Chapter 6 --
As apprentices of Jesus move away from a life of not doing anything wrong to an ³inward union of mind and heart with ³the heavens²², they will run into two desires that will hinder a constantly interactive life with God: a desire for othersı approval and a desire for material goods. To be free of these entangling desires requires a great confidence in Christ and results in a life that finds the world a perfectly safe place to be.
Contrast with our current cultural values:
If we look good, smell good, drive a nice car, and have a lot of money, then we have made it.
Jesus teaches us to not seek security in
If we allow them to, these two desires will pull us out of the sway of the kingdom³the range of Godıs effective will,² and back into the barren ³righteousness² of the scribe and the Pharisee. But as we keep these two things in their proper place, through a constant, disciplined, and clear-eyed reliance on God, we will grow rapidly in kingdom substance. We will progressively incorporate all aspects of our life into the kingdom, including, of course, the social and the financial.
Matt. 6:1-34
Col. 3:17-24
Beware of the public forums for our Christian devotion. Seek no honor from other people regarding your life with God. Donıt seek ³respectability,² but play to the audience of one. What matters are the intentions of our heart before God. No acting, no pretending.
Jesusı call is to a life with God from which good deeds flow so naturally, that those living it hardly notice.
The one who gives without regard to who is looking and does not even notice it as anything special themselves, no ³big deal,² is the very one who has Godıs attention and becomes Godıs creative partner in well-doing. He or she will know the fellowship of God and see the effects of theses deeds multiplied for good in the power of God. Characteristically, people like this are well known for how much they can accomplish. But we should know, as Jesus, knew, that it is because of the ³hand of God² engaged along with them.
There is a hidden conspiracy here. Living this life, the visible side will involve highly significant events that cannot be explained in terms of the visible world. One cannot expect to be fully understood (and appreciated correctly) by others. We will likely get much more or much less credit than we directly deserve. Jesus says, that doesnıt matter. Our role is to engage with Godıs life now.
The discipline of secrecy will help us break the grip of human opinion over our souls and our actions.
A discipline is an activity in our power that we do to enable us to do what we cannot do by direct effort.
We most certainly must be doing good things, and it is usually perfectly fine if they are seen, but the whole point and spirit is lost if they are done to be seen and appreciated. That we may realistically need some training to wean us off of our security in approval, is why Jesus teaching leads us to a discipline of praying, fasting, and giving in secret.
Whatever our position in life, if our lives and works are to be of the kingdom of God, we must not have human approval as a primary or even major aim. We must lovingly allow people to think whatever they will.
The Bondage of Wealth
The most important commandment of the Judeo-Christian tradition is to treasure God and his realm more than anything else. That is what it means to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. It means to treasure him, to hold him and his dear, and to protect and aid him in his purposes. Our only wisdom, safety, and fulfillment lies in so treasuring God. Then we will also treasure our neighbors rightly, as he treasures them.
What do our actions reveal that we actually treasure?
If we treasure things of the world, our fate is anxiety.
Life is not about food, Jesus says, nor the body about clothes. It is about a place in Godıs immortal kingdom now. Eternity is, in part, what we are now living.
Phil. 4: 6-7
The ³Western² segment of the church today lives in a bubble of historical illusion about the meaning of discipleship and the gospel.