Kingdom Living: True Righteousness (Ep 122)

Introduction

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Jason: Thank you for listening, and welcome to the podcast. I am your host, Jason McConnell.

Have you ever caught yourself doing something good and maybe hoping someone else would notice, maybe it was a generous gift, a long prayer or a quiet act of service, but in the back of your mind, there's this little voice saying, I hope someone sees this.

Jesus addresses this exact temptation. Head on in Matthew six verse one saying, be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you'll have no reward from your father in heaven. That's a pretty bold statement, not because Jesus is against doing good things, but because he's calling out why we do them.

The motive matters. So as we dive into Jesus's teaching on giving prayer and fasting in Matthew chapter six, verses one through 18, consider who your audience is. Are you living for the approval of others or are you quietly seeking the reward that only God can give? So let's shift our gaze off of the crowd and onto the one who sees in secret in this episode of Kingdom Living.

Giving in Secret

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Jason: In mainstream Judaism, there were three prominent practices required for personal piety, giving, prayer and fasting. And what's interesting is that these three activities together with the Islamic requirements of the Hajj, an annual Islamic pilgrimage and the recitation of the creed, make up the five pillars of Islam.

According to, uh, theologian Richard Thomas, France. You're probably wondering, why am I talking about Judaism and Islamic beliefs? I wanted to illustrate that other religions have the same kind of values as Christianity, but there's a difference here for Christians. These practices are not about earning salvation.

They are in response to it. So once again, we see Jesus is kind of flipping things upside down.

Jesus' Teaching on Giving

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Jason: So when it does come to giving, Jesus comes right to the point in Matthew six. Verses two through four. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets to be honored by others.

Truly, I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing so that your giving may be in secret. Then your father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. So that image announcing your generosity with trumpets, I mean it's almost laughable.

But Jesus is calling out a real tendency. Even if we're not literally blowing horns, we're often tempted to make sure someone sees our kindness or knows about it, whether it's social media post a conversation dropped at just the right time, or an effort to make giving part of your reputation. Jesus says that kind of reward, that's all you get.

Monetary praise. That's it. They get the praise and applause of their fellow man, an earthly reward without any reward in heaven. So Jesus calls these people hypocrites, which is derived from the Greek word hippocrite, which meant an actor or a stage performer. But by the first century, this word became associated with someone who plays a role in, sees the world as their stage.

So a hypocrite is somebody who pretends, who plays a role that they really don't embody. And he's telling us there's a better way, a deeper, richer reward. It's the reward that comes from your father in heaven who sees what no one else sees. He sees the widow quietly slipping her two coins into the offering box.

He sees a friend who venmos rent money with no expectation of payback. He sees the groceries dropped on a struggling family's porch without a name attached. Understand this isn't really about whether or not someone finds out. It's if someone finds out that's that you gave others something that that doesn't immediately invalidate your deed in heaven.

But Jesus is inviting us into a rhythm of giving that is radically different from the world instead of transactionally giving where we expect recognition or favor in return, he calls us to, to quiet generosity. Not flashy, but faithful. Not performative, but pure hearted. So the motive is what matters. If you give for God's glory, it really doesn't matter who finds out.

In second Corinthians nine, verse seven, Paul reminds us each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver. The key word here is cheerful. God doesn't want generosity squeezed out of us. He wants it to flow from joy, gratitude, and a heart aligned with his.

That means we don't give to impress people. We give because we've been blessed by God and we wanna bless others. Take some time this week to evaluate your own motivation for giving. When you write that check, when you donate to a cause or support someone in need, are you doing it to honor God? Or are you really hoping somebody else sees it or knows about it?

And if you do, find yourself craving recognition. Don't shame yourself. Instead, bring it to God. Ask him to deepen your trust in his reward and reshape in your heart to give quietly, joyfully, and generously. Because in the kingdom of Heaven, the quietest gifts often echo the loudest in God's heart.

The Heart of Prayer

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Jason: So now as we move on from the Quiet Act of Giving, Jesus continues to confront the spiritual performances of his day in Matthew six, verses five through eight.

He shifts his focus to another essential practice of faith prayer. 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 to 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. And when you pray, do not keep babbling like pagans for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them for your father knows what you need before you ask him. So again, we see Jesus calling out those stage performers, those actors, the hypocrites, and once again, he reminds us that when they do this performative act, their reward is earthly, not heavenly, but let's be honest.

