March 13
“Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.”
“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. 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.”
“And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
“When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”
-Matthew 6:1-8
(Please read the scripture passage through three times using the practice of lectio divina.)
Reflection
Ernest Becker, in his Pulitzer Prize-winning book The Denial of Death, describes humans as the gods who defecate. Although we are like gods in the way we can imagine eternity, every time we make a pile, we’re reminded that we live in animal bodies that will die, decay, and stink.
Becker writes that we try to solve this dilemma by convincing ourselves that we are deserving of eternity. We do this through religion and by finding ways of feeling superior to others.
The genius of Christianity is that it tells us the hard truth: we don’t deserve eternity. But because of Jesus, we are given eternal life as a merciful gift.
In light of this, Christians can live in freedom. We can stop playing religious show-off games and give up feeling superior to others. In gratitude for God’s gift, we can humbly devote ourselves to doing God’s will, whether it impresses the neighbors or not.
Action (Engage)
The “discipline of secrecy” in the Christian tradition means doing good acts in secret. It might be something like surreptitiously sweeping your neighbor’s sidewalk, or sneaking a flower arrangement into the sanctuary before worship, or taking a minute to clean something up at work. Imagine something you can do today for the delighted gaze of God alone.
