Breaking the Word

   "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be. "The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light; but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness. And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be. (Mt 6:19-23)

Jesus does not tell us to avoid treasure. Human nature is such that it will long for treasures and it will store up treasures. But what he says is that we should store up treasures in heaven. Yes, we have to create heaven here on earth. Heaven is not after our death and heaven is not somewhere outside the earth. We have to make heaven here. That is we need to see God here and godly values here on earth. Where God is there heaven is.

“The lamp of the body is eye. If the eye is sound…”We need to keep our eyes fixed on God. And we need to take care where we look at. Where our mind is there our looks are also tuned to. So we need to tune our eyes to look at God. If our eyes are not on God then we will be in the wrong directions. So we need to look at God and tune our eyes to God and see only God.

‘Mammon’ refers to property and wealth. We should not make property as our gods. Money is powerful and money speaks almost all languages. But when money becomes our boss then we are taken around by it. We have only one boss and that is God himself. He is the one who gives directions to our life.

   In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. "This is how you are to pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven.  Give us today our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and do not subject us to the final test, but deliver us from the evil one. If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions. (Mt 6:7-15)

Jesus tells us here about prayer: what is should be and how is should be. Prayer is not a repetition of meaningless words and phrases. It is not something that has to be heard by someone so that we are granted something for our life. Prayer is one of life’s great mysteries. It exhibits relationship. Because, it is addressed to the Father. It is not to an unknown deity.

Jesus gives a framework for this prayer. Prayer is not a magical formula but a meaningful expression of one’s own desires and wishes. This prayer is addressed to the Father (God) who lives in heaven and has a reign (Kingdom). To this Father we can ask for everything (even food) but especially for forgiveness. We also need to pray for God’s guidance, protection and presence in times of trial which is on the way.

Only condition in the prayer is that we should be forgiving people. The heart that will not open to forgive others will remain closed when God’s own forgiveness is offered. This is the prayer that the Father wants to hear from his children; a prayer acknowledges him as a Father living and active (Kingdom) and grants all to his children; and grants forgiveness provided there is a forgiving heart.