Your Father who is in the secret place

"Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.

"And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

"Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. for they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly."

- Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

Today's reading continues Jesus' great Sermon on the Mount. The Sermon began with The Beatitudes, and has continued through the readings Salt and Light, Till heaven and earth pass away, You shall not murder, If your right eye causes you to sin, and An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. We are being given a complete teaching on how we are to be Christ's disciples in this sermon; he is giving us every step, and illustrating every point of what it is to be 'love in action.' We continue today with teachings on alms-giving, prayer and fasting.

"Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven." My study bible notes, as we begin chapter 6 of Matthew's gospel, "In this chapter, Jesus calls us to practice three basic aspects of spiritual discipline, or righteousness: (1) charitable giving (vv. 1-4), (2) prayer (vv. 5-15), and (3) fasting (vv. 16-18). These three disciplines relate directly to uprightness in the sight of God." As I am following the daily office lectionary in the Book of Common prayer, today's readings have skipped verses 7-15, which includes Jesus' teaching of The Lord's Prayer, or the "Our Father." They will be in tomorrow's reading.

"Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward." My study bible notes, "The original meaning of the word 'hypocrite' was 'actor.' Hypocrites are play-actors practicing theatrical piety. They put on their show in synagogues and in the streets to please men, not God. Wearing masks of compassion, inwardly they are heartless. Their reward is the applause of men -- nothing more." I think this note is quite significant and gives us a good understanding of the situation of alms-giving. Haven't we all seen and heard in the news the stories of financiers who have made a tremendous career out of their reputation for alms-giving, only to find they are thieves and frauds? Our society is rife with such reality. Truly, the note says it properly, they have their reward, and it is merely for show, for the applause of men, and for the social standing it gives them in order to make more money themselves. I must admit to a great pleasure when I have made a small donation and it is publicly acknowledged. But Jesus' teaching takes us even more deeply into the understanding of relationship with Our Father than this. Jesus gives us to understand that spiritual reality is not merely about the surface of life in this world, how we appear before others. It is in a "secret place" - and that secret place also exists within us, and makes its bond and relationship there. If we ignore that dimension of life, the spiritual, and its interaction of relationship for us with Our Father, then we are ignoring what he is trying to teach here, and it's important rules for us to follow and to understand.

"Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly." Another note reads, "God is not impressed with what other people think of us, or even with our own opinion of ourselves. He sees who we really are, and He knows our motives as well as our deeds. Everything will be judged, and our good deeds will be rewarded openly." I cannot pretend, of course, to understand all the secret workings of God. But I can testify that in my life, I feel that I have been rewarded with help, through relationship and that which has been blessed by God for me. This is my feeling and my belief. I don't believe there is a formula to this (and so I don't wish to suggest that at all). Certainly the apostles, saints and martyrs did not live the lives of kings nor was Jesus' example suggestive of such a thing! If, indeed, we love only for material reward, then we don't love at all, and we do not have this relationship of love. But I do believe the words here, and I believe I have seen them at work in my life.

Furthermore, I'd like to suggest that "charitable deed' is much more than giving money. We also give our time, and ourselves, our energy. A charitable deed is an act of kindness, compassion, mercy. Does someone need a word of encouragement? Strength? A pat on the back? A smile? Someone to listen, or to tell them the truth? Just to know that a friend is there? Some time to themselves? So often, I find that it is essential that we remember that relationship is the real key to all of this Sermon with its teachings on what it is to practice love, to be love in action. And for that, we go to the heart of what it is to be created in God's image, as persons. Others around us are persons, not just objects for alms, nor even for pity. But love means we understand that we have needs for love as persons, and we can extend such kindness and courtesy and respect that is needed by others. We can also do this in secret. We can practice kindness. Giving, "charitable deeds," takes on so many more colors than the things for which we might be publicly recognized.

"And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly." A note reads, "The hypocrites miss the spirit of prayer, which involves an intimate, personal relationship with God and leads to the vision of His glory (1 Cor. 2:9). Hypocrisy blocks out both the relationship and the vision." It notes also that when we pray we are to be humble ("go into your room") and personal and intimate (pray to your Father). But again, our reading today emphasizes this personal, spiritual, hidden relationship that is in secret. I feel that this cannot be overemphasized. Our "good works" are not just the fabric of an institution in the world. There is much more to this, much more to the Church than its material structures that we see. Worship - and our instructions given here in the Sermon of how we are to be Jesus' disciples - is so much more than what we do, what shows. And here, this is what Jesus is teaching us. We are to remember this private place, this hidden personal space of intimate relationship with our Father. We know in Scripture Elisha's example in verse 33 of this passage. We must understand that spiritual reality is one that intersects our lives, intertwines within us - as "your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly."

"Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. for they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly." Another note reads as follows: "Keeping a sad countenance while fasting, so that everyone can see how one is suffering, is mere external display. Jesus rejects such hypocrisy. For the one who fasts, the compassion of God outshines physical discomfort: joy overshadows sorrow. ... And fasting is not merely abstaining from eating. Physical fasting works together with spiritual fasting, or self-denial: it is a liberation of the spirit from its voluntary enslavement to sinful passions. Fasting is for the glory of God, not to impress people around us." A lot of people do not necessarily practice any form of fasting, but we can all recall - no matter what our practice - that the purpose of fasting is learning discipline. From what do we need or seek to refrain? On what do we wish to refocus more importance, give greater priority in life? And again, then, on more than one level, we go back to this secret, hidden life of spirit. Lent is a time when we focus on that, we re-prioritize - we "make space" for that by Lenten practices. Jesus emphasizes once again this common theme in the whole of today's reading: what happens in secret will be rewarded openly. But whether we are in Lent or not, the whole substance of our faith, this basis of the relationship of Creator to creature, Our Father to ourselves, rests in substance in this secret, hidden, private place. So, we understand by Jesus' words that this "hidden" place where we pray, we give alms, we fast, is essential to our spiritual well-being. We are to cultivate an inner life of relationship to God. This is indispensable to our faith, and to recognize what takes place "in secret" and its spiritual reality is also essential to our faith.

Today I would like to extend my own recognition to the many people I have met doing charitable spiritual work in the world. They are far too many to name, so many that I am certain I would omit a name or two. I have been privileged to know many of those who work without recognition for all that they do - even those who are indeed well-known for their good works are not known for all that they do, the great bounty in their hearts that they find and cultivate in relationship to Creator, and through extension to others. And I include those I know only through the internet one way or another. In some ways, these passages today teach us so much more than I feel we often give them credit for. The saints live among us; they are the salt and light of the world, seeded in the midst of the world around us. I say thank you to each of you.