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Sermon on the Mount

Giving in Secret

Disciplefy Team·May 27, 2026·10 min read

In Matthew 6:1-18, Jesus confronts religious hypocrisy by exposing the heart behind our spiritual practices. He addresses three core disciplines — giving, praying, and fasting — and reveals that the motivation matters more than the action itself. When we perform these acts to gain human applause, we've already received our full reward: the fleeting approval of people. But when we practice them in secret, seeking only God's approval, we tap into eternal rewards that cannot be taken away. Jesus isn't condemning public worship or generosity; He's calling us to examine why we do what we do. The Father who sees in secret rewards openly. This passage challenges us to cultivate a hidden life with God that's more real than our public persona.

Historical Context

Jesus is teaching on a mountainside to His disciples and crowds who've gathered. He's contrasting kingdom righteousness with the religious performance of the Pharisees and teachers of the law, who practiced their piety publicly to gain honor from others. This teaching comes immediately after Jesus has redefined righteousness in the Beatitudes and explained how His followers fulfill the law through transformed hearts, not external compliance alone.

Scripture Passage

Matthew 6:1-18

Interpretation & Insights

The Danger of Performing for People

Jesus opens with a warning that cuts to the heart of religious activity: "Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them." The Greek word for "practice" (poieō) suggests habitual action, the regular rhythm of spiritual life. Jesus isn't saying never do anything publicly — He Himself taught in synagogues and healed in crowds. He's addressing motivation, the hidden engine that drives our visible actions. When your primary audience is other people, when you're calculating how your generosity or devotion will look to others, you've already stepped into hypocrisy. The word "hypocrite" comes from Greek theater, describing actors who wore masks to play different characters. Jesus is saying that when we perform our spirituality for human applause, we're acting, wearing a mask that hides our true self. The devastating phrase "they have received their reward in full" means the transaction is complete — you wanted human praise, you got it, and that's all you'll ever get. There's nothing left coming from God because you weren't doing it for Him in the first place. This should make us pause and examine our hearts every time we give, pray, serve, or post about our faith online. Are we seeking the approval of people or the approval of God?

Giving That God Sees

Jesus uses giving as His first example because generosity reveals what we truly value. He describes hypocrites who "announce it with trumpets" in synagogues and streets — likely a reference to the trumpet-shaped collection boxes in the temple, or perhaps a metaphor for drawing attention to their donations. The contrast Jesus draws is striking: "When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing." This is beautiful hyperbole, an impossible standard that makes the point crystal clear — give so secretly that even you almost forget about it. Don't keep a mental ledger of your generosity. Don't calculate how your giving will enhance your reputation. Don't give with strings attached, expecting recognition or influence in return. The phrase "your Father who sees what is done in secret" is repeated three times in this passage, and it's the heartbeat of everything Jesus teaches here. God sees. He's not distant or disinterested. He's intimately aware of every act of kindness, every dollar given quietly, every sacrifice made when no one else knows. And He "will reward you" — not might, not could, but will. The reward isn't specified because it's not the point; the point is that God's approval is infinitely more valuable than human applause, and His rewards last forever while human praise evaporates like morning mist.

Prayer as Intimate Conversation

Jesus then turns to prayer, and again He contrasts two approaches. The hypocrites "love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others." There's nothing wrong with standing to pray or praying in public spaces — Jesus did both. The problem is the motivation: they love to be seen praying. Their prayer is performance art, designed to impress observers with their spirituality. Jesus offers a radically different model: "Go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen." The "room" (tameion) was a storage room in ancient homes, the most private space available, sometimes without windows. Jesus is calling us to cultivate a hidden prayer life, a place where we meet God away from all audiences, where we can be completely honest because no one else is watching. This is where real relationship with God develops. He then adds a warning against "babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words." Prayer isn't about impressing God with eloquence or wearing Him down with repetition. Your Father knows what you need before you ask — so prayer isn't about informing God, it's about aligning yourself with Him, expressing dependence, and deepening relationship. The Lord's Prayer that follows (verses 9-13) is a model of simplicity and focus: honor God's name, seek His kingdom, trust Him for daily needs, receive forgiveness, extend forgiveness, and ask for protection from evil. It's relational, not transactional.

