(Today, we continue our theme on returning to God.)
What is your motivation behind religious practices – “acts of righteousness”, such as charity, prayer, and fasting? Do you feel that the temptation to appear better than your true self and anyone else is huge, even in piety? If you perform these acts in order to show off, then you could be one of the hypocrites Jesus warns against in Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18!
1 “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ in front of others, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
Giving to the Needy
2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Prayer
5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Fasting
16 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
God knows that we have the ability and tendency to parade our self-centeredness. The remedy? Jesus calls for a “secret service” to God (v1a).
A “secret service” does not mean that God wants us to practice religious activities only in private, since we are called to be the salt and light to this world (Matt. 5:13-16). It means that, in whatever spiritual disciplines we practice, we do so as if the only One watching is God. It means that, for our devotions to be authentic and pleasing to God, we should be concerned primarily about our interaction and relationship with God.
Isn’t this truth indeed liberating? We no longer follow the letter of the law, but we discern the guidance of the Divine voice. We no longer need the attention and acceptance of the crowd, since we are secure in the love of God the Father. We no longer seek the rewards of this world, knowing that the reward arising from our intimacy with the Father outshines them all.
Are you liberated from the life of a hypocrite? Are you enjoying a care-free life as one of God’s beloved? Is Christ your only passion?
Let’s pray!
Dear Lord, thank You for my true security in Your mercy and love and the freedom I have in Jesus Christ! Help me enjoy the authentic Christian life as a beloved child of God! Amen!
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We hope that you are enjoying spending time with the Lord as you read these devotionals. The selection of the texts are from the “Revised Common Lectionary” (http://www.textweek.com/). There will be four texts (Old Testament reading, Psalm, NT reading, Gospel) that cover a particular theme each week. So we plan to have four devotionals each week.
We will not provide new devotionals for this weekend. You may come back to review and meditate on this week’s texts. We will resume next Tuesday.
Love in Christ,
Jeff & Anna
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