Chapter 16 - The Hiddenness of the Devout Life
Mat 6:16 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.
Mat 6:17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
Mat 6:18 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.
Bonhoeffer - '"Anoint thine head and wash thy face" Even this might become an occasion for a still subtler form of self-glorification or enjoyment. But that would be to miss the point and make of it a mere pretense. Jesus, however, bids his disciples to persevere in the practices of humiliation, but not to force them on other people as a rule or regulation. They must rejoice and give thanks for the privilege of remaining in the service of their Lord. Jesus does not mean that a smile on the face it to be a sort of stereotyped expression of Christianity; he is referring rather to the proper hiddenness of Christian behavior, to that humility which is wholly unselfconscious, even as the eye can see other people but can never see itself. Such hiddenness will one day be made manifest, but that will be God's doing not ours.'
My thoughts-
Wherever there is a call to do good, it can be used for evil. The motive behind our actions is always in question.
Heb_10:22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
We need to have our hearts sprinkled FROM an evil conscience, our bodies washed with pure water, and the only way this happens is through CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD.
Heb 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
Heb 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching
Our hearts need to be pure and only then can our motives be pure. And the only way our hearts become pure is by the cleansing of them by Christ.
Psa_51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
This MUST be our prayer, our plea!
While we seek to know and to follow, to hear God's word and do His word, we must pray for a clean heart and a right spirit. We have to question our own motives, never relying upon our feelings, never patting ourselves on the back. We have to TRUST in GOD fully, wholly in OUR GOD!
Our prayer lives, our fasting lives, our living for Christ lives must be lived as He commands- humbly.
Please LORD, help us to live as You would have us live, in YOU ALWAYS!
By YOUR love, YOUR mercy, YOUR grace, YOUR forgiveness, YOUR righteousness! ALL IN YOU!
Mat 6:16 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.
Mat 6:17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
Mat 6:18 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.
Bonhoeffer - '"Anoint thine head and wash thy face" Even this might become an occasion for a still subtler form of self-glorification or enjoyment. But that would be to miss the point and make of it a mere pretense. Jesus, however, bids his disciples to persevere in the practices of humiliation, but not to force them on other people as a rule or regulation. They must rejoice and give thanks for the privilege of remaining in the service of their Lord. Jesus does not mean that a smile on the face it to be a sort of stereotyped expression of Christianity; he is referring rather to the proper hiddenness of Christian behavior, to that humility which is wholly unselfconscious, even as the eye can see other people but can never see itself. Such hiddenness will one day be made manifest, but that will be God's doing not ours.'
My thoughts-
Wherever there is a call to do good, it can be used for evil. The motive behind our actions is always in question.
Heb_10:22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
We need to have our hearts sprinkled FROM an evil conscience, our bodies washed with pure water, and the only way this happens is through CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD.
Heb 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
Heb 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching
Our hearts need to be pure and only then can our motives be pure. And the only way our hearts become pure is by the cleansing of them by Christ.
Psa_51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
This MUST be our prayer, our plea!
While we seek to know and to follow, to hear God's word and do His word, we must pray for a clean heart and a right spirit. We have to question our own motives, never relying upon our feelings, never patting ourselves on the back. We have to TRUST in GOD fully, wholly in OUR GOD!
Our prayer lives, our fasting lives, our living for Christ lives must be lived as He commands- humbly.
Please LORD, help us to live as You would have us live, in YOU ALWAYS!
By YOUR love, YOUR mercy, YOUR grace, YOUR forgiveness, YOUR righteousness! ALL IN YOU!
No comments:
Post a Comment