“But when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites ..." (Matthew 6:5-8)

“But when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen. by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him." (Matthew 6:5-8)

Does Jesus want us to have a private relationship with God?

This is one of Jesus' most important statements regarding our relationship with the Supreme Being. This is because developing a treasured relationship with the Supreme Being is a personal matter between ourselves and God only.

When we pray in front of others, making a show of our religiousness, we have already received our reward because others see us, and the respect we gain by their seeing our religiosity is already fulfilled as soon as they see us.

When we pray to God in front of others, our consciousness cannot be focused on our relationship with Him. Why? Because we must be aware of how we appear to others. How does that happen?

Are we praying in the right way? Do we fold our hands or bow or kneel? Do we close our eyes?

These elements bring our focus away from God. The main concern is: Are we praying in such a way that allows us to fit in and be accepted by the group? 

If these questions are rolling around our mind, we might as well be acting on a stage because our consciousness is focused on how we appear to others rather than on our relationship with the Supreme Being.

Jesus also discusses the ‘babbling’ of many words. This means making a show of prayer in order to impress others. 

Jesus' statement can thus also be applied to those who seek the approval of others by 'speaking in tongues.' Why does a person need to speak in tongues? Does God not understand English or whatever our native language is?

The quest for respect and admiration of others is ultimately self-centered. This is the same quest that pushes most athletes to win contests. It is the quest of businessmen who want to earn more money and be the boss. It is the quest for many politicians to seek higher and higher public office. 

The respect and admiration of others becomes a primary focus because we each need love. But in this case, love is being confused with fame and fortune.

We know this because fame and fortune do not satisfy the soul. Those with fame and fortune seek more. Their fame and fortune aren't enough for them. They need more because they are not satisfied.

Real satisfaction can be achieved through establishing a relationship with the Supreme Being. This is the purpose of prayer according to Jesus.

But what is prayer?

Is prayer for asking for stuff?

For most, praying is a request: "Gimme this, gimme that. (fix my leg or make me rich or whatever) And don’t forget to get this or that for my brother or mother. What kind of communication is this?

When we are praying, 'God do this for me,' and 'God do that for me' we are treating God as if He is our genie - as if he is our super-waiter - just waiting around to go fetch something for us.

This is not a relationship of love, or even of friendship. It is the relationship of usury. Such a relationship is conditional upon God getting me what I want when I want it.

And many will stop praying and reaching out to God when they don't get what they want from Him. When they feel He is not giving them enough, they stop. This is a conditional relationship. It is a business relationship.

Yet a true loving relationship with the Supreme Being is the only thing that will truly fulfill us. But this sort of relationship is not the same as usury. Such a relationship is symptomized by caring what God wants - and asking Him what we can do for Him rather than being focused on what He can do for us.

And for most of us in the physical world, because such a relationship with the Supreme Being is missing from our lives, we remain empty: Unfulfilled.

And when this relationship is missing, we seek to replace it with the temporary and unsatisfying attention from others. This is what Jesus is discussing as he talks about making a show of prayer.

Can we pray in public?

Jesus is advising against public prayer because it comes with the risk of one gaining the attention and admiration of others. But that doesn't mean we cannot pray in public.

Certainly, we find that some teachers may pray in public in order to lead their followers. Jesus made public prayers multiple times, for example.

The difference is whether the intent of the prayer is to win the approval of others, or a sincere attempt to connect with God. When done in public, the latter can be done with a minimalist approach - trying to avoid grandstanding.

Gaining attention and respect from others is certainly available to those who want to act religious. We can cry and pray on the street corner so that others will see just how devoted we seem. But this attention will not fulfill us.

Again, we see this in the lives of so many famous people who have the attention and admiration of millions of adoring fans. These "stars" are still not satisfied. They still are empty. They have the attention, but they are empty to the point where many have committed suicide or overdosed on drugs, alcohol or both. And those who remain will try to evade the public in order to retain some privacy. Such is the attention of others - it is not fulfilling. It brings no happiness. We might think it will. But it doesn't.

Why do we still seek it then? It is a perversion of love. We all seek love. We can thus be easily tricked into thinking that the admiration of others is the same thing as love. Yet we know that most of these "admirers" are actually envious. The admirer of a famous person often is simply jealous of their position and accomplishments.

It is only a truly loving relationship with the Supreme Being that can fulfill us. The admiration of others —though possibly providing a glimpse of the relationship we once had with God—simply does not fill our need for love and devotion.

We all want to serve and exchange love sincerely. This is part of our constitution.

Why should we pray?

Prayer is a means to help us re-establish our relationship with God. Through prayer, we can reach out to the Supreme Being. We can say His Name, whether it be God, Jehovah, Eloi or Abba, and we can begin to re-establish the loving relationship that we once had with Him.

Should we sincerely ask to come to know the Supreme Being and learn to love Him - He will begin to guide us back to Him.

Everything we have, the Supreme Being has given us. He knows our intentions and knows what we need and want before we even express it. Therefore it is futile to ask the Supreme Being for a list of things as if He were our waiter or delivery person.

God is already taking care of our needs and wants automatically through the provisions of nature - according to a combination of our consciousness and the consequences of our prior actions.

As Jesus prayed just before his arrest our prayers should be used to ask God if we can get closer to Him, to learn to love Him, and to learn to please Him with our lives. These are requests that reciprocate love. The Supreme Being is pleased to answer these requests because He enjoys love. He enjoys the exchange of loving relationships, just as we do.

“This is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your Name.” (Matthew 6:9)

Why is Jesus suggesting how to pray?

Jesus is contrasting the insincere prayers of the Temple priests and Pharisees with what would be considered a sincere and devout prayer to the Supreme Being.

Jesus had just said:

“But when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen. by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him." (Matthew 6:5-8)

To contrast "babbling like pagans," Jesus is illustrating what a real sincere prayer to God is. He is not telling his followers to all recite this specific prayer as though they cannot sincerely pray themselves.

Besides, there are a number of different translations of this prayer - considered the "Lord's Prayer." Here are a few of Matt. 6:9 translations:

King James:

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name.

New King James:

“In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your Name.

New Living Translation:

Pray like this:
Our Father in heaven,
may Your Name be kept holy.

ESV:

Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.

NASB:

Pray, then, in this way:
‘Our Father who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your Name.

RSV:

Pray then like this: Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name.

ASV:

After this manner therefore pray ye. Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name.

Lost Gospels of Jesus:

Therefore, you can pray in this way: ‘Our spiritual LORD, Holy is Your Name. 

What does 'hallowed' mean?

Thus we see "hallowed" is the most used translation. The word "hallowed" is being translated from the Greek word ἁγιάζω (hagiazō), which means, "to render or acknowledge, or to be venerable or hallow" according to the lexicon. It means to render something as "Holy."

Thus the central element here is the acceptance and respect of God’s Name. While we see interpretations of scripture that claim “God has no Name,” here we can clearly see that not only does God have a Name, but His Name is to be “hallowed.” 

To clarify, to be “hallowed” is to have the utmost respect, allegiance, and reverence. To “hallow” God’s Name would include respecting, glorifying, repeating, singing, shouting God's Name from the rooftops. This means in general, having His Name on our tongues.

The singing of God’s Names has been revered and glorified in every devotional religious ceremony since time immemorial.

What about those who say God has no name?

As to the "God has no Name” position of some sectarian institutions and their teachers, such a statement in itself is contradictory. The statement itself refers to God by the name God.

Furthermore, such a proposition is a misinterpretation of the position that God’s names are not material. And that is a reality: God's names are unlike any name referring to the physical world.

