By Peter Amsterdam
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In Matthew’s Gospel in chapter 6, Jesus starts this portion of the Sermon on the Mount by saying: “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).
The word “righteousness” used here refers to the practices or observances of faith as expressed in Scripture, which in Jesus’ examples include giving to the needy, prayer, and fasting. These three examples represent the practices believers carry out as the outcropping of their faith life. Jesus tells us that when we do these things, we should not do them with the intention of being seen by others.
The Greek word used for seen in this instance means to look upon, to view attentively, to look at important persons that are looked on with admiration. Later in Matthew we read of Jesus castigating the Pharisees for this exact thing. “They do all their deeds to be seen by others” (Matthew 23:5).
Earlier in the Sermon, Jesus said that the result of the disciples’ way of life should be that other people “may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). This could seem contradictory to what He is teaching here in chapter 6. The difference is that earlier Jesus was referring to the whole character and lifestyle of the disciples, while the subject at this point in the Sermon is specifically about religious practices and duties.
R. T. France explains:
The [present] passage is about a deliberate search for public recognition, whereas [Matthew] 5:16 summed up a searching character study of true disciples which focused on essential qualities: those who live like that will inevitably be “a town built on top of a hill which cannot be hidden,” whether they like it or not. And whereas the outcome of religious ostentation is the desired “reward” of human applause, the result of the shining light of the disciples’ lifestyle is that people glorify God, not them.1
As disciples, we strive to reflect God with our lives, but that is quite different from intentionally drawing attention to ourselves when we pray, give, etc., with the goal of being noticed and admired by others.
The first example Jesus gave referenced giving to the needy: “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. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward” (Matthew 6:2).
Giving to the poor was commanded in Scripture as an important part of the Jewish faith life. In Deuteronomy, we read: “There will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land’” (Deuteronomy 15:11).
On this point, R. T. France wrote:
By the first century there was a well-organized system of relief for the poor based in the synagogues, providing something of what our modern state-sponsored welfare systems aim to offer. The funding of this system depended on contributions from members of the community, some of them laid down under the regulations for the “tithe for the poor” (Deuteronomy 14:28–29) but also involving a great deal of private initiative.2
Jesus clearly expected His disciples to give to the needy. He doesn’t start with “if you give” but “when you give.” He painted a word picture of one sounding a trumpet when giving to draw attention to and be admired for one’s generosity, and He is censuring this practice. He denounces the hypocrisy of those who are focused on giving as a form of self-promotion rather than helping the poor. They are self-deceived in that they are doing a good thing in giving to the poor, but their motives are wrong. When we give to the poor, it should be done out of love, compassion, and obedience to God’s commands, and never as a means of enhancing one’s reputation.
If someone’s aim is to have others notice them, Jesus says: “Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward” (Matthew 6:2). We know this is important, as He begins with the solemn statement “truly, I say to you.” And the point He makes is important: Those who give for the purpose of receiving the attention and acclamation of others have received all the reward they are going to get. After all, that is the reward they seek.
Having shown what not to do, Jesus then describes the proper attitude to have when doing our service to God—in this case, giving to the needy. “But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:3–4).
Of course, it’s impossible to literally not let one hand know what the other is doing. Jesus is using this imagery to make the point that not only should we not give for the purpose of seeking the applause of others, but we are also not to dwell on the fact that we have given, congratulating ourselves because we’ve given.
John Stott wrote on this topic:
Christian giving is to be marked by self-sacrifice and self-forgetfulness, not by self-congratulation. What we should seek when giving to the needy is neither the praise of men, nor a ground for self-commendation, but rather the approval of God.3
While our giving is meant to be an act of mercy done in obedience to God’s command, reflecting the nature of God, done for His glory and not our own, it doesn’t mean it isn’t rewarded. “Your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:4).
When we “practice our righteousness”—doing the things our faith instructs us to do, nurturing our spirit through prayer, worshiping God, abiding in His Word, and performing acts of mercy with the right attitude of heart—God sees and rewards. Jesus doesn’t specify exactly what the rewards are, but throughout the Gospels He mentions them repeatedly in words which seem generously out of proportion to the acts we’ve done. “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master’” (Matthew 25:21). “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world’” (Matthew 25:34). “Love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great” (Luke 6:35).
Regardless of what our eternal rewards may be, when we give with the right motives, we are rewarded with knowing that we have obeyed God, that others have benefited by what we gave—whether time, money, or prayer—and that “as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:40).
Jesus then made a similar point regarding prayer: “When you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward” (Matthew 6:5).
The prayers that people would “stand and pray in the synagogues and at street corners” were the customary prayers which are recited by practicing Jews three times a day. These prayers were said when they arose, at the time of the afternoon sacrifice in the temple (around 3:00 p.m.), and before going to bed. Wherever the person was at the time of these prayers, they were to stop and pray.
Jesus wasn’t speaking against these prayers, or even against praying in public. He was speaking against those who purposely arranged their schedules so that at the 3:00 p.m. prayer time they were positioned in prominent places where they would be seen praying. As in the case of those who made a point of giving alms in order to be seen, He denounced those who pray for the purpose of self-promotion.
There is nothing wrong with praying in public, which regularly takes place in churches, Bible study groups, prayer meetings, etc. For that matter, we can pray anytime, anywhere. We’re told to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Jesus’ focus here is on the intent or motive and specifically on exposing the wrong motive—“that they may be seen by others.” As with the example He gave of giving to be seen by others, He says that those who pray for that purpose have received their full reward, the attention and acclaim of others, but there is no further reward from God for such prayers.
Jesus then described the proper way to pray: “But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:6).
The imagery Jesus uses depicts being alone with God. We read that Jesus often took time alone in prayer with His Father (Luke 5:16; Mark 1:35). Of course, Jesus also prayed publicly, as did His disciples, which shows that it’s not public prayer which Jesus is denouncing, but the wrong motive for praying of seeking glory or attention for oneself.
Those who enter into communion with God, who sincerely seek Him, who enter His presence in prayer with the right motives, are promised a reward from God, who sees and hears their secret prayer. Jesus was speaking about our motivation. Our motivation needs to be pleasing God, desiring to do these things from a pure heart, one which seeks intimacy and relationship with the Lord. That is the attitude He blesses.
As Christians, we are in relationship with God, and our desire is to do the things God has told us to do in Scripture, those things which He delights in—worshipping, praying, being generous, loving others, and nurturing our relationship with Him. Such actions, when done from the heart for the love and glory of the Lord, bring about inner transformation, spiritual growth, and maturity.
When we practice our faith based on the desire to love and please God, to become more like Him, then we will reflect His light and people will see the fruit of a life lived for Him, a life which glorifies Him. May we each live out our faith with the right motive, and thus be rewarded by our Father who sees in secret (Matthew 6:4).
Originally published June 2016. Adapted and republished September 2026. Read by John Laurence.
1 R. T. France, The Gospel of Matthew (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2007), 234.
2 France, The Gospel of Matthew, 235.
3 John R. W. Stott, The Message of the Sermon on the Mount (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1978), 130–31.
