Personal Righteousness

Introduction:

AG: A popular song a couple of years ago had a chorus which I think the religious people of the 1st century would have embraced. Its moving lyrics go,

Now watch me

Ooh watch me, watch me Ooh watch me, watch me Ooh watch me, watch me Ooh ooh ooh ooh

Ooh watch me, watch me Ooh watch me, watch me Ooh watch me, watch me Ooh ooh ooh ooh

TS: Jesus has concluded the section of His sermon in which he contrasted their oral traditions with God’s righteousness. Now He challenges them about their motivations.

Evidently, the religious people of Jesus’ day were used to living to be noticed.

They did all they could to get attention. Their faith was a “watch me” faith. They lived piously in an effort to be noticed to be living piously.

Jesus addresses 3 specific areas in which we should practice our righteousness privately and/or anonymously. The contrast was the current religions emphasis to practice their faith to be noticed by others.

Righteousness to be seen

Jesus warned against hypocrisy and outward show in religious duties. What we do, must be done from an inward principle, that we may be approved of God, not that we may be praised of men.

‘Verse 1 of chapter 6 sets the stage for this section:

Matthew 6:1 ESV

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

Notice, Jesus didn’t say keep your faith private.

Some overreact to this issue by saying faith is private and should never be seen.

That would violate: Mt 5:16

Matthew 5:16 ESV

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

What does Jesus say to us here?

Don’t

“practice your righteousness in front of others TO BE SEEN BY THEM”

He also warns that they will have no reward

This is counterintuitive to human reasoning

Most religions operate the exact opposite way

It usually goes like this:

God is angry

Work really hard to undo the bad you have done

God accepts your hard work and rewards you

Eternal life, material blessings, etc.

That is NOT the faith of the Bible!

In fact, what does Jesus say, look again

Matthew 6:1 ESV

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

If you work to be seen by others, you get NO reward.

Motives matter!

Later, He will say, “they have their reward.”

Essentially, if you work to be seen living righteously, the fact that someone notices is the only reward you get. It is of NO true spiritual value.

Later, Jesus will expand on this idea:

Mark 12:38–40 ESV

And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

Matthew 23:27–28 ESV

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

After warning us about practicing our righteousness to be noticed by others, He goes on to give some specific and practical examples of ….

Righteousness for the glory of God

Christ discusses 3 specific examples here:

helping the poor

prayer

fasting

All of these are to be worship rendered to God, never displays of self-righteousness to impress others.

Judiasim had grown to be a performance-oriented “works righteousness.”

Jesus called God Father.

He is driving home the point that we are in a relationship not a performance.

Meeting Needs

Matthew 6:2–4 ESV

“Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not 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.

Jesus addresses the act of mercifully giving to the needy.

It was above and beyond the required tithes of the law

It was a good deed, BUT they messed it up!

They called attention to themselves and did it to be seen.

Jesus warns:

DO NOT announce your giving

When about to give to the needy, don’t make a big fuss, talk loudly and call attention to the act.

DO: give secretly

Don’t let your right hand know what your left is doing.

Give to meet a need and for the glory of God

If that is our motive, it doesn’t matter if ANYONE knows we are giving

Chris Hogan, a Ramsey personality, recently wrote a book called Everyday Millionaires. His researched noticed that this room may very well have millionaires in it. If the value of what you own minus what you owe = 1 mil, you are a millionaire. Most millionaires walk among us without sounding trumpets and showing off.

They are that way in their giving as well. Approximately 91% of high net worth households (millionaires) give to charity. On average, high net worth donors gave $25,509 to charity in 2015. By comparison, general population households gave $2,520 on average.

Give to bless others and for God’s glory, not for fame or acclaim.

Praying

Matthew 6:5–6 ESV

“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

DO NOT:

Pray openly to be seen by others.

If noticed, there is your reward.

DO:

Go into your room

Shut the door

Pray

In secret

To be heard by God

Payer should not be limited to only when someone else can hear you.

God hears, and that is the only one who counts

Prayer is so important, Paul will later advise the church in Thessalonica to pray with out ceasing.

Jesus’ point is to pray to God, for Him alone to hear.

Pray for His glory, not to be noticed by others.

This does not outlaw corporate prayer. It prohibits praying in public to be heard and noticed by others.

Acts 1:14, Acts 12:12-17

Acts 1:14 ESV

All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

Acts 12:12–17 ESV

When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. Recognizing Peter’s voice, in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate. They said to her, “You are out of your mind.” But she kept insisting that it was so, and they kept saying, “It is his angel!” But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed. But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Tell these things to James and to the brothers.” Then he departed and went to another place.

Fasting

Matthew 6:16–18 ESV

“And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

DO NOT. Look gloomy

Don’t disfigure your face.

Don’t hold your poor hurting and hollow stomach

In other words, don’t make a big show of it for others.

DO

Fast

Go about your day with nobody noticing any difference

Wash your face

Shave, comb hair, etc.

Be subtle

You and God know you are fasting. .. and that is all that matters.

Conclusion:

Jesus still calls us to live righteously.

The focus of today’s passage isn’t the specific actions as much as it is the motivation.

We live righteously in an act of worship and or God’s glory.

We DO NOT do any righteous act to be notice by men.