Daily Light Devotional

Righteous Acts for Show or for God? (Read Matthew 6:1-18) Reflection on the passage: Teenagers are great at calling out hypocrisy as they see it. It might be parents absorbed on their phones after scolding their kids for being on screens too long or telling their teens to use "I statements" to express their anger, while themselves making blaming statements in an angry tone. I know I've been caught in some of these "gotcha" moments. However, the kind of hypocrisy that Jesus is calling out in this section of the Sermon on the Mount is when we do spiritual acts with the motive of looking good in others' eyes rather than out of our love for God. The three spiritual practices that Jesus discusses here are 1) giving to those in need, 2) prayer, and 3) fasting. All of these were an important part of Jewish spirituality and righteous living, but some, especially the religious leaders, were practicing these in a showy way. For example, they would loudly announce their giving to others (6:2), pray long prayers up front in the synagogue or on the streets to be heard by others (6:5), or make it obvious that they were fasting by looking somber or unkempt (6:16-17). In each of these examples, Jesus says that they have already received their reward - the approval of others - and so they should not look for a reward from God (6:2,5,16). Jesus doesn't only give negative examples. He affirms the importance of giving, prayer, and fasting by telling us how to practice them. We are to give without telling others about it (6:3-4). Our primary place to pray should be in the private - simply us before God (6:6). And we don't need to be "wordy" in our prayers because God already knows what we need (6:7-8). Jesus even gives us a wonderful model of how to pray - the Lord's Prayer (6:9-13). Finally, when we fast, we shouldn't make it obvious but just go about our day in a normal way (6:17-18). When we do these things for God, rather than to impress others, we will be rewarded by our Father (6:4,6,18). It's not that Jesus wants our faith to be lived out only in private - in fact, in the previous chapter He tells us that we are to be salt and light in the world. But He is asking us to look at why we do spiritual things. It is easy to fall into performance, especially when surrounded by a Christian community. We know what will look good to others, but Jesus wants our hearts. Focus verses for prayerful reflection: "Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them." (Matthew 6:1, NIV) Take some time in prayer with this verse. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you any area of your spiritual life where you may be seeking the approval of others more than seeking to love God. Invite His work within you in this area. Photo: Wai Siew