Matthew's Prayer

In this term paper it is my desire to study the "Prayer Jesus Taught Us To Pray", using the Christian prayer better known as "The Lord's Prayer", found in Matthew 6.5-13. It is also my desire to look at the concept of how, why and what we are to pray as Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount. It should be noted that Jesus teaching on prayer is found not only in Matthew 6.9-13 but also in Luke 11.2-4 and these contrasting scriptures will be reviewed in greater details.
I. BACKGROUND INFORMATION Matthew was a former tax collector and one of the original twelve disciples. Although no author of this book is identified, the early church ascribed authorship to Matthew the apostle. The content of the book of Matthew indicates it is written
to a Jewish audience, written from Antioch (in Syria) around A.D. 60. Since Jerusalem was destroyed in A.D. 70 by the Romans, and there is no mention of it in Matthew indicates that this gospel must have been written prior to the event. The place of writing is unknown but the Jewish orientation of the Gospel suggest it was written in Palestine, however many scholars believe that Matthew wrote this gospel from Antioch. It is believed that this gospel was written in Greek and was written to the Greek speaking Jews who believed in Jesus as the Messiah. There is no indication of any specific occasion or specific event that motivated Matthew to write, however in the first verse of chapter 1 ("This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of King David and of Abraham"), the focus of the content of this book identifies Jesus with the royal lineage of David and of Abraham. The main theme in the Gospel of Matthew includes: Jesus Christ the King; The Messiah, Kingdom of God, Jesus' Teachings and the Resurrection.
The Outline of Matthew
I. Birth and preparation of Jesus, the King (1:1-4:11)
II. Message and Ministry of Jesus, the King (4:12-25:46)
a. Jesus Begins his ministry
b. Jesus gives the Sermon on Mount
c. Jesus performs many miracles
d. Jesus teaches about the Kingdom
e. Jesus encounters differing reactions to his ministry
f. Jesus faces conflict with the religious leaders
g. Jesus teaches on the Mount of Olives
III. Death and Resurrection of Jesus, the King (26:1-28:20)
II. NARRATIVE
This passage opens with Jesus on the hillside near Capernaum where crowds have gathered to hear his teachings.
Jesus begins to discuss his views toward the Law of Moses and explains that He required total commitment, faithfulness and obedience in following Him. He begins to teach the crowd on the Beatitudes and challenges the proud religious leaders of that day. Jesus tells the crowd that He is interested in obedience and less interested in the legalistic observances of rituals and laws. The Beatitudes represent blessings that are promised to those who live the attributes of God's kingdom. Jesus presents through the Beatitudes a code of ethics for His disciples and a code of conduct for all believers to follow. In chapter 5 of Matthew Jesus teaches not only to His disciples but to the crowd that has gathered how following Him can be a life of blessings not as the world defines it but as they surrender their lives to the Lord in total obedience that the Kingdom of God would be their eternal home. Jesus wants the disciples to know that following Him will not be a life of ease but on mourning, hunger and persecution but they would receive their reward for diligent service. Jesus teaches his disciples their true calling, that they would be salt in a dreary world. He explained to them a new way to interpret the law that would cause them to love and want to follow Him and not be condemned by rules. Jesus teaches about controlling their anger and the hurtful and destructive abuses of divorce. He teaches about vows; revenge and how to love their
enemies.