Just For Show

Do your righteousness for God to see you, not others.

Jesus illustrates his point with the examples of secret charity (Matthew 6:2-4), secret prayer (Matthew 6:5-15), and secret fasting (Matthew 6:16-18).

Righteousness when only God sees (Matthew 6:1)

Matthew 6:1 NIV

1 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

Some initial observations:

First, we must impress God alone

In all three examples Jesus warns his followers not be like the hypocrites. This term originally designated actors in the theater.

One of human greatest temptations is to act piously to get the praise of others. For instance, when some first-century Jewish leaders called a fast for unrighteous reasons, others feared not to observe it, so that no one would question their piety. Jesus reminds us that true devotion to God (piety) means impressing God alone–living our lives in the recognition that God knows every thought and deed, and it is his approval alone that matters.

Second, Jesus’ warning does not preclude public acts of righteousness

Public righteousness, even when carried out in the knowledge that such acts will draw attention, is not wrong so long as we seek to be seen for God’s glory rather than our own.

Matthew 5:16 NIV

16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

This text warns us, however, how easy it is to justify our own desire to impress others as “being a light.” Many people practice religion without paying attention to God, and this warns us to search our motives.

Third, Jesus demands practice, not just theory

Fourth, Jesus’s three examples are not exhaustive, so secrecy must apply to all acts of righteousness

Judaism often listed righteous works, sometimes in sets of three, but such lists were never more than random examples. We must apply Jesus’s principles to all our acts of righteousness.

Fifth, Jesus promises eternal reward for those who seek to please God rather than man

Jesus is saying that those who give charity to be admired by others, or pray and fast to people rather than to God, already have what they wanted: others’ approval. They will not be rewarded again for their deeds on the day of judgment.

Finally, Jesus defines true religion differently from the way many Christians do

If it is possible to pray, fast and give alms extensively and yet do it from wrong motives, we must reevaluate our religious values. We should pray, fast and serve the needy because we love God–not in order to convince anyone, including ourselves, that we do.

Doing Charity Secretly (vv. 2-4)

This paragraph assumes that disciples give to the poor; what it evaluates is how we give to the poor.

Matthew 6:2–4 NIV

2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Jesus emphasizes future reward for those who forgo present honor

Many of his contemporaries believed that charity delivers the giver from death and stores up treasure in heaven, Jesus likewise emphasizes heavenly reward for serving those in need.

Again the emphasis on on the motivation for the giving. Are we doing it so that others will see us? Do we make a big production out of giving to and helping the poor so that people will see that we are devoted to God?

True religion demands sufficient faith to settle for God’s approval, to do what pleases him no matter what others may think.

The Right Way to Pray (vv. 5-15)

Jesus emphasizes that we should not pray like the hypocrites, to be seen by others (v. 5); instead we should pray privately (v. 6). He also emphasizes that we should not pray like pagans, that is , Gentiles, expecting to manipulate an answer from their deities (v. 7); instead we should offer a simple prayer to our Father (vv. 8-13).

Matthew 6:5–8 NIV

5 “And 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 others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But 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. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Matthew 6:9–15 NIV

9 “This, then, is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’ 14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Pray in Secret (vv. 5-6)

Jewish people did not normally pray in the street, but Jesus again graphically reduces the questionable behavior to the absurd: one who craves notice so much that he arranges to find himself in the street during the regular daily prayer times.

Do Not Pray like the Pagans (vv. 7-8)

Jesus not only warns against the “hypocrites’” prayers that invite human rather than divine attention; he criticizes pagan prayers designed to manipulate the deities. Pagans piled up as many names of the deity they were entreating as possible, hoping at least one would be effective. Pagans also reminded a deity of favors owed, seeking an answer on contractual grounds.

Genuine faith grows out of a relationship with God and cannot be simulated by formulas, no matter how invested our culture becomes in instant products, academic cramming and lazy shortcuts to prosperity. We pray not because we think our prayers earn God’s favor, but as an expression o four trust in a Father who already knows our need and merely waits for us to express our dependence on him.

Fasting Secretly (vv. 16-18)

Matthew 6:16–18 NIV

16 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Fasting is a time of drawing close to God by demonstrating our commitment to him. Normally coupled with prayer in the New Testament. Many Pharisees may have fasted twice a week as a mark of piety.

Again the emphasis here is on the motivation for fasting. Are you fasting so that people will see how righteous you are? I think that Jesus is offering these warnings so that we will guard our own motives before God. If we want our credit with God, we need to be satisfied that he alone knows, for we can trust that his reward will be more that adequate.

Conclusion

Why do you do the good works that you do?

Is it so others will see you and praise you? Jesus is warning us here if that is your motivation then you have received all the praise you are going to get.

Our righteousness needs to exceed that of the hypocrites.

Our motivation for living righteously must be founded in pleasing God and him alone.