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 

 

 We are currently reading through the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 - 7).   In our readings for last week, Jesus' teachings focused on what it meant to "exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees."  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."  As we begin reading chapter 6, the Sermon on the Mount turns toward teachings about the three most basic aspects of spiritual living.  These are charitable giving, prayer, and fasting.  My study Bible comments 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."  Here the original meaning of the word "hypocrite" is significant.  In the ancient plays, actors wore masks indicating the particular disposition of the character they were playing.  "Hypocrite" refers to acting behind a mask, outwardly indicating one thing but hiding a true disposition (In Greek, hypo- is beneath or below; kritos derives from a verb meaning expressing an attitude or judgment.)  My study Bible explains that hypocrites are play-actors practicing piety for show, desiring to please other human beings rather than God.  It says that, wearing masks of compassion, inwardly they are heartless.  Their reward is the applause of men (meaning 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 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."  Here My study Bible notes that the hypocrites miss the spirit of prayer, which is an intimate, personal communion with God that leads the the vision of God's glory (1 Corinthians 2:9).  Hypocrisy effectively blocks out this communion and this vision.  True prayer isn't simply telling God what God already knows and then telling God what to do about it.  Neither is it appearing pious in front of others.  True prayer is humble (go into your room), personal (pray to your Father), and sincere.

 

One thing becomes very clear in today's reading, Jesus makes a great difference between what we do to be seen by others, and what we do in private.  The mask of a hypocrite allows a person to express one thing while hiding an internal reality, perhaps even from themselves.  Just as Jesus taught in the previous chapter that we are to go beyond the words of the Law in identifying causes of sin -- such as the anger or insult that leads to murder, or the lust that leads to adultery --  here He goes to the heart of the hypocrisy that prevents us from truly establishing a depth of relationship with God that we need, and the integrity He teaches us.  First He teaches, "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."  Here there is a direct correlation between avoiding public display and receiving a reward from our Father in heaven.  Jesus is asking us to distinguish participation in the kingdom of heaven from participation in a worldly way, discerning between the rewards of God and the rewards of a life lived for worldly gain and approval.  Jesus takes this principle into prayer also.  He says, "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."  We notice the repetition of the word "secret" -- to pray He advises to go into an inner room and shut the door, praying to our Father "who is in the secret place" and "who sees in secret."  Here is a hint about the kingdom of heaven, which Jesus elsewhere teaches "does not come with observation" but is within us (see Luke 17:20-21).  This teaching is linked to Christ's teaching regarding swearing oaths, found in Friday's reading, when He taught us to "let your 'Yes' be 'Yes' and your 'No' be 'No.'"  They have in common an emphasis on personal integrity and purity (Matthew 5:8).  That is, a heart that is the same from the inside to the out, where the outer action is consistent with an internal devotion to God.   The word for "room" here is ταμεῖόν/tameion; it indicates an inner room not seen from outside, a secure room for valuables, a treasure room.  In modern Greek, this word is currently used to mean a cash register.  So Jesus indicates a kind of image of inner treasure in this secret place, with our Father who sees in secret.  As He preaches through the Sermon on the Mount, we find this progressive emphasis on the heart, the truth of the inner life and our devotion to God, connected to a growing purity within the self and ongoing repentance through faith as we're led, and the depth of relationship possible only in this way with our Father who sees in secret.  From anger and lust, to a depth of internal connection with our Father, we seek the purity of heart by which Jesus says we will see God.  Jesus gives us the structure of our souls and psyches, how faith works, and teaches that it is hypocrisy which will deny all of that to us, and will counter the depth of relationship possible with God.  So the question we ask ourselves is what we will seek -- the glory from men or the glory from God?  We may note the consistency of the Gospels on this topic, as St. John tells us sadly, "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).  In today's world, due to developments in technology, we are more saturated with imagery than ever.  We can watch endless streams of television shows and films at any time and with the immediate touch of a button; we chat on open screen with thousands, even millions, of people.  Life is more focused than ever before on appearance before others through these means, even pleasing a crowd that may notoriously turn on anyone, where behind a different kind of a mask, insults and threats may proliferate.  These are great temptations for all kinds of sins and errors which Jesus names in the Sermon on the Mount, particularly anger and lust to name just two we've reviewed.  The language of excess is far more aggressive than letting our "Yes" be "Yes" and our "No" be "No."  The pressure to participate in life that seeks approval of image is more subtle, myriad, and perhaps insidious than ever.  But all the more caution to be given -- and wisdom to be cherished -- through Christ's words.  Let us find His way to the inner room, spending time with our Father who is in the secret place, and who sees in secret, and cultivating the inner life of the Kingdom we so deeply need, and avoiding the temptation to lose it.  Clearly Jesus teaches that our Father will work openly in our lives as well.

