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Matthew 6:1-4
Jesus does a great job of explaining what it means to follow Him and God’s will for our lives verses living our lives for our “selves” and seeking the glory of man instead of God’s glory. This is a great example of the choices that God allows us to make in our decisions to follow Him or to seek the ways of this world. In Matthew 6:1-4 Jesus reflects on His words in Matthew 5:20 (ESV), “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” The scribes and Pharisees were all about presenting themselves to be “better” than others with a self-righteous view of themselves.
This is a command to do our actions and deeds in the eyes of God, not in the eyes of man.
This is a command to have an obedient and sincere heart to God.
Throughout the teaching of Jesus, He is showing that the ways of the scribes and Pharisees (those who were considered the most holy people of the day in the eyes of man) were indeed not the most holy people of the day in the eyes of God. Jesus is teaching that bringing glory to ourselves is not bringing glory to God but is self-righteous and reflective of the ways of this world which is the work of the devil. Jesus teaches us in Matthew 6:1-4 that if we do our “good deeds” in secret, as to not be seen in a public spectacle, God will reward us as this shows humility to Him and our desire to please Him instead of being seekers of self-righteousness as was the scribes and Pharisees. Jesus explains this further in Luke 18:9-14 (HCSB), “He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and looked down on everyone else: ‘Two men went up to the temple complex to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee took his stand and was praying like this: ‘God, I thank You that I’m not like other people – greedy, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.’
“But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even raise his eyes to heaven but kept striking his chest and saying, ‘God, turn Your wrath from me – a sinner!’ I tell you this one went down to his house justified rather than the other; because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” It is our hearts that God desires to have in sincere obedience. We must take note of the Pharisee’s words in Luke 18:12, “I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.” But yet in Luke 18:14 we are informed that the Pharisee was not justified for his actions. This shows us that it is not the fasting or tithing of itself that God desires of us, but to have an obedient and sincere heart in our reasoning for doing these things.
Dear LORD,
Please help us to see that we cannot earn our way into your kingdom of heaven by simply “doing” things. It is the heart that must be obedient and sincere to You in the actions that we take in the things that we do. Please help us to seek Your will for our lives and follow in the footsteps of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. In Jesus name I pray, amen.