1) Listen to Podcast here
2) GG Questions 04/15/2018
Seeking First: Keeping Up Appearances Matthew 6:1-18
1. Close Reading: After praying for God to enlighten your mind, read through Matthew 6:1-18 a couple times, slowly. Look for these three things: LIGHTBULB – something that shines from the passage, draws your attention; QUESTION MARK – something difficult to understand; ARROW – a personal application. Share the results of your study with your group.
2. Hypocrisy: Motives matter. What is the motive behind works done to be “seen by others” (6:2, 5, 16) versus works done “in secret” (6:4, 6, 18)? But… shouldn’t we “let [our] light shine before others, so that they may see [our] good works” (5:16)? The first humans thought equality with God was something to be grasped (Gen. 3:4-5; Phil. 2:5-7), but as creatures living under a Creator, where should all the ‘glory’ for good works go?
3. Reward: Jesus identifies two groups of people and their respective rewards – one group “HAVE received their reward” (6:2, 5, 16), the other WILL receive their reward (6:4, 6, 18). We are commanded to seek this reward, “Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matt. 6:19-21). If this life is a dot and eternity is a never ending line, what does it mean to live for the line instead of the dot (Matt. 13:44; 19:21)?
4. Acts of Piety: Jesus did not say, “IF you give/pray/fast,” but “WHEN,” assuming that these practices would remain part of the regular rhythm of His disciples. Which of these practices do you find easiest and most natural, and with which do you struggle for consistency? How might this reveal an inconsistency between your theory about these acts and your practice of them?
