Having outlined how kingdom righteousness transforms interpersonal relationships, Jesus shifts focus from horizontal ethics to vertical devotion. In Matthew 6:1–18, he warns against transforming genuine worship into self-aggrandizing spiritual performance.
The Core Warning: Beware of Hypocrisy
Jesus opens with a foundational warning: “Be careful about practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them.” Human vanity possesses an uncanny knack for taking holy spiritual disciplines and turning them into theatrical showmanship. The critical test is motivation. Are we acting like a mirror, reflecting all glory back to God, or like a sponge, absorbing praise for ourselves? Those who perform religious duties for public applause receive their reward in full (apecho)—the fleeting praise of men, but zero recognition or approval from God.
Three Practices of Personal Devotion to God
Scripture speaks of certain habits of grace that David Mathis describes as divinely designed channels through which God’s love and power flow — including the greatest joy of all: knowing and enjoying Jesus. In our passage, Jesus addresses three standard practices of Jewish devotion, assuming his disciples will regularly practice them:
|
Practice |
The Hypocritical Abuse |
The Kingdom Standard |
|
Giving |
Sounding trumpets in synagogues to draw public attention. |
Giving in secret, so self-forgetfully that the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing. |
|
Praying |
Standing on busy street corners using verbose, repetitive babble to impress crowds. |
Praying in a private room to the Father who sees in secret. |
|
Fasting |
Disfiguring faces and looking somber so everyone knows they are fasting. |
Anointing the head and washing the face so the fast remains known only to God. |
The Model for Prayer
In contrast to hypocritical babbling, Jesus provides the Lord’s Prayer as an outline for true devotion. It balances God’s immanence (“Our Father”) with his transcendence (“in heaven”). The prayer prioritizes three God-centered petitions (his Name, Kingdom, and Will) before bringing three personal petitions (Daily Bread, Forgiveness of Debts, and Deliverance from Evil). True spiritual disciplines are not tools to manipulate God, but means to feast on his presence.
Coaches’ Application Questions: