The Commands of Christ, Part Eleven

Picture this: you’re out on a trip and someone who appears lost, disheveled and confused approaches you for your help. Remembering the commands of Christ we’ve studied so far, you agree to help, but first, you get out your phone and record yourself helping so you can post it online and get views and likes. What impression might that person you helped have? Do they think you helped because you were compelled by Christ or do they feel exploited for your social media fame? This is where command eleven comes in and it comes from Matthew 6:1-6 (NASB20)

Take care not to practice your righteousness in the sight of people, to be noticed by them: otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, so that they will be praised by people. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your charitable giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. And 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 will be seen by people. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But as for 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.

Ok, at first glance, it looks like we might have two separate commands, but as you read over these verses, you’ll see that Jesus is condemning the same thing about prayer as he is about practicing righteousness: doing it for the sake of the world’s attention. That’s why these are all wrapped into a single command of Christ.

The earlier commands we’ve studied so far make it clear that Christ expects us to be charitable. There’s no questioning it. Yet, how often do we as humans seek the acknowledgement of other humans instead of the acknowledgement of God? Let’s be honest about two things: the acknowledgement of other humans feels good and it’s often much easier to get. I read in a Bible study I am working through this morning this quote from Blackaby:

The enemy knows that blatantly tempting you with evil will be obvious…

Let that sink in for a minute. When you use that really great thing you feel like God is asking you to do to draw attention to yourself instead of God, you cheapen it and you risk the world missing God in the righteous acts you are trying to perform. This includes righteousness, prayer, and even fasting. Matthew 6:16-18 (NASB20) reads:

Now whenever you fast, do not make a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they distort their faces so that they will be noticed by people when they are fasting. truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But as for you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that your fasting will not be noticed by people by by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

In all three instances, Jesus points out that “…your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” He also makes sure to point out that those performing righteousness for the sake of worldly attention have already received their reward, there’s not another reward waiting for them: not in this world as a gift from the Father and not in heaven. Jesus is going to later remind us that we can’t serve two masters and while the Bible specifically mentions wealth, the spirit of that verse (we will cover it in detail later) includes chasing fame.

So, does that make it wrong to post about God online? No. Does it make it wrong to share news about a charity that you support with your time, effort, and money? Absolutely not. It comes down to heart posture. I will sing the praises of Casas por Cristo until God tells me to shut up about them. I love what they do: they build houses in low-income countries, for poverty-stricken families, and ask for nothing in return. I have been homeless so I love that mission! What would be wrong is if I opted to talk about what I did on a mission trip with them instead of what God did. If I framed it as “me” helping to build a house instead of God providing for a family in need. When I take the spotlight off of God to shine it on myself, that’s when I’ve switched from being a follower of Christ to a hypocrite.

Ultimately, it comes down to whose attention are you seeking with what you are doing? The answer should always be God’s.