Smoodock's Blog

When Jesus began his discourse in the presence of his disciples (Matthew 5:1-12), he spoke of being blessed, which assumes the disciple is already in the Presence of God. However, Jesus later said this experience would be impossible, unless the disciple’s righteousness exceeded that of the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 5:20). Moreover, he spoke of preserving and adding flavor to life, and allowing one’s life to shine in the darkness (Matthew 5:13-16), but neither of these things would be possible, unless one was in the Presence of God. Jesus also mentioned that his disciples must seek to maintain a right relationship with both God and men (Matthew 5:21-48). However, once again, this cannot be done without God’s Presence in our lives, teaching us and helping us to do those very things that he practices with all men.

Finally, Jesus spoke of the correct method of doing good for others (Matthew 6:1-4). Nevertheless, even correct motives cannot be practiced among men, who have fallen from grace and practice the concept of already knowing what good is, and what it is not (cp. Genesis 2:17; 3:1-6, 22-24). Therefore, all this begs the question: how does one enter the Presence of God? This concept is the theme of the Lord’s next revelation to his disciples (Matthew 6:5-8).

First of all, Jesus gave his disciples an example of what one shouldn’t do, if he wished to enter the Presence of God, which is: don’t try to be something you’re not (Matthew 6:5). Actors are for entertainment; they really aren’t what they play out before us. When one does this in the performance of one’s religious or spiritual life, he is known as a hypocrite. We shouldn’t expect to enter the Presence of God, if the good we do is done to impress men. Men may be impressed, but God is not, and neither is he served!

When we pray, and Jesus takes it for granted that we shall pray, we need to “enter our closet and shut the door,” as we pray to the Father, but what does that mean? Well, Jesus mentioned that the hypocrites love to stand in the synagogues and the city streets and pray to be seen by others, vis-à-vis to impress them. However, Jesus wasn’t condemning the posture of standing for prayer (cp. Mark 11:25), nor was he condemning public prayer (cp. Acts 27:35). What Jesus condemned was the acting, the motive behind the prayer—to be seen of men, to be noticed by men, desiring their approval and praise etc.

Entering one’s closet and shutting the door, isn’t something foreign to man. We are able to single out a person in a group and speak specifically to him, without regard to others present. This is how we should speak to God, whether in private or in public—we speak with him without regard to others present or dwelling on the things we desire. The Lord dwells in secret, meaning he isn’t seen by men,[1] but he will hear what we say to him in the privacy of our hearts, and he will reward us openly (Matthew 6:6). This is not to say God will always answer affirmatively, because “No!” is also an answer.

Next, Jesus mentioned that his disciples shouldn’t pray like the heathen who speak in vain repetitions, believing they’ll be heard through their wordiness (Matthew 6:7). However, Jesus wasn’t condemning repetitive prayer (cp. Matthew 26:44). What Jesus was condemning was prayer that had no heartfelt emotion, as when one continually repeats himself, as though he suspects the listener isn’t listening, something that often irritates the hearer. Nevertheless, what Jesus encourages his disciples to do, once more, can be done only in the Presence of God. How, then, does one enter God’s Presence? One enters God’ Presence, by repenting of one’s rebellion, namely believing we know what good is and what it is not (Genesis 3:1-6)! Stop partaking of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 2:17), because it was this very thing that drove mankind out of the Presence of God (Genesis 3:22-24). Repenting of this permits us to reenter the Presence of the Lord! Therefore, admitting that God already “knows what things we have need of” (Matthew 6:8), vis-à-vis he knows what is good for us and what is not—praying this way, according to God’s will and not ours, is what brings us into his Presence!

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[1] The fact that we cannot “see” God affects us, causing us to consider what others think of us and the fact that we speak to an invisible entity, especially in our modern day, when so many folks don’t believe there is a God. So, we’re tempted to consider the opinions of a fool (Psalm 14:1; 53:1), rather than be attentive to the Presence of him to whom we speak.