Kingdom Life: The Father Who Sees In Secret (Matthew 6:1-21)
So far in this Sermon on the Mount, Jesus has spent a great deal of time exposing the idols of the human heart — lust, anger, control, possessions.
And He keeps going — past immoral behavior, into our moral activity. Into our religion.
This King lays every heart bare.
He proves that “None is righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10).
And here is what he exposes. The depraved human heart even finds a way to sin in our righteous activity.
Look at verse 1:
“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
In Matthew 6, Jesus highlights three fundamental areas of righteous practices: giving, prayer, and fasting.
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In each of these, Jesus highlights the hypocritical activity of people.
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At the center of this hypocrisy is pride. That is, a love — not for God, but for self.
Pride bends everything towards self.
Pride leads us to believe that we are righteous, or “a good person” as people often say.
Pride leads us to believe that I ultimately secure life and happiness in this world for myself.
Pride leads us to believe that we are the one truly worthy of attention and adoration.
Pride leads us away from loving God and others towards loving self.
But Jesus says that this is at the expense of yourself. It forfeits the reward given by our Father in heaven.
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So what should God’s kingdom people look like in their giving, in their prayer, in their fasting?
Jesus certainly isn’t throwing these practices out — but rather welcoming His disciples to choose eternal rewards, not fleeting earthly ones.
Giving
First — giving (Matthew 6:1–4).
“Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others.”
— Matthew 6:2
Don’t make a spectacle out of your giving to be seen by others. Jesus calls out the hypocrisy of this.
Hypocrisy is phony spiritual activity.
Hypocrisy is doing something that appears before men as good and moral — but that has evil intentions or motivations.
One appears to love the needy person in their giving, but truthfully they give only to be seen by others.
But God hates the show. There is no reward for them but the applause of men.
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God exposed the hypocrisy of His people another time through the prophet Amos (Amos 5:21–24):
“I hate, I despise your feasts,
and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies…
Take away from me the noise of your songs;
to the melody of your harps I will not listen.
But let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”
— Amos 5:21–24
The people practiced their religion faithfully — but let injustice and unrighteousness run rampant in everything else they did.
The Lord didn’t want their religious fervor unless it was about him — about His name and character flowing in and through his people.
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God cares about the heart. What motivates your giving? What’s behind it all?
Remember what Jesus said about the widow who gave just a couple of small coins (Mark 12:41–44; Luke 21:1–4)?
He said that what she had given was more in God’s sight than what those who gave great amounts out of their wealth gave.
In both instances, people missed the heart of giving. They missed God’s heart.
Giving is not about how great you are, but about how great God is.
Our giving is worthless if it misses God’s heart.
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Instead — in giving to the needy among them, which they should do — He said this ought to be a secret activity (Matthew 6:1–4).
He doesn’t mean no one can ever know when you give, or even how much you give.
Rather — He’s after the heart of the matter.
Are you giving to be seen by men, or to honor your Father?
Is your giving out of love for the needy and love for God? Or is it to prop yourself up before others — even in your own eyes?
I think that’s what he means when he says:
“do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing”.
Don’t even think too much about it yourself. Don’t get too excited about how great you are, but get excited about loving God and serving others!
Instead, give in secret. “Your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:4)
What is Jesus inviting us to? Eternal reward, not the fleeting praise of men or what might come with it.
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So here is the heart question for giving:
In giving, where does your heart long for the praise of men?
Does your heart long for the God of heaven to see you, to know you, and to be pleased with you in how you give?
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It’s not just the immoral who seek earthly reward. It’s also the moral.
When you give, run from the urge to be praised by men.
Run from the urge to place yourself on the “good list” — or the “approved by God list” — based on what you’ve given or done.
You don’t need the praise of men — because you have a heavenly Father who sees all, and He promises to reward you for all that you’ve done for Him. And who is greater to receive a reward from than the One who made all things?
Prayer
Second — prayer (Matthew 6:5–13).
The hypocrite prays to be seen. “When you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites” (Matthew 6:5).
Long-winded, fancy-worded prayers in public places — designed to be heard by people.
And again, Jesus says — they have already received their reward (Matthew 6:5).
Lest we dismiss that too quickly: the praise of men is real currency. It buys friends, jobs, and reputation.
These men were wise to that. But they were fools — because earthly applause pales beside the heavenly treasure promised by God.
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Even prayer can be sinful and satanic.
Even prayer can be full of pride, an act of love for self, rather than connection with God.
Hearing this, your heart may say with the disciples — “Then who can be saved?” (Matthew 19:25).
Only through Jesus.
He alone is righteous, and he shows us the way.
He calls us into the secret place: “Go into your room and shut the door” (Matthew 6:6).
He’s not banning public prayer — He prayed publicly.
He wants their hearts to want God, not simply what little we can gain here on earth.
He wants us to believe that He provides for us in Christ all we need, not us.
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Here is the heart question for prayer:
When you walk into a room full of Christians, are you more concerned about what others think of you — about how well you prayed or spoke — or are you concerned with connecting with your God, and loving your brother or sister?
Another question: Do you pray more in private or in public? On the way to work, in the shower, on walks, in your head as you do dishes?
Or do you only pray when others are watching?
