Matthew 7:1-29

What is the theme of this chapter?

The Practice and Proof of Kingdom Life.

What is the key verse(s) of this chapter? Verse 12

So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

What can I apply to my life from this chapter (things to do/avoid)?

Same as last chapter, I will keep the timeless principles found here only as I walk in the Spirit. 

For example, as a member of the body of Christ, Galatians 5:14 tells me: "For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (See also Rom 13:8, 10.) Therefore, a timeless principle I can take to heart is — So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

However, I must use discernment when reading verses 7-11 — "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!"  — because I will not receive everything I ask for.  This was written to a certain audience during a specific period of time when a requirement for following Him was giving up all earthly possessions. When looking at progressive revelation, I see that we are not asked to give up everything when following Him. Instead we are told in 1 Timothy 5:8 — "But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." — which of course means we are not to give up and/or sell everything (Matt 4:18-22; cf. Matt 19:21; Mk 10:21; Lk 18:22).
  
Additional observations/questions:

As previously stated, although timeless principles abound throughout Scripture, it should be remembered that Matthew 7 wasn't written directly to us or about us.  This chapter speaks of the standards of the kingdom to be established on earth.  Once we realize this, we can proceed to look for applications that are for all believers.  Going directly to personal applications, without first considering the subject and to whom the passage was written, will ultimately lead to confusion.

 

Matthew 7:13-28

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.


"In these verses notice the two ways (vv. 13-14), two trees (vv. 15-20), two professions (vv. 21-23), and two builders (vv. 24-29).  The 'two ways' was a common teaching method in Judaism and the Greco-Roman philosophy." (Ryrie)

Enter by the narrow gate - "The gate (door) and the way is Christ Himself.  'I am the door of the sheep; by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved (John 10).  'I am the way * * * no man cometh unto the Father but by me' (John 14).  And why then is the gate narrow?  Not because certain conditions and hard terms are to be fulfilled, but because man does not want to give up his own righteousness and clinging still to his miserable, filthy rags, he refuses God's way and God's door of salvation, which is Christ and Christ alone." (Gaebelein)

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. - "He is not warning us against a man who does not exactly express truth in the terms with which we are familiar; but He is warning us against the wolf in sheep's clothing; the teacher who affects the speech of orthodoxy, but lives a false life; not the man who hold a false doctrine, but the false prophet.  His prophecy may be perfectly accurate, his preaching may be absolutely orthodox, but the man is false.  That is the  man who will lead farthest from truth.  It is possible to pronounce the shibboleths of the Bible in the most accurate manner, and yet for the heart to be far away from their purpose and intention." (Morgan)

"Let us notice first of all that this warning has a special significance for the closing of the age, that is, the ending of this dispensation, the seven years of tribulation and sorrow in the earth.  We only need to turn to the Olivet discourse (Matt 24) in which our Lord answers the question of His disciples concerning the consummation of the age.  When they asked about this ending of the age they surely meant nothing else but the Jewish age, for of a Christian age they knew nothing.  In answer our Lord gives, describing the events which fall into the seventieth week of Daniel, He says: 'And many false prophets shall arise.'   These false prophets will  make their appearance during the great tribulation, no doubt under the leadership of the false prophet, the Beast, so prominent in the book of Revelation.  That there have been throughout this dispensation false prophets in sheep's clothing and that they are more numerous now than they have ever been before we need hardly mention, yet strictly speaking, the warning against false prophets concerns the Jewish remnant in the earth during the time of Jacob's trouble.  Nowhere are we as believers warned against false prophets; we are warned against false spirits and false teachers, which of course, like the false prophets come in sheep's clothing.  False prophets then, after the church is taken, to lead many astray; false teachers and false spirits now while the Church is still on the earth."  (Gaebelein)

you will recognize them by their fruits - "We cannot make any appeal against such repetition as this, in which our Lord by affirmation, negation, question, and by renewed affirmation, stating the case from every standpoint, asserted this great truth; that the test of the prophet is the prophet's life." (Morgan)

Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. - "That this has no reference to the Church is evident.  The Church meets the Lord in the air, and every believer has in Christ's day to appear before the judgment seat of Christ.  But at that judgment seat no mere professors of Christ's name will appear, and no 'Depart from Me,' will be heard from the lips of the Lord, the Head of the Body.  Nor does this word here in Matthew refer us to the great white throne.  When our Lord says 'in that day,' He means the day when the kingdom of the heavens is come by His return to the earth.  Then many will be found but empty professors, who in spite of their works and using His name were none of His." (Gaebelein)

the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes - "The scribes had to rely on tradition for authority; Christ's authority was His own.  It disturbed the Pharisees that He had no 'credentials' as an official teacher in their system." (Ryrie)

"The Scribes (Sopherim) date as a distinct body from the period of Ezra.  The name is derived from sepher, or 'book,' and means 'Scripturalists' — those who explained and copied the Law; not from saphar, 'to count,' because they counted all the letters of it (Derenbourg, Hist. Pal. 25).  Their functions were to copy, read, amend, explain, and protect the Law.  It was in the latter capacity that they invented the 'fences,' which, under the title of Dibheri Sopherim, 'words of the Scribes,' formed the nucleus of the 'tradition of the elders' (Matt 15:2; Gal 1:14), or Oral Law (the Torah shebeal pi, or 'Law upon the lip,' as distinguished from the Torah shebeketab, or 'Law which is in writing'), any transgression of which is declared by the Mishna to be more heinous than a transgression of the words of the Bible (Sanhedrin, X. 3) ... Secondhandness, the slavish dependence on precedent and authority, is the most remarkable characteristic of Rabbinical teaching.  It very rarely rises above the level of a commentary at once timid and fantastic.  R. Eliezer actually made it his boast that he had originated nothing; and Hillel's grand position, as Nasi, or Preseint of the Sanhedrin, was simply due to his having remembered a decision of Shemaia and Abtalion." (Farrar)

Matthew 7:1-12

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you. “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.


Again, it must be remembered who the audience was in this chapter.  It was His disciples (See Matt 5:1-2).  He tells them to judge in love only, give what is holy only to Jews who willing to hear the truth, pray for what was needed and it would be given to them.  Remember they had previously been told to leave everything and follow Him (Matt 4:18-22; cf. Matt 19:21; Mk 10:21; Lk 18:22). They were also told that whatever they wished others do to them, to do also to them — for this is the Law and the Prophets.  This last phrase reminds us that they were still under the law.

Judge not - "This does not mean that one is never, in any sense or to any extent, to judge another, for verse 5 indicates that when one's own life is pure he should take the speck out of the brother's eye.  It does mean, however, that a follower of Christ is not to be censorious." (Ryrie)

"The strict meaning of the word 'judge' is to distinguish, to decide; and the variety of applications possible to such a word is evidenced by the fact of the variety of ways in which it is translated in our New Testament.  In the Authorised Version it is translated in all these way:  Avenge, condemn, decree, esteem, go to law, ordain, sentence to, think, conclude, damn, determine, judge, sue at the law, call in question.  There is no value in that grouping save as it reveals the fact that the simplest thought in the word is that of distinguishing decision.  Sometimes the decision may be adverse, sometimes it may express it self as a decree determined upon, sometimes it may express itself as a sentence to be carried out.  All these varieties are seen in the translations made use of.  The simplest though is that of distinguishing, coming to a decision.  Sometimes it runs out into action, sometimes it conditions a passive position.  Therefore its particular sense must always be determined by the context.  Here, evidently, the Lord did not use the word 'judge' in the sense of forbidding us to discriminate, to distinguish, to decide.  There can be no doubt whatever that He used it of coming to adverse conclusion in the sense of condemnatory censoriousness.  'Judge not,' condemn not, come to no final decision, do not usurp the throne of judgment, or pass a sentence, or find a final verdict; 'Judge not, that ye be not judge.'  So He forbids to His subjects, the usurpation of the throne of final judgment about any human being." (Morgan)

You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye - "He did not say, 'Then shalt thou see clearly the mote,' but, 'Then shalt thou see clearly to cast it out.'  The man with the beam is the man who is looking for the mote, and beholding it.  Notice the question, 'Why beholdest thou the mote?'  You criticize it, you attack it, but you cannot move it.  Get the beam out of your own, get the passion for criticism removed, get the ungodly and unchristlike endeavor to find the mote destroyed; and then you will see clearly, not the mote, but how to remove it.  The power for removing the mote to which you object lies, not in the acuteness of your vision, but in the passionate love which makes you desire to remove it.  And so with the beam of unchristly censoriousness and criticism gone, you will be able to take the mote out of your brother's eye." (Morgan)

Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs - Gentiles were referred to as dogs (Matt 15:26, cf. Mk 7:27).  So were evildoers (See Phil 3:2 and Rev 22:15).

dogs ... pigs - "Both animals were despised and represent unholy people." (Ryrie)

So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them - "The well-known golden rule.  It was also taught by the great Jewish rabbis, such as Rabbi Hillel." (Ryrie)

"The 12th verse in this chapter is one of the most misapplied in the whole discourse of our Lord.  'All things, therefore, whatsoever ye would that men should do unto  you, thus do ye also to them:  for this is the law and the prophets.'  This, many professing Christians and others, who make no profession at all, call the golden rule.  How many, Jews and Gentiles, have told us that this is the religion they believe in.  It is even claimed that the 'sacred' books of the East, the religious products of Buddhism and Brahmanism, something similar is found.  (Jews claim the same for the Talmud because Hillel taught 'What thou wouldst not wish for thyself, do not unto they neighbor.  This is the whole law.' — Talmud, Sabb. 31.)  Yet with all this boast in a rule which they do not understand, no one keeps it nor would think of keeping it.  The Lord gives this practical word to the true disciple.  He who is born again is born of God.  He has the nature of God and that is love.  'He that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.  * * * Love worketh no ill to his neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law' (Rom 8:8 and 10).  'For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another' (1 John 3:2).  'We love, because He first loved us' (1 John 4:19).  We see then that the terse saying our Lord puts in the chapter is not out of keeping with the whole.  The outcome of intercourse with God spoken of in verses 7-11 will be, acting in love." (Gaebelein)

Matthew 6:1-34

What is the theme of this chapter?

The Practice of Kingdom Life.

What is the key verse(s) of this chapter? Verses 19-21

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

What can I apply to my life from this chapter (things to do/avoid)?

Same as last chapter, I will keep the timeless principles found here only as I walk in the Spirit. 

For example, as a member of the body of Christ living upon this earth, I am a pilgrim and stranger, waiting for the coming of my Lord.  I am in this world but not of it, hated by the world as the world hated Him, and exposed to all temptations, cares and sorrows connected with this earthly life.  Therefore, a timeless principle I can take to heart is — Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 

Unbelievers live for earthly things and strive for the things which are seen.  They take great pleasure in treasures found on this earth.  And with those treasures come care, worry, anxiety and at the end, the loss of all that which was cherished and loved.  As a believer with a new nature, however, I no longer belong to this earth, but to heaven where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God.  This is where I should keep my focus!

For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal (2 Cor 4:18). 

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory (Col 3:1-4)
  
Additional observations/questions:

Although timeless principles abound throughout Scripture, it should be remembered that Matthew 6 wasn't written directly to us or about us.  This chapter speaks of the standards of the kingdom to be established on earth.  Once we realize this, we can proceed to look for applications that are for all believers.  Going directly to personal applications, without first considering the subject and to whom the passage was written, will ultimately lead to confusion.

 

Matthew 6:19-34

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.


Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth - "The Jewish philosophy toward money was expressed in their statement, 'Whom the Lord loveth, He maketh rich.'  In Deuteronomy 28 God promised that He would bless the people materially if they walked in obedience to the word of God, and He also promised to discipline them by reducing them to want and poverty if they disobeyed.  The Jews thought riches were a sure sign of God's pleasure and blessing.  In Christ's day their highest goal in life was to accumulate material wealth.  But Christ taught that material goals may be lost to thieves, moths, or rust.  Thus what is material temporary, not permanent.  On the other hand, one may store up in heaven treasure that is eternal and permanent." (Pentecost)

lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven - "There is a peculiar quality in the Greek word which is not suggested by our word 'treasure.'  Very literally the idea is to place something horizontally.  There are other Greek words which mean to place something perpendicularly.  Here we have an instance of the figurative element in language.  What was meant by placing horizontally?  To place in a passive condition, as the word which indicates to place something perpendicularly means putting it in an active relationship.  This word means to lay something aside horizontally—that is, to store something up, to keep it; not to place something perpendicularly, ready for activity and word, but to hoard it.  It is the laying of things up, one thing upon another, piece upon piece, horizontally, that we may possess them, take care of them, accumulate them." (Morgan)

