The Sermon on the Mount​—“When You Pray, . . .”

FOLLOWING his comments about avoiding hypocrisy when making gifts of mercy to the poor, Jesus said: “Also, when you pray, you must not be as the hypocrites.”​—Matt. 6:5a.

The expression “when you pray” indicates that, for Jesus’ disciples, prayer would be a regular part of true worship. However, they were not to imitate the “hypocrites,” or self-righteous Pharisees, whose public display of religious devotion was merely a pretense.​—Matt. 23:13-32.

Concerning those hypocrites, Jesus declared: “They like to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the broad ways to be visible to men.”​—Matt. 6:5b.

By the first century C.E., it had become customary for Jews to pray as a congregation during the time of the morning and evening burnt offerings at the temple in Jerusalem, about 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Many inhabitants of that city would do so along with a crowd of fellow worshipers in the temple precincts. Outside Jerusalem, devout Jews frequently would choose to pray twice a day “in the synagogues.” The usual position during prayer was “standing.”​—See also Luke 18:11, 13.

Since the majority of people would not be near the temple or a synagogue at the time for morning and evening prayer, the custom prevailed of praying wherever a person might find himself. Certain individuals ‘liked to’ have the time for prayer catch up with them while “on the corners of the broad ways.” They relished the thought of being “visible to men” passing by in four directions. In a display of false holiness, they would “for a pretext make long prayers,” so as to arouse the admiration of onlookers.a​—Luke 20:47.

Concerning those hypocrites, Jesus declared: “Truly I say to you, They are having their reward in full.” (Matt. 6:5c) They were getting what they earnestly desired​—the recognition and praise of fellow humans; and that was the whole of their reward. Their hypocritical prayers would get no response from God.