“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven." - Jesus (Matthew 6:1)
In Chapter 5, Jesus tells His disciples that they are the light of the world; they are a city on a hill, a lamp on a stand to be seen by others to bring glory to God. Then He pivots and says, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven." Now, I know you see the difference. One is pointing to God and the other is pointing to ourselves. Jesus wants His followers to know the difference and practice the kind of righteous acts that give Him the glory.
He has already warned us back in 5:20 that if our righteousness doesn't exceed that of the Pharisees, we won't see heaven. The Pharisees were righteous, but they were righteous for there own glorification. They wanted the best seat in the Temple, they wanted to be noticed while praying and they wanted everyone to see them give their offerings. Jesus is holding them up and saying, "Don't be like them, don't act righteous... be righteous... all the time!" Not external... internal!
This short section is an introduction to the sections to follow on giving, praying and fasting. Jesus is calling on His followers to have their hearts right as they consider these acts of worship. Just as He called them (and us) to heart obedience in Chapter 5, He wants us to be less concerned with outward appearance and more concerned with inward righteousness. If our hearts are right, then right actions will follow. Our righteousness must flow from a heart filled with love for God, His Son and the Spirit.
His warning is one that should stop us in our tracks. The result of that kind of righteousness, the kind that is for show is the forfeiture of our reward. That is serious business. We can spend our lives acting righteous and be seen by everyone around us as a dedicated Christian, yet God sees our hearts and says... no reward! He isn't saying this to the wicked. He isn't saying this to those that have never heard of Him. He is saying this to His followers. He is saying this to those that know God, those that have made the decision to be His disciples. He says "Beware" and "no reward" with the intent of waking us up and calling us to religious activities that are from a sincere heart.
I will examine "giving" in my next blog entry. What does it look like to give from a sincere heart? Think about that and tune in tomorrow for some scriptures that deal with that topic. Peace.
Wise or Foolish?
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