Motive has a lot to do with the spirit of the law? Let’s look at motive in three areas highlighted by Jesus.
1. Motive in Giving to the Poor
Christians are to help the poor, but with what motive?
This is a complementary passage to Jesus’ instructions to let our light (of good works) shine. We are all well aware of celebrities who give but love to wallow in the limelight of charitable giving. It is certainly a wonderful thing to give to the poor, but with what attitude do we give?
“Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly. (Matthew 6:1-4 NKJV)
Rather than the narcissistic motive of giving in order to get glory to ourselves, we should let the light of good deeds shine for others to see, in order to give glory to God as Jesus taught in Matthew 5:14-16. If we are tempted to give to charity pretentiously seeking self-glory, it would be better to give in secret.
Christians are to help the poor and needy, but our motive ought to be to give God the glory, not ourselves.
2. Motive in Public Devotion
Public prayer is not wrong, because even Jesus prayed in public, but again Jesus wants us to understand the importance of motive.
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:5-6 NIV)
Was Jesus forbidding anything but prayer in a private place? Clearly He encouraged prayer in the Temple.
He said to them, "The Scriptures declare, 'My Temple will be called a house of prayer,' but you have turned it into a den of thieves!" (Matthew 21:13 NLT)
The disciples also prayed when they were together.
All these were continually devoting themselves with one mind to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers. (Acts 1:14 NASB)
A small group prayed by a river.
And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. (Acts 16:13 ESV)
A group even prayed in public on the seashore.
When our time had come to an end, we departed. All of them, including women and children, accompanied us out of town where we knelt on the beach and prayed. (Acts 21:5 CEB)
Paul encouraged people to pray everywhere.
I want everyone everywhere to lift innocent hands toward heaven and pray, without being angry or arguing with each other. (1 Timothy 2:8 CEV)
It is a good practice to pray all day long. Ask God’s blessing before we drive, while we drive, before starting our work day, throughout the day, and to give thanks always.
The context of Jesus’ instructions regarding private prayer and these other examples show that he did not teach us about only using a prayer closet, but rather to highlight what our motive ought to be in prayer. If we are uncertain that our motive may be to show off spiritually or promote ourselves as super-spiritual, then it would be better to pray in private.
Jesus himself prayed in public but from a different attitude of heart, when He resurrected Lazarus. What was His motive for praying in public?
So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” (John 11:41-42 NIV)
Vain Repetition
Is repetition in prayer wrong? Let’s look at what Jesus taught.
But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. (Matthew 6:7-8 KJV)
Notice that Jesus was not against repetition per se, but useless repetition. Elsewhere He praised the importunate widow who prayed incessantly about her needs.
Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not become discouraged… will God not bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night, and will He delay long for them? I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly…” (Luke 18:1-8 NKJV)
We should not just pray several times a day, but at all times continue in conversation with God.
Attitudes in Prayer
How should we pray then? Should we repeat this prayer that Jesus taught us to pray or does it summarize the attitudes that we should have in prayer. Why not both?
“This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one, [for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]’ For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. (Matthew 6:9-15 NIV)
Who do we pray to? We pray primarily to Our Father who is in heaven. Is changing this into something else like Our Mother in heaven appropriate? Is it presumptuous or even arrogant?
People address God’s name in two extremes, by either avoiding it altogether or using it as a useless byword or even a curse word. With what attitude should we use God’s name? Jesus encouraged us to pray that His name be hallowed. We can’t make His name holy if we avoid it, and we certainly are not praising it if we take it in vain.
Praying about the coming kingdom helps us to have an attitude of hope in a world where all human efforts to bring world peace eventually fail. Praying for God’s will to be done reminds us of Jesus' attitude in prayer before His death. We all want an easy life without too much drama, but that’s not reality, and often we have to pray like Jesus when we ask for God’s help, nevertheless not mine but Your will be done.
Praying for God’s will on earth as in heaven helps us to keep the attitude of reverence for God who rules heaven and earth. When we pray for our daily bread, we are reminded that Jesus gives us permission to pray for our needs. The request to forgive our sin debts, as we also have forgiven those who have sinned against us, reminds us to have an attitude of forgiveness, even for the most grievous of wrongs, as hard as that may be.
We pray that God does not allow us to fall into temptation, or sore trial, but that He delivers us from evil. This attitude towards life helps us realize that God’s salvation is for today as well as eternity. The bracketed doxology of the Lord’s prayer [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.] is not in Luke’s version, nor is it found in the earliest Alexandrian Greek texts, but it is found in the later Byzantine Greek texts. So, some scholars omit it and others keep it. It does however, encourage the attitude of acknowledging the reality of God’s power and glory.
Jesus then goes on to highlight the importance of an attitude of forgiveness, by stating that if we forgive we will be forgiven, and if we don’t we won’t.
3. Motive in Fasting
As with good deeds and prayer, fasting is to be done in secret rather than used for spiritual exhibitionism.
“Moreover 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. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That 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 KJV)
This can be applied in spirit to a whole range of Christians activities. Should church music be a “show” or something where the focus is giving glory to people on stage or God? Should any spiritual gift, such as wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, languages, or translation of languages be a loud spectacle for self-glorification or should these be used in a manner that gives glory to God? Should church leaders dress and act in a manner that is pretentious or humble? Is our motive in giving, prayers and fasting to be a pretentious show or to give glory to God?
