Darryl and I have this habit of staying up ridiculously late. In fact, last night Darryl didn’t go to bed, he was on the same couch from midnight till noon the next morning working on a project he so diligently left until the last minute. So at about 3:30 this morning we decided to do a bible study together and we just read through Matthew 6. It talks about a number of things such as praying, fasting and giving in private, storing permanent treasures and not worrying about useless things.
After reading through this chapter, Darryl read it all out loud (which is quite an awesome practice to do with one other person; it becomes so much more alive), things started sticking out to me. At first reading the first half of this chapter one might think that it’s all about getting rewards. The first three sections all say that if you give, fast and pray in secret then God will ‘reward you openly.’ Not far after that Jesus encourages people to store up treasures in heaven and to stay away from it on earth because it is worthless. Then he goes on to say not to worry. At face value it seems like a bunch of random lessons in a row that teaches us good things.
Then I remembered that it was Jesus talking (probably not a good thing not to remember) and it was Matthew writing this. Now I know Jesus is smart, and he’s probably the greatest communicator and teacher that the world has ever experienced. However I think that by only looking at it like a bunch of different lessons is not giving Matthew enough credit. Matthew put his book together specifically, in a significant order to make certain points and to reach a certain people. After looking through chapter six again, I see a connection that I never noticed before.
The main point of the first three sections is not that if you pray, fast and give than God will reward you openly. The main point is obviously, that when you pray, give and fast DO IT IN SECRET, and then God will reward you openly. In other words, don’t look for recognition, validation or praise for anything good that you are doing, that’s not the point. The point is not to gain points, the point is to keep it something you do out of love for others and God, not out of love for yourself. When you do these things looking for recognition you are doing it out of love for yourself. It then goes on to say don’t store up for yourselves treasures on earth, because they don’t get you anywhere and won’t last. Instead, store up yourself treasures in heaven. Jesus is just encouraging the point that he just made in the previous three paragraphs. Don’t worry about stuff here on earth, and especially don’t use prayer, fasting or giving to get you want you want here.
The next section looks kind of out of place. Jesus goes right into encouraging the people not to worry. It is interesting though, because Christ just finished telling them not to store up treasures on earth and then he tells them not to worry about money, or clothes, or food. All these things are exactly what we store up on isn’t it? We all have bank accounts and saving bonds and stock investments. We all have a closet full of clothes and love to shop for more. We all have fridges full of food, and grocery shop every few weeks.
In other words, Jesus is saying “Look guys, when you do stuff, don’t do it for yourselves, do it for me and other people; don’t look for anything in return.” Then he goes into saying not to worry. He probably said this because the people were saying “Well, fine, I’ll listen, but really what’s in it for me? Who’s going to take care of me?” Christ answers by telling them how much God loves them compared to a bird, and they never are without.
The point of this chapter isn’t to show us what we get at all. The point isn’t to show us that we will be rewarded or to stock pile up rewards in heaven so there is a great pot of gold awaiting for you when you walk through the pearly gates. The point is to say love God and love people, stop loving yourself and don’t worry about not loving and taking care of yourself because God loves you more than anything and he will take care of you. What a beautiful promise.
It isn’t about being rewarded in this life. However Jesus does say we should store up our treasures in heaven. So in a way it is about working for a reward.
Which I don’t think I failed to point out. I don’t think that the point of telling us to store up for ourselves tresure in heaven us to do just that, so for ourselves we have tresure in heave. Instead, maybe the point of us saying that is so that we do all those things that were just mentioned before, because the point isn’t to store up tresure, the point is to give, pray and fast in secret because its empty if you do it for yourself.
So yes, it is says store up for yourselves tresure in heaven, however i don’t beleive that’s supposed to be our focus because if it is it is still selfish. Disinterested piety is the point.
I agree that our focus should be not on ourselves. And I hope that my comment didn’t make it sound that we should do things out of selfishness. However to be honest with you Nathan I find it really hard to do something completely and truthfully out of an entirely selfless position. It may appear selfless, and it may even feel selfless, but more often than not I find that deep down I’m doing it for some selfish self centered reason.
