Why is God interested in you? One answer is that He loves you and wants you to have the very best because He’s your loving Heavenly Father.
Another answer is that He’s counting on you. He wants you to reflect His character through the way you speak and live.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus emphasized the second answer.
“Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5.16).
Through his actions, words, attitudes, and entire way of being, Jesus perfectly revealed the character of his Father, glorifying Him in the world.
Similarly, when we choose to live a life that reflects Jesus’ teachings and seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we fulfill Jesus’ call to glorify His Father in Heaven.
The Inner Life
Revealing God’s character – love, grace, righteousness, integrity, and more – requires a deep inner connection with Him. While the religious leaders of Jesus’ day displayed outward acts, they lacked this inner connection.
“Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5.20).
Jesus desires his followers to possess both the inward connection and the outward expression of faith.
Acts of Devotion – Giving Alms
In Jesus’ day, Jewish people expressed their devotion to God through three main practices: almsgiving, prayer, and fasting.
While Jesus encouraged his followers to continue these practices, he emphasized the importance of doing so with the right intentions.
“Beware of practicing your righteousness before others in order to be seen by them, for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven” (Matthew 6.1).
Jesus wants His followers to be seen. He wants them to be seen doing the right thing to honor God and reveal His character.
Jesus doesn’t want His followers to be seen when it is for selfish motives of polishing one’s self-image.
The Bible talks about a practice called almsgiving, which means helping those in need. Today, this could involve writing a check to a charity, giving money directly to someone you see struggling, or volunteering your time to a good cause.
When Jesus spoke about this practice, he emphasized that the goal shouldn’t be to impress others with our generosity. Instead, acts of giving should be motivated by a desire to glorify God and show love to others.
“So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward” (Matthew 6.2).
Jesus condemned those who gave to charity solely for public recognition, calling them hypocrites. This term originates from ancient Greek theater, where actors wore masks to portray different characters.
In essence, a hypocrite puts on a mask of virtue to deceive others, just like an actor playing a role.
True devotion that honors God and reveals His character is expressed through actions done without seeking recognition.
“But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matthew 5.3-4).
Our focus should be on crediting God by reflecting His love in the world, not on personal praise for our generosity.
If you are like me, you might recognize a call in these verses to strengthen our inner life through a relationship with God. I encourage you to join me in this pursuit.
As we seek God, He transforms us, allowing His character to shine through our lives.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross and I discussed this passage on YouTube today. It’s on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 