Compassion: Jesus just assumed those first disciples would be concerned enough about the poor (even though there were so many laws in the Old Testament that mandated how the poor were to be taken care of nationally, by the harvesting rules, the responsibilities of families, the forgiving of debts, and so on).
Yet Jesus assumed that disciples would have a heart of compassion that prompted them to give (secretly, He added) to the poor and needy.
I think we should each pause and examine our hearts and see if we have this type of compassion that draws us to give secretly to the poor and needy.
Regular Praying:
Jesus assumed that prayer was just a part of the fabric of everyday life. So, Jesus just added a pattern to those daily prayers, directed them towards God as Father, and laid out areas that would keep them in step with His plan. I think we should each pause and examine our own hearts and look to see if we have this type of need for God as our Father that draws us to pray, following the pattern Jesus clearly asked us to follow.
Fasting:
Jesus assumed that fasting was just a part of everyday life. So, Jesus added a few reminders about directing fasting to God in secret. I think we should each pause and examine our own hearts to see if we have considered what type of hunger after God, in fasting we should practice.
Jesus says that these are His expectations that they would be involved in giving to the poor and needy, praying, and fasting as a part of everyday life. Just like that, He lays down His assumptions about their lives. These were His expectations, and to the extent that they loved and wanted to please Him, they would give, pray, and fast.
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