Doing Those Things That Please God, Part 2 (Matthew 6:18-34)

After the Lord Jesus presented the "model prayer" (vv.9-15) as an aide in helping us talk to God the Father in love, devotion, and faith, He turned His attention to the issue of fasting or abstaining from food or a particular activity for a period of time as an act of worship and reverence towards God (Matthew 6:16-18). He stressed the importance of doing any act of worship and prayer in private as a sign of personal interaction with the Creator of the Universe. We are to never "show off our piety" in front of others as some sign of "spiritual superiority" over others whose faith may be new or not as strong in maturity as other believers. Fasting, specifically abstention from food for a time is to be done in order to discern the will of God and seek what He would have us to do in the same way as prayer.

The Lord Jesus had much to say concerning the issue of possessions (vv.19-24). He never condemned anyone for having riches or other comforts. The issue was making riches into a "god", trusting in our devices in order to earn money or notoriety. This was the problem with the rich young ruler (Matthew 19:16-22; Mark 10:17-22; Luke 18:18-30). In all sincerity, He asked the LORD how to earn eternal life, but the truth is that when Jesus got to the root of His inquiry, this young man was not ready to get rid of his possessions in order to follow Jesus. His riches were his "god" and like many people, when he found out Jesus' requirements for discipleship, he walked away. Jesus did not go after him as this ruler was not spiritually ready and He does not want false converts to follow Him for the wrong reasons. Again, there is nothing wrong with being wealthy (nowhere in Scripture are there any grounds for socialism as we see it in the world today!). Job, Abraham, David, and Barnabas are all examples of men who dedicated their riches to God and HIs glory. The trouble, as we see with the young ruler, is that wealth can become the focus of our attention. Jesus taught that it was much better to focus on the eternal treasures of heaven and blessings that God can provide without limitation and cannot be stolen by thieves.

Jesus addressed the problem of worrying about things or situations (vv.25-34). Even the godliest of people can find themselves bound by worry. No one has ever been exempted. Worrying, no matter what reason we give for it, is rooted in the fact that we do not trust God to meet our needs. Let us be honest. We do not trust Him to care for us, even though the Bible contains numerous examples of how He cared for and protected His people from the wrath of Pharoah and brought them into the Promised Land. He cared for them even when they disobeyed and rebelled against Him and placed into exile in Babylon as punishment. He preserved them through the parade of empires that began with Babylon and then into Roman rule. He gave them the blessings of mercy and grace. Yet, there is always the specter of distrust and skepticism that gives way to worrying and thinking that we have to get our own selves out of trouble. The Bible says just the opposite.

The Bible teaches that worrying does nobody any good. It never produces incentive or productivity. It doesn't do our health and well-being any good. Jesus told HIs listeners that if they want to see God's provision in action, then take the time to see how He provides for the animals. Look at the birds and see that they reap their food from the seeds and plants. If God provides this fare to His creatures, then it is certain that He will provide for us. Worry, in turn, drains us of physical. emotional, and mental reserves that take away our focus upon God, who is the True source of supply. Jesus called everyone's attention to the flowers and other plant life. Their variety, beauty, and appearance put anything that King Solomon ever had to shame. If God can create and maintain the flowers and foliage in all their glory, then certainly He will provide us with the clothing we need. He wants us to see that life does not consist of possessions. The old joke is that we never see a funeral hearse with a trailer hitched to the back as if we can "take it with us". The real concern for all of us is not what we have at the end of our lives, but in Whom we have placed our faith and trust to give us the priceless gift of eternal life and salvation. Jesus Christ is the Source of all true and permanent riches, both material and spiritual. Eternity is too long to realize that all the "stuff" we have now means nothing if we do not have Christ dwelling in our hearts this side of life. If you do not know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, get that issue settled now (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 10:9-10, 13; 2 Corinthians 6:2). It's time to take our eyes off ourselves and look to Him for our needs, period.

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