In this respect, God’s Name is completely spiritual. For this reason, one of the Ten Commandments says “You shall not misuse the Name of the Lord your God…” (Exodus 20:7)

This did not say "you shall not say the Name of the Lord your God." A number of translations use the words “in vain” to describe this misuse. This has come to be misunderstood over the years of use, as meaning saying God’s name for vanity purposes.

But the NIV translation of “misuse” provides a clearer meaning because it refers to the saying of God’s Name without the reverence or respect that His Name deserves.

These two key instructions from the Bible—Jesus’ prayer and one of the Ten Commandments—could not be more clear. Obviously, God’s Name is special and to be revered. It is not ordinary. It is not material.

Are God's Names like our names?

In the physical world, there is a distinction between something and the name of that something. This distinction is due to the relativity of language and the temporary nature of things of this world.

The Name of God has a power that is greater than any physical thing or word because God’s Name is connected to Himself. Because God is eternal, there is no duality. 

This is not like the references we have here in the physical world. What we see here are names for temporary physical bodies. Names that can be changed. A person might be named "William" but may be called "Bill" and might later change his name to "Tom." It is the same person, but the names are different.

The physical body is relative because it constantly undergoes change. At one time we wore a baby’s body. Then that body became a child body, then a teenage body. Then the body became an adult body. Then it will become an old person’s body. Eventually, we will leave that body. These bodily identities are all temporary. They are relative to time and space.

The self inside the body is the permanent being. The self inside the body is spiritual, while the temporary body is physical. Therefore we are each different from the name given to our physical body. We will eventually leave this name behind. Some people even change their names. Thus these names are separate from us.

God's Names are not separate from Himself. Unlike our temporary names, God's Names have eternal spiritual potency.

Do God's Names have power?

The Supreme Being's Name has tremendous power. This is confirmed in Acts 2:21:
“And everyone who shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved.”

It is also confirmed by David in Psalm 124:8:
“Our help is in the Name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”

God's Holy Name gives us the ability to connect us directly with God. By calling His Name in a moment of fear or danger, we become rescued spiritually. By calling His Name with love, we can be transferred to the spiritual realm even while our body is still here.

By revering the Name of God—in prayer, song or recitation—we can find solace. We can find our selves. We can find God. It is for this reason that Moses instructed:

“You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. (Exodus 20:7)

This has also been translated to:

“You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain. (Exodus 20:7 NKJV)

Can God have more than one name?

Each of us has multiple names. Most of us have three names - first, middle and last. Then many of us have nicknames in addition. 

If we can have multiple names, why can't God? Why can't the same Supreme Being be called upon differently by different people depending upon their relationship with Him?

There are a number of forms of His Name confirmed by scripture. God is predominantly used in the Bible. We also find His Name Jehovah. We also find Elohim and Eloah used. Jesus used a form of these Names when he spoke of Eloi. English interpretations of these names are Father, Supreme Being, and Lord. (Although “lord” (or "master") is also used as a greeting for those devoted to God as well.)

In other scriptures of the world (or are we saying that God cannot reach out to other cultures?) we find many other Names of God. God has many other Names. And why not? If people can call us different names, why cannot the Supreme Being have many names? 

People can call us by our first name, our last name, or a host of different nicknames. Some may even call us "buddy," or "pal," or "sweetheart." In the same way, there are many names given to God by some of His special servants, based upon some of His personal characteristics.

We thus find a number of scripturally authentic and revered references to the Supreme Being from various scriptures and ancient devotional writings. This is not to be taken lightly. Within each of these Names, God reveals a part of His Personality. His Personality is variegated. God has many Names, each describing a particular character trait.

Reciting one or several of His Names is a long-held and timeless spiritual practice. We find many references to the singing and glorifying of God’s Names within the old and new testaments and in every other bonafide scripture of the world. Yet surprisingly, few claiming to follow Jesus give this revered and ancient practice any consideration or practical application. And this first sentence of Jesus’ prayer seems to escape the sermons and pews of the modern churches. Yet we know that Jesus' followers indeed did follow this teaching:

Then they all remained at the Temple, glorifying God. (Luke 24:52)

To correctly put into practice Jesus' instruction would be to actually “hallow God’s Name.” This means we say His Name with reverence in our prayers and hymns. This means we can also repeat and glorify God's Name throughout the day. We can sing His Names as we play our instruments. We can softly repeat His Names when we walk or meditate.

As we live our lives, we can continually "hallow" God's Holy Names.

“Give us today our daily bread.” (Matthew 6:11)

Is this really about 'bread'?

This part of Jesus' prayer is not about the bread eaten by our physical bodies.

One can find food on this planet with or without God's help. Food literally grows on trees here. Or in the case of bread, wheat grows from the ground and can be harvested and milled. From there it can be made into bread.

We don't need to ask God for food in order to get fed. Most of us simply need to work to get our food. Sometimes this requires hard work. Regardless of whether we ask God for food, we will still likely have to work to continue to have food available.

Furthermore, Jesus has already answered this question:

"Man shall not live on bread alone." (Matthew 4:4)

So if Jesus wasn't speaking literally about bread, what was he speaking of?

Jesus was speaking metaphorically, about becoming spiritually fed. How do we know this? Consider this teaching of Jesus:

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat? Or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matt. 6:28-33)

The reality is that God has designed nature to provide each species with their allotment of food, which must be worked for but also shared.

This assumes that each of us takes what we need and shares the rest, rather than hordes it - which is what is taking place in human society today. There is enough food for everyone by His design. We may not share it properly - but there is enough for everyone.

But even if someone is well-fed, this brings no spiritual satisfaction. Physical food does not provide spiritual fulfillment.

The "daily bread" Jesus is referring to metaphorically is the bread that feeds our soul. Jesus is referring to soul food. That which feeds the spirit-person within the physical body.

What food will fulfill our spirit?

As Jesus states in Matthew 6:28-33 above, having plenty of food will not fulfill our real craving. Physical food will not fill our need for spiritual fulfillment.

This is why wealth or fame does not satisfy us. Those with wealth and/or fame continue to seek more of those things and anything else. Once wealth and fame is reached, those who have achieved that do not stop. They keep on trying to get more. It is like a bottomless pit.

This tells us we do not have to pray for food or any other material thing. Indeed, Jesus’ teachings illustrate that the things of this world will not satisfy us.

This is because we are not these temporary physical bodies. Our identities are not physical. We are spirit-persons driving temporary physical bodies. Jesus emphasizes this throughout his teachings, including this statement:

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-20)

Why then this seeming departure to pray to God for our “daily bread”?

The “bread” Jesus is referring to in Matt. 6:11 is our relationship with God. We need to love and serve God as our heart and soul. This is confirmed in the previous stanza of the prayer:

"Your kingdom come, Your will be done."

By serving God we become part of his intimate kingdom, and we grow in our love for Him, which feeds us spiritually. Loving God and serving God becomes our daily bread.

We need this love for God every day. We need this loving relationship with God all day long. We need this loving relationship or we become spiritually hungry. Without this loving relationship, we are seeking satisfaction from all sorts of different things, trying to fill the empty void caused by not having this intimate relationship. This is confirmed by Jesus elsewhere:

" 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment." (Matthew 22:37-38)

“For Yours is the kingdom and the power ..." (Matthew 6:13b)

“For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, Amen." (Matthew 6:13b)

What does 'Yours is the kingdom and the power' mean?

This final stanza of Jesus' prayer summarizes the position of the Supreme Being compared with our position.

Firstly it describes the simple fact that God owns everything. He is the creator and owner of everything. As such, He is also the rightful enjoyer of everything.

This is communicated by Jesus with the use of the word "kingdom" - which is not referring to a physical 'kingdom' or location as also noted regarding "Your kingdom come."

