Fasting

Posted on September 5, 2024 by Don Merritt

When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their 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 to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Matthew 6:16-18

In Jesus’ day, fasting was a popular, common and much valued spiritual discipline, the Pharisees for instance fasted twice per week, usually on Mondays and Thursdays. It was also a part of certain festivals, such as on the Day of Atonement, and people would often fast individually as a sign of their religious devotion; Jesus would seem to have no problem with this practice. With this in mind, let’s also remember that this is now His third example of the principle He put forth in 6:1…

The difficulty that arose here is that not only was fasting used as a spiritual practice, it was also used to impress others with one’s spirituality. In that vein, I can tell you that I know of two kinds of people who regularly fast: The ones who do it to impress others, and the ones who do it the way Jesus taught. The thing is, I can give names of people in the first group, but I have no idea who belongs to the second… and that is precisely how Jesus wanted it.

I’ve been asked many times if we, as Christians should fast, and all I can really say to that is that if the Lord leads you to fast, then you had best do so, but make sure I never hear of it. I have also been asked to attend sessions where a group gets together for “fasting and prayer” to pray for such and such. I attended one of these once, I left early, and I’ve never done it again. You are free to draw your own conclusions…

So what am I really saying about fasting?

If the Lord leads you to fasting, then obey His leading and fast. If the Lord leads a group to fasting and prayer and you are one of those being led in that direction, then do it. If not, then don’t and don’t concern yourself about what the others think of you, because f you do, then you are the hypocrite.

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Joyous!

Posted on September 5, 2024 by Don Merritt
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“This, then, is how you should pray”

Posted on September 4, 2024 by Don Merritt

“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 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

Keeping the context of 6:1 in mind, take a look at this prayer, what do you see?

Do you see “look at me”? Do you see “gimme the goodies”?

Hardly.

What we can see here is humility, putting God’s purpose first and foremost, necessities, forgiveness, and overcoming the evil one; it is elegant in its simplicity.

We are addressing the Father in heaven, acknowledging His glory and giving Him honor, and then asking for His kingdom to come in its fullness, where His will be the only will that is done on earth, just like in heaven. Notice that this doesn’t leave all that much room for my own will to be done, in fact, my will and your will are not mentioned at all.

There is a request that God would provide for us, a humble request to be sure, and then a request for God’s forgiveness as we forgive others; a scary thought for many, I might add. Finally, we are to ask God not to lead us into temptation, but to deliver us from the evil one, again a request of supreme humility. When you put this all together, Jesus is teaching us to pray in a manner that is entirely foreign to the religious life of His time, and a lot more foreign in our own time than we might like to think about, with only God’s will being mentioned.

After this, Jesus goes on to expand a little bit on the whole subject of forgiveness making a conditional statement in verse 15, which must have blown the minds of the Pharisees and their gang of friends. Truly, this is as radical now as it was back then.

Was it Jesus’ intention that we simply recite these words over and over? I really doubt it; I see this as a model for prayer, the elements to be included in prayer, rather than something to be memorized and recited to the absence of anything else, particularly when we lose what He is actually saying here. Of course, I would never say that there is anything wrong with reciting these verses, or any verses.

Here’s some homework: Reflect and pray on these verses, asking Him to reveal them in their fullness to you. I think you’ll find this to be a rewarding exercise in spiritual practice.

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At Peace

Posted on September 4, 2024 by Don Merritt

A heart at peace gives life to the body,
    but envy rots the bones.

Proverbs 14:30

A heart at peace… is that common these days?  I’m not sure about that. There’s so much hustle and bustle, there’s so much stress and conflict in modern life, and of course times are tough.  Some days it seems like everybody’s arguing about something or other… and it’s an election year so people are criticizing every one and every thing… and I find myself joining in from time to time.

Still, even though our world is churning and tossing us to and fro in some ways, we can still have a heart at peace if we maintain our focus on the things that are really important.  Family, friends, faith and our relationship with our Lord; these are the important things, these are things that make a difference.

Envy?  Things?  Position? Do any of these make a difference when we consider the importance of relationships with our loved ones and with God?

No, not really.

Are arguments, bickering and conflict what life is about?  No.  Life is about serving others and serving God not bickering or being jealous about stuff.. I thank God for how He has blessed me with family, friends and His love; the rest is a waste of time. Peace is the result.

