The Weekend Word

Matthew 6:9-18

⁹ Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name

• Do you need help with your prayer life? Go to the Christian bookstore and look at the volumes produced just to help you pray.
• But Jesus said, “pray like this” – why do we not do it the Jesus way?
• This prayer is not a special formula
• He could have said “Oh Great God, Creator of All – Oh Lord Almighty and Holder of All Power in your hands and who smote those in Sodom & Gomorra ….”
• It would have all been true – But he said “our Father…”
• Since he said “Our Father” – then who are we?
• Potential sons?? – one day to be to be children? No, we are present tense His Children – Present tense His Heirs.
• “Our” Father – is this prayer a group prayer and not an individual prayer?
• Do we do enough in community?
• Note the plurality of the prayer – the “our” the “us” – this is meant to be prayed in community – when the church gathers – how many refuse?

¹⁰ Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

• His Kingdom comes with or without us
• He wants his kingdom to come to us – that he will come to you in your life.
• Actually, the Kingdom is here already, consummated with his Good Friday sacrifice – resurrection and ascension
• How do we say “your will be done.”??
• Is it just an easy tagline of humble subservience or…
• Is it a cry against Satan? It should be.
• Is it “your will be done Lord” or “My will”? God, get in the backseat.
• When God keeps us faithful to his promise – his will is being done.
• When he gives us heaven– his will is being done.
• When Christ forgives sinners – his will is being done.
• When the old Adam is put to death by the law – his will is being done.
• Your will be done is a confession of who I am – I am at odds with God
• God’s will is being done in the 10 commandments
• God’s will is being done when we protect life
• God’s will is being done when we protect marriage
• God’s will is being done when we treat and protect our neighbor and his property rightly
• God’s will is being done when we use his name properly
• God’s will is being done when we don’t have any other Gods

¹¹ Give us this day our daily bread,

• All of the “give us” – a little pushy? Or a claim to a promise?
• Daily bread = everything I need for daily existence
• God help me.
• I need help, support, guidance, food, clothes – good weather for good crops.
• And I trust you will provide.
• And this is not just about our need, but where everything comes from.
• This is like a confession of faith to God.
• The “give us” does not need to be for us – but for others
• Give to the Iraqi Christians …

¹² and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

• “…as we also…” this is the 1^st stumbling block in the prayer
• Sin is likened to debt because you now carry a debt towards God or the other person.
• We as a nation should understand what it means to be in debt
• This would be like China forgiving our national debt but we turn around and say “hey, Puerto Rico – pay up!” (The Unforgiving Servant of Matt 18)
• Think about forgiving others
• Our debt is forgiven through no deed of our own – but we always feel like our neighbor needs to work off his debt to us or at least be worthy of our forgiveness.
• How does a Christian act? We are to be generous and reckless with our forgiveness to others.

¹³ And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil

• God does not tempt anyone
• There is this unholy trinity – the world – the devil and our sinful flesh.
• It looks like God but it is not. Who did Adam blame? “God, you made me do it through this woman.
• Who tempted Adam & Eve? Who tempted Jesus?

¹⁴ For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you,

¹⁵ but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

• Matthew 18:21-35 – the parable of the unmerciful servant.
• 14 is a YIKES
• 15 is a double YIKES
• You might take note – there is no sugar coating with this one.
• What are you going to do with forgiveness?

Fasting – So Jesus is still on the mountain, still talking in Red Letters – teaching with authority – continuing that ‘rabbis said – but I say.’

¹⁶ “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

• When you fast – fasting was expected. Was fasting a Jewish thing?
• Do we ever see fasting taught to the Gentiles?
• Fasting is all about self denial – how important is eating to you?
• A friend of mine went to Cuba a couple of months ago and told me how poor they were.
• He said “they would rather eat than get paid.”
• I thought who would put food over money? Then I thought, Me! I eat several times a day but get paid only a couple of times a month.

¹⁷ But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,

• Do what it takes to look healthy and alert.
• When you do something, anything for God, look good doing it!

¹⁸ that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

• What do you hope to get out of fasting?
• Who do you fast to?