June 22, 2008 • Pastor
Randy Smith
One dark rainy night a salesman had a flat tire on a lonely road. But to his dismay he had no lug wrench. Seeing a nearby farmhouse, he set out on foot. Surely the farmer would have the wrench he needed, so he thought. But would the farmer even come to the door? And if he did, he’d probably be furious at being bothered. He’d say, “What's the big idea getting me out of bed in the middle of the night?” This thought made the salesman angry. “Why, that farmer is a selfish old clod to refuse to help me,’ thought the salesman
Finally the man reached the house. Frustrated and drenched, he banged on the door. “Who’s there?” The farmer called out from a window overhead. “You know good and well who it is,” yelled the salesman, his face red with anger. “It’s me! And you can keep your old lug wrench! I wouldn't borrow it is it was the last one in the county” (Our Daily Bread, November 26).
As I read this rather humorous story, I couldn’t help but contemplate the problems that I have witnessed that resulted out of simple misunderstanding. Thinking we are right when in reality we are dead wrong! As humans, we are masters of running with wrong information, creating false assumptions and jumping to erroneous conclusions. Misunderstandings–we see that often in our relationships with other people. Unfortunately, we see them most often in our relationship with God, especially as it relates to the eternal resting place of our souls, the most important topic any of us will ever consider.
According to a recent Barna poll, “More than half of all adults (53%) believe that if a person is generally good, or does enough good things for others during their life, they will earn a place in Heaven (2007).”
Is that true or is there a gross misunderstanding?
Let’s compare that statistic with what we have recently learned from God’s Word in Matthew chapter 5. Let’s see if over half the adults in our country have misunderstood the nature of salvation. Let’s see if over half the adults in our country have been deceived into believing a false gospel. Let’s see if we are among them.
So I ask our Lord, “What must I do to be saved?” And Jesus responds in verse 20, “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” And we brush that off by believing the Pharisees were legalists and Jesus is more concerned with the heart. So exceeding their external showmanship stands our internal love for the Lord. Right?
So Jesus addresses the heart. In verse 21-22 He equates anger with murder and says one act of anger makes us “guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.” In verses 27-28 He equates lust with adultery. In verses 33-37 He equates deception with bearing false witness. By this standard all of us thus far have already broken three of the Ten Commandments. And to top it off, in verse 44 (last week) we are called to “love (our) enemies and pray for those who persecute (us). Can any of us in this room, after considering these truths alone, say we are good enough to earn our salvation?
I have no problem believing that good people will go to heaven. But before we leave that statement, we must qualify our definition of “good.” If the standard of goodness is comparing ourselves to evil people, we feel quite privileged, but if the standard of goodness is comparing ourselves to the character of God, we quickly realize how far short we fall from God’s expectations. Can verse 48 be any clearer in regard to the standard? “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Since God would cease to be God if He lowered His standards, we should not be surprised to see the Bible universally declare that none of us will ever enter heaven based upon our own goodness.
That is why we preach in this church the biblical message of grace. Salvation is not earned based upon our own goodness (as many believe), but rather it is a gift received on the basis of our faith. We are sinners, but God punished sin in the Person of Jesus Christ when He received our transgressions upon Himself at the cross. So coming to Christ for salvation is not a plea for justice, but rather a cry for mercy that God would accept us not based upon our own goodness, but rather upon the goodness of His dear Son. That God would see beyond our inadequate righteousness to the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ that has now been accredited to our account, if we are truly in the faith.
Misunderstanding the Gospel leads to a misunderstanding of how we receive salvation and also a misunderstanding as to how we are expected to live the Christian life after we have received salvation (that’s what we have been learning right here in the Sermon on the Mount). A great example of this misunderstanding is found in the opening verses of Matthew 6.
In this Sermon, Jesus provides for us a description of citizens in His Kingdom. Again, we do not act this way to gain entrance into His Kingdom, but rather this is how we are expected to act once we have been admitted into His Kingdom. Moreover, this is how all genuine Christians will act to give evidence that they truly belong to His kingdom.
And contained in these opening verses of Matthew 6 are three Christian disciplines that are expected for His Kingdom citizens (giving, prayer and fasting) that were and still are greatly misunderstood and misused today.
As we have observed in the past the religious people of Jesus’ day, no different than many of the religious people of our day, had perverted these good expectations to become something evil. Rather than using these disciplines to glorify God, they used them to glorify themselves. Rather than using them to draw closer to God, they used them to impress others. Concern for the heart soon became a concern for performance.
This morning we will determine if our religious actions are genuine or simply a façade to gain the approval of others. I have entitled this message: “Spiritual Show-Offs.”
1. THE CORE PROBLEM
As we begin the first point, the core problem is addressed in verse 1. This comment serves as a thesis statement for the verses that follow. Jesus said, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them.”
I believe the picture is clear. The motives were off kilter. Religious actions were performed not to honor God (as they are intended) but rather to receive the admiration of men. These disciplines became opportunities for displays of self-righteousness.
“Wow, she is so spiritual. Oooo, he is so godly.”
