go about your normal life. Because fasting is not about getting noticed it is about prioritizing the love the Father. Fasting is something that is just between you and God. This is maybe why we have so little information on fasting in the early church. We know many fasted on Wednesday and Friday, but harly anything is written on it. They didn’t announce it to anyone. They didn’t advertise it. They didn’t even write about it all that much.
Why? Because Fasting always has an eye on the Father – the unseen one. Prizing hunger for God over food. The question that fasting answers is: “Do you believe that God has something better for you?” In fasting you say “YES!”
Let me explain: Animals have an incredible desire of survival. Humans have the same strong desire. These are what we call primal desire. Food, sex, sleep, self-preservation. Often bodily desires. They are the strongest desires of the experience. And are often instantly gratified. But I want you to know these are not our deepest desires. We are made in the image of God, and have spirits, so our deepest desires will be for him. Desire for fellowship with God. Desire to be accepted by Him to be loved by Him, desire to be at home with him. These are our deepest desires.
The problem with sin is that it makes our primal desires our deepest desires. Sin makes primal desires like food, sex, entertainment and the happiness of their satisfaction most important. That is the nature of the flesh. So that these desires eclipse our spiritual desires (for the Father) and the greater happiness of their fulfillment.
Sin inverts the order of desire, and placed creation above creator. It diminishes the spiritual and makesfleshly desure the most important desires. That is what the fall into sin did.
Many of you know the story: the fall into sin happened because Adam and Eve ate a fruit. A Fruit! All the pain, suffering, and evil in the world - The source of humanity depravity lies in couple eating forbidden fruit. Satan came to Eve, and in that moment she loved God, but not more then she wanted the fruit. There was nothing wrong with the fruit itself. The problem was Adam and Eves heart. We read ub Genesis 3, “The woman say that the tree was good for food (the lust of the flesh), and that it was a delight to the eyes (lust of the eyes) and was to be desired to make one wise (pride of life), that she took some and ate, and gave to her husband as well.
John says, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world.…”. In and through Christ our desires are reordered.
At this point Eve was not captivated by God. She did not have the vision of God. His love. His character. His care. His holiness. Above all. At this point she loved herself more then she loved God. Eves desires became disordered. Her primal desire became her deepest desire. Eve should have said no. That is what fasting tells us.
Jesus came so that we might know God. In other words so that we might appreciate him, love him, above all. Jesus After 40 days of fasting the tempter came to him and he was hungry. He shows us the deepest desire is the Father. He is victorious where we are defeated.
That is what he is teaching us here. In these three things Giving, praying, and fasting we are being reordered so that love of the Father may come above all. In giving we are battling the lust of the eyes, in praying we are battling the pride of life, and in fasting we battle against the lust of the flesh! We are living in Christ rather than according to the first Adam.
In the end fasting is not about giving something up, but about receiving something far greater. That is the point of fasting. When God comes first everything else can be properly enjoyed, not as things to live for but things to enjoy.
Verse 18 says, “that your fasting may not be seen by others, but by your Father who is in secret. And you father who sees in secret will reward you.”
The Father in heaven will reward you. Heaven in the bible simply means Gods’ space. The Space where he dwells.. So it is not like the treasures in heaven are exclusively things we need to wait for that are coming. No, We may receive treasures in heaven even now. We can enjoy God even now if we seek him above all things. We can experience peace, and rest, love and security, joy and contentment in him.
When we see the primal desires first then we will experience turmoil and unrest; competition and insecurity; envy and discontentedness. But if the Father comes first, then all of live begins to fall into place.
And please hear me. ONLY if you are already in Christ is this possible. You can’t say no to these things (money, self, and food) unless you first say yes to Gods way to Gods promises. You can’t say no unless you first say yes to Jesus.
Jesus gives soul satisfaction not just a full stomach. Fellowship with God not just some fleeting sexual pleasure. Inner refreshment not simply time off. Spiritual vitality not just physical health, eternal live over just temporal life. One is earthly it is good. One is heavenly it is better. Better by far. If you focus on the earthly you will end up having niether, if you focus on the love of the Father you will have both. This is what fasting helps us realize. Takes our eyes of the primal desire and puts priority on our deepest desires.
This is very relevant in our time. COVID has taken much form us – much earthly security. How you rect to this loss is a good sign of where you are eating and drinking. From Jesus, or this earth. It is no exaggeration that for many Paul words to his culture that “their gods is their belly” are true for our culture. Its about weight loss or the next latest diet.
Fasting is not so you can count calories, or look better, it is so you can count yours blessing and soak in the Fathers love and his word. His word is life. We say in fasting, “I do not live for my appetites – my physical appetites, sexual appetites, or material appetites. Therefore, with self-control (one of the fruit of the Spirit) I am going to stop this nonstop nibbling at the table of the world. I live for God. That is maybe what Covid-19 has hopefully taught some of us,
So yes, fasting is not commanded, but it would help. The bible does give several examples why one might fast like sorrow over sin, mourning a great loss, before the appointment of elders. But the main reason we fast is to nourish our hunger for God and reduce our hunger for the world. Ironically the reward for fasting is a hunger and thirst for God – a larger appetite for him. And he who hungers and thirst for him according to the scripture will be satisfied. Do you want a fatter more well-fed soul – then my suggestion would be to fast.
And feast upon and enjoy the love of the Father. And share it with the World. This is what we learn through almsgiving and fasting.
Amen