Matt. 6:1-81Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. 2Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 3But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: 4That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. 5And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 6But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. 7But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. (Matthew 6:1‑8).
IT is enough for him who walks with God to know that God rewardeth those who diligently seek Him. To such the praise of men is of no account. It was everything to the Pharisee and hypocrite to be seen of men. They took no higher ground than this in all their religious performances, which have their miserable reward. The Lord’s tempters were obliged to say that He cared for no man, nor regarded the person of men. Of Himself He could say, “I receive not honor from men.” Such an One, therefore, could well say, “How can ye believe which receive honor one of another, and seek not the honor which cometh from God only?” “Tell no man,” was the constant word of Jesus to those whom He healed and blessed. He spoke not of Himself, nor did He desire others to do so either. But His fame could not be hid. When the people would make Him king, He withdrew to the mountain apart, that He might, in the secret of His Father’s presence, enjoy all the honor He sought. When the Father glorified Him on the holy mount, still His word was, “tell no man.” In a word, “He made Himself of no reputation.” This was the Father’s business, and not His.
His brethren did not understand such secrecy, when they thus addressed Him, “Depart hence, and go into Judea, that Thy disciples also may see the works that Thou doest. For there is no man that doeth anything in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If Thou do these things, show Thyself to the world.”
Jesus did go up, but not with His vain-counseling brethren, nor yet openly, but “as it were in secret;” and only then when His time of service came. How important it is before any service is entered upon, that the soul should first find the refreshing of the Father’s presence, then would service be with power and unction. How important to come out of one’s sacred hiding-place before we have to do with others. Moses came down full of glory, though “he wist it not,” but others felt the power.
The earliest ministry of Christ was to expose the vain glory, and trumpet-sounding publicity of the Pharisee. So strictly private would the Lord have our alms to be, that He warns us against letting the left, hand know what the right hand doeth. Prayer is to be in the secret of the closet; fasting is to be with anointed head and washed face, so as not to appear to men to fast.
All this is hard work for the vanity of our hearts, that, butterfly-like, would ever float upon the sunbeam of human admiration.
He who walks with God has the constant sunshine of His presence; to him gifts shall flow in their needed measure. No work that is done to God shall be in vain. True love seeks not its own praise, but the weal of its object. It condescends not to make its gift a tribute to self. “Ye have done it unto Me” is its motive, and with such sacrifices God is well pleased. The widow’s mite and Nathaniel’s prayer, are those precious fruits of the Spirit, which are as incense before the Father; whilst all these noisy and ostentatious exhibitions of self are as though we had offered strange incense in His courts.
Much of the weakness attending on the saints in these days may be traced to the spirit of the Pharisee, through lack of private self-examination, and faithful dealing with one’s self in secret, beneath the eye of God. Much more might be said, but I desire briefly to suggest these few thoughts to the attention of brethren, and conclude with this beautiful and appropriate scripture, which opens out what God delights in (Is. 58:7, 8, 10): “Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; and the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward.... Then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon-day.”