During three weeks, we will look at Matthew 6:1-18, moving from the outside toward the Lord’s Prayer in the middle. First we considered Jesus’ warnings about hypocrisy: doing the right things in order to receive human applause. Jesus called us rather to focus on the divine audience and receive grace upon grace from God.
Although sin twists the law for evil purposes, the law itself is good.
God's presence in the early church produced awesome acts of community giving and healing but also an awesome judgment against hypocrisy and deception.
During a meal with his disciples in John 13:1-17, Jesus did something that shattered social norms. He dressed like a slave and performed a...