Matthew 6:5

II. THE RIGHT AND WRONG WAY OF PRAYING.

5. And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be, etc.

The second example of the right and wrong kind of righteousness is now given. That men ought to pray is assured. Prayerless men cannot consistently praise the Sermon on the Mount and the morality of Jesus of Nazareth. Religion is the backbone of morality; the second table of the law pre-supposes the first; no love to man without love to God.-- Schaff. The wrong way is that of the hypocrites, the men who make. public show of their devotions that they may have the name of sanctity.

Love to pray standing in the synagogues.

These love, not to pray, but to pray where they will be seen and pray that they may be seen. The Mahometans, when overtaken by the hour of prayer, drop their employments and pray on the streets, in their shops, on the decks of ships, or in any public place. Spreading their outer garments on the ground they turn their faces toward Mecca, go through certain gestures and forms of prayer, and then resume their previous employments. So the Pharisees took pains to be in some public place, in the markets, in the synagogues, or on the street corners, where they would strike an attitude of prayer in the sight of many observers. When the object is to be seen or heard of men, there maybe the form of prayer, but real prayer it is not. Yet nothing is more uncommon than to listen to prayers that are addressed to the audience. Such prayers have their reward in human admiration. Real prayer is the lifting up of the soul into communion with God.