As Lent is beginning to get underway, many Christians might decide to devote some more time to prayer, Bible reading, charitable giving, or even fasting several times every week. All of these are good spiritual disciplines. However, some of us might be inclined to want others to know all about how much we are now praying, giving, and fasting. Just like people like to brag about how much weight they’ve lost while attending Weight Watchers meetings, or a body-builder likes to flex their muscles in front of others, we might be inclined to flex our supposed “spiritual muscles” for others to see. What does the Lord Jesus have to say about folks like that, who want others to see just how religious they seem to be? Let’s take a look.
In the middle of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus spoke to His listeners about any desires they have for others to know about the spiritual practices they might have. At this time in Jewish history there was a religious group known as the Pharisees who, among other things, were extremely diligent in keeping the Mosaic Law, and following many other religious traditions that had been handed down over the centuries. They also were very strict in enforcing these practices among other people, such as worshipers at local synagogues and the Temple in Jerusalem. Many of the Pharisees wanted others to know how “holy” they were, by performing their prayers and giving in public, and letting others know how often they were fasting. They wanted to impress everyone in town. They even thought they were impressing God.
Jesus had some rather strong words to call these groups of Pharisees. He called them hypocrites. They were sanctimonious phonies. He told the crowds listening to His teachings that these folks weren’t doing their giving, praying, or fasting for God, but were really only doing it to be seen by others in order to seem holy. If they thought that they were going to be rewarded by God, they were mistaken. Jesus said that the only reward they would get would be that others saw them. That’s it. If and when they got to heaven, God wasn’t going to pat them on the back or give them extra jewels in their crown because they weren’t doing it for Him, rather only for themselves.
Jesus certainly wasn’t condemning prayer, charitable giving, or fasting. What He was speaking against was their motives. These Pharisees’ motives were only to be seen by men (vs. 1-2, 5, 16). Their motives were hollow, not genuine. When we do these things, it needs to be for God alone, not for others to see. If we want God’s blessings, we need to be sure our motives are pure and not selfish. We should do our good deeds quietly, in secret, with no thought of reward (vs. 3-4, 6, 17-18). The reward that God promises is not material, and it is not given to those who seek it by outward shows of supposed holiness.
Our charitable deeds, prayers, and fasting should all be acts of worship given to God, never as a display of self-righteousness, or to gain the admiration of others. The essence of true prayer is not public style, but private communication with God. If we want others to notice us when we pray, our real audience is not really God, but man.
Among the Jewish people, fasting was required for them once a year, on the Day of Atonement. The Pharisees around the time of Jesus would fast about twice a week, and with many of them it wasn’t with the intention of drawing closer to God, but rather to impress people with their holiness. Jesus said that all of our acts of self-sacrifice should be done quietly and sincerely.
Praying and giving should be something that all Christians do on a regular basis, and many believers also occasionally fast. Fasting doesn’t serve to change God’s mind, speed up His answer, or manipulate His will. Fasting helps us focus our attention on God, alone. Fasting can be carried out in several ways. Due to health reasons, not everyone can abstain from food, though that is the most common way. We can also fast by eliminating some activities, or forgoing a little sleep from time to time in order to seek the Lord.
These spiritual disciplines mentioned in our Scripture today are all good ones, when done with the right motive. Christians should make a habit of giving to the Lord and to others. They should spend time in prayer each day, and fasting is good, as well. However, we need to check why we are doing them. Is it for others to see and think good of us, or is it for the Lord? As Jesus taught here, it is wrong to do a good deed for the wrong reason.
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