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

 

 "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.  And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do.  For they think that they will be heard for their many words.  Therefore do not be like them.  For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.  

"In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven,

Hallowed be Your name.

Your kingdom come.

Your will be done

On earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread. 

And forgive us our debts,

As we forgive our debtors.

And do not lead us into temptation,

But deliver us from the evil one.

For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. 

Amen. 

"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.  

"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."

 

- Matthew 6:1-16 

 

This week we have been reading through the Sermon on the Mount, in preparation for Lent, which begins next week.  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 hi 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."  Today we begin chapter 6 of St. Matthew's Gospel.  In this section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus presents what my study Bible says are the three most basic aspects of spiritual living:  charitable giving; prayer; and fasting.  These three disciples relate directly to God's righteousness, the righteousness of the Kingdom.  The original meaning of "hypocrite" was "actor" (meaning "below the mask," as in the masks worn by actors in the ancient plays).  Hypocrites, my study Bible comments, are play-actors practicing piety for show; those who wish to please other people rather than God.  These are people who wear masks of compassion, but are inwardly heartless.  Their reward is the applause of other people 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 says that God is not impressed with what others think of us, nor by what we think of ourselves.  God will reward good deeds when they're based upon 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.  And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do.  For they think that they will be heard for their many words.  Therefore do not be like them.  For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him."   The hypocrites miss the spirit of prayer, my study Bible says, which is an intimate and personal communion with God that leads to the vision of God's glory (1 Corinthians 2:9).  Hypocrisy blocks out this communion and this vision.  Vain repetitions don't establish such communion, as God doesn't need "babble."  To participate in this communion, both silence and words are necessary.  So, therefore we pray always (Luke 18:1), and without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).  Christ isn't condemning the use of many words per se, my study Bible says, but rather is teaching that words must express the desire for communion with God.  In today's reading, He gives us specific words to repeat (the Lord's Prayer, or the Our Father).  It's not repetition itself that is condemned, but rather vain repetition.  Many psalms, prayers, and hymns of the Church have been repeated for countless generations in the worship of God "in spirit and truth" (John 4:23).   True prayer, then, is not telling God what God already knows, and then telling God what to do about it.  Nor is it all about appearing pious before other people.  True prayer is first of all, humble (go into your room).  It is personal (pray to your Father), and also sincere (do not use vain repetitions).

 

 "In this manner, therefore, pray:  Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.  Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."  My study Bible explains that the Father-Son relationships within the Holy Trinity reveals our own potential relationship with God.  Christ, who is the Son of God, grants us this privilege of calling God Our Father by the grace of adoption (Galatians 4:4-7).  As a "son of God" (regardless of human gender) a Christian is called to love, trust, and serve God as Christ does the Father.  We should also take note that God is not our Father just because we were created by God.  This Fatherhood is for those who are in a saving and personal relationship with God, which is a communion that only comes by the grace of adoption (see John 1:13; Romans 8:14-16).  

"Give us this day our daily bread."  My study Bible explains to us that daily is a misleading translation of a Greek word ἐπιούσιος/epiousios which means literally "above the essence," or "supersubstantial."  The expression daily bread is therefore something that's not just a request for bread for the present day, for earthly nourishment.  This is a plea regarding the bread for the eternal day of the Kingdom of God, for the nourishment of our immortal soul.  This living, supersubstantial bread is nothing less than Christ Himself. 

"And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."  The request to be forgiven here is plural; it is therefore directing us to pray always for the forgiveness of others.  Debts refers to spiritual debts.

"And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."  God does not tempt anyone to sin (James 1:13); rather, temptations are from the evil one. That is, from the devil.  My study Bible describes temptations as that which are aimed at the soul's giving in to the sinful passions of the flesh (Romans 7:5).  No one lives without encountering temptations, it notes, but we pray that great temptations -- that is, tests which are beyond what we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13) -- should not come to us.  

"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."  Christ here insists on mutual forgiveness between people as a precondition of God's forgiveness, my study Bible comments.  Those who do not forgive are not forgiven.  This is a teaching which Jesus repeats in the parable of the unforgiving servant (Matthew 18:21-35), which Jesus concludes with the same teaching. 

"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."  To keep a sad countenance as a show of one's fasting is a kind of external display, but one which Jesus rejects as hypocrisy.  My study Bible comments that, for the one who fasts, the compassion of God outshines the physical discomfort.  Fasting, it says, is for spiritual growth and the glory of God, not done in order to be seen by others around us.  Also, we must keep in mind that fasting is not just about abstinence from food, but it's all about self-denial in any area of life in order to escape being controlled by our passions.  An Orthodox hymn sung on the eve of Great Lent declares, "Let us abstain from passions as we abstain from food."   St. John Chrysostom has written, "What good is it if we abstain from eating birds and fish, but bite and devour our brothers?"