Prayer can sometimes feel intimidating. We might, we might wonder if we're saying the right words, praying long enough, or sounding spiritual or even biblical enough. But Jesus dismantles all of that. He strips prayer down to its essentials, a humble, honest conversation between you and your heavenly Father.

In private Jesus critiques those who use prayer as a stage, some religious leaders would intentionally position themselves in high traffic areas just to be seen praying. Oh look. Look how holy I am. Others would repeat phrases over and over and over again thinking that word count. EQU equaled divine attention, but Jesus says, clearly that's not what God is looking for.

God isn't impressed by your fancy word or your spiritual theatrics. What touches his heart is sincerity, not measuring volume or vocabulary. He's listening for honesty. And here's something really beautiful. Your father knows what you need before you ask him. That doesn't mean you don't pray. It means that you don't have to try to to sell it so hard.

He knows what's going on. You don't have to perform or pretend you can come to him as you are raw, real, and completely heard, and he gets it. Paul echoes this in Philippians four, verses six and seven. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation by prayer or petition. With Thanksgiving present your request to God and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Now, did you catch that? Prayer isn't just about asking, it's about exchanging anxiety for peace. When we bring our hearts before God with trust in Thanksgiving, he meets us not always with immediate answers, but he, he has this calming presence that he, he bestows upon us, that he, that he blankets over us.

So what does this all mean for your daily life? It means you don't need a stage or a spotlight. First of all, you don't. You just need a quiet place, a room, a car ride, a morning walk, and, and definitely an open heart. Even just a few focused minutes a day can build a consistent prayer life. You can start small, start real, try setting aside a few minutes in the morning before bed.

Don't worry about saying it at, at, you know, saying it the right way or at the right time. Just talk to your father. Thank him. Be honest about your struggles. Intercede for others, meaning, you know, ask for help for others and just listen to the Holy Spirit. If you want, you can try journaling your prayers.

It can help focus your thoughts and give you a tangible way to see how God has responded to you over time. And when you're tempted to perform in prayer, maybe in, in a group setting or online. Remember this, you already have an audience with the king of heaven. There's no need to impress anyone else. So if you're, if you're in one of those corporate prayer situations, just treat it like a private prayer and speak.

From your heart, honestly, openly, raw. So today, let's reclaim prayer as a gift. It truly is not a religious duty, but this divine invitation, a moment of, of connection with the father who sees, hears, and knows you better than anyone else. Go to his secret place, close the door, and just talk to him. Or first thing in the morning.

Don't touch your phone. Don't touch your remote. Don't put on the news. Just sit there. And say, thank you, God for being here. Thank you for this day, and just talk to him. Tell him what's worrying you. Tell him what's anxiety is building up inside of you. Tell him what you need and thank him for being there to listen to you and to comfort you.

So now on the heels of Jesus's warning against performative prayer, he doesn't just critique bad habits.

The Lord's Prayer: A Deeper Dive

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Jason: He does give us something better, a template if you will, a, a heartbeat for prayer. Jesus says in Matthew six verses nine through 13. 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 of our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. So now we also see this in Luke 11 verses two through four as well. So this may or may not be the first time Jesus went through this with the disciples.

Though I will say this prayer in Matthew seems a bit more complete in, in my humble opinion at least, and this is one of the more well-known passages of all of scripture, but sadly, it's often the one most rushed or recited without heart. But Jesus wasn't really offering this prayer as a script to memorize.

He gave it as a framework to get us engaged, but let's break it down into seven separate prayers or, or maybe prayer components that can shape our own daily conversations with God. So we'll start with our Father in heaven. We'll call it the prayer of connection. Now, it does start out with Father, and this is deeply relational.

Jesus is inviting us to start with intimacy. You're not talking to a stranger. You're speaking with your heavenly Father who knows you and loves you and welcomes you. Now, the Jews of that day wouldn't refer to God as father because it was considered too intimate. But here Jesus is calling us to do just that.

Address God with an intimate title to demonstrate that relationship. But we add in heaven to acknowledge his holiness and glory. He is our father, but also our father in heaven. We're also establishing a community because Jesus didn't tell us to pray my father in heaven, but our Father, which tells us that we are entering into one amazing family.