If so — there’s some heart work you need to do with God.
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And Jesus says — when you do pray, don’t “heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do” (Matthew 6:7).
“They think they will be heard for their many words” (Matthew 6:7) — but the opposite is true.
You don’t need many words. You just need to express your need for Him.
This is what pleases Him.
You don’t have to speak many words to be heard by your Father.
He already knows what you need, but he invites you to come to him with your need, with your love, with your desires.
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We’ll come back to the Lord’s Prayer line by line next week (Matthew 6:9–13). For now, see how simple it is.
Jesus teaches us to pray for God’s honor — His name and kingdom.
For God’s provision — bread and forgiveness.
And for God’s protection — from the evil one.
All these things come from God.
I can’t secure these things. You can’t secure these things by getting enough praise from people or reputation or power.
So we pray because we get more of God and in God we get all we need!
And when we get all we need, provision and protection, we get more of God. It’s all about God!
He is our true bread. He is our reconciliation. He is our shelter.
His name is honored, and His kingdom comes, when our every need is met in Him.
Here is the true reward of prayer: a Father who hears, a Father who sees, a Father who knows what you need even before you ask Him — and a Father who promises to take care of you and to provide you eternal life, far greater than anything this world can provide, as you wait on him.
Fasting
Third and finally — fasting (Matthew 6:16–18).
The hypocrite fasts to be seen. He disfigures his face so men will know he is fasting.
And once again — he has already received his reward in full.
But Jesus calls His people to fast in secret. Wash your face. Look your best. Again, this doesn’t mean that you can’t tell anyone that you’re fasting, but that you shouldn’t do it to get anyone’s attention but God’s.
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Fasting is an activity that expresses the deep longings of your soul for God.
It denies self — to train yourself that God is enough. That God is what we truly need. That God is the One who is able to provide.
But here again, devotion to God has been twisted into devotion to self — another act of spiritual pride, showing how sufficient you are.
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So here is the heart question for fasting:
When you deny yourself, are you advertising your devotion — or hungering after God Himself?
True fasting hungers after God and thirsts after righteousness.
It says, with the heart: “I want You more than I want food or this other thing.”
It says: “You are enough for my every need.”
And here is the reward Jesus promises: there is a Father in heaven who sees in secret.
He knows your heart, and all the longings of it. He hears your cries. And He promises to reward you eternally.
Where Is Your Treasure?
Now hear how Jesus draws all of this together starting in verse 19:
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,
but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,
where neither moth nor rust destroys
and where thieves do not break in and steal.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
— Matthew 6:19–21 (ESV)
There are treasures in this life we can earn — through hard work, through reputation. But all of it is temporary.
The better treasure is one that only God can give. A reward that cannot fade — “imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:4).
That’s the treasure you should seek.
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So here is the question — where is your heart? What is your treasure?
You’ll know by how you live — not only by what immoral things you do or don’t do, but even by the righteous practices you do.
The question underneath giving, prayer, and fasting:
Is this to get more of God — or is this about me?
Give to the poor, give to the gospel — because you want more of God.
Pray without ceasing — because you want more of God.
Fast from what you need and want — to help your heart long for Him.
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And here is the devil’s lie — that God’s glory and your good are at odds.
That if you choose God, you will be deprived of good.
But three times in this passage, the Father says He wants to reward you.
He invites you to receive everything good from His hand.
When we give God His proper place, we receive full joy — all the grace and goodness that comes in relationship with Him.
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Church — we must repent of our pride, of our self-righteousness, of our hypocrisy.
Gospel Application
Some of you feel convicted by the Holy Spirit for particular things. Praise God.
That’s grace inviting you to greater life and reward in Jesus.
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But some of you hear the Accuser whispering — telling you that your prayers are phony, that you don’t truly know God, that your faith is a fraud.
Hear me.
Our God has heard your prayers. He sees in secret. He knows your cries. He knows your need for Him — and He delights in it.
I’ve heard these lies this week, and God has kindly reminded me that He delights in my weakness and hears my prayers. Perhaps someone here needed that same affirmation.
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Pride feels no need for God. Pride draws attention to itself.
But the broken heart that simply needs Him — that heart is welcomed by God, and rewarded by God.
I was reminded of the old hymn “Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy”, which says:
“Let not conscience make you linger,
nor of fitness fondly dream;
all the fitness He requireth
is to feel your need of Him.”
— Joseph Hart, “Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy”
All the fitness He requires — is to feel your need of Him.
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Isn’t this what Jesus said:
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.
That’s true reward.
That’s worth living for — not temporary things like the praise of men.
Conclusion
Jesus exposes the sin in our unrighteous acts and our righteous acts — so that we would all come needy to the cross.
He was innocent. The only one who never did anything he shouldn’t do, who never failed to do what he ought. But in your place God laid His wrath on His Son. The Good News for us today is that it is finished in him. You don’t need to be enough anymore in God’s sight or fellow man’s sight because he was enough for you.
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)
He rose again — and put His Spirit in our hearts, empowering us to live new lives like Jesus.
The sermon on the mount lays us all bare before the cross in need of mercy. It shows us that Jesus alone can be our righteousness. And that as we walk in the power of the Holy Spirit we can become increasingly righteous like him.
Praise be to God.