That reference definition illustrates that the Greek word translated to 'kingdom' actually means "royal power, kingship, dominion, rule" according to Thayer's lexicon. The lexicon clarifies the word is "not to be confused with an actual kingdom but rather the right or authority to rule over a kingdom."

This means that the translation to "kingdom" is quite confusing. A more appropriate translation would be something like "dominion" or "authority."

Aren't we also powerful?

Many of us in the physical world are convinced that this world was created for our pleasure. Many of us believe also that God’s position is to deliver power and authority to us.

Some preach that we should pray to God for anything we want. These teachers promote praying to God for money, a good job, healing my leg, helping my football team win, and any other self-centered thing I am interested in.

While it is good to turn to God when we are in need, it is a perverted form of worship to consider God our waiter or delivery person, so our relationship is based upon Him giving us stuff.

Because this philosophy is seductive, many preach about all the riches we will get - as long as we worship in their church and donate money to them.

Some of these teach that all we have to do is proclaim Jesus die for our sins and we will be healed of our physical problems. And if we want our football team to win we should pray. And if we want more money or a better job we should pray for it.

And some also ask us to pay them to pray for us. Some will ask us to send them our prayer requests (with a check of course) so they will pray for us.

Such teachings are fraudulent. Accept the power of God and Jesus is good. But they are confusing the roles. We are subordinate to God.

Jesus is teaching us that God has the power. He is teaching us that the glory is God’s. God is the enjoyer.

Who serves who?

It is not that God's position is to give us stuff. He is not our servant. He is not our “go-to” guy whenever we want something. He is not at our beck and call, and anything we ask for He fetches.

And this is why many people's prayers go unanswered. People don't get what they ask for unless they deserve it. Unless they've worked for it and their efforts are rewarded.

Yes, sometimes God will do what we ask of Him when the submission is made humbly and sincerely by someone who cares about the Supreme Being.

For such cases, the overall intention is to serve the Supreme Being. So these requests are not the same as those coming from pure self-centeredness.

Why should we pray then?

Certainly, God does love us and He will accommodate us whether we ask or not. This is the ultimate in unconditional love. And certainly, we can know that every benefit we get here in this world, as well as every challenge and lesson, ultimately comes from Him.

But this is not what Jesus wants us to use prayer for. A prayer is a communication. It is like picking up the phone and calling someone. When we kneel or bow our heads to the ground and open the line of communication with the Supreme Being we should not waste that precious communication on asking Him for the temporary things of this physical world, for a body that will soon shrivel up and die, and decompose shortly after.

We should use that precious communication to ask God if we can resume our natural position as His loving servant: If we can resume our loving relationship with Him.

And what does a person do when they want to get closer to someone? They praise them.

And what does a person do when they have gotten closer to someone? They praise them.

And what does a person do when they care about someone? They praise them.

This is what Jesus is advising his students to do: Praise the Supreme Being. This is why he is suggesting they praise God:

“For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever"

“Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter ...” (Matthew 7:21)

“Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21)

What does Jesus mean by 'Lord, Lord'?

This is a very critical statement of Jesus clarifies what Jesus wants from his followers.

In this statement, Jesus is clarifying the difference between those who proclaim allegiance to Jesus and those who actually follow his instructions.

“Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord” clearly indicates that proclaiming allegiance to Jesus is not enough. And isn't this what we see among the many sectarian institutions that claim to follow Jesus today? Yes. We see the focus being on proclaiming allegiance to Jesus.

Yet Jesus is clearly stating that this is not the same as being a follower of Jesus. He is stating that one must follow his instructions and his teachings.

One might compare this to a child who goes to school and sits in the classroom and enthusiastically praises the teacher but doesn't listen to what the teacher is teaching and never does the homework. Will the teacher be pleased? The child's praising of the teacher is worthless unless the child is learning.

In the same way, Jesus is emphasizing following his teachings here. Proclaiming allegiance to Jesus is not enough. So what does it mean to follow Jesus' teachings? Jesus states it clearly.

What is Jesus recommending?

Jesus is emphasizing that in order to enter into the kingdom of heaven we must do the will of the Supreme Being:

"... but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."

What does it mean to do someone else's will?

It means to do what pleases them.

Jesus is instructing his followers to do what is pleasing to the Supreme Being.

It is a very simple concept, and it says volumes about the spiritual realm and those who live there.

Jesus is indicating that the spiritual realm - the kingdom of heaven - is that place where its citizens are the loving servants of the Supreme Being.

A loving servant is one who willingly and lovingly acts in a way that is pleasing to the one they love.

In other words, it is not slavery. We can see that the Supreme Being is not employing slaves because each of us has the freedom to serve God or not. We each have the freedom to place our love upon the Supreme Being or place our love upon ourselves - which translates to materialism.

Loving ourselves and acting only in self-interest is called self-centeredness. It is precisely the opposite of loving the Supreme Being and acting in a manner that is pleasing to the Supreme Being.

And acting in a manner that is pleasing to the Supreme Being is the essence of Jesus' teachings. Why? Because this is why we were created. We were created to be the Supreme Being's loving servants and playmates.

But love requires freedom. We cannot be forced to love. For this reason, the Supreme Being gave each of us the freedom to love Him or not.

And those who chose not to love Him were sent to the physical world to take on a temporary physical body. So we could effectively be away from the Supreme Being, and act out our self-centeredness without His interference.

This is love. The Supreme Being loves each of us. So He not only gave us the freedom to love Him or not, but for those of us who chose not to love Him, He gave us a way to escape Him and ignore Him.

But He doesn't forget us. He knows that we will never be happy without Him. He knows that we will never be fulfilled as we seek happiness away from Him.

Why did God send Jesus?

This is why He sent Jesus to teach us that we will only be fulfilled when we return to our natural position as one of His loving servants and playmates.

We can also see clearly from this statement that Jesus is the representative of God. He came to give us the message that if we give our lives and our love to God, and we do God's will rather than our will, we will return to the spiritual realm.

This statement should also clarify that while Jesus represents God, he himself is not God. This is revealed simply by his phrase, “my Father who is in heaven.” Note that Jesus was standing in front of the people he was speaking to. By stating that his Father was in heaven, he is separating himself from the Supreme Being.

Jesus also confirms his disgust with those who worship Jesus as God, as he clarifies that “only” those who do Jesus' Father’s will enter the Kingdom.

The reason for this is that the Kingdom of God is that place where doing God’s will is the status quo. Everyone in the spiritual realm is loving and serving the Supreme Being as their all and all.

We can choose God’s will or our will at any particular moment. Every day and every moment of the day He gives us the choice. We are constantly being given two roads to travel: One that pleases us, and the other that pleases Him.

What does Jesus recommend to do God's will?

Reaching out to Him is pleasing. A prayer or a simple offering to the Supreme Being - both are pleasing to the Supreme Being because He enjoys the exchange of relationships.

To offer something to God is to extend our desire to reconnect with Him. Every relationship involves an offering - an exchange of a gift. This is the rationale behind the custom of offering to God in the temple, as Jesus taught his disciples to do:

"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift." (Matt. 5:23-24)

Offerings were also taught by all the prophets as well. By offering something to the Supreme Being we are reaching out to Him. As Jesus states, it is a gift - an offering is a gift to the Supreme Being.