 

There are several aspects of self-denial we might want to focus on as we enter into the Lenten period.  For the Orthodox family of Churches, Lent begins on Monday.  For Western Churches, it begins on Wednesday.   Lent has historically been a period of abstinence and resisting temptation, echoed and patterned after Christ's forty days in the wilderness fasting and resisting the temptations of the devil (see Matthew 4:1-11).  Traditionally Lent was a time of abstinence and withdrawal.  In a sense, fasting is a period in which we refrain from ostentatious meals and time spent in pursuit of ingredients and preparation.  We're given to a kind of period of rest in which we refrain from some normal activities in order to focus more fully on our relationship to God. Thus, we develop the practice of almsgiving at this time, and of more time in prayer and study of our faith.  We both abstain and withdraw.  It's a way to practice the discipline of saying "No" to temptations, and at the same time to become more contemplative in pursuit of our faith and participation in that personal relationship with God that prayer is all about, as my study Bible commented.  We might consider refraining from social media for a time, or even the use of our cell phones, in a modern example of how we might decide to make forms of self-denial for Lent that open up more room for God, clear a space in our lives to focus on faith.  Historical practices of fasting in the Church focus essentially on a vegan diet; that is, one that does not consume animal products.  As Lent in some way reflects our earliest ancestor's expulsion from the Garden of Eden, so this is a time in which we seek to draw closer to God, to pursue restoration of our communion with God, and to make a concerted effort against our own sin, resisting our own passions, for of such consisted our separation from God in the first place.  These practices of discipleship are all meant to help to restore communion with God, and they are given to us by Jesus Christ who is Himself "the author and finisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2), who made possible our communion with God and adoption as sons (read "heirs") of God.  To understand abstinence in this sense of shoring up faith, seeking to restore communion, and to do the true spiritual battle of resisting our own temptations, is to stand in good stead with Christ's teachings in today's reading.  All of these things are meant to draw us into closer communion with God, more true reliance upon Christ, and to illuminate the ways God would ask us to change, even the temptations we aren't quite aware of in ourselves.  For as disciples we are called to grow, and blessed with the grace of Christ and the Holy Spirit to help us to know that path to a deeper communion -- even union -- with God.  Let us put His teachings into practice, and see where and how, and even the surprising places, they lead us.   Let us also consider the "hidden" nature of the practices Jesus advises, that this is a period where we withdraw from showing off our faith.  He tells us to do our praying, almsgiving and fasting in secret, and seek the reward our Father who is in the secret place, and who sees in secret gives us.  For this, too, is an essential part of growing in that communion, and resisting temptation. 

 

 

 

 

 

You shall not be like the hypocrites

 

 "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 

 

In recent readings, we have been going through the Sermon on the Mount.  On Saturday, 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."   The Sermon on the Mount covers chapters 5 through 7 of St. Matthew's Gospel.  We have just completed the readings in chapter 5.  In this chapter, my study Bible summarizes, Jesus presents the three most basic aspects of spiritual living.  The first of these is charitable giving (verses 1-4).  The second aspect Jesus offers us is prayer (verses 5-15); and the third is fasting (verses 16-18).  It notes 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."  My study Bible tells us that the original meaning of "hypocrite" was "actor."   It literally means "below the mask" as in the masks of attitude or character worn in the ancient plays.  So it denotes a two-faced behavior.  My study Bible says that hypocrites are actors practicing piety for show, who desire to please other people rather than God.  Some wear masks of compassion, who inwardly are heartless.  Their reward is the applause of people 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 comments that god is not impressed with what others think of us, nor by what we think of ourselves.  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 spirit of prayer is not understood by the hypocrites who live to be seen by others.  My study Bible describes prayer is an intimate, personal communion with God that leads to the vision of God's glory (1 Corinthians 2:9).  Hypocrisy acts as a block to this communion and vision.  Moreover, my study Bible says that true prayer is not telling God what God already knows, and then telling God what to do about it, nor is it appearing pious before others.  True prayer is humble (go into your room) and personal (pray to your Father).  In tomorrow's reading, Jesus continues His teaching regarding prayer.  

