This then is how you should not pray…

This then is how you should not  pray.  Actually, it's this then is how you should pray.  You may or may not recognize those words.  But you're much more likely to remember what comes after them.  It's The Lord's Prayer.  Or maybe you know it by The Our Father.  Depends on what denomination you are.  Or what you've heard.  But I'm curious - how many of us know the part that comes before the words so many of us know?  In any case, before we talk about should, let's look into should not.  It's interesting. This then is how you should not pray... is article #1 in the series: The Lord's Prayer. Click button to view titles for entire series

I wrote this series back in 2017.  Someone requested it a couple years before that.  But I had a hard time writing it.  I wanted a different look at it.  Something that might be very meaningful to us in this day and age.  So we're going to look at what it means to people we love and care about.  People who aren't Christians.  Even people who claim to be Christian, but it's more like in name only, without actually trying to live a Christian life. 

For more on that thought, please check out Are we supposed to Believe God, Believe in God or Follow God?  The short answer to the title question is this:  we are supposed to believe so strongly that we act on those beliefs.

But now it's 2020.  Almost three years after the first writing.  I was reformatting it for mobile phone access.  Then I realized it's really complicated.  I guess I've changed writing styles over the past few years.  Easier to understand.  But necessarily longer.  I hope this is better. 

You can see the updated versions, as they're written, here.  

This then is how you should not pray.

Question.  Did you notice Jesus is saying, this then is how you should pray?  "This" relates to what follows that sentence.  But "then" refers to what came before it!  So even starting off with this then is how you should pray is missing something.  So we'd better back up a bit. What did Jesus say before that?  What is the then we're supposed to pay attention to?

Prayer - Matthew

Mt 6:5 “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 men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6 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. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

That's the passage before The Lord's Prayer.  Short.  A mere 4 verses.  But what is Jesus really saying?  Is it like, I wish you wouldn't pray like the hypocrites?  Or maybe it's, I'd like it if you could avoid praying like them.  Or is it more like, you really need to ask for My help and try very, very hard to not pray like them?  Or do you think it's just a suggestion, as in it'd be nice to not be like them but don't worry if you can't help it? Wait 'til you find out what they meant.  It's shocking if you've never noticed before.

This then is how you should not pray - like the hypocrites

OK - don't be a hypocrite.  That sounds reasonable.  But then, did hypocrite mean then what it means today?  More importantly, is it the same as what it means to you, the reader?  The Greek word in Matthew's gospel is rather simply defined.

5273 ὑποκριτής [hupokrites /hoop·ok·ree·tace/] n m. From 5271; TDNT 8:559; TDNTA 1235; GK 5695; 20 occurrences; AV translates as “hypocrite” 20 times. 1 one who answers, an interpreter. 2 an actor, stage player. 3 a dissembler, pretender, hypocrite.  ¹Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.² It's almost as useful, or is it useless, as something from a modern dictionary.  So let's go deeper.  Look at the root word from which the one above came.

5271 ὑποκρίνομαι [hupokrinomai /hoop·ok·rin·om·ahee/] v. Middle voice from 5259 and 2919; TDNT 8:559; TDNTA 1235; GK 5693; AV translates as “feign” once. 1 to take up another’s statements in reference to what one has decided for one’s self. 1A to reply, answer. 2 to make answer (speak) on the stage. 2A to impersonate anyone, play a part. 3 to simulate, feign, pretend.  ³Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship. We're getting closer.  2A to impersonate anyone, play a part. 3 to simulate, feign, pretend.  In more modern terms - fake it.  More like two-faced, if we get down to how it's used today.  But Jesus seems to be adding intent into it with His choices of words. There's a problem with doing that though.  We can't really fake out Jesus on anything.

Who were the hypocrites Jesus referred to?

To get down to what Jesus was really talking about, I think we should look at other times when Matthew records Jesus using the same word.  They say more than any amount of explanation could. The first time Jesus uses that word is immediately before what we're looking at now.  Both instances are part of what's known as the Sermon on the Mount.  For a brief introduction to that event, please see The Sermon On The Mount – Introduction.  The really short version of what's going on is this.  Jesus initially is talking only to His disciples.  But a large crowd gathers.  The Sermon on the Mount starts off with The Beatitudes.  Shortly after that, Jesus says this:

Giving to the Needy

Mt 6:1 “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.