Last week we looked at Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 6:16-18 where he focused on the third of three acts of piety practiced by the Judeans in the first century, fasting (giving, prayer 6:1-15). Jesus’ overall was not fasting but rather motivation behind spiritual acts in general. Jesus was correcting the teaching and practice of Israel’s religious leaders who liked to make a big show of their fasting to appear more spiritual than everyone else. One of the passages referenced in last week’s lesson was Zechariah chapter 7. In that passage the prophet Zechariah, inspired by God, and led by the Spirit, rebuked the exiles, who had returned to Jerusalem from Babylon, for focusing more on religious rituals, particularly fasting, instead of what really mattered to God.
And this is the same point Jesus is driving home in Matthew 6:1-18. Whatever acts of righteousness we do, whether it be charity, prayer, or fasting like Jesus talked about or other things like song-leading, teaching, or preaching. Or even worship attendance and partaking of the Lord’s Supper, if it is not done with the right heart and for the right reasons it is nothing but a hollow ritual.
This week we turn to Jesus’ teaching on material wealth and its proper place in our lives (Matthew 6:19-24).