"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."  This is addressing the historical practices of fasting common to Jews and then to the Church, especially during the period of Lent.  To keep a sad countenance at such a time is to show off one's fasting, as a kind of external display for others.  Jesus rejects this form of hypocrisy also.  My study Bible says that for the one who fasts, the compassion of God outshines the physical discomfort.  During the fasting seasons of the Church the hymns call for the faithful to wash and anoint their faces (in the Orthodox Church there is no Ash Wednesday).  Fasting, my study Bible adds, is for spiritual growth and the glory of God, not to be seen by those around us.  Let us recall also how Christ Himself prescribed fasting and prayer as going together (Matthew 17:21).  

The emphasis in today's reading, with all of these warnings against hypocrisy, is actually on sincerity.  This seems to be the deep intention of so many of Christ's teachings that we have read so far in the Sermon on the Mount.  If we start from the beginning, in the Beatitudes, Jesus teaches us, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" (Matthew 5:8).  What else does purity of heart indicate to us but deep, true sincerity -- from the deepest part of ourselves to the most outward?  Many of us may find ourselves in circumstances where we feel we have to wear some sort of a mask -- that may mean times when we need to be polite to people who may have offended in some way, and we want to avoid a clash.  But this is not the type of hypocrisy Jesus warns about, nor is telling everyone else what is wrong with them the type of sincerity He asks for.  Jesus speaks intentionally about wearing a mask without touching the heart, without opening up to a capacity for repentance, and in short -- without seeking God's help to grow in purity of heart ourselves.  All of these practices He names in today's reading are antidotes against the hypocrisy that blocks out a closer relationship to God and estranges us from our own inner lives and making the kinds of changes God would ask of us.  We pray in secret and hold fast to that place where our Father who is in the secret place can better become a part of our lives and the way we live, instead of the surface appearances of life alone.  We give alms in secret so that we focus on the inner awareness of our capacity for giving -- and our resilience and freedom that builds up in so doing.  We practice fasting to both learn discipline and also to "remember God."  Our own capacity for sacrifice again builds up resilience, teaches us that we are capable of more challenges than we thought we were, and gives us the freedom to understand the joy in so doing, that is, as my study Bible says, accompanied by the compassion of God.  Each of the things Jesus names teaches us sincerity, and helps to build our integrity.  When we do these things in secret, and not to be seen, we begin to be cognizant of their effects and a deepening sense of closeness to God that draws out our inner lives and deepens our awareness.  In so doing we become more capable of developing the fruit of the Spirit, especially when we give ourselves a break from an intense outward focus that is consumed with the impression we make upon others.  Jesus gives us the tools to develop the kind of sincerity that is necessary for true spiritual benefits, including drawing closer to Him.  When we become aware of our inner lives, we also become more capable of feeding that life with what we need - focusing on a truly nurturing life that builds up spiritual strength, expands our capacity for the gifts of the Spirit and God's real blessings, and entering more truly into communion with the Lord and all that lives to Him (Luke 20:38).  Let us continue in His way to discover all that He holds for us in the journey of faith, as He teaches us.  

 

 

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

"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

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, Jesus will present the three most basic aspects of spiritual living, which are charitable giving, prayer, and fasting.  These three disciplines relate directly to God's righteousness, my study Bible tells us.  In today's lectionary reading, we are given the teachings on charitable living and on fasting.  Here Christ focuses on charitable deeds.

"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."   The original meaning of the word "hypocrite" was "actor" (meaning "under the mask" as ancient actors wore masks to denote character).  My study Bible says that hypocrites are play-actors practicing piety for show, who desire to please other people rather than God.  This is glory from men.  These hypocrites wear masks of compassion, but inwardly they are heartless.  Their reward is the applause of people and nothing more.  In ancient times, a trumpet would be used as an aid to an announcement, a part of publicity, calling people's attention.

"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."  My study Bible comments that God is not impressed with what others think of us, nor by what we think of ourselves.  It notes that God will reward good deeds when they are based on pure motives of the 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."  Hypocrites miss the spirit of prayer, which my study Bible says describes as an intimate, personal communion with God that leads to a vision of God's glory (1 Corinthians 2:9).   Hypocrisy blocks out this communion and this vision.   True prayer, my study Bible notes, is not telling God what God already knows and then telling God what to do about it,  and it's not appearing pious in front of other people.   Jesus emphasizes here the humble (go into your room) and the personal (pray to your Father).

