Secret Giving and Secret Praying
True righteousness comes from the heart and not from external displays of religiosity.
F.B. Meyer emphasizes that true righteousness in religious duties should not be performed for public display, as highlighted in Matthew 6:1-8. He warns against the temptation to present a false image of piety, akin to a stage actor, and stresses the importance of sincerity in almsgiving, prayer, and fasting. Meyer shares a poignant reflection from a Burman convert who felt the weight of these teachings, contrasting the noisy displays of pagan worship with the quiet reverence that true faith demands. The sermon calls for introspection and authenticity in one's relationship with God.
Text
Matthew 6:1-8
First we have the general proposition that righteousness, that is, one’s religious duties, should not be done for the sake of display; and that principle is then applied to alms, prayer, and fasting-the three departments into which the Jews divided personal religion.
The words take heed in Matthew 6:1 are very searching! We are all likely to put better goods in the window than we have anywhere on our shelves; and to show fairer samples than we can supply in bulk. The Greek word for hypocrite means stage actor. “We are tempted to assume on Sunday a religious attire which we certainly do not wear in the home or in business.
In her account of the first Burman convert, Mrs. Judson says: few days ago, I was reading with him Matthew 6:1-34.
He was deeply impressed and solemn. ‘These words,’ said he, ‘take hold of my very heart. They make me tremble. When our people visit the pagodas, they make a great noise with trumpets. But this religion makes the mind fear God.
Sermon Outline
- Righteousness Should Not Be Done for Display
- The Danger of Hypocrisy
- The Contrast Between Worldly and Spiritual Religion
- The Noise of the World vs. the Fear of God
- The Greek Word for Hypocrite
Key Quotes
“The Greek word for hypocrite means stage actor.” — F.B. Meyer
“When our people visit the pagodas, they make a great noise with trumpets. But this religion makes the mind fear God.” — F.B. Meyer
Application Points
- Be genuine and sincere in your faith, and live it out in your daily life.
- Avoid doing good works to impress others, but rather to please God.
- Let your faith be a source of fear and reverence for God, rather than just external religiosity.