by David Flatt
Synopsis: Self-righteousness is a barrier that stifles our spiritual development and prevents us from sharing a right relationship with God.
As we analyze the middle part of this great sermon, we see that Jesus considers three barriers to the kingdom: self-righteousness, materialism, and anxiety. What is somewhat surprising about these barriers is that they are self-constructed, impediments which we create and put in our own path. Yes, when it comes to getting to the kingdom, sometimes we are our own worst enemy.
At an earlier point in this sermon, Jesus stated that we must exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees in order to enter the kingdom of God (Matt. 5:20). The righteousness of the Pharisees was based on self. Pride had blinded their vision, hardened their hearts, and inflated their egos. They thought they were owed the kingdom based on what they had accomplished. To make His case, Jesus cites three examples of what the Pharisees did to prove they were entitled to the kingdom.
Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly (Matt. 6:1-4).
Giving alms to the poor was an honorable and needful work. The Law of Moses made various provisions for the poor and needy (Lev. 19:9-10). When we have the resources and opportunity, we should help those who are in need. Paul practiced such charity and encouraged other saints to do likewise (Gal. 6:10).
Giving to the poor is certainly a good work for anyone to do. However, what Jesus criticizes is not giving to the poor, but the motivations of the giver. Why did the Pharisees look for opportunities to give to the poor? To draw the public's attention to their "generosity." This was good public relations for the Pharisees.
If we are going to exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees, we must be properly motivated in doing good works. Charity is to be done for the simple sake of doing good. Helping those in need is not to be done as a means to advance our public perception. We must not give so that people will notice. Rather, we should go out of our way to be anonymous in our giving.
And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. 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. After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses (Matt. 6:5-15).
Like giving, prayer is a right and proper activity for God's people. The Pharisees, however, used prayer as a way of advancing their public persona. They prayed, as an act of outward piety, to demonstrate to bystanders their "spirituality." Yes, even something as sacred as an act of private devotion can be corrupted.
Prayer is intended to cultivate humility, not inflate one's ego. Rather than looking for a public forum, Jesus said we should find a closet in which to pray.
Our Lord teaches us how to pray simply and straightforwardly. First, He exalts the name of our Father. Prayer is an act of worship, a means of boldly declaring the name of our Creator to bring Him glory. God is not to be treated as common or our equal.
Also, we are to call for the kingdom and will of God to come on earth as it is in heaven. Unfortunately, this phrase of Jesus' prayer is often explained with a caveat: "the kingdom has already come in the form of the Church; therefore we do not need to pray for this." This is mainly a reactionary explanation to the false teaching of premillennialism; yet, this explanation misses the point of this phrase.
This prayer seeks to open the heart to God's preeminent authority. Seekers of the kingdom must submit to the rule of the King in their lives. Kingdom language is used throughout the Bible with reference to God's plans for creation. For example, the second Psalm describes God using the Messiah to crush the kingdoms of men like a rod of iron crushing a clay pot. God's purposes will be accomplished with or without our consent. The only hope anyone has in this passage is to kiss the Son; thus, averting God's wrath (Psa. 2:12). With this in mind, praying for the kingdom to come helps soften our hearts to the authority of the King.
As Jesus continues, He petitions our daily bread. Despite what we have been cultured to think, we are not self-made. We are made and sustained by God. Petitioning God for the most basic of necessities, mainly bread, helps reinforce our awareness that even our food comes from Him.
Next, more valuable than our physical necessities is forgiveness. Self-righteous men do not beg forgiveness. On another occasion, Jesus spoke of a Pharisee praying on the street corner. This Pharisee was glad he was not like other men; not like the sinner standing next to him (Luke 18:11-12). Of course, this Pharisee was a sinner, just like the tax collector, and just like us. We cannot atone for our sin through good works. Forgiveness is only given by God's grace through our faith.
Lastly, in this prayer, Jesus asks for God's guidance and deliverance. The poor in spirit realize they cannot guide themselves through life. Such self-reliance is a major part of our problem. When we become entangled in the consequences of our selfish, short-sighted decisions, we need a Deliverer. Thankfully, God sent His Son, Jesus, to rescue and lead us.
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 (Matt. 6:16-18).
The Law of Moses established the act of fasting (Lev. 16:29-31). The act was not about inflicting pain on the one fasting, but was designed to create deeper devotion and dependency on God. Of course, the Pharisees used fasting as another way to advance their public persona. If others noticed they were fasting, they would be impressed by their commitment to God. Like with charity and prayer, Jesus encourages fasting but states that anonymity is to be pursued when practicing this expression of piety.
It is amazing how we can take activities sanctioned by God and turn them into ways to exalt ourselves instead of Him. This is what the Pharisees did then and what we can do now if we are not careful. Yes, we can turn charity, prayer, fasting, and other activities into vehicles for our pride.
Christians are sometimes criticized for being self-righteous. Rather than becoming defensive toward such accusations, we would be wise to consider the motivations of our hearts. As difficult as it may be to admit, there are valid reasons why people often criticize Christians for being self-righteous. We may obsess over our appearance and image. Public persona is all too often what is most important. One critical element of Jesus' teaching is how He brings together method and motive. In the kingdom of God, method and motive are of equal value. What happened with the Pharisees, and what often happens to us, is that we give greater value to method and lesser value to motive. Yes, assessing methods is much easier than assessing motives. However, Jesus attributes all methods to motives (Matt. 15:16-20).
Were the Pharisees to be charitable to the poor, pray, and fast? Yes, but Jesus emphasizes the motivation of each. If our methods are not properly motivated, what we do is worthless. Paul famously wrote,
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing (1 Cor. 13:1-3).
For the Pharisees, their motivations were self-serving and self-righteous. They valued the praise of men more than the praise of God. Yes, the Pharisees had the wrong set of values. Jesus attributed this to a fundamental lack of love for God (John 5:42-44). We must heed the warning of this sermon: if our motivations in the works we do are to be seen and or esteemed by others, this will be the total of our reward.
By this point in the Sermon on the Mount, we are beginning to see the profile of a kingdom citizen. The image forming might be a bit surprising. As far as Jesus is concerned, the kingdom is for the poor, grieving, and meek. The kingdom is for those who suffer injustice and love their enemies. The kingdom is for the humble. From another perspective, we are starting to see the kind of person who is unfit for the kingdom: one who is prideful, self-reliant, and self-righteous. The apostle Paul would later explain this when he wrote,
For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him, you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord" (1 Cor. 1:26-31).
Wisdom demands that we evaluate ourselves according to the standard that Jesus sets forth. Too often, the world influences the way in which we appraise greatness. The Pharisees were looking for a kingdom of worldly values and goals. Jesus offered the kingdom of heaven. What Jesus offered was so shocking, that His own rejected Him. If we are not careful, we can follow the same pattern of disbelief and rejection. In so doing, we will be left standing outside the kingdom.
Author Bio: David and his family have labored with the Thayer Street congregation in Akron, Ohio since 2008. The church website is thayerstreetcoc.org. He can be reached at dflatt85@yahoo.com.
