"Keep It to Yourself" Sermon: Matthew 6:1-6; 16-21

“Keep It to Yourself”
[Matthew 6:1-6; 16-21]
March 9, 2011 Second Reformed Church

Most of us enjoy receiving thanks or praise for a job well-done, or for something that we have achieved, or done for the good of others. And thanking people for what they have done or accomplished, and receiving that praise from others with a humble spirit, is good. We ought to show our appreciation and thanks for each other and the things we do. And we ought to be able to receive thanks and praise from others without denying the truth of what we did or becoming prideful about ourselves.

However, have we ever done something because we wanted to be praised or thanked? Have we ever done something at a specific time and place because we knew we would be noticed and someone would give us thanks and praise? Have we ever “set someone up” so the appropriate thing for them to do would be to thank us and tell us how wonderful we are?

In the selection from the Sermon on the Mount that I read this evening, Jesus addresses three things that are good and right for us to do: give, pray, and fast. However, Jesus explains that our motivation for doing these things can turn these good acts into occasions for sin and narcissism – times when we seek out other peoples’ praise.

In the first verse of the chapter, Jesus warns His disciples that if we practice our “righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them” – if we do what is right and good, only because we know there are people who will see us and thank us and applaud us, we ought not to expect God to be pleased with us. In fact, if our motivation for doing what is right and good is to be thanked and praised by other people, then fasting and prayer and giving become sin.

Jesus then looks at the three examples:

“When you give to the needy.” Jesus begins by asserting it is good and right and expected that God’s people will give to the needy. Whether it be financially or in some other form of help, God has given us all blessings that God means for us to share with others, to make us more like Jesus, and that God would be thanked and praised for His Provision.

Do we understand? God gives us what we need and more so we can be a blessing to others. Part of the reason God gives us more than we need is so we will learn to be givers – to self-sacrifice – like God did in coming to earth in the form of a human, living, dying for our sins, rising, and ascending back to His Throne. God gave us the Gift of Jesus – Jesus gave us the Gift of Himself – and we are now called to be like Him in giving.

And, as we give and receive thanks, we ought to direct our thanks and praise and the thanks and praise of those who thank us to God Who enables us to give as we give.

For example, if Barbara donated the money to build a parking lot for the church, we would be right to thank Barbara, and Barbara would be right to receive our thanks in a gracious and humble spirit. But, Barbara ought also to direct her thanks and our thanks to God Who blessed Barbara and inspired Barbara to give such a gift.

What some wealthy people were doing is dressing up in their best robes, walking into the middle of the synagogue or into the main crossroads of the town, and having their friends blow trumpets and announce, “Peter is now donating $1,000 to feed the poor. $1,000 dollars is being donated by Peter that the poor may be fed.” And, of course, everyone would rush around the person and say, “Oh, that’s so generous. Peter, you’re such a wonderful person. If there is anything I can do for you, let me know.”

God is not pleased with that.

Does it occur today? Do we ever heard or read such-and-such a celebrity or politician or billionaire announcing that he or she will be donating fifty millions dollars to this or that? What is the motivation behind such announcements?

Jesus said we are not to seek the approval of humans for the good that we do. We should do the good that God calls us to do in thanks for what He has done, whether or not anyone every knows or thanks us. Let us give and let us give quietly, secretly, to the praise of God. God does not need a spotlight to know what we have done; God knows what we do in secret. God will reward as it pleases Him to do so.

Jesus then talked about prayer – and we ought to be in prayer – regularly. Through prayer, as we have seen, we align our minds and will with the Mind and Will of God, so that whatever we ask for in Jesus’ Name, God will do.

Jesus told His disciples not to be hypocrites. Let us understand that the original meaning of “hypocrite” was a person who assumed a role on a stage – an actor. A “hypocrite” was a person who got up and pretended to be someone he or she wasn’t – for the sake of getting attention – to be watched.

And, again, Jesus talks about people who go into the synagogues and into the intersections of the streets and make a fuss so people will watch them pray and hear what they are saying. We may remember the parable Jesus told on another occasion about this same issue:

“[Jesus] also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: “God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.” But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast saying, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner ” I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted’” (Luke 18:9-14, ESV)

Jesus didn’t say that the Pharisee was lying. He may well have been a decent person who fasted and tithed. The problem Jesus had with him was his motivation for what he was doing. He did not go into the temple to pray – to pour out his heart before God – to become like God in mind and will. No, he went into the temple to put on a show for whoever was there – that’s why the tax collector could hear every word of the Pharisee’s prayer, even though he was “far off.” What was important to the Pharisee was that people heard him and recognized him as a good person. But Jesus said he was not forgiven.