 

 

 

And when you pray, 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."

 

- Matthew 6:1-6 

 

We are reading through the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 - 7).  Yesterday we read that Jesus taught, "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'  But I tell you not to resist an evil person.  But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.  If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.  And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.  Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.  You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'  But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain  on the just and on the unjust.  For if you love those who love you, what reward have you?  Do not even the tax collectors do the same?  And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others?  Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."

 

  "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them.  Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.  Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men.  Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward."  As we begin chapter 6 of St. Matthew's Gospel, here Jesus begins to present three most basic aspects of spiritual life.  In today's reading, He begins with charitable giving, and will also begin to speak about prayer; in subsequent verses He will also speak of fasting.  These three disciplines, my study Bible says, are related directly to God's righteousness.  The original meaning of "hypocrite," we're told, was "actor."  (The word means "below the mask" with the mask representing an attitude -- as in the masks that ancient actors wore onstage to delineate their character.)   Hypocrite, my study Bible tells us, are play-actors who practice piety for show, who desire to please other people rather than God.  They are those who may wear a mask of compassion but are inwardly heartless.  For such their reward is the applause or glory from men.  To sound a trumpet before oneself was a way of conveying a public message; ironically such public announcements in the Greek-speaking world were called evangelia, meaning "good news" -- a word translated as "gospels."

 

"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 says that God will reward good deeds when they are based on pure motives of the heart.  Perhaps we should consider that the word translated as charitable is ἐλεημοσύνη/eleimosini, from the root word meaning "mercy" (ἔλεος/eleos).  So our charitable acts might be defined as the practice of merciful deeds, whatever form that takes.

 

 "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."   We will add here the next verse (from tomorrow's reading), "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."  My study Bible notes that the hypocrites miss the spirit of prayer, which it describes as 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.  Vain repetitions cannot establish such communion, because God does not need our "babble."  My study Bible adds, importantly, that to partake of this communion, both silence and words are necessary.  So, therefore, we pray always (Luke 18:1) and without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).  Moreover, it's noted that Christ does not condemn the use of many words per se, but here teaches instead that words must express the desire for communion with God.  In the following reading for tomorrow, Jesus will give us specific words to repeat (the Lord's Prayer, or the Our Father).  It's not repetition itself that is condemned, but 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).  Additionally, true prayer is not telling God what God already knows, and then telling God what to do about it.  Neither is it appearing to be pious in front of others.  My study Bible describes true prayer as first of all humble (go into your room); it is personal (pray to your Father); and it is sincere (do not use vain repetitions).

