Three mechanisms

Jesus addressed three things in Matthew 6 in a very similar fashion, contrasting each with the role-playing of the religious in their culture. He made the same point that God will repay in each of these things.

Jesus is not detached from reality. He lived as a man; He understands the realities of life. We work because it is necessary to work. We make a living for ourselves and our family by getting paid for what we do. Getting paid is important to us.

This is what Jesus is addressing: getting paid - not just in money, but in a way that addresses the realities of life more than money alone.

What follows these three disciplines are explanations of the mechanisms that are at work in each.

The mechanism in alms is placing our treasure in heaven.

The mechanism in prayer is a healthy view of life.

The mechanism in fasting is the search for the kingdom of God within us.

The mechanisms deal with the pressure of materialism that each of us face. But the conclusion of the explanation of these three mechanisms is the assurance that our heavenly Father will provide all of the necessary concerns as we walk in these three disciplines.

"...and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:33-34

The three disciplines address what we are anxious about; we are not to give alms, pray, or fast because it is the "right" thing to do. We would be only playing a role. We are to give alms, pray, and fast because it makes our life right; we are repaid in a meaningful way.

We have a hard time accepting that we would work for God because He pays well. We keep wanting to get back up on the stage, acting the role of the wonderful person who does things because they are the right thing to do. But we still have to face our real life when we finish our pathetic performance. Our myth is about role-playing, the very thing that Jesus repeatedly addressed. He wasn't just slamming the Pharisees; He was embedding something for us. We can easily fall into the same trap, though we could never give as good of a performance as they did.

Yet our whole life is concerned with finding what pays well. It is an essential reality that should be extended fully into our relationship with God. He pays well; His business can afford to pay good employees what they are worth to Him. Jesus would not have repeatedly stated that the Father will repay if it wasn't important; He would not have said it if it were not true.

The King's gold is better than the glory of the stage.