Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them

 

 "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 who 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, Matthew 5 - 7.  In yesterday's reading, 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."  As we begin chapter 6, we see Christ's Sermon on the Mount delve into the three most basic aspects of spiritual living:  charitable giving, prayer, and fasting.  My study Bible tells us that these three disciplines relate directly to God's righteousness.   

 

"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."  The original meaning of the word "hypocrite" was "actor" (the Greek word literally breaks down to mean "under"/hypo the "mask"/kritos, as in the ancient plays all actors wore masks to designate the character they were playing).  Hypocrites, my study Bible says, are play-actors practicing piety for show, desiring to please other people rather than pleasing God.  Wearing a mask of compassion, they are inwardly heartless.  Their reward is the applause of others (glory, or reputation) and nothing more.  

"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."  My study Bible remarks that God is not impressed with what others think of us, nor by what we think of ourselves.  Instead, God will reward good deeds when they are based on pure motives of the heart.

"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 miss the spirit of prayer.  That is, Jesus teaches us that prayer is an intimate and personal communion with God that, according to my study Bible, leads to the vision of His glory (1 Corinthians 2:9).  Hypocrisy effectively blocks out this communion and this vision.  True prayer does not consist of telling God what God already knows and then telling God what to do about it.  Neither is it appearing pious in front of others.  It is humble (go into your room) and personal (pray to your Father who is in the secret place).

"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."  To keep a sad countenance in order to show off fasting is simply an external display.  Fasting is an act of intimacy, in fact, in which the compassion of God outshines physical discomfort; we are aware we do this in the discipline of devotion and remembrance of God.  My study Bible says that fasting is for spiritual growth and the glory of God, not to be seen by those around us.  It is important also to note that fasting isn't just about abstinence of food, but the practice of self-denial in all areas of life in order to escape being controlled by passions.  St. John Chrysostom comments:  "What good is it if we abstain from eating birds and fish, but we bite and devour our brothers?"

What is it about hypocrisy that keeps us from having the relationship with God -- and our own spiritual truth and mission -- that Christ calls us to have?  This is the root and subject of so much of the gospel message of Christ.  We are invited into intimacy and communion with Creator, which is then extended into the world through that communion.  This is not possible with hypocrisy, with doing things to be seen by others, or to gain reputation, "glory," or in modern terms, social currency.  The important element here is that of mystery, in "secret," or rather that which is "hidden."  This word in Greek is κρυπτός/kryptos, which implies something which is concealed, "in the secret place" as Jesus phrases it, regarding both the place we go to pray and the place where the Father is, "who sees in secret" as well.  That secrecy or hiddenness becomes an important element in our spiritual life, because it is all about our inner world, the place of spiritual struggle, and the place which Christ asks us to open to His illumination and the light of God.  It is there where our communion with God must take place, where the hidden parts of ourselves may meet God.  Hypocrisy prevents this kind of intimate union.  Effectively, as Christ puts it, it places emphasis on the image we have before others and in the eyes of the world; this is called "glory" or reputation, and when we place all emphasis on how we appear before others we lose sight not only of who we are, but of who it is we are called to be in relationship to God.  Elsewhere, speaking of the hypocrisy of the leadership, Jesus will quote from Isaiah 29:13:  "These people draw near to Me with their mouth,/And honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me" (Matthew 15:8).  When social signaling becomes a substitution for that intimate, God-centered faith, then hypocrisy results.  This seems to be so even with the best of intentions.  It is for this reason that we fast as well:  fasting teaches us to strip away attachments, and to place our centered focus on this intimacy with God first.  We give away possessions and wealth to help others for the same purpose.  It is not only to do good for others or simply for the express purpose of "making a better world," but also for the deepening and emphasis upon our inner relationship with God.  The example of the chastising of the woman who anointed Christ, as told in John 12:1-8,  is one that illuminates this point well.  Judas Iscariot criticized her for wasting the expensive oil which could have been donated to the poor, but this was an act of pure hypocrisy on his part, and hers was an act of love and praise out of intimate relationship to God.  We can also look at the story of the rich young ruler, and see that Christ's teaching for him was not simply about doing good works for others through donation, but about separating him from his over-attachment to riches, so that he could then follow Christ and "be perfect" (Matthew 19:16-30).  Our over-emphasis on the external, on what can be seen by others, takes away our union with God, the true healing of the brokenness that Christ has come into the world as Incarnate Son to address, for which we are given the gospel message.  For it is in this union, which He perfectly manifests in Himself, that we find perfection and healing.  And anything that gets in the way of that, no matter how nominally or apparently "good" it might be, Christ is teaching us, is a falsehood and one that will lead us astray.  It is the place where we are so easily caught up in temptation and falsehood, and far away from God.  It is the hidden quality that Jesus also ascribes to the kingdom of heaven in so many of His parables, such as the Mustard Seed, and the Leaven, and the Treasure Hidden in the Field, or the entire quality of teaching in parables themselves, in which meanings are hidden to others, but available only for those with ears to hear (see Matthew 13).  In today's reading, Jesus teaches, "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them."  Then and now, charitable deeds are nominally good, but also offer what is, in modern parlance, called "virtue signalling."  It is this secret place, this hidden place of the Father who sees in secret, where we find the kingdom of heaven, and the gospel message of Jesus Christ.  A true good deed is based on pure motives of the heart (as my study Bible puts it) and it is there where we find God who is love, and teaches us truly how to love.