Read Matthew 6:5-8 and do the exercises below:
- How is your private prayer different from your public prayer?
- Jesus says “do not keep babbling” (v7). In Jesus’ day a common pagan belief was that the gods could be worn down or overcome by incessant words in prayer. At the heart of this belief is the idea that we can gain control over God by praying the right way. What other approaches to prayer have you heard that basically teach this same idea (that if we’ll only learn to pray the right way God will do what we want)?
- What do you think Jesus means by, “I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full” (v5)? What is the “reward” he’s referring to? What does this teach us about God and the spiritual life?
Read Matthew 6:1-4 and do the exercises below.
- Read through this passage several times and circle (or note) the words that are repeated. What are they?
- The NIV Disciple’s Study Bible contains the following comment on this passage: “God will ultimately reward those who meet the needs of others without thought of personal gain.” However, if Jesus wants us to give selflessly, why does he induce us to do so with the promise of a “reward?” Isn’t that, by definition, a motivation for personal gain?
- What is the reward? Is it selfish to pursue it or not?
Read and meditate again on the Beatitudes in Matt 5:1-12 and/or Isaiah 61 and do the following exercise:
- Today we’re going to experiment with reading our culture. There is a strong theme in these passages of the power of God coming to rescue and restore the broken and the hurting. Is our world crying out for that power? If so, how? Today, let’s begin to listen for that cry, particularly in the realm of the arts. Take the next 2 days to find a song, book, story, poem, movie, or piece of artwork that reminds you of The Beatitudes. Post it to the comments below.
