Christian Counter-Culture: The Message of the Sermon on the Mount (John Stott) Part 8

One of the things the world hates about Christians these days is how freaking hypocritical we all are. This section of the book is about hypocrisy and how to avoid it.

We're meant to give privately, not for worldly acclaim. We're meant to engage in personal prayer and devotions privately, not where others will watch and see how prayerful we are. We're meant to observe spiritual disciplines without drawing attention to what we're doing, not as a way to show how spiritual we are.

Intent matters.

God knows your heart.

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"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 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.

"And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you they have received their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Matthew 6.1-6, 16-18 (NRSV)

Notes from my HarperCollins Study Bible

• Piety of hypocrites vs piety rewarded by God.
• Hypocrites = Pharisees.
• Men were expected to pray 5x a day (3x facing Jerusalem) plus before and after meals. (Islam continues this expectation.)
• The only prescribed fast was the Day of Atonement.
• Bowed head, sackcloth and ashes.

A Christian's religion: not hypocritical but real.

• Beatitudes = character; salt and light = influence; antitheses = moral righteousness.
• Now we are on to religious righteousness.
• Authentic religious righteousness is of the heart.

"Show when tempted to hide" and "hide when tempted to show." (A.B. Bruce)

• Piety is secret so that God is glorified, and good works are public for the same reason. Don't do stuff so other people praise you.

I do think it's weird to talk about Islam as if it's as ancient a religion as Judaism or Christianity, when it's a melding of the two because Muhammad didn't like all the fighting. (How ironic.)

• Almsgiving, praying, fasting are in all religions to some degree.
• Jesus didn't say "IF you do these things...", He said "WHEN you do these things..."
• Duty to God, to others, to ourselves.
• Give alms = serve our neighbours.
• Pray = seek God's face, acknowledge dependence.
• Fasting = self-discipline.

Christian giving.

• Almsgiving = a deed of mercy or pity.
• Seeking praise; self-aggrandizing; or seeking God's approval.
• Hypocrisy = hupokritēs = an orator and then an actor = someone who treats the world as a stage on which he plays a part, assuming a false identity.
• Hypocrites get the praise of men, and that's it.
• Don't tell others about your giving, and don't be self-conscious of it either.
• Self-congratulation is a no-no.

"The proper rewards are not simply tacked on to the activity for which they are given, but are the activity itself in consummation." (C.S. Lewis)

• The reward for almsgiving is seeing people's needs taken care of.

Christian praying.

• Church is for worshiping God, not for boosting our reputation.

In the Secret

• There are treasures awaiting us when we pray.

Where Your Treasure Is

• This is about personal prayer, not corporate prayer.
• Prayer should be borne of a love for God.

Christian fasting.

• The disciples didn't fast then, but they did after Jesus' ascension.
• Fasting = abstaining from food, partially or totally, for shorter or longer periods.
• Fasting = self-denial, self-discipline.
• Fast = humble ourselves before God.
• Penance.
• Prayer (eliminating distractions to make it easier to hear God).
• Self-discipline.
• We do not need to punish our bodies but to discipline (teach) them.
• Do without in order to share with the needy. (cf Luke 16. 19-31, Lazarus and the rich man)
• Abstaining from meat and eating fish instead was of the state, to help bolster fishing towns and to lower the price of meat so poor folk might afford it.
• Fasting shows solidarity with the poor.
• Just live life as usual when fasting; other people don't need to know.

Conclusion

• Pharisaic piety = ostentatious, vain, rewarded by men.
• Christian piety = secret, humble, rewarded by God.
• Hypocritical religion = destructive.
• Destroys integrity of alms, prayer, fasting by doing them for praise from others.
• The cause is self-obsession.

We have to become so conscious of God that we cease to be self-conscious. (p. 140)

• Hypocrites do things in order to be seen by (and praised by) men. Greek is theathēnai: performing in a theatre.
• Choose God for your audience; that promotes integrity and authenticity in all you do .

God hates hypocrisy but loves reality. That is why it is only when we are aware of His presence that our giving, praying, and fasting will be real. (p. 141)

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I am reminded of the Cursillo Tripod, the stool with three legs that represents the Christian life.

Piety is the outward expression of faith (an inward grace? I just love that phrase, I want to use it everywhere). That's what we're talking about here.

Study is the learning we do about our faith, about scripture, about the Church. Reading this book has been part of my study.

Action is how we apply what we've learned and how we live out our faith in our everyday lives. Writing up my notes for others to read is part of my action.

I hope you are learning with me, and I pray you are able to live your faith well.

Peace & Blessings.