Now I do. I do wanna pause here for a moment to address something. I know there are some people out there who resist this father title because they may have had a disconnected or abusive, or even absent earthly father. If this sounds like you, I, I really suggest you embrace this God as Father because he is the perfect Father.

If your earthly father was lacking, take comfort in knowing that your heavenly Father has always been present, always been good, and has always loved you. So when you speak this prayer, rest in this, say, father, sit in that truth because you are loved and you are seen. So next up, we'll say, hallowed be your name.

Is the prayer of worship. Now, the phrase hallowed be comes from from the Greek word zo, which actually comes from the root word, and that represents a mostly most holy thing. So Zo is an acknowledgement of the holiness of God. Now, this isn't just saying God's name is sacred. It's choosing to lift him up in reverence It.

It's a noisy world that often misuses God's name or ignores him altogether. You begin your prayer by declaring God, you are the most holy, you are worthy of reverence. You are set apart, and this refocused or recenters your focus before asking for anything you. You are aligning your heart with worship.

And then we move on to your kingdom. Come, we'll call it the prayer of surrender. This is a prayer of alignment and surrender, not control. It's not my kingdom come, my plans be done. It's about inviting God's rule and reign over your life, your decisions, your family, your community, everything. It's about putting God in his kingdom first and it's asking God, would your justice, peace and presence take over my agenda?

Would you move in my world the way you desire? Then we move on to your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven. We'll call this a prayer of obedience in, in this part of the Lord's Prayer, we echo Jesus's Jesus in, in the garden Gethsemane. Not my will, but yours be done. It's a scary prayer. I'll be honest with you.

It costs us pride and possibly our comfort, but it's the prayer that brings peace. Now, understand this is about trust because we can throw our hands up and say, you will be done. As in you win. God, I give up and I don't think that's what the heart posture God wants from us, rather than giving into fatalism and resentment.

He wants us to reach out to him. Trust, so as you speak, your will be done. Be sure to check your heart on this. Jesus wanted our prayers to ask. God's will be done here on earth, just as it is done in heaven, because in heaven there is no disobedience and nothing getting in the way of God's will. However, here on Earth, maybe not so much.

This prayer is asking for God to move freely in our lives on earth. When heaven's will shapes your earthly life, things change. You begin to respond to conflict with grace. You endure suffering with hope, you love radically because you are living under his will, not yours. Spurgeon wrote something phenomenal about this.

He wrote. He that taught us this prayer used himself in the most unrestricted sense. When the bloody sweat stood on his face and all the fear and trembling of a man and anguish were upon him. He did not dispute the decree of the father, but bowed his head and cried. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.

It's not always going to be easy folks, but Jesus is telling us that it'll be worth it. Surrender your will, surrender your life to God's will and your and in God's kingdom. It's that easy. So then we can move on to what, what could be called the prayer vote Dependence. Give us today our daily bread. Jesus invites us to bring our daily needs before God.

Daily ones not stockpiles, not 10 year plans. Daily bread. He's teaching us to rely on God moment to by moment, trusting he'll provide what we need, when we need it. Now, this isn't to suggest that we shouldn't try to be prepared. I mean, I have emergency food set aside just in case, but these provisions can be something like financial needs or food, but it can also be strength, patience, and wisdom.

You can pray, God, I don't have what it takes for today. Will you give me what I need? Now, this could also refer to our spiritual needs, as in the word of God, as our daily bread or even communion with the Lord. So it doesn't have to be limited to our physical needs. When we ask for daily provision, sometimes that may become in the form of understanding the Bible better or receiving some guidance from the Holy Spirit.

Once again, we see this word us, and this isn't just about me and my needs. This is a reminder to pray for the needs of others too. And David Zi has a nice reminder in his commentary is that we should keep in mind, this is about our needs, not our greeds. W we, what we need daily are daily bread, not bread, Turkey, ham, steak, lobster, and dessert.

God will provide for our needs, not the things we want. We might find some inspiration to help us financially, but God's not going to help us win the lottery, for example. So then we move on to forgive us our debts as we have also forgiven our debtors. We'll call this the Prayer of Grace. There are. Other words that we can replace for the word debt, trespasses, sins, just to name a couple.