"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 one's fasting is yet another mere external display.  Again, Jesus rejects this type of hypocrisy.  My study Bible comments that, for the person who fasts, the compassion of God outshines physical discomfort.  In the fasting seasons of the Church, Orthodox hymn call the faithful to wash and anoint their faces (there is no Ash Wednesday in the Eastern Churches).  Fasting is for spiritual growth and the glory of God, and not done to be seen by those who are around us.  Fasting is a spiritual discipline, and is not meant simply to mean abstinence from food.  The practice of self-denial is meant to work in all areas of life where it is beneficial in order to escape being controlled by passions.  St. John Chrysostom writes, "What good is it if we abstain from eating birds and fish, but bite and devour our brothers?"

It has been said that humility is the key to all of the virtues of Christian spiritual discipline.  It's important that we examine Christ's recommendations here and note that humility forms the bedrock of everything He is teaching.  To be a hypocrite (and in the ancient sense of the word, an actor wearing a mask to denote character) is to lack humility in that one seeks recognition from others as the main purpose and goal of whatever charitable or "good" act one is "performing."  But really the problematic nature of the lack of humility in the things Jesus describes in today's reading goes much deeper.  This kind of hypocrisy can reflect a deep insecurity, which is sought to be covered up and ameliorated through external achievement and recognition.  In that context, it can reflect a lack of depth and of self-knowledge.  For Christian spirituality, and the whole history of monasticism, a lack of self-knowledge is a basic stumbling block to coming closer to God and to following Jesus Christ.  If we have no self-knowledge, how can we correct the things we need to change in order to be more "like Christ," to come closer to the things He teaches that He wants to see from us?  If we don't understand, for example, an impulse for selfishness in one dimension or another, or that our need for excess money (for example) is driven by a deep insecurity or trauma, how can we come to see that reliance upon God to a deeper level in our hearts can begin to correct and to heal that?  It takes humility to come to terms with the things we might be threatened with embarrassment about, our perceived or feared shortcomings.  One way to cope with such shortcomings, or the insecurities that lead to our own desire not to know ourselves more deeply, is to inflate our sense of ourselves -- and this is often done through acts meant to impress others and which leave God out of the picture.  This is the greatest obstacle to wholeness and healing, for it is in meeting God that we find the love that allows us to look at our own flaws without hatred.  It is God who can give us a sense of the patience of a truly loving parent who knows us more deeply than any human being can know us -- and who also knows the steps we need to take in order to heal and realize this love, and to become more "like" our Creator ourselves.  All of these things are dependent first upon humility; that is, humility before God first, and from that we're to learn how God wants us to live and interact with the world, with neighbor.  Humility is often mistaken and misunderstood for a kind of groveling subservience to other people, but that's not what humility means at all.  In fact, that can also be another form of hypocrisy, a mask, a way to make an impression or manipulate.  Humility must instead convey to us a relationship with God, and precisely the one my study Bible describes as the one appropriate to prayer:  sincere and intimate, intensely personal, one that seeks to truly know God -- for in so doing, we will find ourselves.  Perhaps the greatest fear of God is really the fear of knowing and seeing ourselves as God sees us, with everything else stripped away.  In modern parlance, people often speak disparagingly of "virtue signaling," meaning hypocrisy in deeds meant to convey one's compassion or morality.  So let us consider what my study Bible tells us, that we don't need to impress God by what others think of us.  We need sincerity, intimacy, and personal time with the God who loves us, a kind of honesty that denotes purity.  That is, where we can come to know our own hearts, and cooperate with God's grace in finding the way for that heart to be the same from the inside to the outside, correcting the blemishes or flaws that keep us from being healed.  It is always time for this kind of prayer and this kind of life, for this is what God seeks for us.  This is what it means to go forward in the spiritual life.  Note that this pattern is meant to be established in us in terms of our charitable works, our prayer, and practice of fasting, for Christ's teachings are all in all, from the inside to the outside, with nothing left out.  It is in that secret place we find our meanings and substance for everything else. 

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."

* * * 

"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.

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

 "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

On Saturday 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 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 move into this next chapter of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus here starts to address the three most basic aspects of spiritual living:  charitable giving, prayer, and fasting.  These three disciplines, my study bible says, relate directly to God's righteousness -- the righteousness of the kingdom of 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."   The word hypocrite originally meant actor.  It literally means (in Greek) "under a mask" as in the ancient theater players wore masks to indicate the character they portrayed.  My study bible says that hypocrites are play-actors practicing piety for show, who desire to please men rather than God.  Wearing masks of compassion, inwardly they are heartless.  Therefore their reward is the applause of people 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 comments that God is not impressed with what others think of us, nor even by what we think of ourselves.  God will reward good deeds 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, my study bible says.  It describes prayer as an intimate, personal communion with God that leads to the vision of God's glory (1 Corinthians 2:9).  Hypocrisy blocks out such communion and vision.  My study bible adds that true prayer is not in telling God what God already knows, and then saying what to do about it.  Neither is it appearing pious in front of other people.  True prayer is humble (go into your room), personal (pray to your Father), and sincere.

