Remember the oil lamp used in Jewish home 2000 years ago. Multiple small lamps produced the light for the city on the hill. Let our light sign. One lamp is not nearly enough. We are the wick, the more of us the bigger the wick, the brighter the light. With Easter in the Park is we get into our community; taking the Gospel to our community. This is our opportunity to stand up and preach the Gospel.
Matt 6:1-18 continues to teach us how to live according to Kingdom values; we need to be perfect just as our Father is perfect; to "beware of practicing your rigorousness before other people in order to be seen by them." Religious hypocrisy is a deadly trap. We become actors who performed for the praises of others. The enemy does all he can to prevent our action according to Matt 5. 1 Pet 3:3-4 Do not adorn yourself to be a show for others, but work on the hidden person of in your heart. The same word used for doing it in secret, focus on your heart. Why am I praying, why am I reading scripture- Jesus is challenging us to focus on our hearts.
God wants us to practice righteousness upwards, outwards, and inwards. The word reward, appears 7 times in all of the rest of scripture; but in Matt 5, the word reward is found numerous times in the beatitudes, In Matt 6, our reward will be a from our Father God who loves us. Chapter 6 challenges us to considered how we live.
