Matthew 6:16-18 (NIV)

“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Fasting is one of the more important spiritual disciplines that we practice today. As Christians, we believe abstaining in some significant way from food teaches us a lot about ourselves. in other words, fasting reveals to us how much our own peace depends upon the pleasures of eating, and we are reminded that we often use food to ease the discomforts caused by our unwise and fearful living attitudes – lack of self-worth, meaningless work, purposeless existence, or lack of rest or exercise. However, in ancient times fasting was more than simply refraining from food and learning about oneself. Therefore, what does it mean to fast? What is its purpose? How should it be done?

In the Bible, the word “fast” simply means to voluntarily abstain from food. However, the basic purpose of a fast was to demonstrate the humility and dependence upon God in times of sorrow or great pain. It may be the anguish of repentance, it could be the distress of impending danger, or perhaps a response in mourning when a friend or loved one is ill or dead.

Jesus is calling out the religious people as “hypocrites” because he knows that they are seeking the wrong reward by receiving esteem from other people. To be seen as a righteous or spiritual individual seeking and loving God. Does this mean that you must keep ALL fasting a secret? No. Jesus is not articulating or commanding that fasting must be done in private. What Jesus is saying is that it is wrong to fast for the purpose of impressing people. It’s not an issue of who knows about it or what they think of it, but what is the motivation for doing it.

The intentions of the heart belong to a man, but the answer of the tongue comes from the Lord. All a person’s ways seem right in his own opinion, but the Lord evaluates the motives.

Proverbs 16:1-2 (New English Translation)

• Why do you think fasting along with prayer is so uncommon among Christians today? Why do you think it is common?
• What’s the difference between abstaining and fasting?

Matthew 6:5-13 (NIV)

“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.  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. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

 “This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
 Give us today our daily bread.
 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
 And lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from the evil one.

Unfortunately, as Christians, “The Lord’s Prayer” often falls into the category of vain repetition for us. Therefore, we sometimes forget of the importance of the prayer and assume this Matthew passage is just about Jesus revealing the selfishness of the religious leaders of his day. Jesus does indeed exposes the self-righteous and self-centered practices of these religious leaders in this passage, but we need to be reminded of why Jesus also explains how we ought to pray.

We are accustomed to thinking of prayer as a good strategy for getting what we want. Often times praying calls up the imagery of a genie granting our dreams, desires, and needs, and we believe that invoking Jesus’ name would make our prayers true (“in Jesus’ name”). However, all prayer-including The Lord’s Prayer-is not for getting what we want, but rather for bending our wants towards what God wants.

The Danish philosopher and Christian thinker Soren Kierkegaard said it best, “The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays.” In other words, prayer is an active process for us to bend our lives towards God in a way that is not of our natural inclination.

“[…]that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:17-19 (NIV)

• How much is prayer a part of your interaction with others? How much do you think it should be?
• How would we make prayer more central to our shared lives?
• What are some ways that can help bend our lives to God through prayer?

“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48 NIV)

At first glance, this simple verse seems to be calling us to be and do the impossible. As a result, we are left feeling confused and discouraged. Does Jesus really mean what we think he is saying here?

In modern English, the word “perfect” means “a status of the highest excellence” or “a product that is completely free from faults or defects”. Unfortunately, however, most Christians today have combine these two definitions of the word “perfect”, and we impose a modern understanding to this verse: “Do not sin”. In reality, Jesus (and Matthew) had a different understanding and intention for the word “‘perfect”. The Greek word in Matthew 5:48 is teleioi, which is translated to mean “complete”, “mature”, “fulfilled”, or “finished”.

The verse is not a command about achievements: having the perfect body or perfect teeth, gaining the perfect score in an exam or competition, or possessing a life free of sin. Those “perfections”, good as they are, are not the full picture. Rather, the verse is a reminder of who we really are and what we were made to be. In other words, we are to be made in full and complete likeness of Christ.

Christian growth is about reshaping all relationships and responsibilities to express the faithfulness and love of God that was made complete in the life and death of Jesus. In spite of this, our anger, insecurities, and complacency keep us from the interactions and services that help us to be made fully Christ-like.

“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:5 NIV)

• What are some ways for you to be more like Christ? Where are the places where you think you can be Christ-like?
• As Christians, we say that God is complete because he is the Trinity. That is, the triune God is whole because it is a community of the Father, Son, and Spirit among each other. How can we, the community of faith, help each other to grow into more like Christ?

Matthew 5:13-16 (NIV)

 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

As part of the Sermon on the Mount, this simple passage can be easily misread. Because we are prone to think of the Sermon on the Mount primarily in terms of law and command, it is very easy to hear Jesus in this passage telling us that we must be salt and light. Or we think Jesus is saying how we ought to be and why we should be salt and light. However, that’s not what’s going on here at all. What Jesus is saying is sheer declaration and promise: You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world.

Why salt and light? What does it mean to be salt and light?

The importance of salt, especially in the ancient world was significant. In the first century, salt had many functions: preservative, flavor, medicine, and money. Therefore, Jesus knew the value of salt comes in its application on other things. In other words, Christians are called to exist for others.

The word “light” means “to illuminate” or “to make visible”. Jesus understood the functionality of light allowed people to see, which would otherwise not have been perceptible in the dark. That is to say, light allows people to recognize the causes of our actions and deeds.

However, we don’t always live up to Jesus’ pronouncement. We fall short and wonder how this truth and promise could possibly be true. The good news is we don’t have to work to achieve the label of “salt and light”. We already are.

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” (Colossians 3:12-14 NIV)

• Why is it important to know who we are? How does this inform us about how we live our lives?
• What do you think Jesus meant about salt losing its flavor? How is it possible to become ‘unsalty’?
• How can you be salt and light to the people around you?

John 1:14 NIV

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Epiphany, in some ways, is an “expansion” of Christmas. At Christmas we celebrate the birth of the Messiah, and in Epiphany we commemorate Jesus, God made flesh, being recognized by the world.  Basically, at Christmas God appears as man, and at Epiphany man appears before the world as God.

Epiphany is a season of unveiling and making known.  The word “epiphany” means “to show”, “to reveal”, “to make manifest”, or “to make known”. Therefore, we look at the many stories God has made himself known through Jesus: We follow the Magi guided by a star to worship Jesus. We hear the testimony  of the Father at Jesus’ baptism. We watch Jesus perform various signs and wonders: turn water into wine, heal the sick, and raise the dead. We walk up the mountain with Peter, James, and John, and witness the Transfiguration of Jesus.

Why doesn’t God reveal himself MORE to mankind? Does God even reveal himself to us today? As Christian, regardless of what we see or hear from today’s media, we believe that God indeed continues to reveal himself to us today. He does so through Scripture, the Word being preached, worship, Eucharist, and in community. More importantly, we believe God continues to make himself known through us. His people and his church. As the German theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, once wrote: “The church is the physical manifestation of Christ on earth.”

However, our fears, pride, and busy lives keep us from making God’s grace and love known to ourselves and to others.

Let us be reminded that the season of Epiphany begins with this challenge: “Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10 NIV)

• What are some ways we can make space for God to be known to us? To others?
• What keeps you from making God’s grace and love known to people around you? Family, friends, coworkers, or your church community.
• What are ways you can (as an individual) make God known to others? How as a community can we make God known to others?