Living in a Disoriented World:
Confusing Applause of Men for the Approval of God
Rev. Reuben Foncardas
Doing something that God approves of does not automatically guarantee pleasing Him. A righteous deed done to obtain human applause is nowhere near honoring God. The quality of a righteous deed lies on its motive. Jesus points this out using three most important Jewish religious pieties. He expects his disciples to continue to practice these righteous acts, but in the right manner and with the right motives.
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1. Almsgiving: Give in all sincerity (vv. 2-4).
• The hypocrites were not really giving. They were buying the praise of men by drawing attention to themselves.
• Almsgiving is one of the ways to help the needy and to remind the rest that God is the source of all good gifts. This practice of generosity prevents greed in our hearts.
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2. Prayer: Pray in all honesty (vv. 5-15).
• The hypocrites were not really praying to God. They were performing self-worship by putting up a show of their piety.
• Jesus is not forbidding public prayer. But if we pray more in public than in private, it most likely indicates a sinful desire to obtain the praise of men.
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3. Fasting: Fast in all humility (vv. 16-18).
• The hypocrites fasted to glorify their flesh instead of denying it by making sure people knew they were fasting.
• Fasting intends to force us to focus on God and not on ourselves. This is why it is almost always accompanied by cries of repentance.
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Conclusion:
Sometimes the line that separates pleasing God and pleasing people can be blurry. So how do we make sure we are seeking to please God and not seeking the applause of people?
a. Let your righteous deed be a matter between you and God.
b. Let your righteous deed be in harmony with the will of God.
c. Let your righteous deed be pleasing to God even if it displeases people.
