“A day hemmed in prayer is less likely to come unraveled.”
Jesus told His disciples in 5:20 that their righteousness needs to surpass the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. In this section of the sermon, Jesus will illustrate just what He means by that.
CHRISTIANS PRAY DIFFERENTLY – 6:5-8:
In contrast to pagans who believe they have to repeat themselves to be heard and / or to manipulate their gods to respond, Jesus tells His disciples not to “blabber” or to use “many words” (cf. the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18:26). The Father in heaven is not like pagan gods. Not only can He not be manipulated through speaking mantras, but He does not need to be manipulated. He knows what disciples need even before they ask.
CHRISTIANS HAVE A PATTERN – 6:9-13:
Anything to which God’s name is attached should be respected as holy, including His name itself. That means His people, “Christ”-ians, and His church, church of “God in Christ,” should be kept holy. The Father is in heaven, and from there He can rule over the affairs of men, answering prayers for His disciples, even as He is unaffected by the changing of time or space.
Since the kingdom has been established on the Day of Pentecost (between 31 and 33 A. D.; Mark 9:1; Acts 2:32-35; Col. 1:13-14; Heb. 12:28; 1 Pet. 2:9; Rev. 1:6, 9), it would be appropriate now to pray that the kingdom will spread around the world and God’s reign would begin in the heart of each individual person.
God’s will refers to the obedience He requires as well as the events in history He desired to transpire in order for Jesus’ work to be completed. Thus, Jesus gives the great commission in Matthew 28:19, telling His disciples to make disciples by baptizing them and teaching them to “observe all that I have commanded you.” That’s how God’s will is done on earth.
Jesus tells His disciples to pray, in faith, that God will provide for their necessities each day. In the first century, common workers received their pay each day. In verses 25-34, Jesus will return to this theme of faith in the midst of physical needs.
Forgiveness is the theme of the next verse in the prayer (ver. 12). Failure to obey is failure to pay a debt, which is sin. So Jesus tells His disciples to pray that God will forgive that debt, that disobedience, and Jesus ties forgiveness of His disciples to their willingness to forgive others their debts, their lack of obedience (ver. 14-15).
God led Jesus into the wilderness so He could be tempted by the devil, so Jesus could be fully qualified to be man’s high priest (Heb. 2:17-18; 4:15-17). But God will test man’s willingness to obey Him or obey Satan, as He did Abraham (Gen. 22:1). Jesus’ point, then, here is that disciples should pray that the Father will be with them through the temptation and guide them so they will be delivered from evil.
CHRISTIANS FORGIVE – 6:14-15:
Finally, Jesus reemphasizes in verses 14-15 that our forgiveness from God is dependent on us forgiving others!
One tool in the “toolbox” of Christian strength is prayer.
Paul Holland
