TThe 
ight House
Sunday School (Alms Giving, Prayer, and Fasting)
Alms Giving, Prayer, and Fasting
(Matthew 6:1-18)
This weeks Sunday School lesson is on Almsgiving, Prayer and Fasting. The lesson is based on the scriptures of Matthew chapter 6 verses 1-18. Those scriptures are below:
In verses 1-4 Jesus teaches on Almsgiving.
1Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. 2Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 3But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: 4That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
(Matthew 6:1-4)These scriptures address sinful pride. Let’s look first of all at what God’s word says about self exalting pride and boastfulness.
The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.
(Psalm 10:4)When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.
(Proverbs 11:2)Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.
(Proverbs 16:18-19)For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
(1 John 2:16)The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things
(Psalms 12:3)These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: 17A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, 19A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
(Proverbs 6:16-19)Pride is always referred to in a negative sense in God’s word. When our underlying motive in anything we do is to be seen doing it by others, our heart is not in the right place. When pride is our motivator, we are serving ourselves rather than serving God. This principle not only apples to monetary tithes and offerings, but to anything we do in service to the Lord. If we sing a song or give a testimony, of course it’s purpose is to be heard by others, but the purpose should never be to exalt ourselves, but to be a witness to others and to bring glory to God’s name.
Some people don’t believe a person should pay their tithes with a check because it attaches your name to your donation. I believe it depends upon the heart of the person who makes that donation as to whether or not paying by check would be appropriate. If a person pays by check specifically because he/she desires for others to see his/her donation, then that would be a violation of biblical teaching (particularly these scriptures). However if a person pays by check simply to have a record for budgeting or tax purposes, then I believe there is no sin being committed because the heart is free of sinful intent.
Notice that Jesus talks about rewards here. Everyone will stand in judgment one day and rewards will be given for both the good things he has done as well as the bad.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
(2 Corinthians 5:10)Jesus teaches that when it comes to alms giving that if we give your gifts to be seen by man then we loose our Heavenly reward for that donation. Jesus teaches that our reward when giving to be seen by man is the reward of being seen by man and nothing more. True worship comes from the desire to serve God, not man.
We are instructed not to sound a trumpet before thee. This means we are not to publicize our righteousness. We are not to seek the praise of man, but rather to seek favor from God.
Not letting the left hand know what the right hand is doing is a way of teaching us to give spontaneously, without a lot of planning (giving so suddenly and quickly that the left hand can not keep up with what the right hand is doing) Why give spontaneously? My view is: Giving spontaneously comes from a heart motivated only to give for the love of whom it is given and not the heart of someone seeking recognition. It also shows an unconditional desire to be led by the Holy Spirit (obedience) and shows an exercise of faith in trusting God to supply all of our needs.
Giving with a pure heart out of love is the type of giving for which our Heavenly Father will reward us. He sees in secret what man does not see.
Note: If we do give without drawing attention to ourselves, but are motivated by the promise of a reward from God, that too is not giving with a pure heart because you are giving for personal gain rather than giving out of love to help those who are receiving the gift.
Here is what Jesus says about public prayer:
5And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 6But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. 7But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
(Matthew 6:5-8)In verses 5 and 6, Jesus is teaching the same principle that he did about giving alms. The point being made again is not to bring attention to yourself. Ironically, the problem many people have is not in bringing attention to themselves in their praying. The problem many have is the opposite, yet equally disobedient act of being ashamed to pray in the presence of others, particularly in the presence of nonchristians. There is a balance between not being ashamed, and being self-exalting. That balance of being neither ashamed nor exalting one’s self, is maintained within the heart.
If we desire for others to hear us pray, we are guilty of the Lord’s teaching here in this scripture. If we are ashamed to pray such as thanking God for our meal in a public restaurant, then we are guilty of being ashamed of God. To maintain that balance, our motive must be the correct one. Our motive in prayer should be to talk wit our Lord, whether it is to praise Him, ask something of Him, or just to talk in fellowship with Him.
Jesus often prayed alone and never prayed in a manner to exalt himself, yet Jesus did not hide the fact that he was going off to himself to pray.
Public prayer in the synagogues was customary in Jesus’ time, so he was not condemning public prayer, but rather the misuse of it.
Consider these versus:7But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
(Matthew 6:7-8)What is vain repetitions? It could be described as, praying without thinking. If we are only reciting prayers we have heard others pray, or if we speak the same things over and over solely out of habit, we are not praying from our heart. I believe God wants us to pray what is on our hearts. This is part of having fellowship with him. Imagine if a friend or relative called you on the phone, but rather than conversing with you about how they are doing, and sharing with you the things that are on their heart, they simply spoke the words of others in reciting and quoting the things they have heard others say. Would you enjoy such a conversation? Would it be difficult to maintain a close friendship with someone who always spoke this way and never expressed to you what was really on their hearts and never shared with you their joys and their concerns? In order to maintain that friendship, we need to share our own thoughts, concerns, and feelings. It’s the same way in having fellowship with God.
Jesus teaches that our Heavenly Father knows what our needs are before we ask him. If this is true, then why should we bother to ask him? God desires that we believe Him. God honors our faith. God moves on our faith. Praying substantiates our faith. It reveals our faith and our humility..
Jesus gives us an example of how to pray:
9After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11Give us this day our daily bread. 12And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. 14For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
(Matthew 6:9-15)This example is often referred to as “The Lord’s Prayer”. Many people will recite this prayer when they feel that they need God’s intervention. I believe however, that we can be specific in the things we want God to do for us. Notice that Jesus does not say, “Pray this prayer.” Rather, Jesus says “After this manner therefore pray ye.” There is a difference!
What is this manner of prayer? Notice how the prayer begins…Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
The prayer begins with an acknowledgement of God and praise to His name. Now notice how the prayer ends…
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
The prayer ends much in the same way it begins, with acknowledgement and praise. In between the beginning and the end, we ask God for what we desire. The message Jesus seems to be showing us there therefore is that our requests of God should be sandwiched between praises.
If we find ourselves lost in the forest while on a hunting trip, rather than reciting the Lord’s prayer, we can be specific in asking God to show us the way back to camp or that we may be found. There is nothing wrong with the Lord’s prayer, but I believe because Jesus said, “After this manner”, he is showing us the principle of how to pray and not teaching us that we need to pray this exact prayer. The fact that Jesus also instructs us not to pray in vain repetitions also seems to support this principle.
Here is what Jesus says on fasting:
16Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 17But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; 18That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
(Matthew 6:16-18)Once again we see that Jesus is teaching that we are not to bring attention to ourselves in the things we do unto the Lord. When we fast, we need to do so for the right reason or else it is in vain. Fasting is an act of denying ourselves partially as a way of expressing our acknowledgement that place God first in our lives even before ourselves. You can not deny yourself if you are at the same time purposely bringing attention to yourself. When Jesus fasted for 40 days, he did so in the wilderness while he was alone.
Jesus teaching on alms giving, prayer, and fasting were all grouped into this one lesson because in all three cases, Jesus taught the principle of not doing these things in a way which brings attention or exalts ourselves in the eyes of man. All three while, teaching their own particular lessons, teach the common principle of humility.
Carl
I may not look like much, but I cost a bunch!
