Giving, Fasting, and Praying

Be Humble:

There is perhaps no other Holy Day in the Christian Calendar like Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday is a time for deep introspection. It is a time when we are forced to reckon with our finitude and mortality. The ashes remind us that from dust we were created and to dust we will return. It’s a time for us to check our pride and self-righteousness at the door. In the words of a famous rapper Kendrick Lamar, it’s a time for us to “sit down, be humble.”

Pride in Humility

But even humility can be a source of pride, an idol, or a false god. Our Gospel reading this evening points out the flaw in human nature. We can take good things, even very good things, and taint them simply by making them about ourselves.

One would think that somehow two thousand years after Christ's death and resurrection we would have progressed. That possibly, we would have changed. However, the only thing that has changed over time is a move further away from God. We are still just as self-motivated as the Pharisees in Jesus' time, yet we no longer see the need to pretend that our acts of devotion are for anyone other than ourselves.

A Secular Age

Catholic Philosopher Charles Taylor defined this new world we live in as A Secular Age. He said in his book of the same name, “the change I want to define and trace is one which takes us from a society in which it was virtually impossible not to believe in God, to one in which faith, even for the staunchest believer, is one human possibility among others."

Faith in God has been culturally replaced by a multitude of possibilities, all stemming from one source, self-justification. You can see now why Jesus warns the disciples of the cancer that is self-righteousness.

David Zahl wrote in his book Seculoisty, "religion in real life is more than a filter or paradigm. It is what we lean on to tell us we’re okay, that our lives matter, another name for all the ladders we spend our days climbing toward a dream of wholeness. It refers to our preferred guilt-management system. Our small-r religion is the justifying story of our life. Ritual and community and all the other stuff come second."

The Millenial generation has taken this idea and run with it. Gen-Xers used the term "self-help" as a way of coping with the world around them. Millennials, my people, have taken it a step further coining the term "Self-Care" not as a way of coping but as a glorified way of living.

The God of Self-Care

According to an article written by Moira Lawler for Everyday Health "Self-care means taking care of yourself so that you can be healthy, you can be well, you can do your job, you can help and care for others, and you can do all the things you need to and want to accomplish in a day." The keyword in the quote is You!

We now have life coaches and public speakers who promote this ideology. We have taken the essence of Fasting, Praying, and Giving and stripped them of their religious association. We have turned good things into secular rites of passage. We no longer have to announce with trumpets in synagogues our grand works instead, we boast daily via social media. Look how much I worked out today, check out this healthy meal I made, or I just bought a water bottle that will help save the planet.

We are no different than the Pharisees in Jesus' time. Our heart seeks affirmation from others, in an attempt to glorify ourselves.

The Preacher, the writer of Ecclesiastes, wrote

Ecclesiastes 1:9 ESV

What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.

Gospel of Matthew Chapter 6

This passage from Matthew 6 is just as applicable today as it would have been in Jesus' time. Our forms of self-righteousness look a little different, but their aim is the same... The deification of self.

Christ takes three things that were understood as signs of true religious piety; giving, praying, and fasting, and subverts the cultural understanding of them. He asks the disciples to look behind their actions, behind their motives, and into their very hearts. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

These three signs of devotion still stand today but must be done differently. They must not be done to justify ourselves but rather to glorify God. If we are to be the salt and the light of the earth, our focus must be on nothing less than Christ the ultimate treasure.

This evening, we will take a brief look at each of these three religious observances. Giving, Fasting, and Praying. As we begin the season of lent it is important to ask ourselves these three questions.

1) Are we observing acts of righteousness at all?

2) What is the motivation behind our acts of righteousness?

3) What is the source of our treasure?

Let’s start with a look at Matthew 6:1

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.

Practicing Righteousness

Note that Jesus does not tell us to stop practicing (or doing) acts of righteousness, but rather to beware of our actions and intentions. If our motive is to be seen or noticed, then our heart is not set on God but rather on ourselves. Also, there is a lack of reward from the Father in heaven.

Matthew 6:2 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.

When you give assumes that giving will be a natural and frequent occurrence of the Christian life. In fact, this very good act is instructed by Christ throughout the Gospels. The difference is how. The hypocrite wants their gift to be seen, they want their actions to be acknowledged. They need the affirmation of others so that they feel justified in their actions.

What is biblical hypocrisy?

Many of us have a very western idea of what a hypocrite is. We think it is simply one person who says one thing and then does another. The actual meaning is more complex.

Hypocrite—one who puts on a mask and feigns himself to be what he is not; a dissembler in religion. Our Lord severely rebuked the scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy (Matt. 6:2, 5, 16). “The hypocrite’s hope shall perish” (Job 8:13). The Hebrew word here rendered “hypocrite” rather means the “godless” or “profane,” as it is rendered in Jer. 23:11, i.e., polluted with crimes.

What Jesus is saying is that the very actions of those who seek to be praised by others are in fact godless. It’s godless because its intent is not to bring glory to God, but rather to oneself. Their reward is the praise that comes here on earth. Yet that praise is not forever, it is fleeting as we will see in a moment.