"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 yet another mere external display.  Once again, as with each topic in today's reading, Jesus rejects this kind of hypocrisy.  My study bible says that for the one who fasts, the compassion of God outshines the physical discomfort.  Fasting is for spiritual growth, and for the glory of God, and not to be seen by those around us.  My study bible reminds us that fasting, especially in the context of discipleship, isn't just about abstinence of food.  But it consists in a type of beneficial self-denial in all areas of life, and is thus a discipline to avoid being controlled by one's passions:  that would include, for instance, participating in gossip, or showing off, or withdrawing from useless conflict and acrimony.  My study bible quotes St. John Chrysostom:  "What good is it if we abstain from eating birds and fish, but bite and devour our brothers?"

I find the emphasis on the hidden and the secret quite interesting in today's reading.   There are three times in today's selection of verses when Jesus doubles the emphasis on this word translated as secret.  He tells us "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," to "pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly," and "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."   The word translated as secret in Greek is kryptos/κρυπτός.  Its literal meaning is "hidden."   It's the root for words in English like cryptography, cryptic, or even Superman's kryptonite, the (fictitious) secret alien substance that takes away his powers.  Jesus' use of this term seems to indicate the importance of "secret" practices of our faith, as they keep us from hypocrisy, which destroys sincerity.  These secret or hidden practices Jesus describes in today's reading involve prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.  Most notable is prayer, because we not only have that double use of the word secret (for both our action, and for the "seeing" done by our Father), but the Father Himself is in "the secret place."  In addition, we go into our inner chamber to pray.  This word in Greek for room (tameion/ταμεῖόν) was indicative of an inner room in a house used to store valuables or "treasure."  (In modern Greek, it's evolved to be the word used for a cash register or point of sale checkout.)  Therefore there's a triple-secret message here with regard to praying, for we go into a secret or hidden room, we pray to the Father who is hidden in a secret place, and who sees in secret.  Conversely to what we might assume in terms of modern thinking, all of this secrecy is designed to keep us honest and sincere.  When we do things for show -- or simply even in a way that others can see -- it's much too easy to keep considering the opinions of the others who see or watch, rather than expressing the sincerity of the heart.  Thus, charity done in secret is charity done for sincere motivations.  Religious fasting done in secret is truly done to honor God.   And praying in secret is our hope of being honest with ourselves and with God, bringing out what's in the heart.  Jesus contrasts these things done in a hidden way with things done for the glory we get from others.  John's Gospel makes a special effort to use similar terms in criticizing those among the religious leaders who believed in Christ but were ruled more by fear:   "Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God" (John 12:42-43).   There is a consistent emphasis across the Gospels in contrasting the things we do for the praise or glory in the sight of other human beings rather than for the God who sees in secret and is in the secret (or hidden) place.  Even when we are sincere, keeping such practices in a hidden or secret way helps to keep us honest.  There is always the possible influence of the people we know are watching, and our desire to please them that can get in the way of sincerity from the heart.  If I am being really honest, I confess here that this is why my blog is written anonymously.  Although by now a great many of my friends know I write this blog, I wanted to do so sincerely and without worrying about whether or not my friends would be pleased by what they read.  For better or worse, I know that worry as a type of personal weakness.  But it seems to me that in seeking to please God, in keeping in mind that the One who is in the secret place sees everything, we are better able to keep in mind the state of our hearts -- and the state of the heart has been the entire emphasis of the Sermon on the Mount so far.  This awareness of what takes place in a hidden and secret way keeps us humble, and fully dependent upon God, as Jesus indicates in the very first Beatitude, when He teaches, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."   As the theme of the Sermon on the Mount has been to somehow fulfill and even go beyond the law, we understand the emphasis on the heart, on even those things that are hidden within us.  Let us keep in mind Jesus' emphasis on the whole integrity of a person.  He does not ask us for outward show of conformity to ideas so much as emphasizes an inner integrity and fidelity to God, a communion that keeps us honest with both God and ourselves.