Our offerings and prayers to the Supreme Being increase our remembrance of Him. By remembering Him through the day, remembering His beauty, love and mercy upon us, we will be offering Him the greatest gift we can offer - our focus and attention. It is for this reason that Moses said, “…be careful that you do not forget the Lord…” (Deut. 6:12). Moses also instructed to “…serve Him only…”(Deut 6:13)

Jesus also teaches that praising the Supreme Being and glorifying His Holy Names is pleasing to God:

“This is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your Name.” (Matt. 6:9)

“I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth..." (Matt. 11:25)

And his most important instruction - the foundation of Jesus' teachings and the key to pleasing the Supreme Being - is to love the Supreme Being:

" 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment." (Matt. 22:37-38)

In fact, it is his love for the Supreme Being that creates the "oneness" between Jesus and God as Jesus stated "I and the Father are one" (John 10:30).

This is the stuff of relationships. When someone is acting and living within a loving relationship, and doing the will of the one they love, there is a oneness between them. This oneness is the oneness of love. There are two individuals, but they are united by the love between them.

“Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt ..." (Matthew 21:21-22)

When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. "How did the fig tree wither so quickly?" they asked. Jesus replied, "Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." (Matt. 21:21-22)

What was done to the fig tree?

This statement follows the event observed by Jesus’ disciples, where he approached a fig tree and it had no figs, and he condemned the fig tree, saying:

“May you never bear fruit again.” (Matthew 21:19)

The tree withered immediately, and Jesus’ disciples were amazed at how fast the tree withered - prompting Jesus to say the above.

Does this mean we should ask God for anything we want?

The big point of Jesus’ statement, of course, is faith. “If you believe….” Many people and even some teachers among sectarian organizations interpret this to mean that we can become rich and powerful by asking God to get us whatever we want. All we have to do is believe, and then ask for stuff, and we will then have all the power, money, and fame we want, and we’ll be happy. Right?

Actually, faith and belief in the omniscience of God is the opposite of considering God our servant - that we can just ask God to give us whatever we want, and as long as we believe He will do it, He'll go get it done for us.

Such a mentality is putting ourselves as omniscient. It is the belief that everything revolves around us, and God is subservient to us.

The situation is precisely the opposite. Everything revolves around God, and we are God's (now rebellious) servants.

What is belief in God?

To “believe” in God is to recognize God’s position as the Owner of everything and as the Supreme Enjoyer of everything. It is recognizing God as our Creator, and Protector. Having “faith” is trusting that everything that happens, happens by the sanction of God. "Faith" is also nondifferent from 'trust.' In other words, "faith" is trusting in God

Jesus' last sentence confirms this. Jesus says we will receive what we ask in prayer. The word “prayer” is associated with observing God’s omniscience and our reliance upon Him. Prayer is performed with humility and praise. Prayer is not an order. An order is given to an inferior party. A prayer is given to a superior person by an inferior person.

Furthermore, prayer also means that just because we ask something of God doesn't mean that He has to do that which we ask. It is God who chooses. Not us. Prayer is not an assumption. It is a submission.

If we are actually praying to God, we will not be asking Him to do something for our own enjoyment. Prayer is not asking God to make sure our football team wins. Prayer is not asking that we get some money to buy a fancy car. That is not a prayer: it might be craftily worded to sound like a prayer, but it is an order nevertheless.

A real prayer might ask God to help us come to know Him and love Him. A real prayer to God might ask Him to give us the means to please Him and do His will. A real prayer might ask God to help another person we feel for. But these prayer requests are never made with the assumption that God is our servant and He has to do what we ask of Him.

This is why Jesus says, "If you believe..." first. Believing in God means trusting that God has complete control, and whatever He does, He does for everyone's benefit because God loves every one of us. In other words, believing in God isn't simply understanding that God exists: It is trusting that God is our Best Friend and our Benefactor. It is trusting that God cares for us and truly loves us. That is the belief that Jesus is asking of us. It is trust, and trust is a facet of love.

In other words, faith means to take refuge in God.

Does God answer all prayers?

Yes, but not always in the ways we want.

The reason God will often comply with a special prayer from one of His humble servants is that there is a loving relationship there. If they are truly trusting in God and taking shelter in God, they will not be asking God for frivolous things.

Such a person will not be taking prayer requests with a strategy to collect donations either. They will not be seeing God as his or her servant. In this mood, however, a person may request something to help another person. God, in His own time and in His own way, may comply with that request on behalf of His humble servant. This is based upon a loving service relationship, and Jesus is encouraging his students to develop this sort of relationship with God.

Jesus is also showing his disciples that the power to perform miracles was not coming from Jesus. They were coming from God, at Jesus' prayerful request. But we can see too, that Jesus was asking God to do things that were not meant to benefit Jesus: They were things that benefited others and brought others closer to God. Even with the fig tree, we see that Jesus utilized this as a teaching moment to praise God and teach others to depend on (trust) God.

The trap here is that if someone is thinking that they are going to test this statement by Jesus and ask that a mountain be thrown into the sea, this would not comply with Jesus' instruction. Jesus says that "if you have faith and do not doubt." So if one is praying for something as a test, they are already doubting. They already don't have faith.

If they have any doubt, there is no relationship. Therefore, a person who trusts God and has no doubts in His abilities will not be asking God to throw a mountain into the sea just to see if it will happen. Furthermore, they will not be asking for frivolous things or things for their own enjoyment. Why?

Because this consciousness of having faith in God and trusting in God is inseparable from the consciousness of being God's servant.

“You devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers ..." (Matthew 23:14)

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Therefore you will be punished more severely.” (Matthew 23:14)

Wasn't Jesus also a rabbi?

The teachers of the law and the Pharisees were also often called "rabbi" (teacher). And this strong statement by Jesus as he severely criticizes those who gained that authority. But wasn't Jesus also a rabbi? Why would Jesus criticize the very institution that he was a part of? Why would he condemn his colleagues?

Jesus did not see himself as part of this institution. Yes, Jesus did sit with the teachers at the temple when he was younger. This means that he did study under some temple teachers for a time. Jesus also stood up in temples and preached.

But Jesus did not follow these institutional teachers. Nor did he pass on their teachings. Instead, he went to the desert and followed John the Baptist, who was also condemning the temple institution and its teachers for misleading people:

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.' " John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts [beans of the locust tree] and wild honey. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? (Matthew 3:4-7)

Jesus' teachings mirrored John's. Not only did he also criticize the Pharisees and Sadducees as John did. But he also taught the same central message that John taught:

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." (Matt. 3:2)

After John was imprisoned, Jesus began to teach the same message:

When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. ... From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." (Matthew 4:17)

It is no coincidence that Jesus' teachings mirrored John's. After all, he received baptism from John. Baptism at that time was the accepted means for committing oneself to the teachings of a spiritual teacher. (Baptism is still practiced today, but it is more of an institutional ritual now - typically signifying a person joining a particular sect or church.)

Let's look more closely at Jesus' statement to the temple teachers:

How did they 'devour widows' houses'?

The Greek word translated to "devour" is κατεσθίω (katesthiō). The applicable meaning, according to the Greek lexicon, is to "forcibly appropriate" or "to strip one of his goods." This can only mean that the Pharisees and temple officials were confiscating the wealth of women after their husbands died.

And why would institutional temple priests and officials do such a thing? What would drive them to take a person's wealth after the man of the house died?

This points to only one thing: That the temple priests and officials were being paid for their positions, and the only way to bring in enough funds in the treasury to pay these out to the temple priests and Pharisees was to confiscate large sums from widows. This means that the temple priests and Pharisees were not even satisfied with their salaries as appropriated from tithings. They had to forcibly gain further income.

In other words, Jesus is railing about these temple teachers being paid salaries for their positions and becoming increasingly greedy as a result.