When Jesus talks about “being noticed by (men),” He used the Greek word: theaomai. It is where we derive our English word “theatre.” These people were doing the right thing prescribed by God but doing it for the wrong reason. They were simply actors putting on a show to be applauded by others.
Also in verses 2, 5 and 16 we see the word “hypocrites.” The same connotation is intended. The Greek word (hupokrites) was used to describe an actor–a person who acted in a drama to play the part of someone other than his true self. What was seen on the stage did not represent the true individual behind the mask.
In its day, the same Greek word was also used in a figurative sense to speak of anyone who laid aside their true identity and assumed a false one. In others words, it spoke of a phony, a fake, a person who treats life as nothing more than a stage acting contrary to who they really are in an effort to win the applause of a human audience–a hupokrites, a hypocrite.
This is so true in the spiritual realm. Religious activity for many individuals becomes nothing more than a theatrical display. Impressive in the sight of people, but when stripped of their mask by the God who examines the heart, they are exposed for the counterfeits they really are as they live in a land of make-believe.
I am not against the outward display of our worship; personally I think we could use more of it. But when someone bee-lines to the front row and stands (while the worship leader has everyone seated) and raises their hands (way up in the air), we have someone seeking to draw attention to him or herself.
I can recall the times I sat across from a man who has tried to impress me with his deep spiritually. And while the wife did not confront him publicly, her facial expression looking as if she had seen a ghost, spoke volumes of how her husband really acts outside of the church environment.
I do not think Jesus gave His life so I could get a pat on the back!
Verse 1 concludes with a warning: “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.”
Others may be impressed, but in the eyes of God these people a sham. Their actions on a spiritual level achieved absolutely nothing of eternal value. Possibly we can fool other people, but we can never fool God. No blessing will be attended.
In the verses that follow, our Lord provides three illustrations of this principle as it relates to giving and praying and fasting.
2. THE COMMON COMPONENTS
But before I unfold the specifics of the illustrations, I would like to briefly point out some key similarities in each of these statements–our second sermon point this morning.
First of all, there is no mistaking the three topics that Jesus is speaking about. Verse 2, “So when you give to the poor.” Verse 5, “When you pray.” Verse 16, “Whenever you fast.” Obviously these were three areas of spiritual hypocrisy in Jesus’ day as they are in our day.
Second, the format is common for each of these three disciplines. In each situation, Jesus initially states what the people were doing wrong. Then he follows that up with expectations for the correct behavior. Also, it is imperative to note that in each of these three corrections the same word is continually repeated. Verse 4, we are to give in “secret.” Verse 6, we are to pray in “secret.” Verse 18, we are to fast in “secret.” Hypocrites do everything in public to be seen by others. People eager to please the Lord know that their heavenly Father sees what is done in secret, and His approval is all they desire.
Third, the topic of reward is repeated in each of these situations as well. After the hypocritical behavior is explained, Jesus says in each of the three cases, “Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full” (the end of verses 2, 5 and 16). The point is clear, hypocrites seek human applause. When they act as spiritual show-offs the Bible affirms they will get what they are after.
“Wow, she is so spiritual. Oooo, he is so godly.”
Unfortunately this type of praise is shallow, and it disappears in an instant. But, if our concern is only to please the Lord, our heavenly Father sees what is done in secret and will attend it with a divine blessing, a spiritual reward (the end of verses 4, 6 and 18).
Beloved, it simply comes down to this: Whose approval do we desire? And whose blessings are we seeking to win?
3. THE CONTRASTS EXAMINED
As we move to the third point, let us now examine the heart of this passage. As I mentioned already, Jesus addresses each of these spiritual disciplines by first presenting the improper use and then by presenting the proper use.
Giving –
The first example that Jesus offers is the act of financial giving. Verse 2, “So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.”
In this case, the specific type of giving is classified as “giv(ing) to the poor.” We are called throughout the Bible to help needy people. While giving is to be commended, the problem here was the manner or the motive in which the giving was conducted. Commentators differ as to whether the trumpets spoken of here should be taken literally (actual trumpets) or figuratively (they simply liked to “toot their own horn”). Whatever the case, the point is that these people were using this spiritual opportunity to draw attention to themselves. They were flamboyant in an effort to receive human applause.
We have not changed much today. I visited a local church where the people were paraded before the whole congregation to deliver their weekly offering. I repeatedly see wealthy people hold a press conference to announce their latest donation. I have experienced individuals who give solely for the purpose of control.
But whether we give our money or our time or our labor, all of us have that internal urge to hope that we are seen and recognized by others.
I remember the occasion when I was raking our neighbor’s leaves on a Saturday evening. A neighbor to us means a neighbor to the church. And while I would probably not directly boast of my actions, there was that tendency to hope that someone from the church would see and then subsequently boast of my actions for me! “Would you believe I saw our pastor last night before he needed to preach out there raking the leaves of a single lady?”
Did anybody catch what I just accomplished? While disguised in my weakness, I finally managed to inform all of you about the leaves I raked!
All in all, it is very subtle and it is very natural and it is very wrong. What’s the goal in all of this?
“Wow, she is so spiritual. Oooo, he is so godly.”
