Three secret things in the life of a Christian

Matthew 6:1-18

Do you as a Christian often think about how you should live?  

Or do you wonder what the teachings of the Bible look like when they are applied to your life?

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Well today we return to Matthew 6 verses 1-18 where Jesus teaches his disciples and followers about three things, each of which he tells us should be done in secret:

• Alms (charitable deeds)
• Prayer
  
• Fasting

Why does he say this?

In each case he says it is so that we are not like the hypocrites  - or as my study Bible suggests, 'pretenders' - who do all of these things making sure people know about it:

• The hypocrite doing charitable deeds 'sounds a trumpet' to draw attention to themselves, that 'they might have glory of men'.  They want everybody to look at them and think how charitable, kind and good they are being.
• The hypocrite prays where people will see them - they stand 'in the synagogues and in the corner of the streets, that they might be seen of men'.  Furthermore, the hypocrite thinks that God will hear them because of the length of their prayers, using vain or empty repetition.
• And the hypocrite who is fasting makes sure people will know by their disfigured sad face.
  

In each case the hypocrite wants to make sure people notice them, that they know what they are doing, and that they will think good of them. 

They want praise. 

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And what can such praise do?  It can make us feel good about ourselves, make us feel superior to and better than other people, it can make us proud - proud of our religion.

Dear reader, let us search ourselves - and it may reveal what we would rather not admit!

Do we ever make sure people know that we have been rushed off our feet or are worn out because we have been making extra dinners for our neighbour who isn't well?

Or do we make a big thing about being late somewhere because we were just visiting a poor old lady who hasn't any nearby family?

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Or do we openly say we can't spend too much on something because we helped out a homeless person at the station, or we felt constrained to send some money to a charity for earthquake victims?

How much of our alms giving, prayer times and fasting are just because it is the thing to do or what is expected of us?

How much of these would we do if no other human ever knew?

What is our real motive for doing these things? 

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Doesn't this search us! 

Of course, there are times when it is more practical to have, for example, a church meal supply rota for a sick family, or a collection arranged for a specific cause, or times when we pray openly together, but Jesus isn't speaking against such things. 

He is cautioning us to 'take heed' or 'be careful', 'pay attention' to the motive behind our individual alms giving.  To do them so secretly that it is as if our left hand doesn't know what our right hand is doing, so that none of the praise, thanks and glory for these deeds goes to us, but instead the recipient can give all the praise to God.

For, true love and concern which motivates our charitable deeds comes from the work of the Holy Spirit within believers, and to then be praised and honoured takes away the glory that should alone go to God.

This doesn't please us does it?!  

We want to be thanked, to be given credit, acknowledged, and made something of.

Indeed, we can be quite affronted if our giving isn't noticed!  

But we need to look to our Heavenly Father, who, Jesus tells us, sees what is done in secret, sees our heart, sees our motives, sees our sacrifices, and HE will 'reward us openly' in the way that he sees and knows is best.

And then we think of personal prayer, which Jesus says should be done in our 'closet', or a private room in which we can shut the door and privately pray to God. 

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This prayer is to follow the 'manner' of the Lord's prayer, which honours and praises God for who he is, submits to him, asks for things we need, confesses sin and asks for forgiveness, prays for protection and deliverance from temptations and Satan acknowledging God's power and for all to be done for his glory.

And lastly fasting, which is to be done so secretly that we look well presented and bright faced so that nobody can tell that we are fasting.

All of these, Jesus says, we are to do in secret - quietly, privately, without drawing a lot of attention to it - and God will see and reward us 'openly' - whether in this life or that to come Jesus doesn't say, although it is interesting that in the following verses he talks of laying up spiritual treasures in heaven rather than earthly treasure.

But before we finish, these 3 things which Jesus tells us to do in secret are all things which bring us closer to him by increasing the time and conversation we spend with him; whether it is in listening for his voice for who we need to help, and then delighting in doing his will, whether it is praising and adoring him, or in supplication, confession and thanksgiving, or whether it is in giving ourselves more wholly to him by sacrificial fasting.

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As the root of a plant is hidden and secret but has such an impact on its appearance, health and fruit, so these hidden and secret times spent with Jesus will nurture the life of a Christian, bring us to grow in grace and give off true fragrance of Christ in our lives.

"...and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly." 

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