“Be Careful Not to Practice Your Righteousness Before Others to Be Seen by Them.” Matthew 6:1–18. Christians and Church Life: A Series of Sermons on the Sermon on the Mount, Part Three

Author: Boyan Mak Mihaylov

Abstract:

Boyan Mak Mihaylov, “Be Careful Not to Practice Your Righteousness Before Others to Be Seen by Them.” Matthew 6:1–18. Christians and Church Life: A Series of Sermons on the Sermon on the Mount, Part Three. . Sofia: Holy Trinity Christian Church, September 6, 2024

This sermon examines Matthew 6:1–18, focusing on Jesus' teachings about the motives behind religious practices—almsgiving, prayer, and fasting. It argues that authentic discipleship requires actions driven by a sincere relationship with God rather than a desire for human approval. The analysis highlights the contrast between performative piety and genuine devotion, emphasizing that true righteousness is cultivated in the "inner room" of private communion with God. The sermon concludes that transformative Christian witness emerges from motives purified by God’s love, challenging believers to embody a counter-cultural faith that prioritizes divine approval over public recognition.

Original language:

Bulgarian

Keywords:

Matthew 6, Spiritual Motives, Almsgiving, Prayer, Fasting, Hypocrisy, Authentic Discipleship, Inner Room, Divine Reward, Pharisaic Piety, Christian Counter-Culture, Heart Transformation, Sermon on the Mount, Religious Practices, God’s Approval, Secret Devotion, Spiritual Integrity, Biblical Ethics, Modern Application, Church Life ¹

Introduction

The Sermon on the Mount is the first of the five discourses that Matthew recorded in his Gospel. It contains Christ’s ethical teaching about the Kingdom of God. He taught the crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan (Matt. 4:25). Christ preaches in the midst of His healing ministry.

The topics on which Christ preaches in Matt. 6:1–18 concern our spiritual discipleship as part of the Church. More specifically, the Lord addresses the motives with which we perform many of our activities. Jesus begins by explaining an important principle in spiritual discipleship:

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness before others to be seen by them” (Matt. 6:1)

Why does Jesus emphasize this principle? Almsgiving, prayers, and fasting were used by believers in Jesus’ time to highlight their own righteousness. Especially the Pharisees formed a religion that was connected with external display. In this teaching the Lord speaks of the principle of the inner room – a specific personal relationship with the Father that should motivate us in Christian discipleship. Jesus speaks of three areas: almsgiving, prayer, and fasting.

Giving Alms with Right Motives (Matthew 6:2–4)

The first real case from the first century that Christ addresses is the fact that certain religious people trumpet before themselves when giving alms in the synagogues and in the streets. We might think that no such modern problem exists, but in reality many PR companies are made not for the sake of the needy, but for the advertising and glory of the benefactor – a company, institution, or private individual.

Green summarizes that the meaning of religious piety is “not pretense under spotlights, but a humble life in the light of the Father’s will.” ²

Jesus offers an interesting alternative to trumpeting – the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing. Traditionally this verse is interpreted in the sense of not thinking about it when we give. But the commentaries on Scripture give us a different view. According to the Methodist theologian Adam Clarke, this verse means that often our giving should remain secret even from our closest relatives. The goal would be for our giving to be visible only to God. ³

Prayer with Right Motives (Matthew 6:5–15)

The second area about which Christ preaches is prayer. Before giving His disciples the prayer “Our Father,” Jesus speaks about the motives with which we should pray.

The first wrong motive is ostentatious prayer, which some of the Pharisees and scribes practiced. The sole purpose of this prayer is to be heard by people in a public place and to create an impression of spirituality (Matt. 6:5).

The second wrong motive is wordy prayer, in which it is believed that repeating learned words will manipulate God to work in our favor (Matt. 6:7). And here Jesus returns us to the concept of the “inner room,” where only the Father hears us. Jesus continues His teaching with the words “and you, pray like this” and the prayer “Our Father.” Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh (1914–2003) writes:

“In a sense this is not only a prayer but also a way of life presented in the form of a prayer: it is an image of the soul’s gradual ascent from slavery to freedom.” ⁴

Jesus concludes His teaching on prayer with the necessity of forgiveness (Matt. 6:14–15). Michael Green interprets these verses as follows: “Our prayers are too often rendered powerless because there is someone whom, as we think, we cannot forgive.”⁵

John Bunyan, author of The Pilgrim’s Progress, writes: “Prayer is a sincere, sensitive, love-filled pouring out of the heart or soul before God through Christ, with the power and help of the Holy Spirit...” ⁶

Fasting with Right Motives (Matthew 6:16–18)

The third area about which Jesus preaches is fasting. Hypocrites use fasting for ostentatious religiosity, darkening their faces so that others understand they are fasting. In our contemporary world there is also a similar tendency to perceive fasting in a similar way. This ostentatious religiosity can be connected with abstaining from certain foods or also a certain way of dressing during fasting days, but this is done not with the spiritual goal of humility before God, but of standing out before other people.

Jesus advises the believer to anoint his head and wash his face. The right motive for fasting is the Father, who “sees in secret” and will reward openly, rather than displaying our spirituality before others.

Principles of Spiritual Discipleship in the Context of the Local Church

1. The principle of attention to our motives – Christ in the Sermon on the Mount emphasizes the motives with which we serve God and perform various activities in the church.

2. The principle of the inner room.

2.1. Giving alms – Christ shows us that we can give in a discreet manner as spiritual service before God.

2.2. Prayer – The Lord rejects both ostentatious prayer and wordiness.

2.3. Fasting – The Lord rejects the display of fasting, showing that it is a spiritual practice that makes sense in secret before the Father.

Conclusion

In the third part of the Sermon on the Mount our Lord Jesus Christ preaches about the motives of the Christian disciple. In the three areas: almsgiving, prayer, and fasting, He shows that a hypocrite is the one who does everything to be seen by people. In our contemporary world this can be expressed through PR campaigns, demonstrative public prayers.

The right motive according to Christ is our love for the Father, which is manifested in a deeply personal relationship, a meeting in the “inner room” with the Father, who is able to reward us openly.