They had turned what should have been their service to God and to others into a business. Jesus railed similarly when he saw the temple being used as a marketplace, as he turned over the tables of the merchants, saying:

"It is written, 'My house will be called a house of prayer,' but you are making it 'a den of robbers.'" (Matthew 21:13)

This is the same issue. Being a professional teacher, be it a Pharisee, rabbi, priest, preacher, minister, reverend, cardinal, imam, guru, bishop, or pope, is to turn what should be service to the Supreme Being into a business.

Jesus never accepted a salary. His teachings were given for free (and there were no collection plates passed around) because teaching was his service to God. A person who accepts a salary becomes beholden to that source of income. Thus such a teacher can never be God's representative. It is not possible. They will only represent the source or institution paying their salaries.

It also creates, as has been shown in many modern sectarian teachers and their institutions, greed among those involved in the collection and payment of salaries. Thus we find many of these professional teachers advertising themselves on television, radio, and mass-mailings in manipulative ways in order to gain more income. Their motivation is tainted by money - and so is their service.

Can someone be paid to serve God?

Not according to Jesus. This is why Jesus said:

"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." (Matthew 6:24)

The word "money" here is translated from the Greek word μαμωνᾶς (mamōnas) - which can mean "mammon" or "wealth" - but also materialism in general. One might say that money represents materialism, but it should also be said that money can be used to serve God, and in this respect, it becomes part of one's service.

But to collect money in exchange for service cancels service to the Supreme Being. It is either one or the other - not both, as Jesus states. One cannot propose to be serving God by teaching and then also collect a salary for that service as well.

Many modern preachers, for example, will offer "prayer requests" in mass mailings and internet campaigns. The "prayer request" strategy is one of the biggest money-making schemes invented. This type of scam is also intended to "devour widows' houses" by tricking innocent people (often the elderly) into believing that if the preacher prays on their problem, the problem will be fixed.

Such a prayer request pitch will often be worded manipulatively to lead the person into believing that he or she will have a better chance of the prayer working if they donate. So they donate large sums along with their prayer requests, and the preachers make millions of dollars off this scam.

Why did Jesus say, 'for a show make lengthy prayers'?

This indicates these temple officials do not have a personal, confidential loving relationship with God. Rather, they make a big show of their prayers in public in order to impress others. They use their positions of authority to earn money, and then make a big show to make others think they are advanced spiritually. This very scene is repeated daily on evangelist television shows.

Jesus is basically calling the temple priests a bunch of scam artists. They are cheating people. And sadly, this is precisely what is now going on today in the name of Jesus within many modern ecclesiastical sectarian organizations.

Why would they 'be punished more severely'?

Here Jesus says, "Therefore you will be punished more severely.” What does this mean?

The Supreme Being created the physical world as a place of consequence. Here the results of our actions are returned to us. This enables us to hopefully learn, leading ultimately to our learning about the Supreme Being and returning to Him.

But those who pretend to represent God and yet try to utilize their positions in order to take advantage of others will have a worse fate: They will suffer the results of misleading others.

Jesus shows us by example how a real representative of God conducts himself. Jesus never accepted a title or salary by an institutional temple organization, although he certainly could have. He never made a big show of his prayers. When Jesus prayed, he prayed in a private place, away from others:

Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as You will." (Matthew 26:39)

Jesus also shows us what to pray for here. He shows us that we should not be praying for God to bring us stuff, as though God was some sort of genie or waiter: "God give me a big car." "God give me a big house and a big job." These are not prayers. These are orders. These are what a superior party asks from an inferior party.

A servant of God does not order materialistic stuff from God. God is our loving, merciful master. Therefore we should not be praying for God to bring us materialistic things. Sure, we can ask God for mercy, forgiveness, and the relief of suffering. But ultimately, we should be praying to become one of God's humble loving servants. We should be asking God to give us the ability to please Him with our lives.

This is what Jesus' prayer in Matthew 26:39 is: Jesus is asking that he be permitted to do God's will rather than his own will. This is the prayer of a loving servant of God.

"Take and eat; this is my body." (Matthew 26:26)

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body." (Matthew 26:26)

Did Jesus want them to eat his body?

Jesus is sitting down with some of his followers at what is popularly known as the "last supper." He is surrounded by his disciples, and he is passing out the bread.

Yet we know from Jesus' statement that the bread that Jesus broke and handed out to his disciples was not ordinary bread. What did Jesus do to the bread to make it so special?

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks ... (Matthew 26:26)

This means that giving thanks was a critical event that took place during this meal.

The Greek verse is clear that they were already eating when Jesus took the bread. The Greek word is ἐσθίω (esthiō), and this communicates they were already eating. The translation appropriately says:

"While they were eating...."

Then the verse says Jesus "took the bread." "Took" here is being translated from λαμβάνω (lambanō) which means, according to the lexicon, 'to take with the hand,' or 'lay hold of.' This means that Jesus reached over and took the bread into his hands.

After he took the bread into his hands, the English translation says:

"he gave thanks...."

Did he really 'give thanks'?

Not exactly. The Greek word being translated into "gave thanks" is εὐλογέω (eulogeō). This means, according to the lexicon:
1) to praise, celebrate with praises
2) to invoke blessings
3) to consecrate a thing with solemn prayers
a) to ask God's blessing on a thing
b) pray God to bless it to one's use
c) pronounce a consecratory blessing on

Where, in this definition does it say εὐλογέω means to give thanks?

To "give thanks," as some suggest, is to say something like, "Thank you Lord for the food we have before us..." This is usually followed by "....and [all the other things] You have given us..."

This is usually extended with a listing of the various things the person is thankful for, such as a family, a good job, or money, or some kind of award received.

It is certainly nice to thank God for everything received. But such prayers lead to the premise that it is God's job to deliver the stuff we ask for, and our job is to graciously receive it all and thank Him for it.

This assumes a relationship between us and God (or Jesus, as many preach) that God (or Jesus) is our servant. He is there to give us whatever we want, as long as we ask for it with prayer. This assumption is diametrically opposed to Jesus' teachings.

As we apply Jesus' teaching about loving God and doing the will of God, another element emerges. This allows us to appropriately understand what Jesus was doing with the bread, as he εὐλογέω (eulogeō) with it:

Jesus was offering the bread to God.

Offering food and gifts to God while praising Him had been a long-cherished method of worshiping God - one that had been handed down from teacher to teacher for thousands of years. It was practiced by Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, Samuel, Solomon, Eli, and all the other teachers that formed the lineage that Jesus was a part of:

"There he [Abraham] built an altar to the LORD and called on the Name of the LORD." (Genesis 12:8)

All the Israelite men and women who were willing brought to the LORD freewill offerings.... (Exodus 35:29)

"The rest of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the offerings made to the LORD by fire." (Lev. 2:3)

And what was the purpose of these offerings? The purpose of making offerings to God - "fellowship offerings" or "freewill offerings" as they are called in the Old Testament - is to establish a relationship with God.

Or do we think that Jesus would honor the Prophets and quote many of their teachings yet abandon the venerated process of making offerings to God?

So what did Jesus mean by 'this is my body'?

At this 'last supper' with his disciples, Jesus first made a private personal offering to God with the bread. Then he broke the bread and handed it out to his followers. As he did this, he said, "Take and eat; this is my body."

Was Jesus talking about his physical body? Certainly not, since he was handing out the bread, not his body. His physical body sat in the chair while the bread was being handed out.

This means that there was something about the bread that Jesus connected as his body. What was it?

It was the bread that was offered to God. The bread that was offered symbolized Jesus' offering of himself to God.

The word "body" in this verse is translated from the Greek word, σῶμα (sōma). This can certainly mean body, either practically or virtually. But it can also mean, according to Thayer's lexicon, "the instrument of the soul."

