Hi sisters,
Ever come to a chapter in the Bible you’ve read and heard so many times that you want to skip it thinking, “Yeah, I know this already”? That was me when I opened to Matthew chapter 6 a few weeks ago. I saw that the content was teachings on prayer, giving, anxiety, etc. and assumed I knew all there was to know.
As it turns out, God had much to teach me. I meditated and chewed on the passage. I began to ask, “What condition of the fallen, human heart is God treating?”
That question came from this fact: Jesus is the great Physician. “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick” (Mark 2:17). Our deepest “sickness” is the evil inside each of our hearts. II Corinthians 5:17 tells us that we are a new creation in Christ; however, Ephesians 4:20-24 says we must actively take off the “old self” and put on the “new self.” Therefore, we are “already” new, and at the same time, “not yet” fully new. This parallels the fact that the Kingdom of God is “already” here on earth, but “not yet” in its fullness.
Back to Matthew 6. Since Jesus is the Physician, then His rules are my treatment plan. They provide remedies for the sickness in my heart as a result of being a fallen human. Again, I am a new creation already through Jesus Christ, but the sickness of evil still resides in me and needs treatment.
Here is how I started to process the chapter:
- “Beware of practicing you righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them . . . when you give to the needy . . . when you pray . . . when you fast.” (see 6:1-6; 16-18)
* This treats: pride.
* To practice giving, praying, and fasting in private reorients our focus to pleasing God, not people or our egos. - “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth . . . but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (see 6:19-24)
* This treats: greed, materialism, and selfishness.
* It’s impossible to be a greedy, selfish, materialistic person if we are making a habit of giving (time/talent/money/possessions) to others sacrificially. I love this quote by C.S. Lewis: “I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. In other words, if our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc, is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving away too little.” - “Seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness” (see 6:25-34)
* This treats: anxiety over basic needs
* Focusing on advancing God’s kingdom and raising up spiritual generations shows we trust God will provide what we need to accomplish His task. - “forgive others” (see 6:14-15)
* This treats: bitterness
* Withholding forgiveness is like drinking poison and hoping the other person gets sick. Forgiveness releases us from the destruction caused by bitterness and releases us from living as a victim forever. - “Pray then like this: Our Father in heaven . . . ” (see 6:7-13)
* This treats: the illusion that we can manipulate God with prayer
* The Lord’s prayer provides a blueprint for prayer to orient our minds to God’s name being hallowed and a desire for God’s kingdom (His rule and reign) to be done here and now, in and through us.
Since our Western perspective of treatment usually involves simply taking a pill, it is helpful for me to include a physical therapist as part of Jesus’ physician role. A physical therapist teaches us exercises to facilitate healing and to prevent further injuries. So, that leaves us all with a question Jesus asked someone, “Do you want to be healed?” (John 5:6). If so, let’s participate with the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ treatment plan for our hearts!
By the River Together 