While artists have long tried to portray the last Supper scene, in Matthew 26:17-30, Matthew records the facts of how Jesus ate the Passover with his twelve disciples just before his death. By taking this meal which all Jews knew well, and adding new symbols that would point to his death, Jesus turned the Passover meal into something his disciples now use to remember him. The meal not only looks back but has a future aspect as it points forward to the day when believers will eat and drink with him in the glory of heaven.

Jesus was a popular preacher when he spoke these words in Matthew 7:13-29, but his words are very unpopular today. He spoke of the road to life being one that has a narrow gate, of those who profess faith but do not have the fruit to show that their profession is true and of those who hear his words but do not do them. The end result of all this remains that some people who might profess to be believers, may be deluding themselves! All that Jesus taught remains the truth, no matter how unpopular it has become.

Matthew 6:25-34 is well known and loved because it contains truth that the world often denies or forgets. Because God has promised to look after the needs of His people, we can live free of the love of money and this will enable us to live worry free under God’s care, confidently under His hand and entirely for His Kingdom in this world. In a world that promotes the idea that you can never have enough, Jesus reminds us that putting God’s Kingdom first in our priorities will reap a different kind of riches that will last for all eternity.

In Matthew 6:19-24 Jesus gives some counter-cultural teaching in relation to the way God’s people ought to view money. He spoke of a different place to invest, reminding us that heavenly treasures will never be stolen, eaten or fade away. He also spoke of a different Master to serve, reminding us that we cannot serve God and money. It should be obvious to the world that believers do not view money the same way as the world does, simply because we are called upon to have a whole different set of values to the world and give as much as we can for the advancing and growth of the Kingdom of God.

Rev Philip Burns concludes this series on ‘The Disciple’s Prayer’ by highlighting the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:13, ‘And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil’. By these words Jesus did not imply that God ever tempts us to do evil, but He did teach that we ought to pray for God’s protection from temptation and from the the spiritual powers of evil in this world. Having begun with the ‘Father in heaven’, the  prayer does not end with reference to evil, but to God to whom belongs the ‘kingdom, power and glory forever’. On the last Day, the fullness of this truth will be seen and known by all.

Rev Philip Burns continues this series of sermons on ‘The Disciple’s Prayer’ by highlighting the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:12, ‘Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us’. By these words Jesus taught that asking for forgiveness is a sign that we belong to God’s Kingdom and extending forgiveness to others is a responsibility we have as members of God’s Kingdom. The two go hand in hand and cannot be separated. If we are unwilling to forgive the sins of others, then God is not willing to forgive our sins. He expects that His people will live in and also pass on His grace which is sufficient for each day.

Rev Philip Burns continues this series of sermons on ‘The Disciple’s Prayer’ highlighting the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:11, ‘Give us today our daily bread’. By these words Jesus taught that while we need to pray for things that are God’s chief concern we are also encouraged to pray for our own daily needs and in doing so look beyond ourselves to the needs of others, remembering that all we enjoy is a gift of God’s grace.

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