|
News for the Pews |
Home
27th December 2024
FridayReflection
************************
'Scott Shauf'
'Professor of Religious Studies
at Gardner-Webb University'
************************
"Commentary on
Matthew 6:16"
This passage enjoins us to humble acts of righteousness and a heavenward focus that are befitting of Christians.
Our attitudes should not be those of self-seeking hypocrites but should reflect a heart focused on the kingdom of heaven.
Verse 16 deals with the practice of fasting.
This is not to be done in a way that attracts attention to oneself, or God will not reward them.
The message is straightforward enough, but presents its own challenge when applied to twenty-first century life.
The difficulty of Jesus' application of the principle to fasting is simply that fasting has little meaning for most Christians today, at least in the West.
Fasting was a common religious activity for Jews and then also Christians in the ancient world, but not so today.
It is therefore hard for us to conceive of what reward Jesus could even have in mind here.
Being recompensed by God for charitable giving has a certain sense to it, and we can imagine rewards for prayer easily enough, but what reward could we possibly get from God for fasting?
In fact, when fasting is done today, it is usually done precisely to draw attention, admittedly not to the fasters but to some worthwhile cause, such as world hunger.
Can we make any sense of what Jesus is saying?
I believe our problem is that in Western culture we have managed to almost completely divorce spiritual practices from bodily ones.
We so emphasize our inner heart and state of mind that it is hard for us see any benefit from such a thoroughly bodily action as fasting.
For the ancients there was no such divorce, and hence humbling oneself before God through abstention from food - or drink, sleep, or sex - was a natural religious expression.
What better time than Lent, where we at least have a tradition of self-sacrifice, to attempt such a bodily action of humility as fasting?
More directly than it might seem at first glance!
We are enjoined to seek reward from God - treasure in heaven!
We are enjoined to reject reward from people - treasures on earth.
These verses actually sum up Jesus' message about fasting rather well.
Of course, they also have a broader meaning.
Wouldn't we rather say that our treasures are expressions of our hearts, rather than our hearts following our treasure?
But Jesus expresses a more challenging truth for us - our hearts are easily swayed by treasure, and it therefore becomes all the more important that we seek and store the right treasure to begin with, for our hearts are sure to follow.
><(((°>
This is an edited version.
The full article and Bible references are avaiable on request
Scott Shauf
is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, North Carolina.
He is the author of two books, most recently The Divine in Acts and in Ancient Historiography (Fortress Press, 2015), and a number of articles and other shorter works.
He preaches and teaches regularly in churches in his community.
Contact the Rector
The Revd.
Nic.Edwards
The Rectory,
Church Lane,
BUGBROOKE,
Northampton,
NN7 3PB
Land Line: 01604 - 815496
(Can be accessed from the mobile device)
Mobile: .....
E-mail:
thebeneficeofbhkandr at gmail dot com
Contact the Benefice Office
Sunday School Rooms, Church Lane,
BUGBROOKE, Northampton, NN7 3PB
Land Line: 01604 830373
E-mail:
thebeneficeofbhkandr at gmail dot com
Mon., Tues., Wed,, Thur., Fri.
9:00am to 11:30am
For Baptism bookings (Christenings)
to arrange an appointment please contact
the Benefice Office.
For Wedding bookings:
please contact the Benefice Office to arrange
an appointment.
Who Made This?
Seeing as you asked, if you can give helpful
advice or report factual corrections and
'deliberate mistakes',email:-
regparker3 at gmail dot com
Email addresses shown using words in an
attempt to avoid 'spam',
Type the email address replacing 'at' with '@',
and 'dot' with '.'
|