50 to 65 min Exposit Jesus warnings against religious hypocrisy and seeking human praise. Analyze the three classical pillars of Jewish piety: almsgiving, prayer, and fasting. Examine the theological petitions of the Lord Prayer and their eschatological significance. Formulate spiritual disciplines of hiddenness and quiet devotion in contemporary church life. In Matthew 6:1-18, Jesus moves from ethical interactions with neighbors to inner religious devotion before God. In first-century Judaism, almsgiving, prayer, and fasting were the core expressions of righteousness. Jesus affirms all three disciplines ('when you give... when you pray... when you fast'), but exposes how easily holy acts can be co-opted for human acclaim. He calls disciples into secret communion with the Father who sees in secret and rewards generously. Authentic discipleship practices devotion before the unseen Father, seeking His pleasure rather than the applause of human audiences. Jesus begins with a foundational principle: perform righteousness before God, not to gain human admiration. If human praise is the motive, that praise is the sole and fleeting reward. Charity must not be accompanied by self-promoting fanfare. The left hand should not know what the right hand is doing, reflecting such simplicity that giving becomes second nature rather than calculated theatre. Prayer is not babbling pagan incantations or public grandstanding. In the Lord Prayer, Jesus provides a pattern: praising God name, seeking His kingdom and will, requesting daily sustenance, begging forgiveness while extending it to others, and pleading for deliverance from the evil one. Fasting should not involve disheveled faces designed to project ascetic suffering. Disciples anoint their heads and wash their faces, directing their hunger entirely toward God. Hypokritēs (ὑποκριτής) Actor or pretender; one who wears a religious mask to win public applause while hiding inner emptiness. Tameion (ταμεῖον) Inner chamber, private storeroom, or secret closet; a place shielded from public observation for intimacy with God. Battalogeō (βατταλογέω) To repeat empty phrases or babble in the mistaken belief that word quantity manipulates God. Epiousios (ἐπιούσιος) Daily, necessary for existence, or belonging to the coming kingdom day; describing the bread disciples request from the Father. Practice anonymous giving where no plaque, tax acknowledgment, or social credit can be obtained. Cultivate a vibrant secret prayer life in your private room, far away from public scrutiny. Examine whether your public spiritual persona exceeds your private devotion. Forgive offenses promptly, recognizing that harboring grudges impedes spiritual vitality and fellowship with the Father. Perform an act of generosity or financial blessing this week in complete secrecy, ensuring that no one except God ever discovers your identity as the giver. Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day 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 evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. What is the primary motive Jesus rebukes when addressing almsgiving, prayer, and fasting in Matthew 6? Giving too much money to the poor Practicing religious devotion to be seen and praised by people Praying in the Hebrew language Fasting on the wrong calendar day Practicing religious devotion to be seen and praised by people Jesus warns that doing righteous deeds before men to be seen by them forfeits any reward from the heavenly Father (Matthew 6:1). What does the Greek word hypokritēs originally mean in the Hellenistic world? A temple priest An actor performing a role behind a theatrical mask A Roman tax collector A military commander An actor performing a role behind a theatrical mask Hypokritēs was theatrical vocabulary for someone playing a fictional character on stage, which Jesus applies to outward religious posturing. What is the theological structure of the six petitions in the Lord Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13)? Six petitions asking exclusively for financial wealth Three petitions focused on God glory, kingdom, and will, followed by three petitions focused on human needs Five petitions regarding animal sacrifices and one about the temple A random collection of unrelated proverbs Three petitions focused on God glory, kingdom, and will, followed by three petitions focused on human needs The Lord's Prayer first centers on God (Name, Kingdom, Will) before turning to our dependence (Daily Bread, Forgiveness, Deliverance). According to Matthew 6:14-15, what is the crucial link between receiving divine forgiveness and extending forgiveness to others? Forgiving others earns salvation by works Refusing to forgive others reveals an unrepentant heart closed to God forgiveness Forgiveness is only required for church leaders Forgiveness is optional in Christian ethics Refusing to forgive others reveals an unrepentant heart closed to God forgiveness Jesus teaches that experiencing the Father mercy inevitably creates a forgiving heart; withholding forgiveness reveals spiritual hardness. Theological and Exegetical Analysis of the Lord Prayer and Secret Devotion Write 700 to 900 words analyzing Matthew 6:1-18. Examine how Jesus diagnoses the temptation of performative piety, the structural theology of the Lord Prayer, and how private hiddenness safeguards spiritual authenticity. Contrast the theatrical piety practiced in the synagogues of [Jerusalem](/bible/explorer/place/jerusalem) with Jesus instruction on the secret room (tameion). Exposit the three God-centered petitions of the Lord Prayer and their eschatological vision of the kingdom. Analyze the daily bread and forgiveness petitions in relation to disciples trusting in [Jesus](/bible/explorer/person/jesus) for physical and spiritual preservation. Provide concrete contemporary applications for avoiding social media posturing in charitable giving and spiritual life. The essay must be 700 to 900 words, cite biblical references accurately, engage the designated Bible Explorer links, and adhere to pastoral clarity without prohibited compound hyphens. Why is the desire for human approval so pervasive even in religious service? How does praying 'Your kingdom come, Your will be done' challenge our personal ambitions? What practical disciplines can help keep our giving, prayer, and fasting private? Encourage honesty regarding how much modern digital culture pressures believers to broadcast good deeds. Guide students through the Lord Prayer phrase by phrase, reflecting on each petition. Address common anxieties regarding unanswered prayers and forgiveness struggles. Foster, Richard J. Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1978. Willard, Dallas. The Divine Conspiracy. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1998. Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. The Cost of Discipleship. New York: Macmillan, 1959. Matthew 6:1-18 Psalm 139:1-12 Isaiah 58:1-12 The tension between Matthew 5:16 ('let your light shine before others') and Matthew 6:1 ('beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them'). The structure and theological petition sequence of the Lord Prayer (three God-focused petitions followed by three disciple-focused petitions). The Greek word hypocritēs originally referred to an actor wearing a theatrical mask on the Hellenistic stage. Sounding a trumpet (6:2) is widely understood as vivid metaphorical hyperbole describing ostentatious public charity. Wright, N. T. The Lord and His Prayer. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996. Jeremias, Joachim. The Prayers of Jesus. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1978. Blomberg, Craig L. Matthew. NAC. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1992.