 

 So what are vain repetitions?  Perhaps they are repeated prayers like magical incantations, and we must distinguish between this kind of repetition and what prayer is and does.  In the Orthodox tradition (which those of other denominations are also using today) is the Jesus Prayer practice.  This itself is the repetition of a very short prayer (sometimes these are called "arrow prayers" in tradition).  The common form of this prayer today is "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner."  But it has historically taken on many forms and can be used in other forms, such as, "Lord have mercy," for example, which so often intersperses our worship services.  In the period of earliest monasticism, psalm verses were repeated, particularly, "Lord make haste to help me; Lord make speed to save me."  (For more on the Jesus Prayer practice see this site, or this one.)  The purpose of such repetition is a focus on prayer which draws us into the presence of God; in fact it is also sometimes called the practice of the presence of God.  In such prayer we draw our thoughts to God, even in the midst of tribulation or difficulty, and other thoughts that wander astray in our minds.  The very purpose of such short, repeated arrow prayers is to redirect our mind to God, and indeed, in the words of the Jesus Prayer, we find that we are inviting Christ in to whatever circumstances are in our lives, or in our hearts.  We simply continue to "recollect" ourselves by the repetition of the prayer, and orient ourselves to proper communion with God.  Again, in this Orthodox prayer tradition, we find writings which teach us of this practice of praying with "the mind in the heart."  That is, the prayer is meant to deepen within us through time and practice, reaching into the places of the heart, so that we are inviting Christ in with our arrow prayers, even to the places we might not always be aware of within ourselves.  This becomes a direct way to invite repentance, for as the prayer deepens, we also encounter our own resistance, and the places where God enters to change our perspective, and "change our minds" -- the literal meaning of repentance.  In this we return also to the depths of the laws of love behind the entire Sermon on the Mount.  As Jesus has just finished focusing on the Law and its deeper interpretation to cover even the things of the heart, such as anger and lust, so we enter into this theme of prayer in the heart.  Moreover, these developments of internal prayer are directly related to Christ's teachings against hypocrisy as well, for they invite us in to discover what we might even be masking from ourselves, so that we may invite Christ and God's grace in so that we are healed.  In this way, let us go forward and pay attention to what He teaches, in our prayers and charitable acts.

 

 

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.

Our Father in heaven

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

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

We have been reading the passages from the Sermon on the Mount, in the Gospel of Matthew, since Monday. Beginning with the Beatitudes, Matthew's Gospel, chapter 5, has led us through the important topics of Jesus' teaching: the blessings of the spiritual life, or the Beatitudes; the teachings that His disciples are to be the salt of the earth, the light of the world; His expansion on righteousness regarding first the law against murder; His teachings on our own internal work regarding our thoughts and passions; and His teachings on justice and just behavior. Today, we venture into territory regarding prayer, charitable acts, and fasting - religious practice or spiritual discipline and good works.

"Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly." In each of Jesus' important teachings today on spiritual discipline - regarding charitable works, prayer, and fasting - His greatest criticism comes to hypocrisy, or hypocrites. "Hypocrite" in the original Greek means "actor." What He is condemning is prayer or charity - any form of piety - for outward show. If all we care about is the opinion of others, then we are missing the point. It is our relationship to God that is essential here, and God's love teaches us how we must relate to others. It is the Father who sees in secret whose understanding of who we are counts. It is again the expression here of a divine economy, in which the blessings we give in secret will be returned to us through the Father.

"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." Again, a teaching against hypocrisy -- those who make a great show of their piety, who work for an audience, and not the power of the relationship that is in secret, with our "Father who is in the secret place." And again, there is emphasis on a divine economy: our "Father who sees in secret will reward you openly." My study bible says the teaching here is not against repetition per se, but against "vain repetition." The importance is that we do not babble, do not make prayers for their sound or impression, but that we cultivate a relationship - a personal and private relationship to Our Father in heaven. The teaching that God knows what we want in advance is so important: we're not really informing God about anything, nor are we making demands. We are cultivating relationship, "exchanging wishes" as the Greek word for prayer literally means. We are going to our Father with all we are, opening up ourselves for teaching and instruction, for love, and sharing all that we are as He shares Himself via grace with us.

