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

 "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.

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"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 is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly."

- Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

 We are currently reading through the Sermon on the Mount, which begins with the Beatitudes in Matthew chapter 5.  Yesterday we read that Jesus taught:  "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'  But I tell you not to resist an evil person.  But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.  If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.  And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.  Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.  You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'  But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.  For if you love those who love you, what reward have you?  Do not even the tax collectors do the same?  And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others?  Do not even the tax collectors do so?  Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."

"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."  In this section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus begins speaking about three basic aspects of active spiritual life:  charitable giving, prayer, and fasting.  These three disciplines, my study bible says relate directly to God's righteousness.  The original meaning of the Greek word hypocrite is actor:  from hypo means "under," and kritos which means "mask."  (In the ancient theater, actors wore masks for their characters.)   My study bible says that here, hypocrites are play-actors, practicing piety for show -- desiring to please other people rather than God.   They wear masks of compassion, but inwardly are heartless.  Their reward is the applause of men and no more; since what they seek is merely the glory of men, they have their reward.  But God is not impressed by what others think about us; neither is God impressed by what we think about ourselves.  My study bible says that God will reward good deeds when they are based on pure motives of the heart.  Once again, the fullness of this Sermon has been an emphasis on the inner condition that His type of faith brings as righteousness, and here that emphasis continues even in discussion of outward practices of faith.

"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."  The hypocrites, my study bible says, miss the spirit of prayer, which is an intimate and personal communion with God which leads to the vision of His glory (1 Corinthians 2:9).  Hypocrisy will block out this communication and this vision.  Again, those who pray merely to be seen by men already have their reward.  Christ's emphasis in prayer is on true communion of the heart, something hidden (secret) from others.

"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 is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly."  To keep a sad countenance is to show off one's fasting as a kind of external display.  To fast is to abstain from something in order to put God (and one's relationship with God) first.  My study bible says that for such a person, the compassion of God outshines physical discomfort, that fasting is for spiritual growth and the glory of God, not to be seen by those around us.  We should keep in mind that fasting does not simply indicate abstinence from food.  Fasting is about self-denial in all areas of life in order to be more detached and less driven by passions and impulses; that is, not to be merely controlled by such.   St. John Chrysostom writes, "What good is it if we abstain from eating birds and fish, but bite and devour our brothers?"

What are spiritual disciplines?  What are they for?  Who could argue with the practice of charity or almsgiving, prayer, or fasting?  But Christ invites us to think more deeply about what these things are for.  As spiritual discipline, the practice of charity is all about connecting the love of God with love of neighbor.  The two must go together.  So often people seem to separate these things, as if it is truly possible to love God but practice selfishness.  There is no righteousness without a true inward and outward component of how our faith works, how communion with God must work in us and in our lives.  Jesus makes it clear here just how we fail to make a life where both are operating:  by focusing on the reward we get "from men," that is from an audience, like an actor.  Do we do our works of charity for the rewards we receive from the world in recognition?  The same is true of other practices, like prayer and fasting.  Prayer is meant to strengthen and build the true communion of faith.  As we grow in what we know and understand of God, so our own understanding of ourselves must be shaped and grow.  We begin to call into question the things that make us smaller, so to speak, that limit us from being what God calls us to be, the things that diminish the image in which we're created.  Perhaps even more powerfully, we called toward something greater.  Prayer should take us into depths that expand us toward God, that help us cultivate wisdom, patience, meanings, and the varied expressions of love including care and responsibility.  To fast is to learn a type of self-mastery that says that we have some choice in what we do and how we act according to our own impulses.  Seeing what we think others have that we don't, we may feel, "I want that."  But turning to God gives us pause and interruption.  What's good for us? What's dignified?  What teaches us integrity?  As human beings, we are capable of such selfless and wise behavior, and fasting -- which is also possible in varied and many forms -- helps us to grow in that practice and understanding and to develop our lives accordingly.  Each of the disciplines, as taught by Christ, can work in a give and take with our inner lives, where a purity of the heart becomes not only a great benefit but facilitates who we are as human beings within the communion we have in the life of Christ.  To make our appearance to others, our "glory before men" the goal of almsgiving, prayer, or fasting is to remain those who already have their reward, and the emptiness that goes with it, where we truly miss the mark of spiritual life.  Jesus offers us real "life," the life in abundance that grows because we live in this communion that He emphasizes, wherein the state of the heart becomes the core of spiritual integrity.  How will you grow through the practices He offers us?