These represent those things we do that fall short of the God's glory, and Jesus is making a connection between these deaths and divine justice. According to, uh, Adam, what I read from Adam Clark, this is a bold, honest part of prayer. We come confessing not to grovel, but to receive forgiveness. And sin doesn't disqualify us from praying.

It should, it should bring us to prayer. And Jesus doesn't stop there. He makes a connection. Connection between receiving grace and giving grace. Forgiving pe people forgive. Not because it's easy, but because we've experienced it and, and we un understand that undeserved mercy. So take time here. Ask God to reveal any bitterness or resentment, and then say, God, help me extend forgiveness that you've so freely given me.

And then we have lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one, the prayer of protection. This is a cry for guidance and rescue. You're asking God to keep your feet from wandering, to expose lies before you believe them, to protect your soul from the schemes of the enemy. Someone who really wishes to avoid temptation will never boast about strength.

Never go seeking trials or willingly walk into temptation. It's like, it's like an alcoholic walking into a bar. Just walk past it. Never tempt the devil. I'm telling you that's a bad idea. But understand this is about spiritual warfare wrapped in trust. You're saying, God, I need you to lead me and I trust you to deliver me.

You're asking God to point out those landmines and help you avoid them. There's one last part of this prayer that we do see in some translations, like the King James version, which is for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Now, some scholars dispute whether this doxology is in Matthew's original manuscript, and then I've read that most biblical scholars believe this was an.

Add on later. But regardless, it does add some praise to God and credits him the kingdom and the power and the glory, and that all seems like a very good thing. Each phrase of the Lord's prayer is like a stepping stone through the heart of God. Connection, worships, surrender, obedience, dependence, grace, and protection.

This isn't a cold checklist, it's a relational rhythm. So how do we apply this? I believe this prayer is meant to be a framework. And to be honest, when I started praying, I actually went to this prayer for practice, and then I would kind of append my own conversation with God afterwards. I mean, I don't do that anymore, but I still love this idea.

And you're welcome to try it next time you pray, try walking through each section slowly. Use your own words, pause, reflect, respond, let it guide you deeper into authentic life shaping prayer. The power of the Lord's Prayer isn't just in its words, it's in what it awakens. A God focused surrender, and a grace filled heart.

So take these words and let them become your own. Let them reshape your conversation with God and let them draw you closer to the one who hears every word, even the ones too deep for language.

Applying the Lord's Prayer to Daily Life

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Jason: So let's keep going on about the Lord's Prayer. I like this topic. Let's, let's talk about applying it to our daily life.

Now understand that the Lord's Prayer isn't just something we say in church or whisper before bed. It's a pattern for life, not just for language. It becomes especially powerful when it flows off of the page and into our decisions, emotions, uh, even challenges. But let's walk through a few ways. This prayer can reshape your everyday experiences.

Let's start with stress. When you're feeling a lot of stress, remember that you are not alone. You are not forgotten. Remember to start with our Father in heaven. Hallowed be your name, reminding yourself that God deeply cares for you and you're part of a family. Pause and pray. God, you're still in control.

You're you're holy and wonderful. Please help me breathe, trust, and lean on you today. Maybe you're tempted. You could pray. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Jesus instructs us to ask for help before we fall. Remember in Matthew 14 when Jesus walks on water, Peter asks, if it is you, Lord, tell me to come to you on the water, and Jesus does.

So Peter steps out on the water, but then gets a little distracted and a little afraid because of the storm, and he starts to sink before he, and he takes his eyes off Jesus. And Peter says, Lord, help me. And Christ saves him before he goes fully underwater before it's too late. Same goes for temptation.

When the enemy offers something that causes you to take your eyes off of Jesus for a moment and start to sink, just pray. Lord, help me. And he will come to your defense. When you're confused, maybe pray your will be done When you're grateful. Embrace, give us today our daily bread. There are all kinds of situations where we can find ourselves, uh, leaning upon the Lord's Prayer to help us.

So take a moment to engage on this more by writing the Lord's Prayer in your own voice, in your own words, in your own way. Not replacing it, but personalizing it because your prayers to the Father should be personal, but it's a great way to frame it to get it started. Okay?

The Discipline of Fasting

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Jason: So as we move from this rich, intimate layer of the Lord's Prayer, Jesus leads us seemingly into another spiritual discipline, uh, fasting.