The eye is the lamp of the body - "A true subject of the kingdom, Jesus said, would lay up his treasures in heaven ... The principle involved was that their heart would be where their treasure was.  If their eyes were in an evil way coveting money and wealth, their whole body would be full of darkness, but if penetrated by the revealing light of eternal values, their whole body would be full of light.  The contrast between the darkness of covetousness and the light of faith and treasure in heaven carries over to the concept of two masters.  Necessarily a choice must be made, and they must either regard a master with love and obedience or with hate and disobedience." (Walvoord)

You cannot serve God and money - "In accumulating treasure there is the danger that one will love what is accumulated.  It follows that what is loved will enslave the person.  Christ taught that it is impossible to serve two masters.  If one serves material things, he cannot serve God.  And if he serves God, he cannot be enslaved to material things.  Such a teaching was designed to correct the Pharisees' false attitude toward money.  We see now that Jesus viewed the desire to accumulate wealth as a substitute for faith." (Pentecost)

do not be anxious about your life - "Towards superabundance, as we have seen, they are to be without covetousness.  We will now consider their attitude towards necessary things, which is, that they are to be without care." (Morgan)

which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? - "Worry cannot add to one's life span; indeed, it can shorten it." (Ryrie)

lilies of the field - "Various flowers." (Ryrie)

"In the second half of the sixth chapter we are taken upon another ground.  The heirs of the kingdom are seen in this section as in the world, subject to the cares and temptations of the wilderness.  We must not lose sight here of its Jewish application.  When our Lord sent forth His disciples in the tenth chapter to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom He gave them instructions how they should go about, depending in all things upon their Father in heaven.  The disciples thus sent forth with the preaching of the Kingdom Gospel are the types of another Jewish remnant which is to preach once more in a future day the same Gospel, 'The Kingdom of the heavens has drawn night.'  To this remnant going through the tribulation the exhortations have a special application." (Gaebelein)

Matthew 6:1-18

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.


vss 1-18 - "Christ discusses three pharisaic practices of piety: almsgiving, prayer, and fasting." (Ryrie)

that your giving may be in secret - "Jewish tradition said that there was in the Temple a 'chamber of secrets' into which the devout used to put their gifts in secret so that the poor could receive support therefrom in secret." (Ryrie)

"Christ had previously pronounced blessing on the merciful (Matt 5:7).  The giving of alms was designed to be a display of mercy.  The need represented an opportunity; it made it possible for the giver to demonstrate the love of God by meeting the need.  The Pharisees had perverted the showing of mercy by using it to demonstrate their piety.  They tried to impress men with their liberality.  This was so prevalent that beggars sought to station themselves at the approaches to the temple so that they might receive alms from the Pharisees as they entered.  'Almsgiving was part of the service in the synagogue, and there we may believe that our Lord gave what He could out of His slender means.  There is a veiled irony in the declaration 'They have received their reward,' and this added to its impressive severity.  'They receive their pay then and there, and they receive it in full ... God owes them nothing.  They were not giving, but buying.  They wanted the praise of men, they paid for it, and they have got it.  The transaction is ended and they can claim nothing more.  But their loss is not the less, because they do not know what they have lost.'" (Pentecost)

sound no trumpet before you - "'When therefore thou doest alms, sound not a trumpet before thee.'  This is a picture of the popular method of the hour in which Jesus lived.  It is an actual piece of portraiture.  Some Pharisee, intending to distribute gifts, would come to a conspicuous place in the city, and blow a small silver trumpet, at which there would gather round him the maimed, the halt, the blind.  Then, with a great show of generosity, he would scatter gifts upon them." (Morgan)

Pray then like this - "The Lord's Prayer is a model for our prayers [in a very loose way only!]. It begins with adoration of God (v 9), acknowledges subjection to His will (v 10), asks petitions of Him (vv 11-13a), and ends with an ascription of praise (v 13b, though this may have been added later)." (Ryrie)

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven - "It was nothing less than the millennial kingdom the angels heralded (Lk 2:14) and this is what the disciples were told to pray for." (Stam)

bread - "All necessary food." (Ryrie)

