Practicing the Secret Life

Introduction

As we’ve mentioned we’ll be having wnt starting sept 11. I’ll be teaching a spiritual formation class where we discuss and practice different spiritual disciplines that foster our love for God and love for people. We’ll discuss and tackle the topics of what we’ll be touching on today: namely how your motivation behind spiritual disciplines can either lead you to arrogance or righteousness. Let’s dive into the text to see what Jesus says about our hearts motivations.

Big Idea: The light that shines before others must first be kindled by God in our hearts.

Matthew 6:1–18 CSB

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. Otherwise, you have no reward with your Father in heaven. So whenever you give to the poor, don’t sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be applauded by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward. But when you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward. But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. When you pray, don’t babble like the Gentiles, since they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words. Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask him. “Therefore, you should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, your name be honored as holy. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. “For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well. But if you don’t forgive others, your Father will not forgive your offenses. “Whenever you fast, don’t be gloomy like the hypocrites. For they make their faces unattractive so that their fasting is obvious to people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting isn’t obvious to others but to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

This is the Word of the Lord, thanks be to God.

(1) The Emphasis Of 3

Jesus says 4 different phrases three times in our passage for today. Biblically, the number 3 or patterns of 3 represent divine wholeness, completeness and perfection. Throughout the Scriptures, the biblical authors often used the number three or patterns of 3 to catch the attention of the reader. Here, we see Jesus say three times each:

· Whenever You Give / Pray / Fast

· Don’t Be Like the Hypocrites

· Truly I Tell You, They Have Their Reward

· When You [Do This] In Secret, … Your Father Who Sees in Secret Will Reward You

(2) Whenever You Give / Pray / Fast

- Spiritual Discipline

Each of these practices was a pillar of Jewish religious life. Most Jews were devout and worked hard to be righteous and pursue holiness. According to some of their wisdom literature (Tobit 12:8, RSV), righteousness would show itself in your life of giving (almsgiving, giving to the poor), prayer and fasting. Yet, I think it is important to recognize that, strictly speaking, Jesus did not command us to give and pray and fast, rather he spoke with the underlying assumption that his disciples would follow these practices. “WHEN you give, WHEN you pray, WHEN you fast…” He assumed that these would be inherent in the life of someone pursuing righteousness. He was teaching his disciples how to do them with a true righteousness from the heart.

(3) Don’t Be Like the Hypocrites

- Hupokritas

Let’s establish what Jesus means by “hypocrite.” The word in the Greek is “hupokritas,” from which we get the English word “hypocrite.” Now, when you hear that word, what comes to mind? For me, I think of my old high school PE teacher, Mr. Labell. He used to say things like, “Don’t drink Gatorade, that stuff will kill you.” Then later, we’d see him open his mini fridge and it would be full of Gatorade. So normally, I understand a hypocrite to be someone who says one thing then does another, right? Anyone agree?

However, in Jesus’ day, the word “hupokritas” had a different implication. It was a theater term; it was the name of an actor who would perform on stage in their theater. Greek and Roman cultures had large amphitheaters where plays were performed. To announce upcoming shows and the actors involved, people would stand in busy areas and make loud announcements, often using a trumpet horn. During the performances, actors wore big and expressive masks to convey emotions clearly, even to those seated far away. I think the best picture of those are the drama faces, the comedy tragedy masks used for theater. These masks helped the audience connect with the characters and appreciate the performance, regardless of where they were sitting.

Are you seeing the connection Jesus is making?... When Jesus uses the term hypocrite, it means that someone can teach something, and they can do the very thing that they taught, but it is all taking place with a mask on. When Jesus refers to a hypocrite, he is saying that person is putting on a performance to be seen by others.

- To Be Seen by Others

This behavior is not sitting right with Jesus, not one bit; and it shouldn’t sit well amongst his disciples. The reason people thought they were righteous, elite leaders was because they lived their lives as if they were genuine in all that they said and did. The declaration Jesus is making is that these people are making a show of their “holiness,” their “godliness,” a spectacle of “their love of God.” How?