Your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly

Personal prayer at Golgotha Altar, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem

 "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

We are currently in the midst of reading through the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew chapters 5 -7).  In yesterday's reading, Jesus said:  "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 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."  In this next, middle section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus presents the three basic aspects of spiritual life:  charitable giving, prayer, and fasting.  My study bible calls these three disciplines those related directly to God's righteousness.  Here, Jesus introduces the topic of charitable deeds and our conduct in doing them.  The word "hypocrite" originally meant "actor" (in the Greek, the word literally means "below the mask" -- as in the ancient plays, actors wore masks delineating their character).   The word as Jesus uses it here indicates those who practice piety for show, who desire to please other people rather than God, thus receiving glory from men.  In the words of my study bible, they wear masks of compassion, but are inwardly heartless.  Therefore, their reward is the applause of people, 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 says that God is not impressed with what others think about us, nor by what we think about ourselves.  It notes that good deeds are rewarded which 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 neglect the true spirit of prayer, or perhaps fail to understand it altogether.  Prayer, according my study bible, is an intimate, personal communion with God, which leads to the vision of God's glory (1 Corinthians 2:9).  Hypocrisy stymies this communion and vision.    Jesus gives us specific words to repeat (verses 9-13, called the Lord's Prayer, which will be found in tomorrow's lectionary reading).  My study bible adds that true prayer does not consist of telling God what God already knows, and then demanding a particular response from God.  Neither is it a matter of appearing to be pious before other people.  Jesus teaches here that true prayer is humble (go into your room), that it is personal (pray to your Father), and that it is sincere.

"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 that one is fasting is just one more external display, which Jesus rejects as hypocrisy.  To fast is to learn discipline, and to keep God in one's heart and mind through such discipline.  It is therefore the compassion and love of God on which is the focus.  Fasting is for spiritual growth and for the glory of God; therefore to "show off" a fast is counter to its purpose for us.

Jesus repeatedly assures us in today's reading that our Father, who is in the secret place and who sees in secret, will reward us for those acts of faith which are done in secret.  This is an interesting kind of reciprocity.  We will find various other types of reciprocal promises made by Christ.  For example, we are each to carry our own cross, in imitation of Him, and in so doing we are given in exchange a "life in abundance" (John 10:10).    In Mark 8:34-35, Jesus teaches, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it."  This is quite a promise, indeed.   Elsewhere in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches us that it is better to lose an eye or a hand, so that in exchange we will save the whole of who we are.  Of course, He is speaking metaphorically about discarding those characteristics which form a part of ourselves, and which may seem as precious as a right hand or eye, but which we're better off without (see this reading).  Of course, the whole of the Beatitudes is a statement of exchange -- types of worldly loss (such as mourning) in exchange for the blessings of the Kingdom.  He also makes promises of exchange based on positive behavior, as when He teaches, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."  Here in today's reading, we're given positive examples of how we should conduct ourselves in practices of the exercise of our faith:  almsgiving, prayer, and fasting.  Each of these practices is designed to shore up faith.  They are expressions of faith, but also activities which are forms of active worship.  To give is to live the Kingdom and the promises of God.  It is an active form of loving God and loving neighbor, putting the love God teaches us to work in the world.  But Jesus gets specific about how exactly we go about doing this.  Going more deeply into what righteousness is, as He has done all along in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches us a depth of psychology at work in our spiritual lives.  Are we giving for show, for the approval and good opinion of others, or do we give in secret so as to insure the sincerity of the gift?  None of us are strangers to the "trumpets" and fanfare that accompanies grand acts of charitable giving.  But Christ wants our hearts -- and so important is this cement of our faith in its sincerity that He repeatedly emphasizes it.  We are to give in secret, so much so that we're told, "do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing."  Prayer is another secret activity.  Whatever we do in acts of public worship, we are told also to go into our room and shut the door, and "pray to your Father who is in the secret place."   The word for "room" in Greek is meant to be an inner room, used as storage chamber, and linked to a "treasury."  In fact, this same word in modern Greek now is used for "cash register."  So the double secrecy here is emphasized (praying in secret to your Father who sees in secret), and it is this secrecy -- this hiddenness -- that serves to shore up the sincerity of the prayer and God's response to it.  In the Greek of the text, the word "openly" (as in the Father's reward) does not specifically appear.   Perhaps it is considered to be implied, but nevertheless there are responses to prayer which only we may know and feel and experience, rewards which give us things we need, and cherish, and treasure.  The emphasis here is on the hiddenness both of God and our practices of relationship to God -- and prayer in particular, for that is the root of this personal relationship.  As God is in a hidden place, let us remember that we, too, go to that place for true communion, the depth of relatedness, in order to participate in God's kingdom.  It is there where our need for answers takes us, our search for reconciliation, the real response to prayer and the desire in the depths of the soul.  It is there we meet God, in the various ways we may practice and grow spiritual understanding, and it is there that God seeks us.

