Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in Heaven. Matthew 6:1 ESV1
Read Matthew 6:1-6 & 16-18
When we begin reading Matthew 6 our ears are perked up and our senses are heightened. Matthew 6 is the continuation of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount which began in Matthew 5. Because of His teaching on some serious subjects presented in a surprising way, this sermon convicts the hearts of all who seriously read it. We expect to continue to be convicted in Matthew 6, but when Jesus teaches here on giving and praying, it is easy to let down our guards and assume He is speaking to someone else. After all, who of us has actually sounded a trumpet to draw attention to our giving (see Matthew 6:2) or has stood on a street corner loudly praying to get others to notice us (see Matthew 6:5)?
Therefore, we often miss what Jesus is teaching us here, specifically and personally, about hypocrisy. At this point, instead of looking around at the other guy, I believe Jesus is calling us each to honestly and prayerfully ask ourselves the question, “Am I a hypocrite?” If I were to ask myself that question, I must truthfully say, “Yes, I think I am. At least, I have that tendency.”
I care too much about what other people think. Although I really want to love God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength (see Luke 10:27), I still want people to like me. Although I am comfortable serving and working behind the scenes, I still want people to appreciate me. Although I am obedient to God by writing what He puts on my heart, I worry that what I write might offend someone. Basically, I fear being rejected by others. My fear has and continues to inhibit my desire to be sold out for God. That is why I must answer the above question, “Yes, I think I am a hypocrite.”
I do not believe I am alone in this struggle. I suspect that nearly every Christian is, on some level, a hypocrite. But before we give up and throw in the proverbial towel, we should look back at the Sermon on the Mount. Though Jesus’ words do stir up a desire in us for a changed life, they should not cause despair. Authenticity is the point of this passage. Authenticity is the opposite of hypocrisy.
Imagine how different our churches would be if we encouraged authenticity. How much greater our testimonies would be if we were authentic. How much brighter our lights would shine in the World if they were not blocked by the darkness of hypocrisy.
We instinctively know something is wrong with the hypocritical Christianity many of us have witnessed. We want something different. But instead of authenticity, we have settled for tolerance. Instead of acknowledging sin for the purpose of removing it, we, in the name of tolerance, have celebrated sin. Unfortunately, this tolerance has tarnished Jesus’ reputation and scorned His sacrifice.
Let’s not accept our own hypocrisy. May we call it what it is—sin. Let’s be truthful about our struggle but not wallow in it. May we confess our sin, accept God’s forgiveness, and cling even tighter to Him for help in overcoming our hypocrisy. If not for our own benefit, for the benefit of those watching us, because even if we don’t intend to “practice our righteousness before others to be seen by them” (Matthew 6:1), people, especially the young in years and in faith, are watching us. How we practice our Christianity is what teaches them.
I don’t want to be a hypocrite. And I know I cannot on my own overcome the fear which causes me to look outward instead of upward. I need the help of the Holy Spirit or I will continue to offend Jesus by choosing to please people instead of abandoning all for Him. As ridiculous as it sounds, I must continually ask God for help in choosing Him.
I thank God for His patience with me and His work in me. I praise Him that He has given me everything I need to overcome sin in my life, including hypocrisy (see 2 Peter 1:3-4). And as I continue to reckon that belief through His power I thank Him that “He who began a good work in [me] will bring it onto completion” (Philippians 1:6).
Jesus promises rewards for living an authentically godly life. Rewards which are greater than the applause of fickle people whose preferences constantly change. Rewards that come from a God who is “the same yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). Rewards that are given by the One who not only sees the act but the heart behind the action. We can be sure those rewards are far better than anything we think we gained here on Earth by living a life of duplicity.
Oswald Chambers wrote, “Our Lord does not pretend we are alright when we are all wrong … Jesus makes an unholy man holy.”2 May we stop pretending we are alright and let Jesus make us holy.
1Scripture quotations marked with ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All Scriptures are taken from the ESV unless otherwise noted.
2Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest, (Uhrichsville, Ohio: Barbour Publishers, 1935), December 8.