SERMON ON THE MOUNT CHAPTER 6
BACKGROUND
Lent is a season devoted to prayer, fasting and almsgiving. In Chapter 5 of Matthew, we dealt with fasting. Now in Chapter 6 we will focus on prayer and almsgiving. This Third week of Lent we concentrate on the life giving waters God gives us to restore and heal us. We must detach ourselves from things of this world and attach ourselves to things of eternity. After all, that is where we will spend the rest of our lives. There is not a better time to prepare! “Now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation” 2 Corinthians 6:2
TEACHING ABOUT ALMSGIVING.
Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them… When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. MATTHEW 6:1-9
THE WIDOWS MITE
“Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on”
REFLECTION
When we make sacrifices like almsgiving, it should be between us and God. It is in the heart and mind that determines whether an act is out of love for God or self serving. Alms giving need not be only money; it can be other acts of charity such as donations of food, clothing, and other supplies.
When I think of almsgiving I think of how Jesus pointed out to his disciples the generosity of the widow pictured above, not giving of her surplus, but giving from her poverty. Be generous, give until it hurts at least a little. Detach yourself from your “goods” that you may be free to attach yourself to the greater good! GOD!
TEACHING ABOUT PRAYER.
“When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
“This is how you are to pray Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors and do not subject us to the final test, but deliver us from the evil one. MATTHEW 6:9-15
THE LORD’S PRAYER
REFLECTION
Like He did with almsgiving, Jesus reminds folks don’t go around and make a spectacle of yourself so others can see you are praying and think well of you. Remember the Pharisee and publican in the temple. The publican knelt in the rear beating his breast and asking for mercy on him for his sins. The publican, not the Pharisee, went home satisfied.
When we pray don’t babble on. God knows what we need and how best to deliver it to us. If you don’t know what you need, tell God that, and ask Him for what you need most.
In the prayer Jesus taught us, first, we honor and worship God the Father, then we ask for material and spiritual nourishment, daily bread. In concusion we ask that our sins be forgiven and for the grace to forgive those who offend us, that we withstand temptation, and be delivered from final damnation.(the evil one)
TREASURE IN HEAVEN.
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be. MATTHEW 6:19-21
WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS, SO WILL YOUR HEART BE
REFLECTION
In this teaching Jesus warns us that all material goods will fade away, be lost, be destroyed, rust out, run out, not be available to us due to circumstances beyond our control. Only God remains reliable and steady. Jesus promises, “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.” John 14:2
What do I treaure? Will it get me to one of those dwelling places Jesus promised.? Where is my heart? What role does God play in my life? Try attaching yourself to God’s will. Thy will be done! While it may hurt a little to surpress my wants, it makes it a lot easier to make decisions, not my will, but thy will be done! It can bring peace to an otherwise turbulent soul.
DEPENDENCE ON GOD.
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them…
Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’ All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil. MATTHEW 6:25-34
SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD
REFLECTION
I focus on a couple messages in this teaching of Jesus. First,“Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span?” NO! We probably all know “worriers” or maybe we are one. The Serenity Prayer may help: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.
There lots of short prayers one might say like the Divine Mercy mantra, Jesus I Trust in You. But I know prayer does not always provide immediate results. If we orient our lives to placing God first in everything we do, it is easier to accept setbacks, failures, sufferings by asking God to take what you are going through and make it a redemptive act for the salvation of the world.
The second phrase that grabbed me is “Do not worry about tomorrow….Sufficient for a day is its own evil.” How true that is. Let me get through these 24 hours, one hour at a time, take it day by day, Jesus be my partner today. Jesus, I place my trust in you, carry me when I can’t do it by myself. Jesus take the wheel!
Footprints in the Sand
One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky. In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand. Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, other times there was one only.
This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat, I could see only one set of footprints, so I said to the Lord, “You promised me Lord, that if I followed you, you would walk with me always.
But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there has only been one set of footprints in the sand. Why, when I needed you most, have you not been there for me?” The Lord replied, “The years when you have seen only one set of footprints, my child, is when I carried you.”