Answer
Matthew 6:1–18 is part of the Lord’s great Sermon on the Mount. In this segment, Jesus focuses on the heart motives of faithful followers, contrasting them with those of hypocritical religious pretenders. The Lord highlights three areas of devotion: giving (verses 1–4), prayer (verses 5–15), and fasting (verses 16–18). Regarding prayer, Jesus teaches, “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly” (verses 5–6, NKJV).
True spiritual devotion comes from a heartfelt desire to please God rather than to be recognized by others. Many of the scribes and Pharisees in Jesus’ day were religious pretenders who loved to stand up and pray in the synagogue or on busy street corners so that everyone passing by would see them praying. They were looking for a reward; they wanted their spiritual acts to be seen: “Everything they do is for show. On their arms they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear robes with extra long tassels. And they love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the seats of honor in the synagogues. They love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi’” (Matthew 23:5–7, NLT).
In the original language, the word translated as “reward” in Matthew 6:5 refers to a payment, such as wages. Jesus states that the hypocrites already have their reward. They immediately get what they have worked for—the praise and recognition of others. Apart from an earthly moment of glory, they receive no other reward for their supposed acts of righteousness. They miss out on God’s eternal blessings.
Jesus isn’t saying we should never stand up in church and pray. He’s not forbidding public prayer. Instead, He wants us to consider our reasons for praying. Is our purpose in prayer to love and please Him? Are we motivated by our desire to live in communion with the heavenly Father? Or are we trying to be seen as super-spiritual and gain public approval?
God sees the heart and knows what kind of reward we seek (1 Samuel 16:7; Psalm 139:1–4; 44:21; Proverbs 24:12; John 2:24–25; Hebrews 4:13; 1 John 3:20). He recognizes those who genuinely love Him and those who are religious pretenders.
God wants followers who are concerned only with His approval. The Lord has heavenly rewards reserved for them (Proverbs 11:18; Matthew 6:1; 10:42). God rewards faithful service (1 Corinthians 3:12–15; Colossians 3:23–24; Mark 9:41). He blesses those who obey Him (Deuteronomy 28:1–2; Psalm 19:9–11; 62:12; James 1:25) and do good (Romans 2:6–11; Ephesians 6:8).
The Bible says, “We will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up” (Galatians 6:7–9, NLT). The Lord Himself is the believer’s greatest reward (Genesis 15:1; Deuteronomy 32:9; Psalm 73:26; Revelation 21:3).
When we give to the Lord, pray, and fast, we must make sure our hearts are right. We don’t perform these good deeds to call attention to ourselves. People who practice their righteous acts with the wrong motive—to gain a public reputation for piety—have their reward. They earn the praise of humans and nothing more. Living for such fleshly pursuits is foolish because human glory quickly fades; it will not last into eternity (1 Peter 1:24; James 1:10–11).
