Matthew 6:1-6; 16-18

Summary: Jesus here warns us of how easily the things we do to bring honour to him degenerate into a quest for the admiration of other people. The examples he gives are with regard to giving alms, praying, and fasting. The way he tells us to fight against this self-promoting impulse is to do these things in secret where no one has even the opportunity to boost our ego. What Jesus invites us to seek instead is the reward of our Heavenly Father…to be motived by the reward of his approval and delight. He assures us that our Father’s eyes are always on us, and he will never overlook any of the things we do to the glory of his name.