Week 9 (26 Feb) Day 3

Matthew 6.5-8

5 “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. 6 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.7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

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Personal Reflections This verse serves as the summary statement for the six illustrations in Mt 5.21-47. Perhaps the initial thought is a sense of helplessness, “Oh Lord, how can I be perfect?” It is like the echoing of Leviticus 19.2, “Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy”. Yet we must realise that the impetus for us to seek to be perfect is really to model after the character and ways of God. We no longer aim only to fulfil the laws of God per se. Instead, we aim to know the mind and heart of God who is behind the Laws.

As Christ’s disciples, we have a “greater righteousness”, modelled after the righteousness of Christ, which translates into a right relatedness with those around us. And alas, we realise that we are to be perfect not by our own strength but through the blood of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. May you continue to seek the Lord to put his law in your mind and write it on your heart (Jer 31.33).