"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." First, we address God, our Father who is in heaven. His name is for all that is holy, and covers all that comes to us in goodness and righteousness and mercy and grace. Our great desire is to expand that kingdom, that holiness - to manifest that kingdom amongst ourselves and within ourselves, in our world. This begins our prayer, that heaven and earth, and all that Our Father is and desires be made present to us in our world as well. We begin our prayer by setting ourselves in the right place, offering the right perspective.

"Give us this day our daily bread." The bread referred to in this prayer is not necessarily the bread we eat for food, nor a symbol of material needs. "Daily" is a rather misleading translation for a Greek word that appears nowhere else in literature, and seems to have been coined specifically for this prayer. The word in Greek means more closely "super-substantial;" that is, something that has a greater reality to it - literally, "above the essence." What this implies is not only what we need for each day in terms of our material sustenance, but that which we need which includes all that we are, our spiritual reality, what feeds our souls. In other words, this word is like the Eucharist itself - the bread of God's food for us. In a very true poetic sense, we pray to receive each day the food we need for our eternal and immortal life, for "the eternal day of the Kingdom of God," as my study bible puts it so aptly. We pray for the Bread of Life, which we need daily.

"And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." I've heard it expressed recently that God's forgiveness for us is infinite - therefore we share in that forgiveness when we realize the capacity we have to forgive others. Moreover there is once again a teaching about the divine economy here: what we are willing to share with others will also be shared with us by God. My study bible notes that "by using the plural, Jesus directs each of us to pray for the Father's forgiveness of all, and for all of us to forgive one another." It adds that "debts refer to spiritual debts; when we sin, we 'owe' restitution to our offended neighbor and to God." We are to seek to practice the loving nature that we know belongs to God.

"And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." This is a kind of poetic statement in itself: in the Greek, we pray that temptation not be "led into" us, and we ask to be taken or brought into God's presence, "snatched away" from the "evil one." This is about the essence of what is called spiritual battle - the prayer that all the temptations we wish to resist not be a part of ourselves, and that God's strength be with us always. More powerfully, that we be in the presence of God, delivered from the "evil one." ("Evil one" is a more precise translation than "evil.") The word for temptation is also a form of "test" or "trial." My study bible says, "Thus we pray that great temptations, tests beyond what we can bear, should not come our way."

"For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen." We return, in the economy of the prayer, to the kingdom of God, God's glory and power -- it is here we wish to dwell, to remain, and that which we wish to manifest in "on earth as it is in heaven." It is this power with which we wish to be allied for our true sustenance and support in life.

"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, finally, an important added emphasis and understanding of the real spiritual economy in which we dwell: we must share that which we wish for ourselves. It elevates us - human beings - to a stature worthy of a creation of God, made for independent thought and choice. We offer forgiveness as our Father in heaven offers us forgiveness. But we bear this responsibility; if we live in selfish expectation without our own growth in this love then we realize nothing of it.

"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." And finally, a teaching on fasting, another religious practice or spiritual discipline. And a repeated emphasis on the condemnation of hypocrisy, or "acting." Life, in the Christian discipline, is not only first and foremost for that relationship with the Father in heaven (rather than for outward show for the opinions or "praise of men") but it is also for joy. That is, it is for the joy of this relationship of love, whether we cultivate that relationship through fasting or other difficult disciplines. Furthermore, Jesus teaches us that we fast from much more than food, but from sin, from dwelling in thoughts which cultivate temptation and keep us from that relationship with our Father who is in the secret place.

A powerful reading is what we receive today, with many thoughts on the spiritual life, on how we pray -- and warnings about practicing as hypocrites, or "actors." Such is Jesus' contempt for hypocrites that He says, "They have their reward." So what does this all mean to you? How do you realize that relationship with your Father who is in the secret place? What do you do to cultivate that relationship and its strength for you? How do we live in this divine economy, of powerful realities that reward us on spiritual terms, for things not necessarily known or seen by others? It is a relationship of love in which we dwell, and cultivate and grow its blessings. Jesus began this Sermon with the Beatitudes, and today He teaches us more fully about the realization of the blessings He has taught.