Since the bread was an offering to God, and Jesus is saying the offering is his "instrument," Jesus is suggesting that they consider Jesus' life to be an offering to God.

Jesus was saying to his followers that his life was an offering to God.

What about the communion ritual?

Today we find some institutions conduct a ritual where a cracker or piece of bread is put in the mouth of each person while a prayer is read.

Practitioners believe this ritual provides purification. Certainly, they are not literally eating Jesus' body. Rather, the ritual should theoretically commemorate the idea that Jesus had offered himself to God.

Was Jesus doing some mystical ritual so that his disciples would be purified of their sins once they ate the bread? Rather, Jesus was teaching them by example how to live their lives. And doing so would naturally lead to their purification - a change of heart.

Jesus was teaching them with metaphorical terms. He was connecting the offered food with his body because he was suggesting metaphorically that his whole life - his teachings, his example and his miracles - were all offerings to God. And he was handing out that bread to symbolize that they could partake in that offering by following his example.

In other words, Jesus was saying that he considered his very life to be an offering to God, and they could too. This is why Jesus also taught:

"For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.'" (Luke 4:8 and Matt. 4:10)

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." (Matt. 7:21)

"For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." (Matt 12:50)

"For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of Him who sent me." (John 6:38)

This is also evidenced by what occurred a few days later, as Jesus laid down the life of his physical body as an offering to the Supreme Being. Jesus was illustrating, by not resisting being arrested, and by allowing his body to be murdered because of his teachings, that Jesus was God's servant and Jesus' life was an offering to God.

And yes, realizing this has the ability to save us. Not with some kind of magical "eating of the body of Christ" ritual, but from the simple realization that Jesus was trying to teach us to love God with all our hearts, all our minds - our whole life and being.

This is evidenced by the real teachings of Jesus, specifically his most important one:

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment." (Matthew 22:37-38)

"This is my blood of the covenant ..." (Matthew 26:27-29)

Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom." (Matthew 26:27-29)

What did Jesus mean by 'this is my blood'?

"My blood" is being translated from the Greek word αἷμα (haima) which could mean blood, but according to the lexicon can also 'refers to the seat of life,' and its metaphorical meaning refers to one's mission' or 'purpose.'

As we understand that Jesus was speaking metaphorically, Jesus was not referring to blood at all. He was referring to his core purpose and intention: His mission.

The next word in the verse is διαθήκη (diathēkē) in Greek, which is being translated to "of the covenant." διαθήκη (diathēkē) means 'dispositions,' 'arrangements,' or 'contracts' relating to testaments or wills. In other words, διαθήκη means a type of pact.

So what kind of pact, covenant, arrangement, or contract is Jesus referring to?

Remember that God maintained a covenant with Noah, with Moses, and a number of other ancient teachers according to the Old Testament. Some texts in the Bible discuss a covenant between God and the people of Israel.

Is this the same covenant Jesus is describing? What were these covenants described in the Bible about?

Just as He wants for each of us, God wanted the people of Israel to return to Him. He wants us to return to our loving relationship with Him. God simply wants us to return to His loving arms. The covenant is about exchanging a loving relationship with God.

This is why Moses' and Jesus' most important instruction was:

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment." (Matthew 22:37-38)

What does 'poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins' mean?

The word "forgiveness" in Matthew 26:27 is being translated from ἄφεσις (aphesis), which means, according to the lexicon, "release from bondage or imprisonment."

Instead, Roman scribes translated this word to "forgiveness" - which was then assumed by other translators centuries later.

The phrase, "of sins" is being translated from the Greek word ἁμαρτία (hamartia), which, according to the lexicon, refers to "to be without a share in, to miss the mark, to err, be mistaken, to miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honor, to do or go wrong, to wander from the law of God..." This can be summarized by something like 'straying from God's will.'

What is the foundation for 'straying from God's will?' It is self-centeredness. It is greed. It is envy. These elements facilitate our straying from our original loving relationship with the Supreme Being.

Self-centeredness and envy can be compared to being imprisoned, because these grab us and draw us further and further into greed, leading to violence. This is why God taught Cain:

"But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." (Genesis 4:7)

Self-centeredness is ready to take hold of us at any time. Self-centered thoughts lead to desires, which pull us into greed.

We can only be released from the "bondage" that self-centeredness brings by following Jesus' and Moses' instruction to re-develop our loving relationship with the Supreme Being. Should we do this, then by God's "covenant," we can be released from the bondage of self-centeredness, and thus materialism, and become a candidate for returning to the spiritual world.

This is what Jesus is speaking of - not cleansing the sins of others with his blood as ascribed by some.

What did Jesus mean by 'when I drink it anew with you'?

In Jesus' next statement, he says, "I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom."

Jesus is confirming that the "covenant" mentioned in the prior sentence is related to his return to "my Father's kingdom." Jesus is referring to our returning to our relationship with God - within the spiritual realm.

But Jesus is not only talking about his own return to the spiritual realm: "that day when I drink it anew with you" means that Jesus will only feel that the "covenant" is fulfilled when those followers Jesus is speaking to embrace his instruction to love and serve God with all their hearts, and thus return to the spiritual realm with him.

This covenant is also available to anyone who chooses to follow Jesus' teachings.

This understanding clarifies Jesus' purpose and the meaning of his statement here. Jesus was not some sacrificial lamb that supplies blood for people to drink so they can be relieved from the consequences of their sins so they can continue their self-centered behavior without guilt. This perversion of Jesus' life is offensive and abominable and has nothing to do with the real teachings of Jesus.

Rather, Jesus' purpose was to instruct us to renew our loving relationship with the Supreme Being. Should we do this, we will be released from the bondage of our self-centeredness, and become eligible to return to the spiritual realm. This is the "covenant" Jesus is referring to here. This is why Jesus' most important instruction was:

“ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment.” (Matthew 22:37-38)

Was Jesus drinking wine?

Jesus said this after he offered the grape juice to God with praises and then passed the cup around to his disciples.

How do we know this was grape juice and not wine?

The Greek praise translated to "fruit of the vine" is γενήματος τῆς ἀμπέλου. The word γένημα (genēma) refers to fruit and ἄμπελος (ampelos) refers to a grapevine. Jesus is referring to a fresh drink, not a fermented drink.

The Greek word for fermented wine is οἶνος (oinos). There is no mention of this at the 'last supper' because Jesus was not drinking wine.

In the Old Testament we find multiple Hebrew words translated to wine:

עָסִיס (`aciyc) - which refers to sweet wine or juice (unfermented)

תִּירוֹשׁ (tiyrowsh) - which refers to new wine, which may be fermented and intoxicating, or may simply be juice.

יַיִן (yayin) - refers to fermented and intoxicating wine.

Furthermore, the ancient custom for drinking fermented wine was to dilute it with water. For customary uses - for gatherings and so forth - if fermented wine was used, it was diluted with up to 20 parts water - leaving the alcohol content well under 1%.

Furthermore, we know that Jesus' teacher, John the Baptist did not drink wine. Jesus said this himself:

"For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine..." (Luke 7:33)

We also find this in the words of the angel that appeared to Zechariah regarding John:

"...for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born." (Luke 1:15)

And because Jesus was one of John's students (meaning of baptism) we know that he certainly followed his teacher in this respect of not drinking alcohol - or at least drinking minimal alcohol in the form of the watered-down version.

We also find that Jesus turned down alcohol even when he was suffering on the cross:

There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall [myrrh or wormwood]; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. (Matthew 27:34)

Once Jesus tasted it and found it was wine, he didn't want it. This is even though wine was being used to help numb the pain.

Why did he say it was the 'blood of the covenant'?