Fasting Without Fanfare

The third practice Jesus addresses is fasting, which was a regular spiritual discipline in Jewish life. Again, the hypocrites "disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting" — they deliberately made themselves look miserable, perhaps by not washing, putting ashes on their faces, or wearing torn clothing. They wanted everyone to know they were fasting so they'd be admired for their devotion. Jesus flips the script entirely: "When you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting." In other words, look normal. Take care of your appearance. Don't broadcast your spiritual disciplines. Fast for God alone, not for the approval or admiration of people. This principle extends beyond fasting to every spiritual practice — Bible reading, worship, service, sacrifice. When you do these things to be noticed, you've turned them into self-promotion rather than worship. But when you do them in secret, seeking only God's pleasure, you're building a foundation that cannot be shaken. The Father who sees in secret will reward you, and His rewards are eternal, substantial, and deeply satisfying in ways that human praise never can be. This teaching challenges our social-media age, where we're constantly tempted to document and broadcast every aspect of our lives, including our faith. Jesus calls us to a hidden life with God that's more real and more valuable than our public image.

Living for an Audience of One

The underlying principle in all three examples is this: your spiritual life should be primarily vertical, not horizontal. You're living for God's approval, not people's applause. This doesn't mean you never do anything publicly — Jesus taught publicly, the early church worshiped together, and Scripture commands us not to forsake gathering together. But it does mean that your public life flows from your private life with God, not the other way around. The test is simple: would you still do it if no one ever knew? Would you still give if you couldn't claim it on taxes or have your name on a plaque? Would you still pray if no one saw you? Would you still serve if you got no recognition? If the answer is no, then you're doing it for the wrong audience. Jesus is calling us to cultivate a rich, hidden life with God — a prayer closet where we meet Him daily, a pattern of secret generosity that only He sees, a discipline of self-denial that we don't broadcast. This is where real spiritual formation happens. This is where character is built. This is where we become the kind of people who genuinely love God and others, not for what we get out of it, but because we've been transformed by encountering the Father who sees in secret. And here's the beautiful promise: He will reward you. Not because you've earned it, but because He delights in His children who seek Him for who He is, not for what they can gain from being seen as spiritual.

Reflection Questions

  1. When you give, pray, or serve, what percentage of your motivation is seeking God's approval versus wanting others to notice or admire you?
  2. What would change in your spiritual practices if you knew for certain that no other human would ever know about them?
  3. Is there an area where you've been performing spiritually for others rather than genuinely seeking God — and how can you shift that?
  4. How does social media affect your motivation for spiritual practices, and do you need to establish boundaries to protect your heart?
  5. What does your private prayer life look like compared to your public spiritual persona, and what does that gap reveal about your heart?
  6. How can you cultivate secret generosity this week — giving time, money, or encouragement in a way that only God sees?
  7. What would it look like practically to live for an audience of One in your daily decisions, relationships, and spiritual disciplines?

Prayer Points

Father, I confess that too often I've performed my faith for human applause rather than seeking Your approval alone. Forgive me for the times I've given, prayed, or served with mixed motives, wanting others to notice and admire my spirituality. Search my heart and reveal where I'm still living for the approval of people instead of You. Teach me to cultivate a hidden life with You that's more real than my public image, a prayer closet where I meet You daily in honesty and intimacy. Help me to give generously in secret, to pray without performance, and to practice spiritual disciplines for Your eyes only. I want to be the kind of person who genuinely seeks You for who You are, not for what I can gain from being seen as spiritual. Thank You that You see in secret and that Your approval is infinitely more valuable than human praise. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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