Just like giving and praying. Fasting is part of a life oriented towards God, and once again, Jesus calls us to engage it not for the spotlight, but for the secret place in Matthew six verses 16 through 18. Jesus tells us when you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do for they disfigure their faces to show others that they're fasting.

Truly, I tell you, they have received the reward in full. But when you fast put oil on your head and wash your face so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only your father who is unseen and your father who who sees what is done in secret will reward you. Notice Jesus doesn't say if you fast.

He says When you fast. In other words, fasting is kind of assumed what his concern once again is with our motivation. Fasting isn't meant to be a public badge of honor. It's not about appearing extra spiritual or gaining admiration. No, we fast because we long for God, because we recognize that our physical hunger can actually reveal our spiritual hunger.

Fasting is a posture of humility. It's our way of saying, Lord, you are more important than food or internet, or whatever. You're more necessary than any comfort, more satisfying than anything in this world that it can offer. This isn't a new theme in scripture. The prophet Joel gives us a powerful glimpse into the heart behind true fasting.

In Joel two verses 12 and 13, God says, even now, declares the Lord. Return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning. Render your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.

What a beautiful call. God isn't asking for outward drama, tearing our clothes or putting on a show. He's asking us to render our hearts to come to him in honest repentance, deep longing, and a wholehearted surrender. That's what true fasting is about. Not manipulation, not punishment, not performance. It's about hunger for God that expresses itself in some sort of physical discipline.

So let's answer the question, why fast today? In practical terms, why would we fast now? I mean, we're in a culture of instant gratification. We're never gonna want for anything, right? Well, here's a few biblical reasons to fast repentance when we've strayed and want to return to God wholeheartedly. Uh, maybe you need some direction or discernment so you can fast for clarity, spiritual hunger when we feel dry or distracted and wanna reconnect with the presence of God.

We may fast for intercession when we're crying out for someone else in deep prayer. Maybe for preparation when we're entering into something big like Jesus did before his public ministry. These are all risen reasons we could fast. But here's the thing, if you've never fasted before, don't be intimidated.

Start small. You don't have to go without food for a whole day or a week or anything like that. Try skipping one meal and spending that time focused on prayer and scripture. Or maybe fast from something that dominates your attention, like social media, entertainment, uh, unnecessary spending. The point is to remove something that satisfies the body or mind so that you can retrain your heart to hunger for God.

Make it intentional. Don't just go hungry. Go hungry for him. Maybe during lunch instead of eating, you'll take a walk and pray. Maybe you silence your phone for a day and write out prayers in a journal as they come. Or you can choose one evening to fast from screens and spend it in quiet contemplation with God.

Reading his word, fasting isn't about what you're giving up. It's about who you're giving your attention to. And here's the beauty of it. Jesus says, your father sees even when no one else does, when you're quietly seeking him, when your stomach growls. Or your fingers itched to scroll and you choose to say, Lord, I want you more.

He notices that you're not doing it for applause, you're doing it for intimacy. And Jesus promises that kind of fasting is rewarded not with money or fame, but with something so much richer, God's presence, clarity, peace, and power. So think about one way you can practice fasting this week. And again, it doesn't have to be dramatic, just intentional.

Let your hunger point you towards heaven. Let your sacrifice, however small, say, God, I want you more than this. And remember, fasting is not about deprivation. It's about deeper connection. It quiet hunger, a hidden flame, a whisper, whispered, longing that only God can see. And he always, always answers.

Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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Jason: Jesus gives us an invitation in Matthew chapter six to step away from the noisy stage of religious performances and into the quiet, sacred space where it is just you and God.

At the end of the day, God is not looking for an impressive show of righteousness, just authentic devotion. He doesn't care how spiritual you look, but by how much you long for him. The father sees what is done in secret, and he will reward it not with applause or recognition, but with intimacy with him.

It's a joy and a peace and a strength and assurance that the God of the universe is nearby you and you can't get it from anywhere else. Hebrew 11 verse six tells us, and without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

This week, choose one discipline, give, pray or fast, and do it in secret. No spotlight, no announcement, no performance, just your heart seeking the father. And in that quiet space, I hope you discover something deeper than duty. Until next time, keep loving your neighbors. Dive into God's word daily and make the Lord bless you and keep you and fill you with his peace.

Take care of God bless, and I'll see you in the next episode.

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