There is a critical misunderstanding with regard to why Jesus is calling the bread and the grape juice "my blood of the covenant."

Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them (Matthew 26:27)

The Greek word being translated to "given thanks" here is εὐχαριστέω (eucharisteō) - and the word Greek word translated to "given thanks" in Matthew 26:26 is the synonym ὐλογέω (eulogeō), which both mean "to praise, celebrate with praises" and "to consecrate a thing with solemn prayers" according to the lexicon.

What is this? It is referring to the ancient practice - handed down from the ancient prophets and also taught by Jesus - of making an offering to the Supreme Being.

When something is offered to the Supreme Being it becomes "blessed." This is why the food and the grape drink were so special. Jesus offered them to God with praises, so the food and the grape juice became blessed.

Offering food to God was an ancient practice handed down from teacher to student for thousands of years as a practice to help us re-establish our loving relationship with God. The books of the Old Testament describe clearly the practice of offering to God, and God Himself requested it:

"Tell the Israelites to bring Me an offering. You are to receive the offering for Me from each man whose heart prompts him to give." (Exodus 25:2)

Just consider what a boy does when he wants to get to know a girl better. He brings her flowers - an offering. This is meant to facilitate a relationship between the two.

This is the same purpose for making an offering to the Supreme Being. We are extending ourselves to Him - wanting to come to know and love Him.

What about bathing in the blood of Jesus?

Does this make any sense? Today even, several institutions are conducting the ritual of "bathing in the blood of Jesus" by pretending that Jesus' blood and body are wine and crackers.

Why should we believe this?

The ritual assumes a self-centered purpose of cleansing of one's sins through Jesus' crucifixion. This means taking advantage of Jesus' suffering.

Isn't that what this means? Using Jesus' suffering for our own advantage?

Who would use someone's suffering and persecution for their own purposes?

Someone who was self-centered. Someone who didn't care about Jesus.

And is it a coincidence that this interpretation and translation arose from the same government involved in persecuting Jesus?

Not only was the Roman government involved in the murder of Jesus' physical body when he was here: They then proceeded to cover up Jesus' real teachings, with a doctrine that Jesus was God turned man so that God could die for our sins.

This is a nonsensical interpretation of Jesus' life and teachings.

They are teaching that God died. How could God die? How could the Supreme Being - who created everything - come under the influence of the physical world and die? Is that logical?

The Supreme Being does not die. He is eternal and never comes under the control of the physical world. Thus he never faces death.

Furthermore, God is God. He never becomes a man. It's like saying that a man can become a rock. How could that be so? They are completely different types of entities. The Supreme Being is always supreme. He is always superior. He would never have to succumb to being a lower organism - a human physical body.

More importantly, the Supreme Being never has to make a sacrifice to atone for anyone. The Supreme Being can cleanse someone's sins simply by willing it. He doesn't need to make a show of supposedly dying.

This fact - that God can forgive our sins directly - is confirmed by Jesus' teaching his followers to ask the Supreme Being to forgive their sins within the "Lord's Prayer:"

"and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us." (Matthew 6:12 NLT)

The word "sins" is translated from the Greek word ὀφείλημα (opheilēma), but this means "offense, sin" and "debt" according to the lexicon.

Furthermore, we know Jesus was referring to God forgiving sins:

"But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." (Matthew 6:15)

So why, if Jesus is teaching his followers to ask the Supreme Being to forgive them for their sins, do some teachers and their institutions conduct this ritual of "bathing in the blood of Jesus"?

The word "sin" or "transgressions" in Matthew 6:15 comes from the Greek word παράπτωμα (paraptōma), which means, according to the lexicon, "to fall beside or near something" and "a lapse or deviation from truth and uprightness."

What are we talking about here? Jesus is discussing activities that are self-centered and hurtful to others. But what is this and why would God need to forgive us for being selfish and for hurting others? Why couldn't those who we hurt just forgive us and we're all clean?

Because Jesus is speaking of a deeper offense: Offending the Supreme Being by rejecting our relationship with Him.

Does God give us the freedom to reject Him?

Because love requires freedom, the Supreme Being allows us the complete freedom to love Him or not.

And because He loves us dearly, certainly He is hurt and offended when we decide we don't want to love Him anymore.

This is why, in fact, we are each dwelling in a temporary physical body in the physical world and not in our home in the spiritual realm. We have been given these physical bodies in order to get away from God. He gave us these physical bodies so that we can pretend we are someone else - so we can forget our relationship with God.

Yes, the Supreme Being is so loving that He will give us the ability to ignore Him and even forget Him - and even deny His existence.

This element of not only accepting God's existence but accepting our role as a loving servant of God is critical to Jesus' teachings. This is why Jesus said:

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" (Matthew 7:21-23)

The phrase "but only he who does the will of my Father" is very clear. To do someone's will means to serve that person. Jesus is talking about serving the Supreme Being.

"My Father, if it is possible ... Yet not as I will, but as You will." (Matthew 26:39)

Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." (Matthew 26:39)

Here Jesus, troubled and full of sorrow; having left the group of his students and walked to a place called Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36), put his face on the ground in the presence of Peter, James and John to say this prayer.

Does this prove that Jesus is God?

Actually, it proves that Jesus isn't God. The fact that Jesus fell to his face on the ground illustrates Jesus' devotion to the Supreme Being.

Jesus saw himself as God's humble servant, and this posture - of putting his face to the ground - was (and still is) a customary position for a devoted loving servant of God.

This contradicts teachings that proclaim that Jesus is God. Would God pray to Himself? Would God fall to his face in humble prayer to Himself? It is simply ludicrous that people would read these verses and still believe that Jesus could possibly be God.

At any rate, the previous verse explains that Jesus was troubled, and this was expressed in Jesus' prayer. Jesus was troubled because he knew he was going to be arrested shortly and tried and persecuted at the hands of the Romans. So Jesus was struggling with the fact that he could, at that moment, easily slip away and avoid the arrest altogether.

What did Jesus' prayer mean?

Jesus begins by asking God, "if it is possible." The key Greek words used here are:

"If" comes from εἰ (ei) - but can also mean "whether" according to the lexicon.

"Possible" is being translated from δυνατός (dynatos) - means "able, powerful, mighty, strong" according to the lexicon, as well as "to be able (to do something)".

The word "cup" is being translated from the Greek word ποτήριον (potērion) as indeed it can refer to "a cup," or "a drinking vessel" according to the lexicon. However, in this case, it is being used metaphorically, as Jesus is hardly speaking of cups here.

The metaphorical meaning of ποτήριον according to Thayer's lexicon is: "one's lot or experience, whether joyous or adverse, divine appointments, whether favorable or unfavorable, are likened to a cup which God presents one to drink: so of prosperity and adversity."

In other words, the word ποτήριον indicates a person's "lot" or "fate."

Here "be taken" is derived from παρέρχομαι (parerchomai), positioned on both sides of is being translated to "be taken" here. While it can mean "to go past" or "pass by" according to the lexicon, again we must apply its metaphorical meaning here, and according to the lexicon, this is: "to pass away" or "perish." Understanding this, what is being communicated can be better captured with "to remove."

Then "from" is translated from ἀπό (apo) here. This is appropriate, as its literal meaning is "to be separated from."

Then ἐγώ (egō) refers appropriately to the personal pronoun, "me."

As we put this together, Jesus is asking in the first part of his prayer that a particular "lot" or "fate" be "removed" or "taken from" him.

What is he asking to be removed? His fate. And what is his fate? He just disclosed his fate to his disciples, as he indicated that he would be arrested and persecuted, while his disciples would abandon him.

