Last night we continued our study through the Sermon on the Mount. Here are the notes:
Truth in the Secret Place // Matthew 6:1-8, 16-17
1. Active “Righteousness” (6:1) these activities seem to be assumed parts of a righteous life.
- Giving to needy people (6:2-4). See 1 Jo 3:17-19 Whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
- Praying (6:5-6)
- Fasting (6:16-17) not eating food for a set time
So, “Doing things” is part of the greater righteousness that characterizes the true followers of Jesus. But doing them is not the essence of being a follower of Christ. Simply doing these things doesn’t make us righteous. Something else is key, which is why Jesus teaches about right and wrong ways to do these things.
2. The issue: living our lives “to be seen” by people… (v. 1, 5, 16) Note: The issue is not being seen in general. See 5:13-16. … in order to get “glory” from people, (v. 2) as opposed to a general life that brings glory to God.
3. If that’s why I do things, then I get what I want (v.2, 5, 16), and that is all the reward I get. (v.1)
4. Instead, practice your righteousness in secret…
v.3 Don’t publicize giving, don’t let your right hand know what your left hand is doing,
v.5 Don’t pray just so people can see/hear you, go into an inner room
v.16 Don’t look sad for people, be normal (v. 17) , so only God can see (your hunger)
5. …because God is in the secret place, and he sees. (v. 4, 6, 17)
If he’s infinite, he’s everywhere all at once. In other words, he’s fully in everyplace. For followers of Christ, we fully relate to God through His Spirit, which is everywhere.
If he’s personal, alone time is one-on-one time with God. This is the most important part of our relationship with him. As we follow Christ, we learn to reprioritized our lives, and take all the value off of our public lives, and the eyes of people, and put it on our private lives, and the eyes of God.
6. …and He sees, and he rewards. (v. 4, 6, 17)
7. Humanity needs to repent of its obsession with being seen by others. (4:17)
A Helpful Question for everyone: who do you want to see you?
If people? Why? (you have your reward: applause, esteem, people’s admiration)
Also: Who do you want people to see?…notice?…think about?…admire?…praise?…to want?
Another Question: Why are humans obsessed with being seen?
1. …because we think that other people are the only ones there to notice.
2. …because we think that the only things that have value in our lives are the things others see
The Antidote: Know that you have a father who sees in secret.
If there really was no one there in the universe except other humans, this teaching of Jesus would make no sense. But if there is a God who sees all things, if everything is equally exposed to him, public and private—that changes everything. Now even the most secret moments in our lives are inhabited by Someone else, and in fact, by the most important Person in the universe…in fact, the only person whose opinion matters. And, since this Someone is the one who made us, and since he made us specifically to have real personal connection to him, then our relational life with Him is actually the most important thing to us. It’s the thing we should think most about, invest the most in, and derive the most joy from. (For instance, see Psalm 139:1-13 and Hebrews 4:13)
Is the universe empty for you? Or is Someone there? Is it all a big random machine—huge spaces of emptiness with a populated rock flying in loops through the dark? Or is every cubic inch inhabited by a loving Father?