MATTHEW 6
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.2 “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 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. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. – Matthew 6:1-6
MATTHEW 6 PRACTICE RIGHTEOUSNESS HUMBLY
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
As a servant of God, you ought to follow his example
Jesus did not announce all the good things he was doing
He obeyed the will of his Father discreetly and meekly
He didn’t boast or announce his salvation plan loudly
Instead, he obeyed his Father’s will submissively and humbly
He instructs his people not to make a show of their deeds but to do it silently.
In this account, Jesus teaches his followers how to do works of their salvation and how to pray in the humblest manner. He pointed out what the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets and warned them not to follow such acts. The hypocrites do not do it for the love or service of others, but to seek praise for themselves. They love accolades and being elevated so they can gain rewards for their achievements or good behavior. But, isn’t it human nature to perform and do as the hypocrites did? Yes, our flesh wants attention for the “self” and wants to be proud of what we have accomplished. This is why Jesus warns us against following such natural tendencies to feed our sinful nature.
Jesus gave instructions to his followers which were all counter-intuitive to the world system. Here are some of those directives he mentioned in this account:
· Do not do righteous deeds to be praised or else the rewards will no longer be in heaven since you have already claimed them when you have performed it in front of others.
· When you give to the needy, do not announce it so that you can be praised; do it quietly instead.
· Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing when you give to the needy because by doing so, you will have your reward in heaven and not on earth because you did it secretly.
· When you pray, go into your room and make sure no one sees you so that your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
REFLECTION
· How are Jesus’ instructions to his followers against the world system?