This indicates that the fate Jesus is asking God to remove is his coming persecution at the hands of the Romans. He is asking God if it is possible that this does not take place.

Jesus is asking this, again, because he is "troubled." He told Peter, James and John before this prayer: "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death." (Matthew 26:38)

Did Jesus accommodate God?

It is customary, even today, for a person to pray to God when troubled about something. Jesus was obviously troubled about his forthcoming persecution, and wondering if God could change his fate. Especially when he could have, at that very moment, run off and avoid his coming arrest altogether.

The key to the prayer is that even with his asking God this, he also accommodates God by pledging that he will do what pleases God:

The Greek πλήν (plēn) is translated to "yet," but means "moreover, besides, but, nevertheless" according to the lexicon. While "yet" is not necessarily wrong, it does not communicate the point. "Moreover, besides, but, nevertheless" does not mean "yet."

"Moreover" indicates "more importantly," or even "notwithstanding" - as the word has been translated elsewhere in the New Testament. The point is that Jesus is not saying "yet" here, he is saying the next thing he says in his prayer is "more important". He is saying "more importantly..."

The next part of Jesus' statement is better broken down into two parts. The Greek phrase, οὐχ ὡς ἐγὼ θέλω indicates - and is appropriately translated to - "not as I will."  However, the phrase is deeper than even this. The word "will" translates from θέλω (thelō), which means "to intend," "to be resolved," "determined," "to purpose," "to desire" or "to wish" according to Thayer's lexicon.

So the translation could just as well said, "not what I want" or "not according to my wishes".

The last part of the phrase, ἀλλ’ ὡς σύ, indicates - and is appropriately translated to - "but as You will." Because the Greek phrase is possessive and does not contain the word θέλω (thelō) as the first phrase did, it actually means something like "but Yours." In other words, "not my wishes, but Yours."

But since this could be misunderstood, the translators have appropriately restated "will" here, as Jesus is saying "Not my will, but Your will." This could be rephrased as, "not what I want, but what You want."

So as we examine the Greek, the more appropriate understanding of Jesus' prayer would be something like:

"My Father, if it is possible, please remove my coming fate. More importantly, may I not do what I want, but what You want."

What does Jesus' second prayer mean?

This translation and interpretation of Jesus' prayer and his struggle with his coming fate is confirmed by his second prayer, where Jesus resigns himself to his fate. The current NIV translation is:

"My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may Your will be done." (Matthew 26:42)

However, in this second prayer, there is no reason for the word "cup" to be included. The first prayer's Greek word ποτήριον (potērion), translated to "cup" but really referring to "lot" or "fate," isn't in the second prayer at all. 

Rather, the second prayer uses the Greek word αὐτός (autos), which means "this" is assumed to be referring to "cup", only because in this second prayer Jesus uses the word πίνω (pinō), which can mean "to drink" according to the lexicon. However, when πίνω is used in the figurative sense, it means, according to the lexicon: "to receive..."

Besides, a person does not drink a cup. A person drinks from a cup.

This means that Jesus' second prayer also is not talking about a cup at all. Jesus has resigned to receive his fate rather than asking God to remove his fate as he does in the first prayer.

Then Jesus says virtually the same thing in the second part of the second prayer as the second part of the first prayer, but conclusively. The Greek phrase is γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου, which means "Your will be done." This utilizes the Greek word θέλημα (thelēma) which also indicates "will" but also means "desires" or "wishes."

Thus the second prayer goes something like this:

“O my Lord, if this cup may not be taken from me unless I drink from it, may You be pleased."

Did Jesus want to please God?

The bottom line is that Jesus is wanting to do what pleases the Supreme Being. And Jesus certainly was struggling with his fate (metaphorically stated as a cup) but understood through his prayers that this is what God wanted him to do.

Why? Why did the Supreme Being allow Jesus to be persecuted, beaten and gruesomely murdered? Was it all God's big plan to redeem our sins with Jesus' life - like some sacrificial lamb - as some sectarians propose?

This is a ridiculous proposition. God does not need to sacrifice anyone on the cross in order to redeem, or purify us of our sins. God is the Supreme Controller. He can purify or cleanse sins simply by willing it. He does not need to have any kind of physical mechanism - someone suffering - to redeem sins.

Jesus himself confirms this, as he taught his students to pray:

"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your Name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debt, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." (Matthew 6:9-13)

The part of the prayer: "Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors," translates the Greek word ὀφείλημα (opheilēma) to "debts," which can also mean "sins" according to the lexicon. Thus some translations of the Lord's prayer, say:

"Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who have sinned against us."

Jesus confirms this when he says afterward:

"For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." (Matthew 6:14-15)

Now if the only way to be forgiven our sins was to have Jesus die on the cross, why does Jesus tell his students to ask God for forgiveness? Why didn't Jesus simply tell his students: "Just wait until they crucify me, and then just accept that my death wipes away your sins"? No, he did not say that, because it isn't true. God can forgive our sins directly. We simply need to ask Him, and we have to be willing to forgive others.

This means that this whole routine revolving around Easter is simply a farce. All the empty ceremonies, such as "Good Friday" and "Easter" are simply offensive celebrations.

What is "Good" about the day that Jesus was beaten and murdered by unbelievers who felt threatened by Jesus' teachings? Some sectarian teachers want to call this day "good" because they are rejoicing about how their sins are now forgiven. In other words, it's all about getting cleansed. This is the ultimate self-centered illusion.

Could this be true? That once Jesus died, we no longer have to be responsible for our actions? We can simply wipe our responsibilities off on Jesus? Is Jesus our doormat that we simply wipe our sins off on? This is an offensive position that only a self-centered person would take.

And what about "Easter"? What about all the Easter egg hunts and the chocolate bunnies? What does this materialism have to do with Jesus, who taught that we should not seek after material things, but seek love of God? What does Easter have to do with God at all? Nothing.

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear." (Luke 12:22)

Why did God allow Jesus to be crucified?

This question has been asked by many for centuries.

Jesus' prayer here illustrates that Jesus allowed himself to be persecuted. Jesus knew he was going to be arrested. He could have escaped before his arrest. There is also evidence that he actually instructed Judas to tell the Temple high priest where Jesus would be in order to arrest him.

Thus we can see that Jesus played a role in his arrest. He could have at least avoided it and ran off into the desert. He could have also chosen to diplomatically answer the High Priest's questions, which would have likely gotten Jesus dismissed.

But Jesus didn't choose to do this. Jesus chose to stand up for God and his teachings.

Jesus, being God's loving messenger, was not going to run away under the threat of arrest. He was going to complete his mission of distributing his teachings of love for God. And he was going to stand behind his teachings because these were from God. And Jesus loved God.

Therefore, it was Jesus who chose to serve God by standing up for His teachings. God gave Jesus the freedom to accept this fate - just as God gave the Temple high priest the freedom to arrest Jesus and set him up to be condemned to death.

Yes, the Supreme Being is giving all of us certain freedoms while we are here. We have the freedom to reject God, or the freedom to accept God. This is our choice. God also gave us the freedom to condemn His messengers - and even harm them.

To do otherwise would be to take away our freedom - which is required in order to truly come to love God. We cannot freely love someone who has taken away our freedom not to love him.

Today we see all kinds of people choose to make sacrifices. Some give their lives for their country. Some give their lives to protest a government. Why? Because they believe in their cause, and they want to show others just how important that cause is.

This is no different from Jesus, but Jesus' cause was love for God. He wanted others to understand just how important it is that we come to know and love the Supreme Being. It was important enough for him to make the ultimate sacrifice for. And it is understanding this message from Jesus that can save us:

"'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment." (Matt. 22:37-38)