- Giving With Trumpet

First, he points out the act of Giving. The Old Testament Law is chock full of caring for those in need: the widow, the hungry, the orphan, the poor. The problem is that those who were entrusted to be masters of the Law, the ones supposed to be setting the example, were committing these generous acts with extravagance, with pomp and “trumpet”, all to be seen and honored by people. (Example) I think today there is a huge temptation when we do something good and we wanna post about it online. If any one of you have done this in the last week, I am not aware of it, but I think there is a temptation to make it about us, to be seen by people.

- Praying With Too Much

What about prayer? Prayer was deeply embedded into the life of a Jew. Morning, Day, afternoon, evening, night, you would find the Jewish people praying. They had different prayers like the Qaddish, the Amidah, the 18 Blessings. For most, it was a standing prayer that you would pray wherever you were, and you would pray in private or with people. Jesus has no issue with this, where he has an issue is with those who “love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people.” They’re saying prayers as others do, but they will stand at a street corner and shout their prayers. They’ll say them loud, excessively, with glory and emotion to capture the attention and awe of the people.

- Fasting With Unattractive Faces

Third, he points out the act of fasting. The biblical definition of fasting is the abstaining from food and sometimes water. Richard Foster, in his book Celebration of Discipline, says that “Fasting is to remind us that we are sustained “by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4). Food does not sustain us; God sustains us.”[1]Jesus set the perfect example by fasting 40 days in the wilderness. Jesus tells the disciples: “Don’t be gloomy like the hypocrites. For they make their faces aphanizo(unattractive, disfigured, miserable or disheveled).” Just like the actors wearing a mask, the hypocrites were making it obvious that they were fasting, making themselves appear somber and holy so that people would appreciate their holiness and exalt them as truly spiritual leaders and lovers of God. In each case, what does Jesus say about their “pious” acts?

(4) Truly I Tell You, They Have Their Reward

- Shallow and Void

Jesus has been teaching about a kingdom with an upside-down paradigm of what the good life looks like. It’s selfless, it’s generous, it’s rooted in sacrificial love. The lesson here is that those leaders of the day were living shallow lives, because all they wanted was the praise of the people. They wanted recognition from their peers and they wanted to appear as prestigious, pure, zealous for God Jews. Jesus says they have gotten what they wanted and there’s nothing more for them. Michael Wilkins, in his NIV Commentary of Matthew, said that “Giving to the needy, praying, and fasting are valuable in developing our inner righteousness, and Jesus says quite simply, God will reward those who practice them sincerely before him. But, when they are done hypocritically for human approval, there will be no reward from God—only increasing self-[superiority].”[2]

(5) When You [Do This] In Secret, … Your Father Who Sees in Secret Will Reward You

There is a temptation to think that Jesus only means we are to lock ourselves in private, never share or be open about our faith. There is a temptation to think that we will always struggle with our motives and intentions so therefore why even try? For that, I lean on the teachings of Jesus. In Matthew 5:13-16, Jesus declares that we, his disciples, are the salt of the earth. We are the light of the world. We are the representatives of Christ who go out into the world and demonstrate his light, so that we point others to God, not to ourselves. But, the light that shines before others must first be kindled by God in our hearts. Jesus is emphasizing that the motives of disciples are to remain focused on God. Any good deed we do is to reflect our love for God and our love for People, not to seek personal gain or to be recognized for our good works. That’s why it is imperative we always are aware of why we do what we are doing.

- Why Do we Give

Giving to the poor for instance doesn’t have to be a special event. We give, be it donations, clothing, food, our time, as a moment where our gratitude for what God has done for us is shown in a moment of grace and giving towards someone else. Giving should flow from gratefulness and the message is that it should be done so discreetly, your hands don’t know what the other is doing.

