Sunday 12th May
Read Matthew 6:5-6
“‘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.” (NIVUK)
Jesus has condemned fake giving, now He condemns fake praying. If prayer is designed as means of communicating with God, praying in a way that garners praise from others is ineffectual prayer. If the audience is not God, then one’s expectation that a prayer be heard and answered is unfounded. That is what Jesus argues. Praying before others to impress them and raise your standing in their eyes receives just that – potentially increased standing in the eyes of others – but nothing more.
That is what Jesus means by describing them as being ‘rewarded in full’. There is nothing outstanding to be paid. It is like receiving a letter from a company saying that an invoice has been ‘paid in full’ with thanks. The relationship is at an end there. Neither party has any outstanding claims. To blithely assume that God is obligated to hear our prayers and respond even when offered with insincere, ulterior motives is foolish. To realise how often we may pray in precisely this manner is a little terrifying.
One wonders if the same principle applies to singing and worship? If disingenuous motives are condemned, what of disinterest and distraction? Today’s song was a challenging watch when reflecting on this passage.