Give us this day our daily bread - "This was most appropriate for them to pray.  The promise of twelve thrones was made in answer to Peter's statement, 'Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee.'  This was true.  They had given up even their daily employment to follow the Lord Jesus, and He had told them: 'Take no thought [do not plan] for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye hall put on ... consider the ravens:  for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them:  how much more are ye better than the fowls' (Lk 12:22,24).  This was all in line with the kingdom program, and it explains why the disciples were told pray 'give us this day our daily bread,' with the assurance that this would be provided.  Certainly a great change had taken place, when, some years later, Paul took up a collection from among the Gentile believers for 'the poor saints at Jerusalem!' (Rom 15:26), but that was after Israel had rejected Christ and His kingdom." (Stam)

and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors - "Salvation by grace through faith alone had not yet been manifested.  These were the standards of the kingdom to be established on earth, and the subjects of this kingdom were given no hope of receiving forgiveness if they did not forgive others." (Stam)

trespasses - "These are obligations incurred; i.e., sins of omission and commission.  Forgiveness means 'cancellation of these debts or obligations.'" (Ryrie)

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil - "The fact is that the English word 'temptation' had a broader meaning when our Bibles were translated, than we give it today.  It meant trial or testing, and the prayer 'Lead us not into temptation,' evidently refers to the great tribulation, 'the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth' (Rev 3:10).  This throws light upon the last part of the phrase, which our translators have rendered 'deliver us from evil, even though the Received Text contains the definite article.  It should read, 'Deliver us from the evil,' perhaps referring to 'the evil one.'  Let us not forget that in Rev 12:12, we read concerning the great tribulation, that 'the devil I come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time,' i.e., before he is judged and Christ reigns." (Stam)

"Notice that the only point the Lord emphasizes in the prayer is the necessity for forgiving one another.  Forgiveness with the Father depends on forgiveness among the members of the family of God.  This is the forgiveness that affects fellowship within the family of God, not the forgiveness that leads to salvation." (Ryrie)  [I disagree with what he says about forgiveness and fellowship with God if he is applying it to us, the Body of Christ. Our forgiveness does not depend upon our relation to each other.]

"This perfect model of prayer was given by our Lord to His disciples to be used by them individually and previously to the gift of the Holy Spirit.  It was then all on Jewish ground; they were Jewish believers and as such they received this model prayer and used it in the transition state.  There came a day when our Lord said another word to these very disciples who had come to Him with the request, 'Lord, teach us to pray, even as John also taught his disciples.'  It was in the upper room where He spoke all the precious words concerning the Comforter, all that which was so new, altogether new, that which would take them upon a new ground.  He said, 'Hitherto ye have asked nothing in My name; ask and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full ... In that day ye shall ask in My name' (Jn 17:24-27) ... When the Church is taken from the earth a believing Jewish remnant will give the witness and preach the Gospel of the Kingdom once more, they will undoubtedly use this prayer during the great tribulation through which they will pass, the tribulation in which the evil one is in the earth and famine and many temptations will about.  Then can they truthfully ask, 'Give us this day our daily bread—lead us not into temptations—deliver us from the evil one,' which is the personal Antichrist.  'They kingdom come.'  This prayer will be answered, deliverance will come for them from heaven in the coming of the King.  (We pass over the petition, 'And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.'  This is a legal, an Old Testament petition.  Our forgiveness does not depend upon our relation to each other.)" (Gaebelein)

"A comparison of the 'Lord's Prayer' with the Epistles of Paul will reveal how much more we have in Christ than His disciples on earth had under 'the gospel of the kingdom.'  The very phrase 'Our Father which art in heaven,' suggests distance.  They were to pray on earth to their Father in heaven.  We do not deny that this is so physically with us too, but we do insist that we are given a position of which they knew nothing, for we are seated in the heavenlies at the right hand of God Himself, and have 'access by faith into this grace wherein we stand (Rom 5:2).  No such position is recognized in the 'Lord's prayer.'  Furthermore, whereas they had a claim on God as His covenant children, we may rejoice that we are the children of God in Christ—a much closer relationship.  The apostle Paul says, 'for we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones.' (Eph 5:30)." (Stam)

disfigure their faces - "Pharisees wanted everyone to know they were fasting, so they did not wash or trim their hair and sometimes put ashes on their heads." (Ryrie)

"The practice of Fasting also was very congenial to the Pharisees.  They fasted every Monday and Thursday; and since it happened opportunity that these were the days when the Synagogue met, it was given them to display themselves to the assembled worshipped in their guise of woe.  Their fasting was not merely abstinence from meat and drink.  They did not wash or anoint themselves, they went barefoot, and they sprinkled ashes on their heads, 'making their faces unsightly that they might be a sight to men in their fasting.'  And thus, to win the praise of sanctity, they displayed themselves in a mask of fictitious woe to the gaze of an admiring world." (Smith)