Do not be like the hypocrites

 "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

We are currently reading through the Sermon on the Mount, which is found in Matthew chapters 5 - 7.  On Saturday, we read that Jesus said, "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."  Today we begin chapter 6, in which the Sermon on the Mount turns to the three most basic aspects of spiritual living:  charitable giving, prayer, and fasting.  These three disciples, my study bible tells us, relate directly to God's righteousness.   A major critical theme given by Jesus regarding these disciples is hypocrisy.  The original meaning of the word "hypocrite" is "actor."  The word literally means "beneath the mask," as actors in the ancient theater all wore masks to delineate their character.  Hypocrites, my study bible notes, are play-actors practicing piety for show.  They desire to please men rather than God.  A hypocrite wears a mask of compassion but is inwardly heartless.  Their reward is the applause of men (that is, other people) and nothing more.

"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."   God, my study bible says, is not impressed with what others think of us.  Neither is God swayed by what we think about ourselves.  God will reward good deeds when they are based on pure motives of the heart.  Again we note this indication that Jesus speaks of a system that is a kind of exchange:  one way of life for another.  The earliest teaching documents of the Church (The Didache) speak to us about His way as the way of life, which is opposed to the way of death.  His way is one in which God is deep within us, in a relationship of communion and participation.  In that secret place, we live a life that is sacred to God.  It is contrasted with living for show and the opinions of other people.  Nevertheless, its energies also manifest and intersect with our worldly lives.  Again, His way is a way of wholeness of life.

"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."  Hypocrites miss the spirit of prayer, according to my study bible.  True prayer, it says, is an intimate, personal communion with God that leads to the vision of God's glory (1 Corinthians 2:9).  Hypocrisy blocks out this communion and this vision, as the real focus of the heart isn't God.  True prayer isn't to tell God what God already knows, and then telling God what to do about it.  Neither is it appearing pious in front of others.  But Jesus' instructions here teach us about prayer:  it is humble (go into your room), it's personal (pray to your Father), and it's sincere.   Tomorrow's reading will cover the remaining teachings of the Sermon on the Mount regarding true prayer (verses 7-15).

 "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 to show off that one is fasting is a mere external display.  Fasting is again a kind of exchange, a life in which devotion to God becomes a sort of currency, a way of being.  For the one who fasts, the compassion of God outshines the physical discomfort, my study bible says.  Fasting is for spiritual growth and the glory of God.  Moreover, it's not about simply abstinence from food, a sort of "virtue" about food.  For Christians there are no evil foods.  Fasting is about abstinence where it is necessary not to be controlled by passions; most importantly, we seek to learn abstinence from sin, to master impulses that are harmful to ourselves and to others in exchange for God's way of life for us.  Thus it is about discipline, or more specifically, discipleship.  St. John Chrysostom writes, "What good is it if we abstain from eating birds and fish, but bite and devour our brothers?" 

What is fasting all about?  In an age of endless diets offered to us so that we look well to others, fasting is likely to be largely entirely misunderstood.  Moreover, for Christians, there are no forbidden foods, and fasting isn't about the food itself.  Fasting rules vary from place to place, and within denominations.  The emphasis for us should be on what abstinence means, and what it means to make a commitment to something.  It is all about the interior learning curve of self-discipline, walking in the way of Christ.  Fasting was an ancient Jewish practice, but transformed in the Church.  With the Resurrection, we fast with our eyes fixed upon His return.  Fasting is a kind of remembrance, a making room for the things of God.  St. John Chrysostom preached a famous set of homilies during one Lenten period in which his flock was in great political distress and upheaval (Homilies on the Statues), exhorting them to remain faithful to the spirit of discipleship while they awaited resolution.  Chrysostom emphasizes over and over again the need to let go of impressing others with our fabulous delicacies, our capacity for entertainment, our splendid show of refinement and effort.  Instead, we can just give it a rest for a while and focus instead on where our heart is, what God may be calling us toward, or how we can deepen our communion with God and our spiritual community with others.  He focuses on fasting but also on another topic that seemingly in our contemporary times is not so widely discussed, but nevertheless an important part of the Sermon on the Mount, namely the swearing of oaths (see Friday's reading).   Whether we are speaking of Chrysostom's perilous times of Antioch in the 4th century, or our world today, the discipleship called for particularly in times of uncertainty and distress remains the truest part of our own discipleship.  It is a necessity we all need to remember.  It may seem quaint and even antiquated to speak today about the discipline of fasting or even watching our words and speech, but perhaps we'd do well to begin to revisit the blessings of discipleship in this regard.  Self-mastery becomes a true currency in a time when instability seems to be a key factor in many avenues of life and community.  We look to the place and directions that we've been given for anchoring ourselves best to the place of faith in a stormy sea, for finding that depth of relationship that is truly needful.  Hypocrisy, then, becomes a key component of what it is that ails us.  Is our life about impressing others?  Is it about following social rules set by current custom or fashion -- or dictated by the loudest and most seemingly desperate or extreme voices?   The truth is that the kingdom of God is within us, and we need discipline to anchor ourselves to it, to find the faith that gets us through even a sea of troubles, especially when we don't know where we're headed.  Jesus' advocacy against hypocrisy gives us the extra benefit of seeing through phoniness and keeping it real, in all the ways that we need to. 

Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted

 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:  "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men -- extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'  And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'  I tell you this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

- Luke 18:9-14

Yesterday we read the section in John's Gospel about Jesus' trial before Pilate:   The high priests and those who'd arrested Him led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning.  But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover.  Pilate then went out to them and said, "What accusation do you bring against this Man?"  They answered and said to him, "If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you."  Then Pilate said to them, "You take Him and judge Him according to your law."  Therefore the Jews said to him, "It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death," that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die.  Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?"  Jesus answered him, "Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?"  Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew?  Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me.  What have You done?"  Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world.  If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here."  Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king them?"  Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king.  For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth.  Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."  Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?"  And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, "I find no fault in Him at all."

Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:  "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector."  The Pharisee is a highly respected and careful observer of the Law.  The tax collector is despised -- he's a sinner who collaborates with the occupying Roman forces.  He betrays and cheats his own people, often using extortion to collect more for himself.

"The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men -- extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'"  My study bible points out that the practices of this Pharisee are worthy examples for others to follow.  His good deeds (fasting and giving tithes) are considered the primary weapons against the passions of lust and greed (that is, adultery and extortion).  But without a humble and repentant heart or disposition, even the best outward practices are worthless, and lead to pride and judgment of others.  Note that the text tells us that he prays with himself.  My study bible says that God is absent where there is boasting.

"And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'"  The tax collector expresses even by his posture an awareness of the state of his soul.  He stands afar off from the altar of sacrifice, and he won't even raise his eyes.  He prays what is perhaps the chief prayer of the Church, "God, be merciful to me a sinner!"  This is the foundation of what is called the Jesus Prayer, or Prayer of the Heart, and the basis for ancient monastic and lay practice to "pray without ceasing" as we are taught by St. Paul (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).   He gives us the refrain "Lord have mercy" that permeates worship and personal prayer everywhere. 

"I tell you this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."  To be justified is to be forgiven and set right with God.  My study bible says that inward humility is blessed while pride in outward deeds is condemned.

In today's reading we are given the primary emphasis in Lent:  humility.  Traditional practices such as prayer, almsgiving, and fasting are meant to have this primary impact that the development of humility is to teach us:  a closer and more dependent relationship upon God.  To be humble is primarily to have a distinct awareness of where we stand with God, where we stand with Christ.  How do we measure up in the sight of God?  Love goes a long way toward humility.  In love or in a loving relationship, all pretense can disappear.  To stand on pride is not really an act of love, it's a kind of manipulation, and can dissolve into abuse.   To be humble before God is to bear all, just as the tax collector does.  It is linked to truth and a pure heart -- because what is in the heart is what comes out of his mouth.  When we "pray with ourselves" as the Pharisee does, we cite the good things we do, but we're cultivating an image for ourselves, rather than asking God what the next step might be.  We're always on a road somewhere; when we're purely satisfied with ourselves we're not really listening for the forward movement God calls us toward.  We're not in that loving relationship.   Perfection is a goal realized in the pureness of love and communion.  Jesus says that "everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."  Everywhere we look, there are all kinds of ways to exalt ourselves, especially through social media.   Like the Pharisee who prays with himself, our lives can be all about a kind of publicity that reflects the image we want back to ourselves and in the eyes of others, making an impression.  But the depth of the heart is a different matter, and looking toward the deeper, higher, more truly majestic authority of God is a whole different story -- and that's where we need to be.   A communion of love drops all pretense and image and merely desires to please the Beloved with a sincere heart, and experience God's love which is absolute.  Let us consider this Lenten period how we get to that place.