- Why do we Fast

Similarly, fasting, while not commanded, is expected as a sign of our dependence on God. There’s a much longer conversation I wish I could have on this subject. I don’t stand before you as one who fasts often, but I’d like to get better at it. It’s about prioritizing spiritual nourishment over physical needs; a matter of disciplining our body, our flesh and bones, our very soul. As Jesus demonstrated, fasting is a way to remember that God, not food, sustains us. John Wesley noted that “fasting forever must be centered on God,” reinforcing our dependence on Him rather than on our desires or outcomes. When you do it, put oil on your head, wash your face, like don’t look depressed or make it obvious what you’re doing. God sees what you’re doing and he will reward you. He will support you. He will nourish you.

(6) A Word on Prayer

Lastly, a word on Prayer. At the center of the Sermon is this prayer Jesus tells his disciples to pray. Traditionally, we call it “the Lord’s Prayer” but I think it could also be called “the Disciple’s Prayer.” This is such a valuable gift of Jesus because it reflects genuine, heartfelt communication with God in a short model that is easy to follow and simple to practice. While similar prayers existed before Jesus, he is providing his disciples a model for authentic prayer. The essence of Jesus's message is that prayer should be sincere, not showy or formulaic because then it quickly leads to legalism and rote repetition. Now, there is nothing wrong with reciting a prayer. Take the Lord’s Prayer for example, it may be a part of your Sunday routine, but it has the ability to be a sincere prayer of your heart. However, that is your responsibility. It is the responsibility of the person praying to make sure that they have a sincere and authentic heart in prayer using the recited words.

When Jesus says, “Therefore, you should pray like this,” it’s an invitation to deepen our relationship with God, using simple, genuine words. What makes this prayer unique from all the different prayers of the day, is that it is marked by forgiveness—not just us asking God for forgivness, but that we would be forgiven as we forgive others. That is scandalous in the ears of a Jew. “We don’t have the power to forgive sins.” Ah, but that’s the mystery isn’t it? We are reflecting God's grace by how we forgive others. We are forgiven by the Father as we forgive others. There is no perfect prayer, perfect script of words you can recite over and over, that can change you on its own. It requires to accept the invitation of God, inter into deep relationship with him, and practice the love and mercy we have received with others. Jesus emphasizes that a heart transformed by God's righteousness will naturally express love, mercy, and compassion.

Conclusion

Your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Your Father knows the things you need before you ask him. Your Father who sees in secret will reward you. My friends, if I learned anything from this, is that I have a Father who sees me; who sees me when I try, who sees me when I fail, who knows my needs and is faithful. And, this is where I’ll be the first to confess: I am not perfect, I am prone to temptation. Every good thing I do I am temped to make it known, to be seen, to be highly thought of and respected. We all will experience that temptation at some point or another. However, this is where it is important to remind ourselves that we serve a gracious Christ. The Lord is faithful to always give us a way out when temptation comes. When it comes to giving, and you are feeling tempted to make your gift known, maybe don’t tell others about it. Maybe in your gift don’t put your name on it. Let that person be blessed by your gift and let God receive glory in that act. When it comes to fasting as you tried and practice it don’t tell anyone about it. Start small work your way big and if someone does ask you about it then open your heart and teach them what is fasting like and give God glory in that conversation. When it comes to prayer, maybe you are tempted to sound holy in your prayers before your family before friends before others. Well, if you are tempted, Jesus teaches us a very simple way, go find a private space to just be with the Lord. Find a quiet place that secret place and spend time with him. When you pray with others, focus on the Lord focus on your love for people focus on Jesus in every moment.

True righteousness is about the heart, that is Jesus message. When you give, when you pray, when you fast, in anything that you do, be sincere of heart by not focusing on the reward of this world, but by focusing on the reward that you have the eyes of Jesus on you. And that is your greatest reward. Amen? Let’s pray.

[1] Foster, Richard J.. Celebration of Discipline, Special Anniversary Edition: The Path to Spiritual Growth (p. 55). HarperOne. Kindle Edition. [2] Wilkins, Michael J. 2004. Matthew. The NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.