The tax collector was forgiven for going into the corner and humbly repenting of his sin, asking that God would be merciful to him. The tax collector was centered on God and seeing God honored, not on making much of himself or trying to justify his sin.

It should strike us a rather foul thing to pray to show off and be praised by others. If we ever find ourselves thinking about our prayer, “Hey, that was a really great prayer.” Then let us repent of our pride quickly.

There is a time for us to pray together. But there is even more time when we ought to pray before God and no one else. Prayer is not a game or a show. Jesus very often went off to a quiet place to pray. God listens to those sincere and humble prayers.

Jesus then talked about fasting. Fasting is an appropriate discipline for the Christian. In fasting, we learn to subdue the lusts of the flesh – to control out bodies and deny ourselves – to the end of learning to deny ourselves sin when we are tempted. Fasting ought to also bring us to prayer.

Now, let us understand it is not necessary for a Christian to fast, and for some with medical conditions, it would be wise to talk with your doctor first. A fast does not have to be of every food. It does not have to be for a full twenty-four hours each day. Many people during the season of Lent fast from a certain food or type of food. This type of denial is to learn to rely on Jesus and turn from sin. Jesus fasted for forty days – of all food – before He began His Public Ministry. And before we say that is not physically possible, this is something I have looked into, and a person of average weight and health can easily live without food for forty days. So, those of us who have a “reserve” could, if we feel called to do so, fast of all food for a lengthy time.

Again, in Jesus’ day – and in our own – there were people who were hypocrites about their fasting – they put on a show for others to see. Rather than using the time of fasting to take control of their bodies, renounce sin, and turn to God, these people did everything they could to look and smell awful so everyone would know what they were doing:

Suppose I were to come into church with my hair a mess and dirty, and I was wearing filthy ragged clothes, and I had a big frown on my face. Someone might say, “Peter, are you alright? You look horrible ” “Oh, I’m fine. I’m just fasting to get better control of the temptations that I have to sin.” Jesus, of course, says that is sin. Fasting can been good for us, but it ought to be a private fast between each of us and God. We ought to look normal, and not put on a show, when we are practicing the discipline of fasting or any other discipline.

In each of these cases, people were – and do – taking good things – giving, praying, and fasting, and turning them into shows for which they desired attention and applause – praise and recognition. Worship and its attending disciplines are done to glorify God, not ourselves. Worship is about declaring the Worth of God, not our worth.

Tonight, we begin the Season of Lent – a season of forty days before Easter, during which we meditate on our sin – not to be morose, but to remind ourselves that God didn’t come to earth merely for fun, but because we had a God-sized problem with sin that only He could solve to make us right with Him.

Shortly, all who want to will receive the imposition of ashes and anointing with oil.

We impose the ashes to remind us that we are sinners and our only hope is to receive salvation through Jesus Alone. The ashes don’t earn us “points” with God, and no magic occurs when we receive them. They are a symbolic reminder, which you may remove whenever you want. If you want to go from this sanctuary with the ashes on your forehead so people will see you and think well of you for going to worship, then wipe them off right away. If you want to keep them on for a while as you privately think on your sin and confess it to God, then do so.

We anoint with oil all who want, as James writes, “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord” (James 5:14, ESV). Again, we need to understand this is not a magic cure; this is a symbolic anointing to remind us that God is the Great Physician and He is able to heal any and all diseases, as He is willing. The oil ought to direct us to God – to reliance on Him.

Perhaps we would do well to think about why we exist and why we worship during this Lenten season. Is there any right answer but we exist to glorify God and we worship to show the worth of God?

We ought to give out of thanksgiving and generosity, not so other people would see and praise us.

We ought to pray to become like God in Mind and Will, not so other people would see and praise us.

We ought to fast – and engage in other spiritual disciplines – that we might learn to refuse to follow our temptations into sin, and, rather, learn to follow after God in holiness, not so other people would see and praise us.

Let us seek to do good, in thanks to God, and keep it to ourselves.

Let us pray:
Almighty God, we thank You for saving us from our sin, providing for all of our needs, and being our Great Physician. Help us to turn from sin and not seek out the applause of the world. Help us to be satisfied with following after You and seeking Your Glory. For it is in Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.