I guess the sanctifying work that God needs to do in me has a very long way still to go. But that promise that we are storing up treasures in heaven is a promise that have a tendency to remember when there is no recognition here on earth. I find solace in the fact that there is an all powerful all watching God who sees me, and knows that (if nothing else) I’m trying to follow the right path. I’m trying to keep Him as the motivation for my actions and my decisions. And that in the end he will stand with a smile (hopefully) and a word of encouragement and a crown in his hand which he extends out to me. At that moment I’ll know with contentment that someone has seen and knows my struggle. Then so overwhelmed with emotion with the tears streaming down my face I’ll grip that crown tightly turn and lay it at the feet of Jesus my Lord. Like a runner who wins a sum of money takes a brief second of joy in winning a prize (for the sake of the recognition not for the value of the money), and then turns and gives it to his favorite charity.
Anyway I hear your thoughts and I agree, but I qualify them with the idea that I’m working towards a goal. And that goal is seeing Christ with recognition in his eyes as I collapse at his feet. Maybe it is a selfish thing to want Jesus to say “well done thou good and faithful servant”. And if it is then Lord forgive me my sin and teach me always the proper path to walk.
Hey Isaac, I agree with you wholeheartedly. I would be pushing it that I think that to ever get there would be an attainable goal in either of our lifetimes. I always used to struggle with the idea that doing EVERYTHING out of unselfish reasons. If I think hard enough everything I do from taking a nap, to eating, to feeding the poor to when I got saved all had SOMETHING to do with me and me going to heaven or doing a good thing or something like that. I don’t really know how to look at it any differently. However I don’t think that should stop us from understanding that that’s our goal, and if we aim for anything less than we aren’t aiming to be like Christ. C.S. Lewis talks a lot about that in Mere Christianity. Here is a quote from his book in what he says Jesus is saying to us:
Make no mistake, if you let me, I will make you perfect. The moment you put yourself in My hands that is what you are in for. Nothing less, or other, than that. You have free will, and if you choose, you can push Me away. But if you do not push Me away, understand that I am going to see this job through. Whatever suffering it may cost you in your earthly life, what inconceivable purification it may cost you after death, whatever it costs Me, I will never rest, nor let you rest, until you are literally perfectuntil my Father can say without reservation that He is well pleased with you, as He said He was well pleased with me. This I can do and will do, but I will not do anything less.
– c.s. lewis, mere christianity-
I love this picture of perfection. Christ tells us to be perfect as he is perfect. Obviously I’m NEVER going to reach that goal here in life, but we should never aim for anything left. It is the entire sanctification journey where God molds us into that perfection that we were created to be. So I agree with you wholeheartedly and I’m in the same boat. I’m far from not seeking eternal rewards all the time and always having everything revolve around me, but I desire that it isn’t this way. So I think your struggles are validated, I’m there with you.
Well Nathan with all that said may God continue his great, and good work in both of us. Let us shoot for the moon, or the stars with our ambitions, knowing always that it is only God who can complete the work that he started.
Thanks for this little conversation I have found it stimulating, and a joy. Keep up the good thoughts, and the quality blog.
Ish
Good thoughs guys. I totally agree with the unselfishness part. We need to seek him wholeheartly I believe, as the both of you explained. At the same time, I don’t know if I believe it is worng to “give to get” something. After all, Jesus tells us “we will be rewarded openly”. If that wasn’t important then He wouldn’t of said it. After all, didn’t God give to get? His son? Us? Humm…
Mathew 6 has some excellent teaching and again I agree, we shouldn’t seek the gift but rather the giver. I believe this approach also works when seeking for the baptism of the holy spirit.
Troy
I read the davincci code and was so surprised by the author’s insult.
Please, don’t fabricate things which are really against God.
We are made with the hands of God and we should not by any means insult our creator.