Righteous, Pious The Lord’s Prayer – Introduction

The Lord’s Prayer

Luke’s Context Luke 11:1-13  The right content for prayer (1-4)  The Lord’s Prayer  Assurance in prayer  The friend at midnight (5-8)  A poem on a father’s gifts (9-13) Luke 18:1-14  The right attitude in prayer (9-14)  Publican and Pharisee  Assurance and steadfastness in prayer (1-8)  The unjust judge

Matthew’s Context  Sermon on the Mount  Matthew Chapters 5-7  Lord’s Prayer  Matthew 6:9-13  At the center of the collection

Sermon on the Mount  Beatitudes (5:1-12)  Rewards?  Kingdom of heaven  Being seen (5:13-16)  For the glory of God  Law and Righteousness (5:17-48)  Real righteousness  Case studies

Sermon on the Mount  Piety, perfection and righteousness (5:43-6:18)  Don’t seek to be seen for your piety  Rewards? (5:43-6:1)  Case Studies (6:2-18) Charitable giving Prayer Fasting

Sermon on the Mount  Treasures in Heaven (6:19-24)  More teachings (6:25-7:27)  Anxiety  Judging  Etc…

Beatitudes  First Beatitude  “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3 ESV)  Fourth Beatitude  “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” (Matthew 5:6 ESV)

Beatitudes  “Blessed are…”  Describes a state that already exists Not a state that will be achieved

First Beatitude  “Poor in spirit…”  “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” (Luke 6:20 ESV) “In spirit” is absent  Poor materially, or poor spiritually?  “But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble [poor] and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.” (Isaiah 66:2b ESV)

First Beatitude  “For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”  What is the kingdom of heaven?  Remaining Beatitudes provide more detail  Remainder of the Sermon give more detail  What is the “reward?”  It is the growing kingdom community

Fourth Beatitude  “Hunger and thirst for righteousness…”  What is righteousness? God’s acts of salvation God’s declaring people righteous –A relationship, rather than an ethical quality People responding by acting justly –Acts of compassion –Demonstrated most fully in Jesus  Notice what righteousness is not Observance of legal codes

Fourth Beatitude  “For they shall be satisfied.”  The pursuit of righteousness will be satisfied How will the pursuit be satisfied? Who will satisfy?  Righteousness is not about behavior that brings approval and praise The world can give approval to behavior  Righteousness is a relationship that brings peace Only God can restore relationships and bring lasting peace

Law and Righteousness  “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” (Matthew 5:17 ESV)  “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:20 ESV)

Law and Righteousness  Case Studies  “You have heard… But I say to you…” Murder  Anger is also murder Adultery  Lust is also adultery Divorce  Divorce can become adultery Oaths  Oaths are unnecessary and evil Retaliation  Don’t retaliate, respond in kindness Hate enemies  Love your enemies  Righteousness is not about legal codes and external morality, but about an inner attitude

Law and Righteousness 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 

Law and Righteousness 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:43-48 ESV

Piety and Righteousness “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 6:1 ESV

Piety and Righteousness  Case Studies  Giving to the Needy  Prayer  Fasting

Treasure that Lasts? “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven…,  … where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21

Treasures that Last