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Prayer

Posted on September 3, 2024 by Don Merritt

“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. And when you pray, do not keep on 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.

Matthew 6:5-8

For us to properly understand these verses, and the ones to follow, we need to be reminded of what Jesus was talking about in this entire section; He set the context in 6:1:

Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

If we remember this context, and that prayer is His second illustration for this point (after giving to the needy) then the significance of these verses becomes quite stark, even convicting for many of us.

Prayer, talking with God, the very core of our relationship with God, is not intended to be a public spectacle. It is not something you do to impress your family and friends with how righteousness you are; it is never to be a “look at me” kind of thing in whatever form the “look at me” might take. In fact, there really is no part of our relationship with God that is “public” except that others will see the results of our closeness as He works through us to accomplish His purpose.

I hope that doesn’t sound too harsh; but to be fair, I’m being more diplomatic than Jesus was!

With all of that said, there is of course, an important role to be played by corporate prayer and worship, but clearly that isn’t what Jesus is referring to here.

 Let’s be honest, when these verses are considered in context, they really don’t need much explanation, but I would like to add a note on prayer and relationship with God. God created each one of us, He knows each of us better than we know ourselves, and He comes to us where we are, relating to us in the way that He knows is most likely to be meaningful and significant. As a consequence, He relates to each one of us a little differently; there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to our relationships with Him, and anyone who tries to tell you that your relationship with Him must be like such and such is making a mistake, for our God is much bigger than that. In hearing people describe their relational experiences with God, I am often amazed by what I hear, they are so different from my own rather matter-of-fact “conversations” with Him, yet they are precious to the one describing them, just as mine are to me… and this is perfectly fine, perfectly normal, right and proper.

Yet God’s relational method is never just to make us look impressive to other people; that is the point Jesus is making here.

Next time we will continue in this passage, and in doing so, we will arrive at what is often called “The Lord’s Prayer”. I hope we will all keep this context in mind as we look at it, for in context, it is even more amazing than we might have thought… see you then!

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Giving to the Needy

Posted on September 3, 2024 by Don Merritt

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.

Matthew 6:2-4

There is a natural quality within most human beings to read an injunction like that in the verses above, and make a sort of legal check-list, so let’s be very clear about Jesus’ intentions in this teaching: He is not making a set of rules, procedures or protocols about how to give to those in need. Instead, He is speaking directly to our inner motivation for giving. Notice that whether or not to help those in need is not even mentioned; it is assumed.

The ones He has dubbed “hypocrites” are helping with a motivation for self aggrandizement, they want the praise and respect of their peers, to bolster their social positions, which might well impress “society” but it doesn’t have quite the same impact on the Lord. These folks wanted to impress their peers, and evidently they have their wish; and that’s all they will get.

In the Kingdom of Heaven, God wants His people to help those in need because they love God and their fellow Men, not for any worldly ulterior motive. Consider this: Has your relationship with God ever grown closer because you were praised by men? Everyone likes a little praise now and then, and a little recognition can go a long way to encourage people along the right path, but simply doing things to become popular never quite seems to bring anyone closer to God, for God doesn’t operate that way.

Quiet sacrifice for His Kingdom’s sake, on the other hand, will bring us closer to Him if we desire nothing in return for our sacrifice. The Kingdom is a place of love, community and healing precisely because the human motivation for self advancement is not present. Where this has not largely taken hold, there is little healing to be had, and love is merely discussed in academic terms.

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Relationship With God

Posted on September 2, 2024 by Don Merritt

Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

Matthew 6:1

Thus far in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus has been showing the people how to have a better form of righteousness in their relationships and dealings with others, now He shifts the focus to show them a better relationship with God. The people of His day were used to a form of righteousness that was centered upon showing others how righteous you are, and maybe that is still the case; I’ll leave that to others to debate. It is Jesus’ clear purpose to teach something quite revolutionary and different.

The first sentence of this verse tells the story: “be careful” tells us right off that we are to be intentional in this, intentional not to practice acts of righteousness or “piety” in front of an audience. Why is that? Because it does not matter what other people think of your level of righteousness, for they have nothing to say on the subject; even when they talk quite a lot. It is only important that God knows where you are, and He knows what we do in private. That first sentence continues to the point: “…in front of others to be seen by them” tells us that if the whole reason we are doing something is to impress people, then we have a problem.

Years ago I worked in a place where everyone was made aware that on Christmas Day the boss served meals in a homeless shelter. It was common knowledge that one way to get ahead in the organization was to do the same; there was a fair amount of not so subtle pressure to be there on Christmas when the boss was there… To be sure, what the boss was doing at the shelter was a good thing, but then quite a few “movers and shakers” were there making a point on Christmas, but who was there the day after and the day after that? Christmas isn’t the only day of the year on which a person must eat. No, the gesture was merely a political one; I didn’t participate in it.

The second sentence of this verse tells the story about what Jesus is trying to impress upon His listeners: If we perform acts of righteousness simply to impress other people, then we will not receive a reward from our Father, for we have received our due from the people we have impressed with our “goodness”. Again, many people do good deeds for the wrong reasons, and let’s be honest, the guy in the homeless shelter is just happy to have a warm meal. Yes, that may be “good” but it isn’t righteousness in God’s sight. Rather, it is the same thing as trying to attain righteousness by our own ability to keep the Law instead of having faith in God.

God wants a people who do the right things when nobody else is looking, who do the right things not for worldly advantage, but because they love God and they love others: Radical indeed!

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Surrounded by His Glory

Posted on September 2, 2024 by Don Merritt
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Yet another work week: O what fun!

While we might have preferred to take another day off, we are once again grinding away, but that isn’t so bad, is it?  Consider the opportunities to share our faith, and the opportunities to show the example of Christ’s love to those around us.  Consider the chance we’ll have to bring Christ to others, and to walk side-by-side with Jesus through our days.

When we stop to notice, His glory is all around us.  If we are in the country, maybe we can see His awesome creation; the mountains, the trees, the pastures and forests.  If we are in the city, maybe we will notice His glory through vegetation, planters and trees; we might even see His work in the sky overhead.  If we are near the shore, we might see and hear His majesty in the breaking surf or the rolling thunder of a storm.  No matter where the week might take us, God’s glory is all around.

In the workplace, though, there is an even better chance to see His glory, for in shining His light to others in the way we speak, the way we behave and the manner in which we approach problems, we can become part of His reflected glory when others see Christ in us.

Let’s all have a blessed week!

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A Special Place

Posted on September 1, 2024 by Don Merritt
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St. John’s Episcopal Church is located on Lafayette Square, Washington, DC. It has stood on this site since 1816, and every president from James Madison to Joe Biden has attended services here, thus it is sometimes called “Church of the Presidents.” Not all have been regular attenders, some were regular in different churches, while others seldom attended anywhere, but through the years they have all come here.  When you look at it today, it is difficult to think of it as being the first building on the block as the newer buildings seem to crowd it out and the Department of Veteran’s Affairs looms behind it, but it was not only first on this block, but second only to the White House on the Square.

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More important than simply having been frequented by the high and mighty of the Republic, is the fact that the faithful have worshipped our Lord here for more than 200 years.  While this isn’t much in European terms, here in America there are few churches where people have worshipped longer than this.  I might go so far as to say that they have left us all with a legacy of hope, faith and light, and I sure hope that our generation will continue that legacy.

It is for all of us, wherever we may be, and whatever style of worship we might engage in, to ensure that the faith goes beyond our time on the earth.  It is for each of us to live as Christ would have us to live, and to pass His love on to the next generation.  May each of us be up to that challenge as we go forth today and in the years to follow!

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Lord of All Creation

Posted on August 31, 2024 by Don Merritt

There are times when my heart is filled with pity for those who will not believe in God!

How can we look upon the awesome creation around us and not be filled with awe at what an amazing God we have?  When we see the changing of the seasons, how can we not be impressed by the work of His hand?  When we hear the roar of thunder, how can we not be impressed with His power?  When we gaze upon the vastness of the sea, or the limitless wonder of the heavens, how can we not be breathless at His magnificence?

At times such as these, how can we not be filled with praise for Him? What a glorious sensation!

And then, to contemplate the fact that the God who created all of this and so more, that very God who holds it all together with His Word, and who reigns on high as King of kings and Lord of lords has actually taken the effort to know my name, to love me, to want to save me from my sin, and who desires a relationship with me…!  This might be the most incredible and amazing thing of all.

Yes, these are times when I pity those who will not believe, those who will deny Him even when completely surrounded with evidence, so sure are they of their own great intellect…  To miss all of this, to miss His hand at work, His awesome love and relationship with Him.  How truly pitiful are such as these.

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