May 26th, 2007

Appearing Holy

Read Matthew 6:5-15

"...do not pray like the hypocrites..." vs. 5

Since we have decided to spend the next few days dealing with prayer, I thought I might start at the very appropriate place of what Jesus has to say about this subject...so get ready because by the time we are through you will be very familiar with this passage.

Throughout the ministry of Jesus, he consistently finds himself in conflict with the religious authorities of his day. It is not that Jesus is anti-Jew or anti-Torah (the Torah is the Law or the Teaching of what it means to be properly Jewish--includes instructions [commandments] and the testimonies of God's actions amongst the people). Jesus is challenging the structure of religious abuse that this as prevalent in today's society as it was in His historic day. During this time, the real spiritual people liked to get up in front others and pray out loud as a sign of their religious piety and obedience to God. However, this quickly became an action of hypocrisy. Hypocrisy draws its origin from the word actor. In essence those who would stand before the crowds to pray loudly were "showing off" or acting as though they were holy.

Jesus then encourages listeners to cast of the need to appear holy before others and take up one's devotion before God. Prayer is never the prideful act of religious piety. Instead, prayer draws its substance from humble act of contrition and submission, recognizing before God that all is dependant upon Him! Jesus tells his listeners, pull your prayer shawl up around your head (covering ones head while kneeling down on the ground was considered going into one's prayer closet) and present your requests to God who is more concerned with the heart of integrity than the appearance of piety.

Today the temptation still exists. We are tempted to act real "spiritual" when others are around and then when we are home alone all is normal. This is hypocrisy! Prayer is born in a heart that realizes that without God's activity in our lives we are nothing. Prayer is nurtured in a Spirit as devoted in private as in the public eye. Prayer is the outflow of a heart that recognizes that life is balanced upon a consistent relationship with our Heavenly Father who rewards truth in Spirit and not public displays of enacted holiness.

Note: This doesn't mean we can't ever pray in public. Just look to the book of Acts and see how often the early church prays together and out loud. This is a direct confrontation with those who had turned prayer into a prideful spiritual exercise. Prayer is an action of personal devotion and corporate submission.