In verse 3 and 4 Jesus provides the correction. “But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”
The cure to giving with the wrong motives, from acting with an ostentatious pseudo-piety, is to “not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” Now, what does that mean?
The metaphor speaks of quiet giving, private giving. Giving that seeks to meet a need. Giving that is prompted by love. Giving that no one knows about except God. Giving that comes without strings attached. Giving that is not overly calculated. Giving that is not self-congratulatory. Giving that is done cheerfully. Giving that is generous. And giving that is put behind us the moment the gift is delivered.
The apostle Paul made a remarkable statement in Corinthians 13, the famous “love chapter” when he said, “If I give all my possessions to feed the poor, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.” Amazing! How is it possible to give everything we have to feed the needy and in God’s economy have the act bring us no profit? Today’s lesson gives us a clue to answering that question.
Praying –
We need to move to the second discipline. Jesus states the problem in verse 5: “When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.”
Once again, you can see the problem with their actions. Prayer is to be greatly commended, but these people were doing it solely for the personal recognition from others.
We still have these temptations today that are often seen during our times of public prayer. Some people all of a sudden are praying longer or bringing needs before the Throne of God that they never do during their times of private prayer. Some all of a sudden resort to large theological words as if God is more inclined to answer if they can display their great theological vocabulary. My favorites are the people who all of a sudden develop a beautiful Scottish accent or resort to speaking in King James language consistently referring to God as “Thou” or Thee.”
God is not impressed. I believe we know that. And I believe we know deep down inside that our goal is not to impress God, but rather impress those who are listening. And if that is the case, do you think our prayer has any meaning or value before God? Quite the contrary, rather than seeking the face of the Almighty, it has become a tool to gain personal recognition.
“Wow, she is so spiritual. Oooo, he is so godly.”
God describes what He wants in verses 6 and 7. “But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words.”
Some thoughts to consider: Do I have a meaningful prayer life with my heavenly Father? Do I come before Him with a pure heart that is engaged and happy to be in His presence? Is my prayer life consistent with my daily living–am I saying one thing and then doing another? Do I view prayer as a mystical experience to get what I want (approaching God as Santa Claus) or a genuine opportunity to conform my will to His (approaching God as God)? Do I pray from the heart as I am led by the Holy Spirit which avoids meaningless repetition and mindless pagan babbling? Is my public prayer life an overflow of my private prayer life? This kind of prayer might go unknown to the people, but it goes a long way with God.
Look at verse 8, “So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” This is meant to encourage us!
We can impress others with our prayers, but God knows the motives of our heart. We cannot manipulate Him by reciting the right formulas or using the right words or voicing our concerns with the right volume. And that is great! He already knows our needs. He simply wants us to come before Him as a child would his father, in the confidence that He really cares, the trust that He is able to deliver, the obedience that He is worthy to receive and the humility that seeks to find favor in His sight and His alone. Don’t get caught up in all that external stuff. Just come before Him as Father and let Him take you from there!
Fasting –
Jesus addresses the final discipline in verse 16. “Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.”
It is very obvious what the people were doing. The neglect of their appearance, the complaints about stomach pangs, the verbal desire for a bite to eat–were all intended for one purpose. They hoped and prayed that someone would ask what led to their current condition so they could gladly reply, “I am this way because I have been fasting.”
“Wow, she is so spiritual. Oooo, he is so godly.”
Jesus provides the solution in verses 17 and 18, “But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”
Fasting has fallen upon hard times in recent days. There is no doubt in this verse that Jesus expected that His disciples would fast. Time permits me from sharing the reasons for fasting, the benefits of fasting and the methods to fasting, but suffice it to say, that when we fast we are to do all we can to avoid drawing attention to ourselves.
“Yep, gave up Doritos this year for Lent–quite a spiritual guy ain’t I!”
As I said in the introduction, there are a lot of people with a lot of spiritual misunderstandings. Possibly it is time we put aside our false teachings and our false feelings and our false traditions and examine what God has revealed to us in His Word. The question is who do we want to please? Take a lesson from the apostle Paul when he said, “So we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts” (1 Thes. 2:4).
D.A. Carson put it well, “Almost anything that is supposed to serve as an outward sign of an inward attitude can be cheapened by this hypocritical piety” (The Sermon on the Mount, p. 73).
Beloved the key is not to refrain from the spiritual disciplines of giving and praying and fasting, but to use them in the way that God intended. When we take them and perform them with the intent to get the applause of others, we are acting like spiritual show-offs and perverting something that God intended for good. But when we use them as a tool for worship to draw closer to God, they become a beautiful means to glorify our Creator as we desire only His divine stamp of approval.
Are we actors, frauds and hypocrites? What are we seeking to achieve? Is it the applause of others which reveals an insecure attitude bent on self-esteem that must be fueled by the approval of others? Or can we become so God-conscious that we cease to be self-conscious? Are we delivered from the bondage that needs the affirmation of people? Are we secure in our heavenly Father who sees what we do in secret and rewards His children appropriately?
Have we misunderstood the Gospel or can we find in God alone our confidence, joy, peace, righteousness, self-worth and sufficiency? Isn’t it enough to hear Him say, “Well done My good and faithful servant?”