YOUR FATHER
The fullest account of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount is found in Matthew chapters 5 through 7. In it Jesus was speaking to His disciples, while a large crowd was listening in. If you have not read these three chapters recently, it would be good for you to stop and read them now before reading this short article. You might at least read the passages in their context as I refer to them here.
Most of the time Jesus referred to God in heaven as “Father.” He used the name “God” much fewer times. He spoke of “the Father,” “our Father,” and on other occasions of “my Father,” but that would not have been appropriate in this discipling session. What was most needed was “your Father.” This Jesus spoke in four sections of the Sermon on the Mount. I say sections rather than verses because in some sections, He used the term more than once. Perhaps a few comments on where the phrase is used will help us appreciate our relationship to God more. We may then feel a stronger encouragement to do His will.
Glorify Your Father (Matt 5:14-16). The concluding phrase in this section tells us the object or purpose of the whole section: “give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Jesus uses a metaphor that is often associated with Him and His teaching. John said He was the true light that lights everyone entering the world. He also records Jesus twice claiming, “I am the light of the world.” He says those who believe in Him walk in the light, while those who do not think so remain in darkness. In our text, we see Jesus Christ, the genuine Light, telling His disciples that they are also lights in the world. A light will be seen. The brighter it is, the more surely it will be seen. To emphasize this, our Lord goes on to use another metaphor. “A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” So, the light of the disciple cannot be hidden. Furthermore, the purpose of a light is to illuminate its surroundings. No one lights a lamp and then hides it under a basket, but puts it on a lampstand to give light to the whole room.
Disciples are lights. We are to shine brightly. We are to give out light wherever we are. Now Jesus reaches His conclusion. “In the same way, let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and glorify your Father, who is in heaven.” The kind of light that should shine from a Christian is the kind that helps others see God more clearly and give Him glory. This he does by doing good works. Those works are to bring glory to God rather than to the one doing them. In the next chapter, Jesus will clarify that if one does his good deeds before others to be seen by them, he has his reward — but from men, not from God. People will give the glory to the doer. But if one does his good works quietly and unostentatiously, claiming no credit for himself, the glory will be given to God, and God will reward the doer.
When we think of doing a “good deed,” most of us think first of helping someone in need. We know we are to give to the poor, and if we have truly absorbed the spirit of our Lord, we delight in doing that as we have means and opportunity. We know that it is of the essence of pure religion to visit orphans and widows in their affliction. We sometimes sing the song, “Each day I’ll do a golden deed, by helping those in need.” Surely, each day, we will see some opportunity to do something helpful for others. But there is more to doing good works than rendering material aid or services. If we want to see God glorified, we should listen to what Jesus said in John 15:8. “By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” Everything that is not barren bears after its kind. If we are disciples of Christ, we show it by bearing fruit; and the fruit we bear is other disciples. When our neighbor hears the story of Jesus, is taught to observe what Jesus commanded, and is baptized into Christ, he will praise and glorify God for the gift He made to the world by sending His Son.
Imitate Your Father (Matt 5:42-48). This section continues the thought of doing good works. The teaching here has proved difficult for some, who consider it impractical. If one followed Jesus’ instructions literally, one would completely impoverish oneself. He might also become an enabler of dishonesty and deceit. But our Lord does not say that one must give to every beggar one meets or everyone seeking to borrow. He wants His disciples to help those in need as a matter of principle and out of love for our fellow man. He wants our lives to be characterized by generosity and kindness. Wisdom and discrimination should guide our charitable activities.
This can be seen when Jesus begins to talk about agape. I have not found anywhere in the rabbinic writings where it was said, “You shall hate your enemies.” However, one need not say those exact words to do what they imply. If we see someone who has made himself our enemy needing help, and withhold that help from him, we show that we do not love him. But if we pray for him and try to be a blessing, then we treat him the way God treats all created in His image. Jesus says that in that way we “become sons of your Father who is in heaven.” The expression “sons of” is a Semitism that means to be like or to imitate. God gives sunshine and rain to those who love Him and those who do not. We all benefit from His goodness toward humanity. But God is discriminating in how He does this. If He made it to rain in every place every time someone wanted it or asked for it, He would be drowning out the crops where rainfall had already been abundant. And when farmers need rain, He would not be acting kindly if He instead gave sunshine for the pleasure of people who want to go on a picnic. Furthermore, sometimes there is drought and sometimes flooding, because God cannot please all self-willed humans at the same time. If we are determined to disrupt the course of His established laws of nature, He sometimes lets us go our own way.
But the Christian life should exceed in love that of tax-gatherers and Gentiles— the lowest classes of people in the eyes of those who were listening to the Sermon. We are called to live reconciliation and forgiveness, and always do good to others. We are to “be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.” This does not refer to perfection of character or behavior, though we should always strive for that. “Perfect” means complete, completeness, or fullness of love in this passage. God loves everyone, and so must we if we are to imitate Him.
Serve Your Father (Matt 6:1-18). Jesus had told the disciples to let men see their good works. But He did not say they were to call attention to themselves as those doing those good works. Not, of course, that there are no occasions for letting one’s identity be known when one helps someone else. If you want to help a brother or sister, it might be essential to allow the one helped to see that you are doing it as an act of love and out of appreciation for your relationship in Christ. What Jesus was more concerned about was one’s motive in doing good works. If it is done to receive praise for your actions, it is not done out of love. Therefore, when you want, for instance, to distribute food or clothing to the poor, it is not necessary to sound a trumpet to summon them to receive help. Jesus said that is what the hypocrites did –and in fact, the Pharisees did that. Just give out what is needed quietly and privately. Christians praying together is not contrary to what Jesus taught, nor is it wrong for a couple to bow their heads and offer thanks for food in a public restaurant. Jesus did not care much about fasting, and we find no mention of it in the apostolic writings. But it was essential to the Jewish people and may be helpful to Christians. If you want to fast to concentrate more fully for a season on devotion to God, or to show your appreciation for His abundant gift of food, then do so without showing it. But this does not mean that if a friend offers you a bite, you cannot modestly reply, “No, thank you, I’m fasting now.”
There is another thing to be emphasized here. All of our good works should be intended as a service to God. That is, to see Him honored and glorified. When we pray or fast, we receive the spiritual benefit. That is God rewarding us, as Jesus said. But God Himself is pleased to see His children turning to Him this way and accepts it as a spiritual service. The same is true of our charitable deeds, if we do them because God wants us to.
Trust Your Father (Matt 6: 25-34). In the preceding section, our Lord spoke of the right attitude toward money. He said we should lay up treasures in heaven for ourselves. Here in the section we are looking at, He is, in effect, saying that God will let us have an advance on some of those treasures for the necessities of life. “Therefore, do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For…your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.” God has given evidence that He cares for all of His creation. He feeds the birds, though they neither sow nor reap. He clothes the lilies of the field in gorgeous array, though they neither toil nor spin. So we can trust him to feed us who do sow and reap, and to clothe us who toil and spin. Jesus not only teaches us not to be anxious about these things, He flatly forbids such anxiety. He does not encourage laziness or discourage planning for future needs. He wants us to give attention to God’s kingdom and the righteousness He will provide, along with food, drink, and clothing.
As the child trusts his earthly father to provide for his every need and does not worry about such things, the child of God can trust his heavenly Father. God always asked this of His people. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” (Prov 3:5, 6).
Perfect contentment is perfect obedience to one in whom you have perfect trust.