How then shall we give?

Matthew 6:3–4 (ESV)

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.

Give in secret. Literally, hide the intention of your giving from yourself so you have no reason to boast. God the Father sees the secret giving and rewards those who do not seek earthly pomp.

Why?

Because God knows the secret motives of our actions. He sees behind the deed and knows the motive itself.

Paul writes this is in:

Romans 2:16 (ESV)

on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.

and again in

1 Corinthians 4:5 (ESV)

Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.

The Lord knows the desire of our hearts. He knows if we are seeking Glory for ourselves or for him. Our giving should be done without acclaim so that the swelling idol of pride has no ability to take over.

What about 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.

Fasting is the often neglected form of piety. In fact, our culture has completely secularized fasting. Have you ever heard of intermittent fasting?

What was once intended to strip us bare and draw us closer to God by necessity has become another way to make us feel better about ourselves.

The Christian must fast by abstaining and replacing. The intention is to draw us closer to God. We replace food, comfort, entertainment, or desire with the spiritual food of the word. As Christ said, Man cannot live on bread alone but by every word of God. We too need to realize this, and yet sadly we often neglect this practice.

Abraham Kuyper, the Dutch Prime Minister in the early 1900s, wrote this “Unhesitatingly we recommend fasting for the Christians of today. In fact, we are inclined to say that there is more reason for fasting in our day than ever before. Corrupted human nature yearns for luxury, and tends to become more corrupt as wealth and luxury increase. God knows that we cannot well be checked except by burdens and sorrows. And He himself has suggested fasting, by means of which we may guard against the unspiritual influence of ease and luxury.”

Yet hypocrites feel the need to let the world know of their fasting. They desire to be seen by literally making their face look gloomy. In our modern context, we let the world know of our enoughness by sharing our fasting success story on Facebook or Instagram.

Yet Christ calls us to fast to ourselves, in secret.

But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others

He tells us that no one should know… Our fasting should be between us and God.

What about prayer?

Jesus reserves most of his thoughts on Prayer, even giving us what we know as the Lord’s Prayer as a template to follow.

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.

Again, when you pray go into your room and shut the door. This is not saying that Prayers have to be done only privately, even Christ prayed before people, but rather that the direction of our prayers should be between two parties only. Our prayer should be toward our Father and not toward the world. We can pray for the world, but not to the world.

The hypocrite's desire was for their prayer to not only be heard but to be affirmed. They sought affirmation from the culture, rather than God. Their lengthy prayers were more for themselves than for others.

What is the true nature of our prayer?

What is the true nature of our fasting?

What is the true nature of our giving?

The summary of all three of these questions is this.

What God are we serving?

Pastor and Theologian, Peter Leithart, wrote this about this passage “The central underlying question about these secret practices of righteousness is the question of what God we are serving. Who is watching us, which is to say, who is our judge? What kind of God is it that we are serving when we give alms, when we pray, when we fast? Jesus highlights this point by repeating the name “Father” ten times in the first 18 verses of this passage. We give alms not before men but before our Father; we pray not to an indifferent deity who has to be bribed to respond, but to our Father; we fast not before men but before our Father. And the way we do these things is all determined by the God we are serving.”

Our fasting, giving, and praying is a by-product of the God we are serving.

If we are serving the culture it will look like the culture. If we are serving ourselves it will look like ourselves. If we are serving Christ it will look like Christ, who sought no glory other than the glory of the Cross.

He came not to force us to follow him, but to save us from ourselves. His righteous act of sacrifice was the ultimate form of humility. He died not seeking his glory, but rather to bring us ours. That is why he is worthy of all honor.

Revelation 5:12 ESV

saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”

What is the source of our treasure?

The question then becomes, what is the source of our Treasure?

Matthew 6:19–21 ESV

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The last few verses indicate to us that treasure on earth is fleeting. Moth and rust destroy, and thieves break in and steal. If we seek affirmation here on earth it is only as good as those who are currently here on earth. It is not eternal! It also is like mist, it changes with the tides of acceptance.

Yet heavenly treasures are infinite. It will not fade or pass away. It awaits us in the celestial city of God.

Is Christ your treasure?

All other things will pass away, but Christ and His Righteousness are the same yesterday, today, and forever. And so I encourage you to set Christ as your treasure. If he is your treasure you will be content without acclaim, fame, fortune, notoriety, or success because his glory far outweighs the temporal and unsatisfying glory of this earth.

Paul stated in 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:10

2 Corinthians 5:20–6:10 ESV

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.

We are ambassadors of Christ. As ambassadors, we must follow John the Baptist’s lead. We must decrease so He may increase. We are working with Him!

So as servants of God I implore you to endure.

Give passionately

Fast fervently

Pray without ceasing.

Never forget your treasure.

You do not give, fast, or pray for your own glory. Nor do you do these things to receive Jesus’ love and affection.

Rather you are doing these things with Him and through Him, the treasure of all who believe.

And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

So give, fast, and pray. Seeking first his kingdom and righteousness, because he is worthy!